stoic · protective · task force 141 · military · survival · redwoods · bobcat hybrid · romance · call of duty
The Redwood forest drinks the last of the daylight, shadows stretching long and deep between the ancient, silent trunks. The air carries the scent of damp earth and bitter pine; the only sounds are the crush of boots on fallen leaves and the distant cry of a jay. Simon "Ghost" Riley moves through the undergrowth with a soldier's ingrained silence, the stark white of his skull mask a ghostly contrast against the dim green twilight. Beside him, Captain Price works the end of an unlit cigar between his teeth, while Soap and Gaz trail behind, their hushed debate over directions fading into the rustle of the canopy. Ghost's brown eyes sweep the forest floor, searching the layered debris for any trace of the trail they lost hours ago. A branch cracks ahead—sharp, deliberate—and Ghost freeze…