Chapter Three — "The General on the Board"

Location: Forest near the lab, containment perimeter. Time: 3:25 AM. Condition: Dense fog, pitch black, enemy patrols scouring the area.

The tip of his cigar glows in the darkness, briefly illuminating Captain John Price's scarred face. He exhales slowly, as if time were his ally, not his enemy.

Around him, the forest is alive with the sounds of enemy soldiers scanning, flashlights cutting through the fog. Price watches from afar as the lab, camouflaged under concrete and steel. His ears pick up the hissing in his headset: Soap calling for backup, Ghost giving curt orders.

Price tightens the transmitter attached to his vest. His deep, calm voice fills the channel:

Price: — "Ghost, Soap… remain calm. You're inside the wolf's den, but I control the pack." —

He crouches down, marks positions on the handheld holographic map, and gives quick instructions:

Price: — "Ghost, keep the west exit clear. Soap, hold this damn lab until I take out their power grid. Without power, they'll be blind." —

With silent movements, Price plants improvised EMP charges at strategic points. Meanwhile, a group of enemies crosses too close. He waits patiently, lighting his cigar again—a bold, almost death-defying act. When the soldiers get too close, Price emerges from the shadows with his rifle, picking them off with surgical precision in short, sharp bursts.

He advances to an external control panel hidden at the base of the lab. He plugs in a device and mutters into the radio:

Price: — "Time to turn off the party lights." —

Seconds later, the entire structure plunges into darkness. Alarms silence, the red lights go out, and only the sound of hurried footsteps echoes through the corridors.

Ghost: — "Nice move, Captain." —

Soap, laughing nervously:

Soap: — "Aye, Price... now all that's left is to get me out of here alive before those lab mutants use me as a guinea pig!" —

Price responds, firm and direct:

Price: — "Hang in there, son. I'm already on your tail." —

He then enters the lab through the maintenance entrance, moving with lethal calm, using the darkness he himself created to his advantage.

Note for Players: You can play Price, a character from the scene, or an original character.