Descent into Darkness (Major Spoilers for House of Ashes)

Chapter Four

It didn't take the group long to make it to the temple. While Eric had stayed at camp to keep an eye on Salim and perform an autopsy on the creature, Gabrielle had been assigned to securing perimeter with Jason and Nick.

This included caving in the holes and setting up cameras and traps. While Nick and Jason held minimal conversation with each other, she just stayed quiet. Once they were done with the holes, they started heading back towards the main room of the temple, Jason stopping for a moment and crouching down in front of an already triggered trap while Gabrielle double checked the camera they'd placed.

"We should reset that tripwire. Give me a hand." He instructed Nick.

Nick crouched down to follow orders and help. Once she was done checking the camera, she just waited for the pair to finish up with resetting the tripwire. "We've been in some fucked up situations before..." Nick trailed off, starting the conversation.

"Never as fucked as this." Jason admitted, maintaining most of his focus on the tripwire so as not to accidently make a mistake or set it off. "If I gotta fight these things, there's no-one else I would want by my side." Nick responded.

The two men then got to their feet once they'd finished with the trap. "You know I've always got your back, buddy. Come what may" Jason reassured Nick with a small smile, before addressing Gabrielle. "And you too, Gabby. Nick and I always got your back covered."

She smiled a little at that, though her mind hadn't really been properly in the conversation, mentally just worrying about Salim, but keeping that worry to the back of her mind for now so she could focus on the job at hand. "Yeah, I know Jason. Right back at you." She said simply. And with that, the trio continued on down the corridor, making sure to step over the tripwire.

Wanting to lighten the somber mood over their current situation, she changed the conversation topic to something less heavy than the looming threat of potential death. "Do you ever think about them, given the situation?" She asked Jason out of the blue.

"Who do you mean?" He answered with a question, not quite sure who his comrade had been referring to. "Your wife and your niece" Gabrielle clarified. As much as he liked to act tough, she could tell how much he cared about his family by the fond, soft smile they always brought to his face. "Of course I do. You know I love Hailey more than anything." He began, before starting to talk about his niece. "And Beverly's a good kid. Just had her 3rd birthday recently."

Gabrielle smiled back for a moment, that conversation ending just as they'd made it back to the main room of the temple. Nick struck up another conversation with Jason, this time about the structure itself, though she didn't really pay much attention to it. It had started out relatively calm, at least until the checkpoint incident and the woman Nick had killed had been brought up.

Gabrielle hated whenever it was brought up, and felt bad for Nick, who had to deal with the guilt of killing an innocent civilian. Both she and Jason could tell it was really getting to him, and she didn't blame him at all in the slightest. She was grateful when she heard Eric's voice through Jason's radio. "Mailman Two-One Actual, this is Dropkick. Request update. Over." the Colonel instructed, wanting an update on their progress with securing the perimeter of the temple.

"Two-One Actual, recieving. Cameras are green and the holes have been demolished. Over." Jason replied through the radio.

"Good work, Lieutenant. Sweep through the eastern corridor and be on your guard. Over." Had been Eric's next set of instructions for them. The trio then started heading in that direction to continue the sweep. "I hear you. Over and out." Jason confirmed as they headed down the corridor. This time all three of them remained quiet, keeping their guards up, as they walked. Grabrielle's thoughts had drifted back to Salim again, hoping that Eric was at least treating him well.