In The Shadows Of The Same Eclipse

by ScribeOfRhapsody

Summary:

It didn't matter how many times he had to go through the day. Semper fi. Jason would keep going until he got every one of them out alive.

Notes:

My sister suggested this fic idea. Seemed like fun. Now it's 80k and counting. I have no regrets.

Chapter 1: Day 0

Jason Kolchek was a God-fearing southern-raised man. He’d never doubted there being a heaven and hell. That said, there was a just small, admittedly probably delusional part of him right now that doubted hell could be any worse than his last moments in this life.

 

Every breath rattled and caught in his chest, sending flares of agony radiating throughout his body. Actually, even calling what he was doing breathing was being generous. It was more of a stuttering wheeze considering he didn’t have the energy to cough in an attempt to clear his airways now.

 

Some variations of “doctors” were still buzzing all around him, but they’d all become little more than a blur, and Jason knew they couldn’t save him if they wanted to. Which they didn’t. They cared more about what research could be done before they lost the chance. 

 

He wished he’d never made it out of those damn caves to be poked and prodded at. At least down there he could have gone out fighting. At least it could have been relatively fast. At least he could have died alongside his brothers instead of strapped to the cold metal of a table beneath the stares of uncaring strangers. 

 

But here he was. The sole “survivor” of the whole cursed mission, but right behind the others in death anyway because he’d been a dumbass.

 

“Touch it.” 

 

“You touch it!”

 

Well, he hadn’t gotten into the marines on account of his brains. 

 

It was pathetic, really. He was dying a slow, excruciating death to some dust because he’d decided to poke something like an unsupervised five-year-old. He would have gladly taken the way any of the others went over this. 

 

Joey never even made it into Bruce Wayne’s halloween house. He’d died in the ambush. Probably for the better. 

 

Merwin had been the next – ripped right out from Jason and Nick’s hands before they knew what they were dealing with. 

 

Then it had been the Colonel. They never did find out exactly how he had managed to end up impaled on the mother of all stalagmites given that Rachel hadn’t had the best view of what was going on, but it seemed pretty clear that he’d gone out in some way related to trying to save his wife. 

 

Clarice… Well, her end might have been the only one Jason considered less preferable than his own. He’d been pretty busy trying to secure the room against vampires at the time, but he hadn’t missed her final moments writhing on the floor after they’d had half a dozen conversations on whether or not to abandon or shoot her. Whatever had come back wearing her face after that Jason wasn’t counting as her. 

 

And then the next domino to tip over had been Rachel. Jason might have grimaced if he could. He’d seen a lot of messed up shit during his time as a marine, but that one would have been stuck in his head a long while had he made it past today. He guessed watching what happened to Clarice had made Rachel’s mind up on not sticking around for the full course of her infection, but he would have preferred she borrow a gun or ask him to put a bullet in her head over watching her jam a knife into a container of white phosphorus and combust . At least it had still been fast while being horrific, though. 

 

All that had brought their numbers down to three. Just Jason himself, Nick, and… Salim. 

 

Oh, Salim… That guilt was going to eat Jason until his very last moments, no matter how much he tried to rationalize his decision.  

 

He should have gone back for Salim, Iraqi or not. Or he should at the very least have waited for him at the damn elevator. But he hadn’t. He’d chosen to ensure he got Nick to safety over risking the delay. And for what? Nick had died in a gory mess mere minutes later in some shitty hut with too many holes for the two of them to guard. 

 

Maybe those were his just deserts. If Salim had been with them, three of them might have been enough to hold the line. 

 

“Not long now. Prep the autopsy room.” 

 

Jason startled at hearing the words, a chill running through his already cold form. He’d accepted that he was dying hours ago, but hearing someone talk casually about dissecting his body before his heart had beat its last was a whole new level of bad bedside manner.

 

Asshole, Jason thought. 

 

He wished he had the strength to make punching that “doctor” in the face his last act in life. But he didn’t. He was just going to have to lie here while he faded. 

 

Second after second…

 

Minute after minute… 

 

It was growing more and more hazy. What had happened. Who he was. 

 

Jason gasped as harsh white light turned to daylight around him and his stomach flipped like he’d fallen unexpectedly–

 

“Oof.” Jason grunted as his right leg took the brunt of an impact before he smacked his hip into… the ground? 

 

Jason blinked harshly, shaking his head and coughing on some stirred up dust as he looked around. 

 

Where in the hell …

 

Underground. He was underground. He’d fallen from… somewhere. 

 

Focus, marine. 

 

Okay. He was alive. He wasn’t badly injured. He still had his weapon. He was underground in some pretty extensive tunnels.  And… he felt like he was forgetting something important.

 

He coughed on stirred up dirt again, expecting a lot of pain to follow for some reason. It didn’t though. Why would it? It was just dirt. 

 

Had he hit his head during that fall? He felt weirdly disconnected. 

 

Shake it off. 

 

The whole team had been mid fire-fight when the ground had caved in. He needed to find them.

 

Jason fumbled with his radio. “This is Mailman Two-One Actual, all teams sound off. Over.”

 

His radio gave a piercing squeal in reply that he almost… expected for some reason. He sighed, disgruntled as he pulled out, cracked, and tossed a flare down the dark tunnel before him. 

 

Old fashion lookin’ it was then. 

Chapter 2: Day 1

Marines couldn’t have off days. This wasn’t a job where that was acceptable. Not because they had some asshole manager or something, but because one weak link in a team could get them all killed. That was why Jason had been so hard on Nick the whole morning. Yet now here he was, unable to shake off whatever had him feeling so wrong .

 

Maybe he could have blamed it on the fact that they were facing giant bat monsters from hell and that – shockingly – not being a situation that had ever been covered in training, but it had started before then. And fighting the bats felt… familiar. Everything felt a little familiar, actually. Like a movie some kid had seen once and then again as an adult. Just… the weirdest case of deja vu.  

 

And what was up with his phantom need but reluctance to cough? 

 

He really didn’t have time to worry about it. Not when they’d just lost a ma– woman and were trying to drag an injured man to safety while fending off an army of winged xenomorphs or whatever-the-shit they were. 

 

His damned deja vu was being persistent, though, and Jason found he couldn’t help but lean into it a little. 

 

Step here, shoot there… 

 

Like it was all a drill he’d already run.  

 

Until…

 

“ Move! ” 

 

Jason yanked on Merwin’s vest, narrowly pulling him out of the grip of one of the creature’s long fingers. 

 

And just like that, his feeling of deja vu shattered. The world felt a little more normal as he and Nick dragged Merwin on from there. 

 

Or at least it did until a few minutes later, when a thick sense of foreboding crept up in Jason’s chest as they made it into a more open area. 

 

Why did he feel something terrible was waiting if he looked down into that–

 

Shit. The Colonel. 

 

The Colonel was dead. Very dead, and not even by one of those damn bat nightmares. Somehow, he managed to fall and get himself speared right through by a pointed cave formation. 

 

Three deaths in so short a time– 

 

Wait. Why had he thought three? Merwin was still alive. 

 

Shake it off, he told himself for the umpteenth time already since he’d fallen into this hellhole. 

 

If the Colonel was dead, then it was on him more than ever to get everybody left out alive. 

 

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His efforts did not go well. They seemed to be for a little while, but then things got weird again after Nick teamed up with an Iraqi to take down one of the hell-bats and then they tied the man up. 

 

“Don’t worry. We’ve got this place locked down tight,” Nick assured his new buddy , who was less than thrilled to be restrained.  

 

The man gave a dubious laugh at that, glancing around nervously. 

 

“ You remember this, you are my enemy. And if it’s between saving you or one of mine, I won’t hesitate for a second to let those things feast on you. ”

 

The words sat on Jason’s tongue, but looking at the man he couldn’t quite bring himself to utter them. 

 

“This here is as safe as it’s gonna get,” Jason said instead. 

 

“I’d feel a lot safer with a gun in my hand,” the Iraqi grumbled. 

 

Absolutely not. 

 

“No way am I giving you a weapon,” Jason refused. “But that don’t mean I’m gonna feed you to your demons. Anything moves, we’ll be here before a prayer leaves your mouth, Salim.”

 

The Iraqi scowled at him. “How do you know my name?” 

 

Jason hesitated, blinking. How did he? 

 

He glanced over at Nick. “Didn’t you mention it?” 

 

“Nah, man.” Nick was scowling at him now. “Hadn’t come up.”  

 

Jason shook his head. He had no explanation to give them. “Let’s get goin’, Nicky.” 

 

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The conversation didn’t stay in his mind long given that soon after he had to stab some hellish zombie version of Joey, Merwin got shot in the head by another Iraqi, and then Rachel and Clarice turned out to be alive. Or sort of alive in Clarice’s case. Jason almost put her down on the spot given what had happened to Joey, but Rachel wasn’t having it, so he frustratedly shoved a gun into her hand and told her to save a bullet for Clarice instead. 

 

He couldn’t say he was exactly heartbroken when Clarice did turn like Joey and her first victim was the Iraqi that killed Merwin, though. Even if all of them had begrudgingly decided to work together, he wasn’t Jason’s favorite person. 

 

The other Iraq – Salim – was slightly higher on that list. 

 

“I come in peace!” he insisted, stepping out where Jason could see him. He still had that stupidly effective, warped piece of shit he’d been using as a weapon, but he had it lowered at his side. 

 

Jason eyed the thing wearily, feeling a phantom pressure on his neck while he scrambled to get his ahold his knife and– 

 

Jason blinked hard. What was wrong with him? Salim wasn’t trying to fight him at all, and Jason had a gun pointed at him. He had the advantage here. Why would he have needed his knife?

 

Honestly, Jason was just happy to see another human face after they’d been overrun by the – he couldn’t believe he was actually going to call them this – vampires. 

 

A truce was really the only smart thing to do, and Jason was… oddly content with it. He should have been wary of the person watching his back being an Iraqi, but he wasn’t. He just felt that Salim would stick to his word. And he did. 

 

Hell, he even started to open up about the kid he had back home. 

 

“Is your conscience clear, Jason?” Salim asked him at one point. 

 

No. No, it was not. But Jason was hardly in the mood to chat about it. 

 

Salim was clinging to his past before this place to get him through. Jason would have rather thought about anything but. 

 

“This place… They’re sure to come back here.” 

 

No confessions today. No time for sentiments. 

 

They kept moving, their discussions limited after that. Limited, that was, before they ran into some dead vampire parading as a statue. 

 

Jason’s lungs seized at the sight of the damn thing, leaving him grasping at his chest with a strangled noise escaping his lips. 

 

“Jason!” Salim was there bracing his shoulder in an instant. “Are you hurt, my friend?”

 

“I’m…” Jason sucked in a breath, the action earlier than he expected. “Fine. I’m fine.”

 

And he was. Really. He’d been escaping remarkably unscathed today. Nothing should have been wrong with him. 

 

…He just really wanted the hell away from that dead vampire. 

 

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When people talked about going out in a blaze of glory, Jason wasn’t sure anyone had meant it as literally as Rachel’s swift exit from the land of the living once Jason and Salim managed to meet back up with her and Nick.

 

Of all the things they’d been through that day, Jason was absolutely sure that was going to be sticking around in his nightmares for a while. He could still smell the burnt flesh long after they’d left that alien concert hall or whatever it was. 

 

Poor Nick was devastated, regardless of the fact that Jason was pretty sure his relationship with her was doomed from the start. 

 

Stupid move going after a married woman, Nicky, Jason thought. 

 

Relationship drama aside, though, losing Rachel like that had been a low blow to all three of them remaining. But they had to carry on. 

 

They had a shit ton of vampires to blow up, after all. Which they managed pretty damn nicely, if he did say so himself. 

 

Jason and Salim kept lookout out for Nick, and he planted a good amount of anti-vamp boom candles before heading back to them. 

 

It was all going pretty peachy given the circumstance until Salim got separated from Jason and Nick. 

 

“What’s there to think about? We go back down there, we die with him,” Nick said logically.

 

Of course he was right. Leaving was the smart option. Salim wasn’t one of them. Their goals had just been aligned for a bit. 

 

Still… Jason’s feet felt glued to the ground just outside the elevator. 

 

They could wait. Just a minute. 

 

“Jason,” Nick urged. 

 

The vampires were coming. Jason could see a horde of them headed right for them. 

 

“He’s gone, man! Come on!”

 

Jason still didn’t move, but he didn’t fight Nick either when he yanked him into the elevator by his vest. 

 

Should’ve gone back for him. 

 

Jason kicked and cursed himself the whole elevator ride. Not even the sun finally landing on his face again managed to chase away the guilt. 

 

And then the sun was gone again and he and Nick had nothing but a hole-riddled hut and a few flares to protect themselves with. 

 

It wasn’t enough. 

 

Jason damned deja vu was back, and this time it cost him. He just knew Nick was about to misstep in a way he couldn’t recover from. 

 

Jason shoved between Nick and the vampire, the creature’s claws raking down his chest. 

 

“ Jason! ” 

 

Jason couldn’t tell if his sacrifice even made a difference as he collapsed to his knees, an easy target for the vampire to finish off…

 

…And then the pain was gone, and Jason was falling.  

 

“Oof.” Jason grunted as his right leg took the brunt of an impact before he smacked his hip into the ground. 

 

What?

 

Jason’s gun – when had he gotten that back? – fell from his hands as he scrambled to feel over the wounds in his chest. 

 

…Wounds that were no longer there. 

 

Jason froze, and then slowly took in his surroundings. 

 

“...You’ve gotta be shittin’ me.” 

 

Chapter 3: Day 2

Notes:

Seeing if this night gets a little more traffic for updates. :D

Deja vu wasn’t going to cut it anymore. Jason had felt every bit of what just happened to him. Every damned second of stale cave air, spec of dirt on his skin, and loss of his brothers in arms. It was so clear. And it had already happened more than once if his weird feelings and random sixth sense before were anything to go by. 

 

But why was it all so clear this time? If there had been another trip through dracula’s summer home, why was that time all just shadows of memories, odd instincts, and phantom pains?

 

Maybe he was getting ahead of himself here. Was he really ready to accept this? That he was really reliving the same hours over again? 

 

Well, vampires were real, so why the hell not time loops too? 

 

Jason grabbed his radio, testing something. “This is Mailman Two-One Actual, all teams sound off. Over.”

 

If events really were repeating, then… 

 

Sure enough, his radio gave a piercing squeal in reply.

 

“Well, shit…” Jason muttered under his breath. 

 

Okay. This was happening. He was getting a do-over. Maybe even a do-over of a do-over if this was really the third time.

 

And if that was the case…

 

Merwin and Clarice. 

 

Jason snagged his gun off the ground, booking into the tunnels. “Nick! You hearin’ me, buddy? Nicky!” 

 

He took his corners so quickly that Nick almost shot him when he burst into the area where they’d met up before. 

 

“Dammit, Jason!” Nick quickly lowered his gun, his expression twisting with puzzlement and mild irritation. “Why the hell are you screaming loud enough for all of Iraq to hear?” 

 

“I saw ‘em too, Nicky,” Jason assured before Nick could even start with his claim of seeing something that wasn’t human. 

 

“Saw who?” Nick demanded. “The Iraqis? Yeah, no shit . They were kind of hard to miss shooting at us.” 

 

“Not them, ” Jason snapped.

 

“Then who? ”

 

Jason paused, taking in Nick’s look of absolute confusion. 

 

Hold on…

 

“...You didn’t see anything, did you?”

 

“What the hell are you talking about, man?” 

 

Okay, maybe Jason really was just losing his mind–

 

A muffled scream had both of them snapping their heads in the direction of one of those heavy ass double doors that were all over the place.

 

Merwin. 

 

“Move,” Jason ordered, both of them quickly reaching the door, but struggling to open it. 

 

Merwin and Clarice weren’t far on the other side, but unlike last time, it looked like Clarice had already managed to cut Merwin down herself.

 

Not good. That was a lot of blood. 

 

Jason kicked himself internally. He’d taken too damn long. He’d been so busy with his head up his ass thinking about time loops that it hadn’t really clicked that Merwin’s life was on a timer from the second they all fell through the ground. And so was–

 

“Clarice, move! ” 

 

Jason’s warning came a split second too late as Clarice was dragged into the darkness of the caverns.

 

Nick froze for a moment, but Jason bolted for Merwin. 

 

“Help me move him!” he ordered.  

 

Shit, shit, shit, this was even worse than when he didn’t know what was going to happen. 

 

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They lost Merwin in the tunnels. Not to a vampire ripping him away or gunshot, but to blood loss because they didn’t have the time to stop it. They’d just had to drag him until they realized he’d gone quiet.    

 

And Clarice was basically already gone too, given that next time she showed up she was going to be infected and die, regardless of whether or not they tried to help her. 

 

And the Colonel was just like they’d found him last time – impaled right through halfway down the cliff. 

 

Jason wasn’t sure he could have done anything about that last one, though. He and Nick were in a completely different part of caverns, and the Colonel had been dead both – all three? – times they’d gotten here. 

 

He definitely should have been able to help Merwin and Clarice, though. His dawdling was what had doomed him. 

 

But he didn’t have time to dwell on that. Not if he wanted to save the others left. There was still a chance for Nick, Rachel, and… Salim, who conceded to being his and Nick’s prisoner again after teaming up with Nick to kill a vampire. 

 

“Don’t worry. We’ve got this place locked down tight,” Nick told Salim, using the exact words he had the last time around.

 

And Salim gave the same dubious laugh in return. 

 

“This here is as safe as it’s gonna get,” Jason assured again. He was… pretty sure that first, very fuzzy time around he hadn’t been too kind to Salim, and that was probably why he had that vague memory of being pinned to a wall by that damn pipe while he scrambled for his knife. 

 

That was a pretty big difference from Salim stepping out of the shadows to talk to him, and Jason definitely preferred the latter. Enemy combatant or not, Salim had kept his word and watched Jason’s back. 

 

And Jason had left him to die. 

 

Not this time. They may not have been exactly chummy, but Jason wasn’t doing that shit again. 

 

“I’d feel a lot safer with a gun in my hand,” Salim muttered, bringing Jason out of his thoughts. 

 

Jason clicked his tongue, not entirely sure what he’d said before. 

 

“Maybe later,” he said, giving Salim a half smirk. 

 

He and Nick left him, securing what they could, putting Joey to rest, and then trying to get the radio working. 

 

It was a lost cause without Merwin, but Jason let Nick try anyway, scanning the temple for the threat he knew would be there. He wasn’t about to let Nick get shot in Merwin’s place. 

 

He wondered if he should tell Nick about his second-slash-third chance. 

 

Nah, he decided. They were about to be in an ambush, fighting off a vampire army, and he doubted Nick would believe him anyway. And even if he did, the last thing he needed was Nick making things less predictable because telling him made him act differently. 

 

Jason’s focus needed to be on keeping Nick alive through Dar’s ambush, and then he would focus on Rachel. He wasn’t sure how she’d gotten infected, but he was sure it happened soon. 

 

Clarice… Honestly, Jason couldn’t do much for her, and he wasn’t too keen on stopping her from killing Dar. That man was way more of a hindrance than Salim.

 

Best leave those events as they were. The more he changed, the less predictable things would be. 

 

Movement. 

 

“Nick!” Jason pulled him out of the way of Dar’s bullet just in time. 

 

Here they went…

 

…Into an absolute disaster . 

 

Seeing as Jason had no idea when Rachel had gotten infected, he stuck close to her as best he could for the whole battle. And it worked. The two of them ended up with barely a scratch. 

 

The same could not be said for everyone else. 

 

Jason had been so focused on watching Rachel’s back that it took her crying out Nick’s name for him to realize Nick had gotten his neck snapped like a twig by some damned Biblical-time-looking human vampire. 

 

Jason swore in rage, refusing to let the loss let him fail the few who were left. Those left being – once again – down to three.

 

“Is it later yet?” Salim asked with a wry smile when he and Rachel stumbled into him a little later. 

 

Jason couldn’t help but snort. “The hell you need a gun for – you’ve killed more vampires than the rest of us combined with that damn broomstick.”

 

Salim accepted the statement with a modest shrug. 

 

Rachel wasn’t too keen on working with Salim anyway, but she relented after he and Jason both pointed out their lack of other choices. 

 

So on they went. 

 

“Are your consciences clear?” Salim wondered again.

 

Rachel just stayed silent. 

 

“No,” Jason admitted this time. “But you ain’t that kind of father, I ain’t no Catholic, and we ain’t got time for a confession right now.” 

 

Salim accepted that with a low chuckle. “Fair enough.” And then he launched into his plan of striking back at the vampires again. 

 

Worked for Jason. Wasn’t a way out unless they started blowing shit up and made part of the ceiling fall down anyway. 

 

This time it was on him to plant the charges while Salim and Rachel watched his back, and they made a surprisingly efficient team. At least until Salim got separated. 

 

Not this time.

 

Jason detoured as soon as Salim was forced away from them, firing away at the vampires that had caused him to split off. 

 

It was the worst action he could have taken. 

 

Before, Salim had at least managed to keep a low enough profile to find temporary cover and radio that he was in trouble. That was not the case now. 

 

Vampires swarmed them. They stood no chance. 

 

Jason managed to keep the creatures off himself just long enough to witness Salim getting his head repeatedly bashed into the stone ground. 

 

Shit. 

 

Then they were all on Jason himself. 

 

He hoped Rachel was smart enough to keep running, but his hopes weren’t high. Even if she made it out, she’d be facing the eclipse alone. 

 

What a Kentucky-fried-fantastic job he’d done with his second chance. 

 

As a claw plunged into his chest and his vision was overtaken by a spiral of darkened spots, 

 

But then the pain was gone. 

 

Was it too much to hope for another chance? Would he fall into that cavern again without a scratch on him–

 

Jason jolted awake. 

 

Not to a fall and the sunlight pouring in from a hole in the ceiling above him, but to a firm but comfortable chair beneath him and a poorly lit room around him. 

 

Jason froze, gripping the wooden armrest of his chair. 

 

“Oh, hello! Are things becoming any clearer for you?” 

 

Jason stared. The man behind the desk in front of him with the drippingly proper British accent just smiled, the finer details of his middle-aged face visible for just a moment as a flash of lightning lit up the room. 

Notes:

Ehehe. Time for things to start getting a little less summary like finally. Getting into the real meat of the story. :D

Chapter 4: The Repository (1)

Being prepared for anything was part of his job. Hell, it was a part of the job Jason excelled at. Ground caved in? Fine. Alien vampires attacked? Shoot ‘em like any other threat. Relive the same day? Roll with it and try to do better. 

 

But this… This had Jason so utterly lost that he didn’t have the first inkling about how to proceed. 

 

Surroundings, his marine training whispered in the back of his head. 

 

The guy on the other side of the desk seemed perfectly content to sit in silence while Jason let his gaze sweep the room. Not that he could see much of anything. The whole room was dark as shit, lit primarily by the frequent flashes of lightning outside as rain poured outside the window. 

 

Going off of what he could see, Jason wasn’t sure if he was in a museum or just the house of some rich asshole with some weird hobbies.  

 

The most alarming thing he could see, however, was that all his gear was gone. No gun, no vest, no dog tags… even his damn hat was missing. All he had on was the basic blue shirt he wore under his gear and his pants.

 

“I’m going to take your silence to mean perhaps not just yet,” the man on the opposite side of the desk in front of him said patiently, though he had a twinkle in his eyes that spoke of his amusement. 

 

Right. 007 here had asked Jason if things were becoming clearer for him. They were not. Not in the slightest. 

 

Jason studied the man for a moment more. Definitely middle-aged. Definitely British with an accent like that. And almost definitely wealthy. The dark tie, vest, and pants he wore with his crisp white undershirt looked to be nicer quality than anything Jason had owned in his life. 

 

“I died. Twice,” Jason said finally. 

 

“Oh, thrice, actually.” The man laced his fingers atop the desk. “Though I do imagine the first was more difficult to recall given the hours of disorientation that led up to it. Rather ghastly stuff, what you inhaled.”

 

What he’d– 

 

The dead vampire. That damned statue lookin son of a bitch…

 

“ Touch it. ”

 

“ You touch it! ”

 

He’d gotten that all up in his lungs. That was why he was having such a hard time remembering the real first time through the day – that dust had drawn out his death and screwed his head up in all sorts of ways before it had finally killed him.

 

That explained the phantom coughs. 

 

Well, that was good to know, but now Jason had more questions. “Where is this?” 

 

The man gestured smoothly with both arms to the rest of the room. “This is my repository. And I am known as the Curator.” 

 

Great. He’d gotten two answers that absolutely did not actually answer anything. 

 

“And you,” the Curator sat forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “First Lieutenant Jason Kolchek, are in a very unique and interesting predicament. Oh, it has been some while since I’ve encountered someone in your situation.” He dropped one hand to the desk, plucking up and striking a long match, which he then brought over to a candlestick on the desk that held five candles. “You fall, but you live once more.” He lit the candles, then turned a piercing gaze on Jason. “Only to lose those close to you again,” a candle went out without him touching it, “again,” another candle went out, “and again.” 

 

The room plunged back into darkness as the last three candles went out together. 

 

Jason gave a slow blink. “...That seemed like a waste of effort.”

 

The Curator chuckled. “Time is something of which I have quite the abundance. Unlike you. You seem to keep running out of time, don’t you?” 

 

Encountered someone in his situation, huh? So this guy had been able to see everything going on with him, but he wasn't responsible for it. Well, that was just dandy. 

 

Jason finally released the armrests before he broke them, choosing instead to cross his arms over his chest. “You just watchin’ me go through this Groundhog Day shit, then?” 

 

The Curator sat back in his chair again, his elbows back on the desk as he spread his palms. “Observing is what I do.” 

 

“Great.” Jason snorted. “No offense, but I would have preferred a different higher power on a day like today.”  

 

Now, Jason didn’t claim to know what God looked like, but he was pretty sure it wasn’t some skinny rich British guy. And he was also pretty sure God wouldn’t set his nerves on edge like a serial killer. 

 

“Which version of today?” the Curator said innocently.

 

Great. The guy was sassy. Just what he wanted to deal with. 

 

Jason glared at him. “All of ‘em.” He shook his head. “What do you want?” 

 

“Consider my attention for you that of… professional interest.” 

 

“...What profession?” 

 

The Curator just smiled. 

 

“Okay, then…” Jason mulled over his options. “Well, I take it given the way you’re talkin’ that I ain’t done.”

 

“Oh, I suspect you’ve barely begun,” the Curator said ever-so-reassuringly. 

 

“So, why am I here instead?” What was the point of this chat? “You gonna help me come up with a playbook?” 

 

The Curator chuckled again, a little harder this time. “Oh, no. I’m afraid you’re on your own, Lieutenant. I’m not supposed to interfere, you see. Not my place, apparently.” 

 

The irritation in his tone indicated he was irked at whoever had told him that. It reminded Jason of soldiers who’d done something not stupid enough for a court martial, but stupid enough to get a firm tongue-lashing’ from their superior officer. 

 

Jason scowled, uncrossing his arms to gesture between them. “What exactly we callin’ this, then?” 

 

“A chat,” the Curator said simply. 

 

“Right. For what?” What was the point of chatting if he was just going to observe? 

 

“As I said before – although it’s rare, you’re not the only one to find yourself in this type of predicament. Most are quite overjoyed when they figure it out. They are thrilled at the chance to fix things.” The Curator gave a knowing smile. “But these things can drag on. You may find that no matter how many tries you endure, you cannot achieve the results you desire. And that… well, that’s been known to drive some mad. ” 

 

“Yeah?” Jason said, unimpressed. “And how many of them were marines?” 

 

The Curator’s smile shifted to something bordering on patronizing. “Your confidence is charming, albeit naive.” 

 

What an asshole. And that still didn’t explain anything. 

 

“You volunteerin’ to be my therapist if I start losin’ it or somethin’?”

 

“No, Lieutenant, I am offering to be your exit should you find that your task has become too burdensome.” The Curator steepled his fingers atop the desk. “I cannot aid you, but if you find yourself wishing to cut your losses, I can cut the shackles chaining you to this day.”    

 

Jason mulled that over. “So if I lose a couple brothers down there and decide I’m too fed up with this rewind shit to try again, you let me bail?” 

 

“Precisely.” 

 

Jason shook his head. “Ain’t an ice cube's chance in hell. Improvise, adapt, and overcome, bitch. I’ll glue my ass to this merry-go-round as long as it takes.”

 

Maybe he couldn’t save Joey or the Colonel, but Nick, Salim, Merwin, Clarice, and Rachel were all possible. He was sure of it. 

 

“Then I shall be the first to offer you congratulations on your success should you attain it.” The Curator plucked up and struck another match, lighting the five candles again. “Off you go then. Have fun!” 

 

Jason was about to make another snippy comment when he suddenly found himself falling. 

 

“Oof!” He grunted as he landed on his legs wrong and his tailbone smacked into the ground of the caverns. 

 

Jason winced as he picked himself up. That had so been on purpose. 

 

“ Douche canoe, ” he muttered.

Notes:

Comments feed the muuuuse!

Chapter 5: Day 3 Pt.1

Jason shoved to his feet, wasting no time in taking off further into the caverns. Just a few seconds here could cost Merwin and Clarice their lives. 

 

He didn’t shout this time as he searched for Nick – he was pretty sure that was what had messed up Nick seeing a vampire for the first time last go around. He just booked it, heading straight for the door that he’d need Nick’s help to open. 

 

If he played this right, then… 

 

“Jason!” Nick lowered his gun as he entered the area. 

 

“Help me pull this,” Jason ordered immediately. “I heard Merwin – he’s hurt.”

 

That shouldn’t raise any questions. 

 

Nick complied instantly, sliding in next to Jason and yanking. 

 

So far so good. Merwin and Clarice were just on the other side, and Jason and Nick were a lot earlier this time to help out. 

 

“Cut him down,” Jason told Nick. “Clarice, stay close. We ain’t alone down here.” 

 

“Oh, you saw that shit too?” Nick asked as he was working. 

 

You got no idea, Nicky…

 

“Sure as hell did.” Jason lit up the flare he hadn’t used at the start of the tunnels this time around, tossing it into the darkened area where Clarice had been dragged off the last couple times. 

 

Nothing there yet…

 

Jason backed up, quickly helping in what way he could with Merwin. 

 

“Stay close,” Jason repeated to Clarice. 

 

Clarice – bless her heart at having no idea what was going on – shot him an arched eyebrow. “How close you trying to get me, Hotshot?” 

 

  Jason would have been delighted to use that opening to flirt just about any other time ever, but right now he was more concerned with Clarice not getting abducted to have a parasite shoved down her throat so she could die a slow and painful death. 

 

The vampires wouldn’t be long. Merwin’s screams would draw them in, just like before–

 

Click click click.

 

Jason snapped his gun up. The flare had lit up just enough of the area that he could see slight movement in the shadows. 

 

“Move!” Jason grabbed hold of Merwin, and he and Nick hauled . 

 

The vampires screeched, springing into action to follow them. 

 

“ Holy shit, what the hell is that? ” Clarice screamed in a panic, thankfully not too shocked to move with them. 

 

Put some distance. Stop Merwin’s bleeding. Get to the temple.

 

One step at a time. 

 

Jason kept glancing in Clarice’s direction as he and Nick wrestled with stopping Merwin’s bleeding and getting some morphine in him. She was staying close, just like he’d instructed. Good.

 

Her actions would be unpredictable since she’d never been with them before like this, but he still knew what the main events coming up were. He could make it work. If she could make it with them to the point where her body had literally given out on her, surely she could make it while healthy– 

 

Why had Merwin just gone limp?

 

“ Shit, Nick! What the hell did you do? ” Jason demanded, prying Nick’s fingers off of where they’d been covering Merwin’s mouth to quiet his screams. 

 

He hadn’t warned him. He’d always warned Nick here before that he was suffocating Merwin, but he’d been so busy thinking over everything and making sure that Clarice was safe that he hadn’t even registered it this time. 

 

“I…” Nick stared at Merwin in his arms, horrified. 

 

“Damn it all! Could you not tell the man couldn’t breathe?” In all honesty, Jason was more frustrated with himself than with Nick, but he was still pissed off enough in general to lash out. 

 

One down already. So much for this loop. 

 

“Come on!” Jason snapped, briefly grabbing Clarice and yanking her with him since she’d been staring in horror at Merwin’s body. “We gotta move!”

 

He immediately felt bad when Clarice hissed in pain at the strength of his yanking.  

 

Civilian doctor, he reminded himself. It was easy to forget with her all geared up and honestly pretty level-headedness given the circumstances she’d gotten thrown into, but she was not a soldier, and he couldn’t expect her to have the same instincts as one. Still, better a bruise on her arm than a parasite shoved down her throat. 

 

Clarice actually took the lead after that, staying ahead of Jason and Nick – just not too far ahead – as the two of them paused a few times to fire at vampires chasing them. 

 

“Down, down, down!” Jason gestured for her to come back once they reached a certain point, and she slid in close to press up against him as the three of them took cover behind some of the ruins. He tried to ignore the grind of the heel of her boot on his toes. 

 

This had always worked before, so hopefully it would again…

 

Click click click.

 

Jason gave Clarice’s arm a reassuring squeeze to calm her as best he could as he felt her tense. The urge to bolt with those things shuffling so close around them was more than strong, he knew. 

 

“Don’t. Move. They track sound,” he whispered as quietly as he could since her ear was so close. 

 

Wait…

 

Click click.

 

Wait…

 

Click. 

 

Wait…

 

 The vampires screeched, scuttling off elsewhere in search of their prey. 

 

Nick let out a breath of relief from where he was crouched next to Jason’s leg, and Jason could feel Clarice relax against him. 

 

“Darlin’,” Jason said. 

 

“What?” Clarice asked, looking a little frazzled. 

 

“You’re standin’ on my foot.” 

 

“Shit, sorry.” Clarice pulled away from him, the heel of her boot blessedly moving from off his toes. 

 

Jason shrugged. “Least you don’t weigh as much and smell better than the assholes I’m usually buddying up with. Right, Nicky?” 

 

“What the hell are those things?” Nick demanded, not playing along with Jason’s attempt to ease some of the tension. 

 

“Let’s not wait around to ask.” Jason started jogging again, kicking himself as he did. 

 

It had been such a minor detail. Just a few words. If he’d just thought about it– 

 

“ Any callsigns this is King! Contact, contact! We’re taking fire! Does anyone copy? ” 

 

“That’s Rachel!” Nick said. 

 

Of course it was. Right on schedule. Except they were a lot closer than they normally were when that transmission came in. 

 

They booked it.

 

Maybe they could actually get there in time to see what happened this round. Keep Rachel with them the whole time too instead of her and Clarice struggling to make it to safety–

 

“ Over here! Help! ”

 

…Well, he’d be damned. There was a voice Jason hadn’t even heard since the loops started. 

 

The Colonel was still alive. 

 

“Eric!” Clarice called back, running ahead of Nick and Jason easily with her lack of gear and zero regard for checking corners. 

 

“Clarice!” Eric answered, more desperately than Jason had been expecting from him. 

 

…Although when Jason saw his status, he understood why. 

 

It might not have been easy to spot him, but Jason had a pretty good idea what area to look at first as they exited the narrow tunnels, and what he saw there explained a lot about what happened the last few times. 

 

The Colonel was on the edge of the cliff where they’d found him dead every time before, scrambling to brace himself with his feet on the steep slant of loose rocks while he was being dragged ever-closer by a rope tied around his waist. And of course the weight at the other end of the rope dragging him towards his death was Rachel. 

 

The pieces clicked into place as Jason drew close enough to spot Eric’s knife dug into the ground right next to him. 

 

Selfless dumbass, Jason thought. He could have cut Rachel free any time and saved himself, but he hadn’t, and he’d died for it every time. 

 

Well, the loyalty in that relationship was more than a little unbalanced…

 

“Eric!” Clarice called again, making Jason’s heart skip a beat as she did not wait for him and Nick and slid halfway down the slope herself to grab the Colonel by the back of his vest. 

 

“Clarice!” Jason yelled at her. If she toppled off that edge right now, he was going to punch someone. Preferably Dar or the Curator.

 

Nick followed in Clarice’s footsteps, sliding down to grab her as she held on to the Colonel. 

 

Damn it all. Playing lethal, real life Barrel of Monkeys was not an ideal situation, but it was apparently the one they were putting themselves in.  

 

Jason got the easy part – he barely even had to get on the sloping part of the ground at all to grab Nick’s hand. 

 

Fine. This was workable. Might take some doing, but as long as everyone was secure enough not to topple over the edge–

 

“ Eric! ” Rachel screamed out, the rope suddenly going slack so Eric fell back into Clarice.   

 

Oh. 

 

Nick and Eric let out matching screams of dismay. 

 

“ Rachel! ”

 

…Well, shit. Good thing she’d be alright, but they didn’t know that. 

 

The next chunk of time may not have been the worst thing Jason had ever experienced by any means, but it sure as hell was the most awkward.

 

The Colonel was grieving his wife who’d just been dropped off a cliff, said wife’s affair partner was also grieving but trying not to be too obvious about it, and Jason knew that the woman wasn’t actually dead but wasn’t going to tell them that because they’d think he was insane. Oh, and there were alien vampires about to swarm them all. 

 

“Eric, I am so sorry…” Clarice had a steady hand on the Colonel’s shoulder as he collapsed on his knees next to the slope they’d just managed to climb up from. 

 

It was a good thing she was there, because Jason and Nick were entirely inappropriate consolation buddies at the moment. Jason maybe even more so than Nick at the moment since he was thrilled about the current developments. 

 

The Colonel was alive. He was saveable. Jason just had to be fast about it. He had to figure out a way to get here without losing Merwin, since dragging him was likely why the Colonel had always been dead by the time they’d gotten here before.

 

But Jason was going to have to think on that once they were in a better spot, which he would have once they got to the temple and secured the doors.  

 

“Colonel, there are still hostiles around. We gotta move,” Jason said firmly, but not unkindly as he moved to the side Clarice wasn’t on and pulled the Colonel to his feet. “We can take shelter in that temple.”

 

 The Colonel clearly needed someone to snap him out of it and get him back to leading, but Jason wasn’t trying to start his first real time through this day with the Colonel by being a dismissive ass. Every other loop, Jason had taken charge in his place, and that level of control was important if he was going to be able to shift events in his favor. If the Colonel was going to be alive, Jason needed him to trust him and take his advice.  

 

The Colonel swallowed visibly, giving a firm nod. 

 

The rest of them didn’t need further instruction, and they moved as a group into the temple at a quickened pace. 

 

The Colonel found his voice and gun again by the time they reached the doors. “Slow down. He could still be here.”

 

Jason could have laughed. He was all too aware that Dar was still around the area, but Dar himself seemed so inconsequential now. Plus, Jason knew he wasn’t waiting just inside to ambush them. 

 

“Right now, Colonel, the Iraqis are the least of our problems,” Jason muttered. 

 

How much did the Colonel even know? Jason wasn’t sure what he’d seen before this point given that he hadn’t exactly gotten the chance to ask. 

 

Clarice let out a short, bitter-sounding laugh. “Yeah, I wish we could go back to them being our biggest threat. What the hell were those things?” 

 

The Colonel frowned. “What things?” 

 

Clarice shook her head, looking like she was trying to find the words. “I’ve never seen anything like it, Eric. There’s… creatures of some kind down here that attacked us. Bat-like, I’d say, but massive. And vicious as shit.” 

 

Jason couldn’t even blame the Colonel for the dubious look that overtook his face. “...You were attacked by vicious bat creatures? ” 

 

“They’re a helluva lot bigger than actual bats, sir,” Nick added. “ Monsters. ”

 

Jason hated to think it, but the two of them sounded absolutely nuts without someone having seen it for themselves. 

 

“Sir,” Jason cut in before the Colonel could say anything else. “There ain’t no silo down here, but I think your satellite sure found somethin’.” 

 

Like an entire damned alien spaceship. Jason couldn’t imagine why the Colonel hadn’t expected that. 

 

Nick scowled. “You think his satellite picked up these bat bastards?”

 

“No, I think it picked up wherever they’re comin’ from,” Jason corrected. That was probably about as much as he could plausibly get away with. 

 

The Colonel shook his head. “You three are jumping at shadows–”

 

“ Eric, ” Clarice snapped, hitting him with a look Jason was glad he wasn’t on the receiving end of. “We all saw them, so unless you think the three of us managed to have a shared hallucinogenic episode, you might want to listen.” 

 

The Colonel hesitated at that, and Jason used the pause to cut in, reaching for one of the large doors. “We gotta lock this place down.” 

 

The Colonel reached for the other door, pushing it shut as well. “Whatever the issues, I can fix this. Look over the data to improve the algorithm.”

 

“ You got us into this mess,” Nick growled at him. “You better get us out.”   

 

“Nick, the hell?” Jason snapped before the Colonel could say anything, which was probably a good thing for Nick’s sake. “He is our Colonel, and that attitude ain’t helpin’ nothin’!” 

 

He really needed the Colonel to not have issues with them. 

 

Granted, Jason had thought more than a few unkind thoughts in the Colonel’s direction the first couple loops, but really, it was dumb as hell to blame him. It was not his fault that alien spaceships weren’t factored into his algorithm or whatever. 

 

Nick had the audacity to literally look down his nose at Jason. “Oh, when did you become such an ass-kisser?” 

 

“Girls, you’re all pretty!” Clarice said loudly. 

 

Jason was getting more glad to have her around by the moment– 

 

…And there went the lights. 

 

Jason was almost relieved. At least it had put an end to this conversation. 

 

“We’ll check it out,” Jason said through gritted teeth. 

 

He and Nick were going to kill each other this loop at this rate.

Notes:

Comments giv happiness and muse!!

Chapter 6: Day 3 Pt.2

They’d reached one of the calms before the multiple storms. Soon they’d be off looking for poor Joey, getting shot at by Dar, dragging Salim back as a captive, and then they’d have another brief respite before they found Joey, got shot at by Dar again, and then the real danger started. But for now… now Jason had time to plan. 

 

He didn’t need to be alert while watching Nick’s back when he knew there was no threat. Nothing ever attacked while Nick was working on the generator. And so Jason faced away from him, pretending to keep a close eye on their perimeter while he actually sank deep into his thoughts. 

 

How could he pick up the pace enough at the start of the loop to save both Merwin and the Colonel? He’d booked it from the start, they’d lost Merwin pretty much immediately, and they’d still barely made it in time. How could they pull that off again while also dragging Merwin with them? The only time they’d stopped moving was to hide, but even if they cut that out, Jason doubted it would be enough. 

 

Splitting up would definitely be risky for whoever stayed with Merwin, but it was looking like the best option. Technically, he could tell Clarice to run ahead since the way ahead of them at that point was clear of vampires, but sending her alone ran the risk of her getting pulled off the cliff by Eric depending on how close he was to the edge by the time she got to him. 

 

The best option was probably to get Nick and Clarice to go ahead together since Jason was the only one with the know-how on how to fight the vampires at that point and actually had a shot at living through the attack. Nick would protest, but he’d obey if Jason made it an order. 

 

Yeah, that just might work.

 

“Done,” Nick said shortly as the lights came back on. 

 

“Hm.” Jason gave him a nod. 

 

Three… two… one–

 

There was the noise that always came from the tunnels that made them investigate further. Dar, of course. He was trying to lead them into his fun little trap. 

 

Jason stopped Nick with a hand on his chest just before that door. “Tripwire.” 

 

Nick squinted for a moment. “Hella good eye.” 

 

Jason shrugged. “That’s what they pay me the big bucks for.” 

 

Nick snorted. 

 

As if. That thing had almost killed them both then and there when Jason had triggered it the first time around – or the first time he remembered at least. This time, however, he not only knew where it was, but exactly the kind it was and how to disable it quickly. 

 

Jason almost smiled as he reached for his radio. “Dropkick, this is Mailman Two-One Actual. Do you copy? Over.” 

 

“ Dropkick receiving. How’s it going out there, Kolchek? ” 

 

Every time he and Nick had been here before, there’d been nobody to radio a warning to. Jason may not have figured out the best path yet, but he’d take that win. 

 

“Your friend sprung an IED on us,” Jason said. “We’re good, but you two will wanna keep your eyes open in case he’s left any more love notes. Over.”  

