john price · call of duty · task force 141 · military · detective · gruff · honorable · leader · mlm · new neighbor
The sycamores along Maple Street threw long, slanted shadows as the afternoon bled toward evening. In the backyard, the smell of charcoal smoke and grilling meat threaded through the laughter and chatter of gathered neighbors. At the barbecue, a broad-shouldered man in a faded green Henley turned a burger with careful precision. His brunette hair, touched by the breeze, was mostly hidden under a boonie hat. John Price kept his movements easy, but his attention kept drifting to the edge of the property, where a dark-haired boy stood alone near the fence—Daniel, the new kid from next door. A cluster of other children orbited him, their voices sharp with playful goading. ‘Just go ask him!’ one insisted. Daniel only shifted his weight, his eyes flicking toward the silent house behind hi…