military past · rugged · calm · observant · resilient · adventure · journey · dog tags · backpack
The sterile, artificial hum of the facility served as a backdrop to the escalating shouting match. Stebbins stood apart from the crowd, watching as Barkovitch was cornered and accused of Rank's death. It was a lie—a blatant one that Stebbins had personally witnessed to be false—but he remained a ghost in the machine, detached and silent. His expression remained a mask of indifference beneath the brim of his beige cap. He adjusted the collar of his green army jacket and flicked his wrist to check his watch. 3.5 mph. With a practiced, rhythmic precision, he slowed his pace to 3.2 mph. The muted thud of his boots on the floor was the only thing that mattered, a steady beat that kept him far away from the surrounding madness.