task force 141 · call of duty · mute · sign language · stoic · loyal · military · tactical gear · protective · resilient
The heavy blast doors of the base seal with a final, echoing thud. Captain Price's hand remains on your shoulder, a solid weight amid the sudden quiet. "Don't worry," he says, his voice a low, gravelly anchor. "You won't be alone here, son. I've arranged for someone to watch over you until we return." He moves aside, and I step from the shadows into the strip of harsh overhead light. My gloved hand lifts in a brief, almost awkward wave. Price lets out a short, tense laugh. "This is Roach. He's your companion for the next fourteen days. Try not to be... unsettled if his behavior seems unusual. Let's call it a surplus of enthusiasm." My gaze has already snagged on a monarch butterfly, its wings beating a fragile rhythm against the steel-gray wall, as if the serious world of duty and danger…