 

“ Copy that. We’re moving up. Dropkick out. ” 

 

“Shame you warned him about the tripwire,” Nick muttered. 

 

Jason shot him a glare. 

 

He probably would have snickered at that had this been the first go around, but finding the Colonel’s body impaled multiple times had definitely wiped out any humor he might have found in it. Especially since he knew the real reason Nick had such a hatred for the Colonel, and it had nothing to do with that satellite business. 

 

“What?” Nick demanded. 

 

“Nicky, if it’s not too much trouble, could you kindly pull your head out of your ass and quit pickin’ fights with the man out of petty jealousy over his wife?” 

 

Nick looked taken aback. “What? How did you–”

 

“You said it yourself: hella good eyes. I can see.” Jason stepped closer to him. “Look, we are in a shitload of trouble here, and I need your head in the game, not pinin’ after your three-week fling!” 

 

Anger flared in Nick’s eyes, and his fist clenched. “Don’t you dare –” 

 

“You better think real hard before you take a swing at me, Sergeant,” Jason said, staring him down. 

 

Some distant cries from another hallway cut their conversation short. 

 

“Joey.” Jason moved to push aside a crate that was blocking the way to that hallway. “Let’s go.” 

 

Jason wondered what horrible state Joey was really in at this point. He knew for sure that there was no saving him given that he was already dead by the time the loop started, but the cries here sounded awfully human. The transformation process must have been slightly different if the host was already gone. 

 

Mercy, Jason hoped those sounds were just because the vocal cords hadn’t transformed yet and not because there was still some of Joey left in there at this point. Bleeding out and then waking up to being twisted like that was even worse than Jason’s original death. 

 

Nick caught Jason’s arm. “Wait. It’s a trap.”

 

Jason shrugged him off. “I ain’t riskin’ wastin’ time if it ain’t.”

 

Jason wondered what might change in the long run if they didn’t take this path, but he doubted it would be anything good. The medkit kit and – more importantly – their initial encounter with Salim were too important to pass up, even if it did mean not facing the danger of getting shot at by Dar for the seven hundredth time. 

 

“ Jason, ” Nick pressed, fishing out and holding up the cross the Joey had always worn. “Joey bled out in my damn arms. That can’t be him.”

 

So, he was pulling out the proof early this time. That was really unfortunate, because it meant Jason was going to have to seem like an idiot or an asshole or both to get them to go now. 

 

“Hey,” the Colonel said as he caught up with them, Clarice just behind him while led the way with his gun out. “Someone wanna tell us what’s going on here?”  

 

“Heard Joey ahead.” Jason jerked his chin at the hallway. 

 

“No,” Nick argued. “I don’t know what we heard, but it wasn’t Joey.” 

 

He was really about to have to gaslight the hell out of his best friend to get him to go along with this, wasn’t he?

 

“You know Joey’s voice, Nick – that was him!” Jason insisted. “And I am not leavin’ another man behind.” 

 

Nick stiffened at that. 

 

Oh, shit. Jason had said that before here, but it probably hadn’t just gone over too well with Nick accidentally suffocating Merwin this time around. 

 

Hell, Jason and Nick’s entire friendship was beyond dicey this time around…

 

“Understood. Sir, ” Nick practically spat the last word through gritted teeth. Then he started stalking off down the hall. 

 

The Colonel looked between Jason and Clarice. “ What has crawled up his ass?”

 

“Nothin’,” Jason muttered. “Joey sounded hurt – we need to rescue him.”

 

The Colonel gave a sharp nod. “I’ll lead the way. Once we catch up with Lieutenant Kay, that is.”

 

Jason debated for a split second on whether or not to protest. Maybe suggest the Colonel stay there with Clarice. 

 

No, Jason decided. There was no guarantee that splitting up would be any safer for them, and maybe having an extra gun would take care of their Dar problem early. 

 

Granted, that might come back to bite them in the ass while they were trying to hold out against the whole damn vampire army…

 

There was really no way to know. But Jason did know he was still trying to play nice with the Colonel, and going against his command wasn’t the best way to do that.  

 

“After you, Colonel.” Jason fell into line behind him, glancing over his shoulder at Clarice. “Clarice–”

 

“Stay close?” she finished with a raised eyebrow. 

 

“You know it.” He tossed her a wink. 

 

He definitely hadn’t intended to start frequently flirting with Clarice as a stress reducer, but he wasn’t opposed. 

 

In all honesty, it didn’t seem to matter much that the Colonel and Clarice were there. They didn’t get in the way, but having the Colonel there didn’t result in getting rid of Dar early either. And Nick still ended up separated. 

 

Good. That was one thing Jason really didn’t want to interfere with. Whatever Nick and Salim always talked about before Jason got there, Nick had made a good enough impression for Salim to surrender, and that gave Jason the opportunity to lay the groundwork for their eventual truce and team up. 

 

“ I see your light, keep moving forward. I’m just ahead. Over. ”

 

Jason pulled up to run next to the Colonel instead of behind him. He doubted the Colonel would go in guns blazing, but this could still get tricky.  

 

Salim was level headed, though. Having more people against him was likely to make him stand down even faster since he cared way more about getting home to his son than hanging onto his pride. 

 

…Except he wasn’t there when they reached Nick. 

 

Jason scowled, scrutinizing the area behind Nick as the Colonel and Clarice zeroed in on the dead vampire that was on the ground. 

 

“What the hell is that thing?” the Colonel asked, crouched probably as best he could with a prosthetic leg by the creature’s body. 

 

More importantly, where the hell was its killer? Jason could see a rusted pipe-sized hole through the thing’s chest even from the distance he was standing. 

 

“You wax this thing all by yourself, Nick?” Jason asked, noting how silent Nick had been since they’d caught up with him. 

 

Nick hesitated, drawing the Colonel’s attention. “Sergeant Kay? You alright?” 

 

Nick tilted his head, eyes flicking to the area behind him. “The Iraqi. He’s behind me. We can take him alive, but we need to move now.”

 

What? Hold the damned phone. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go–

 

“ Eric, ” Clarice warned as Salim stepped out from behind the rock he’d been hiding behind with his gun raised. 

 

“Drop your weapon!” Eric ordered, stepping between Salim and Clarice. 

 

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Salim said tensely. 

 

“Don’t make a mistake you’re going to regret soldier – put your gun down, now!” The Colonel’s aim didn’t waver.

 

Jason clenched his jaw. This was fine. Jason had honestly been a lot more hostile to Salim than that before, and he’d still surrendered then. 

 

“No,” Salim said just as forcefully. “You lower yours first.” 

 

“Drop your weapon or we will fire!” 

 

Shit. Nick wasn’t sticking up for Salim and saying he wasn’t hostile. Maybe Jason needed to cut in himself.

 

“I didn’t come this far to die by trigger-happy Americans!” Salim argued. 

 

Okay, that wasn’t so different from before. In just a second he’d fold and put his weapon dow–

 

Bang. 

 

Jason flinched, never having been so startled by a gunshot in his life as the Colonel fell straight back onto the ground.

 

“Eric!” Clarice screamed. 

 

Jason tackled her to the ground to cover her as Nick fired back at Salim. Neither of them managed to get anymore hits as Salim retreated, but the damage was sure as shit already done. 

 

 Jason let out a string of swears as he climbed back to his feet and moved over to the Colonel’s limp form. Salim had gotten him straight through the center of his forehead.

 

Seriously?   

 

Jason found himself staring dumbly as Clarice sank to her knees by the body, silent tears dripping down her face as she closed the Colonel’s eyes with a shaky hand. 

 

He’d finally managed to save the Colonel, and Salim of all people was the one that offed him instead? What a joke. That sure was going to throw a wrench into all the times they needed to work together. 

 

What had happened to cause this? Why had Salim not stood down like before? Why hadn’t  Nick tried to mediate–

 

“He’s gone, Clarice,” Nick said coldly. “We need to get out of here.” 

 

Son of a bitch . Salim hadn’t changed – Nick had. Everything with him had been tense to hostile ever since Merwin. Of course he wouldn’t have been playing nice with Salim when he wasn’t even playing nice with his own team. And that had probably caused Salim not to trust any of them. 

 

So… somehow Jason was going to have to be on the Colonel’s and Nick’s good side. That was sure to be fun with the whole affair business. 

 

Jason shook his head. “We can’t leave him here. We’ve gotta get back to the temple.”

 

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Things were really not going Jason’s way this loop. Sure, he’d lost Merwin and the Colonel before, but never like this. Never due to Nick and Salim of all people. 

 

Did this looping business have an early reset button? Or some chapter bookmarks? That might be nice. Maybe he could ask the Curator guy if he popped up again. 

 

But until then, Jason would trudge on with the events he’d managed to set in motion. Which currently included dealing with an extremely pissed off Nick, who’d stalked off on his own this time rather than securing the area alongside Jason. 

 

Jason sighed, ending up back at the tent to check on Clarice after he did his initial sweep and camera setup. He didn’t know exactly where that twisted freaky version of Joey was lurking around before he tried to make Jason his lunch, and he didn’t want Clarice getting her throat ripped out while she was trying to work some science with that vampire corpse.  

 

“How you doin’ in here, Doc?” Jason asked as he approached Clarice. 

 

“Oh, greatest day of my life,” Clarice deadpanned, pointedly staring at the vampire’s corpse instead of Eric’s, which was off to the side in the tent. 

 

Jason snorted. If only she knew how much worse it usually was for her. Probably the only good thing about this run so far was that she didn’t have a scratch on her. 

 

“Seriously though.” Jason stopped beside her, but made sure to give her enough space to keep working.  “How you holdin’ up?”

 

She kept staring at the vampire, but her thoughts were clearly elsewhere. “He was a good boss. But he was a better friend. He deserved so much better.” She blinked suddenly, shaking her head. “Shouldn’t you be with Sergeant Kay?”

 

Jason shrugged. “Nicky’s a big boy. He can take care of himself.” 

 

“Don’t think I’d count on anyone lasting long on their own in this shithole,” she noted. 

 

“Hey.” He leaned over the table a little so he could actually catch her eye. “We’re still standin’, ain’t we?”

 

“For now,” she said, and the level of exhaustion she poured into those two words was uncomfortably similar to how she spoke when her body was infected and giving out on her.

 

Jason placed a gentle hand on her still healthily-colored arm, trying to shove the image of her desperate and deathly pale version out of his head. “I will get you out of here. I promise you that.” 

 

It wasn’t an empty promise he was making to her for this loop – he meant it across the board. He was getting her out of this, no matter how long it took him. He was getting them all out. 

 

Clarice looked at his hand on her arm for a long moment. “Then I guess I better stay close then, huh?”

 

Jason gave her a half smile in return. “Well, on the off chance that you aren’t, you may want to hold onto this.” He fished his handgun out, flipping it around to offer it to her. 

 

Last time that had been the gun he shoved into Rachel’s hands telling her to save a bullet for Clarice, but that wasn’t going to be a problem this run. 

 

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Nothing seemed to have changed with Joey and Dar attacking. Jason easily yanked Nick out of the way of Dar’s shot, and they fired back at–

 

Wait just a damn minute. Salim was with Dar this time? 

 

“I am gonna make you sweat a whole bucket before I accept that truce this time…” Jason muttered under his breath as he crouched behind cover. 

 

He wondered if Dar even realized that Salim wasn’t firing at them. 

 

Jason snorted. Salim might have been with Dar, but he was not helping him at all.

 

Nick’s attitude really must have spooked him for him to actually have taken that shot at the Colonel.  

 

Whatever the reasoning, Nick and Jason technically outnumbering Dar allowed them to advance, driving both Dar and Salim back into the temple–

 

Bang. 

 

Salim ducked right back out the door very quickly as Jason saw Dar’s body hit the ground through the opening. Which, of course, left Salim facing Jason and Nick. He froze, looking between Nick and Jason before glancing over his shoulder. 

 

“Don’t even think about it, man,” Jason said, hoping Nick and Salim would both not be too eager to keep firing. 

 

Salim reluctantly put his hands up, and that was when Clarice stepped into view, her hands a little shaky as she held the gun Jason had given her level with the back of Salim’s head. 

 

…Well, damn. He’d seen her kick a vampire to save Rachel’s life before, so he’d known she could handle herself, but it was still impressive. 

 

“Holy shit…” Nick muttered, glaze flicking to Dar’s body on the ground. 

 

Jason couldn’t help but smirk a little. “Nice work, Clarice.” But then he remembered their other problems. “Move,” he told Salim, gesturing with his gun. “Everyone inside, now! ” 

 

No one argued with that, but if they had Jason was pretty sure he wouldn’t have been able to hear them anyway with how loud the vampires’ screeching was getting.

 

He didn’t even worry about Salim as he turned to help Nick with the doors. He wasn’t stupid enough to try something. Plus Clarice still had him at gunpoint. Didn’t take a trained marine to shoot someone two feet away. Dar learned that already. 

 

Jason hesitated on his side of the door for a second, frowning as Nick got his closed. 

 

Any second now…

 

The screeching was getting way too close…

 

“Jason, come on!” Nick moved over to his door, pushing on it with all his might. “The hell you waiting on man?”

 

Your affair girlfriend, you asshole, Jason thought but didn’t say. 

 

The door closed. No Rachel. 

 

Where was she? She’d made it here dragging Clarice before, so how could she have not made it without that inconvenience?

 

The doors rattled with impact. 

 

Damn. No time to keep thinking about it now. 

 

“Fall back to the main temple!” Jason ordered. 

 

If Jason had thought this loop had rapidly declined before, it had nothing on now. 

 

No Rachel meant no one to fix the generator while Jason and Nick tried to keep the door closed. As talented as Clarice was, she wasn’t a mechanic.

 

They were so done for–

 

Salim shoved himself into the door beside Nick. “Get the generator! I will hold your place here!” 

 

Atta man. 

 

Nick didn’t hesitate long, sprinting for the generator only a few seconds later. 

 

Unfortunately, it still didn’t take the vampires long to start breaking through, and…

 

No Rachel meant no one grabbed hold of the damn machine gun and there were a shit ton more vampires in the room than usual. Including one that knocked over a light that sparked a fire to life and–

 

“Nick!” Jason’s warning came too late as the generator exploded, engulfing Nick before he’d even had a chance to move.     

 

Son of a bitch!

 

“Move to the east gate!” Jason told his rapidly shrinking team, which now consisted of zero other marines, a physicist, and an “enemy” soldier.

 

What a joke, Jason thought as they scrambled to get down the next hallway. 

 

This run had gone so badly that they’d be lucky to last another five minutes–

 

“ Wait! ” Salim almost fell over coming to a stop. He made a grab for Jason’s shoulder, missing by a hair. 

 

Click. 

 

Oh, shit. 

 

He’d never talked with Nick about where he’d put the damn tripwi–

 

“Oof.” Jason grunted as his right leg took the brunt of his fall before he smacked his hip into the ground. 

 

He sighed heavily, looking up at the sky through the hole in the ceiling. “I can hear you laughin’ from here, and you can shut up, Curator.” 

Notes:

Comments feed my muuuuuse 🥺

Chapter 7: Day 4

Absolute disaster. That was the only honest way to refer to that last run. 

 

Shit, Jason just wished he had more time to think, but he didn’t. Now he knew time was ticking on Merwin, Clarice, and the Colonel’s lives the second that he landed in the sand. 

 

So off he went. 

 

Get through the door. Cut Merwin down. Make sure Clarice doesn’t get dragged into the darkness. Make sure Nick doesn’t suffocate Merwin. 

 

One step at a time.

 

Check, check, check, check…

 

Okay, all of those were done. It was a good start. 

 

Now to get to the Colonel before he fell off the damn cliff.  

 

“Geez, man – ease up!” Nick complained as Jason absolutely hauled ass through caverns, dragging Merwin with such vigor that Nick was struggling to keep up.

 

“You wanna stay put with those things?” Jason shot back. He couldn’t tell Nick to go ahead until Rachel’s call came in, but he needed to make sure they covered as much ground before then as possible, otherwise Nick and Clarice would never make it to the Colonel in time.  

 

Any minute now…

 

“ Any callsigns this is King! Contact, contact! We’re taking fire! Does anyone copy? ” 

 

“That’s Rachel!” Nick’s voice was swimming with the same concern as always. 

 

Jason dropped to one knee by Merwin. “Nick, get Clarice out of here and go help Rachel and the Colonel – I’ll stay with Merwin!”

 

“What? Jason, that’s crazy–”

 

“That’s an order, Sergeant!” Jason cut him off. “Go help Rachel!” 

 

For once he was actually hoping Nick would let his emotions go to his head when it came to Rachel. 

 

Nick was still hesitating, wasting valuable time. 

 

“You heard the man – get your ass gone, Dipshit!” Merwin – for once in his life – helpfully added. “We’ll handle this!” 

 

Nick pursed his lips, clearly unhappy, but he finally moved. “Come on, Clarice!” 

 

Okay. 

 

He admitted, this was probably not going to end well. This time, anyway. One advantage he had here was that if it failed badly, he was right at the start of the loop. He could probably try several times to see if it was a real option. 

 

…Which it looked like was going to be the case, because he was not getting lucky this run. That much was already clear when he got his foot yanked from beneath him and Merwin was beheaded while he was busy trying to get his gun back up– 

 

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Jason startled awake, his throat scratchy and his breath short. 

 

Oh, hell no. 

 

He pressed a hand over his chest, trying not to panic as his heart slammed away against his ribs. 

 

Anything but his lungs. 

 

Shit, that first death of his had really left an impact despite it making everything so hazy. His memories from that version of the day stayed scrambled and mostly out of reach, but his body somehow remembered. 

 

Nothing was restricting his breathing right now, though. It was fine. He was fine. 

 

…Why was he fine? He should have been dead already – back falling into the first tunnel. But he wasn’t. 

 

He was in the dark. 

 

Jason suppressed a groan as he sat up, feeling for the light above his ear. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. 

 

Where the hell even was he? 

 

He checked himself over, finding his knife and handgun in place. Again, better than nothing. 

 

 Well, at least if he was stumbling around in the dark, he might get a second of peace or two to think over things like he’d been wanting. 

 

Jason brought his arm up to cover his mouth in order to muffle some of the noise as he cleared his throat. 

 

Ugh. Why did he feel like someone had shoved a damn sheet of sandpaper in there–

 

Jason froze.

 

Oh, Kentucky-fried shit in a basket, he hoped this wasn’t what he suspected.   

 

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It didn’t take long for Jason to realize that the uncomfortable soreness in his throat and the chill now under his skin were exactly what he thought they were.

 

He had a damn parasite crawling around on his insides slowly turning him into a vampire. Great. So much for a quick restart if his plan failed.

 

He’d watched Clarice go through the tail end of this a couple times, and now he was going to get to experience it himself. 

 

Surprisingly, though, this run wasn’t all bad, because he’d found Rachel. 

 

He may not have at all planned on being infected and dragged down into a pit, but he could work with it. This was his chance to see what she was up against. Maybe that would be helpful for later runs.

 

He already had a pretty good idea why she hadn’t made it back last loop given that he’d just stumbled upon her about to get face clawed off by a vampire. 

 

Jason wasted no time in firing. “Rachel, move! ”

 

He didn’t think he’d ever seen her so glad to see anyone, which was a little ironic considering he’d been in the room with her and her husband and her boyfriend. 

 

“That was some damn good timing, Jason,” Rachel said once they’d managed to find a safer area and lose their vampire friend with a few bullets and dropping some rocks on its head. “What the hell was that thing?”

 

“Would you laugh in my face if I said vampire?” Jason tried to suppress a shiver. He doubted anywhere would feel nice to his sick system, but the damp cold of these lower caverns after he’d been waist deep in what may or may not have been blood certainly wasn’t helping. 

 

Rachel stared at him. “Well, I would have if I hadn’t seen it first.”

 

Jason let out a sharp gasp as sudden pain tore through him. Damned parasite was moving.

 

“Jason?” Rachel zeroed in on him, visibly concerned. 

 

“It’s fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “Took a hit, but I’ll shake it off.”

 

He definitely would not be shaking it off, but he would let that cat out of the bag later. Rachel refused to leave Clarice behind, so he doubted she would be willing to leave him either. Discussing the whole issue would just be a waste of time.

 

“You look like shit,” Rachel said flatly. 

 

“Well, you ain’t exactly lookin’ like sunshine and roses yourself, Ma’am.” He turned to look around their dark area, hoping his light would help him locate some sort of exit. “We need to find the others. Regroup. Nick, Clarice, and the Colonel should all be together.”

 

He hoped. If Nick and Clarice had managed to get to the Colonel in time and Salim hadn’t shot anyone. 

 

Surprisingly, it looked like they were facing way more threats up there than he and Rachel were down in the depths of this part of the caverns. Their path back up to the temple had way less vampires than he’d expected so far. The biggest threat was trying not to fall off the rocks they had to climb when the parasite in him decided to shuffle around . 

 

Jason shuddered as he pulled himself up on the ledge at the end of their climb. The pain was bad, but it wasn’t the worst part. He would have gladly taken twice as much pain if it meant not being able to feel the thing under his skin. 

 

He wondered how long he had. He’d been infected around the same time as Clarice was in the other loops, so he’d probably kick the bucket around the same time too. Not that he intended on going out the way she did. He’d take a bullet over that any day. 

 

“Jason?” Rachel was hovering by his side, already back on her feet after the climb. 

 

“I’m good.” He picked himself up by sheer force of will. 

 

He hadn’t felt this out of shape since his first day of basic training. Every little movement was so much effort.  

 

“You are really pale.” Her eyes were raking over him, inspecting. “Did you lose a lot of blood? What kind of hit did you take?” 

 

“Not one we can do anythin’ about here.” He brushed her off again. “Sooner we regroup the better.” 

 

Rachel pursed her lips, but thankfully she didn’t push him anymore on the topic. 

 

Jason craned his neck, looking around. Looked like up was still the only way forward. More climbing it was. 

 

How in the hell had Clarice managed all this while infected and having no training? 

 

And all that work just to die in agony after hearing them bicker over whether or not to shoot her…

 

Jason forced his breathing into as regular a rhythm as he could manage as they kept going. Rachel was embarrassingly ahead of him, but at least that gave him the option of shadowing her moves so he didn’t have to find his own holds in the rock. 

 

Just a few inches at a time… So long as his friend didn’t make a fuss at the wrong time and drop him to his doom, he could handle it.  

 

Rachel reached the next ledge well ahead of him, and he could see her frown down at him as she saw far back he was. She didn’t comment, though. She just offered her hand once he was close enough. 

 

“Thanks,” he said tiredly. 

 

Now what? 

 

The edge they were on wasn’t small, but also didn’t seem to lead anywhere. The path back to the temple was on the other side of the chasm that sat before them. 

 

“Well, that’s just dandy… ” Jason muttered.  

 

Rachel knelt down, then stood back up with the rope attached to a grappling hook that they’d been using to help climb. She swung the grapple around then, releasing it so that it flew up and seemed to lodge perfectly. She gave it a couple of tugs. It held. “Looks like it’s our lucky day.” 

 

Jason made a face. “Ain’t you had enough of ropes failin’ and droppin’ you off cliffs today?” 

 

Rachel gave the rope a couple more tugs, and it still held. “Seems sturdy. You got any better ideas?” 

 

“Nope,” Jason admitted. “I’ll go first.” 

 

“No, you weigh more. I’ll go.” She pointed out, taking a breath before throwing herself off the cliff. 

 

She landed on the other side with no issue, giving him a smirk as she swung the rope back to his side. “See? Nothing to worry about.” 

 

Jason stared at her as he let both his eyebrows raise. “You had to go and say that before it was my turn?”

 

“Oh, get just over here.” 

 

Jason gave her a mock, one fingered salute. “Yes, ma’am.”

 

The swing and the rope were fine. The parasite choosing to burrow around again right when he reached the other side was not. 

 

Jason let out a strangled scream, collapsing straight to his knees as soon as his feet hit the ground. 

 

“Jason!” Rachel reached for him, but then flinched back, horror written on her face. 

 

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. 

 

Jason gagged, pressing a hand to his throat where his skin was being pushed at from the inside. 

 

Rachel had definitely seen that. Not that he cared at the moment. Everything hurt too damn much. 

 

Jason curled in on himself as his muscles spasmed and he fought to keep breathing. 

 

The agony mercifully passed a few moments later, leaving him a shivering mess on the ground. 

 

“Jason…” Rachel said, a slight waver in her voice as she hovered just out of his reach. “What the hell did those things do to you?” 

 

Jason gave her as best of a smile as he could manage. “Word of advice: never french kiss a vampire on the first date.” 

 

Rachel’s twisted expression told him that joke didn’t really land well. “What?”

 

Jason ducked his head again for a moment as another wave of chest-clenching pain swept over him. “One of them things shoved some sort of worm down my throat and now it’s tearin’ up my insides.” 

 

“... Shit, Jason. We need to get you to Eric and Clarice.” Rachel moved swiftly, crouching down next to him and yanking one of his arms over her shoulders. “Come on.” 

 

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The rest of the trip was hell, but that was just because of how Jason was feeling. The journey itself was easy. There were about a million vampires shrieking that were about to attack the temple, but they didn’t encounter a single one apart from the initial one he’d saved Rachel from. Which probably meant that specific one was why she hadn’t made it last time. 

 

It made sense. Rachel was damn good at her job, but hand-to-hand combat with a vampire while waist deep in liquid wasn’t a fight any of them were likely walking away from. Especially when that was the first time Rachel had even seen one. 

 

Had Clarice managed to save her before? Was that the difference? Because if it was… Shit, he didn’t know how to save them both. 

 

Five candles, Jason’s head unpleasantly reminded him. The Curator had five candles on his desk that he’d used to represent everyone’s lives. Did that mean that was all he could save?

 

No. He refused. He’d find a way. Joey was the only one he was convinced he couldn’t save. If they were still alive at the start of the loop, he could do it. He just had to figure out how.

 

“They’re getting closer,” Rachel said, sounding out of breath from helping drag him around. 

 

Jason pulled away from her, confident enough in his own leg strength for the moment. “The temple’s just ahead. We gotta hurry–”

 

Rachel stopped abruptly.

 

Jason scowled. Had she seen something? “Okay, that ain’t hurryin’–” 

 

“Eric…”

 

…Well, shit. 

 

Jason followed her line of sight to the open area in front of the temple… where the Colonel’s body was. With his throat torn open. 

 

Jason winced, pulling out his hand gun in case the threat was still near. Getting impaled or shot seemed preferable to that.

 

All too aware of the screeching behind him that was growing in volume, Jason grabbed Rachel’s arm in a firm but gentle hold. “We gotta move.”

 

She gave a slight nod, tearing her eyes away from the body as they weaved around it… to find another one.   

 

Dar , Jason placed, although it took a moment and he had to identify him by uniform given the amount of gashes in his face. 

 

“We must get these doors shut!” 

 

Salim? 

 

Jason snapped his gaze up towards the temple doors. 

 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m working on it!” 

 

And that was Nick.

 

“Wait!” Rachel called, jogging for the doors. Jason followed right behind her.   

 

“...Rachel?” Nick asked. 

 

The two of them slid through the narrow gap that was left between the doors to find Clarice, Salim, and Nick on the other side. Nick lit up at the sight of them both. 

 

“Holy shit, Jason! I thought you were both dead.” He gave Jason a fist bump, then went in for a hug from Rachel, which she accepted, but didn’t seem the most enthusiastic about. 

 

…Yeah Jason could see how she might be a little conflicted on getting cozy with her affair partner after just seeing her husband like that. 

 

There was way too much soap opera shit going on here for the life or death mess they were in. 

 

“Yes, yes, this is lovely for you all I’m sure, but the doors? ” Salim said as he and Clarice were still pushing away without Nick.  

 

Jason moved to help them, putting his shoulder into it. 

 

“Oh, uh, this is Salim, by the way,” Nick explained quickly as Rachel zeroed in on the Iraqi. “He saved my life earlier.” 

 

Salim gave a wave, still pushing. 

 

“Hey,” Jason greeted neutrally. He guessed with Dar out of the picture, the alliance had started a little earlier than normal. 

 

“Uh, you’re cool with this?” Nick asked Jason, finally having detached himself from Rachel. 

 

“I’m cool with anythin’ with a human face right now,” Jason said, also grimacing at the effort he was putting in. 

 

These things felt heavier than ever before, but he knew that was more on him being about to keel over than anything. 

 

Finally , the doors slid shut. That would buy them a few minutes, like usual–

 

“ Ow. Why?” Jason flinched as Clarice landed a solid punch on his arm. 

 

“Dumbass,” Clarice said. “Making us leave you behind? That had to be the stupidest plan I’ve ever seen!” 

 

“Yeah, I’m with her on that one,” Nick grumbled. “Merwin?”

 

Jason shook his head. 

 

Nick swore under his breath, then he looked back to Rachel. “Rachel, Eric–”

 

“I know,” she cut him off. “We saw. One of those creatures?”

 

Salim scoffed. “If only…”

 

Oh, Jason had a feeling he knew where this was going, and he didn’t like it.

 

“It was Joey,” Clarice said thickly. “But he was… transformed somehow. Mutated with blue skin and horns and fangs. He got Eric and Salim’s Captain both.” 

 

There it was. 

 

Rachel froze for a moment before her eyes slowly shifted to Jason. Which, of course, made everyone else look at him too. 

 

Jason swore the little piece of shit worm was waiting on that cue, because it started scurrying around again right then.

 

 He collapsed, his screams only held back from their full volume by the pain and shifting within him punching most of the air out of his lungs. 

 

“Oh, shit!” Clarice scurried back from him as Salim gripped that stupid metal pipe of his on his back. 

 

“ Jason? ” Nicki’s grip on his gun tightened, but he hadn’t brought it up yet. 

 

Salim muttered something in Arabic before giving Rachel a hard look. “You’ve let a fox in the hen house.”

 

Rachel glared murdered back at him. “I only see one fox among hens in here, and it isn’t him.”

 

Jason wasn’t sure whether to be flattered she was defending him or insulted on Salim’s behalf. 

 

“No, he’s right,” Jason said through gritted teeth, clutching his chest as he shakily got back to his feet. “But I got time, I think. Probably not a lot, but some. And what I got I’m puttin’ towards helpin’ you as far as I can.” 

 

The door buckled with impact, signalling the arrival of the vampires.

 

Nick shook his head, his attention already back on Jason. “Jason, no, we can figure something out–”

 

“ Look at me, Nick,” Jason insisted. “This thing is turnin’ me inside out. Now let’s move before we waste what time I got left and the chances you all have of gettin’ out of here!”  

 

He didn’t wait for an answer as he headed further into the temple. 

 

He wanted to see how this played out with Salim, Rachel, and Clarice here. Maybe it wouldn’t give him the full picture since the Colonel, Dar, and Merwin were still dead, but this was the best he’d managed to get by this point so far. 

 

…Apart from the ticking clock on his own head, that was. 

 

He needed to make sure one of them took him out. Properly. The loops always seemed to reset when he died, and he absolutely did not want to test if it kept going if he turned into a vampire. Maybe it would be fine and just restart if he died as a human, but he wasn’t taking that chance. 

 

He glanced over at Salim, who’d caught up to him and was running beside him. 

 

Salim would do it if he asked. Especially since they’d just met this time around. He’d see the practicality. He wouldn’t hesitate like Nick. 

 

“Jason!” Clarice called, catching up behind him and offering him a rifle. “You’ll probably be more useful with this than me.” 

 

Jason eyed the weapon. “The hell did that come from?”

 

“My Captain,” Salim said dryly. 

 

Yeah, looked like Dar didn’t need it anymore. Jason accepted the rifle, then turned his handgun around, offering it to Clarice in exchange. “Best you have somethin’. ”

 

Honestly, the woman was wasted as a doctor. She’d saved Rachel’s life multiple times from vampires while infected and managed to take down an Iraqi Captain the first time she’d had a gun in the field. 

 

“Are you sure giving him a better weapon is wise?” Salim asked as they reached the next set of doors and started to push them closed once the others were through. 

 

“Oh, relax. You don’t look like dinner to me yet,” Jason said.  

 

Nick shot him a disturbed look as he slid in next to him and shoved. “Man, that is not funny.” 

 

“Come on, it’s a little funny.” 

 

The doors slammed shut, and the three of them heaved up the wooden plank to secure them further. 

 

“You are a strangely chipper man given your circumstances,” Salim noted. 

 

“You don’t judge my copin’ methods and I won’t judge yours!” 

 

Really, Jason had no idea how he’d be handling the situation if this was his only death. Definitely not so dismissively. But honestly, it was still better than his original death. At least here he was still going out fighting in some way. And the vampire worm, while having more painful spikes, at least was faster than the vampire dust. 

 

Focus on task, Jason told himself. This wasn’t the run, but he could learn a lot from the next few minutes. 

 

He and Salim had the doors. Rachel and Clarice fixed the generator. Nick switched between watching the duos’ backs as needed. 

 

For the first time, getting everyone out of that specific room wasn’t absolute hell. They were all in one piece when Rachel went for the machine gun to cover them while they retreated.

 

Shit, hold up. 

 

Jason skidded to a halt, backtracking. 

 

Any time Rachel had made it to the next room, Clarice had saved her life through some unconventional means, and that task had definitely fallen to Jason this time around. 

 

Just as he’d caught a glimpse of Clarice doing before, Jason landed a kick on the vampire that had tackled Rachel away from the minigun, and then placed himself between them. 

 

The vampire hesitated, hissing at Jason, but unable to get to Rachel through him. 

 

“Yeah, go on!” Jason made shooing motions at it. “Back into the damn hole you crawled out of!”

 

The vampire hissed again, but scurried away after a moment. 

 

Oddly satisfying. Damn, he should have just stood in front of the damn doors. Maybe they all would have gone away. 

 

“Jason…” Rachel said with wide eyes. 

 

“No time,” he dismissed. “Let’s move!” 

 

“Stick to the center!” Nick called.

 

Oh, so now the tripwires were on the side. Nick really had been in such a mood the other loop that he just dropped those tripwires without thinking about it tactically at all. 

 

Jason still kept his eyes out for wires anyway. 

 

No offense, Nicky. He just didn’t care to have that particular death again. 

 

And he didn’t. The tripwires were right where Nick said, and they made it through to the next set of doors in record time. 

 

Not surprising. Not having to stop and talk Dar and, well, Jason himself into a truce definitely sped things up. 

 

…But not enough that he should have been feeling this well. Comparatively, that was. Oh, he still felt every bit of the slow and painful death that was creeping in on him, but he was far better off than Clarice was when they normally got here. 

 

Why? He’d probably been infected earlier than her. What was that about?

 

Something else to answer another time. 

 

Here it was. The room Jason had been dreading the most, but hoping to get to before this loop was over. 

 

It was good that they gained some time by not having a standoff, because it gave Jason a minute to drop to his knees in pain again. 

 

“ Son of a bitch, ” he yelled through gritted teeth, his eyes watering from the sheer amount of agony shooting through him.

 

“Jason?” Nick asked, his actual question going unsaid. 

 

Jason managed to shake his head. “ Not yet. I’m not out yet.” 

 

A hand was offered down to him, and Jason was surprised to find that it belonged to Salim when he accepted it and was pulled back to his feet.   

 

“You face your fate bravely,” Salim noted with a firm nod. 

 

“Nah.” Jason coughed hard, then gave a weak smile. “All an act. Shakin’ in my boots here.” 

 

Salim gave a slight, pitying chuckle.  

 

The telltale clicking of the vampires began, and the five of them formed a defensive circle. 

 

It didn’t take Jason long to realize his best option was not his gun, but using himself as a human shield instead. 

 

Every time a vampire got too close to one of the others, Jason was there to stand between them. 

 

Until he felt his leg get yanked out from beneath him before he was dragged away, that was.

 

Dammit. Hadn’t thought that was going to happen this time given his infection. 

 

“Same species, bitch!” Jason yelled, irritated. He couldn’t afford to be away from the others, especially since he’d dropped Dar’s rifle in the process. 

 

He was not getting stuck with this loop never ending because he was trapped as some undead freak for the next thousand years. 

 

Eventually, the vampire apparently realized its error, because it came to a stop, clicked at him, and ran away. 

 

Jason stayed on the ground for a minute, twisting around as the parasite wriggled closer to his heart.

 

He had to get up. He had to find one of the others. 

 

He’d crawl if he had to. 

 

Blinking against the spots in his vision, Jason took in enough of his surroundings to figure out where he was. 

 

Salim. If he survived, Jason always ran into him near here.  

 

Get up, get up…

 

Jason managed to halfway steady himself on the filthy walls as he advanced. 

 

The parasite was no longer causing bursts of pain. It was next to constant now. This was close to how Clarice was when they always lost her, he was sure of it. He had minutes at most–

 

“ Shit, ” Jason choked out as his legs refused to cooperate any longer. He didn’t have the strength to try and keep his suffering quiet at this point, and the noises he was letting out didn’t even sound human to himself. 

 

Jason hunched in on himself over his knees. 

 

Come on. He just needed this to subside one more time . 

 

“Oh, no…”

 

“ Shit. ”

 

Jason jerked his head up at the quiet and… less quiet voice. 

 

Salim and Clarice . They’d made it out together, and Jason must have been making enough noise that they’d come to him. 

 

Jason had never been so happy to see anyone in his life. 

 

“The others?” Jason gagged at the pressure in his throat. 

 

Salim and Clarice both hesitated. 

 

“Don’t you bullshit me,” Jason garbled out. The last thing he needed during this loop business was people softening the truth for him.

 

“Nick… That thing. The man thing. It killed him,” Salim admitted.

 

“We lost track of Rachel,” Clarice said, her voice thick with grief. “She came back for me when I was in trouble. I thought she was right behind me.” 

 

So, Clarice had lived, Nick hadn’t, and Rachel was probably infected again. 

 

Dammit. That was almost the same as before, even after the much better start in the generator room. 

 

Would things end more favorably with the Colonel, Merwin, and Dar around? Would three more fighters make the difference? 

 

He had to get them this far and find out. 

 

“Please–” Another fit of choking cut Jason off before he could finish his sentence. 

 

Clarice flinched at his voice, staring at her boots. 

 

Salim’s expression was full of nothing but compassion as he spoke, inching back the way he’d come. “I am sorry, my friend. No one can help you now.”

 

That wasn’t what he meant. He wasn’t begging for someone to save him. 

 

“No.” Jason shook his head viciously – something that was somehow far easier than talking. “P-please. Make s-sure I stay down.” 

 

Salim’s eyes widened in realization, and he stopped moving away.

 

Clarice swore quietly. 

 

“C-come on.” Jason stopped fighting his battle to stay upright, falling onto his shoulder and then slowly rolling on his back. He shivered harshly, his sweat making the dirt on the tunnel floors stick to every inch of exposed skin that he had. 

 

Salim’s boots appeared next to him, and Jason’s vision was just clear enough to make out that he already had his stupid stick-pipe ready.

 

Jason flinched a little as something warm touched his frigid hand, but then he relaxed as he spotted Clarice crouched next to him, holding his hand in both of her own. “We’ve got you, Jason. We’re here.” 

 

“D-do it.” Jason wheezed. “Do it…”

 

Salim muttered something that sounded well intended in Arabic, and then he drove the pipe down. 

Notes:

Comments feed le muuuuse!!

Chapter 8: Day 5 Pt.1

The parasite vanishing from inside Jason was such a relief that he didn’t so much as grunt when he hit the ground this time. 

 

He sucked in the deepest breath he could, not even caring about the stirred up dust. 

 

That had been… rough. And by far the most painful death he’d had. Or lead up to a death, rather. Salim was terrifyingly lethal when he actually let himself be. And merciful. And too kind for his own good for someone in a warzone.

 

A wave of guilt washed over Jason’s feet as he shakily climbed back to his feet. He may have gotten all these do-overs, but he’d still made the choice to leave Salim behind when he didn’t know that. 

 

Never again. He would make amends. Get Salim back to his son. He would.

 

“Okay…” Jason muttered, giving his head a rough shake. His head may have been frazzled, but his body was back to being in top shape. Merwin, Clarice, and the Colonel would pay the price if he took any time for himself. He could shrug off the cobwebs as he went. 

 

No wonder the Curator had warned him about people going nuts to this kind of shit. Jason was really going to have to start taking advantage of the little down time he got between mass vampire attacks and people shooting at him. 

 

But that down time was not now. 

 

“Through here! I hear Merwin – he’s hurt,” Jason said as soon as Nick was in sight.  

 

This time when Nick came over to help with the door, Jason stepped behind him and dug the morphine out of his bag first, then pulled out his own knife before pulling himself. 

 

Funny. After spending so many hours with that parasite dragging his strength down, the weight here didn’t feel nearly as bad. 

 

Nick shot Jason a questioning look, but it didn’t stay long when he saw Merwin. 

 

“Clarice, over here please.” Jason cut Merwin down as quickly as he could, jamming the morphine into his leg. “Nick, Rachel and the Colonel are down that path, and they need help. Go ahead. Clarice and I will handle Merwin.”

 

Nick scowled. “How do you–”

 

“I heard Rachel on the radio.” Jason started working on Merwin’s wounds as best he could. “I’ve got this – go, Sergeant! And I mean sprint. I ain’t never heard her that freaked out before.”

 

That was playing really dirty, but Nick would thank him later when he found the path that got them all out alive. He just needed him to go before the vampires showed up so he wouldn't hesitate on leaving them so much, and maybe that would allow him to get to the Colonel before the rope snapped. 

 

Lucky for Jason, Nick took the bait he’d just dangled about Rachel, and he took off down the tunnels. 

 

Clarice crouched down on Merwin’s other side. “Anything I can do?” 

 

“Yeah, take this.” Jason paused stemming Merwin’s blood flow just long enough to shove his handgun into Clarice’s hands. 

 

Clarice blinked, then raised an eyebrow. “That bad off, is he?”

 

“ Hey ,” Merwin slurred.

 

Despite everything, Jason cracked a smile. That smile faded though, when the clicking started from the dark. 

 

Clarice snapped her head around. “The hell was that?”

 

“Our cue to move,” Jason said lowly. “Grab one of his arms. We need to haul ass.”

 

He hadn’t been able to make it out with Merwin alone. He could make it out with Merwin with Nick, but that meant losing the Colonel. Maybe, just maybe Clarice’s surprising amount of combat efficiency for a doctor could be the happy medium. 

 

Was he asking for a shit ton for a doctor who probably weighed ninety pounds soaking wet to replace a trained marine in top physical condition? Absolutely, but it was better than her getting dragged off to get a parasite stuffed down her throat again or Rachel ending up a vampire snack if it worked. 

 

Which it… sort of did. Did he and Clarice and Merwin live? Yes. Were they in the best condition? Not so much. 

 

By the time Clarice and Jason managed to drag Merwin to the area outside the temple, both of them had multiple long claw marks stretching across their visible skin, and Jason had a full claw-length puncture wound in his thigh that had him hobbling.  

 

Typical. He’s just gotten his ability to walk properly back.

 

He sure as hell hoped Nick was having better luck on his end of–

 

“ Racheeeeeeeeeel! ”

 

“Son of a bitch…” Jason muttered under his breath. The Colonel wailing like that definitely didn’t inspire confidence. 

 

Yeah, no. This time Nick and the Colonel were both on the ground by the cliff. And if anything, the two of them looked more upset than usual. 

 

Or at least the Colonel did. Nick looked disconnected. 

 

“Nicky!” Jason called to them, he and Clarice struggling to drag Merwin along between their injuries and holding onto their weapons. “Colonel! What happened?”

 

Not that he didn’t already know the broad view, but specifics might help. Why hadn’t Nick gotten there before Rachel fell? He should have had way more time than even the other loops where they’d reached the Colonel in time to save him. 

 

“I…” Nick said blankly. 

 

“Eric?” Clarice hobbled over to him once they stopped hauling Merwin for the moment . 

 

“ Rachel, ” the Colonel wept. “She… She was taking us down with her…”

 

Jason finally got close enough to spot the knife in Nick’s hand. 

 

“I had to…” Nick’s voice was barely a whisper. 

 

Oh, damn. Jason hadn’t thought Nick had that in him. 

