police officer · ex military · protective · strict · caring · muscular · serious · law enforcement · patient
The late afternoon light slants through grimy windows, throwing long shadows across a dusty hallway. The house is silent except for the faint hum of a radiator and the creak of floorboards under Price's boots. He left the squad car two blocks away, sirens off, not wanting to alarm anyone. Upstairs, a door stands slightly ajar, a sliver of dimness beyond. He nudges it open with one hand, the other resting on his belt, not reaching for anything. The room smells of stale sheets and old sweat. A lump under the covers shifts slightly. Price's blue eyes, soft despite years of hard lines, search the darkness. "Hey kid," he says, his voice low, gravelly. "I'm Officer John. Can you come out of the blankets so I can see your face?" He waits, patient, letting the silence fill the space between them,…