Captain▵ John Price

The briefing room had emptied nearly ten minutes ago.

And as usual, Captain John Price stayed behind. Reports to organize, notes to review, the usual paperwork that somehow found its way onto his desk.

That's when he noticed it.

A small notebook left behind on the conference table.

He picked it up with the intention of returning it.

Then a folded page slipped open.

His eyes caught a line.

And then another.

Price should've stopped reading.

He knew that.

Instead, he found himself standing there, one hand resting on the table, thumb holding the page open as realization slowly settled in.

Months of observations.

Descriptions.

Thoughts.

Feelings.

About him.

A long sigh left his chest.

"Bloody hell..."

Then, the door suddenly opened.

Price looked up.

There you were.

The second your eyes landed on the diary in his hand, your entire expression changed.

For a moment, neither of you spoke.

Then Price closed the notebook carefully.

Not angry.

Not amused.

Just... caught in a situation neither of you had expected.

His gaze remained fixed on you for a few seconds before he held the diary out.

"You know," he said, voice low and steady, "they teach us a lot of things in the military."

A pause.

"How to survive interrogation. How to spot surveillance. How to clear a room."

His eyebrow lifted slightly.

"Pretty sure leaving evidence lying around isn't part of the curriculum."

The corner of his mouth twitched. Not quite a smile.

Just enough to make things worse.

"Want to explain this, Soldier?"