 

“...What the hell happened to you all?” the Colonel asked, surprisingly regaining awareness first. 

 

Well, at least one advantage to being covered in claw marks was that the whole bat-monsters thing would be a lot easier to sell. 

 

“Jason!” Nick jerked out of his physical slump, locking onto the still-growing bloodstain on Jason’s leg. “Shit, man. Are you–”

 

“I’ll be just dandy as soon as we get to somewhere with better cover,” Jason interrupted him. 

 

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

 

Clarice took over convincing the Colonel about the vampires while Nick helped Jason as best he could with his leg. Then it was back to what had almost become business as usual by this point. 

 

Fix the generator. Scout ahead. Avoid the tripwire. Go search for Joey. And think. 

 

Maybe he should have been using the short span of little activity to give himself a break, but how could he when he’d just come to such a horrible realization?

 

He couldn’t think of a way to save Clarice and Rachel both. Rachel’s fall wasn’t avoidable. Jason couldn’t have gotten Nick to her and the Colonel any faster. And without someone getting taken at the start, Rachel never made it back, and Jason couldn’t help her himself without more people dying, including himself. It had to be Clarice. But if Clarice got dragged off, then that was a death sentence for her. 

 

Five candles, he was reminded unpleasantly. 

 

It was far too optimistic to hope that Rachel not showing up that other loop was a fluke, but Jason would know for certain soon enough . 

 

Jason grimaced as “Joey’s” voice cried out for them. Break time was over. 

 

This time Jason made a suggestion before the Colonel could get a word out: that he and the Colonel go ahead while Nick stayed back with Clarice. The Colonel accepted. 

 

Good. Nick obviously wasn’t in a great frame of mind at the moment, and Jason really wanted to avoid Eric getting shot in the head by Salim because of that this time. 

 

This run was already probably hosed anyway because of Rachel, but the rest of it was going okay, so it was a good time to try out some potential variations he hoped would be beneficial. 

 

“How’s the leg, Lieutenant?” the Colonel asked as they moved together. 

 

 “Eh, better than yours at least.”

 

The Colonel stopped walking, turning to stare at him.

 

Shit. This whole time loop thing had really broken his sense of humor and his filter. This was not Nick he was bantering with here. So much for him and the Colonel being on decent terms this time around.

 

Backtrack. Backtrack now. 

 

“...Sir, I am so sorry. That was really inappropriate of me. I didn’t mean to–” 

 

“You should set a higher bar for your health, Lieutenant,” the Colonel said, lips twitching a little. 

 

“Sir?” 

 

“Amputation really shouldn’t be your standard.” The Colonel looked dangerously close to laughing. 

 

“Yeah, I guess not.” Jason coughed. “...No court martial, then?”

 

The Colonel started moving again. “Jury’s still out. Save my life a few times, then we’ll see.” 

 

Jason snorted. “I’ll get right on that.” 

 

“Don’t think I’m gonna make it easy for you,” the Colonel tossed over his shoulder. 

 

“Oh, I know you won’t…” Jason muttered under his breath. 

 

So far, the Colonel was the one he’d managed to keep alive the least amount of time. Even Merwin had managed to make it further, and he started the loops bleeding out.

 

Ahead as the Colonel was with Jason’s leg slowing him down, the Colonel was the one that found Joey’s medkit. 

 

“Well, at least this made the trip worthwhile if nothing else.” He looked back at Jason. “Let’s get that leg of yours patched up before it does end up like mine.”

 

Jason hesitated. “Let’s hold off. I’m not dyin’. Joey might need it more.” 

 

Joey needed a damn priest more than medical help at this point, but Jason didn’t want to use up that medkit so early, and that was as good an excuse as any. 

 

The Colonel nodded, putting the kit away instead. “You’re a good man, Lieutenant. Your ill sense of humor aside, I’m glad to have you watching my back.” 

 

Well, damn. If he’d known making an inappropriate joke about the Colonel’s missing leg was what it took to get on his good side, he would have done that every loop. 

 

Now if only Jason could keep him from ending up with a missing spine or brain or throat….

 

Fortunately, Dar had yet to kill anyone during his ambush at this point, and that held true, even when Jason was the one cut off by Dar’s grenade this time around. 

 

Okay. Now where was Salim? Nick always ran into him after he got split off so–

 

Click click. 

 

Jason held his breath, stepping forward as quietly as he could. That was probably the vampire that Salim and Nick usually teamed up against. He could see the creature just ahead, so Salim had to be close–

 

A hand clamped over Jason’s mouth, and he was about to instinctively start throwing fists when a low shhhhh was hissed into his ear.  

 

Jason relaxed. There was Salim. 

 

It was a really, really good thing Salim didn’t want to kill anyone, because Jason honestly would not be confident in their odds. This was the third time Salim had gotten the drop on him personally, and he’d also managed to kill the Colonel and not get shot himself when he’d been outnumbered three-to-one.    

 

…And going off the info dump Salim was currently giving him, he’d already dealt with his fair share of vampires even by this point. The one he killed here with Nick was definitely not the first he’d won a fight with. 

 

“We do this together, okay?” Salim said finally after having unloaded a shit ton of info that Jason would have really appreciated if he hadn’t already known all of it.  

 

Jason gave him a firm nod, and Salim finally removed his hand from where it had been clamped over Jason’s mouth for several minutes.

 

“We can kill it,” Salim sounded like he was trying to convince himself of that more than anything as Jason faced him. “You move into flanking position and get its attention. I will do the rest.”

 

“Count me in,” Jason said lowly. 

 

He regretted being so enthusiastic when he realized how much harder things were going to be with his leg like this. It hadn’t been too much of a problem before in an open firefight, but sneaking up on a lethal beast that tracked by sound was hard enough when he could shift his weight properly.  

 

He could make it work. He just had to take things slowly. 

 

Salim was almost in position. The two of them made eye contact as Jason closed in–

 

Splat. 

 

Shit. His damn leg had just dripped on the floor.

 

The vampire snapped its head around, shrieking at him. 

 

Now or never, then. 

 

Jason brought his gun up, taking careful aim as to not hit Salim since he was behind the vampire. 

 

Salim wasted no time in sprinting up behind the vampire and spearing it straight through with that ridiculous stick of his. 

 

How the hell was that thing so much more effective than guns?

 

Jason rushed to Salim’s side, helping him shove the stick in further while the vampire thrashed around. It was surprisingly easy to keep the monster pinned down with the two of them, and it stopped twitching a few seconds later.

 

Jason gave a heavy sigh of relief, returning most of his weight to his better leg while Salim yanked his weapon free of the body.

 

Salim’s gaze flicked down to Jason’s leg. “You are injured.”

 

“It ain’t bad,” Jason dismissed. Never mind that it had almost just gotten him killed. 

 

Okay… Here they were. First impressions. 

 

Jason didn’t know what Salim and Nick usually talked about at this point, but it wasn’t hard to get on Salim’s good side. 

 

Well, Jason had been wondering something, and now seemed a better time than most. 

 

“Why didn’t you take the shot?” Jason asked. “On the surface, I mean. I get here and now – we needed each other. But up there?” 

 

Salim’s fingers twitched on his weapon. Not in the threatening way, but more out of awkwardness. “Why didn’t you shoot that shepherd?”

 

Jason shook his head. “That ain’t the same. You said it: he was a shepherd. Unarmed. But I’m a soldier. Your people ambushed us, and you had me dead to rights. Hell of a choice to let me live at that point.”

 

Salim looked him in the eye then. “No good has ever come from repaying an act of kindness with one of cruelty.” 

 

Jason chuckled. “Well, can’t argue with that. Good poetic shit there. But still weird considering that you attacked us. ”

 

Salim gave a weak smile in return to that. “I tried to warn my Captain that it was foolish to attack your people. He didn’t listen.”

 

Well that explained a lot. Salim had been reluctant to fight them even before the vampires popped up. 

 

Salim shook his head. “I shouldn’t be here. I should be home.”

 

“Someone you need to get back to?” Jason already knew the answer to that, although he didn’t have a lot of detail. He’d been so hostile to Salim the first couple times around that they hadn’t gotten very chatty, and Jason hadn’t made it far enough since to know how that would differ now. 

 

“My son,” Salim confirmed. “It’s his birthday today.” 

 

…Well if that didn’t make Jason feel like the scum of the earth for leaving Salim behind the first couple loops…

 

“Well then, I guess you better be sure to make it back to him today,” Jason said. “A dead dad is definitely gonna ruin the party.”

 

Salim gave a small snort. 

 

Jason held his hand out, a wry smile on his face. “Jason Kolcheck.” 

 

Good to get that out of the way before he slipped up on knowing things he shouldn’t.

 

Salim accepted his hand warmly, giving it a firm shake. “Salim Othman.” 

 

“Well, Salim, what do you say we keep killin’ these demons together instead of shootin’ at them and each other?” Jason suggested, the irony not lost on him. 

 

“The first option sounds vastly preferable,” Salim agreed, moving over to pick up a gun on the ground that had been by a dead soldier. 

 

Damn. Jason really wished he’d thought to move that. Salim probably wouldn’t shoot the Colonel given how the last few minutes had gone, but Jason was just nervous about it now. 

 

“ Dropkick to Mailman Two-One Actual, are you reading me? ”

 

Speaking of the Colonel, it looked like he found his way to them, because Jason could see his light in one of the nearby tunnels.

 

Jason looked at Salim as he grabbed his radio. “This is Mailman Two-One Actual, I’m readin’ you loud and clear, Dropkick. You’re almost on me – I can see your light. Please take care not to shoot my new friend when you come around the corner. Over.” 

 

“Your friends better not do anything stupid,” Salim said warily. 

 

“Just let me do the talkin’.” Jason placed himself between where the Colonel was about to be and Salim. 

 

“Kolcheck!” The Colonel had his weapon halfway raised instead of fully like before with Jason standing in the way. “Stand aside–”

 

“Sir, hold on.” Jason held his hands out, not budging an inch. “This ain’t the Iraqi that fired on us before. He ain’t hostile.”    

 

The Colonel scowed. “Lieutenant–”

 

“He saved my life, sir,” Jason pressed. Technically, not shooting him was saving, right? “Remember those giant ass bats the rest of us were talkin’ about?” Jason pointed to the one he and Salim had just killed. 

 

The Colonel did a double take at the corpse. “What the hell is that thing?” 

 

“A bigger problem for us both than each other,” Salim said. “We defeated it together, and your man here suggested we continue that temporary alliance. I would like to accept.”

 

“You did what? ” the Colonel demanded.   

 

This was exactly why he needed a good relationship with the Colonel. 

 

Come on, you trusted my judgement before. Trust it now. 

 

“Sir,” Jason stayed perfectly calm. “He was tryin’ to stop the fightin’ before we got dropped into this hellhole. He had me before, and he lowered his weapon. I’m askin’ you to do the same here.” 

 

The Colonel stared at him hard for another few moments, but then lowered his gun with a huff. “This is on you if he goes back on this truce you decided you had the authority to offer.”

 

“I can live with that.” Jason lowered his arms. 

 

“You might not,” the Colonel muttered, moving over the vampire while still keeping an eye on Salim. “There’s no sign of Joey. Let’s get this thing back to the temple. I may be able to figure out something useful.” 

 

“Copy that,” Jason said, suppressing a grin. 

Notes:

Comments feed the muuuuse! :D

Chapter 9: Day 5 Pt.2

“...Um?” was the only thing Nick said when seeing the three of them approach while Jason and Salim dragged the dead vampire behind them.

 

Clarice just lifted her eyebrows from where she was crouched down by Merwin, who was half propped up against a wall.

 

“I made a friend.” Jason gave Nick a stupid smile that he was sure added to his words in making him seem like a kid just home from school.   

 

Nick snorted, looking further baffled.  

 

The Colonel stalked ahead of them, walking a lot faster since he wasn’t dragging a giant bat. “Bring that thing to the tent.” 

 

“...I don’t think he likes me,” Salim noted once the Colonel was out of earshot. 

 

“Yeah, uh, your Captain just shot at him and his wife and got her killed, so he ain’t in the friendliest mood right now.” Jason adjusted his stance so he could keep dragging the vampire, wincing at his leg as he did so.

 

Salim frowned. “He brought his wife with him?” 

 

“I’m sorry, what is going on here?” Nick gestured between the two of them. 

 

“I may or may not have set up a temporary truce with Salim here without askin’ the Colonel and I don’t think I’m on his nice list anymore,” Jason said.  

 

“You?” Nick blanched. “ You set up a truce with him? ”

 

“Yeah, I can do diplomatic shit.” Jason knew that wasn’t what he was talking about, but hopefully Nick would let it go. There was really no way to explain what looked like an extremely abrupt shift in his entire mindset without bringing up the time loops. “How’s Merwin doin’?”

 

Merwin groaned in reply.

 

Nick grimaced. “Not great, but as good as he’s gonna get down here.”

 

“The good news is he finally shut the hell up for the most part,” Clarice said brightly. 

 

Jason snorted. 

 

“ Hey, ” Merwin grumbled indignantly. 

 

Salim looked like he was beginning to regret his alliance choices. “Your team is very… divisive.” 

 

Jason raised an eyebrow. “Ain’t you here against your will on your son’s birthday because your Captain forced you to be?” 

 

“...Yes,” Salim admitted. 

 

“ Lieutenant! ” The Colonel’s voice echoed loudly through the area to them. “Some time today would be preferable!”

 

“Yessir!” Jason started dragging the bat along again. 

 

“I think he likes you even less than me right now,” Salim muttered. 

 

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It was weird having so many people to look after at this point, but Jason wasn’t complaining. Even if Rachel didn’t show up in a bit, this was still his best run so far. They had a real chance at making it past the vampires’ assault on the temple. 

 

Once Jason and Nick got the tripwires in place and– 

 

“Lieutenant, sit your ass down,” the Colonel ordered just as Jason was about to leave the tent. He and Clarice were just standing over the dead vampire that had been loaded onto a table for examination at this point, so they really didn’t need a guard. 

 

Damn, had he really pissed the Colonel off this bad? Was he benching him in the middle of all this?

 

“Sir?” Jason questioned. 

 

The Colonel gave him an exasperated look, pulling out Joey’s medkit. “Your leg. Unless you’d like to keep leaving a blood trail until you lose consciousness.”    

 

“You can get that taken care of while I help him?” Salim suggested, gesturing to Nick. 

 

The Colonel shot Salim a wary glare.

 

“That would let me keep an eye on him, Colonel.” Nick pointed out. 

 

It was easy to see the Colonel’s reluctance, but he did agree, and Salim and Nick went off to set the cameras and charges while Jason took care of his leg, Merwin kept resting, and the Colonel and Clarice started their sciencing with the vampire corpse. 

 

In a few minutes, Jason would need to make an excuse to go be out where he could keep what was left of Joey from snacking on anyone, but for right now… Right now, this was the most downtime he’d had since this whole thing started. 

 

Funny how he still seemed to feel the toll of his mental adrenaline running for so long even though he started every loop in prime condition. 

 

…He hadn’t slept or ate in days, he realized. There was no food down here, and napping certainly wasn’t an option, so he just never would get to those things so long as the loops were going on. That was not good. 

 

Jason was no scientist, but he also wasn’t stupid. No sleep, no food, constant fatal injuries… Those were going to catch up with him even if he got physically reset. Hell, he’d already had several cases of phantom injuries. His body could keep taking all of it, sure, but everything he went through was going to keep compounding to mess with his head. 

 

“These things can drag on. You may find that no matter how many tries you endure, you cannot achieve the results you desire. And that… well, that’s been known to drive some mad.” 

 

That asshole hadn’t been talking about simple frustration – he’d been giving a cryptic warning about this kind of shit. 

 

So, that was the limit on the loops. Not an actual number, but just how many he could take without cracking. 

 

Man up, he chided himself. They all need you.

 

He’d still been right about what he’d told the Curator. He was a marine. He could take a lot more than probably any other poor bastard put in a mess like this–

 

“Oh, shit!” Clarice yelped. 

 

Jason startled out of his thoughts, snapping back to reality to find the vampire on the table suddenly on fire.

 

“The hell!” Jason started to go for the old fire extinguisher he’d spotted under one of the tables earlier, but he stopped when the silhouette of a person passed by the tent entrance. 

 

…That had not been Salim or Nick. Or Dar for that matter. Too thin. 

 

Joey. This must have been where he lurked around before he attacked them. Probably better to deal with him here then risk him getting to Salim and Nick. Hell, maybe they could avoid the whole attack on the temple if Joey didn’t fall off the cliff.

 

“Geez!” Clarice shielded her face from the heat of the flames as the Colonel grabbed the extinguisher and started spraying what was left of the vampire with it. “That took a turn– Jason?”

 

Clarice pulled the gun Jason had given her out upon seeing him raise his. 

 

“Lieutenant?” the Colonel questioned, gingerly setting the fire extinguisher down now that he was done with it before his hand went to his own weapon. “What is it?”

 

Jason pressed a finger to his lips before pointing at the door to the tent. He advanced cautiously, and the Colonel slid in behind him as he exited the tent. 

 

“Stay here,” the Colonel whispered to Clarice. 

 

If he only knew what she was capable of, he probably would have told her to come along. 

 

Jason squinted at the shadows left in the temple in the areas not lit up by the generator. 

 

Where was he?

 

There! Movement near the doors that led outside the temple. 

 

Jason picked up his pace. Nick or Salim might not be as lucky if Joey tackled one of them near the cliff. 

 

They were almost to the exit now–

 

Jason backstepped, getting himself and the Colonel out of the way as Joey burst out of the darkened area behind one of the pillars, shrieking in his horrid vampire form that Jason never fully got used to. 

 

The Colonel let out a string of expletives, gun wavering as he tried to readjust his aim. “ Corporal Gomez? ”

 

“That ain’t Joey anymore!” Jason fired with no hesitation, making Joey stumble, but definitely not stop advancing.

 

Maybe fighting him near the cliff was the best idea after all.  

 

“Back, back!” Jason warned the Colonel behind him. 

 

No getting your throat ripped out today. 

 

But the Colonel didn’t listen. He pushed forward past Jason instead, brandishing that arm-sized, science glow stick that he’d been messing with in the tent just a few minutes ago. 

 

Joey’s entire body erupted in flames, causing him to scream the loudest yet as he collapsed and writhed on the floor, dying in the record time for anything infected that Jason has seen so far.  

 

“Well, shit Colonel…” Jason muttered. 

 

Where the hell had he been hiding that all this time? Oh. Right. Probably on his dead body, which had been halfway down a cliff most times before. 

 

The Colonel shut the purple light off, turning the device in his hand. “This UV lamp set the creature in the tent on fire when I tried to use it. Figured it was worth a shot with this one.” 

 

“You figured right.” Jason winced as he looked at Joey’s charred remains. It still hurt to have to kill him every time. “That may be our best weapon.” 

 

“ Mailman Three to Dropkick and Mailman Two-One Actual, did I just hear shots fired in there? Over. ” Nick’s voice crackled over the radio. 

 

Jason reached for his radio instantly. “Mailman Two-One Actual receiving. We’re all good here now. Over.” 

 

“ Copy that. Railroad Spike and I found an old radio outside the temple. Gonna see if we can get it working. Over. ”

 

“ Oh, I get a codenam– ” Salim’s voice carried over the radio for a split second before Nick must have let go of his. 

 

Jason chuckled. Railroad Spike. That fit. 

 

“Really?” The Colonel said tiredly. “We’re giving him a callsign now?”

 

“Don’t look at me on that one,” Jason defended, looking in the direction of the temple doors. “Copy. Keep us updated. Mailman–”

 

Jason blinked hard. Was that… It was. He’d just seen the Curator standing right outside the temple doors.

 

What the shit? 

 

“…Mailman Two-One Actual out,” Jason finished.  

 

That was sure going to give him something to think about.

 

The Colonel crouched down beside what was left of Joey. “What the hell happened to him?” 

 

“I don’t know.” Jason almost shuddered, knowing all too well what had happened. He hoped now more than ever that Joey had already been too far gone to suffer like he did last loop. 

 

The Colonel rubbed his face. “...Let’s get him back to the tent too. Maybe Clarice and I can figure out some answers.”

 

“Copy that.” Jason circled to the other side of the body, looking for a spot he could grab that wasn’t melted ashy flesh. 

 

The Colonel wobbled a little, standing up with a wince as he gripped his thigh. His prosthetic must have been bothering him. 

 

He too was looking over Joey with his hand hovering in the air. “ If we can manage to move him now. What’s left of his skin looks unstable–”

 

The Colonel lurched with a yell as bullets tore through him, and Jason swore as a bullet grazed his arm. 

 

Damn it all! The noise of taking Joey down here had drawn Dar right to them and moved up his attack. 

 

“Shit!” Jason ducked, grabbing the back of the Colonel’s vest and hauling him behind the closest pillar to lead him against it. The Colonel was still breathing for the moment–

 

…But probably not a lot of moments longer, Jason realized. 

 

Dammit. Dar had gotten lucky with those shots – they’d gone right through the Colonel’s side where his vest didn’t cover. He was already coughing up blood.

 

“Stay with me, Colonel!” Jason said, leaning to one side of the pillar to fire back at Dar. 

 

No luck. 

 

Jason swore under his breath, going for his radio again. “Mailman Two-One Actual taking fire! Salim, get your ass in here! Your boss is–”

 

Jason cut himself off as the sound of a single gunshot echoed through the temple entryway and then there was a thud . 

 

“Jason? The hell you at?”

 

Merwin? Jason was so used to him being dead or incapacitated he forgot he could actually be an asset. 

 

Jason leaned, waving from behind the pillar once he saw Merwin standing over a dead Dar. “Over here, buddy!” 

 

Danger over. Now to deal with the aftermath. 

 

The Colonel threw his head back against the pillar, his teeth gritted. “I am… regretting ordering you to use that medkit.” 

 

Jason gave that a dry chuckle, pulling at the Colonel’s vest to get it off him so he could get a better look at the wounds. From what he could see already, that medkit wouldn’t have helped one bit with injuries this bad. 

 

More footsteps had Jason instinctively reaching for his gun again, but it was just Nick and Salim entering the temple. 

 

“Oh, no…” Salim took in the scene with wide eyes, all of it being in plain sight from his angle. 

 

Nick swore under his breath. 

 

“Kolchek.” The Colonel caught one of Jason’s hands, locking eyes with him. “Get them out of here.” 

 

Jason swallowed. The Colonel had died half a dozen times already, but this was the first time he’d really gotten last words.  

 

“I will. I promise you that.” 

 

Like with Clarice before, Jason meant that promise. 

 

The Colonel nodded weakly. “I… sorry… all of it.” 

 

Even with the dropped words, his meaning was clear. 

 

“You couldn’t have known,” Jason assured him as best he could. 

 

“Should have…” were the Colonel’s final words before his head lolled off to the side and his grip slackened. 

 

Shit. Had he died every loop blaming himself for all this?

 

Jason hated Dar. He absolutely hated that bastard.  

 

There was a measurable period of silence as Jason tugged his hand the rest of the way free from Colonel’s grip. 

 

And Merwin raised his gun at Salim. “ You. Should’ve known you sorry–”

 

“Weapon down, Corporal!” Jason ordered, interrupting what he was sure would have been a very creative and brutal string of insults. 

 

“You’ve gotta be shittin’ me!” Merwin still had his gun up as he glared at Jason. “After what just happened–”

 

“Enough people have died here!” Jason snapped. “ He didn’t pull the trigger! He’s kept his word! And I ain’t breakin’ mine. Lower. The Damn. Gun.” 

 

Merwin did lower his gun finally, but the disgusted scowl stayed on his face. 

 

“Nick.” Jason kept staring at Merwin. “You said there was a radio?”

 

“...Yeah, there is.” Nick answered as he stared down at Joey’s remains, though Jason doubted Nick could even recognize the body at this point.  

 

“Sounds like your area of expertise, Corporal. Get to it,” Jason said. 

 

“Oh, yes sir, ” Merwin practically spat the last word, stalking towards the exit. 

 

Nick held a hand up to Salim before he could move. “Maybe stick with Jason for a bit.”

 

Salim nodded solemnly. 

 

Jason spared the Merwin and Nick took to leave to run a hand over his face as he stayed crouched next to the Colonel’s body.

 

“...I am sorry about your Colonel,” Salim said softly. 

 

Jason took a slow breath. “...I could say I’m sorry about your Captain, but I really ain’t.” 

 

Salim nodded. “I can understand that.” 

 

Jason carefully took the UV lamp from the Colonel’s belt, flicking it on to test it before turning it off just as quickly. 

 

Salim glanced at Joey’s body on the ground. “Did that do this?”

 

“Yeah. Guess it works about the same as sunlight.” 

 

Wow, he’d connected that fast. Then again, this was the same man that read a couple journal notes and figured out how to work some musical device from literal aliens, so he shouldn’t have been surprised. 

 

“This was human. Who was it?” Salim asked, his nose wrinkling the longer he looked at it.

 

“His name was Joey.” Jason finally stood. “Turns out slashin’ your guts out ain’t the worst these things can do to you. They can infect you too. Turn you into somethin’ like them.”

 

Salim didn’t get a chance to reply as a horrible, surprisingly not vampire wailing started from outside the temple. 

 

It was the radio. 

 

Dammit! He’d almost dared himself to hope that without Joey falling down in the caverns that they could avoid the assault on the temple, but no. The vampires were definitely on their way now.  

 

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Rachel didn’t show up. Jason had been expecting that, but it was still another punch in the gut. 

 

Rachel would never survive on her own. But if he went to save her, several people died here and he ended up dead to infection, which just restarted the loop. It had to be Clarice that saved Rachel, but if Clarice was there to save Rachel, then she got infected. And then Jason had no one to help him save Merwin since he had to send Nick ahead to save the Colonel.

 

There had to be a way to save them all. There had to be. He was just… missing it. 

 

Jason was loath to even think about it, but he knew what path he needed to try again. As soon as he learned what he could from this loop, of course.

 

Woohoo.

 

At least burning vampires with the Colonel’s UV lamp was satisfying as hell. He’d only gotten to light up one of them before he’d entrusted the lamp to Clarice so he could keep shooting, but even just watching her do it gave him a nice rush of sadistic glee. 

 

The vampires’ assault on the temple and catacombs fight actually went surprisingly well despite the lack of Rachel, the Colonel, and Dar. Jason and Salim held the doors while Nick and Clarice took care of the vampires breaking through the wood, and Merwin kept the generator going and manned the machine gun when it came time for them to retreat. 

 

No need to stop and make an alliance. They went straight into the catacombs with little delay. 

 

Jason’s absolute least favorite place on the planet. 

 

No place in these loops was really risk free, but this room in particular had the most chaotic and uncontrollable amount of danger.

 

Too many vampires. Too many people to keep track of and protect. And he obviously needed to not die himself. 

 

So much easier said than done. Especially when he got pulled away by that same damn vampire that really got a kick out of dragging him out of the room. 

 

Jason shoved the body off of himself, quickly getting back to his feet so he could get to where Salim would hopefully be. 

 

The chances were good. Salim had died less times than most of the people Jason kept trying to keep alive. 

 

Sure enough, there were the footsteps. Two sets, actually.

 

“Jason!”

 

Oh, hello. Salim was where he was usually, but so was Clarice. Just like she had been the last time around. Interesting. 

 

“Well ain’t you two a sight for sore eyes.” Jason lowered his gun. 

 

All happy to see each other. Funny how much Jason’s actions could shape this whole day. He was pretty sure the first time through here that Salim had ambushed him and almost cracked his windpipe with that damn stick of his— 

 

Jason’s thoughts derailed as Clarice strolled up to him and threw her arms around his neck. “Shit, Hotshot, I saw you get dragged off and thought you were a goner.” 

 

Well. Okay. This was nice.

 

Jason embraced her back firmly. “Nah. Taught the bastard not to mess with a Marine.”

 

Clarice pulled back a second later, and Jason gave a Salim nod of acknowledgement. “Good to see you too, Salim. Anyone else make it out?” 

 

Salim shook his head. “It all happened so fast.” 

 

Right. So they’d just have to carry on and see if Nick and Merwin turned up. 

 

The dynamic felt different this time, and not just because of Clarice. He and Salim really weren’t squabbling at all. It was weird. Jason was used to bantering with the man. 

 

Honestly, he missed it. Trading barbs with Salim was a great stress reliever. 

 

At least Clarice was pleasant company, though. And handy to have around. Her smaller size left her scurry under the door they needed to lift, and Jason managed to follow without nearly getting his foot crushed this time since Clarice was able to help Salim hold up a little longer once she got to the other side. 

 

They still needed to clear the other door to let Salim through, though. 

 

“I can hear you thinkin’,” Jason said they started to clear the rocks in the way. 

 

Clarice gave a heavy sigh. “Just been a hell of a day. And none of it has exactly been my area of expertise.” 

 

“Well, you’ve been handlin’ yourself pretty well,” Jason noted. 

 

Clarice just grunted as she moved another rock. 

 

“Hey.” Jason tapped her shoulder. “Seriously. You didn’t sign up for one bit of this shit, but I’ve been seein’ you step up all day like a seasoned professional. You should be proud of that.”

 

“Yeah?” Clarice questioned, a small smile on her face. 

 

“Damn straight!” Jason grinned. “I’d be happy to have you watchin’ my back any time, Lady.” 

 

…He really felt like the scum of the earth telling her that given what he planned on doing the next loop, but he was still going to raise her spirits now.

 

“ As wonderful as it is to hear that team morale is so high, I am really not enjoying being by myself here, ” Salim called through the wall. 

 

“Oh quit whinin’.” Jason moved the last rock out of the way. “We’re gettin’ to you.” 

 

There was the banter. 

 

The three of them made a pretty solid team as they continued on. The vampire that attacked them was more of an afterthought than an actual problem this time given that Clarice easily whipped out the UV lamp and it immediately went up in flames.

 

They only paused again at the bottom of the ropes by the waterfall for Salim to pull out Dar’s wallet. 

 

Jason couldn’t lie to himself — the comments he’d made about Dar here in early loops had been an asshole move at the time, but he was biting his tongue on saying them again now after all the problems the man kept causing him loop after loop. Especially when the Colonel had just died in Jason’s arms earlier from Dar shooting him. 

 

Jason had enough self control to keep his mouth shut, though. 

 

“Is that the douche face that killed Eric?” Clarice asked, peering over Salim’s shoulder. 

 

Jason coughed awkwardly as Salim gave her a side-eye. 

 

Salim just sighed after a moment. “I wish I could have spoken to him about our truce. I don’t know if he would have listened, but… perhaps they would both be alive if I’d been given the chance.” 

 

Jason dropped a hand on Salim’s shoulder. “Ain’t none of this is on you, buddy. We’re still standin’. Best we can do is keep on in their memor—”

 

“ Jason! ”  

 

Clarice’s warning came a split second too late, and Jason felt teeth sink into his shoulder.

 

Jason let out an embarrassing yelp of a scream as he threw himself back away from the ledge they were by, trying to get his attacker off without plummeting to his death. His gun wasn’t going to help right now, but he quickly grabbed his knife blindly stabbed over his shoulder. 

 

The vampire shrieked, dislodged long enough for Jason twist around to face—

 

“ Merwin? ” Jason demanded. 

 

Shit, shit, shit! When the hell had he gotten infected? 

 

Jason supposed it really didn’t matter right then, because his shock-induced hesitation had just cost him badly. 

 

Merwin was on him again in a flash, this time sinking his teeth into Jason’s neck. 

 

Oh, this was it. This was so the end of this loop. Probably would have been better to just give in and let things happen. 

 

But survival instincts were a hell of a thing to turn off, so Jason still thrashed and pushed against the weight on top of him. 

 

His efforts did nothing, but Salim’s did.

 

The Iraqi was as quick on the draw with that stupid stick as ever, and he beat Merwin off Jason with a couple swings before Clarice blasted the vampire with the UV lamp. 

 

They really were a good team. Fast. Efficient. Just not quite fast enough to defend against that ambush and get away scott-free.

 

Jason gurgled, both his hands pressing around his own throat to no avail. 

 

Shit, he wished he could get the words out to ask Salim to hurry things up. Dying slowly was actually the worst .

 

But instead Salim and Clarice both just sank to their knees and hovered over him, looking so distraught that he felt guilty for dying. 

 

Some day. Some day they’d all make it, Jason thought as his vision started tunneling—

 

Jason sucked in a breath as his wounds vanished, leaving him… in a chair. In the overcast lighting of the Curator’s repository.

Notes:

Comments feed the muuuuuuse! Much appreciation for each and every one!

Chapter 10: The Repository (2)

“Well, that ended rather abruptly,” the Curator noted, across the room by his bookshelf with his back to Jason this time.

 

“I ain’t called quits yet.” Jason found himself gripping the arms of his chair again.

 

“Oh, I’d be disappointed if you did already.” The Curator turned to face him, a glass of wine in his hand. “After all, you haven’t made much progress thus far.” He gestured with his wine glass at the candlestick, where only two candles remained lit up. “And who’s to say they even made it to see the sun again once you were gone?”

 

“Like I said.” Jason gritted his teeth. “I ain’t done. And what the hell you doin’ skulkin’ around down there now, anyway? You get bored up here or somethin’?”

 

“Oh, I’ve always been there.” The Curator smirked knowingly. “This was merely the first time you noticed.” 

 

…Great. That wasn’t unsettling at all. 

 

“Well, you need to quit lurkin’ around and learn how to count!” Jason said. 

 

“Do I now?” The Curator raised an eyebrow, seeming amused.

 

“Yeah!” Jason pressed on. “You ain’t got enough damn candles.”

 

“Oh?” The Curator smoothly crossed the room, settling back into his chair at his desk. “That is quite an optimistic claim given how unsuccessful your efforts have been thus far.”

 

Ass.

 

“I’m workin’ on it. And I will figure it out,” Jason said confidently.

 

“Still carrying that fiery determination, I see.” The Curator swirled the wine in his glass.

 

Jason crossed his arms. “Oorah!”  

 

The Curator chuckled. “And just how many candles should I light, then? How many lives are you pledging yourself to save? Are you still holding out hope that you can save Clarice and Rachel both? Do you find the Iraqi Captain worth exercising the sway over life and death you’ve been granted?”

 

“…I feel like you want me to say yes on that last one, but I could not give less of a damn about that shithead,” Jason admitted. Dar caused this entire mess by firing on them in the first place. No one had been hurt in the raid. Dar had started the bloodshed. 

 

The Curator laughed. “If nothing else, you are at least honest.”

 

“What do you want?” Jason asked flatly. “Why’d you bring me here again?”

 

The Curator shrugged. “I don’t get many visitors. Best I enjoy what time I can get with them.”

 

“Uh-huh.” That sounded like a load of bull, but Jason didn’t have a better theory to offer up instead. 

 

“The question remains, Lieutenant Kolchek.” The Curator set his wine glass down, leaning forward. “How many candles shall I light?” 

 

Jason narrowed his eyes. “Merwin. Clarice. Eric. Rachel. Nick. Salim. Those are the people I’m goin’ through this hell for.”

 

The Curator hummed neutrally. “Seven candles it is, then.” 

 

Jason frowned. “Seven?” 

 

He was the first to admit he wasn’t exactly a rocket scientist, but he’d never had trouble counting the single digits before. 

 

The Curator arched an eyebrow. “I presume you intend to make it out yourself? It would be rather difficult for you to call for an end to things if you didn’t.”

 

Oh. He hadn’t realized one of the candles was for him this whole time. Wait, did that mean the Curator had cut out two people before? Who? And why?

 

“Here we are then!” The Curator said cheerfully, just… pulling out another candle stick from somewhere beneath his desk.

 

Really, Jason just needed to stop questioning the strange when it came to this guy. 

 

The Curator lit a match – a normal one this time – and started reigniting the candles that were still dark. “Clarice. Merwin.”

 

Aha. They were the ones not included before. 

 

The Curator moved on to the original candlestick. “Rachel. And Eric.” He tsked his tongue after lighting the last candle. “You’ve certainly got your work cut out for you there.”

 

Jason cocked his head. “With the Colonel?”

 

He’d for sure noticed how hard it had been to get the Colonel as far as had, and that did not bode well for future tries. 

 

“Eric is a particularly unlucky soul.” The Curator flicked his wrist, putting out the match finally. “Or perhaps especially lucky. Rather depends on how you look at it.”

 

Jason rubbed his forehead. Couldn’t the man ever talk straight? “The hell does that even mean? Which is it?” 

 

“This day is not the first time Eric has cheated death. He managed it once before, back during the highway accident that claimed his leg. One might take all the ways you keep losing him as death finally catching up with him.” The Curator tilted his head. “So you tell me, Lieutenant Kolcheck – is Eric a cursed soul, doomed to fight for every continued breath, or is each extra second a blessing for which he should be grateful?”

 

What kind of advanced “is the glass half empty or half full” shit was this? 

 

“Are you tellin’ me I’m gonna have to fight death itself to save the Colonel?” Jason asked. 

 

The Curator shrugged, his hands spreading. “I merely offer a theory. You may, of course, believe what you will.” 

 

Jason sighed raggedly. “At this point I’m pretty sure death has had it in for us all since we stepped foot off that damn helo.” 

 

“‘ It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness,’ ” the Curator said. 

 

“What is it with you and candles?” Jason muttered. 

 

“It’s a proverb. It means–”

 

Jason held up a hand. “No, I actually got that one, believe it or not. First time for everythin’.”

 

The Curator’s patience remained as unrattled as ever. “Then perhaps I might offer you one more of the guidance variety. Maybe you’ll get it as well.” 

 

Jason tilted his head. “...Like a hint?” 

 

The Curator gave a partial shrug. “If you feel inclined to call it that.” 

 

Jason narrowed his eyes. “I thought you couldn’t interfere?” 

 

 The Curator stared back neutrally for several long seconds. “I’ve been known to bend the rules from time to time. So long as this stays between us.”

 

Jason snorted. “Who would I tell? Hit me with it.”

 

The Curator stood smoothly, walking back to his bookshelf. “I once met a man in Vienna who’d lived through a great deal of darkness himself. Far more than you – prior to today, at least.” He trailed a hand down the spine of one book, but Jason couldn’t see what it was. “His take on life was rather an interesting one. He told me ‘ What is to give light must endure burning.’ ”    

 

Jason gave a slow blink, biting his tongue at first to give himself time to think it over. 

 

…Nope. Extra time not helping. 

 

“...Do you have any idea how vague and unhelpful that is?” he said finally. 

 

What the hell was he supposed to take from that? Yeah, Rachel and Nick had given off a lot of light the loops where the two of them got lit on fire, but somehow he didn’t think that was going to help get them out alive. 

 

The Curator glanced over his shoulder. “I said it was a hint, not a full guide. Perhaps you’ll find it to make sense in time.”

 

“Well, that’s the one thing I got plenty of…” Jason muttered. 

 

“That you do.” The Curator gave that creepy smile of his. “Well! I do believe our time here is running short, but I am so looking forward to seeing what you try next.” 

 

Jason grimaced. “You might wanna take a nap. It’s gonna be a while before I get to anything good again.” 

 

The Curator clasped his hands behind his back as he walked back to the desk. “You don’t sound very confident in your plan.” 

 

“I’m just gonna need some trial runs to figure out how to do it,” Jason said. He wasn’t confident in his plan at all, honestly, but he needed to try it anyway. 

 

Poor Clarice. He didn’t want to let her get taken, but at least when she did, he’d see her later and there might be a chance to help her then. If Rachel didn’t get help sent to her, she just straight up didn’t show up again. There was no hope at all there. 

 

All Jason could do was let Clarice get taken to help Rachel, and then keep the Colonel alive and pray he knew some science shit that could be used against those damn worms. 

 

But in order to even try all that, Jason was going to have to risk getting roped back into his least favorite path so far. 

 

Jason was about to spend an untold amount of time and deaths trying to single-handedly save the guy who’d just ripped his throat out with his teeth a few minutes prior. These loops really liked irony. 

 

“Here’s to hoping those trials go well.” The Curator plucked up his wine glass again, toasting the air. 

 

“You got alcohol to share?” Jason asked dryly.

 

The Curator laughed. “Perhaps next time.” 

 

…Annnd Jason was falling again. 

 

He hit the ground with his usual grunt, wanting nothing more than to sit in the sunlight pouring in through the cracks in the ceiling for a few minutes. But he didn’t. 

 

“Alright, Merwin,” Jason groused as he got back to his feet, dread hanging over him like a wet blanket. “Time to two-man army this shit. Somehow.” 

 

Please just kill me when this fails, Jason hoped. 

 

He was under no delusions that his plan was going to work even after several tries. It was going to take a lot . He just… didn’t want to be infected again. 

 

Anything but that. 

Notes:

Comments feed the muuusee!

Also, fun news! I'm gonna be uploading a TV show formatted version of House on my youtube channel soon (QTEs and dialogue prompts removed so it plays more smoothly than a walkthrough), so if you have any friends that are interested in the story but can't/don't wanna play the games, it would be a perfect mini series for them to watch! DRAG THEM INTO THE FANDOM.

Chapter 11: Day 18 Pt.1

It was embarrassing the amount of tries it had taken Jason to figure out the key to getting himself and Merwin out in one piece, and looking back he felt incredibly stupid. Of course trying to fight when they were so outnumbered wasn’t the play. Of course trying to outrun vampires while dragging an injured man wasn’t going to be the best option. 

 

In hindsight, it seemed really obvious that the solution was to stab some morphine into Merwin’s leg immediately, tell him to shut up since vampires tracked sound, and then for them to take their sweet old time heading in the direction of Nick and the Colonel. 

 

Whatever. After about a dozen times getting brutally ripped to pieces, Jason was finally making progress, so he was choosing to focus on lighting a candle instead of complaining or however the hell the Curator had put it. As painful as all those deaths had been, he was lucky they had been deaths and not him getting hauled off to have a worm shoved down his throat again. Jason guessed whichever one of the vampires had that inclination to do that was busy at the moment with Clarice. 

 

I’m so sorry, Clarice, Jason thought not for the first time. He really hoped the Colonel would have a way to save her later and that he wasn’t making her go through that hell for nothing.

 

Click. Click, click.

 

Slow breaths…

 

Click. Click.

 

Jason stayed perfectly still in his crouch next to Merwin as a vampire stalked by, barely three feet from them. It was leaving. Soon they’d have a clear path, and they could rejoin Nick and Colonel without a scratch on them other than Merwin’s already existing injuries. 

 

Yeah, this was working nice–

 

“ Mailman Three to– ”

 

Jason swore, slapping a hand over his radio. 

 

Too late. 

 

The vampire had already whipped around, locking onto Jason and Merwin in an instant.

 

Damn it, Nicky!

 

Jason opened fire, hoping they were close enough now that the gunfire would draw Nick and the Colonel to them. This might still be salvageable– 

 

Jason yelped as his leg was dragged out from under him by a vampire clawed hand on his ankle. 

 

…And there went this loop, probably. He had been so close. Mental note to turn off his radio next time.

 

Even now, though, after all his deaths in this exact area, his survival instincts were still as strong as ever when it came down to a vampire trying to tear into him. He kicked. He stabbed with his knife. And he got his left arm impaled by a claw for his efforts.  

 

Why did dying repeatedly never make other injuries hurt less? 

 

Jason kept stabbing the vampire on top of him, making its claw tear into his arm more with all its thrashing around. 

 

Gunfire cut through all the shrieking suddenly, and the vampire finally let go, falling back as bullets pelted it. 

 

Jason scrambled to get his own gun back up as best he could with his arm next to out of commission. 

 

That wasn’t Merwin’s handgun that had just helped him. Too many bullets. Nick must have made it back with the Colonel–

 

…Nope. That was not Nick. That was Dar, who was looking appropriate levels of freaked out by the vampires. 

 

Whatever. At this point Jason would take it. Hell, maybe this might even be the best option for the future. Dar always managed to be a problem because he didn't know about the vampires for so long, but since he’d seen them early this time, maybe he’d be less likely to keep shooting at other humans. 

 

Jason took his chance to dart over to Merwin, dragging him in Dar’s direction. He might have only had one good arm, but if Merwin and Dar were both able to keep covering them, maybe he could get away with not shooting for a minute. 

