𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐀 ━ jason x reader.

Nine

[Temple, Iraq. Thursday,
May 30, 2003.]

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚂𝙼
𝟷𝟿:𝟹𝟷 𝙷𝚁𝚂
𝙳𝙴𝙿𝚃𝙷: 𝟷𝟻𝟿 𝙵𝚃.

Having been spotted by Iraqin Republican Guard Dar Basri, Rachel and Eric King made quick work of scurrying away from the enemy to the edge of a chasm. "Is nothing simple in this goddamn place?" The blond voiced his frustration but, upon noticing some worn rope left by the archaeologists, he puts his gun in its holster and takes it as a precaution as they see a ledge they can cross to traverse the chasm.

"You're not serious. That rope is decades old!" Rachel aggressively whispers as she watches her husband tie it around his waist. "It's all we have... can you see him?" He carefully replies.

Rachel then spots Dar looking for them, "Yeah. He's coming!" She quietly warns Eric. She then picks up a rock and throws it in the opposite direction, alerting the Captain. "Move!" She ushers the blond and they began to cross the ledge to reach the other side of the chasm.

After crossing the ledge, the couple is about to leave through the sand caverns, but an earthquake suddenly breaks out.

Rachel falls and begins sliding down the ledge but manages to stabilize herself by grabbing ahold of a large rock that was stuck to the edge, saving herself from meeting an untimely demise.

"Rachel!" Eric partially raises his voice when spotting the detrimental state his wife was in. "I gotcha, Rach. I gotcha!" He loudly reassured her and tosses her the other end of the rope, which she ties to herself.

However, despite Rachel's attempts to hold on to the rock, it came undone and she fell further into the crevasse. Luckily, on the way down, she grabbed ahold of another stone — only to have it break on impact — but this didn't go unpunished as Eric pulled down the steep incline with her as she went over the edge, though he manages to steady himself as the old rope strained itself to make the ends meet.

She screams but as soon as the rope stabilized itself, Rachel started to panic upon realizing she was in the eye of the storm. Hanging there at the mouth of the crater. It was dark. She didn't know how long it went down. "Help me!" She almost instantly calls out to Eric.

"You gotta stop struggling!" Eric shouted back and tried to scoot back to safety, his jaw clenching as he tried to keep the rope from fraying. Even though Rachel complied with his instructions, it didn't matter since Eric is reaching closer to the edge. "Rachel, grab onto something!" He pleaded.

"I can't see. It's too dark..." she swung around, grabbing at nothing. "Come on... fuck!" She cursed and, having no other options, she lit a flare.

"Dammit, Rachel, will you hold still?" The rope brushed up against the edge, thinning it. "I'm so sorry, Rachel. I'm so sorry..." he whispered and pulled out a blade, holding it above the only thing that connected him and his wife. Eric held the knife there for a moment before, with a grunt, he went against his better judgment and instead drove his knife into the soft dirt beside him, rejecting his foolish decision entirely.

Just then, Eric catches a glimpse of lights from the other end of the chasm and — assuming it to be Captain Dar — the blond picks up his knife once more and cuts the rope. "No!" Rachel hollers, looking in horror. She then screams as she disappears into the darkness.

Despite not being alerted of the Americans' presence, Dar can then be seen standing near the pillar and smirking. He turns around and walks away whilst Eric lays himself down with relief.