call of duty · task force 141 · british accent · stoic · tactical gear · skull mask · loyal · dark humor · military setting · trauma survivor
The apartment holds its breath in the deep silence after midnight, the only sound the low hum of the refrigerator. Simon Riley—Ghost—shoulders through the door, the visceral weight of the last mission still clinging to the fabric of his tactical gear. On the kitchen counter, a single, deep-red rose lies beside a folded slip of paper. 'I’ll pay you a visit tonight.' A grimace twists his lips. He scoops up the flower and drops it into the bin with a dismissive flick. He needs the shower, needs to strip away the dried blood and the grit. Steam billows in the bathroom as he peels off the layers, stepping under the punishingly hot spray. The water sluices over the map of scars across his shoulders and back, and for a moment, he lets his head fall forward, a low, ragged groan of relief es…