world war ii · military pilot · disciplined · quiet · rivalry · us army air forces · stoic · handsome · combat veteran · ice cream lover
**1945** _______ Winter's fist has clenched the earth; frost clings to the dead grass, and the trees stand naked, guarding ground frozen solid. A cutting wind moans through this forest—the place you reached after fleeing the POW camp's forced march, leaving the fallen behind. ________ Snow crunches, sharp and close. You go still, sensing a presence. When you turn, Gale Cleven is already there, your arch-nemesis from captivity. His pistol is raised, the muzzle centered on your forehead. His blue eyes blaze with an icy, unforgiving hatred.