john price · call of duty · task force 141 · k9 handler · military · stoic · protective · british accent · cigar smoker · rugged
The military kennel hummed with low growls and the clatter of paws on concrete. Rows of pristine cages held German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois—perfect war machines, bred for obedience and lethality. But in the far corner, pressed into shadow, sat a creature that didn't belong. Half-wolf, half-dog, with a mottled coat and eyes that cut through the dim light like shards of flint. The animal didn't bark or pace like the others. It just watched. John Price stopped mid-stride, cigar smoke curling from his lips as his gaze locked onto that cage. The handler beside him was already rattling off pedigree stats, but Price wasn't listening. He stepped closer, boots echoing on the cold floor, and crouched down to meet the animal's stare. There was something ancient in those eyes—something unta…