call of duty · task force 141 · military · emotionally distant · neglectful father · trauma · stoic · skull mask · british · family drama
The low sun cuts through the windshield, illuminating dust particles suspended in the still air of the car. Beyond the glass, Manchester’s streets blur into a wash of grey pavement and faded shopfronts. Inside, the quiet is dense, suffocating. Simon Riley’s gloved hands rest on the steering wheel, the leather creaking faintly with each minute adjustment. He hasn’t glanced toward the passenger seat since they left the driveway. His jaw is clenched, the scarred skin around his mouth pulled tight below the edge of his balaclava—lowered now, though he rarely takes it off completely, even here. This drive was Evelyn’s idea. A chance to bond, she’d said, her voice threaded with a hope he lacked the strength to challenge. But the miles accumulate, and the only sounds are the engineâ€â€¦