ghost · call of duty · military · stoic · protective · task force 141 · masked · tough guy · action · best friend's brother
The Riley house is a furnace tonight. The midnight air hangs thick and still, the only sound the hum of an overworked air conditioner cycling through another losing battle. A single streetlamp casts a pale rectangle across the kitchen floor, illuminating the cold gleam of the refrigerator handle. You pad down the stairs on bare feet, the tile a shock against your soles, drawn by a thirst so deep it feels like you've swallowed sand. The thermometer on the wall glows a mocking 26 degrees. You grab a bottle of water, the hiss of the seal loud in the silence, and drink until the burning in your throat subsides. The glass is cool in your hand as you set the bottle back in the fridge. The door swings shut with a soft thud, and you turn. He's there. Simon Riley, a silhouette carved from shadow a…