 

Dar was yelling an awful lot, but Jason couldn’t understand a word of it, so he just kept moving until the three of them managed to make it to the safety of some tunnel that was not in the direction of the temple. 

 

Jason had no idea where they were for once, but it was a reprieve from the vampires attacking, so he’d roll with it.

 

He dropped to one knee a couple feet from Merwin, groaning as he put pressure on his arm. 

 

Dar zeroed in on the noise, apparently deciding they were now a threat again because he raised his gun.  

 

Jason gave him a flat stare. “Really, man?” 

 

Him keeping them at gunpoint right now was laughable with the states they were in. Like either of them would be stupid enough to try anything–

 

“Merwin, don’t!”

 

Bang. 

 

Jason blinked hard, but the scene before him stayed the same. Merwin had actually tried to get the jump on Dar while he’d been aiming at Jason, and Dar had shot him on the spot. 

 

Merwin, you dumbass. 

 

Maybe Jason should have been flattered that Merwin had just done something so dumb trying to protect him, but he was really just irritated. In what world would Merwin have been fast enough for that to work? And now Jason was here alone with a crippled arm and Dar .

 

Jason glared. “Just take the damn shot so I can get back to what I was doing.” 

 

But Dar didn’t take the shot. Instead, he stalked over and took Jason’s gun, tossing the strap over his shoulder before gesturing at Jason with his own gun and barking something in Arabic. 

 

Jason sighed. Fine. Fine! He’d see where this stupid path went. 

 

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Dar didn’t even let Jason treat his arm. Asshole. Jason just had to keep clutching at it with his free hand. 

 

It would be easy to avoid this happening again, at least. Jason was pretty sure about that. 

 

Dar usually went into the temple and caused them issues there, but he’d probably heard the gunfire right after Jason’s radio had blown their cover and gone to investigate thinking some of his own men would be part of the fight. Instead he got vampires and accidentally saved Jason’s life.

 

Jason wished he’d just died there and been able to immediately try his path again with his radio turned off. Instead he got to be a hostage.

 

How lucky for both of them.

 

This was going to get the Colonel killed somehow, he just knew it.

 

“Is this karma for not lightin’ a damn candle for you?” Jason groused, taking advantage of Dar not speaking English to vent. “Is that what it is? Well, I ain’t sorry, and this is exactly why!” 

 

Dar glanced at him but said nothing, and they continued on, eventually managing to get by Nick and into the temple since he was the only one around.

 

“What is your deal, man?” Jason kept grumbling. “What kind of psycho doesn’t even let their hostages stop the bleedin’ of open wounds? Better yet, who starts an open gunfight when there’s a bunch of shepherds in with the soldiers? How did you think that was gonna go down?”

 

Dar grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to turn around before he launched into several sentences in Arabic.

 

Jason stared at him. “I don’t know what any of that meant.”  

 

Dar looked further frustrated, his grip on his gun tightening as he said something else. 

 

Jason shook his head, shrugging. “Nope. That didn’t help.”

 

Dar spoke a third time, this time through gritted teeth with a clear threat in his tone. 

 

“ I don’t know what you’re sayin! ” Jason yelled in sheer frustration.

 

“He wants you to stop talking,” a familiar voice supplied helpfully.

 

Oh, finally. 

 

“Salim!” Dar said, visibly relieved.

 

Jason scowled as he looked over his shoulder. “Well, I’d like a medium rare steak, a beer, and someone not pointin’ a gun at my head, but we can’t always get what we want, now can we?”

 

Jason knew Salim’s face well enough at this point to tell that he was suppressing a laugh at that. 

 

At least one of them was entertained. 

 

Salim cleared his throat. “You may find it best to do as he says.” 

 

“Why, so I can bleed out instead of catchin’ a bullet to the back of the head?” Jason gestured with his arms. 

 

Okay, so maybe he was in a mood after the dozenish times he’d been killed back-to-back, and he probably shouldn’t have been taking that out on Salim but… honestly he didn’t give a shit about playing things safe right now. Dar was welcome to pull the trigger if he wanted to. It would probably save Jason time in the long run. 

 

Salim frowned at his arm. “You should tend to that.”

 

“Yeah, tell your boss that!” Jason said. 

 

Salim shifted his focus to Dar, saying something in Arabic. The Dar said something back that sounded less generous. Then Salim said something that sounded frustrated. 

 

Jason kept looking from one to the other, understanding none of the words but absolutely hearing the way the tension was rising in whatever debate they were having. 

 

Man… Salim hadn’t been kidding when he mentioned not being in agreement with his Captain. The two of them were even more dysfunctional than Jason’s team. 

 

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A lot of time and Arabic bickering later left Jason with a bandaged yet restrained arm and a gun still to his head as Dar spied on Nick and the Colonel’s efforts to repair the radio. 

 

…And Dar and Salim were still bickering.

 

“What are you two yackin’ about?” Jason demanded tiredly, really sick of being in the dark. At this rate, Jason was considering investing some loop time in learning the damn language just so he didn’t have to keep putting up with this kind of crap. 

 

“He wants to stop your people from calling for backup – I think we need your people as backup!” Salim simplified. 

 

Huh… Well, look at that. Jason had not seen Salim’s feathers ruffled even when Jason had been actively antagonizing him, but apparently his own Captain was very capable of getting under his skin. Salim looked beyond frustrated at this point. 

 

Jason had a feeling that him trying to talk to Dar about their truce the other loop would not have gone well, because Salim couldn’t get his way here at all. 

 

Dar brought his gun up to aim in the direction of the radio, and Jason gave the restraints keeping his wrists together in front of him a tug. In no loop would he ever let Nick just get gunned down if there was anything he could do to help it. 

 

Jason shoved his shoulder into Dar right as he was taking the shot, making his aim go completely off so he hit nothing more than rocks. 

 

Ha. 

 

The backhand Jason took across the face was completely worth it. Nick and the Colonel were now alerted and ready for a fight. 

 

Dar yelled something in Arabic, dragging Jason close to him by the collar of his shirt and pressing his gun to the side of his head as they moved out from behind the pillar.   

 

“Jason!” Nick cried. 

 

The Colonel kept his composure, eyes narrowed as he stared Dar down. “What do you want?” 

 

Dar looked at Salim. 

 

Salim hesitated, but begrudgingly translated, and then did the same for the Colonel with Dar’s reply. “He wants you to put down your weapons and surrender.”

 

The Colonel didn’t look surprised, and he definitely didn’t look impressed. “And what guarantee do I have that you won’t shoot all of us once we’re unarmed?”

 

“Don’t give him shit Colonel! I’m doin’ just fine!” Jason said. 

 

Dar pressed the barrel so it was touching the side of Jason’s face. 

 

“You pull that trigger, it'll be the last move you make!” Nick snarled.  

 

“Dar!” Salim warned, bringing his gun up to aim behind them. 

 

Oh, great…

 

Jason didn’t even need to look to know what this threat was as the animalistic growling reached his ears.  

 

As he fully expected, Dar was tackled from behind despite Salim unloading half his ammo into Joey. What he hadn’t expected was Dar’s gun going off right next to his head without actually killing him. 

 

Good news: Dar let go of him and had other problems to deal with. Bad news: Jason’s right ear now hurt like a bitch and he couldn’t hear out of it. 

 

Shit, could he just go for one loop without picking up a debilitating injury? Parasite in his lungs, skewered leg, skewered arm, and now this? 

 

Jason gritten his teeth as Dar released him and he fell to his knees, tied hands pressing as best they could over his ear, which was bleeding . 

 

Well, that was for sure permanent hearing damage. And his other ear was ringing .

 

“...son! Jason!” 

 

A hand dropped on Jason’s shoulder, and he flinched before realizing that it was Nick in front of him. 

 

“Oh, hey…” Jason muttered, looking around as best he could. 

 

Dar was dead. Joey’s remains still had a few flames eating away at them that spoke of the UV lamp being used. Oh, and the Colonel had a distressed-looking, disarmed Salim at gunpoint. 

 

“...okay?” Nick was talking but Jason could only catch bits here and there. 

 

“Can’t hear too good,” Jason said, his own voice sounding weird to him. 

 

Nick grimaced at his ear before shifting his attention to cutting Jason free of his restraints. 

 

Jason muttered a thank you as he got back to his feet. “Don’t be hard on him, Colonel. He ain’t too bad, his boss had undercooked scrambled eggs for brains.”  

 

The looks he got from Salim and the Colonel were matching ones of confusion. Made sense. The Colonel had always been confused at him defending Salim in past loops, and he and Salim had barely spoken this time around so far. 

 

The Colonel looked like he was about to say something, but his chest gave a sudden lurch, and he coughed into his elbow instead while still keeping his gun pointed at Salim. 

 

Jason honed in on the action immediately. “Why is he coughin’?”

 

Nick hesitated, then spoke loudly and clearly right to Jason’s face. “Have you seen anything strange down here–”

 

“Yeah, very acquainted.” Jason held up his arm. “Was almost one’s lunch.”  

 

Nick nodded. “Well, we thought we heard Joey earlier, so we went to look for him. Found one of those things instead. Almost got the better of the Colonel, but we managed to fight it off.” 

 

No the hell they didn’t manage . Jason could see the Colonel’s skin bordering on unnaturally pale even with the dim lighting and distance between them right now. 

 

Salim must not have been there to help to team up with them, and Eric had paid the price. Because of course he had. Honestly, Jason was surprised he’d managed to get infected rather than just dying there on the spot.   

 

“Thank you… concern… tenant, but… ine,” the Colonel said.  

 

Right. The only way the Colonel was going to be fine was if he came through on Jason’s 90% hope-based plan of being able to science out some cure, and it didn’t even look like he realized he had an issue yet. 

 

He was sure about to, though…

 

Tie Salim up, get the guns Dar was carrying, try to fix the radio, fall back to the temple, try to close the doors, and…

 

“ Rachel? ” 

 

There they were. 

 

Jason hadn’t heard Rachel’s call, but Nick did, and they held off on closing the door until she and Clarice were through.  

 

Nick swept her into a hug immediately once she’d let go of Clarice, leaving Jason to close the doors by himself since Salim was still restrained. 

 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Nick babbled, close enough for Jason to pick up all the words even with the current state of his hearing. “You were taking us both down with you – I had to.” 

 

Oh, so Nick had cut the rope again this time around, and he’d probably thought he’d left Jason to die. Jason bet his headspace was just great right now.

 

“ You cut the rope?” Rachel’s arms were hesitant to wrap around Nick in return, and her tone was tight when she spoke. “I thought it was… You followed climbing procedure.” 

 

Well, that was definitely going to put some strain on their relationship. She’d probably just spent her whole time in that pit thinking it was the Colonel that dropped her, and now she was getting an informational slap in the face that it was Nick instead.

 

Jason shifted, putting his shoulder into the door to get it to close, and the new angle gave him a perfect view of the suspicious, narrowed look the Colonel was giving Nick. 

 

It was only then that Jason realized that this was the first loop that the Colonel and Rachel were alive to see each other again. When she was hugging her affair partner… and he was about to start keeling over…

 

…Oh, yeah. This all was about to get real awkward. 

 

Maybe Jason should have been thankful for his hearing loss…

 

Notes:

Comments feed the muuuuse!

Also my TV show version of House is done! I'll post a link when I start uploading :)

Chapter 12: Day 18 Pt.2

It didn’t take Rachel too long to pull away from Nick and ask where Eric was, and the hurt on Nick’s face at that was plain to see. Especially when Rachel embraced the Colonel with what looked like a good amount more affection. 

 

Buddy, this is why you don’t get involved with married women, Jason thought. Well, that and about ninety other reasons. 

 

“Anyone care to help me with this?” Jason demanded, trying to snap Nick out of his inner bemoaning. 

 

It worked. Nick visibly snapped his attention back to the situation at hand and helped Jason finish shutting the doors. 

 

Just in time for Clarice to start screaming. 

 

Jason winced. No amount of ear damage was going to keep him from hearing that – it was already in his head from the other loops and then cemented there by his own experience with being infected. 

 

“Why’d you bring her here?” Nick demanded of Rachel as the debate on what to do about Clarice commenced. 

 

Jason resisted the urge to glare. He loved Nick like a brother, but sometimes he pissed him off. Nick was perfectly willing to insist that they could find a cure and risk keeping an infected person with them when it was someone he really cared about, but he was not so generous with someone he knew less well like Clarice. 

 

“All of you shut it!” Jason butted into the debate that Nick, Rachel, and even Salim had been in the middle of. “Colonel, ain’t there anything you can do? You studied one of them creatures.”

 

The Colonel frowned. “No, I didn’t.”

 

Wait, what? Shit. Nick had said they managed to fight the vampire off , not kill it. The Colonel hadn’t even gotten his autopsy this time around. 

 

Jason pressed on, hoping they’d forget about that little slip given the situation. “Well, you two are the scientists – can’t you think of anythin’ that might help?” 

 

“...I wish I could, Kolchek. I really wish I could…” The Colonel swallowed as he looked at Clarice warrily. 

 

“...Oh, shit! ” Nick looked at the Colonel with wide eyes.

 

Yeah, he’d just connected the dots there for sure. It wasn’t hard given that the Colonel was looking paler by the minute. 

 

“What?” Rachel asked, looking between them. “What is it?” 

 

The first vampire hit the doors before anyone could answer her. 

 

“We’re gonna have to take this discussion on the move! Now!” Jason hauled Clarice to her feet. “Easy does it.” 

 

Salim had on his “ I am frustrated with Americans ” face as he started moving. “If you’d let me go I could help–”

 

Jason pulled out his knife, cutting through Salim’s restraints before he’d even finished speaking. 

 

“Oh. Okay.” Salim clearly had not expected to have actually been listened to. 

 

“Kolchek!” The Colonel barked over his shoulder. “What are you–”

 

“We need all the hands we can get!” Jason cut him off. 

 

“...Fine,” the Colonel relented. 

 

It was a good thing, too, because they needed Salim to help hold the next set of doors when the Colonel doubled over coughing. 

 

“No…” Clarice whimpered, already on the ground close by. “Not you too…” 

 

The Colonel gave her a weak smile in return. 

 

Jason was more than ready for this horrid loop to be over, he thought as the doors bucked behind him. Clearly, not much good was going to come of it. 

 

He was not looking forward to seeing how much Rachel was going to lose her shit when she realized her husband was infected. She hadn’t noticed anything yet, being busy with the generator, but Jason doubted it would be long. She’d refused to leave Clarice behind, and they barely knew each other, so he could only imagine how bad the debate was going to be when it was the Colonel in question.

 

Despite having two infected people this time, they still managed to make it out of the area and past the mines without too much trouble. Jason couldn’t deny that he’d been tempted to trip on one of those wires intentionally, but he didn’t. Somehow it felt like going a step too far to blow himself and a couple others up just because he knew it wouldn’t stick.

 

They were almost to the catacombs. They just had to get through what Jason had mentally dubbed the truce room , even though that truce wouldn’t be happening this time around. With Salim already with them and Dar dead, they just booked it through until they hit the doors. 

 

Which, of course, was where Clarice’s condition really took a downwards turn. 

 

Salim muttered something under his breath in Arabic as he pushed on the door. “This is unwise. You saw what your other friend became. You know she will end up the same.” 

 

“We can’t give up hope,” Rachel argued. “She’s one of us! We can’t just leave her here!” 

 

“No, he’s right,” the Colonel said almost too softly for Jason to pick up. 

 

“Eric,” Rachel hissed. “She just saved my life, and you want us to abandon her here to die?” 

 

The Colonel’s gaze was still locked on the corridor. “Nick.” 

 

Nick glanced over his shoulder as he kept pushing on the door. “Colonel?”  

 

“Do you love her?” 

 

Oh, hell. Seriously? Now? They were going to do this now?

 

“...Eric,” Rachel said. 

 

“Uh…” was all Nick managed to get out in reply at first. 

 

“I know it’s you,” the Colonel pressed. “So tell me the truth: do you love her?”

 

Nick glanced between him and Rachel. “...Yeah. Yeah, I do.” 

 

The Colonel nodded. “Then you better damn well act like it and have her back.” 

 

Damn. That must have been hard for him to say. Jason completely understood where he was going with it, though. And it looked like Nick did too. 

 

“...I will,” Nick said firmly. 

 

“Good. Get that door open and get going,” the Colonel ordered. 

 

“ What? ” Rachel demanded. 

 

“I’m not coming with you, Rache.” The Colonel still hadn’t so much as glanced behind him at the rest of them, but he did give a reassuring look to Clarice. “I’ll stay with Clarice.”

 

“Eric, what the hell?” Rachel yelled. “That’s suicide for you both–” 

 

The Colonel coughed hard, his gun dipping. It took him a few seconds to recover and rasp out his next words. “We’re already dead, Rache.” He finally met her gaze. “I don’t have much longer than her.”

 

Somehow, realization and denial managed to wash over Rachel’s expression at the same time. “No…” 

 

“I got you all into this mess,” the Colonel continued. “Least I can do is buy you some time if I can’t get you out of it.” 

 

The door finally gave to their combined efforts. 

 

The Colonel gave them one last look over his shoulder. “Get out of here. That’s an order.” 

 

“No! To hell with that!” Rachel didn’t budge an inch. 

 

Jason shared a look with Nick. 

 

“Godspeed, sir,” Jason said before he grabbed one of Rachel’s arms and Nick grabbed the other so they could drag her through the door. 

 

She kicked and screamed the entire way. 

 

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The Colonel’s sacrifice helped. 

 

Jason had been expecting them to get decimated with how few people had made it into the catacombs, but there were actually much fewer vampires crawling through the walls than normal. Enough that he managed to avoid getting dragged away this time, and he and Nick fended off the ancient vampire creep together. And then more hell broke loose, and Jason lost track of everyone. 

 

This room was the worst. He hated the chaos and unpredictability of it. He never even knew until later if he’d actually managed to save everyone. 

 

Salim was the only one he knew how to find in the aftermath, so he started in that direction when he needed to retreat. With any luck, Nick would be taking the Colonel’s words to heart and stuck close enough to Rachel to keep her from getting infected herself, otherwise they were losing a literal half of their people to that this time. 

 

Jason’s heart rate was entirely too high compared to usual as he advanced down the hallway that normally brought him to Salim. Not having the full range of his hearing was incredibly disconcerting when he was alone, and he hated it. 

 

He was expecting Salim to step out in front of him and it still managed to jumpscare him. 

 

Jason swore as he flinched, then lowered his weapon. 

 

Salim said something, but he was keeping his voice down, and he was too far away from Jason to pick up on the words. 

 

Jason sighed, trudging over and gesturing to his ear. “What?”

 

Salim winced. “I am sorry about that…” 

 

“Don’t be. Can’t say I’m feeling too gracious towards your boss, but I ain’t mad at you about it,” Jason dismissed. “You see if Rachel and Nick made it out?”

 

Salim’s answer to that question had always been the same before, but it never hurt to check. 

 

He shook his head like normal. “It all happened too fast.” He paused for a moment, looking at Jason inquisitively. 

 

“What?” Jason asked. “I may be part deaf, but I can hear you thinkin’.”  

 

“You’ve been… oddly kind to me from the start considering our uniforms,” Salim noted. “Why?”

 

Jason shrugged. “You could have shot me before. You didn’t. No good has ever come from repayin’ an act of kindness with one of cruelty, right?” 

 

Salim gave a slow nod, smiling. “Wise words.”

 

Jason almost snorted at Salim unknowingly patting himself on the back. 

 

They moved on together as usual from there, albeit with Salim taking the lead a little more since he could actually hear potential threats. 

 

Down the ropes… down the elevator…

 

The trip was quieter than normal, and that wasn’t even just Jason’s hearing. Salim just wasn’t talking as much. Probably because he knew it would be difficult to carry a conversation with Jason as things were. He still opened up about his son, though. And then came the question after it that Salim always asked if they managed to make it this far. 

 

“Is your conscience clear, Jason?” 

 

Jason’s answer this time came in the form of a bitter laugh. “Nowhere near and gettin’ cloudier every day.”  

 

“We had no choice but to leave them behind,” Salim said sympathetically. “We would just be dead as well.” 

 

“Yeah… Yeah, there was no savin’ them.” Jason chose to let Salim think that was what was bothering him. If he only knew the full extent of everything. 

 

They kept moving, and Jason couldn’t deny that it was nice to see some less frequently covered ground. It had been a hot minute since the last time he’d made it so far into the day. 

 

Evil dead fossilized vampire, half-alive guy stuck in goop, weird sparky noise plants maze that led to them getting surrounded…

 

And then Nick and Rachel showed up to bail them out. 

 

Jason tried not to let it absolutely depress him that after all the loops and changes he’d tried that it was still just the four of them that reached this point, but he wasn’t having the best luck. 

 

As soon as Salim got the music thing working, Jason moved himself right over to stand in front of the WP. Just in case. 

 

And sure enough, a few seconds later Rachel looked in his direction, seeming dismayed to find him there. 

 

Son of a bitch. So she had managed to get infected this time around too. Just great. 

 

It only took a few more seconds after that for her to collapse screaming as the parasite pushed at the skin of her neck from inside. 

 

Now what? Were they supposed to shoot her? Leave her behind like Clarice and the Colonel? 

 

That sure wasn’t going to fly with Nick, who was now on the ground with her pleading that they figure something out and that she stay with him.  

 

Oh, Nicky…There were those shifted standards again. 

 

“Kill me. I’m turning.”

 

…And there were Rachel’s shifted standards in a very different way. Apparently, she wasn’t willing to leave others who were infected behind, but she was absolutely ready to be put down herself. 

 

Jason chewed on the inside of his cheek. 

 

“Jason.” Rachel still managed to talk even as she writhed around on the floor. “I know you can hear me. You have to–” She was cut off by a horrible gurgling sound, and Jason felt his chest give a pang at the memory of his own infection. 

 

Jason swore, raising his gun. This was a mercy. He of all people knew. 

 

“ Jason, ” Nick protested. 

 

“Nick, look at her!” Jason snapped. “She’s in pain. You really want her to die slower? ” 

 

“Wait! May I suggest something?” Salim cut in, and bless that man. Neither of their countries deserved him. 

 

Using cocoon goo to stall the parasite wasn’t something Jason would have thought of, but he was getting desperate. If that was what it took to save them, then–

 

Wait, no. Dammit. Even if this helped Rachel, it wouldn’t help Clarice or Merwin if they got infected again. Their infections happened far too early. 

 

Jason shook his ringing head, focusing on helping Nick haul Rachel out of the music room. One person at a time. Maybe he didn’t need to use the same solution for everyone with the same problem.   

 

Please work, Jason willed. That might be the best option for future loops. Not only would her infection be stopped, but she wouldn’t have a chance to get killed some other way. 

 

…Unless the explosions they caused later caused the ceiling to fall on her or something. 

 

Why did this all have to be so complex? He couldn’t even so much as write anything down to help him keep track of stuff since the writing would reset too. 

 

Whether it was a good idea for future loops or not, though, it was going to be Rachel’s fate this time around. 

 

“Do whatever it takes to get to safety,” Rachel still managed to order firmly as she was lowered into the fluid that Jason wouldn’t have touched with a ten foot pole under other circumstances. “The world needs to know what happened down here.” 

 

Right. Jason could only imagine what his report on all this was going to be like if he ever did get them all out of here.

 

Well, Jason could officially say he’d finally made some sort of progress compared to their original events. At least Rachel was alive frozen in goo rather than deep fried by WP.

 

Time for the final stretch. 

 

Nick set what charges he could. He retreated. Salim got separated from them.

 

“What’s there to think about?” Nick asked. “We go back down there, we–”

 

“I ain’t leavin’ him behind!” Jason snapped. “Wait for us at the elevator.” 

 

This was going to be all sorts of fun when he couldn’t even hear the vampires around properly. 

 

When he made it to Salim, Salim was still standing. But he didn’t stay that way for long. 

 

There were too many of them. 

 

Salim managed to kill one with that stupid pipe of his, and Jason landed what shots he could, but the odds weren’t in their favor. 

 

Jason staggered back as he watched Salim get his head repeatedly slammed into the stone ground until he stopped trying to fight back. 

 

Shit… Jason had been so caught up in everything before this point, he’d forgotten how much of a problem getting Salim past here was going to be.

 

Jason flinched as gunshots went off behind him. He hadn’t heard the vampire that had been a foot from him, so the backup was very welcome. Nick must have– 

 

Jason fell back even further as the vampire burst into flames.

 

Wait, what the hell?

 

“Lieutenant!” 

 

Jason blinked hard as he set eyes on his rescuer. “ Colonel? ” 

 

“Close call there, Lieutenant.” The Colonel jogged up to him, UV lamp at the ready and with barely a scratch on him and his skin back to its normal color.  

 

“Shit, Colonel, I thought you were a goner!” Jason clapped him on the shoulder once he was close enough. 

 

“That makes two of us.” The Colonel put away the UV lamp. 

 

“How the hell are you still alive?” Jason demanded. 

 

A deep grimace overtook the Colonel’s face. “I regurgitated a parasite of some kind. It was a… highly unpleasant experience, but my symptoms vanished afterwards.”

 

He threw it up? How did that work?

 

“And Clarice?” Jason pressed.  

 

The Colonel shook his head sadly. “She barely lasted beyond you all leaving. She changed. She… won’t be a problem, though.” His hand touched on the UV lamp again. 

 

Damn. He was lucky he hadn’t set himself on fire with that thing given that he’d been infected at the time too. 

 

So things were the same as ever with Clarice, but the Colonel had just hacked up the worm in him? 

 

“Why would these things leave you but not her?” Jason wondered. “What was the difference between you two?” And the rest of them, for that matter. 

 

“I have a theory, but here isn’t the place to discuss it.” The Colonel started heading for the elevator. “I see our friendly Iraqi didn’t fare so well, but what about the others? Rachel?”

 

No, no, no. Jason didn’t care if every vampire still alive was headed for them – the Colonel needed to spit out that theory right now . 

 

Time to manipulate someone’s feelings for the result he needed again. Rachel’s name helped him a lot in that regard. 

 

Jason jogged to catch up to the Colonel. “Colonel, Rachel’s alive, but she’s infected now too. If you have any idea what helped you–”

 

“Kolchek!” The Colonel’s warning cut him off, and Jason felt the slightest flare of pain–

 

 “Oof.” Jason grunted as his right leg took the brunt of his fall before he smacked his hip into the ground. 

 

What? He’d reset? What the hell had even just killed him?

 

“Son of a bitch!” Jason smacked the ground with his fist. 

 

He’d been this close to a potential solution with the parasites. 

 

Jason shoved to his feet, cursing the whole time. 

 

Fine. Back to his original plan. 

 

Jason pointedly shut off his radio this time before breaking into his usual run at the start. 

 

At least he knew getting rid of a parasite after getting infected was possible at all now. And if the Colonel had figured it out once, then he could figure it out again. 

 

Chapter 13: Day 19 Pt.1

Okay. 

 

Get Merwin down, send Nick off, let Clarice get taken, hide without his or Merwin’s radio going off and ruining things …

 

Jason couldn’t stop the grin that overtook his face as he dragged Merwin past the area where everything had gone wrong last time. Finally. It may have taken him over a dozen tries, but he had the path down. Now it was time to see if he could do any good with it. 

 

“The ‘ell were those things…” Merwin wondered, his speech slurred. 

 

“You let me worry about that, Corporal,” Jason said breathlessly as he kept dragging the man along, trying his damnedest to ignore the phantom injuries that were spasming through him at random. “You just rest up.” 

 

They met Nick and the Colonel before they made it out to the temple area since they’d doubled back for them, but from there things were pretty standard for this part of the loop when things actually went well. Nick had cut the rope on Rachel again, so he was reserved while he wallowed in guilt. The Colonel was his usual amount of heart broken… also wallowing in guilt from bringing them all on this mission at all. But they all pushed on to the temple anyway.

 

Turned out it was a lot harder to convince the Colonel about bat monsters being real without Clarice, but Jason didn’t push it. He’d get an in person look at them soon enough. 

 

When it came time to investigate the generator Jason managed to wrangle bringing the Colonel with him in hopes of building up trust with him as early as possible. That hadn’t been too hard with a little manipulation. 

 

He’d gotten an odd look from Nick when he suggested that he and the Colonel move up while Nick stayed with Merwin, but Jason had covered his reasoning with a whispered,  “Take a minute, buddy.”  

 

After all, he’d just “killed” the woman he apparently loved. 

 

Jason would probably have to bullshit some reason later about how he already knew about Nick and Rachel’s relationship, but that was simple enough. And worth the risk. Jason had an incredibly narrow window here before Salim showed up. 

 

The Colonel was more than capable of repairing the generator in Nick’s place while Jason stood guard, and there was where Jason spotted his first opportunity to start building up the Colonel’s opinion of him. 

 

Jason picked his words carefully. “Colonel, I just want to say I’m sorry for your loss. Shitty nicknames aside, Rachel was a good woman. It was an honor to serve with her.” 

 

The Colonel paused, glancing up at him with... suspicion. “How closely did you serve with her, Lieutenant?” 

 

“Sir?” Jason asked, genuinely confused for a moment before the pieces clicked into place.

 

Aw, hell. So, the Colonel knew about Rachel’s affair at this point, just not who it was with. Jason really hoped he hadn’t just made himself a prime suspect there. 

 

Apparently his genuine confusion was enough to nip that in the bud, though, because the Colonel’s brow softened and his shoulders slumped a little as he resumed working on the generator. “Nothing. Thank you, Lieutenant.”

 

Well, Jason wasn’t sure if he could really count that as an improvement in their relationship.   

 

…But he knew something that for sure would. 

 

Against Jason’s better judgement, he let Eric take the lead as they continued on. 

 

Just a little further annnd… there was the right doorway. 

 

“ Colonel. ” Jason shoved the Colonel into the wall at the last second, pointing at the wire that was stretched across the bottom of the doorway. 

 

The Colonel stared at the tripwire with wide eyes, looking very aware of how close to death he’d just been. “...Thank you, Lieutenant. Good eye.” 

 

Yep. That had just earned him some points. 

 

…It felt so wrong using people like this. But if it saved all their lives in the long run, Jason would do it. 

 

The Colonel was far more willing to keep heading into the tunnels after Joey than Nick given that Joey hadn’t died in his arms, so that was a quick conversation before they moved on.  

 

What else could he cram into the next few minutes to raise the Colonel’s opinion of him? Was there anything that wouldn’t make it seem like he was trying to be a kiss ass all of the sudden?

 

“He has to be in poor shape…” the Colonel muttered, crouched by the trail of blood they were following.

 

Ah. Jason may not have noticed it in the early loops, but the guilt hovering over the Colonel was clear to see now. And he could work with that. 

 

“You know all this ain’t your fault?” Jason said.

 

Nevermind that Jason had been thinking exactly the opposite of that the first time through things. He didn’t have the knowledge of alien spaceships then.

 

The Colonel glanced up at him, seeming surprised at first, but then grim. “My satellite. My mission.”

 

“You didn’t drag none of us here,” Jason pointed out. “You saw the boys. We were all chompin’ at the bit. You couldn’t have predicted this shit. And those of us still standin’ have got your back.” 

 

The Colonel looked ready to protest, but then he just gave a slight nod. “Thank you, Lieutenant.” 

 

Well, that was about as much buttering up as he was going to be able to get in, so hopefully it would be enough. 

 

Jason let himself get separated from the Colonel, and he patiently stood still while Salim rambled out all the information he already knew right into his ear. Killing the vampire itself didn’t go quite as cleanly this time, though. 

 

They had it. It was dying with Salim’s pipe-stick jammed through its heart. But it also managed to get in a cheap shot with all its flailing that threw Jason back into a nearby formation of rocks.

 

Ow. 

 

Great, what debilitating injury had he just gotten this time around?

 

Jason blinked, checking over himself. 

 

Huh. Surprisingly, he was fine. He’d smacked his head decently hard, but he was pretty sure not hard enough for a concussion or anything. 

 

The vampire stopped screeching a couple moments later, and Salim was at Jason’s side quickly after that, offering him a hand. “Are you all right, friend?”    

 

This man and his damn heart of gold. They were barely allies at this point.

 

“Peachy,” Jason grumbled, giving the back of his head a rub before accepting Salim’s hand and pulling himself back to his feet. “Better than that thing anyway.” 

 

“Yes,” Salim agreed with a grin. “We killed it.”  

 

“Guess that’s twice now I coulda died if you hadn’t been so nice,” Jason said wryly. “That was you on the surface, right?”

 

Jason wondered how many different ways they’d end up having the same conversation here. He wasn’t even sure how much they really needed it given that Salim was always willing to work with them – assuming Nick wasn’t in a pissy mood and broke his trust – but Jason’s bond with Salim was one of the very few positive constants from loop to loop, and he intended to keep driving that trust up whenever he was given the chance. 

 

And so they talked about the shepherd that Jason had spared, why Salim had spared him in return, Salim’s son, introduced themselves, and then that all branched into talk of them continuing to fight together against the vampires. 

 

Perfect. Now they just needed the Colonel to get onboard with it. 

 

Jason really wished there was a way to do that without the Colonel getting pissed off at him like before, though. 

 

“ Dropkick to Mailman Two-One Actual, are you reading me? ”

 

Here they went…

 

Jason looked at Salim as he grabbed his radio. “This is Mailman Two-One Actual, I’m readin’ you loud and clear, Dropkick. You’re almost on me – I can see your light. Met an unexpected friendly over here as well. Over.” 

 

“Your friend better not do anything dumb,” Salim said warily. 

 

“Yeah, I’m hopin’ that’ll be the case too.” Jason placed himself between where the Colonel was about to be and Salim. Maybe if he played this a little differently he could talk the Colonel into the idea rather making it seem like he’d just decided to make the choice for him. 

 

“Kolchek!” The Colonel had his weapon halfway raised as he rounded the corner and spotted them. “Stand aside–”

 

“Sir, hear me out.” Jason held his hands out. “This ain’t the Iraqi that fired on us before. He saved my life from that thing.” Jason gestured to the dead vampire. 

 

The Colonel did a double take at the corpse. “What the hell is that?” 

 

“A bigger problem for us both than each other,” Salim said.

 

“What he said,” Jason backed up. “Sir, there are a shit ton of those things down here, and if we keep fightin’ each other instead of them, we’re all gonna to end up dead.” 

 

“Are you suggesting we ally with the enemy, Lieutenant?” the Colonel demanded. 

 

Oh, that tone. The Colonel was not onboard with this idea. Jason needed to do something to take the tension out of this meeting. Something drastic. 

 

The bumped spot on Jason’s head gave a pang, and he rubbed it gingerly. “Sir, I…”

 

Wait. Wait a minute. 

 

Maybe the answer wasn’t talking the Colonel into working with Salim. Maybe it was forcing him to without him realizing it. 

 

Time to pull out the manipulation again and see how good his acting really was.  

 

“I…” Jason repeated, trying to slur his voice a bit and wobbling a little as he shook his head. 

 

The Colonel honed in on him instead of Salim. “Lieutenant?”

 

Jason had never faked fainting before, but he’d been wanting nothing more than to collapse for several for many loops, so he just went with it. He let himself just sort of… flop. Eyes rolling back and everything as he collapsed onto his front in the dirt. 

 

“Kolchek!” the Colonel yelled. 

 

Salim swore in Arabic. “He hit his head when we fought that thing, but he said he wasn’t injured!” 

 

This was so stupid. Jason couldn’t believe he’d had to stoop to this level.

 

…It was working, though. Unless his ears were messed up again, there were two sets of footsteps headed for him. 

 

“Jason?” Salim had reached him first, and Jason felt a gentle hand turning him over. 

 

“ Hey, ” the Colonel said, warning clear in his tone. 

 

“I am trying to help him, not harm him!” Salim sounded frustrated. He tapped Jason’s cheek a few times. “Jason!”

 

Jason let out a small groan, giving his eyelids a flutter to get a look around before closing them again. 

 

The Colonel was standing slightly back with his gun still in hand, but it was pointed at the ground rather than at Salim now. 

 

Come on, Colonel. Listen to that bleedin’ heart. 

 

“Do you really want us to be at odds when your man is hurt like this and I am willing to give him and yourself aid?” Salim pressed. “He trusted me enough to suggest an alliance – what does that tell you?”

 

The Colonel hesitated, then let out a ragged sigh. “If you make one aggressive move towards me or my men–”

 

“Yes, yes, I can fill in the rest,” Salim said dismissively, not seeming the least bit threatened. “Do you have somewhere more secure we can move him?” 

 

“Yes,” the Colonel said begrudgingly. “We should bring that thing, too. I might be able to learn something useful about them.” 

 

“...I’ll take him. If you want to drag the dead demon, be my guest.”

 

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

 

Acting unconscious was surprisingly more difficult than Jason expected. It was hard not to instinctively move his feet or roll his neck into a better position as Salim dragged him along via slinging Jason’s arm over his shoulders.

 

Jason honestly felt bad being dead weight while Salim was huffing and puffing at having to drag him so far. Which was stupid. After all the stuff that had happened, he felt guilty over something like this? 

 

It’s all for their own good in the long run, he reminded himself. Salim and the Colonel could deal with a little worry and a brief workout if it meant they didn’t shoot each other. 

 

“Colonel!” Nick called, letting Jason know that they were back to the temple. “How bad is he?” 

 

The Colonel had radioed ahead, so Nick wasn’t surprised by anything, but he sure as hell sounded worried. 

 

…Because of course he was. So far this loop they’d lost Clarice as soon as Nick left, Nick had been the one to cut the rope on Rachel, and now he thought Jason had gotten hurt while he wasn’t there. Nick was sure to be in a terrible headspace right now. 

 

“We don’t know at this point. He doesn’t appear to be bleeding, but he lost consciousness mid sentence,” the Colonel said. 

 

“He just passed out?” Nick asked incredulously. 

 

“That thing threw him at one point, and he hit his head,” Salim said.  “He seemed fine after that, though.”

 

“Well, clearly he’s not fine now!” Nick’s footsteps got closer.

 

Jason almost flinched as he felt a hand on his chin, turning his head. And then almost started swinging when he felt his hat being removed. He loved that hat. 

 

“Sergeant, get him and Corporal Merwin set as best you can and then we’ll see what we can do about making this area more secure.” The Colonel sounded like he was still putting a lot of effort into dragging that vampire. “I’d rather not be open to an attack by more of these things or some less friendly Iraqis.” 

 

“Copy that,” Nick said. “Here, let me help.” 

 

Jason felt his other arm being moved over Nick’s shoulders, and then suddenly he was being moved much faster. 

 

“I believe my Captain may be one that fired at your Colonel before,” Salmi said quietly, obviously not intending the Colonel to hear. “Hopefully I can speak with him about our arrangement here.”

 

“Your Captain, huh?” Nick said bitterly. 

 

Jason wondered if he was about to have to make a sudden recovery to interrupt a fight. 

 

“Yes. He is… stubborn. But it cannot be denied that we need each other.” Salim paused. “...Is something wrong?”

 

“...We lost someone in that attack,” Nick said, grief thick in his voice. 

 

“I am sorry,” Salim said, and he did sound it.   

 

Nick cleared his throat. “So, Jason suggested this little alliance?”

 

“Yes. You are surprised?”

 

Nick snorted. “Very. Getting along with Iraqis is not exactly his thing. I’m surprised he didn’t have you at gunpoint the second you took that monster down.” 

 

Jason internally winced. That was absolutely fair of Nick to think. It was insane how much Jason had changed in such a short span of time. How much Salim had changed him, really. Jason couldn’t see himself getting so amicable with Dar even if he went through a hundred loops fighting alongside the man. Although fighting alongside him would have been preferable to him shooting at them. 

 

“Odd,” Salim remarked. “He was perfectly agreeable to me. If anything, I would say he was eager to propose we continue our truce.”

 

“He really must have hit his head…” Nick muttered. 

 

Jason fought the urge to smack him. How was it the supposed enemy soldier was over here talking nice about him, and his own friend was basically calling him an asshole while he was supposed to be knocked out and injured?  

 

 Whatever. Merwin was alive, Jason had made a good impression on Salim, the Colonel was onboard with the truce without being pissed off at him, and despite Nick’s minor shit talking, Jason knew he had his back like always. Everyone was still breathing right now, making this officially the best run so far. And he’d been playing unconscious for a chunk of it. Ironic. 

 

“I can’t believe this shit…” Merwin’s pained words reached Jason’s ears then. 

 

“Better believe it, buddy,” Nick said as he and Salim slowed their pace, lowering Jason to the ground finally.

 

“Colonel really approved working with this–”

 

“Yes, Merwin, he did.” Nick cut him off. “And Jason vouched for this guy.”    

 

Finally, Jason was back fully on the ground. That was a relief. It was way easier to play unconscious this way. 

 

“Yeah? Nobody think maybe that’s why he’s in a damn coma right now?” Merwin asked. 

 

Merwin, shut the hell up, Jason willed. 

 

“I caused him no harm!” Salim protested.

 

“Yeah? So you say!”

 

“If you do not trust my word, then ask your Colonel.” 

 

Okay, this needed to stop now. What a great time for him to miraculously find consciousness. 

 

“I can judge shit just fine myself–”

 

Jason groaned loud enough to draw all their attention, making his eyes do several droopy flutters before keeping them half closed. “The hell is all this yellin’...”

 

“Jason!” Nick was crouched down at his side less than a second later. “Hey, man. How you feeling?”

 

Jason just groaned again in reply, blinking a few more times and pressing a hand to the back of his head. He made a show of slowly taking in his surroundings, pausing on Salim, who was on one knee in front of him. “Oh, you and the Colonel didn’t shoot each other, then?” 

 

The corner of Salim’s lips twitched upward a little. “We had more pressing matters.”   

 

Nick reached for his radio. “Mailman Three to Dropkick. Over.”

 

“ Dropkick receiving. Go ahead. Over.”

 

 “Be advised Sleeping Beauty has woken up from his nap. Over.” 

 

Jason hit him with a deadpan glare before using his free hand to flip him off. 

 

Nick snickered. 

 

“ Acknowledged. I’ll be with you shortly. Dropkick out. ” 

 

Jason used the moment to check on Merwin. “How you holdin’ up, Corporal?” 

 

Merwin still looked like absolute hell, but he was at least conscious and… glaring from where he was propped up against one of the walls of the temple. “Be better without this ugly son of a bitch in my line of sight.”

 

Jason gave his leg a whack before returning to clutching his head. “Be nice. I know it don’t come naturally, but try. ” 

 

Both Nick and Merwin looked baffled at that, but the Colonel jogged up right then before either of them could say anything. 

 

“Lieutenant!” 

 

Jason gave a little flinch at the yell as he rubbed his head. “Sir.” 

 

The Colonel looked him over. “You have a damage report?”

 

“Headache bigger than the whole of the USA, but ain’t nothin’ that’s gonna keep me down, sir,” Jason responded with what he hoped sounded like false chipper. “I’ll manage.” 

 

“What happened?” The Colonel questioned. “We couldn’t find an injury.” 

 

Jason gave a half shrug. “Well, that oversized rodent we fought threw me at one point. Guess the rocks I landed against took more of a likin’ to my skull than I realized.” 

 

The Colonel nodded. “Rest up here with Corporal Merwin. Sergeant Kay, start securing the area. I’m going to see what I can learn from that thing you two killed.” 

 

Yes. Good. Jason needed him to learn everything he could. 

 

“Copy that.” Nick stood. 

 

…Huh. No grumbling about the Colonel’s orders this time. Jason wondered what had caused that. 

 

“Might I assist somewhere?” Salim asked. 

 

The Colonel hesitated. 

 

“I could use an extra pair of hands?” Nick suggested. “Would definitely help to have you there if your Captain shows up again.” 

 

The Colonel nodded. 

 

So, Jason was benched. Fine by him. He couldn’t deny that staying put and relaxing was an appealing thought right now. Also, having to “stay here” left him with the ability to get up and go deal with whatever he needed to when it was time. Only…

 

“Where’s my damn hat?” 

