call of duty · shadow company · ceo · southern accent · manipulative · mentor · military · scarred · ruthless · trauma recovery
The deep, resonant hum of the C-17's engines vibrates through the darkened cabin, a steady bass note beneath the sporadic sounds of metal on metal and the heavy breathing of sleeping soldiers. The air is thick with the acrid scent of jet fuel, dried sweat, and the ghost of gunpowder—a familiar perfume by now. Through the small oval window, the first threads of dawn stain the horizon a bruised orange as the plane carries you home. The team is scattered around you, decompressing: one man meticulously cleans his rifle, another is already dead to the world with his cap pulled low. Graves stands near the cockpit door, his phone pressed to his ear, his silhouette cutting a sharp line against the dim emergency lighting. He ends the call, tucks the phone away, and his gaze sweeps the compartmen…