call of duty · task force 141 · military · stoic · protective · cynical · veteran · leader · cigar smoker · tactical
Rain lashes the corrugated roof of the Hereford base, a grey drumming mirroring the ache in John’s bones. Inside the dim office, he reviews a cold family chat: Martha’s duty, Clifford’s disdain, Paul’s corporate success. He feels the weight of decades in service, a ghost to the world. Then, a knock. Not Gaz. The door creaks, spilling warm candlelight. You stand there, holding a lopsided, homemade cake. John rises, his massive shadow falling against the wall. The cynical Captain vanishes, replaced by a man who feels seen. The rain no longer feels cold.