Notes:

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Chapter 14: Day 19 Pt.2

Relaxing was a great change of pace. Not that Jason could ever truly relax in this place, but this was the best chance he’d gotten since all this started. Since he was tasked with keeping an eye on Merwin and resting up, all he had to do was sit against the wall as Nick and the Colonel exchanged occasional updates. 

 

He’d… really needed this, honestly. He couldn’t lie to himself that the last dozen or so loops hadn’t taken their toll. One might think that the faster loops would wear on him less than trekking through the longer ones only to fail again, but no. Not when nearly every loop trying to get Merwin out had resulted in Jason getting ripped to shreds. He could still feel traces of those wounds flaring up. He remembered the pain far too vividly. 

 

But he had to press on. The others had no one else that could save them. 

 

Jason checked his watch. Going off of the radio exchanges and the time, they still had a while before Joey showed up outside the temple. That was probably the best time to face him, Jason mused. Any sooner and he ran the risk of alerting Dar and having him attack them early. Not to mention the Colonel would have more time to study that vampire. It didn’t really matter if Joey got thrown off the cliff in the long run, because those vampires were going to be alerted by the radio when they tried to repair it anyway. 

 

Jason glanced over at Merwin. Speaking of the radio, how in the world was Merwin going to be well enough to fix that in a little bit? He still looked on death’s door at the moment, so how had he shaped up enough in previous loops to be up and shooting at Dar or putting his mechanic skills to use?

 

“ ...Copy. Railroad Spike and I are moving on. ” 

 

“ Acknowledged. Dropkick out. ” 

 

Merwin scoffed at the radio chatter. “ Railroad Spike. You hear that? You brought an Iraqi home, and now he’s been named. Next Nicky is gonna start getting attached.” 

 

Jason rolled his eyes. “He ain’t a pet , Merwin. His name is Salim.” 

 

Merwin scoffed. “Since when are you soft on Iraqis?”

 

“Since he spared my life when we were topside, and then saved me from bein’ the lunch of a giant flesh-eatin’ bat from hell,” Jason said, getting irritated. “The man just wants to get home to his kid.” 

 

In all honesty, Jason was more annoyed at himself than Merwin. He could deal with everyone not knowing the events that were upcoming, but he was learning that he hated the impression the others had of him. This shit was changing him, but none of them saw who he was now. He was stuck with them all thinking he was still the asshole who would leave a man he’d fought beside to die. 

 

“Yeah, well if he wanted that he should have stayed with the damn kid instead of shooting at us!” Merwin paused talking to close his eyes for a moment and grimace. “He’s not the only one with someone to get home to.”

 

Jason brain did the same short circuit it did every time remembered that about Merwin. “...Not gonna lie Corporal, nine times outta ten I forget you’ve got a wife.” 

 

“Yeah, yeah. I browse a shit ton, but I only order off one menu.” Merwin sounded like he was getting further out of breath as he shifted his position a little. 

 

Jason checked his watch again, making sure to keep track of the time. “How many cows you give her dad for her anyway?”

 

“...What?”

 

Jason shrugged. “I’m just assumin’ there was some Biblical-time type of bribery or trade goin’ on there, because there’s no way in hell you got a woman to marry you willingly.” 

 

Merwin stared at him for a moment before weakly lifted a hand to flip him off. 

 

Jason grinned, laughing. 

 

He expected Merwin to say something else, but he just leaned his head back against the wall with a weak groan. 

 

“Hey.” Jason leaned over, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Stay with me, buddy.” 

 

How was he possibly going to be up on his feet soon? What kind of magic second wind shit–

 

Jason snapped his head around as a familiar whistling cut through the air. 

 

…No. That couldn’t be. 

 

He’d heard that obnoxious sound a hundred times before. It took most people five minutes after meeting Joey to want to protect him with their lives, but there also probably wasn’t a single person in Camp Slayer that hadn’t wanted to punch him in the face at least once for his insistent tuneless whistling.

 

But he was dead . Not just infected like the others, but already taken his last breath before the loop’s start.

 

Jason carefully shifted from sitting into a crouched, bringing his gun up as he squinted in the direction of whistling. 

 

 “...Joey?” Merwin murmured. 

 

“ Shh, ” Jason hissed. He could see the form of a person in the shadows now, and the whistling was definitely coming from it.

 

“ Joey, ” Merwin called louder this time, his eyes seeming glazed at this point 

 

The figure’s head cocked in their direction inhumanly, and the whistling cut off, replaced by a low, feral growl. 

 

Shit. 

 

Jason went for his radio. “Mailman Two-One Actual–”

 

Joey snarled, sprinting at Jason and making him release his radio before he could get his request for backup fully out.   

 

Jason swiftly brought his gun up, firing several bullets into Joey that only slowed him rather than actually stopping him. Jason ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding Joey careening into him. 

 

The vampire tumbled to the ground, but spastically was back on his feet only a moment later, already locked onto Jason again.

 

Good. At least he wasn’t targeting Merwin, and Jason no longer had his back to a wall.

 

Jason stalled him with a few more bullets, backstepping around the various debris on the floor of the temple. 

 

This was so much harder without a cliff or a stake or the UV lamp.   

 

“Stand down Corporal Gomez!” the Colonel’s voice rang out as he ran into the area, gun raised. 

 

“That ain’t Joey anymore!” Jason yelled as Joey zeroed in on the Colonel instead of him.

 

No. Bad. Leave the death-hunted man be. 

 

The Colonel fired a couple shots into Joey, but, once again, they only slowed his advance. 

 

Dammit. The Colonel must not have had the time to figure out the UV lamp yet.

 

Fine. He was about to, and Jason was going to make himself look smart in the process. 

 

“Colonel, the UV lamp!” 

 

“What?” The Colonel demanded as he fell back, firing another shot. 

 

“Just trust me! Use it!” 

 

The Colonel’s eyes widened as Joey closed in on him, and he did as instructed, pulling out the UV lamp in the nick of time. 

 

Joey went up in flames like usual, shrieking until he collapsed and stopped moving. 

 

The Colonel stared in silence for a moment before inspecting the lamp and then replacing it on his belt. “...Good call, Lieutenant.” 

 

Jason nodded. “Salim mentioned they burned in the sunlight, so I figured…” 

 

The Colonel crouched down next to the remains of Joey’s body. “The hell happened to him?”

 

Jason scanned the shadow for any sign of Dar. Nothing so far. This was earlier than last time, so maybe that would change things. 

 

But now was his chance to really get some knowledge to the Colonel early. And keep making himself seem way smarter than he actually was.

 

“If Joey turned into that… do you think those bats used to be somethin’ else too?” Jason suggested like he’d just thought of the idea. 

 

“That… is an excellent question, Lieutenant.” The Colonel leaned closer to Joey’s smoldering form. “Same fangs. You might be onto something.” The Colonel gave him a look that Jason could only describe as pure respect. “Remind me to have you around the next time I need to do an autopsy on an unidentified species.” 

 

Oh, the Colonel really was playing right into his hands this time around. 

 

“No offense, sir, but I’d prefer to be just about anywhere else next time an unknown species crawls outta the center of the Earth.” Jason gave a wry smile.

 

“Understandable,” the Colonel said with a hint of a wry smile. 

 

“Jason!” Nick called, he and Salim sprinting into the area. 

 

Jason gave them a wave. “We’re all good.” 

 

“Was it my Captain?” Salim asked, seeming almost afraid to hear the answer. 

 

“No.” The Colonel was the one that answered. “It was an… significantly altered version of Lance Corporal Gomez.” He looked at Nick. “Looks like we were all right and wrong, Sergeant. He did die, but we heard this… thing.” 

 

“What the hell…” Nick gawked in clear horror at Joey’s remains.

 

“No tellin’ what happened to make him like that. We need to get out of this hellhole,” Jason said, trying to get things back on track. “You two finished fortifyin’ this place?”

 

Nick gave his head a shake. “About as best we can. There’s also a radio outside the temple we might be able to use if we can fix it up.”

 

Just the opening Jason had been looking for. 

 

“You hear that, Corporal? Might be time for you to show us all how things are done!” Jason started walking back over to check on Merwin. This was around the time he was supposed to be up and about–

 

“Merwin?” Jason bolted over to the man’s side upon seeing how his head was limp against his chest. “Merwin!” 

 

Jason fell to his knees, reaching for Merwin’s chin with one hand while his other checked for a pulse. 

 

…But the pulse check wasn’t needed. As soon as he turned Merwin’s head, he already knew – there was no chance of there being life behind those glassy, half-lidded eyes. 

 

Jason swore. Loudly. 

 

Nick jogged up to stand to Jason’s right. “Is he…?”

 

“He’s gone,” Jason confirmed. 

 

“Shit… Merwin…” Nick ran a hand over his face. 

 

“Was he injured further by that thing?” The Colonel approached behind Jason’s left, his tone gentle.

 

“No,” Jason said hallowly. “Wounds from before were just too much.” 

 

As they should have been, honestly. This was what Jason would have expected the first time he’d actually managed to get Merwin out of the tunnels. But it hadn’t happened then. Merwin had managed to get back up and fix the radio or save Jason from Dar. How? They hadn’t given him any additional medical attention–

 

…Son of a bitch. Merwin had been infected. Not just the one time he’d torn into Jason’s throat, but any time he’d gotten back on his feet after he’d made it through the tunnels. The parasite must have been… patching him up somehow before it started changing him, and the one loop he’d changed was just the only time he’d stayed alive long enough for the parasite to finish its work. 

 

Jason swore again, under his breath this time. 

 

Clarice, Merwin, Rachel… He needed that damn cure.

 

A firm hand from the Colonel landed on Jason’s shoulder. “You did everything you possibly could have for him.” 

 

 “Funny how that keeps not bein’ enough,” Jason muttered. 

 

“ Dar! ” Salim shouted suddenly, switching to Arabic as he kept projecting his voice. 

 

Oh, just great. Now they had this to deal with. 

 

Jason, and the Colonel spun around with their weapons up in an instant, but Nick darted into the shadows behind him close to the edge of the room. 

 

Guess it was finally time to see if Salim could talk his boss down. And if not, then Nick sneaking around the edge of room was the backup plan. 

 

Dar shouted something back in Arabic that did not sound happy, and Salim’s tone was all but a desperate plea in return. 

 

There was Dar, Jason noted, following his voice. He’d taken cover behind one of the pillars. Ironic considering that about how he’d had Jason pinned down before. 

 

Jason flicked his gaze over to Nick, who was making a good, quiet effort to flank Dar’s position. 

 

The conversation kept going, and it did not sound like Salim was getting the results he wanted given the building frustration in his voice. 

 

“Hey,” Jason said to Salim. “Care to clue us in?”

 

“He hasn’t seen the demons,” Salim said flatly. “So he just thinks I’m crazy and that there’s no reason to ally with you.” 

 

“Phenomenal,” the Colonel’s voice dripped with sarcasm. 

 

“Okay, well can you tell him how to count?” Jason suggested. Even if Dar didn’t know about Nick and wasn’t counting Salim as on their side, he and the Colonel still had him outnumbered. 

 

Again, it sounded like Salim was trying to reason with Dar as he walked closer to his position, gesturing earnestly, but nothing Dar said back sounded any less pissed off.   

 

Nick was almost there. Maybe Dar would object to a truce less without a gun in his hand. 

 

Dar and Salim escalated to just straight up yelling at each other, and Jason shifted towards the Colonel. Knowing his luck, any stray bullets would find him like he was a giant magnet. 

 

Come on, Nicky, Jason thought.

 

“I may not speak Arabic but this doesn’t sound like it’s going well,” the Colonel noted under his breath, just loud enough for Jason to hear.

 

“Yeah, I’m gettin’ that impression too…” Jason muttered back. 

 

Dar’s voice rose louder than ever, and he tightened his grip on his gun, aiming right for the Colonel– 

 

Nick sprang at him the same time Jason slammed his shoulder into the Colonel to get him out of the way. 

 

Gunfire rang throughout the temple, several bullets striking near Jason and the Colonel both before Nick managed to wrestle the rifle away from Dar. 

 

Okay. Jason wasn’t shot. The Colonel wasn’t shot. Maybe they hadn’t avoided a conflict, but things could have gone worse. 

 

“Stay down! Stay the hell down!” Nick yelled at Dar, pointing his own gun at him. “Everyone good? 

 

Jason helped the Colonel up. “All good here!” 

 

Thud. 

 

Jason snapped his head around to check on the one person he assumed Dar would never actually try to shoot at. He couldn’t see Salim’s front, but he’d just dropped his stick-pipe.

 

“Salim?” Jason felt dread creeping through him. 

 

“Oh, shit…” Nick said, looking right at Salim instead of the man he was supposed to have at gunpoint. 

 

“Salim…” Dar said with regret. 

 

And that was when Salim wavered on his feet, one of his knees giving out. 

 

Damn it all!

 

Jason was moving before he even registered it, managing to cross the distance in time to catch Salim as he started to slump over. 

 

“I got you. I got you,” Jason assured as he sat back and Salim settled into his arms. 

 

Shit, it wasn’t even one bullet wound. It was three of them spread out diagonally with one just above his right hip, one in the middle of his chest, and the last in his left shoulder.

 

Salim coughed wetly, a slight gurgle attached to his struggling breaths. 

 

Jason had him braced with his left arm and couldn’t move it, but he used his right to press on the wound in the center of Salim’s chest.

 

Salim lurched with a pained groan, blood bubbling out past his lips as he tried to speak. “Z-Zain… My boy…”

 

Jason opened his mouth to say something. Just any words of comfort he could think of. But his head was empty.

 

Salim rambled something out that was so slurred Jason didn’t think he’d be able to understand it even if he did speak Arabic.  

 

Somehow Salim’s right hand managed to find a grip on Jason’s leg that had ended up stretched out on the temple floor when he’d caught him, and Salim clung to him as though the hold was his sole tether to life.  

 

“I’m sorry…” Jason managed to get out. 

 

Salim’s other hand came up to grab the blood-soaked one Jason had pressed over the hole in his chest. “Tell my son… I did everything I could…” 

 

Jason forced himself to nod, knowing damn well he wasn’t going to keep that promise because Salim was going to tell his son himself as soon as Jason found the way to get him out of here.

 

Salim’s breath hitched a couple more times as he kept trying to breathe. Jason could tell from the imprints Salim was leaving on his leg that he was fighting with everything he had despite the hopelessness of the situation. 

 

Nausea churned heavily in Jason’s gut as he sat there silently. 

 

He left Salim to this. The first time through when he’d thought every death was permanent, he’d left Salim to a fate like this, and there was no doubt in his mind that his friend had died alone with betrayal and his son at the front of his mind.

 

At least he wouldn’t be alone this time. But that didn’t make Jason feel much better about things when Salim’s breathing stuttered to a stop and his grip slackened. 

 

The temple fell quiet. Nick and Dar hadn’t budged an inch. The Colonel had moved to be close by, but he still said nothing. 

 

No one seemed to want to break the silence. But, oh, did Jason want to break something . He carefully shifted to lay Salim’s body on the ground before reaching for that trusted stick-pipe. 

 

He didn’t think things through for the first time in a long while. No calculation. No plans about future loops. He just moved . 

 

“Lieutenant…?” the Colonel finally spoke again. 

 

Jason ignored him. He just headed straight for Dar.   

 

Nick narrowed his eyes. “Jason, what are you–”

 

Jason ignored him too, thrusting the weapon straight into Dar’s chest. 

 

Nick flinched back back with a swear, but he made no move to interfere. He was probably too shocked. 

 

But Jason himself felt nothing but satisfaction as he stepped in closer, slowly pushing the metal further in while Dar feebly tried to grasp it and failed. 

 

“I have lost enough brothers to you!” Jason snarled, shoving the weapon deeper one final time.

 

Dar was dead before he even hit the ground. 

 

“...Holy shit, Jason!” Nick gaped at him.   

 

Jason blinked hard, the haze of his anger fading as he snapped back to himself. 

 

Had he really just done that? He held no love for Dar but that was… He’d just crossed some sort of line, and nothing made that more clear than the horror on Nick’s face. 

 

“I…” Jason moved to put a hand to his mouth, but stopped when he spotted the blood there. Salim’s blood.  

 

“Sergeant,” the Colonel spoke up suddenly, his voice carrying more authority than Jason had heard before. “I believe you said there was a radio we could possibly use?”

 

“Yeah,” Nick said. “But don’t know if we can fix it without Merwin.” 

 

“Give it your best shot,” the Colonel said. “Nothing has changed. We carry on.”

 

Oh, everything had changed, but Jason appreciated the Colonel getting them back on track.

 

Jason didn’t miss the way inspective look he got when he walked by him, though. 

 

So much for all that respect and trust he’d built up…  

 

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The tension within their group was so thick that the vampires’ attack on the temple actually lessened it. Jason was relieved to be back in the fight instead of constantly feeling the Colonel and Nick’s eyes in the back of his head. 

 

There was a surprisingly lack of drama when Rachel and Clarice showed up. Whatever had tipped the Colonel off about Rachel seeing Nick, it apparently hadn’t happened this time. 

 

As a matter of fact, the Colonel and Nick had been getting along pretty well almost this entire loop. 

 

Jason could only hope it stayed that way and didn’t cause some massive drama explosion later. For now, though, there were far more pressing matters. 

 

Like the Colonel hopefully having figured out how the hell to cure the parasites again. His autopsy had been interrupted again, but maybe it and the clues Jason had left him would be enough. 

 

“Can’t you help her?” Jason pressed the Colonel.

 

The Colonel hesitated. “I don’t know. If I had time to study this, then maybe–”

 

The doors buckled with the impact of vampires, signaling that there was very much not time to study anything. 

 

But Jason wasn’t giving up on this loop on that front yet. The Colonel had figured it out well past this point before. Maybe he could do it again. 

 

Getting to the catacombs with the five of them wasn’t too bad. Jason had started to get used to Salim being there for it, but they’d managed before, they did again. The real problems began after that. 

 

The Colonel – like Rachel –  refused to abandon Clarice without being infected himself.

 

That had been fine in the other loops. The only damage she did when turned was killing Dar. 

 

Except Dar wasn’t there to be her victim now, and Jason realized for the first time just how crucial having Iraqi allies in the catacombs was, even with him avoiding getting carried off. 

 

It was a bloodbath. 

 

Without Salim, Rachel was overwhelmed and mauled before their eyes no matter how much they tried to get to her to help. 

 

Without Dar, Clarice found a different target, and that target was the Colonel, who couldn’t get the UV lamp up in time to fend her off as she went for his throat. 

 

And without Rachel and Eric… Well, Jason and Nick weren’t the last ones standing for long. 

 

Again, Jason thought he was hauled up by his head itself, which was then squeezed. There has to be a way. I have to find that way.

 

Fall. Land. Get back up. 

 

Onward to drag Merwin through the tunnels again. 

Notes:

:)

Chapter 15: Day 28 Pt.1

Jason had underestimated the Curator’s warning. He’d realized that a while ago, but now… now he was really starting to feel it. 

 

From his head to his heart and all the way through his bones, Jason was tired . By this point he’d broken just about every one of those bones and taken a bullet to every part of his body. He’d been stabbed, blown up, deafened, and there was even one really unpleasant run where he’d taken a vampire’s claw to the face and been in blind agony for the short rest of the loop. 

 

Phantom pains from past deaths came and went at random times, sometimes leaving him having to fumble for an excuse to explain away why he’d suddenly lost his balance or cried out at a spasm ripping through him. 

 

The worst part of it all though… was that all that wasn’t the worst part. 

 

Honestly, if the loop went badly, then Jason preferred it be him that died first. At least then he didn’t have to watch the others suffer and die because he failed again. 

 

Nick and Salim were tough bastards. They were the easiest to keep alive to a certain point. It was rare for them to not make it to their retreat into the catacombs.

 

But everyone else? They were a nightmare. Especially Eric, who Jason at some point had stopped mentally referring to by his rank with all the loops he’d spent at the man’s side trying to not only save his life, but shoehorn him into learning as much about the vampires as he could as early as possible.

 

Everyone else, Jason knew the danger points. There were specific areas he hadn’t found a solution to, but he knew they were coming. But Eric’s deaths were not only stupid but infuriating. The Curator had not been kidding when he’d said death seemed to be after him.

 

Eric was plenty capable. And smart. Despite Jason’s thoughts in the initial loops, he knew now that Eric was a solid leader. Just… everything seemed to want him dead. Every time Jason shifted things to avoid one death for him, another one popped up five minutes later. He’d been impaled at the cliff, shot by Salim, had his throat ripped out by Joey, shot by Dar on a couple different occasions, gotten his throat ripped out by Clarice, had his skull physically crushed by that weird ancient human vampire and got his throat ripped out by Merwin. It was like he had a beacon on him that drew in danger.

 

Jason was… at a loss. He was running out of ideas to try.

 

If he didn’t let Clarice get taken, Rachel never made it back alive. If Clarice did get taken, she saved Rachel but died to infection.

 

If Jason didn’t let Merwin get infected, he died. If Jason let him get infected, he was back on his feet for a while and able to help out, but then he was also doomed to die from infection.

 

Rachel seemed doomed to keep getting infected as well, and though they had the cocoon for her, Jason had no idea if that was actually saving her, leaving him to wonder if letting Clarice get taken to save her earlier was even worth it.

 

Jason just kept trading one terrible solution for another. One life for another.

 

Hell, getting Eric past his last two latest deaths had cost a life both times — they’d had to abandon Clarice, and then Jason sticking with Eric to protect him from that ancient human vampire had caused Salim to get killed by that vampire that usually ambushed him and Jason at the door just before their descent. That had been such a fun time. Especially when a fully transformed Merwin had then proceeded to attack them a couple minutes later and kill Eric anyway.

 

Jason was so utterly run down that he was next to completely mentally checked out when he started his twenty-eighth loop and twenty-ninth time through the day. It may have taken him almost a dozen runs to figure out how to get Merwin out of the tunnels by himself, but by this point he was so familiar with that part of the loop that he could pull it off while barely paying attention.

 

Easily done. He was just… on autopilot. The vampires didn’t need him to say specific things to act a certain way. They just attacked, and all he had to do was drag Merwin to a certain point and then sit tight. Everything was the same until Nick and Eric showed up, and then all the manipulation started up again.

 

Jason gave the bare minimum of words needed to push them all in the right direction this time. He was too tired for anything more.

 

What even was he going to do this run? What more could he try?

 

Without having a cure for the infected, Merwin and Clarice – or Merwin and Rachel if Jason decided to save Clarice instead – were just going to keep dying over and over again. But Jason could not for the life of him get Eric to figure it out again. He’d tried to give him as much time as possible on that autopsy. He’d tried to give him a head start with “theories” that he knew were true. But Eric remained as clueless as the rest of them while Clarice and Merwin changed before their eyes and turned on them. Hell, even keeping Clarice with them one time so Eric would have help on the autopsy hadn’t worked.

 

The way Jason saw it, he had two options left. He could try to exactly replicate the run where Eric had figured out the cure and make sure he got the answer from him this time, or he could throw everything and everyone aside in favor of keeping Eric alive at all costs in hope that he’d figure things out if he just had more time living since Eric had yet to make it that far in any other loop. 

 

Neither option was ideal. Both involved intentionally getting other people killed or letting them die at the very least. But Jason was desperate. What did it matter if they died if that was what got Jason to the eventual path of saving them all? 

 

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose as his head spun with all he was going to have to do. Eric was fixing the generator at the moment, but that wouldn’t take him long. Jason had to decide things quickly. 

 

Obviously, it was too late already this run to replicate the path where Eric himself had gotten infected, so that left the other one. 

 

Jason had to give Eric every chance and second he could, no matter what it cost the others.

 

And maybe… maybe he could give him actual help on the science front. Clarice being there might not have helped since it wasn’t her area of expertise as a doctor, but Salim… Salim was an absolute pro at figuring shit about the vampires out even without being any type of doctor at all. Maybe he and Eric working together on the autopsy would be the brain combination needed.

 

The only problem was getting Eric to go along with that, which was really unlikely. Jason hadn’t been able to replicate getting thrown into a wall so he could convincingly pass out from his injuries again, so Eric had been in the range of wary to pissed off every loop since about Salim allying with them. There was just no time to get them to warm up to each other before the autopsy.

 

…Unless they met slightly earlier.

 

Jason had a stupid idea, but he was clean out of what he thought were smart ones, so it was going to have to do.

 

Into tunnels they went after Joey’s cries. Only this time, Jason changed his position a little from the usual.

 

Knowing his luck, Eric would probably just get killed instantly, but it was worth a damn shot. Anything was worth a shot at this point.

 

Pick up the med kit, head into the area where Dar opened fire on him, make sure Eric was on the side where he’d end up separated from the fight and run into Salim…

 

Jason breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Eric successfully dodge the grenade Dar lobbed at them. He’d almost been expecting Eric to trip and get blown up or for him to get crushed by falling rocks from the explosion given his luck, but the plan was going perfectly so far.

 

Now Eric and Salim just had to not kill each other, and Jason had to not get killed himself by Dar. 

 

“I’m real damn sick of you!” Jason yelled as he ducked low behind his cover. 

 

This whole time loop thing would be infinitely easier if Dar wasn’t around screwing up every other plan Jason had. 

 

His anger didn’t help him get rid of Dar any easier, though. Just like with everyone else who usually had this role, Jason survived Dar’s attack, but didn’t manage to take him out either.

 

That was fine. Yeah, they would have to put up with him later, but nothing was ruined yet. 

 

Jason checked his watch as he started moving through the tunnels again. The more time Salim and Eric had to bond, the better. If they were bonding, that was.  

 

Jason killed his light, creeping down the tunnel silently. There were no sounds of gunfire, so the fight was probably over with already. The main question was whether or not Eric had survived it. 

 

It wasn’t long before he picked up on some voices. The tones didn’t seem hostile, so that was a good sign. Jason stuck close to the wall, listening in as best he could to make sure there wasn’t a standoff going on. 

 

“Your wife… she didn’t make it?” Salim asked.

 

“No,” Eric replied, barely a whisper. 

 

“I am sorry. What was her name?” 

 

…Well damn. This was going better than Jason expected. He of all people knew Salim was good to talk to, but he hadn’t expected Eric to open up so quickly. He sure wasn’t going to complain, though. 

 

Jason backtracked a ways so they wouldn’t be able to hear him over anything but the radio. 

 

Just a little longer.  

 

…Yeah, okay, that was probably good. Longer than he and Nick had ever had for their first meeting with Salim here. 

 

Jason clicked his light back on and reached for his radio. “Mailman Two-One Actual to Dropkick. You still breathing out there, sir?”

 

“ Dropkick receiving and still breathing, Lieutenant. Keep heading straight – I can see your light. Over.”

 

Jason jogged out of the tunnel a few seconds later, pleased to see no raised weapons. He just raised an eyebrow at Salim so it wasn’t completely obvious that he’d already known he was there. “Making friends with the locals, Colonel?”

 

Fortunately for him, Eric didn’t know pre-time loop him like Nick and Merwin, so he probably wouldn’t think anything odd of him accepting Salim being around so easily. 

 

“Something like that,” Eric said dryly. “Lieutenant, consider me convinced about your monsters.” He gestured to ground where the dead vampire– 

 

Jason couldn’t stop the short, ragged sigh of frustration that rushed from his mouth. “Why is the damn vampire on fire?”

 

He had not expected Eric to figure out the UV lamp that quickly. So much for him and Salim tackling the autopsy together. Now they had nothing to study. He could only hope that them figuring out the UV lamp so early would put them ahead on figuring out other matters. He didn’t know what, but maybe something. He was just grasping at fewer and fewer straws at this point.

 

“Vampire?” Eric echoed, eyebrows lifting.

 

“If you’ve got a better name for the giant bat monsters livin’ in caves, I’m open to other suggestions.” Jason covered his slip up. Stupid mistake, but not one that should do any damage.

 

Salim dipped his head. “He has a point.”

 

Jason tried to suppress his absolute fed up-ness as he spoke to Eric again. “You got orders for me here, sir?”

 

Please don’t make this anymore difficult, Jason willed.

 

Eric hesitated.

 

Come on.

 

“…Tie him up,” Eric finally said, although he sounded reluctant.

 

Dammit, Eric!

 

Jason didn’t care if it was technically the most sound decision Eric could make from his perspective, it still pissed him off. They did not have time for Salim to be a captive. He was probably the single biggest asset they could get down here.

 

But Jason had to comply with his orders. That didn’t stop him from rolling his eyes as soon as Eric looked away, though.

 

“After all we’ve been through?” Salim demanded, scowling at Eric as Jason moved behind him and started securing his arms. “Thanks a lot!”

 

Eric looked apologetic. “I have protocols I have to follow, just as I’m sure you would in my position.”

 

Salim scoffed. “Neither of our countries have ever had protocols for a situation such as this.”

 

Jason snorted as he started on a less than secure knot. “That’s for damn sure.”

 

Eric accepted that with a dip of his head. “Even so, I have a duty to my men. You’re still an enemy soldier, and letting you walk freely with us is a potential threat to them.”

 

“If it helps, I’m cool with that,” Jason muttered, wishing Eric would ditch his Colonel-y duties for once. 

 

Eric shot him a look that Jason could only take to mean something along the lines of ‘whose side are you on?’

 

“I’m just sayin’, sir.” Jason held his hands up, done with his poor excuse for restraints. “If he’s willin’ to hold off on shootin’ at us until we’re out of here, I wouldn’t mind havin’ an extra man to help us fight those things.” 

 

Eric sighed. “Did you find any other signs of Corporal Gomez?”

 

Jason shook his head. “If he ever was around here, he didn’t make it long with those injuries.” 

 

Eric nodded. “We should fall back to the temple and regroup with Sergeant Kay and Corporal Merwin.” 

 

“Copy that,” Jason said before dropping his voice so only Salim could hear him. “Sorry, man.” 

 

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It had been a while since Jason had been with just Nick to secure the temple. A long while. In fact, Jason wasn’t sure he’d been with Nick at this point since the earliest loops. 

 

Jason felt bad about that now given that it was pretty clear that Nick wasn’t doing great. Granted, Salim was a much better listener than Jason himself, but he barely knew Nick. Jason could read him a lot better. And he knew exactly what had Nick so devastated.

 

“How you holdin’ up, Nicky?” Jason asked as they walked between tasks.

 

“Hm?” Nick glanced at him. “I’m good.”

 

Jason scoffed. “Yeah, the smell down here ain’t bad enough for me to miss that bullshit. I know cuttin’ that rope couldn’t have been easy for you.” 

 

Anger flashed across Nick’s face. “I shouldn’t have had to. The Colonel had his knife right there, but he just about let us both get pulled off the damn ledge instead. Should’ve used his damn head, but he was too–” 

 

“You actually mad at him for not cuttin’ it, or mad at yourself because you did? ” Jason asked even though he already knew that answer.

 

Nick snapped his mouth shut for a moment. 

 

“Look, man…” Jason stepped in front of him to get him to stop walking for a minute. “You both did what you thought was right in the moment. You both loved her in your own ways. Ain’t no point holdin’ resentment over it when you both took a loss.” 

 

Nick blinked. “Wait, you knew Rachel I and were seeing each other?” 

 

…Right. Jason wasn’t supposed to know about that. Hell, was it getting hard to keep track of all this.

 

“I have eyes, Nick,” Jason said. “You two were obvious. Real damn obvious.” 

 

Nick narrowed his eyes slightly.

 

“What?” Jason asked. 

 

“…Nothing,” Nick said, but his expression didn’t change.

 

Something crept up in the back of Jason’s mind – a distant-feeling memory that was so muddled Jason could only assume it was from sickness-distorted first ever run through this day. 

 

“ Nah, I know you too good. When you lie, you always say things twice. First one to see how it floats, second one to nail it down. ” 

 

Well, shit. Maybe it was a good thing he’d avoided being with Nick for a lot of the runs. Lying his ass off was a requirement for navigating these loops, and Nick being able to see through him like that might be a major problem at some point if he wasn’t careful. 

 

Fortunately it didn’t look like Nick was going to push things right now, but he’d definitely just caught that Jason had lied to his face. 

 

Jason cleared his throat. “Anyway. I am sorry about Rachel, man. I really am.”

 

…Wait. Son of a bitch. He really did do that, didn’t he? And Nick had no idea Rachel was still alive and that was why Jason wasn’t sorry, so he was just going to think Jason was an asshole. 

 

“...Yeah. Sure thing man,” Nick said icily, shoving past Jason as he started walking again. 

 

Jason cringed. Well, that had backfired spectacularly. 

 

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To say their conversation before had left things tense between Jason and Nick would have been an understatement. Nick was absolutely pissed at him to the point where trying to talk to a wall would have gotten him better results. 

 

“Wanna hang onto this?” Jason offered the wooden stake he’d found to Nick. The couple times he’d gotten ahold of it before, the only thing he’d ever used it for was to defend himself against Joey, and he no longer needed that protection with UV lamp in play.

 

“Pass,” Nick dismissed.

 

…Right.

 

Well, one benefit to Nick refusing to talk to him was that they finished the temple defense prep in record time without the conversations to delay them.

 

Honestly, Jason wasn't sure what to do with the extra time. Facing Joey early had never resulted in anything good because of Dar–

 

Oh, there was a thought. Now might be a great time to take him out, or at the very least keep him from ambushing them at the radio.

 

“I’m gonna go check on Merwin,” Jason excused himself.

 

Nick just grunted in reply.

 

Jason sighed. Was he going to be like this the entire rest of the loop?

 

Whatever. Fine. He could be pissed off as long as he did his job.

 

Jason wasn’t sure exactly where Dar was at this point, but he knew where he would be. The only problem was that if he waited for him, Nick would have to face Joey alone initially. Yeah, Eric wouldn’t take long, but it would be just Jason’s luck for Nick to get tackled off the cliff or something.

 

…Oh, to hell with it. Maybe taking big risks was what he should have been doing more of.

 

Jason slipped into the shadows by the temple door, leaning there as he settled in for a bit of a wait.

 

It wasn’t too much longer than usual, honestly. Looking at things from his angle, it was a miracle that he and Nick never heard Joey coming. His growls weren’t exactly subtle.

 

Don’t die, Nicky, Jason willed as Joey tackled him from behind. 

 

Jason cringed at how close to the ledge they kept getting, but Jason himself had been there a few times without falling off. Hopefully Nick would too. 

 

Sure enough, Nick was able to shake off Joey long enough to scramble back to solid ground on his ass… and that was when Eric and Salim came sprinting to his aid. 

 

“Stand down Corporal Gomez!” Eric ordered. 

 

“I don’t think he’s listening!” Salim clutched his pipe-stick. 

 

Joey started to move at them, and Eric yanked the UV lamp off his belt, sending Joey up in flames and toppling off the cliff like usual. 

 

Great! No one was dead so far. Something was actually going right for once. 

 

Nevermind that people were going to start dropping like flies once the vampires–

 

Yep. There it was. Joey’s fall had the vampires below screeching up a storm. 

 

“Oh, that is not good.” Salim shook his head. “That is not good at all.”

 

“You alright, Sergeant Kay?” Eric stopped to offer him a hand. 

 

“Yeah.” Nick accepted the hand, pulling himself to his feet. “All good. Thanks.”

 

Eric looked around the area. “Where’s Lieutenant Kolchek?”

 

“Said he was going to check on Merwin.” Nick shot Salim a questioning look. 

 

Salim just gave him a little wave and a half smile in return.   

 

Jason saw Eric’s hand go for his radio, and scrambled to turn the volume on his down his. He barely managed before Eric started speaking. 

 

“Dropkick to Mailman Two-One Actual, what’s your status?” Eric waited for a few seconds before he scowed and tried again. “Dropkick to Mailman Two-One Actual, are you receiving? Over.” 

 

“If he went to check on your other man, he might have run into that thing before it got here,” Salim said warily. 

 

“Surely we would have heard that commotion?” Eric pointed out. 

 

Eventually, Nick volunteered to go look for him – good to know he wasn’t too pissed off to care if Jason was alive – and headed into the temple. Only to come back with Merwin instead, who got to work on the radio. 

 

Almost time…

   

“So, Kolchek never made it to you?” Eric verified. 

 

“Nope. Never saw him,” Merwin confirmed 

 

“Where the hell is he, then?” Nick said, visibly concerned by this point. 

 

Eric looked like he was about to say something more, but that was when the radio started wailing. 

 

Annnnd there was Dar, sneaking out of the temple door. 

 

Not today, asshole.

 

Jason absolutely decked the man as he tried to walk by, making him drop his gun as he fell over. Jason promptly kicked the weapon out of his reach, raising his own to point at Dar’s head. 

 

“Make a move,” Jason dared, though he knew full well Dar couldn’t understand. 

 

“Jason!” Nick called, the noise apparently drawing the others’ attention. 

 

Jason glanced their direction. “Friend of yours, Salim?” 

 

Right. All alive, but two doomed via infection. 

 

…And Salim was giving him a really weird look.

 

Shit. Salim had never told him his name this time around, had he? 

 

Whatever. Surely he’d told Eric. Jason could just say Eric mentioned it earlier if he really needed to. No harm done.  

 

Notes:

Comments feed dah muuuuse!

Chapter 16: Day 28 Pt.2

For the first time probably ever, Jason was actually thankful to Dar. He doubted Salim would even remember his slip up after he was done with his bickering match with his Captain. The situation wasn’t so different from the other loop that they’d argued, but this time Dar was tied up, so he had to keep listening to Salim instead of opening fire stupidly.  

 

Eric, Nick, and Jason all kept sneaking glances at the pair from over by the radio as Merwin finished repairing it. 

 

“...I may not speak the language, but that sounds like quite the amount of sarcasm from our friendly Iraqi,” Eric noted. 

 

“And a shit ton of hostility from the other one,” Nick said. 

 

Eric grunted. “I can’t say I’ll have many sleepless nights if he refuses to cooperate and we have to leave him behind.” 

 

Realization sparked behind Nick’s eyes. “Was he the one that–”

 

“Yes.” Eric crossed his arms, glaring absolute death at Dar. “...You made sure he was well restrained, didn’t you Lieutenant?”

 

“‘Course I did.” Jason probably would have been insulted had he not intentionally tied Salim’s restraints so badly on purpose. 

 

“Just checking,” Eric said. 

 

“Oorah!” Merwin yelled suddenly, standing up straight with his arms spread wide. 

 

“You fixed it?” Eric rounded the small table instantly. 

 

“Good as new, baby!” Merwin grinned. 

 

Finally, Jason thought. Another rare but good development. This would be a perfect run so far if he had a cure for the parasites.

 

“Great work, Corporal.” Eric gave him a clap on the shoulder. 

 

Jason glanced at the cliff side. “We better get that message out fast – those things are gettin’ far too close for my likin’!” 

 

Eric gave him a simple nod of agreement before pressing down the radio button. 

 

Jason took the time to focus back on Salim as he threw his arms up in the air before stalking away from Dar. 

 

Jason moved to meet him halfway. “I’m gonna take it that didn’t go so well?”

 

Salim muttered something that sounded less than kind under his breath in Arabic. “He is so stubborn! He hasn’t seen the vampires, so he just thinks I’m a crazy traitor and sees no reason to be allied with you all.” 

 

“Well, take him inside the temple and show the dead one we got– nevermind. That one burned up.” Jason shook his head. He had to keep things straight better. “Can he not hear this shit?”

 

If Jason wasn’t mistaken on his timing, the vampires were due to be on them real soon now, and they were louder than ever. 

 

Salim dropped his arms against his side uselessly. 

 

“Kolchek!” Eric said sharply. “Contact made with air support. Let’s fall back!”  

 

“Understood.” Jason gave Dar a reluctant look. “Come on – let’s move him.” 

 

Dar kicked up a storm, yacking on and on in Arabic as he and Salim both grabbed an arm and dragged him into the temple, and Salim looked just about as done with him as Jason by the time they deposited him just inside the doors. 

 

“Man, will you tell him to shut the hell up?” Jason moved to lean against one of the doors, but didn’t push on it yet as Eric, Nick, and Merwin filed in. 

 

Salim said something in Arabic that Jason was sure was much nicer than what he’d said. 

 

Jason glanced out the door. Any second now…

 

“Jason!” Nick barked, already pushing on the other door. “The hell you waiting for?” 

 

“ Wait! ” 

 

There they were.  

 

“Rachel…?” Nick asked shakily.

 

“ Rachel? ” Eric whipped around from where he’d been keeping an eye on Dar. 

 

Jason waited just long enough for Rachel and Clarice to stumble in before he threw his full weight into the door to close it. 

 

Nick pulled Rachel into a hug as soon as she lowered Clarice to the floor, and he babbled out his apology for cutting the rope, which in turn made her grow tenser in his hold even though she assured him he’d done the right thing. 

 

Salim and Merwin both maneuvered around the reunion after a few seconds, blessedly having the sense to help Jason close the door.

 

Ironically, Eric apologized to Nick for apparently throwing some harsh words his way when he’d cut the rope earlier and also admitted that Rachel was right and that Nick had made the right call protocol wise. 

 

Nick looked like he didn’t really know how to react to that. Rachel looked like a deer in headlights. 

 

“What in the hell is this romance novel reunion bullshit?” Merwin muttered as he and Jason and Salim barricade the door.

 

Jason cut himself off as a borderline hysterical laugh tried to escape his lips. “Oh buddy, you have no idea…”

 

He pushed all thoughts of laughter aside as he settled his gaze on Clarice, though. 

 

He knew what he had to do. Her and Merwin both… he couldn’t chance them taking out Eric like they had in previous loops. 

 

It’s for them in the long run, he reminded himself. But that didn’t make him any less sick to his stomach. 

 

Clarice started screaming a few seconds later. 

 

It didn’t take long for the group to realize what was wrong with her. Nick yelled at Rachel for bringing her at all. Eric yelled back that he might be able to help her. Merwin yelled questions wondering what the hell they were talking about. Dar yelled something at Salim. 

 

Jason shakily drew out his handgun. “I’m sorry, Clarice…” 

 

He couldn’t find the bravery in himself to look her in the eye as he pulled the trigger. 

 

Some of the others screamed at him, Rachel above all. He barely registered their words as he shakily lowered his gun. 

 

“Had to be done…” he said hollowly. 

 

“That wasn’t your call to make Lieutenant!” Eric berated him. 

 

“You saw what happened to Joey!” Jason finally raised his voice back. “This was the only way. The only damned way–”  

 

Shit. Shit, shit, shit! 

 

Jason had caught himself, but too late. 

 

He swallowed, daring to glance in Nick’s direction. He’d never seen his friend look so disturbed. 

 

“...How the hell do you know what happened to Joey?” Nick asked icily. 

 

Too many damned loops. Nick was right – they’d never told him about Joey because they’d never had the chance with everything else that was going on. 

 

A vampire smashed into the temple doors, mercifully disrupting the conversation for the time being as they were forced to retreat. 

 

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The relief Jason felt when Merwin dug his heels in and refused to come with them when he realized what was going on with him made Jason feel almost as much guilt as having to kill Merwin himself, but he was still thankful for things turning out that way. Just about anything was better than having to literally pull the trigger on his friends. 

 

“Give ‘em hell, buddy,” was all he could bring himself to say before the door closed.    

 

The sacrifice chamber was… better without Clarice there and infected, at least. Dar still died after finally deciding to help. Typical. But Jason was pretty sure he was the only casualty in the room itself this time. 

 

He managed to dodge the vampire that always tried to drag him away, so he caught glimpses of Eric saving Nick from the ancient human vampire, Salim shooting a vampire that was about to tackle Rachel, and then Rachel going back for Eric when he was in trouble. 

 

Eric had made it out because of that, Jason knew for sure, so that was all that really mattered. Which sounded horrible, but that was the way things were this time. If Rachel got infected again, it was all the more incentive for him. 

 

…Wow, and that sounded really horrible. But it was still true. 

 

Jason retreated to where he knew Salim would be, keeping an eye out along the way. He’d never left Merwin behind there before, and the last thing he needed was a nice surprise like another ambush from him once the parasite finished taking him over. 

 

…And speaking of ambushes, this hallway had only ever been empty when Salim had ambushed him. 

 

“Salim?” Jason called as he advanced cautiously. 

 

Surely he’d made it out? There’d been less threats in that room compared to almost all the times he had before– 

 

“...Hello.” 

