INFERNAL WORLD » kyle GAZ garrick

9 - shouldn't get attached, right?

The room locked with a click and Elena adjusted the key against her shoelaces lest she would lose it. Zipping her grey hoodie up, she marched down the large room straight to the exit. Her earphones were already set, and she scrolled her phone to find the perfect song to start her morning run to.

She hadn't slept much, no. How could anyone sleep with the things going on, with where she was, and with how unsure she was of the future? With the few hours of sleep under her belt, Elena hoped that the morning miles would calm her down and let her mind roam free.

Elena didn't intend to be gone for too long in case Kate or anyone else needed her back. She left the base behind her, letting her eyes explore the beautiful scenery around her. The sky still purple from the night with one side of it already becoming slightly orange, as the sun was soon to rise.

''Garrick,'' she whispered to herself, jogging down a sandy path along the road. If she looked down, she could see the footsteps of other military members who have run just like her many years before.

Truth is, she knew why Gaz stood out from all the other hundred men she had worked with. Other soldiers spent weeks with her, even months but never showed such warmth and kindness. The ones that had, had selfish intentions and attempted to swoon Elena only for their pleasure. Plus, Kate trusted Price and Gaz was one of Price's closest men, so Elena could trust Gaz too.

Lists upon lists of attributes and memories swarmed Elena's head and she wasn't sure if she felt better because of it or worse. She had almost finished her second mile when she decided to turn around and head back to the base. She knew that by the time she got back, the base would already be lively.

The massive doors opened for Elena and she checked in with the security guards, who happily welcomed Elena back.

''Back already?'' the older man chuckled.

Elena smiled at him, wiping her forehead.

''Things to do, sir. Could have run much more though,'' she replied and the man nodded.

The man waved at Elena and sat back down in his rusty chair as Elena marched down the base. Several groups of men had already begun their training and basketball games. With the lack of sun in the sky, the lamp posts guided Elena back to the main entrance to the building.

Elena placed the earphones in her pocket. It wasn't a smart choice to be wearing them with a loud song in case someone needed to reach you. Besides, how could you listen in on people?

''She wasn't bad, yeah,'' a man's voice Elena thought to have recognized spoke.

''She beat all of us, so I'd shut up if I were you, Grimes,''

Elena's face froze when she recognized Gaz's voice in the reply. The first one had belonged to Grimes. She placed her hand on the corner wall, stood still, and listened.

''Hero complex much, Gaz?'' Grimes asked while chuckling.

''Uh-huh, sure...'' Gaz replied.

No. Elena shouldn't be listening at all. She knew that listening to these sorts of conversations only lead to misinterpretations and arguments, cold shoulders, and angst.

''But you did save her,'' another man spoke whom Elena recognized as one of Grimes' friends from the previous evening. ''and now you want to figure out what's wrong with her...''

Elena's eyebrows raised in disgust. However, not in surprise.

''And fix her,'' Grimes added.

She could smell the cigarettes coming from them and she breathed in, wiping her face. Elena knew she should walk away and just go to her room, but her feet wouldn't move.

''There's nothing to fix,'' Gaz replied and Elena slightly smiled to herself. ''and I wouldn't want to fix anything even if there were...''

Some of the men laughed, puffing their cigarettes again, causing the smoke to reach Elena's lungs even more so.

''I knew you'd get attached, Garrick,''

''Can't blame you, of course,''

''I- I'm not getting attached NOR do I think of her like that...'' Gaz spoke sternly. ''She'll be flying back with Laswell and hopefully that's it.''

''Hopefully, that's it?'' Grimes laughed even louder, questioning the sergeant. ''whatcha mean by that?''

''I don't want to get attached to someone I've known for four days. Not right, is it, ye?''

Elena blinked a few times, starting to fidget with the earphones she had already taken out. Playing with the rubber endings, she pursed her lips and listened.

''She's a good soldier and probably a damn good agent, but I don't want anything more... we're on the job, which hopefully we'll get done soon, and that's it.''

Silence took over between the men for a moment and Elena knew deep inside, not even looking that deep, that Gaz was right. They were on a serious mission where Kate had trusted her to come and help and not simply fall for a soldier here, causing the parting to be even harder. Elena had barely even made friends over the years, so parting was never the hardest part for her. It made things easier and things didn't need to get complicated.

''All right, mate, we see ya,'' Grimes continued.

''We should head back inside. Breakfast is soon,'' another man agreed.

''Hold it- let me finish my smoke,'' Grimes added.

Quickly turning around, Elena swiftly moved toward the large doors and disappeared inside. The door closed louder behind her than expended, but she didn't waste time and turned right to the hallway. She ducked down, reaching for the key to her room when she heard the door open again. She didn't want to look up. Had Gaz realized she had been listening in?

Jogging footsteps approached her and she looked up only when they stopped right beside her.

''Morning,'' Gaz's welcoming smile greeted her.

With the key in her hand, Elena stood up, facing him.

''Morning, Gaz,''

''I see you went for the runs you told me you liked,''

''I did?''

''Yeah, when we were on the sniper mission in Spain,''

''Right,'' Elena said, nodding. ''Went for four miles today.''

''Nice one,'' Gaz added and cleared his throat. ''We'll be having breakfast soon. Want to join our table again? Grimes and the others might ask for a rematch again later though.''

Elena smiled, looking down.

''I don't mind beating them again,'' she quietly laughed.

''I'd be down the see that too,''

Why was he flirting with her again, Elena thought. Hadn't he just said that he didn't want to get attached and complicate things? Did he perhaps think that a relationship or anything close to that would be impossible but a quick session of pleasure would be? Gaz didn't seem like the type to do that but Elena, though, was never the best at seeing through people.

''I'll see you at the tables then, yeah?'' Gaz said, beginning to walk away.

''Mhm,'' Elena hummed in response, reaching her hand toward the door.

She'll eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, share a few card games, and finish the mission without any other instances of flirting or cheeky interactions, Elena thought to herself, as she saw Gaz's figure disappear. Elena had hardened herself over the years and overcoming the attachment which had crept to her could be dissolved. And it needed to be, as she had taught herself.

***

Hey! Although the last two chapters have been shorter, I hope the story has still been interesting (it's also somehow easier to motivate myself to write if the chapters are shorter hehe)! Soon, we'll get to the very end of the chapters that cover the campaign, but that's not going to be the end of Elena and Gaz's story. See you in the next update!