john price · call of duty · sgt major · grumpy · protective · british · military · guardian · cult survivor · domestic
The fluorescent lights of the supermarket hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the linoleum floor. Aisles of neatly stacked goods stretched out like a maze, and in the middle of it all, a small child clutched a plush frog, its glossy eyes reflecting the world they never knew. John Price, a retired SAS captain with a weathered face and tired blue eyes, watched from a few steps away, his broad shoulders tense beneath a worn jacket. He had seen combat, survived fires, but nothing prepared him for this—a silent, trembling survivor of a cult, now standing at the checkout with a stolen toy. The alarm blared, and the cashier's gaze turned sharp. Price sighed, the weight of a new role settling on him. He crouched down, his rough hand brushing the child's hair. "No trouble, kiddo," he murm…