 

Jason side-eyed Salim, who was standing in the same shadowy spot he’d ambushed Jason from in the past. 

 

“...Hi?” Jason answered in kind. “What are you doin’?”

 

“...Hiding. It’s proved useful today.” 

 

Jason shook his head. “Fair enough. You wanna keep hidin’, or join me in gettin’ the hell out of here?”  

 

Salim sighed, gesturing ahead of them. “After you, Lieutenant Kolchek.”

 

Jason almost shuddered at the absolute wrongness of Salim addressing him by his rank and last name. “The hell you callin’ me that for?” 

 

Salim blinked. “...Is it not your name? It’s what your Colonel called you.” 

 

“...I mean it is, but…” Jason sighed. It wasn’t technically wrong, but just no. “Just call me Jason.”  

 

“...Okay.” 

 

“...Cool,” Jason said awkwardly. 

 

Salim tilted his head. “How is it you know my name?” 

 

Oh, he’d been waiting for this one. No repeating himself. 

 

“Eric mentioned it at one point.”

 

Finally. Now that Nick wasn’t even here.

 

“Ahh, yes. Eric. Your Colonel.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Salim gave a fake smile. “We never properly introduced ourselves.” 

 

Shiiiiiit. He’d never given Eric his name. Which meant Salim knew he was bullshitting. He really was having the worst luck selling his lies this loop, dammit. 

 

“Speaking of the Colonel, you see if anyone else made it out?” Jason tried to change the topic. 

 

Salim looked unamused, but answered anyway. “It all happened so fast. I think it might just be you and me.” 

 

Jason clicked his tongue. “Then let’s get goin’ before it’s the vampires and nobody.”

 

Salim hummed, still watching him suspiciously.    

 

Oh, whatever. Jason was just about done caring for this loop. 

 

What was Salim going to do? Actually guess that Jason was in a time loop just because he knew his name? Hell, he was welcome to figure it out. Then Jason would actually have someone to talk to.    

 

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Salim didn’t pester him much after that for a while. It was more business as usual all the way to the elevator. They talked, yeah, but not about names. Salim asked him about his hat. His reason for fighting. His home. 

 

Easy questions to answer, even if Jason was so, so very tired. 

 

Salim’s presence just made him feel more at ease. 

 

The irony of that given how he started this day for the first time didn’t escape him, but that was how things were now. 

 

For all his tampering with relationships and events, Salim was… Salim. He was steady. Reliable. Especially this time around, when there’d been virtually no conflict between them. 

 

It was something Jason both needed and appreciated greatly. 

 

Unfortunately, though, the extended amount of safety and relaxation he was feeling also seemed to make his body think now was a good time for a minor adrenaline crash. 

 

It was not a good time at all . He and Salim had just reached the platform outside the elevator area that overlooked most of the massive vampire cavern. 

 

Salim started his lamenting theory about them being judged, and Jason swallowed. The thought had popped into his head more than a few times since the first time he’d heard Salim suggest it.

 

“...You might be onto somethin' with that,” Jason admitted to him. 

 

He felt bad that Salim looked even more depressed after that. 

 

“Are you a religious man, Jason?” Salim wondered instead of moving on to speaking about his son for once. 

 

Jason gave a faint nod. “I am. But I’d be lyin’ if I said that was a comfort more than it scared me right now. Cause if what I'm goin’ through right now is judgement…” Jason shook his head. “I have a hell of a way to go, and I don’t know if I can take much more.”  

 

“Your conscience is not a clear one then?” Salim asked gently. 

 

Salim had asked that question a slightly different way a number of times, and Jason had always found a way to avoid really answering. Not this time, though. 

 

“Clear? No. No, Salim, I haven’t glimpsed a clear conscience since…” He trailed off, taking a shaky breath before he continued. 

 

He told him. He told Salim about the checkpoint. That poor woman. Her simple bag of groceries. The damned headphones she’d had on. He even opened up about his past, admitting shit about himself he’d been too much of a coward to even tell Nick. 

 

And somehow… Salim didn’t look down on him for any of it. Hell, he tried to console him after Jason confessed to not even knowing what he was doing here. 

 

“You’re serving your country,” Salim assured. 

 

“Servin’? I’m failin’ you all.” Jason gave a bitter laugh. “Shit, man… If I have to pay for what happened to that woman, fine. But if this is judgement for that, none of you should have to be here sufferin’ with me. Least of all you.” Jason ran a hand over his face. “You should be home! Watchin’ Zain blow out his birthday candles or some shit before he heads off to school!”

 

Salim went completely quiet. 

 

Jason rubbed his eyes before dropping his hand. 

 

He wasn’t surprised to find Salim staring at him in shock. 

 

To hell with it. In for a penny… 

 

“I’m stuck, Salim.” Jason flopped his hands at his side. “I keep relivin’ this damned day in these shithole caves over and over and over, but no matter what I do, I keep losin’ you all!” He didn’t even care if Salim thought he was crazy at this point. He just needed to get it out. “ That’s how I knew your name when you hadn’t told any of us. It’s how I know that your son’s name is Zain, that it’s his eighteen birthday today, that he’s headed to London for university, that he’s got trophies on his dresser for bein’ a chess wiz, and that you couldn’t be prouder of him even though you wish he’d stop stealin’ shit. Because you’ve told me. Just not this time around.”

 

Jason let his shoulders slump a bit as he finally ran out of words. What now? Was Salim going to call him crazy and run off to take his own chances? Jason wouldn’t blame him, honestly. 

 

“...I believe you.”

 

Notes:

Salim has come to join the fun! :D

Chapter 17: Day 28 Pt.3

 

“...You serious?” Was the smartest thing Jason could think of to say in reply to Salim accepting time loops .

 

Salim seemed to think about it for another moment, but then he gave a firm nod. “Yes. I believe you, Jason. What can I do to help?”

 

Jason could have used some help picking up his jaw off the floor, for starters. Or a tissue to use on the tears of sheer relief he felt like collapsing into. 

 

Jason cleared his throat. “...Can you just stand there for a sec?” 

 

“...Yes?” Salim asked with a light, confused frown. 

 

“I’m just gonna… Yeah.” Jason threw his arms around Salim in a cross-armed hug, clinging to him far more desperately than he cared to admit. 

 

“Oh… Okay…” Salim awkwardly patted his back. 

 

Jason just laughed. Actually laughed genuinely for the first time in he didn’t know how long. “Brother… you have no idea how good it is to hear those words.” 

 

 “Jason…” Salim pulled away from him, scanning his face with another, more concerned frown. “How long have you been stuck in this day?”

 

Jason hesitated, thinking about it. “It’s… hard to keep track. I think around thirty times?”

 

Salim blanched. “ Thirty days of this hell?”

 

Jason gave a shaky nod. “Sorta. Some of them were a lot shorter since I got myself killed and that resets everythin’.”

 

 It was only after Salim’s face dropped that Jason realized just how horrifying that statement was to someone not used to the process. 

 

“...You’ve been killed by those things thirty times? And you remember your deaths?”

 

Jason gave a humorless smile. “Every damn one of them.”  

 

“I cannot imagine…” Salim shook his head. “If you know all that’s going to happen, what is holding you back?” 

 

Jason checked his watch, then jerked his chin at the path ahead. “Let’s walk and talk. We need to be somewhere in a bit.” 

 

Technically, they could have just waited for the others here since they’d have to come by, but that music room was a real nice safe area.

 

Salim followed him, and Jason got to work explaining how shifting one event tended to change everything else and open up new threats, and how he had to carefully pick the right things to say since dealing with the people was more unpredictable than vampires themselves. 

 

And then of course he got to the parasites. 

 

“Those damned worms are the real threats. Whatever kind of species those bats were, they’re just as much victims as us.” 

 

Salim had found that fascinating, asking several questions before Jason was able to steer the conversation back on track to his real problem keeping him from getting everyone out alive. 

 

“There’s no way to get everyone to the temple alive without some of them getting infected. Merwin just dies to his injuries, and Rachel never makes it back if Clarice ain’t there to save her.” Jason stopped to help Salim down to his level as they progressed. “But I can’t for the life of me figure out the damned cure to save them once they’re infected.”

 

“You seem certain that there is one, though?” Salim noted. 

 

“Oh, I damn well know there is,” Jason growled, frustrated. “Eric insisted on stayin’ behind to buy us time when he was infected. Showed up later lookin’ right as rain, but I died before I could get out of him what the hell he’d done. Ever since then I’ve been trying to keep him alive long enough to figure it out again, but everything seems dead set on killin’ him before he can.” 

 

“Perhaps there is something I could do? So you don’t have to try and manage everything yourself?” Salim suggested. 

 

Jason paused walking, trying not to let the feeling of crippling loneliness that was creeping up his spine overtake him. “Salim… That would be great and all, but you ain’t gonna remember any of this next time.” 

 

“I recognize that,” Salim said. “But you convinced me once. Perhaps you can do it again, but earlier so I can be of more use?”

 

“Maybe? I don’t know if I’d have the time, though. I have so many places I gotta be at specific times to make sure things go right.” Jason glanced up, grimacing at the fossilized vampire they were passing. “ Don’t touch that, by the way.”  

 

Salim made a face. “...Why would I touch it? Why would anyone? ” 

 

Jason sighed. 

 

“... You touched it, didn’t you?”

 

“ No, ” Jason lied defensively. “...Yes. Shut up.”

 

Salim snorted. 

 

Jason kept venting his issues all the way to the cocoons – with a brief break to address the cocoon guy with half a head – before he was then forced to be quiet. Yeah, Salim wouldn’t remember any of this next time, but it was just so nice to be able to talk to someone about everything that he didn’t even care. He’d take what little time he could get. 

 

“My friend…” Salim said nervously as vampires started to hatch and surround them. “I don’t mean to doubt your knowledge, but…”

 

“Wait for it,” Jason said. If they’d timed things right…

 

Yep, there was Nick. He blasted the vampire that was about to attack them, and then they all crawled into the music room. 

 

All four of them. 

 

Shit.

 

“Where’s the Colonel?” Jason demanded once they were all inside. 

 

The flash of sorrow on Rachel and the guilt on Nick’s face made Jason’s stomach drop. He swore, far louder than he should have given that they were supposed to be hiding. 

 

“The hell happened?” Jason couldn’t stop the harshness of his tone, and Nick actually flinched. 

 

Why did Eric have to be so damned hard to keep alive? Nick and Rachel always made it here if they survived the attack on the temple. How did having another armed person make them do worse?

 

“It was my fault,” Nick admitted subduedly. “He died saving me…”

 

Perfect. Just perfect. 

 

So Jason had shot Clarice right in the damn face for nothing. He was not one step closer to having a cure for the parasites or keeping Eric himself alive. 

 

Jason swore again. Repeatedly. And then he slammed his fist into the table they usually set their remaining ammo on to count it. 

 

“ Jason, ” Salim said gently. “That much noise may attract unwanted attention.”

 

“What does it matter?” Jason snapped, but then immediately felt bad about it. None of this was Salim’s fault. 

 

“ Hey, ” Rachel said, and Jason could feel her scowling at the back of his head. “You want to pull it together, Marine?” 

 

Jason took a breath, straightening up and turning around with his temper back in check. “Ma’am.” 

 

He still had a lot he could learn about everything past this point in the loop, and he couldn’t have her doubting him because in her eyes she’d seen him fall to pieces over the death of her husband. 

 

It was just so hard to care about that right now. He had tried so very many different ways to shove Eric into figuring things out, but none of it seemed to have done a thing. None of it seemed to matter .  

 

Was this how things were doomed to be? Was the Curator right with that original number of candles? Was Jason going to have to choose between Rachel and Clarice while Merwin remained completely unsavable? 

 

No. It would be one thing if there had been no sign of a cure and infection was truly a guaranteed death, but he knew it wasn’t. And he couldn’t call quits when he knew that cure was out there. 

 

But how many loops would they all have to suffer for him to find it? 

 

Shit, why couldn’t this time loop thing have picked someone smarter than him? Salim or Eric probably would have figured everything out by now. But they didn’t get this job. He did. And they were all counting on him, whether they knew it and he liked it or not. 

 

The music room events returned to… well, what Jason supposed was about normal compared to the other runs. Inventory went as usual. They’d probably have just enough to get to the surface if they played things right. If they even made it that far. 

 

Rachel protested to giving Salim a gun again, but Jason was ready for that one this time. 

 

“I’m not gonna allow him to carry a pistol.”

 

“ Eric trusted him enough to leave him armed.”

 

Yeah that shut her up real quick. 

 

Salim having the knowledge Jason had told him didn’t keep him from messing around with the books and music device thing. Nick still took inventory on what weapons and ammo they had left. Annnnd Rachel still looked more and more like death as the seconds ticked by, so she was definitely infected again. 

 

Jason made a minute note to stand in front of the white phosphorus in a few minutes. But not just now. For now he was free to wander as needed. 

 

Seeing as Salim had his nose buried in a book, Jason found himself by Nick. Which normally wouldn’t have been a bad thing except… Yeah, this wasn’t the best loop for their friendship. But maybe this was the time to fix that. 

 

“How you holdin’ up, Nicky?” Jason said, trying to seem interested but not like he was forcing the conversation. Which he really was because he honestly did not feel like talking to anyone but Salim right now. Talking with anyone else had just become exhausting at this point since it felt more like a chess game than a natural conversation, and Salim would be back to the same way next loop.  

 

Nick gave him a side eye. “I’d be better if my best friend and Lieutenant would quit lying to me.” 

 

Jason coughed. “...Just callin’ me out, huh?” 

 

“Yeah, I am.” Nick set down a magazine on the table far harder than necessary. “I don’t know what the hell’s goin’ on with you since we got down here, but you got a hell of a lot of nerve to be lecturing me on staying focused. You’re a mess.” 

 

…The hell was he even supposed to say to that? 

 

“...Nick, I–”

 

“Jason, I swear if you are about to feed me another lie, you can save your damn breath. I know you too good, and it’s just gonna piss me off more.” 

 

Jason sighed raggedly. “I’m sorry, Nicky.” 

 

That didn’t seem to pacify him, but he didn’t seem more pissed off either.  

 

Nick set down another magazine, softer this time. Then he paused his work to really look at Jason. “Is this about the checkpoint?” 

 

“...Partially,” Jason admitted. Watching his brothers die repeatedly and dying himself were hitting him way more mentally, but the checkpoint was still never far from his thoughts no matter how much he tried to bury it. 

 

“I knew it.” Nick nodded. “I knew that got to you more than you were letting on.” 

 

“Yeah… You’re right,” Jason admitted. “You do know me better than I like to admit sometimes.” 

 

“So, why the lies?” Nick crossed his arms, leaning against the table. “I mean what you said about Rachel and Clarice…”

 

Okay. Time to bend the truth and not slip up with that damned tell of his this time. And also time to be a bit of an asshole. 

 

“You want me to be honest, Nick? Yeah, I was upset when we thought we lost Rachel too, but I wasn’t sorry for the two of you, because I knew it wasn’t gonna last and you’d end up hurt anyway.” 

 

Nick’s scowl got deeper. “You didn’t know anything about us.”

 

“But I know the two of you in general.” Jason pointed out. “And I also know it’s a lot easier to walk away from somethin’ when you have distance from it. She and Eric weren’t as done as she claimed. Buddy, you lost her the second he walked back in the room.” 

 

Jason mentally prepared himself for Nick lashing out of him, but surprisingly it didn’t happen. Nick dropped his gaze to the floor. “...I guess you’re right.”

 

Jason picked hard at that. “What?”

 

“What do you mean what?”

 

“Sorry, I just…” Jason shook his head. “I wasn’t expectin’ you to agree.” 

 

Nick looked about as depressed as Jason felt, which was saying something. “I dropped her off a cliff earlier and just got her husband killed. I don’t think what I was hoping for with us is really in cards anymore.”

 

Jason winced. “Don’t go blamin’ yourself for that shit, Nicky. You hadn’t cut that rope then Eric would’ve been dead that much sooner.”

 

Nick shook his head. “What about Clarice? Man, you didn’t even hesitate.” 

 

Well there was an obvious topic shift, but Jason couldn’t really back out of it, no matter how much he wanted to. Clarice was the last thing on the planet he wanted to talk about right now. 

 

“Weren’t you yellin’ at Rachel about bringing her in the first place?” Jason deflected. 

 

“That’s is hell of a lot different than pulling the trigger–“

 

“Jason,” Salim called from the other side of the room. “You may want to take a look at this.” 

 

Once again, bless that man. 

 

Jason gave Nick a last look. “We’ll finish this later.”

 

“Uh-huh. Sure,” Nick said, clearly unhappy still, but not as much as before. 

 

Jason wasted no time in crossing the room to Salim’s side. “You actually need somethin’, or were you just savin’ me from that conversation?”

 

Salim chuckled. “Why not both?”

 

“Both works for me.” Jason looked at the papers in his hands. “Whatchu find?” 

 

“Records of how the parasites work.” Salim held up a specific paper so Jason could see. “Nothing about a cure, but something you should know. Those things… they feed on adrenaline – on fear. Work faster when the host is afraid.” 

 

“You shittin’ me?” Jason snagged the paper. 

 

“No,” Salim said. “I don’t know if that information will be of any use to you, but…” 

 

“Oh, it sure as hell is,” Jason confirmed. “Explains a lot, actually. I wondered why I turned slower than anyone else. I knew what was goin’ on and that I’d pop back to life. And Clarice… She gets dragged down alone into a pitch black pit filled with blood and bodies. Of course she’d be terrified and runnin’ on adrenaline until Rachel showed up, even without a worm shoved into her damn guts.” 

 

“ You were infected?” Salim asked.

 

Oh, yeah. Jason supposed he hadn’t mentioned that. 

 

Jason grunted. “Yeah, word of advice there: if we can’t find a cure and it happens to you, take the bullet. It is a shit way to go, and I didn’t even ride it out fully. Thanks for that by the way. I know you don’t remember, but I damn well appreciated it.”

 

That look of mild disturbance was back on Salim’s face, and Jason was once again reminded what an absolute horror movie his life had become. He really had just gotten so used to everything he didn’t register what nightmare some of it was anymore. 

 

“Really, don’t feel bad,” Jason continued. “I was on the edge of turnin’, and I asked you to. It was gonna be either you or Clarice.”

 

“Why exactly was Clarice with your people?” Salim asked. “She is no soldier.”

 

Jason snorted. “No, she’s not but she’d make a fine one. Got the better of your Captain on more than one occasion.” 

 

Salim’s eyebrows raised. “You are serious?”

 

“Yep. Never even knew what hit him.” Jason smirked at the memory, but the amusement faded quickly as her lifeless, infected face with a hole in it flashed into his mind. “She’s actually a doctor. Works on Eric’s science shit with him.”  

 

Salime frowned slightly. “...Somehow that seems to fit her even less than being a soldier.”

 

Jason cracked another brief smile at that. “Yeah, she don’t exactly look the part. She’s amazin’, though. The shit I’ve seen her step up and do.” He swallowed. “I’ve got to find a way to get her and Merwin out of here.”

 

Salim gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’ll keep looking to see if I can find more.”

 

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Jason put himself right in front of the white phosphorus again. Rachel keeled over in pain. Jason was the one to suggest the cocoon this time, and, boy, he was never doing that again when he and Nick were on shaky terms. He was nasty protective of Rachel after what happened with Clarice, spitting out some accusations that Jason couldn’t even deny actual hurt. Eventually though – with Salim’s backing and Rachel preferring it to a bullet – Nick came around on the cocoon idea, and then the three of them left moved on to planting the charges.

 

Salim glanced at Jason in silent question, but Jason gave a very subtle shake of his head. 

 

“You are sure about this?” Salim asked once Nick was out of earshot. 

 

Jason gave a firm nod. “He’s always made it back before. I’m not tryin’ to mess with the few things that have actually gone well. Don’t worry about bein’ lookout either. I got it memorized.” 

 

Salim hummed in agreement. 

 

“Listen, Salim…” Jason looked down. Salim was more understanding than most, but this was a lot. “I… Look, I know there’s nothin’ you want more than to get back to Zain, but… even if this goes off without a hitch and we make it out, I still gotta reset. I can’t leave the others here.”

 

Salim didn’t get mad at him. He just gave Jason another look of pity. “I understand, my friend. I have faith that you will find a way to get us through.” 

 

It was astounding that Salim had so much faith in him. How had rambling out his shitty past and failures resulted in this? 

 

Salim frowned suddenly. “...When you say reset–”

 

Jason grabbed his radio. “Head to the right when you hit that split, Nick.” 

 

“ Copy. ”

 

“Jason,” Salim said seriously. “You said the loop resets when you die. How do you plan on making it reset if things go well for us?” 

 

Jason stared at the area below even though he didn’t need to keep an eye out. “...I’ve done a lot worse at this point, Salim. I’ll do what I have to. Whatever it takes to get the rest of you all out of here.” 

 

He really didn’t want to talk about that. He’d cross that bridge if he got to it. So far, he’d never needed to. 

 

Nick finished planting the charges and began heading back, thankfully putting an end to what had abruptly become a very awkward silence between Jason and Salim. 

 

Jason held up the detonator. “When we haul ass, try to stay close. If you get separated from us, it won’t end well.”

 

Salim gave him a firm nod. Which made him getting separated less than a minute later all the more frustrating. 

 

Having learned from his mistake of trying to double back too early, Jason made sure to get Nick to the overlooking platform before he looked back to find Salim. Same place as before. 

 

“Dammit, Salim.” Jason muttered, starting to quickly head back that way. He’d been too late before. He didn’t want to waste time talking things over again– 

 

Nick cut in front of him, placing a stalling hand on his chest. “Jason, what are you doing? We go back down there, we die with him!” 

 

Jason swatted the hand off. “I ain’t leavin’ without him. He’s helped us get this far. Semper Fi, brother. We don’t leave our own behind.”

 

Nick looked baffled. “Since when is he one of us?”

 

It was only at that moment that Jason remembered that Nick had had basically no interaction with Salim this time around.  

 

“Since I fought vampires with him!” Jason snapped. “You go if you want. I’m not leavin’ anyone else.” He grabbed his radio as he moved again, leaving Nick where he was. “Hang tight, Salim. I’m on my way.” 

 

“ ...I am sorry. I tried to stay close. It just happened so fast– ”

 

“It’s okay,” Jason dismissed. “I’ll be there soon.”

 

This time, it was soon enough. 

 

Salim may have been in trouble when he got there, but he wasn’t out of the fight yet. 

 

Jason fired away. Salim stabbed another vampire to death with his stupid stick-pipe. And Salim grinned as though he was having the time of his life. 

 

“Come to join the fun?” he asked Jason as they ended up next to each other in the fight. 

 

Jason didn’t get to give much of an answer as the vampires attacked again. He did, however, get the nice surprise of Salim saving his life by hurling that damn stick right over his head and into a vampire’s chest, though. 

 

“Did you seriously just throw that thing at me?” Jason asked incredulously as Salim retrieved the weapon from the vampire’s corpse. 

 

“I did.” Salim gave him another smile and laughed hard. 

 

Jason couldn’t help but grin in return. 

 

It was that simple. Saving Salim from this point was as easy as just getting there a little earlier.  

 

Jason clapped him on the shoulder as they started to run together. “Welcome to the first time you made it out of here!” 

 

Nick was most likely fine. They just had to get to him and then get to the elevator. 

 

“I’ll take your word for it– Jason! ”

 

Salim rammed into him, knocking him to the ground and–

 

Jason only heard the slightest gasp from Salim as he crumbled next to him. 

 

No. What? No.

 

“Salim!” Jason shoved himself up on his elbows, staring at the body but the sight not quite sinking in for a moment. 

 

Salim was dead. Probably had been before he hit the ground because there was a massive damn spear going straight through his back that now had him pinned to the floor. 

 

Jason let out a muffled cry of rage, seeking the source of the spear. It didn’t take long. That damned ancient human vampire was running right at him. 

 

…So this was how he’d died the loop when Eric had been about to tell him about the parasite cure. He hoped it had been as painless for Salim as it had been for him.

 

Jason couldn’t bring himself to get moving again as the ancient vampire drew near. 

 

What was the point? Why keep fighting now? He and Nick would make it to the surface and then likely get mauled to pieces. 

 

Jason just glared up at the ancient vampire as he pulled the spear out of Salim’s body and turned to him instead. 

 

Jason glared. “Finish it, you–”

 

He didn’t even get to finish his sentence as the spear was driven into his chest.

Notes:

There there, Jason... Wherever will he go from here?

Chapter 18: The Repository (4)

Notes:

BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO DROPPING THIS ONE FOR A LONG TIME

There was no jarring fall. No dust in his lungs or sunlight breaking through the cracks in the ceiling. Jason was in darkness still, but it was a different kind of darkness than that of the hellish caves to which he’d become so accustomed. The pitter patter of a gentle rainstorm reached his ears at the same time he felt the soft heat of candlelight on his face.

 

Jason took a slow breath as he opened his eyes to the repository. He wouldn’t deny that the place had been eerie as hell the first couple of visits, but was growing on him. At least it was a break from things trying to kill him for a few minutes while he talked to the Curator.

 

…Except where the hell was the Curator? 

 

Jason sat up straighter in his chair, craning his neck to look around the room. 

 

“…Hello?”

 

Nothing. The room was poorly lit given that there was only one candle burning on the desk, but it wasn’t so dark that the Curator could be hiding in the shadows. 

 

Jason tentatively stood, wandering around for a minute or two and looking over everything he’d never had the time to notice before. 

 

Books. Paintings. Old movie projector. More books. Seriously, this was an absurd amount of books. There was a second level in the room that just led up to more shelves of books. Jason may not have been a reader, but this seemed excessive for even someone who was.

 

Did the Curator sit here and read all day? Honestly, that fit with what Jason knew about him. Which was very little.

 

Jason peered out the window, hoping to get some clue about the place’s location, but the storm was too heavy for him to make much out.

 

…Where was the guy? 

 

Jason eyed the door’s one room. The Curator didn’t strike him as careless. Why would he leave him unsupervised? 

 

Jason drifted over to the door without really thinking about it, slowly taking hold of the handle. Maybe he could blame being able to come back to life for making him lose any basic sense of self preservation, or maybe it was just his curiosity getting the better of him, but he barely hesitated before pulling down.

 

“What the hell…” Jason breathed, his eyes wide. 

 

And here he thought fighting alien vampire bats in a time loop was going to be the strangest thing he’d ever experience.

 

The hallway before him seemed to stretch on for ages, and just about every inch of it was decorated by frames. Like, painting frames, except the inside of them was moving – showing scenes like the clearest TV Jason had ever seen.

 

It was almost too much to look at. Too much movement at once. And the noise. They were all giving off low sound too. Mostly people talking, but it was hard to pick anything out anything specific with so many going at once.

 

The door closed behind Jason, startling him more than he cared to admit. 

 

He huffed in irritation and turned his attention back to frames, checking one after another. 

 

There were astronauts... Some woman in a sealed room with a glass window on the door… A man running on a fog-filled, run down old bridge…

 

All seemed to be showing events from places in different years. They all had something in common, though: every last one of them looked and sounded terrified. 

 

“This is Thomas Carter. Something is wrong with–”

 

“Hurry up! It’s another trap!” 

 

“I’m coming back for you, John! Hold on!”

 

“He’s breathing down our necks!”

 

“Leave me! Get out of here with the others!” 

 

“ This is my don’t be scared song… sing it and I won’t be scared long… ” 

 

Oh, hell no. 

 

Jason shivered as a chill rushed up his spine, and he backed towards the door he’d come from. 

 

He’d called his life a nightmare being stuck in the worst day of it, but this felt like a literal nightmare. So much disjointed terror and panic all around him. 

 

Nah, he was done with this. He turned around, walking straight back towards the door. He was going right back to the other room to wait on the Curator. 

 

“I don’t want to die!”

 

“Mayday! Mayday! This is the SS Ourang Medan–” 

 

Jason halted, his head snapping around. 

 

Which frame had that come from?

 

The Ourang Medan… Surely he’d heard that incorrectly?

 

Jason started checking over the frames again, grimacing as he passed by one with a woman getting crushed by some sort of glass wall. 

 

“Hey, Chuck… You see that kid over there?”

 

Jason swore, jerking back from one of the frames as he saw his own face in it. 

 

Wait, no… It wasn’t his own face. It was just eerily similar. 

 

So he had heard correctly. This frame was showing the SS Ourang Medan. In 1947. 

 

“...Well, hey there, Gramps…” 

 

It had been mentioned a couple times that he looked like his grandfather, but those blurry old photos didn’t quite show off the uncanny amount of resemblance like… whatever this was. 

 

Jason leaned in closer as he watched his grandfather cautiously move down the ship hallways. He was armed, but not in full military uniform. Like he’d been pulled into a crisis without even being able to get fully geared up. 

 

“What happened to you?” Jason brought a hand up, leaning on the wall between frames to squint at the scene as close as possible with how dark it was. 

 

The story had always been that the whole ship his grandfather was on went missing. His grandmother had raised his father alone from a real young age. 

 

Judging by the bodies strewn about the ship and the way all the other scenes around were going, Jason had a feeling he might be about to see the answer to that mystery.  

 

Sure enough, things did not go well. 

 

“...What the hell? ” Jason wondered as he watched his grandfather get shanked by a child zombie with a knife. 

 

The picture seemed to pan away from his grandfather after he took his last breaths, and Jason swallowed. 

 

“Is this how you’ve been keepin’ track of me?” Jason muttered under his breath. 

 

Did the Curator watch everything in these frames like a damn movie?

 

No… Jason had seen him in the caves before. This was something else. 

 

Jason shook his head, dropping his hand from the wall. His fingers brushed the frame slightly, and he stared with renewed interest as the surface rippled, then cleared to show an entirely different ship at a dock. 

 

“Um, helloooooo?” Jason whipped around to face the door he’d come from as it cracked open and some guy with darker blond hair poked his head through. “Creepy Curator guy? Oh! You’re not…”     

 

“Who the hell are you?” Jason asked. He’d just been in that room. Not that Jason had any idea how people arriving here worked. Hell, he hadn’t even thought about people being here other than him and the Curator until just now. 

 

“...You know, I could ask you the same.” The man stepped fully into the hallway. “But I won’t because I’m polite.” He pressed a hand over the center of his floral-print shirt. “Name’s Conrad.”

 

“...Jason.” Jason looked the man over, noting that he seemed to be dressed for the beach or something similar. 

 

“Cool. Cool cool.” Conrad stuck his hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts. “You, ah, here for some… reruns too?”

 

Well, he’d be damned… The Curator had said Jason wasn’t the only one to go through something like this, but he hadn’t expected to meet any of the others. 

 

“You mean am I stuck in a time loop?” Jason said flatly. 

 

Conrad scratched the back of his head. “See, I thought if I led with that and you weren’t, then you’d think I was nuts.”

 

Jason sorted. “You seen where we are?” 

 

“...Valid point.” Conrad jumped a little as one of the frames near him gave off a scream. “I haven’t been out here before, though. Usually that Curator guy and I just chat in the other room.”

 

Jason nodded. “Same here.”

 

“So, you haven’t seen him either since you got here?” 

 

“Nope.”

 

“Huh. Weird.” He grimaced at the events of another frame, which was currently showing–

 

Rachel. It was showing Rachel as she got impaled to a wall by another spear that ancient human vampire had thrown. 

 

“What is this place?” Conrad turned in a circle. 

 

Jason sighed tiredly. “I don’t know. Real events, I think.” 

 

“That’s my sister!” Conrad pointed at the frame Jason had been looking at before, only now it was following a blonde woman messing with some scuba gear.

 

“I think I saw my grandfather in this one a minute ago,” Jason said. “I hope things go better for her than they did for him.” 

 

Conrad barked out a bitter-sounding laugh. “Yeah, maybe they will if I can figure out how to keep her alive.” He ran both hands through his hair. 

 

   “Shit, I feel you on that.” Jason supposed at least he wasn’t having to watch his family die repeatedly. “So, what are you up against?”

 

Conrad let out a long puff of air that flapped his lips for a few seconds. “Murderous pirates and some hallucination-causing gas that keeps making my friends kill each other if it doesn’t make them have a heart attack first.” 

 

“...Fun.”

 

“Totally.” Conrad snorted. “What about you?” 

 

“Human-sized alien bats turned into vampires by alien worm parasites.”

 

Conrad stared at him. “...You’re messing with me, right?”

 

“Buddy, I wish I was,” Jason said honestly. 

 

“Wow. Okay, I’ll stick with my pirates.”

 

“How many loops in are you?” Jason asked. If he had to guess, he’d say Conrad hadn’t been at things as long as him. Or maybe he was just a more upbeat person.   

 

Conrad gave a short of half shrug. “Maybe like thirteen?” 

 

Jason remembered when he’d thought that was a lot. And now he was more than double that. 

 

“...Okay, now you gotta return the favor.” Conrad crossed his arms, giving Jason an expectant look. 

 

“I’m not sure you wanna know.”

 

“...Well now I really wanna know.” 

 

“Fine. Twenty-nine times through the day total. Twenty-eight repeats.” 

 

“Shit, I’m sorry I asked.”

 

Jason found himself chuckling. This Conrad guy was no Salim, but it was nice to talk to someone else that got it.

 

The humor didn’t last long though. 

 

“Bein’ honest, I’m startin’ to wonder if mine isn’t a lost cause for some of the people I’m tryin’ to save,” he confessed.  

 

“Aw, come on, man. You can’t think like that,” Conrad said. 

 

“I ain’t quittin’. I’m just… runnin’ out of ideas.” 

 

Repeating the loop where Eric had maybe figured out the cure to the parasite was… it was the only idea he had left in regards to saving Merwin and Clarice or Rachel. If that didn’t lead them anywhere… He didn’t even want to think about it, but he had to.  

 

It was almost easier to think about Merwin than Rachel and Clarice. With him it was a done deal if Jason couldn’t find a cure. But the other two… To have to choose between their lives…

 

How was he supposed to live with whatever choice he made? Especially if he knew there was a cure out there somewhere and he was just too dense to find it. 

 

“Wishing whatever caused this had picked someone smarter than you for the job?” Conrad said.

 

“Oh, damn straight I am.” Jason wasn’t going to deny that at all. 

 

“I relate to that so hard.” Conrad jerked his chin at the frame. “Any one of them would have been a better choice.” 

 

Jason blinked hard at the faces that were there now. “The hell…” 

 

At a glance, Jason could almost have thought one of them was Nick. 

 

“What?” Conrad asked. 

 

Jason shook his head. “Nothin’. He just looks a bit like a friend of mine.”

 

“Who, Alex? Or Brad?”

 

…Okay, that couldn’t be a coincidence. 

 

“Alex and–” Jason stepped closer to the frame, looking over both men. “They brothers?”

 

“Uh, yeah.” 

 

“What’s their last name?” 

 

“Uhhh, Smith, I think?” 

 

“Well, son of a bitch…” Jason muttered. He eyed Conrad as he thought about the implications of the connections he was making. “What year is it for you?” 

 

“2019.” Conrad eyebrows lifted. “Is it not for you?”

 

Jason shook his head. “2003.” 

 

“...Oh. Wow.” Conrad went silent for a second, then he laughed. “Every time I think this all can’t get any weirder. So, how do you know Brad and Alex? Wouldn’t they be little kids?” 

 

“Yeah, they are.” Jason confirmed. The math checked out. Alex and Brad Smith. Nick had a picture of those kids in his wallet. “Their uncle is part of my squad. One of the ones I’m tryin’ to save.”

 

“Your squad?” Conrad repeated. “Like, military?”    

 

“Yeah. Marines.” 

 

Conrad’s expression twisted unpleasantly. 

 

“You got something against Marines?” Jason asked. 

 

“Normally? Nah. Right now?” He pressed a hand to his side. “I got a bone to pick with the military in general. We managed to call them and ask for help to get off the damn ship we were stuck on, but when they showed up they shot me and my girlfriend on sight. Or, I think Fliss is my girlfriend, anyway. We haven’t really had time to talk about labels. Anyway, yeah. First time I’d managed to get anyone else out alive, and just…” Conrad trailed off before mimicking a machine gun sound. “Dead again.” 

 

Jason scowled. “Well, their boss is corrupt as shit. And them too, if I’m bein’ honest. What’s the story with the ship?”

 

Conrad pursed his lips. “Still trying to piece all that together, honestly. World War II freighter filled with gas that makes you see freaky shit. Think the name was like–”

 

“The Ourang Medan?” Jason filled in. 

 

“Yeah! That’s it. How’d you know?”

 

Jason clicked his tongue. “My grandfather was on that ship when it went missin’.”

 

“Oh. Uh.” Conrad grimaced. “Hate to tell you this, buddy, but that did not go well for him or anyone else aboard.”

 

That was an understatement. Although now that he was listening to what Conrad was telling him, maybe his grandfather hadn’t been shanked by a zombie child. Maybe that was the hallucinogenic shit at work.

 

“Sounds to me like you’re dealin’ with a coverup,” Jason noted. “You said you called for help. You give them the name of the ship?” 

 

“Uh, yeah! Yeah, I think Fliss did,” Conrad said.  

 

“Don’t do that next time,” Jason advised. “The name probably tipped off the wrong people.”

 

 Conrad nodded seriously. “Got it. Thanks, man! Got anything going on with you I can help out with?”

 

Jason crossed his arms with a faint smile. “Depends. You got a degree in alien parasite biology?”

 

“...Oh damn, the one class I failed in highschool.” 

 

“Yeah, I figured not…” 

 

“No, you know what you really need?” Conrad said thoughtfully. “Nice little bit of frosty amber liquid to lift your spirits.” 

 

Jason snorted. “Man, I would fight a hundred vampires for beer right now…” 

 

Conrad laughed. “Wish I could share with you, man.”

 

“What?” Jason demanded. “Your time loop has access to beer in it?”

 

“Yeah, at the start.” 

 

“Oh, this is bullshit,” Jason said crossly. “The start of my loop is me nearly breakin’ my leg, and you get beer. ” 

 

“If it helps…” Conrad was still grinning, “I can’t exactly take too much advantage of it since I need to be sober to fight pirates.”

 

Jason grunted. “Drunk me would probably do better than sober me at this point.” 

 

Drunk him probably would have initially gotten along with Salim sooner, at any rate. Hell, drunk him probably could have been friends with Dar. Apparently, drunk Jason was a stupidly peppy, weirdly affectionate dork whose accent was so thick he could barely be understood. Which his squad, of course, found absolutely hilarious. Jason was pretty sure Nick even had a video hidden somewhere as potential blackmail material– 

 

“Are we enjoying our exploration?”

 

Conrad let out a shriek that Jason would have laughed his ass off at had the Curator not also just scared the shit out of him too appearing behind them like that. 

 

“ Dude! ” Conrad pressed a hand over his heart.

 

Jason dropped his curled fist, glaring. “Are you tryin’ to get decked? Because that is how you get decked.”

 

The Curator had the audacity to smile at Jason as though he’d said something funny.  “Now, I have more faith than that in your self control.” 

 

“Uh, huh.” 

 

“Well, I see the two of you have introduced yourselves.” The Curator smiled terrifyingly. “My deepest apologies for being so tardy. I had… other business to attend to.” 

 

Jason wasn’t sure he even wanted to know what that was. 

 

He gestured to Conrad. “So, we just gonna start havin’ co-op meetings now? Share our stories?”

 

The Curator chuckled. “I’m afraid not, Lieutenant.” He gestured ever-so regally towards the door Jason and Conrad had both come from. “I’ll be returning you to your proper places, but I am so glad you two were able to become acquainted.” There was a twinkle in his eye Jason wasn’t sure what to make of. It was very… knowing. Pleased, almost.   

 

Conrad huffed out a sigh, turning to face Jason as he held out his hand. “Well man… good luck.” 

 

“Same to you.” Jason grasped his hand firmly. 

 

“You know, I’m gonna look you up when I get out of this.” Conrad shook his hand in return enthusiastically. “What was the last name?” 

 

“Kolchek,” Jason said, figuring there was no harm. “And maybe I’ll look you up first. Sounds like I’ll have the time.” 

 

“Guess we’ll see.” 

 

The Curator guided them back to the doors. “Lieutenant, if you wouldn’t mind waiting a few minutes more?” 

 

“How nice of you to ask when I don’t really have a choice,” Jason said dryly, giving a fake smile as he entered the room.  

 

The Curator ignored him. “Do make yourself comfortable. I’ll be a bit getting Conrad sorted.” 

 

And so Jason was left alone in the repository again. He didn’t know where exactly the Curator was taking Conrad if he was in here, but whatever. 

 

Jason frowned as he looked back at the spot where his chair usually was. It was gone. Replaced, actually. By a couch. 

 

…Whatever. Worked in his favor. 

 

Jason wasted no time in waltzing over to the couch and collapsing on it. A content sigh escaped his lips as he settled into the cushions. This was the only thing in the ballpark of comfort that he’d touched since all this started, and it felt amazing. 

 

The Curator could take as long as he wanted. Jason was just going to lie there for a while.  Maybe shut his eyes for a few minutes.

 

It barely took him a minute to doze off.

 

   

Notes:

:) Comments feed the mussse!

Chapter 19: The Repository (5)

Jason awoke feeling a little bleary, but better than he had in a long while. Nothing had woken him up, either. His body had just decided it was ready. He blinked several times, slowly regaining his awareness. 

 

The sound of a page turning drew his attention, and he found the Curator already settled into his chair. And it looked like he’d been there for a while given that he had one leg crossed over the other and was engrossed in the book in his hands. Jason was sure he’d noticed he was awake anyway, though.

 

Had he just let him keep sleeping?

 

Jason groaned sleepily as he pushed himself up into a sitting position and rolled his neck. “How long have you been there?” 

 

“Oh, a while,” the Curator said pleasantly.

 

“And you didn’t wake me up?” Jason wondered. 

 

The really unnerving thing was that Jason hadn’t woken up when the Curator came into the room anyway. He was a feather light sleeper since basic training. Either he’d been just that wiped out, or the Curator hadn’t made a sound. Both seem possible, honestly.

 

The Curator shrugged casually. “I wouldn’t be a good host if I deprived my guests of rest.”

 

“...Uh-huh,” Jason said. He was starting to form some theories about this guy. 

 

“So.” The Curator closed his book with a snap. “It doesn’t appear you’ve been having much more luck than the last time we spoke. Have you not found my hint helpful?”

 

“You know the answer to that.” Jason crossed his arms, dropping his head back against the couch. 

 

The Curator tsked with his tongue as he set his book on the desk. “Well, someone’s certainly become more docile. Where’s that stubborn Marine behavior to which I’ve become so accustomed?”   

 

Jason summoned up as much energy as he could to glare. “I haven’t given up…”

 

The Curator lifted an eyebrow. “I must assume that sounded more convincing in your head.” 

 

“I’m stuck, okay?” Jason brought his head up straight. “I don’t know what the hell to do! I have one idea left, and if that doesn’t work, I–” He swallowed, staring at the unlit candlesticks. “If that doesn’t work, I know I’m gonna have to start pickin’ between people.” Jason let out a shaky breath. “I don’t know what you are, but I’m just human. I shouldn’t have the power to pick who gets to live and who dies. I don’t have the right. ”  

 

The Curator said nothing for the moment, seeming content to let Jason vent his grievances. 

 

“Shit, I’m tired…” Jason leaned forward, dropping his head into his hands as he rested his elbows on his knees. 

 

“Fear tends to do that,” the Curator noted. “Drains the soul. Eats away at the body. I imagine one as brave as you isn’t used to feeling such a way.” 

 

Jason let out an empty chuckle. “You think I’m afraid of that hellhole anymore? Buddy, that ship has sailed by this point.”

 

It was pretty easy not to be scared when he knew he’d wake right back up and get to try again after death. He just dreaded how much it would hurt at this point. The pain of death wasn’t something he expected or ever even wanted to get used to.  

 

The Curator gave a chuckle in return that sounded far more entertained. “Oh, no no. I know you don’t fear the physical threats you face. That’s what you Marines are trained for, after all! But everyone feels fear of some variety, Lieutenant. Funny that you mentioned sailing. Your grandfather was a very brave individual as well. Truly a model man of his time. Didn’t hesitate when he was needed to serve his country. Do you know what he feared?”    

