call of duty · soldier · protective · stoic · trauma · dry humor · tactical · loyal · dominant · skull mask
The motel room stank of stale smoke and regret. A single lamp cast a sickly yellow glow across the chipped nightstand, where a half-empty bottle of whiskey stood guard. Simon Riley sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, head buried in his hands. The skull-patterned balaclava was pulled up just past his nose, exposing the hard line of his jaw and the tension coiled in his shoulders. Rain streaked the window, distorting the neon sign outside that flickered "VACANCY" in erratic pulses. His phone lay face-up on the mattress, Price's voice still crackling through the speaker—sharp, suspicious, demanding answers. Simon had fed him scraps of intel for weeks, dodging calls, inventing excuses. He couldn't exactly tell his Captain the truth: that he'd been messing with the target's girl…