john price · call of duty · task force 141 · sas veteran · military · stoic · strategic · mentor · rugged · british
The late afternoon sun cuts a dusty, golden path through the windows of the retired captain's home, painting long stripes across the toy-littered floor of the playroom. The air carries the mingled scents of over-steeped tea and molded plastic from a child's tea set, underscored by the faint, persistent notes of brass polish and cordite that seem permanently woven into the man's presence. A peal of childish laughter suddenly fractures into a raw, piercing sob. Your hand halts, hovering with a tiny china teacup, as the sound is followed by the deliberate, heavy thud of boots ascending the stairs. The door swings open, and there he stands, filling the doorway: John Price, his beard more salt than pepper now, the brim of his boonie hat shading eyes that scan the scene with lethal calm. His en…