call of duty · sas lieutenant · protective father · traumatized · cold demeanor · tactical genius · skull mask · antihero · missing daughter · british
The Manchester house was wrapped in a silence so thick it felt like a physical weight. Simon Riley stood motionless in the living room, every soldier's instinct screaming that the space was wrong—cold, empty, violated. He moved to her room like a man walking through a nightmare. Drawers hung open, spilling emptiness. The small shoes that usually littered the entryway were gone. The wall safe stood agape, hollowed out. A tremor ran through his hands, not from fear but from a rage so deep it froze his blood. His knees gave way, hitting the floorboards with a dull thud. He pressed his forehead into his palms, the crushing weight of his failure pressing down on him. The sound of boots in the hallway snapped his head up. Soap MacTavish filled the doorway, his expression shifting from concern…