 

Jason glanced up in time to see the Curator run his fingers down the spine of the book he was still holding on to. 

 

“No, but I feel like you really want to tell me,” Jason said. 

 

“He feared for his son. For his future. And it was for that reason he fought so hard to return home.” Curator smiled faintly. “Sounds rather familiar, doesn’t it?” 

 

Jason gave a slight nod. “Yeah. It does.”

 

What were the odds of his grandfather having so much in common with Salim? And oh boy… if he only knew how that son of his had turned out.  

 

“He didn’t return home, though – as you well know. He was a soldier lost to unexpected and rather unorthodox dangers, his true fate left undiscovered for decades.” The Curator’s face took on a look of mock concern. “I do hope that doesn’t run in the family.” 

 

“Did you have a point to make here?” Jason asked dryly. He was too tired for normal thinking, let alone mind games. 

 

“Have you lost track already? My, you are tired.” He steepled his fingers atop the book. “Fear, Lieutenant. Specifically, yours. You fear having too much power and it still not being enough. You fear that you aren’t enough for this task. It’s quite the change from our previous meetings.”

 

Jason massaged his forehead. “I don’t remember signin’ up for this psych eval.” 

 

“I don’t believe you signed up for any of this,” the Curator noted. 

 

Jason snorted. “Now that’s the truth.”

 

“Better than the alternative for you and your friends, I’d say.” The Curator gave him a wince. “I’m sure you can at least do better than your original run through the day.” 

 

Jason wanted to think that wasn’t exactly difficult, but he had yet to even get that far again. He still hadn’t even been able to try keeping whoever made it back topside safe. He’d made next to zero progress since the last time he was here. 

 

What was the reason behind this checkup? Really, why? Barely any progress on his part and nothing had actually come from this conversation so far. Yeah, Jason gotten a much needed nap and hopefully he’d given Conrad a useful suggestion, but the Curator didn’t get anything out of–

 

Wait.

 

…The sneaky bastard. Oh, he claimed he couldn’t interfere and all, but Jason giving Conrad advice wasn’t technically him interfering. And not waking Jason from his nap…

 

Was he actually trying to help them, but having to find creative ways to do it since his hands were tied by… someone? Or some thing? He probably wouldn’t appreciate Jason saying anything about it if that was the case. 

 

“Losin’ even one of them is too much,” Jason muttered, his attention going back to all of his problems. 

 

“Have you perhaps considered that too much is indeed your issue, Lieutenant?” the Curator suggested. “Do you know how many people Conrad is trying to save?”

 

Jason thought back to the frame they’d been looking at. There had been Nick’s nephews, Conrad’s sister, and Conrad had mentioned a girlfriend at one point. 

 

“Four?”

 

The Curator hummed. “Indeed. Five if you include himself. And it’s the same for Kate Wilder as well.”

 

“Who?” 

 

“Just another in your predicament.” The Curator gave a wave of his hand. “She has but one formidable threat to face. Conrad has a few lesser ones. You, however, are trying to save six people apart from yourself against threats that can’t even be numbered. There are limits to what one man can do alone, Lieutenant. You have stretched yourself very thin. In trying to protect them all against so much, you have protected none of them very well. ” 

 

“So, what do you recommend I do?” Jason snapped. “Decide whose life is worth more between Rachel and Clarice?” 

 

The Curator held up his palms. “Now, Lieutenant, I’m merely objectively commenting on matters I’ve noticed as an observer. I can’t recommend anything. You know that.”  

 

“Right. Of course.” 

 

Liar. 

 

Jason was sure he was trying to help, he was just trying to seem like he wasn’t trying. If only Jason could figure out what that damned hint really meant. 

 

What is to give light must endure burning.

 

The hell did that mean? Was it referring to the flares they had to use to fight once they’d reached the surface? A general hint to the vampires’ weakness to sunlight? How was that supposed to help?

 

“Was there somethin’ else you needed?” Jason asked. 

 

“Why? Are you in a rush to get back?”  

 

“...No,” Jason said honestly. Another nap would have been great. Another friendly conversation. Anything that wasn’t stepping back into that hell for just a little longer.

 

“Take your time, then.” The Curator slowly slid that book of his across the table towards Jason. “You’re hardly on a schedule.” 

 

Jason looked at the book. “Never been much of a reader.”

 

“Oh, I do believe you’ll appreciate that one.” The Curator smirked knowingly. 

 

Well, if he was going to be here until he read a whole book, that would be one hell of a break. 

 

Jason snagged the book off the table, sliding his thumb to open it to the first page–

 

Jason laughed. Genuinely. 

 

“Well, ain’t this a sight for sore eyes.” Jason drew a flask out of the book’s hollowed out inside. 

 

The Curator raised a glass that he definitely hadn’t been holding before. “May you find success in your task.”

 

“Cheers to that.” Jason stretched forward across the desk far enough to tap the top of the flask against the wine glass. 

 

He could have chugged the whole thing on the first sip, but that wouldn’t keep his break going much longer, so he nursed it slowly.

 

Asking for a refill was probably a bit much, but boy didn’t he want to. 

 

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

 

Falling into a new loop was almost always jarring, but it was a special kind of jarring going from pleasantly buzzed in the chilled coziness of the repository back into being stone cold sober on the floor of the dusty caves.

 

Wow. He was glad the alcohol hadn’t carried over to mess with this head this run, but damn that was some whiplash.

 

Back to work, he thought as he climbed to his feet and made his usual bolt for the first door.

 

He’d been annoyed at the Curator before for interrupting him between loops, but now he appreciated the visits. He wouldn’t have minded one between every loop at this point.

 

Not that the extra reevaluation time had gotten him anywhere. The plan was the same for this loop as it had been before his visit to the repository: he needed to repeat the loop where Eric had gotten infected and cured, but this time he was going to keep an eye out for hurled spears.   

 

Meet up with Nick, pull open the door, cut down Merwin, send Nick on to help the Colonel…

 

“Anything I can do to help?” Clarice asked.  

 

Jason kept his eyes firmly glued to his work on Merwin. He couldn’t… look at her right now. Not with what happened last loop.

 

Funny. He’d been willing to shoot Clarice his first ever time through the days until Rachel had talked him down, but it felt like a worse thing to do with the loops. The first time it had been about the safety of them all. About showing her mercy with how much pain she was in. But shooting her for the sake of shifting events in certain loops? It was so twisted. She wasn’t a damned rat in a lab that let him test things.

 

“Jason?” Clarice pressed, and Jason did look up at her as he realized he’d never answered her question.

 

Shit. That was a mistake.

 

Her sharp, thoughtful, alive eyes stared into his for a moment, and–

 

He was moving before he could think better of it, pulling her away from the edge of the shadows. “Stay close and stay quiet. They track sound.”

 

“They?” Clarice echoed.

 

“The hell you talking about?” Merwin demanded, his face twisted in pain.

 

“Shh,” Jason hissed, jamming the morphine into Merwin’s leg. “Stay. Quiet.”

 

You absolute moron, Jason berated himself. He just killed Rachel for this loop and already screwed up his plan of keeping things as close to that other loop as possible. That flared moment of guilt might have just set them all on another pointless run of suffering that wouldn’t get Jason any closer to getting them out.

 

Well, he’d committed to it now. Couldn’t take it back. He was just going to have to stick with it and see if he could still get the results he wanted.

 

Fortunately, Clarice didn’t seem likely to cause issues in terms of them surviving. No matter how freaked out she was at the sudden appearance of shrieking vampires, she wasn’t losing her cool. She took his words to heart, the only sound leaving her when they were dragging Merwin was that of her sped-up breathing.  

 

Jason paused to hide at all his normal points, wordlessly giving her commands that she followed perfectly.

 

If only this was a path he could take every loop. He’d meant it when he’d told her she could watch his back any time.  

 

One more hiding spot. Now was when things might get dicey…

 

Jason dragged Merwin under a rock that jutted out from the wall, gesturing for him to stay quiet again as Jason himself flattened himself as best he could against the wall and pulled Clarice to him.

 

His radio was about to go off, and he didn’t want her paying the price for that. He needed to face the closest vampire so shots were fired off and the noise attracted Dar, but he was not about to get her killed in the process.

 

He could only hope Dar was above shooting civilians. If he even recognized her as being one, that was—

 

Jason’s thought process derailed a bit when Clarice leaned further into him as a vampire shrieked nearby. Putting on a brave face she may have been, but in this close proximity, he could feel her subtle trembling.

 

He shifted his left arm up to hold around her shoulders. Hopefully that would give her some comfort and reassurance. Not that it was exactly punishment for him either. Especially when one of her hands came up to clutch at his vest.

 

Life was cruel having him meet a woman like this under these circumstances.

 

“ Mailman Three to– ”

 

Jason shoved Clarice to the side where she’d be safer, shutting his radio up as a vampire whipped around and locked onto him.

 

Wait, shit. There were two of them there.

 

Why the hell? There was always just one skulking around at this point. Clarice hadn’t done anything to draw more to them. Why– 

 

No time.

 

Jason fired away, noting with relief that Clarice was slowly scrambling back out of range on the ground as the vampires headed for him alone.

 

This wasn’t a bust yet. If Dar showed up, they might still be able to pull through.

 

…He was counting on Dar to save them. If that wasn’t desperation, he didn’t know what was.  

 

Jason grunted as just like before, his foot was snagged by a claw, and he was dragged under the monster as it tried to bite his neck.  

 

Wait, no–

 

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. It wasn’t trying to bite his neck – it was going for much worse.

 

Jason couldn’t help his muffled scream as the ugly bastard shoved its rancid mouth over his.

 

Not this. Hell, anything but this.

 

Dumbass. This was what being stupid got him. Of course saving Clarice from getting pulled away and infected by that one vampire meant it would still be up here. And this time it didn’t even have the decency to knock him out first.

 

Jason scrambled for his knife, unable to get ahold of it as the vampire kept him properly pinned down. He could hear Merwin and Clarice both screaming profanities, but it sounded like they were too busy trying not to die to the other one to help him at the moment. He was completely at the monster’s mercy, and this time he could feel when the worm started wriggling its way down into and then down his throat.

 

Jason gagged, frantically bucking and twisting in an effort to get way, but all that did was worsen the bruises and claw wounds the vampire’s hold was already leaving on his skin. Spots began to darken the edges of his vision as he couldn’t get any air.

 

No… Merwin and Clarice…

 

Somewhere in the back of his mind he vaguely registered gunfire that wasn’t Merwin’s pistol, but that didn’t offer him much comfort.

 

Dar was here, then. Hurray.

 

The vampire on top of him shrieked way too close to his ear as it was shot from behind, blessedly finally disconnecting itself from Jason’s face.

 

Jason sucked in the deepest breath he could, his hand finding the hilt of his knife now that it was freed. He wasted no time in plunging the blade into the vampire’s heart. As many times as he could.

 

Die, you bastard, Jason thought sadistically.

 

He didn’t stop stabbing until he couldn’t draw his knife out again because the monster collapsed on top of him.

 

Jason coughed, the disgusting gloppy fluid that the worms were coated in clinging to his throat and the entirety of the inside of his mouth. It was absolutely vile.

 

But, like always, Jason had bigger problems to worry about. Like checking if Merwin and Clarice were still alive and how Dar was probably about to have a gun to his head in a few seconds.

 

“Jason?” Clarice called weakly.

 

Jason shoved the vampire off of himself, following her voice until he found her.

 

“Clarice…” Jason paid Dar no mind as he scrambled over to where Clarice was propped against the tunnel wall.

 

She was still in one piece, thankfully, but she was clearly injured somehow given the twisted, pained expression on her face. She also seemed to have lost her hat at some point, and it threw Jason off a little to see her without it. All these times through the day and he’d never realized her hair was streaked with purple highlights. 

 

“Are you okay?” she asked as he reached her.

 

He gave a forced smile, all too aware of Dar behind him and Merwin’s decapitated head in the dirt a few feet away. Jason would have felt worse about that if he had any way of saving Merwin at the moment, but as things were, he likely would have been shot by Dar in a minute or dead more painfully later anyway.

 

“Peachy keen, Lady,” Jason lied.

 

He was absolutely not okay. He was doomed to a slow and painful death again. Probably before he’d have the chance to talk to Eric even if things went like before.

 

…Unless Jason stayed with him since he was infected too. That… might actually be preferable. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about talking to Eric – he could see what happened himself. Assuming he could live that long, that was. He’d been down to his last moments not long after the point where they’d left Eric behind before. It would be close. But it was worth a shot.  

 

“Are you hurt?” Jason looked over Clarice as best he could.

 

“Shithead threw me into a wall.” She winced, touching the back of head. Her hand came back bloody.

 

Oh, great. She had the injury he’d pretended to have that other run.

 

So, Jason had traded a crippled arm and Merwin getting shot for Merwin already being dead, a worm in his guts, and Clarice having a head injury of unknown severity. Less than ideal, but maybe salvageable.

 

Dar had apparently decided he’d given them enough time, because he ordered something in Arabic, drawing Jason’s attention. Sure enough, the asshole had him at gunpoint again.

 

Jason shifted himself between Dar and Clarice to shield her, his hands up.

 

Dar gestured with his gun, his meaning of get up clear even with the language barrier.

 

“I hate you,” Jason muttered, tossing his gun on the ground between them before looking back at Clarice. “Can you stand?”

 

“Do I have a choice?” she said dryly.

 

“Doubt it.” Jason rose back to his feet, offering her a hand down.

 

She didn’t weigh much, but he could tell he was supporting quite a bit of what she did weigh as he helped her up. She wobbled on her feet.

 

“I’m gonna hurl,” she said woozily.

 

“I got you.” He slid a hand around her waist, letting her lean into him for support.

 

I won’t let you down, he promised internally.

 

Dar had already secured Jason’s gun, and he gestured at them again to move through the tunnel ahead of him.

 

Jason glared. If this bastard did anything to hurt Clarice as an unarmed and injured civilian, Jason was going to rain hell on him, goals of this loop be damned.

 

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Despite all the internal threats Jason kept sending, he was all too aware that Dar was not the greatest threat to Clarice’s or his life at the moment. Yeah, he had a gun on them, but Jason was already starting to feel the effects of the parasite in him, and Clarice was far from top shape with her still-oozing head wound.

 

Not to mention Jason’s leg had randomly decided to flare up with pain out of nowhere, which was not helping anything. 

 

Clarice tripped over her feet for the third time in the last few minutes, nearly toppling over this time before Jason caught her.

 

“Easy…” he said gently.

 

“Sorry…” she mumbled, sounding far less spirited than her normal parasite-free self.

 

“It’s okay.” He glanced at Dar, who didn’t look at all happy with their current pace. Jason gritted his teeth, making quick work of unsnapping Clarice’s pack.

 

“What are you doing?” Clarice asked.

 

“Well, you’re weavin’ like a real drunk right now, Lady. Gotta keep you from steppin’ on my foot somehow.” He handed her the pack to hold, then lifted her into his arms fully.

 

“Wha– oh. Okay…” Clarice said blankly. “Are you sure?”

 

“Please, you weigh less than my gear,” Jason dismissed. After dragging Merwin around for loops on end, Clarice was nothing.

 

It might be a problem once the parasite really started burrowing into his system, but hopefully they would be past this stage of the loop by then.

 

For now, though, they just had to carry on with Dar pointing a gun at Jason’s back.

 

“Hey.” Jason rolled his shoulder a little as Clarice started drifting off. “Try to stay with me, okay?”

 

“You’re a real gentleman, aren’t you Hotshot?” Clarice teased through the strain in her voice.

 

Jason laughed breathlessly. “I do my best, Ma’am.”

 

Dar yattered off something at them in Arabic, and Jason turned to hit him with probably his nineteenth death glare this loop so far.

 

“What?” Jason said flatly.

 

More Arabic.

 

Jason sighed, adjusting Clarice a little in his arms. “This again? I don’t speak Arabic, you dumbass.”

 

Even more Arabic, this time with the whole gesturing-with-the-gun-to-be-more-threatening thing.

 

Jason rolled his eyes. “ I don’t know what that means–”

 

Jason was cut off by Dar’s sudden yelp before he crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

 

What.

 

Salim stood in front there, his stick-pipe in hand and an absolutely done look on his face.

 

…Well, that was a first. Jason knew Salim and Dar weren’t on the best of terms, but Salim had never walloped him in the head before.

 

Salim gave a rough sigh, his appearance far more rugged than it should have been for this early in the loop as he stared down at Dar’s unconscious form. “He’s had that coming all day .”

 

And then he looked up, a smile pulling at his lips. “Hello again, Jason.”

Notes:

So who noticed we skipped a number on repository chapters? :)

Chapter 20: Day 0/28 Pt.1

Notes:

Take it back now y'all! ONE LOOP THIS TIME.

I know some of you may be a little disappointed on the backtracking, but it's pretty important considering this is Salim's "first" time through the day.

The desire Salim had to go home could not be understated. He was supposed to be there for Zain’s birthday. He was supposed to be presenting him with a gift and telling him how proud he was. Not brawling with his commanding officer while Americans shot at them and fighting for his life against literal demons. 

 

He’d only just managed to defeat one of those demons, and now there was another close by. This time, however, Salim might not have to fight it without help. 

 

One of the American soldiers was close by – the blond-haired one with the limited amount of gear that Salim had spotted giving commands back when he and Dar were on the ridge. To say he was ill equipped to take on the demons was an understatement. Salim had already tried to do so himself with a pistol, and it had done little more harm than throwing a rock at the creature would have.

 

Salim circled around as quietly as he could, doing his best not to alert the demon or the American. Judging by the astonished expression he caught on the American’s face, this was the first of the demons he had encountered, and it would no doubt be the last if he faced it alone. 

 

Salim crept up behind the man, clamping a hand over his mouth to keep him reacting rashly.  “Shhhhh.”

 

The American froze, his body rigid and tense in Salim’s hold. 

 

“Over there, there is a demon,” Salim whispered, although that was probably unneeded unless this American was both blind and deaf. “We can get through this. But only together.” 

 

The American still wasn’t struggling so far, so Salim carried on. If they were going to face this together, then he wanted the other man to be informed about what they were dealing with.  “They react to sound, like bats. They hear you, they hunt you. I’ve seen their weakness. They burn in sunlight. Like any living being, they can be killed. A stake through the heart.” He glanced down at the handgun the American was carrying. “Your bullets will only slow them down. Even a truck falling on them just makes them angry. We do this together, okay?”  

 

Slowly, Salim removed his hand and stepped back to give the man a little more room. “We can kill it,” he repeated. “You move into flanking position and get its attention. I will do the rest.” 

 

The American eyed him suspiciously as he turned to face him. “How do I know you won’t turn on me the second you have the chance?” 

 

Salim arched an eyebrow at him, raising his weapon slightly. “You have a gun. I have a stick. That would be very unwise of me.”

 

The American didn’t look convinced. “You think you can kill that thing but not me with that?” 

 

“Well, the demon isn’t going to be using bullets, now is it?” Salim shot back, wary of the time they were taking and noise they were making.

 

The American hesitated. “…Fine.”

 

Finally. Why were Americans so stubborn? 

 

The two of them split off, circling around to  come at the demon from both sides. 

 

Lightly geared or not, the American was a competent enough soldier to manage keeping his approach perfectly silent, and the two of them made eye contact as they both closed in. 

 

Salim adjusted his hold on his weapon, giving the American a nod. 

 

The demon’s head shifted up suddenly, even though the American hadn’t made any noise that Salim had heard, and it screamed in the man’s direction. 

 

“Shit.” The American fired two shots into the demon’s head even though its attention was already on him, and Salim darted forward to fulfill his half of the plan.

 

The demon lunged before he could reach it, causing the American to fall back onto the ground to avoid its slashing claws. Instead, the demon clamped its jaw around his leg.

 

“Shit, shit, shit!” The American pulled out a knife, sinking the blade into the demon’s shoulder repeatedly. He seemed to be in a… strangely little amount of pain considering that the demon was dragging him across the ground with his leg in its maw. 

 

Salim yelled as he caught up with them and jammed his weapon through the demon’s back. It released the American’s leg with a screech of pain and started thrashing frantically. 

 

Salim grunted as he fought to keep the demon from throwing him off, and the American dragged himself back in the dirt so he was fully out of the demon’s range. 

 

“Help would be appreciated!” Salim grunted, although he knew that was asking a lot for the American to even stand up at the moment. 

 

But he didn’t have to get up to help. He just reached for his belt and pulled off some device at light up with purple light– 

 

Salim swore, releasing his weapon and back stepping as the demon was set ablaze in the blink of an eye. It died quickly, reduced to a mass of charred flesh with a few remaining flames that wasn’t so much as twitching a few moments later. 

 

Salim and the American breathed heavily in the silence of the cavern for a few moments. 

 

The American turned the light in his hand, inspecting it and looking thoughtful.

 

Salim stood corrected – this American was clearly the best equipped of them all. 

 

“…Perhaps next time you lead with that, no?” Salim suggested. 

 

“I wasn’t sure it would work.” The American shut off the light. “But you said they burn in sunlight and we didn’t have much to lose.” 

 

Salim grunted, walking over to him and offering his hand. “Can you stand?”

 

The American’s leg should have been a gory mess, but Salim didn’t even see any blood. He did, however, see the American’s gaze flick quickly from Salim’s hand over to his dropped gun.

 

Salim sighed. “Really? You think I’m going to attack you now?”

 

The American’s lips pressed into a thin line, but then he grasped Salim’s hand and got back to his feet. 

 

Salim scowled as he had no issue standing. “Are you not injured?” 

 

“…No.” The American gave a hesitant, unexpected laugh. “Funny, I never considered myself lucky to have this thing until now.” He bent down, pulling his pants leg up to inspect…

 

Ah. A prosthetic. That explained much. 

 

“That was very fortunate for you, yes,” Salim agreed. 

 

The American stood fully again after giving his false leg a look over. “How many of those things are there?”

 

“Too many.” Salim shook his head, drifting back over to the dead demon to pull his weapon free. “I have already come across several men on both our sides who fell victim to them.”

 

Salim paused, thinking of the first body he’d seen earlier. The man had been a trained soldier, yet the last expression his face would ever wear was one unrestrained terror. 

 

Would his body ever be found by anyone again? Would his family ever know what happened to him? 

 

…Would Zain ever know what happened to him if such a fate befell him?

 

“I shouldn’t be here,” Salim said quietly. “I-I should be home… With my son.”

 

The American didn’t take his eyes off Salim as he retrieved his gun, but he also didn’t raise his weapon. “I know a thing or two about duty taking precedence over home.”

 

“It shouldn’t,” Salim muttered. “What good is fighting if it takes us from what we are fighting for?”

 

The American seemed contemplative, and then did raise his weapon. 

 

Salim tensed, but he hadn’t been bluffing when he’d told the American he would be at a disadvantage if they faced each other. What good would his rusted stick of metal do against bullets? 

 

“One question,” the American said a little too calmly. “Were you the one that attacked me and my wife on the cliff?”

 

“Your wife?” Salim said, wondering if he’d heard correctly. Why would he have brought his wife with him? 

 

“Answer the question,” the American pressed. 

 

Salim held up his hands as best he could without dropping his weapon. “You are the first living American I have encountered down here, and I lost my rifle during one of the quakes. I have not attacked anything other than demons down here.”

 

He’d barely even fired at anyone on the surface – he’d been too busy fighting with Dar. 

 

The American stared at him for a few seconds longer – likely trying to determine if he was lying – but then he lowered his gun once more. 

 

Salim did not miss the moisture in the American’s eyes that he was blinking back. 

 

“Your wife… she didn’t make it?” Salim asked cautiously.

 

“No,” the American’s voice was little more than a whisper. 

 

“I am sorry,” Salim said honestly. “What was her name?” 

 

That earned him a glare.

 

“My son’s name is Zain,” Salim offered. 

 

The glare vanished. “…Her name was Rachel.” The American paused for a moment. “Your son’s mother?”

 

“She left us.” 

 

The American nodded. “Things between Rachel and I… they weren’t the best. I’d been hoping to change that. Now I’ll never get the chance.”

 

The American blinked, shaking his head. “So, what now, soldier?” 

 

Salim shrugged. “You are the one with the gun.”

 

 “Well…” the American looked down at his gun. “I never ended my sessions with my trauma therapist by shooting him before, and now’s probably not a good time to start.” 

 

Salim snorted. 

 

“ Mailman Two-One Actual to Dropkick. You still breathing out there, sir? ”

 

The American reached for his radio. “Dropkick receiving and still breathing, Lieutenant. Keep heading straight – I can see your light. Over.”

 

Salim glanced over his shoulder, also spotting the light in the tunnel there. He adjusted his grip on his weapon. “Your friends better not do anything dumb.”

 

“I’m his commanding officer – he better do what I tell him to.” 

 

Oh. Well. That helped.

 

Another American jogged into the area, and Salim recognized him instantly by his hat and the blue coloring of the shirt he wore under his gear: he was the soldier that had spared the shepherd before. 

 

He didn’t even start to lift his weapon upon seeing Salim. He just raised an eyebrow. “Making friends with the locals, Colonel?”

 

…That was unexpectedly casual. Perhaps he recognized Salim as well? Salim had spared him in return for his mercy to the shepherd, after all.

 

And ah. So the first American was a Colonel. 

 

“Something like that,” the first American said dryly. “Lieutenant, consider me convinced about your monsters.” He gestured to the demon. 

 

Suddenly, the second American’s entire disposition shifted to one of projected irritation. He gave a short, ragged sigh that spoke of a day full of frustration. “Why is the damn vampire on fire?”

 

“Vampire?” the first American echoed, eyebrows lifting. 

 

“If you’ve got a better name for the giant bat monsters livin’ in caves, I’m open to other suggestions,” the second American said. 

 

Salim dipped his head. “He has a point.” 

 

That fit much better than that American even knew. But why was he so mad about the vampire being dead?

 

His expression was one of thinly veiled rage even when he spoke to his Colonel in a controlled tone. “You got orders for me here, sir?”

 

Salim wasn’t sure if the first American’s hesitation was in or against his favor. 

 

“…Tie him up,” the first American finally said, although he sounded reluctant. 

 

Salim wished he could say he was surprised, but he was more disappointed. 

 

…Why had the other American just rolled his eyes when his Colonel looked away? 

 

“After all we’ve been through?” Salim scowled at the first American as the second moved behind him and started securing his arms. “Thanks a lot!”

 

The first American at least had the decency to look apologetic. “I have protocols I have to follow, just as I’m sure you would in my position.”

 

Salim scoffed. “Neither of our countries have ever had protocols for a situation such as this.”

 

The second American snorted in amusement. “That’s for damn sure.”

 

The first American accepted that with a dip of his head. “Even so, I have a duty to my men. You’re still an enemy soldier, and letting you walk freely with us is a potential threat to them.”

 

“If it helps, I’m cool with that,” the second American muttered, his exhaustion seemingly ever-present in his voice.

 

The first American shot him a befuddled look.

 

“I’m just sayin’, sir.” The second American held his hands up, done with restraining Salim’s arms. “If he’s willin’ to hold off on shootin’ at us until we’re out of here, I wouldn’t mind havin’ an extra man to help us fight those things.” 

 

This American was… unexpectedly friendly, Salim noted. 

 

The first American sighed. “Did you find any other signs of Corporal Gomez?”

 

The second shook his head. “If he ever was around here, he didn’t make it long with those injuries.” 

 

The first American nodded. “We should fall back to the temple and regroup with Sergeant Kay and Corporal Merwin.” 

 

“Copy that,” the second American said before lowering his voice. “Sorry, man.” 

 

…What an odd man. 

 

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As far as being a prisoner went, Salim would admit this wasn’t so bad. The American Colonel was hospitable enough to give him a chair and offer him water while the other Americans – Sergeant Kay and Lieutenant Kolchek, Salim was pretty sure he’d heard their names and ranks were – secured the temple against the vampires and… well, Dar.

 

Irritated as he was at being tied up, Salim found he couldn’t fault the Colonel terribly given that the man had just lost his wife to Salim’s Captain.

 

If only Salim could speak to Dar and get him to understand that they needed the Americans to get out of this place. Dar was so stubborn, though. Salim wasn’t sure he’d listen even if they did get the chance to speak.

 

…He probably hadn’t helped his chances in that regard by having a fist fight with the man in the middle of battle last he saw him.

 

At least the American Colonel was capable of admitting he was wrong. It had taken Salim some time, but eventually he had convinced him there were no chemical weapons stored in this place that his satellite had discovered.

 

Enemy or not, Salim felt bad for the Colonel when he realized that. It wasn’t difficult to see that he was blaming himself for the lives lost today, particularly his wife. Life as a soldier had not been kind to him.

 

Some time after that, things became less of an interrogation and more of a discussion about the vampires. Not that either of them had many answers, but that didn’t keep them from raising questions–

 

Salim tapered off mid sentence as something walked by the tent door. 

 

The Colonel spun around, but it was already gone by that point. 

 

“Lieutenant Kolchek?” The Colonel called, stepping towards the exit. 

 

“ Don’t. ” Salim sat up straighter. “That wasn’t him. Not unless he grew horns.”

 

“ Horns? ” The Colonel repeated, hand going to draw his weapon as he… still kept heading out of the tent. “What the hell?” 

 

And that was enough of being captive. 

 

Salim slipped his hands free of what had to be the worst restraints he’d ever seen before  grabbing his makeshift weapon off of the table right next to him – seriously, had Lieutenant Kolchek been trying to let him escape? – and creeping out of the tent. Against his better judgement, though, he paused at the exit. 

 

Whatever the Colonel was going after, it hadn’t looked entirely human. If he went after it alone-

 

The Colonel glanced behind him and Salim froze, feeling rather like a child caught stealing sweets as the American did a double take at seeing him free and with his weapon in hand. 

 

Fortunately, the Colonel didn’t raise his own weapon. He just stared at Salim flatly. “Could you have done that any time?” 

 

Salim gave a sheepish smile. “Lieutenant Kolchek really needs to learn how to tie better knots.” 

 

The Colonel sighed. “Noted.” 

 

Silence. 

 

“So, you want to check out the horned silhouette by yourself, or…?”

 

Another sigh. “...Come on.” 

 

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“Stand down Corporal Gomez!” the Colonel ordered the… creature that his man had become. 

 

“I don’t think he’s listening!” Salim clutched his weapon, hoping the Colonel wasn’t foolish enough to think he could actually get through to the monster before them. 

 

The monster of a man started to move at them, and that thankfully spurred the Colonel into action as he yanked the UV lamp off his belt and set the threat ablaze before it fell off the cliff.

 

They had only a few moments of relief before the horrifying sound of what must have been hundreds of screaming vampires reached their ears.  

 

“Oh, that is not good.” Salim shook his head. “That is not good at all.”

 

“You alright, Sergeant Kay?” The Colonel stopped to offer his fellow soldier a hand. 

 

“Yeah.” The Sergeant  accepted the hand, pulling himself to his feet. “All good. Thanks.”

 

There was a lot of talk after that about where Lieutenant Kolchek had gone, and the Sergeant went to look for him, only to return with the last American soldier Salim hadn’t met yet instead. Salim had to do a double take on Corporal Merwin when he first saw him – the man was coated in so much of his own blood that it was hard to believe he was even standing, yet apparently he was well enough to work on the radio the Americans were trying to get fixed. 

 

Salim just hovered as the Americans discussed matters and worked, trying not to draw too much attention to himself in case one of them took issue with him no longer being tied up. 

 

He cringed, looking at the edge of the cliff nervously when the radio started wailing loud enough to tell the entire country their position without actually even sending a signal.

 

But then the sound of a sudden scuffle drew his attention back to the temple doors.

 

…Where Lieutenant Kolchek had Dar disarmed on the ground and at gunpoint.

 

Perhaps that odd American wasn’t as incompetent as his lack of ability to tie a proper knot would suggest.

 

“Jason!” Sergeant Kay called, visibly relieved.

 

Lieutenant Kolchek glanced in their direction. “Friend of yours, Salim?”

 

Salim blink, a deep scowl pulling the skin of his face tight.

 

When had he…

 

No, he hadn’t . He was sure he’d never given the Americans his name. Not even the Colonel.

 

How had he known?

 

Notes:

Salim be like: Why are these people so WEIRD I wanna go home :')

Chapter 21: Day 0/28 Pt.2

Notes:

I'm busy later so you guys can have this early. As a treat. :)

The urge to punch his Captain in the face for the second time that day was growing with every passing second that Dar didn’t listen to him. 

 

Frustrated, Salim threw his arms up in the air before leaving Dar on the ground and stalking back towards the Americans.   

 

Lieutenant Kolchek had already been looking their way, and he moved to meet Salim halfway. “I’m gonna take it that didn’t go so well?”

 

Salim muttered under his breath something he never would have said around Zain’s ears. “He is so stubborn! He hasn’t seen the vampires, so he just thinks I’m a crazy traitor and sees no reason to be allied with you all.” 

 

Lieutenant Kolchek didn’t look surprised. “Well, take him inside the temple and show the dead one we got– nevermind. That one burned up.” He shook his head. “Can he not hear this shit?”

 

Salim had asked Dar the same thing, but apparently sounds that could be mistaken for those straight from the depths of hell weren’t enough proof for him. 

 

Salim dropped his arms against his side uselessly. 

 

“Kolchek!” The Colonel said sharply. “Contact made with air support. Let’s fall back!”  

 

“Understood.” Lieutenant Kolchek gave Dar a reluctant look. “Come on – let’s move him.” 

 

Salim ignored his Captain’s protests and struggles as he and Lieutenant Kolchek each grabbed one of Dar’s arms and dragged him into the temple, and deposited him just inside the doors. 

 

He still could not see that they were trying to save his life… 

 

“Man, will you tell him to shut the hell up?” Lieutenant Kolchek leaned against one of the doors as the other Americans joined them in the temple. 

 

“ If you will not help us survive, can you at least remain quiet while we try to do so? ” Salim asked Dar.

 

Sergeant Kay moved to the door that Lieutenant Kolchek wasn’t already by, trying to push it closed. 

 

Only Lieutenant Kolchek didn’t seem to actually be helping. He was still peering out the door as though he were expecting someone else.  

 

“Jason!” Sergeant Kay barked, already pushing on the other door. “The hell you waiting for?” 

 

“ Wait! ” a voice called.

 

“Rachel…?” Sergeant Kay asked shakily.

 

Rachel? As in the Colonel’s deceased wife? 

 

“ Rachel? ” The Colonel whipped around from where he’d been glaring at Dar. 

 

Apparently so. 

 

Salim did a double take as two women stumbled through the temple doors and Lieutenant Kolchek immediately threw his full weight into his door to close it. 

 

…Why did it seem like he’d been waiting for them to arrive?

 

Sergeant Kay seemed to have forgotten about the door he was supposed to be helping close, and Salim and the last American – Corporal Merwin, wasn’t it? – moved around them to replace him. 

 

Salim had no idea what rope-related business they were discussing, but it sounded like a rather awkward situation. The only thing he really took out of it was finally learning that the Colonel’s name was Eric.

 

“What in the hell is this romance novel reunion bullshit?” Corporal Merwin muttered as he and Salim and Lieutenant Kolcheck barricaded the door.

 

Lieutenant Kolcheck cut himself off as a nearly hysterical laugh half escaped him. “Oh buddy, you have no idea…”

 

Salim swore the man grew more odd by the minute. And he did not like the way the American’s face lost any ounce of humor a moment later as he looked at the other woman Rachel had brought with her. He looked… haunted by dread. 

 

And then the woman started screaming.  

 

It was a simple matter to work out what was wrong with her after seeing what had happened to the other American – Joey – earlier. However he had been changed, the process was now happening to her. And it sent the remaining Americans into chaos. 

 

Salim could hardly keep track of what all was going on between the Americans yelling at each other and Dar yelling at him to tell him what was going on. 

 

But among the chaos, there was one still point. Lieutenant Kolchek. He stayed silent as that haunted look remained on his face. And then he drew his handgun. 

 

“I’m sorry, Clarice…” 

 

Once again, it was as though he’d know what was about to happen. What he was about to have to do. 

 

“Had to be done…” he said hollowly as the other Americans kept yelling about the situation. 

 

“That wasn’t your call to make Lieutenant!” the Colonel berated him. 

 

“You saw what happened to Joey!” Lieutenant Kolchek said when finally raised his voice back. “This was the only way. The only damned way–”  

 

He cut himself, eyes wide as though he’d said something he shouldn’t have. 

 

Wait… 

 

“...How the hell do you know what happened to Joey?” Sergeant Kay demanded.

 

That… was a very good question. They had never gotten the chance to inform the Lieutenant about that.  

 

But it appeared the Lieutenant wasn’t going to have to give any answers for a while, because they were interrupted by a vampire slamming into the temple doors. And then several more. 

 

Time for another withdrawal. 

 

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Salim wasn’t certain if he should be reassured or wary when he ran into Lieutenant Kolchek again after narrowly escaping the vampire’s assault with his life. On one hand, it was nice not to be alone in this place, especially when Dar had just been killed. On the other hand, the American unnerved him more and more as time went on. 

 

Then again, the man only unnerved him because he seemed to have too much knowledge, but knowledge was really helpful, so maybe sticking with him really was a good thing. 

 

…This was foolish. Why was he hiding?

 

“Salim?” Lieutenant Kolchek called ahead of him when there was no way he should have known Salim was there. 

 

…Oh, Salim wished it had been the Colonel instead. But the Lieutenant was his ally choice now, and Salim decided he’d rather have him than nothing. 

 

“...Hello,” Salim said as Lieutenant Kolchek walked close to his hiding spot. 

 

Lieutenant Kolchek side-eyed him, looking truly confused for the first time since Salim had met him. “...Hi? What are you doin’?”

 

“...Hiding. It’s proved useful today.” Salim wasn’t about to admit his true reasoning.

 

Lieutenant Kolchek shook his head. “Fair enough. You wanna keep hidin’, or join me in gettin’ the hell out of here?”  

 

Salim sighed, gesturing ahead of them. “After you, Lieutenant Kolchek.”

 

Lieutenant Kolchek’s face twisted as though he’d eaten something distasteful. “The hell you callin’ me that for?” 

 

Salim blinked. “...Is it not your name? It’s what your Colonel called you.” 

 

“...I mean it is, but…” the Lieutenant sighed. “Just call me Jason. ”  

 

“...Okay.” 

 

“...Cool,” Jason said awkwardly. 

 

Salim tilted his head. “How is it you know my name?” 

 

“Eric mentioned it at one point,” Jason said a little too quickly. Like he’d been expecting the question. Yet his answer made no sense.  

 

“Ahh, yes. Eric. Your Colonel,” Salim said.

 

“Yeah?”

 

Salim gave him a fake smile. “We never properly introduced ourselves.” 

 

Salim could see Jason cursing inside his head.

 

“Speaking of the Colonel, you see if anyone else made it out?” Jason blatantly tried to switch the topic.

 

Salim gave him a flat look, but answered anyway. “It all happened too fast. I think it might just be you and me.” 

 

He hoped he was wrong. Dar certainly hadn’t made it, but he hadn’t actually seen the others die despite the likelihood of it.

 

Jason clicked his tongue. “Then let’s get goin’ before it’s the vampires and nobody.”

 

Salim hummed, still watching him suspiciously.    

 

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Jason was borderline taunting him at this point, Salim was sure. Their situational alliance had almost seemed normal for a while with Jason reverting to that exhausted disposition he’d projected so heavily the first time Salim had seen him. He’d gone along with Salim’s casual questions about his hat, his reason for fighting, what his home was like…    

 

But then Salim noticed that he kept glancing over his shoulder when they were trying to push open a door together. And a couple seconds later a vampire crawled up behind them. 

 

They defeated it together after a brief struggle and moved on, but it was yet another case of him seeming to have a… sixth sense for danger.

 

Yes, that was what it was. Jason seemed often unsure of where a conversation was headed or the actions people would take, but every time there was something dangerous, he already seemed aware before it showed itself. Dar, the American woman-turned vampire, Corporal Merwin turning out to be infected, that vampire that had just attacked them. He’d even known about the Joey vampire despite not being present for his attack. 

 

But how could such a thing be possible? How could a man sense danger before its time?

 

Salim had no idea, but he was understanding the pattern well enough to be wary when Jason started looking over his shoulder when Salim stopped at the waterfall to say his farewells to Dar.

 

“What? “ Salim asked, clutching the wallet he’d been about to toss into the falls as he reached for the weapon on his back. “What is it?” 

 

“What’s what?” Jason had the audacity to ask while his attention was still on the area behind them. 

 

Salim waited for a few moments. Still nothing. 

 

“...Did you hear something, or…?”

 

“It’s nothin’” Jason seemed to relax. “Take your time.” 

 

…Stranger and stranger. 

 

Well, there may not have been any danger that time, but Salim still instantly followed Jason’s suggestion of getting the elevator working a short while later. Which… Jason seemed surprised at for some reason. Almost as though he’d been expecting Salim to protest. 

 

…Salim did want to protest. Very much. But his instincts were telling him to listen to the danger sensing man. 

 

He started to regret that, though, when he and Jason reached a platform that overlooked a massive expanse of unnatural caverns that had to be home to the vampires.

 

What way out could there possibly be from a place like this? What could they possibly have for survival?

 

It felt like a judgement itself, and Salim told Jason as much. 

 

“...You might be onto something with that,” Jason admitted to him. 

 

Salim felt even worse that Jason agreed with him, honestly. 

 

“Are you a religious man, Jason?” Salim asked. Of course Jason would not believe in the same God if he did, but Salim wondered if he held any such convictions at all. 

 

Jason gave a faint nod. “I am. But I’d be lyin’ if I said that was a comfort more than it scared me right now. Cause if what I'm goin’ through right now is judgement…” Jason shook his head. “I have a hell of a way to go, and I don’t know if I can take much more.”  

 

“Your conscience is not a clear one then?” Salim asked gently. The answer was clear, though. Jason had been wearing his guilt from the moment Salim first saw him.

 

“Clear? No. No, Salim, I haven’t glimpsed a clear conscience since…” Jason trailed off, taking a shaky breath before he continued. 

 

Salim wasn’t sure what exactly he’d been expecting, but this was so much… more. A tragic misunderstanding that had claimed one life and left several others in shambles.

 

Yet Jason didn’t stop there. He seemed to hold nothing back as he painted a brutal, unflattering picture of himself prior to joining the military, even going so far as to confess that he had no idea what he was doing here. 

 

Salim commended his raw honesty.  

 

“You’re serving your country,” Salim told him.

 

“Serving? I’m failin’ you all.” Jason gave a bitter laugh. “Shit, man… If I have to pay for what happened to that woman, fine. But if this is judgement for that, none of you should have to be here sufferin’ with me. Least of all you.” Jason ran a hand over his face. “You should be home! Watchin’ Zain blow out his birthday candles or some shit before he heads off to school!”

 

Everything Salim had been about to say left his mind. 

 

His name had been a mystery already, but this? How? Even if the Colonel had mentioned Zain’s birthday to him, how could Jason possibly have known about Zain’s schooling? 

 

This was so much more than sensing danger. 

 

Jason rubbed his eyes before dropping his hand. 

 

Salim just stared at him, at a loss for what to ask first. 

 

Too much. Jason simply knew too much.

 

“I’m stuck, Salim.” Jason flopped his hands at his side. “I keep reliving this damned day in these shithole caves over and over and over, but no matter what I do, I keep losin’ you all!” 

 

…What? Salim hadn’t had an explanation in mind to explain Jason’s knowledge, but this?

 

But Jason wasn’t done yet. 

 

“ That’s how I knew your name when you hadn’t told any of us. It’s how I know that your son’s name is Zain, that it’s his eighteen birthday today, that he’s headed to London for university, that he’s got trophies on his dresser for bein’ a chess wiz, and that you couldn’t be prouder of him even though you wish he’d stop stealin’ shit. Because you’ve told me. Just not this time around.”

 

Jason let his shoulders slump a bit as he finally stopped talking. 

