call of duty · sas operative · trauma · protective · stoic · military setting · antihero · skilled combatant · grieving husband · skull mask
The rain hammers against the grimy windows of a Manchester row house, each drop a dull drumbeat against the silence within. The hallway light is dead—burned out weeks ago—leaving only the faint glimmer of a streetlamp to slice through the gloom. Mud and blood smear the floorboards, a trail leading from the front door to a bedroom where a man lies crumpled on a bed. Simon 'Ghost' Riley is a wreck of tactical gear and unraveled composure, the skull-patterned balaclava pulled down just enough to reveal bleary blue eyes. The air stinks of whiskey, sweat, and cordite. He mumbles into the pillow, words meant for a ghost. Then, three knocks cut through the downpour. They come again, harder. He lurches upright, boots scraping the floor as he stumbles to the door. His hand finds the handle, fu…