Don't fear the reaper - Captain John Price

XXXIII

The rare rays of the sun were shining on the cold ground. Fluffy clouds were flowing above the city slowly as if they were taking the time to take a peek at the life of every single person in London. A woman was trying to catch her bus, as her legs were running a short marathon full of hope. A feeling of success and happiness took her over as her feet stood inside the transportation. On the other side of the street, a family left their car and walked to the entrance door of the building, just to hide in the warmth of it. All souls are placed in one large city, but so different from one another.

Price never felt that he belonged in any options of life he could ever have in London. A man was never interested in spending days in the gray offices, while his hairs were graying and years passing by. He was never a tourist, because his legs and eyes knew the streets of the city better than some Londoners. John was never a lover to anyone. A short-time fling, a regret, a forgotten past, a sweet memory, but never a lover. He was a captain. There was nothing Price knew except for war, both in his head and in life. A gaze of once bright blue eyes fell onto the screen of the phone, checking the name of the pub with the sign in front of him. A welcoming ding echoed through the empty room. The pub opened not a long time ago, and the bartenders with waitresses were enjoying the slow beginning of the day. The captain stood in the middle of the place for a moment, letting his eyes walk around before his legs took him to the occupied table on the other side of the pub,

"Bloody hell, it's 10 in the goddamn morning, Lia," John let himself sit down across from a brunette, noticing the glass of wine first and her tired face then, for the first time the man seen her looking so rough. Even for a split moment, Price regretted his phrase, as his eyes met with hers.

"How did you even find me, John?" Knight took a sip of the drink, wondering for a moment why he even was there. It was a hard moment for everyone on the team. The wound was way too fresh to heal so fast, but could only hurt more.

The night after the mission the two went separate ways. Sleepless nights in avoidance of nightmares were written all over her face. The captain was occupying a special place inside of the brunette's heart, and she never expected Price to feel the same about her. Same as Amelia didn't expect to see him that morning. He was looking for her. John came to find her.

"I've got my ways, dove," A hint of the smile was sitting on the edge of the captain's lips as he broke the eye contact between the two. Curiously, the look of the blue eyes looked over the pub. Price didn't even know that some pubs were open this early in the morning. His eyes stayed on the dark shadow in the corner for a moment. Simon's brown eyes looked back at the man. Amelia wasn't the only person wishing to drown the sorrow in alcohol that morning.

"Are we having a meeting?" Ghost was holding a glass of whiskey in his gloved hand, as his large body found the place at the table with the two. They shared the pain. Simon was never an emotional person. His childhood was way too complicated to feel something again in his adult life. He was the shadow in the crowded room, someone who was never scared of the deadliest mission. But ever since Johnny was gone, the painful emptiness was planted somewhere under his dark hoodie.

"Yes, of anonymous alcoholics," John leaned on the old, but yet comfortable back of the chair. The wood creaked under the weight of the captain but stood still. He looked at the drinks of the two. Price felt the responsibility for his team even outside of the base. At this point, the captain wouldn't be surprised if the next person walking inside of the pub would be Gaz.

"I just couldn't sleep all night, thought a drink might help," Amelia shook her shoulders, as another sip of the bloody red wine escaped into her lips. Alcohol wasn't giving a feeling of relaxation to her. A brunette wanted to run away somewhere far away. To the endless fields of green grass, lonely houses away from the large cities full of people. Maybe a woman wanted to run away from her own self, but the morning sun was bringing her back to where she started her long journey in the repetitive cycle of everyday life.