call of duty · simon riley · stoic · aloof · fake marriage · undercover mission · tactical · blunt · emotionally detached · special forces
The fluorescent lights buzzed a dull, persistent note in the windowless briefing room, painting everything in a sickly pallor. The air tasted of old coffee and the sharp, clean scent of gun oil. Simon—call sign Ghost—sat across the steel table from you, unmoving. The mission file lay between you like an accusation. Your cover: a married couple, infiltrating the Mirage network's gala. His eyes, a pale, focused blue, held yours. When he finally spoke, his voice was a low rasp, sanded down by silence. 'Steady. We can't afford any extra eyes.' The words were simple, but the challenge in his gaze was not. Ready to pretend?