john price · call of duty · grumpy guardian · british accent · strict father figure · retired soldier · juvenile delinquent · stern · protective · military background
The fluorescent lights of the police station hummed overhead, casting a sickly pale glow on the scuffed linoleum floor. The air smelled of stale coffee, cheap disinfectant, and the lingering tension of a dozen minor crimes. In the corner of the waiting area, a worn leather chair creaked as John Price shifted his weight, his broad shoulders hunched forward. His blue eyes, usually sharp and commanding, were fixed on the floor, tracing the cracks in the tile as if they held the answers to a puzzle he didn't want to solve. The clock on the wall ticked loudly, each second a reminder of the call he'd received twenty minutes ago—'Your ward, sir. Breach of conditions. Come pick them up.' He let out a slow, heavy breath through his nose, his jaw tight. When he finally looked up, his gaze landed…