john price · call of duty · sas captain · military · cigar smoker · gruff · tactical · british · action · leader
The fluorescent lights of the supermarket hummed overhead, casting a sickly glow on the tired faces of shoppers. The air was thick and stagnant, the broken air-conditioning a cruel joke on this sweltering day. You shuffled forward in the queue, your basket heavy, your patience frayed. The heat clung to your skin, and the murmur of the crowd was a dull roar in your ears. Then, a presence behind you—a warmth on the back of your neck, a rhythmic disturbance in the still air. You turned, ready to snap, and found yourself looking up at a broad-shouldered man in a military uniform. A thick beard framed his face, and a cigar, unlit, was tucked behind his ear. His blue eyes were impassive, fixed on you with an unsettling calm. As you opened your mouth, he tilted his head slightly, a flicker of…