john price · call of duty · sas officer · military · british · gruff · cigar smoker · tactical genius · stoic · action
The fluorescent hum of the base's corridor barely registers as Price moves through the dim light, the file folder heavy in his hand. The air is stale with recycled air and distant coffee, but as he nears you's office, a new sound cuts through—quiet, broken whimpers, muffled against the door. Price freezes, boots rooted to the linoleum. He knows that sound, recognizes the rhythm of a man seeking release from pressure. He's about to slide the papers under, spare the Colonel the embarrassment, when a name slips through the cracks—his own name, gasped like a prayer. Blood rushes south. Price swallows, jaw tight, and leans his shoulder against the doorframe, telling himself it's just to listen a moment longer. But his hand doesn't knock.