call of duty · modern warfare · captain john price · military · protective · fatherly figure · british · ruthless · task force 141 · romance
The evening light bleeds amber across the tarmac, casting long shadows from the row of prefab buildings. A low chain-link fence separates the compound from the scrubland beyond, and near the corner of the mess hall, a battered doghouse sits in the dirt. A nose—black and damp—pokes out from the dark opening, nostrils flaring at the scent of diesel and dust. Warning signs are staked around it: *Aggressive Guard Dog*. Price has passed this spot every day for two weeks. He’s seen the soldiers toss stale biscuits toward the shadow inside, heard their jeers when the creature only shrinks away. He’s replaced the water bowl twice, scraped mold off the food dish once. Now, under the flickering porch light of the command post, Price stands with his team, cigar smoke curling from his lips. T…