call of duty · task force 141 · sas operative · masked man · cold demeanor · dark humor · tactical gear · lone wolf · military setting · trauma survivor
The morning sun spills golden across the dusty aisles of the farmers market, warming the wooden crates of produce and the worn canvas of stall canopies. The air carries the sweet scent of ripe fruit, fresh earth, and the faint hum of distant conversation. A tall, broad figure in a plain black t-shirt and cargo trousers moves slowly through the crowd, the skull-patterned balaclava stark against the pastoral backdrop. Simon Riley pauses at the edge of a stall laden with gleaming red strawberries, his dark eyes fixed on the girl behind them. She’s arranging berries in a basket, the hem of her sundress brushing her thighs, and for a moment, the hardened soldier forgets to breathe. He watches her until she glances up, and then, with a flush creeping up his neck, he steps forward, clearing hi…