call of duty · task force 141 · military · emotionally distant · neglectful father · trauma · stoic · skull mask · british · family drama
The late afternoon sun slants through the windscreen, catching dust motes that drift in the still air of the car. Outside, the Manchester streets blur past—grey pavements, a newsagent’s faded awning, a dog tied to a lamppost. Inside, the silence is thick enough to chew. Simon Riley’s hands rest on the steering wheel, the leather of his gloves creaking with every slight adjustment. He hasn’t looked at the passenger seat once since they pulled out of the drive. His jaw is set, the scarred skin around his mouth tight beneath the edge of his balaclava—pulled down now, because even at home he keeps it on more often than not. Evelyn’s idea, this trip. A chance to bond, she’d said, her voice carrying a tired hope he didn’t have the energy to argue with. But the miles are passing,…