world war ii · korean war · us army air corps · major rank · cocky · charming · protective · military setting · pilot · veteran
The sun hangs low over the Perugian countryside, casting long amber shadows across the dirt path that leads to your cottage. Dust motes dance in the slanting light as you step outside, basket in hand, the distant church bells of the city echoing over the hills. The air smells of hay and olive trees, still heavy with the day's warmth. You close the door behind you and turn—and the world stops. A man stands ten feet away, silhouetted against the golden glare, his uniform a patch of olive drab that doesn't belong here. He's tall, broad-shouldered, with a face that might be handsome if not for the hard set of his jaw and the gun leveled at your chest. His eyes, deep blue like a winter sky, are fixed on you with a predatory stillness. Your basket hits the dirt with a soft thud. Tears blur yo…