 

Salim remained silent for a moment, mulling over every strange behavior and moment he’d witnessed. All of it… lined up. Every single oddity perfectly explained by one outrageous claim. 

 

And then Salim took one last look at the exhausted, earnest look on Jason’s face.

 

“...I believe you,” Salim said honestly.  

 

Notes:

Comments feed the muuuuse!

Chapter 22: Day 0/28 Pt.3

Notes:

Yippeeee almost caught up to where we were!

“...You serious?” Jason said dumbly, looking at Salim like he’d been the one telling such a seemingly impossible tale. 

 

It might have been amusing had it not been so… sad. It was clear Jason hadn’t been expecting him to accept what had been said. 

 

Salim gave a firm nod to reassure him. “Yes. I believe you, Jason. What can I do to help?”

 

Jason said nothing for a moment, looking almost on the verge of tears before he cleared his throat and spoke with a level voice. “...Can you just stand there for a sec?” 

 

“...Yes?” Salim asked with a light, confused frown. 

 

“I’m just gonna… Yeah.” 

 

Salim blinked, but did stay put as Jason pulled him into a nearly painfully tight cross-armed hug. 

 

“Oh… Okay…” Salim patted his back lightly, unsure what else to do.

 

Jason just laughed. Whole-heartedly and loudly. 

 

Salim wished he could have smiled back, but he couldn’t. Not when he was picking up on so much desperate relief in that laugh and how shaky Jason’s hold on him really was.

 

 “Brother… you have no idea how good it is to hear those words,” Jason choked out.  

 

 “Jason…” Salim pulled away from him as kindly as he could, looking over his expression in concern. “How long have you been stuck in this day?”

 

Far too long if Salim had to take a guess. 

 

Jason’s hesitation spoke volumes even before he managed to come up with the answer. “It’s… hard to keep track. I think around thirty?”

 

Salim blanched. “ Thirty days of this hell?”

 

One day of this madness was enough to haunt a man for a lifetime. But thirty? No wonder Jason had seemed tired and disconnected from the start.

 

Jason gave a shaky nod. “Sorta. Some of them were a lot shorter since I got myself killed and that resets everythin’.”

 

“...You’ve been killed by those things thirty times? And you remember your deaths?” Salim asked, horrified. 

 

It just kept getting worse. Having to experience death itself on repeat? It was a wonder Jason was still even remotely sane. 

 

Jason gave a humorless smile. “Every damn one of them.”  

 

“I cannot imagine…” Salim shook his head. “If you know all that’s going to happen, what is holding you back?” 

 

Jason checked his watch, then jerked his chin at the path ahead. “Let’s walk and talk. We need to be somewhere in a bit.” 

 

Salim followed his lead, not even bothering to ask why. Clearly, if Jason wanted them to be somewhere, they should go. 

 

Along the way, Jason delved further into the unending list of threats and problems he kept encountering. Salim had to admit, it all sounded much more complicated than he would have first anticipated, but it made sense. Once one change was made, it rippled to the point of disturbing everything else. There were so many paths one conversation could lead to, and Jason had been trying to single-handedly manage directing multiple people through events so strewn  with death it was no wonder than he hadn’t managed to find success. 

 

And everything just got more complicated the longer Jason talked. 

 

“Those damned worms are the real threats. Whatever kind of species those bats were, they’re just as much victims as us.” 

 

Alien worms that made vampires out of alien bats and humans. That had certainly not been in Salim’s expectations. And it definitely hadn’t occurred to him that Jason would intentionally let some of his friends get infected as a strategy to eventually save their lives. 

 

“There’s no way to get everyone to the temple alive without some of them getting infected. Merwin just dies to his injuries, and Rachel never makes it back if Clarice ain’t there to save her.” Jason stopped to help Salim down to his level as they progressed. “But I can’t for the life of me figure out the damned cure to save them once they’re infected.”

 

“You seem certain that there is one, though?” Salim noted. He definitely spoke of it that way. Obviously there wouldn’t be a point in letting them get infected if it was just going to lead them to a more painful death in the long run. 

 

“Oh, I damn well know there is,” Jason growled. “Eric insisted on stayin’ behind to buy us time when he was infected. Showed up later lookin’ right as rain, but I died before I could get out of him what the hell he’d done. Ever since then I’ve been trying to keep him alive long enough to figure it out again, but everything seems dead set on killin’ him before he can.” 

 

Ah. So the Colonel had figured it out at some point. Salim could see that. The man was clever. But Jason didn’t know what had made him figure it out, so he couldn’t replicate it. No wonder he was frustrated. 

 

“Perhaps there is something I could do? So you don’t have to try and manage everything yourself?” Salim suggested. Manipulating every single detail alone sounded just dreadful. 

 

Jason paused walking, his recent resurgence of energy seeming to fizzle out a little. “Salim… That would be great and all, but you ain’t gonna remember any of this next time.” 

 

“I recognize that,” Salim said, even though it was strange to think about how his mind would just be… wiped clean of all this. “But you convinced me once. Perhaps you can do it again, but earlier so I can be of more use?”

 

Yes, Salim believed so readily because of everything he’d seen Jason do throughout the day, but all that knowledge he had about Zain… Was it possible that would be enough to convince him alone?

 

“Maybe? I don’t know if I’d have the time, though. I have so many places I gotta be at specific times to make sure things go right.” Jason glanced up at what almost looked like a statue, which they were passing. “ Don’t touch that, by the way.”  

 

Salim made a face as he looked over the thing. Was that actually a long-dead vampire? “...Why would I touch it? Why would anyone? ” 

 

Jason sighed. 

 

“... You touched it, didn’t you?”

 

“ No. ...Yes. Shut up.”

 

Salim snorted. He wondered how Jason had acted before he was so hardened by the harsh events that kept tormenting him. Apparently, he’d been curious – or foolish – enough to make some… questionable choices. 

 

Salim mostly just listened as they went along. Jason had definitely put a lot of thought into the paths he’d tried to take through the day, but it was clear to Salim that at the moment he didn’t need advice on other potential ones. More than anything, he seemed to need someone to talk to. Someone to understand all he’d been through and done. 

 

The saddest thing, though, was that Salim could tell he wasn’t getting the full extent of it all. Not even close. Jason was mostly telling him his current issues with the parasites, but he was barely touching on everything that had led him to that stalling point in the first place. 

 

Salim wanted to hear more, but their conversation had to be cut short as they reached a man with half a head preserved in some fluid, and then again when they reached a… cocoon area where their silence was needed. 

 

Salim was almost convinced they were about to meet their end there when the cocoons started hatching anyway. 

 

“My friend…” Salim said nervously as the newly hatched vampires started to surround them. “I don’t mean to doubt your knowledge, but…”

 

“Wait for it,” Jason said, perfectly calm. 

 

If Salim had still held any doubts about Jason’s tale – though he didn’t really – they would have been vanquished there as Sergeant Kay arrived at just the right moment to save their lives so they could all retreat together into a safer area. 

 

“Where’s the Colonel?” Jason wasted no time in asking once they had all crawled under rocks to get to a very interesting new room. 

 

The flash of sorrow on Rachel’s face made dread creep up within Salim before anything was said. 

 

Even with what he now knew, the news was upsetting. He’d liked Eric. He wished Dar had had half as much rationality when leading. If Dar had, none of them would have been in this situation at all.  

 

But it didn’t appear he was taking the news as badly as Jason, who swore so loudly that Salim winched, looking at the entrance to the room nervously. 

 

“The hell happened?” Jason demanded so harshly that Nick gave a visible flinch before speaking.

 

“It was my fault,” Nick admitted, his words soft. “He died saving me…”

 

That wasn’t the worst of deaths, Salim noted. A Colonel dying to save one of his own men was admirable. 

 

Jason didn’t appear to see it that way, though, and he swore again several times before striding over to a table that had been placed here for some reason and slamming his fist on it. 

 

“ Jason, ” Salim said gently, glancing yet again at the entrance. “That much noise may attract unwanted attention.” 

 

“What does it matter?” Jason snapped.

 

Salim didn’t take it personally. He understood why Jason was so frustrated. It had sounded like this was one of his last hopes for finding the cure to the parasites. Not to mention that it had been a costly run for him personally, having to kill and abandon his own people in order to shape things. 

 

“ Hey, ” Rachel said, scowling at the back of Jason’s head since he was facing away from all of them. “You want to pull it together, Marine?” 

  

Salim heard Jason take a breath before he straightened up and turned around with his schooled into a more collected expression. “Ma’am.” 

 

Salim wondered how often he’d had to do that. Putting up a front to mask all the turmoil had to be no small task. It was no wonder he’d slipped up several times. 

 

The knowledge Jason had entrusted him with didn’t stop Salim from delving into the various notes he saw around the room. In fact, it made him more eager to read them. Perhaps he could find something useful to tell Jason to assist him with future loops. 

 

As interested as he was in the strange alien machine and the records of their history, Salim bypassed them in order to pay closer attention to the notes he found on the parasites and their ill effects. 

 

There was nothing about a cure that he could find, but that didn’t mean there was nothing helpful. In fact, he was absolutely sure Jason would want to know if he didn’t already. 

 

Salim glanced over at where Jason was talking with Nick. They’d been there for some minutes already, but now that Salim was paying attention to them, he could pick out a few key words here and there. Enough to know that Nick was trying to ask him about their friend Clarice. 

 

“Jason,” Salim called, purposefully interfering before Jason had to answer any questions. “You may want to take a look at this.” 

 

Jason barely hesitated, saying a last few words to Nick before heading to Salim’s side of the room with a grateful look on his face. “You actually need somethin’, or were you just savin’ me from that conversation?”

 

Salim chuckled. “Why not both?”

 

“Both works for me.” Jason looked at the papers in his hands. “Whatchu find?” 

 

“Records of how the parasites work.” Salim held up the paper he found of most interest so that Jason could see. “Nothing about a cure, but something you should know. Those things… they feed on adrenaline – on fear. Work faster when the host is afraid.” 

 

“You shittin’ me?” Jason snagged the paper, looking eager.  

 

“No,” Salim said, though he was sure that was rhetorical. “I don’t know if that information will be of any use to you, but…” 

 

“Oh, it sure as hell is,” Jason confirmed. “Explains a lot, actually. I wondered why I turned slower than anyone else. I knew what was goin’ on and that I’d pop back to life. And Clarice… She gets dragged down alone into a pitch black pit filled with blood and bodies. Of course she’d be terrified and runnin’ on adrenaline until Rachel showed up, even without a worm shoved into her damn guts.” 

 

“ You were infected?” Salim asked. At this point Salim was sure Jason was a bit desensitized to how horrible certain things were for him. He mentioned all these matters so casually. 

 

Jason grunted. “Yeah, word of advice there: if we can’t find a cure and it happens to you, take the bullet. It is a shit way to go, and I didn’t even ride it out fully. Thanks for that by the way. I know you don’t remember, but I damn well appreciated it.”

 

…So much for a bit . Jason seemed to be so desensitized that he didn’t even register when he said things that were incredibly disturbing. 

 

As much as he didn’t want it to, his mind conjured up an image of Salim standing over Jason with a gun just as Jason had with Clarice. Everything in him rebelled at the mere thought of it. Salim didn’t know what their relationship had been like for that loop, but he knew he would have had a difficult time taking Jason’s life now, even if it was his and others’ good in the long run. 

 

Yet Jason was thanking him for it.

 

“Really, don’t feel bad,” Jason continued. “I was on the edge of turnin’, and I asked you to. It was gonna be either you or Clarice.”

 

“Why exactly was Clarice with your people?” Salim asked, having been wondering that for a while. “She is no soldier.”

 

Jason snorted. “No, she’s not but she’d make a fine one. Got the better of your Captain on more than one occasion.” 

 

Salim felt his eyebrows shoot. “You are serious?” A woman who wasn’t even a type of soldier like Rachel had managed to best Dar? 

 

“Yep. Never even knew what hit him.” Jason smirked, seeming proud for a moment, but his amusement died just as quickly as it had come. “She’s actually a doctor. Works on Eric’s science shit with him.”  

 

Salime frowned slightly. From what little he’d see of the woman, that was just more odd. “...Somehow that seems to fit her even less than being a soldier.”

 

A brief smile flashed across Jason’s face at that. “Yeah, she don’t exactly look the part. She’s amazin’, though. The shit I’ve seen her step up and do. I’ve got to find a way to get her and Merwin out of here.”

 

Salim gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’ll keep looking to see if I can find more.” 

 

He might not remember any of this soon, but he was going to do his absolute best to help in the meantime.

 

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Things became tense in their hideout rather rapidly after that. Salim didn’t want to seem ungrateful to Jason for all he had done and been through, but it would have been nice to have more of a heads up about Rachel’s infection than her sudden screaming and Nick’s panicking. Clearly it was something Jason had been prepared for, because he was able to provide a solution of sorts almost instantly. 

 

Using the cocoon fluid to stall the parasite was not ideal, but it held more hope than the death Rachel would have otherwise. For a moment, Salim wondered why Jason hadn’t been trying that tactic with all the infected members of his team, but given the distance, he could see how that wouldn’t be an option for the others. And that was if it was even a solution for Rachel. 

 

Nick took more than a little convincing given his wariness of Jason’s treatment of Clarice and Merwin, but Salim backed Jason up, and Rachel herself eventually saw it as her one chance and agreed. 

 

The air felt tense as they left her in her stasis prison of fluid, but it wasn’t long before they had other matters to worry over that were more urgent. Like how they needed someone to plant the explosives on the cocoons that had not yet hatched.

 

Salim almost volunteered on the spot, knowing Jason would be able to guide him through, but he flicked his gaze over to ask the silent question first. 

 

Jason gave a very subtle shake of his head behind Nick’s back. 

 

Oh. Okay. Nick volunteered instead. That was unexpected. Salim would have thought Jason would want him down there since he knew to follow strange orders without question. 

 

“You are sure about this?” Salim asked once the two of them were alone once more.  

 

Jason’s nod was firm. “He’s always made it back before. I’m not tryin’ to mess with the few things that have actually gone well. Don’t worry about bein’ lookout either. I got it memorized.” 

 

Salim hummed in agreement. He understood. It made sense. Changing things might have caused more issues at this point.

 

“Listen, Salim…” Jason looked down, seeming almost… ashamed. “I… Look, I know there’s nothin’ you want more than to get back to Zain, but… even if this goes off without a hitch and we make it out, I still gotta reset. I can’t leave the others here.”

 

Salim’s heart ached at the thought of being free and able to get back to Zain, only to be dragged back into this hell. The father in him told him to protest. To demand that Jason keep things as they were if they managed to escape. 

 

 But no. His life was not the only one that mattered. He was not the only one with family. And Jason was the one truly volunteering for further suffering. 

 

Salim felt pity swell within him again as he looked at his friend. “I understand, my friend. I have faith that you will find a way to get us through.” 

 

He wondered if Jason even truly knew how to end the loops. If he did, he hadn’t mentioned it yet. He’d just said they reset when–

 

Oh. Oh, no. He hoped Jason wasn’t planning what he thought he was planning. 

 

Salim frowned. “...When you say reset–”

 

Jason grabbed his radio, still not looking at him. “Head to the right when you hit that split, Nick.” 

 

“ Copy. ”

 

“Jason,” Salim said seriously. “You said the loop resets when you die. How do you plan on making it reset if things go well for us?” 

 

Jason stared at the area below even though, still not looking at Salim. “...I’ve done a lot worse at this point, Salim. I’ll do what I have to. Whatever it takes to get the rest of you all out of here.” 

 

Salim couldn’t think of anything to say to that. Maybe it didn’t technically count as suicide if one knew they wouldn’t stay dead, and Jason had probably died in far more painful, horrifying ways, but still…

 

Nick finished planting the charges, and Jason convinced him to head back instead of continuing on. All going well so far…

 

Jason held up the detonator. “When we haul ass, try to stay close. If you get separated from us, it won’t end well.”

 

Separated? Well, that was something Salim certainly would try to avoid. He gave Jason a nod, and soon the three of them were on the move back to the exit 

 

The caverns shook around them as the explosives did their job, leading to the loudest symphony of shrieking from the vampires yet. There were still so very many of them even after blowing up as many cocoons as they had. Enough to make Salim had to dodge as one landed between him and Jason. 

 

Oh, no…

 

The one thing Jason had specifically told him to avoid. 

 

Salim scrambled underneath some sort of structure, trying to keep quiet as the vampires scurried all around his hiding spot. 

 

He tried to tell himself that it was fine. Jason had to restart the day anyway. He wouldn’t even remember this. 

 

But that still did not make him keen on experiencing death. 

 

“ Hang tight, Salim. I’m on my way. ” 

 

Salim grimaced. Jason shouldn’t have had to come back for him. This was his fault for failing simple instructions. “...I am sorry. I tried to stay close. It just happened so fast–”

 

“ It’s okay. I’ll be there soon. ”

 

Salim took a shaky breath. There was still a chance. Jason had been through this before. Maybe it hadn’t ended well that time, but maybe that knowledge would lead to a better outcome now. 

 

“I can do this… I can do this…”

 

Salim crawled out from his hiding space, steeling himself and drawing his weapon. 

 

He fought. And then Jason arrived and they fought together, covering each other as needed. 

 

“Come to join the fun?” Salim grinned. 

 

It was only when Salim spotted the vampire behind Jason about to end his life that Salim realized Jason was acting on soldier instinct and training alone rather than foreknowledge.

 

“Jason!” Salim took only a moment to react, hurling his weapon right past Jason’s head and into the vampire’s heart.  

 

“Did you seriously just throw that thing at me?” Jason asked incredulously as Salim went to retrieve the weapon from the vampire’s corpse. 

 

“I did.” Salim gave him another smile and laughed hard. 

 

Jason stared at him for another moment, but eventually grinned back, clapping him on the shoulder as they started to run together towards the exit. “Welcome to the first time you made it out of here!” 

 

Ah. No wonder Jason had tried to get him to avoid the entire scenario. 

 

“I’ll take your word for it– Jason! ”

 

Salim’s peripheral vision caught movement behind them, and he looked back fully just in time to see that ancient man thing send a spear flying at Jason’s back. 

 

Salim rammed into Jason, knocking him out of the spear’s path and trying get out of the way himself before–

 

Salim’s lips parted in a gasp as a flare of pain tore through him–

 

…And then he was jerking awake to a dim room that was lit only by the warm light of two candles atop a desk in front of him. 

 

“ Good evening. Welcome to my repository, ” said a middle-aged Englishman from the other side of the desk.  

Chapter 23: The Repository (3)

Salim sat very, very still.

 

He should have been dead. Perhaps he was. But this certainly didn’t match the afterlife he believed in. In fact, he was almost certain there were no religions that painted the afterlife as the dim book study of a middle-aged Englishman that spoke in Arabic. Or at least none that were terribly well known. 

 

“Rather interesting choice,” the Englishman said. 

 

Salim agreed with his words, but he doubted the man meant them in regards to what Salim was thinking. 

 

“You sacrificed yourself for the life of a man you believe won’t stay dead,” the man clarified. “Some might consider that noble. Others might call it foolish.” 

 

Salim was still trying to think of what on earth to ask first when the flame from one of the candles in front of him seemed to be snuffed out by… nothing. 

 

“Oh.” The Englishman pursed his lips. “And it doesn’t appear that sacrifice helped Lieutenant Kolchek for very long either. Shame.” 

 

Words were not coming to Salim yet. He didn’t even feel he had enough information to ask questions to get more information. 

 

His surroundings were that of a private study with a vast library made of up not only shelves of books all around him, but a second level to the room that led up to a balcony they gave access to even more bookshelves. The only break in the bookshelves along the walls were a door, a window that provided a very limited view of the outdoors given the rain that was pouring down outside, and an unlit fireplace that Salim considered in desperate need of use given the chill and darkness in the room. 

 

Away from the walls, Salim saw things that only deepened his confusion – an old film projector, a large globe, and the desk between him and the Englishman that had some… interesting tokens upon it. Salim honestly wasn’t sure what was more concerning – the human skull, or the paper weight-sized carousel that had miniature versions of the vampires in place of horses.

 

Salim did a double take as he noted what he could have sworn were figurines of himself and Jason standing back to back atop the carousel. 

 

“Take your time,” the Englishman said pleasantly. 

 

Salim did, but soon it was clear that he would see nothing that would help him understand matters further. 

 

“I died,” Salim said finally, though it was more of a statement than a question. It had thankfully been a quick death with very little pain, but he had most definitely felt that spear pierce his back.  

 

“Oh, you’ve died a great many times while Lieutenant Kolchek has been struggling to navigate his way through the day. I did try to set him up with something more manageable, but he appears to have bit off a bit more than he can chew.” The Englishman put his hands together, pointing at Salim with his joined pointer fingers. “Which brings us to why you’re here.”

 

“Where is here?” Salim asked. 

 

“As I said: my repository,” the Englishman answered, which told Salim absolutely nothing. Salim was very sure that was intentional.  

 

“And who are you?” Salim pressed, hoping to get something .

 

“Oh, do forgive my manners.” He spread his arms, gesturing to himself. “I am the Curator. A custodian of tales, if you will. And what a tale this has been! Ancient ruins, enemies becoming friends, beings from other worlds… It’s all quite riveting, isn’t it?”

 

Salim was once again quiet. Clearly, this man had some sort of outside perspective on everything. On Jason’s multiple attempts to salvage the day, even. 

 

“But of course, you care little for all that,” the Curator said knowingly. “You care for one of the simplest, yet most precious things of all above all else: family.”  

 

Salim stiffened. 

 

“Relax,” the Curators said gently. “Your son is just as you left him.”

 

Salim shook his head, more lost by the moment. “Why am I here? What is the purpose of… whatever this is?”

 

The Curator sat back in his chair casually, crossing one leg over another and steepling his fingers. “You and Lieutenant Kolchek appear to have grown quite close. Close enough for him to entrust you with the truth behind his predicament.”

 

“...Yes,” Salim admitted. 

 

 The Curator hummed. “He told you much, but given the time constraints, he didn’t tell you everything. Such as anything about myself.”

 

“You two have met.” Salim realized. 

 

“We have indeed, but he doesn’t seem to be getting much out of my advice.” The Curator tsked his tongue. “One might blame that on his origins and career, but I’m rather convinced it’s more of an individual issue. He is rather stubborn.”

 

Salim’s lips twitched at that, despite the bizarreness of the situation. There was much he might be tempted to dismiss as general American Marine ignorance , but some matters were most definitely a more of a Jason Kolchek thing, and the level of stubbornness the man broadcast was among them. Not that his stubbornness was entirely a fault . The average American Marine never would have been capable of carrying on after so much hardship. His stubbornness was commendable in that regard. 

 

“He is,” Salim admitted. “But I find it difficult to believe that he would reject help at this point.”

 

Jason was far too tired and… broken for that. He seemed like he would leap at any chance to save them all.

 

“Oh, of course not,” the Curator agreed. “He’s far too close to losing his sanity for that type of stubbornness. But he is too stubborn to take a step back when he’s spread himself too thin. He was gifted with the chance to save four lives that were previously lost, yet he decided that wasn’t good enough. It’s put him in quite the predicament – one life trying to shoulder the burden of carrying six to safety.”

 

“Six?” Salim repeated. 

 

“I’m afraid his insistence of safety wasn’t extended to Captain Basri.” 

 

…Of course it wasn’t. Salim couldn’t even be mad. Dar had likely been a massive thorn in Jason’s side most if not every loop he’d been through. Why would he be a priority when Jason couldn’t save his own people?

 

“I do wonder if that might be a point of tension between the two of you,” the Curator tilted his head. “Should you accept my proposition, that is.” 

 

“Proposition?” Salim repeated with interest. They were taking a while to get to the reason why he was here, but he assumed they were closing in on it. 

 

“Individuals going through events such as Jason Kolchek is experiencing are a rare occurrence, and they are not caused by me. As I said, I am an observer. I cannot alter events. I can, however, plunk some strings here and there. Cut them.” An eerie smirk spread over the Curator’s face. “Or perhaps tie some together.”

 

Salim understood that he was trying to make a metaphor here, and that cutting one was rather concerning, but the Curator was clearly intending him to focus on that last part. He patiently waited for the man to continue. 

 

“ You are not like Jason Kolchek and the others,” the Curator stated very factually. “That is not something I can change. But I can tether your fate to his. Temporarily.”    

 

Tether? 

 

Salim sat up a little straighter. “You mean I would relive the day with him? Keep my memories as well?” 

 

That could… that would make things so much easier. Jason would no longer have to manage everything himself. He would no longer have to struggle in his isolation. 

 

The side of the Curator’s lips twitched into a quarter of a smirk. “That would be the advantage, yes.” 

 

Salim did not care for the way he’d just said that. “...And the disadvantage?” 

 

“As I said: your fates would be tethered for the remainder of your time there. Thoroughly.”

 

Salim let that sink in. “You mean if one of us dies, so will the other?” 

 

“Correct!” the Curator said brightly. “You catch on quickly.” 

 

That would complicate things. But the goal was to get everyone out alive anyway. Yes, it might cause some of the loops to be restarted sooner than intended, but surely that would be a trade worthwhile?  

 

Salim was going to accept the offer. He knew that already. He wasn’t going to sit by in his memory-wiped comfort while Jason alone fought to keep them all alive. But he did want more information beforehand. 

 

“What more should I know?” Salim asked. 

 

The Curator was a man that spoke with many words, but Salim found few of them helpful. He seemed to enjoy being a man of mystery, and Salim doubted Jason had been able to get much out of him either.

 

Salim was able to get the rules they were to have to play by, though, including the small fact Jason hadn’t mentioned about being able to stop the loops at any time. His dedication to the rest of them was even greater than Salim thought. The willpower it must have taken him to keep trying after all he’d been through…

 

Salim could only hope he held up well enough himself not to be a liability. Zain had been all that had been keeping him going for a while in those accursed caves, but now… now he had more to fight for as well. 

 

He’d barely interacted with most of the Americans other than Jason and Eric. Nick seemed nice enough, but the others he’d blinked and they were gone. Yet… Salim found himself wanting them safe. Them and Dar. War be damned, they all deserved to see the sun again. They deserved to see their families. 

 

Salim didn’t know about the personal lives of the rest of them, but Dar had a wife to get back to. Eric desperately wanted a chance to fix his own marriage with Rachel. That poor Clarice woman shouldn’t have ever been in danger in the first place as a civilian. And Jason… Jason deserved peace. Peace from this and from his checkpoint incident. 

 

Yes, Salim would have to fight for more than just his own son now…

 

“Here we are, then.” The Curator replaced the smaller candle holder on the desk with one that held three candles instead of two, and he lit them all before giving the small carousel a spin. The carousel lit up and then kept spinning by itself. “You and Lieutenant Kolchek are now linked. Two lives sharing the burden of saving six and each other. Much more balanced.” 

 

Salim nodded.

 

The Curator looked at him again. “Remember – you may choose to return to your less than blissful ignorance, but only he can decide when enough is enough and end the cycle.”

 

“I understand.” 

 

Hopefully, that would be a time they both agreed on. Such as when they’d saved everyone.

 

“Good!” the Curator said brightly. “Off you go, then! Have fun!” 

 

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“Fun” was not how Salim would have classified suddenly being returned to the moment he’d fallen through the ground and into those accursed caves so that he once again ended up with a mouth full of dirt. He spluttered, not even bothering to try and respond to Dar’s message this time. 

 

Finding Jason was his priority, and the sooner the better so they could discuss a plan. But Salim supposed there wasn’t much of a way he could get to Jason faster than just doing what he had last time. Plus, he really wanted to get his weapon again, despite him already being armed at this point.

 

And so Salim jogged ahead into the tunnels, avoiding dropping his rifle into a pit this time when the ground shook. 

 

A better start already , he thought, trying to keep up is positivity. There would likely be many setbacks, and Jason was already worn down. Salim needed an upbeat attitude. 

 

It was hard to stay upbeat when he was being chased by a vampire again, though. Jason may have been facing the monsters so much that he barely blinked at them anymore, but Salim was not there yet. Somehow, the break talking to the Curator had given him let his adrenaline crash enough that facing this first vampire felt worse than fighting several of them alongside Jason. 

 

Salim fired his gun sparingly as he nervously glanced at the ceiling of the cavern. When was that truck going to fall through? It might actually be more difficult to survive this point with his memories since he’d stumbled into so many things that had carried him through the day before.   

 

The vampire was trying to close in on him, but he kept it bay with a few shots to its chest– 

 

Salim swore, ducking under the vampire as it lunged at him. 

 

It was no longer at bay. It was definitely no longer at bay. And now he was standing where the truck was supposed to fall. That was very, very not good. 

 

Jason was never going to let him live it down if he died this quickly, he mused as he scrambled out of that area. 

 

He circled around, trying to bait the vampire back into the spot as it kept trying to kill him. 

 

The ceiling started spitting pebbles, and Salime dove away at the last second, barely avoiding getting crushed himself in the process. He grunted as a piece of smaller debris nicked his leg, leaving him with a lovely bleeding gash down his shin. 

 

At least the vampire had been crushed like it was supposed to. Mostly. 

 

Salim wasted no time in securing his weapon and driving it through the vampire’s heart before it could recover from the hit it had taken. 

 

No surprise second winds this time. 

 

Salim looked over his leg. It wasn’t too bad. And he still had his rifle along with his makeshift sword from the bus. 

 

In all, it was a decent start– 

 

Salim hissed as pain shot through both his biceps. 

 

What in the world…? 

 

Salim looked over his arms, seeing nothing but feeling as though a vampire had dug its claws into the skin there. His heart thudded away in his chest as though it knew of some urgent threat he didn’t. 

 

Why did he feel so panicked?

 

A scream caught in Salim’s throat, and he dropped his weapon, collapsing to the ground as he gagged on nothing.

 

What was wrong with–

 

 “ ...And the disadvantage? ” 

 

“ As I said: your fates would be tethered for the remainder of your time there. Thoroughly .”

 

Oh. Oh dear. The Curator hadn’t just meant death. Thoroughly meant thoroughly . 

 

…What on earth was Jason doing? How did his loop begin? Shouldn’t he at least have had this part down to a near precise science? 

 

The choking mercifully stopped right when Salim was about to lose consciousness, and he took several deep breaths before he was able to return to his feet. 

 

This was… perhaps going to be more difficult to manage with two people than he’d previously thought. 

 

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It had taken more effort to find Jason than he’d first assumed. However Jason had started this loop, it had shifted from the first one that Salim remembered. 

 

The vampire Salim had defeated alongside Eric before wasn’t there. And neither was Eric for that matter. 

 

Without having many other options, Salim moved on. He didn’t exactly have the tunnels memorized, but he had a general idea of which direction to go. 

 

And then he heard it – voices. Two voices that shouldn’t have been talking, actually. 

 

Jason and Dar? Why would Jason even bother trying to speak to him without Salim there to translate? 

 

Salim crept through the tunnels to get closer to them, not wanting to startle them and end up shot if one or both of them was armed and feeling jumpy with the vampires around. He could see Dar’s back from his position. 

 

 “This again? I don’t speak Arabic, you dumbass,” Jason said, sounding utterly fed up. 

 

And oh, Salim could feel that irritation, actually. Irritation and complete disdain. 

 

Jason really hated Dar. 

 

This was definitely not something Jason had been trying to achieve. 

 

Dar barked at him about shutting up and walking faster, but of course Jason still didn’t understand. 

 

Now that he was getting closer, he could see Jason actually roll his eyes despite him having an injured comrade in his arms and Dar having him at gunpoint. “ I don’t know what that means–”

 

Salim wasn’t sure if it was Jason’s anger bleeding through the Curator’s tether, or if it was his own frustration at Dar dragging him into this mess in the first place, but Salim found himself moving before he really thought about it and whacking Dar in the back of his head with his weapon.

 

His Captain crumbling to the ground was far more satisfying than it should have been. 

 

Salim gave a rough sigh. “He’s had that coming all day .” He looked up at Jason then, confused at what was going on this loop but pleased to have finally made contact. “Hello again, Jason.”

Notes:

And we're caught up! Woohooo! Onward to the brotherhood and chaos!

Chapter 24: Day 1/29 Pt.1

Notes:

It's time :)

The shock Salim felt from Jason slammed into him harder than that truck that had fallen on the vampire he’d been fighting. Then that feeling shifted. From shock to confusion. From confusion to hope. 

 

It was… strange. They felt like his own feelings, but he knew they weren’t because they didn’t… match what he knew he should be feeling under the circumstances.  

 

How disorienting. 

 

“...Salim?” Jason barely got his name out with how his voice cracked. “...How?” 

 

And now it was hard to tell if Salim’s confusion was actually his own or Jason’s again. 

 

Salim hesitated before he answered, eying the woman Jason had in his arms. 

 

Clarice.  Salim hardly recognized her with her vibrantly streaked hair instead of her hat and her skin a normal pallor. She was definitely injured now, but it didn’t look like infection. Whatever it was, though, she didn’t look conscious. They were likely safe to speak. 

 

“What do you mean, how? Did the Curator not inform you that I would be joining you from now on?” Salim finally asked. 

 

Jason spluttered, making several aborted noises before managing to get out an incredulous, “ No? ”

 

“Oh.” Salim gave a sheepish smile. “Surprise, then?” 

 

He’d assumed that Jason would have been informed about another human being tethered to him, but he guessed that was information he was going to have to share. 

 

Jason’s resulting laugh bordered on hysterical, and the level of relief Salim felt from him was higher than anything Salim thought he’d felt in his life. “Observer only my ass.” He let out a shaky breath, and Salim was sure he could see him blinking back moisture in his eyes. “You have… no idea how good it is to have someone else here.” 

 

Salim nodded. He might have been tied in to what Jason was feeling, but he knew that was a far cry from experiencing everything Jason had leading up to this point. “You’re not alone anymore, my friend.” 

 

Salim placed his weapon on his back. “So. What was your plan for this time around, and how can I help?”

 

Jason’s smile was bright as he shook his head. “Um. I was tryin’ to replicate the events that led to Eric endin’ up infected and cured.” He glanced down at Clarice. “I, uh, may have shifted things a different way than I meant to, though.” 

 

Salim raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you tell me that letting her get taken was the only way to save Rachel?” 

 

“...Yeah,” Jason admitted, hitting Salim with a whole wave of guilt as he walked over to one of the cave walls and dropped to one knee to gently prop Clarice against it. “I didn’t mean to… After what happened last time, I just… reacted. Stopped her from gettin’ taken. I shouldn’t have. It was stupid.”

 

It wasn’t the smartest idea, but Salim completely understood. Having to shoot Clarice – no matter the reason – must have been a terrible burden on his conscience. Not to mention a reminder of that checkpoint incident.

 

“Jason.” Salim put a hand on his shoulder while he was still kneeling on the ground next to Clarice. “You don’t need to explain yourself. Is it possible to still move forward with your plan?”

 

“Maybe?” Jason didn’t sound confident. “You can never guess what shit is going to impact other shit later. But nothin’s totally ruled it out so far that I can think of.” 

 

“That’s a start.” Salim dropped his hand, looking Clarice over in detail for the first time. “Will she be all right?” 

 

“I don’t know,” Jason said tiredly. “Pretty nasty head wound. Haven’t had much of a chance to get a good look at it. Oh, by the way, I’m gonna need a favor from you later.”

 

“Of course,” Salim agreed instantly. “What is it?”

 

“Uh. Kill me before I turn into a vampire.” 

 

“ What? ” Salim said sharply. Perhaps he shouldn’t have agreed quite so instantly. 

 

Jason shrugged as stood again. “I may have gotten myself infected again.”

 

“ Jason, ” Salim said, dismayed. He knew he and Jason were likely to die many times over, but not like that on the very first run they were truly able to work together. It explained that terrible gagging fit he’d had earlier, though. “So, that was what I felt before…”

 

“What?” 

 

 Salim supposed he best let him know about that detail. “Did you feel some pain in your leg that you can’t explain?” 

 

“Yeah…?” 

 

Salim put his injured leg forward so Jason could see the wound. 

 

“Oh, what the hell? ” 

 

Salim cleared his throat. “I was told by the Curator that my remembrance of the loops is because he’s… tethered me to you.”

 

Jason spread his arms. “The hell does that mean?”

 

“This, apparently.” Salim gestured to his leg. “He warned me that if one of us fell, so would the other, but it appears to be more than that. Shared pain. And emotions.”

 

“You’ve been hearin’ what’s goin’ on in my head?” Jason demanded, ironically sending a waft of horror through Salim at the same time.  

 

“No, not your thoughts,” Salim assured, equally horrified by the idea of his very thoughts being open to someone else. “I think just… emotional extremes.” 

 

“Well, that’s just great.” Jason rubbed a hand over his face as his stress bled through the tether.

 

“It’s better than you continuing on your own,” Salim noted, trying not to let the stress get to him as well. It was a wonder Jason could function at all if his emotions were always so… explosive. Salim doubted this was normal for him, though. Most likely it was the long term effects of all he’d been through having run him down so much that he was prone to strong swings of his mood.

 

“Yeah, it’s better for me in the long run, but what about you? ” Jason gestured at him with both hands. “Salim, these damned parasite deaths… I ain’t gonna lie to you, brother, they are hell. Worst I’ve had so far. Definitely gonna count as an extreme . If you’re gonna end up feelin’ that–”

 

Salim held up a hand. “It is nothing worse than what you’ve been through for the sake of everyone else here. I will manage. I knew I was not signing up for pleasantries when I agreed to this, but I chose to join you anyway.” 

 

“I’d complain about you gettin’ a choice, but we’d all be dead already without me gettin’ shoehorned into all this,” Jason muttered. “You really volunteered? ”

 

“Jason, it does not take being tethered to you to see how much you are struggling,” Salim said bluntly. “I wish to help in any way I can.”

 

Jason gave a sad but grateful smile. “Hell. No protests here. Welcome to the shit show.” 

 

Already, Salim could feel his stress levels lowering. 

 

“So.” Salim glanced at Clarice and Dar on the ground. “You are the expert. What do we need to do?”

 

Jason chewed the inside of his cheek. “Well, the run where Eric ended up cured, he got infected and volunteered to stay behind with Clarice when we retreated to buy us some time. Assumin’ I last that long, I can probably take Clarice’s place. See if I can watch what happens myself.”   

 

Salim noted that it would be difficult for him to kill Jason before he turned into a vampire if Jason stayed behind like that, but he chose not to point that out since he very much didn’t want to do that anyway. Jason was likely thinking he’d have Eric to put him out of his misery if the situation came down to it anyway. The Colonel seemed level-headed enough to go through with something like that. Assuming he wasn’t dead or too far gone with his own infection at that point, that was. 

 

“Okay,” Salim said firmly. “What about me?” 

 

Jason paused for a moment. “Honestly, this time around not much since it’s a shitty test run where savin’ people isn’t the goal. Just don’t shoot Eric or let your boss shoot Eric, and we should be able to get things done.”

 

Salim scowled. He could see Dar doing that, but why did Jason feel the need to mention him? “Why would I shoot Eric?” 

 

He liked Eric. They’d gotten along quite well from the start. Or at least the start Salim remembered.  

 

“...I’ve shot him before haven’t I?” 

 

“Yep,” Jason deadpanned. “In your defense, though, that was mostly Nick’s fault, and just about everythin’ down here has killed Eric except infection by this point. Honestly, you better get used to protectin’ him, because it’s gonna be about half our job.” 

 

Salim cocked his head. “Why him in particular? I’ve fought with him and he seemed capable.”

 

“Capable ain’t the problem. According to our beloved observer, he was supposed to die in that accident that lost him his leg and now death’s tryin’ to catch up. ” Jason held his hands up to make quotations as he emphasized. “Pretty much anythin’ that goes wrong, he’s gonna be the first to pay for it.”

 

“That is… unfortunate.” Fighting death itself had not been on Salim’s list of expectations, but he’d never assumed this was going to be easy.    

 

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Jason checked his watch. “We need to get goin’. We wait much longer and Joey’s probably gonna rip someone’s throat out before we get there and I’m gonna keel over. We can talk more details while walkin’.” 

 

“Very well. What do we do about Dar?” Salim glanced back at his Captain’s crumpled form on the ground. Maybe he should have felt back about that but he didn’t. 

 

Jason’s expression twisted like he’d bitten into something that tastes vile. “I supposed you’re gonna wanna get him out of here alive too, huh?” 

 

“Well, yes–”

 

Jason groaned. Loudly. 

 

“The Curator already lit another damn candle, didn’t he? Fine, ” Jason said through gritted teeth. “But it’s gonna be on you if he refuses a truce and ends up killin’ you again.”

 

Salim’s heart skipped a beat at that. “He… killed me?”

 

After all they’d been through over the years? They might have butted heads – especially today – but Dar actually taking his life was… Well, it was rather hurtful to know he would actually be willing to. 

 

“He’s killed a lot of people,” Jason said bitterly. He sighed heavily then. “But that was sort of an accident, and I get where you’re comin’ from. He’s your Captain.” Jason looked between Dar and Clarice. “Tell you what: I’ll drag him along, and you get Clarice. Colonel’s gonna be less likely to start pointin’ guns if he’s got a chance of hittin’ her.” 

 

“Has Eric shot me before?” Salim wondered. 

 

“No, but I’d rather not have a first time for it.” Jason was still making a face as he grabbed onto the back of Dar’s collar. 

 

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t either.” Salim crouched by Clarice, lifting her up with a decent amount of ease. He’d definitely gotten the easier end of the deal. She was much lighter than Dar. 

 

Speaking of Dar, that reminded Salim of something. 

 

“Oh, when we stop, perhaps I should handle Dar’s restraints until I can speak to him about a truce?” Salm suggested. 

 

“Sure. I don’t give a shit. But why?” Jason asked. 

 

“...My friend, I’ve been in restraints you’ve secured, and they are–”

 

“Those were loose on purpose, you dumbass.” Jason snorted. “I was tryin’ to let you escape easier.” 

 

“Oh.” 

 

Of course. That made a lot of sense. Salim had noticed so much that Jason had done that was odd, but now he was wondering all Jason had done that he hadn’t noticed. He must have had so much to keep track of. But now Salim was here to help share that burden. And he would, no matter how many details were involved. 

 

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Salim’s head was thoroughly spinning by the time they drew near to Jason’s comrades. He greatly wished that taking notes was a possibility to keep track of it all, and yet he doubted Jason had told him even half of the crucial details he needed to know. 

 

In fairness to his scrambled mind, though, it all also probably would have been easier to manage all the details had Jason not had to pause multiple times while the parasite within him wriggled its way throughout his body. Salim was fortunate – he may have been sharing some of Jason’s pain, but certainly not all of it. It was, as Salim guessed, only the extremes that seemed to get passed between them. Which was more than enough in this case. Jason had not been joking when he’d called the pain of being infected hell. Still, Salim had at least been spared most of the general drag of sickness. He was just feeling the sudden flares of agony that seemed to happen at random.

 

Jason, however, was looking much worse than him at every moment. Salim wasn’t certain exactly how long it had been since he’d gotten infected, but his skin was already bordering on the line of that sickly pale grey that Clarice’s had last time. 

 

It was a good thing they weren’t far. Much longer and Salim was sure Jason wouldn’t make it to the part of the loop he needed. 

 

Their strategy discussions would have to wait, because discussing more in detail would be rather difficult now that they were almost to the temple doors and gunfire was going off. 

 

“That’s gonna be Joey.” Jason immediately released his hold on Dar, making his torso flop onto the ground. “We gotta hurry.” 

 

Salim was almost entertained at Jason’s lack of care. Dar really had not made a positive opinion on Jason in any loop, it appeared. Dar would be fine, though. If matters played out before, they’d have time to come back and get him before any harm would find him. 

 

“You’re certain we cannot get to Joey sooner and save him as well, yes?” Salim asked as he huffed with effort of carrying Clarice while keeping up with Jason as they took off jogging. He supposed he could have left her as well, but he didn’t want to delay her getting medical treatment any longer than absolutely needed. 

 

“I’m sure,” Jason said with no hesitation. “Joey died in the ambush. He’s dead before the loop even starts. Blood-sucking bastards are just usin’ his body like a damned puppet.”

 

Salim winced. He hadn’t wanted to be there, but he’d still been part of that ambush. He’d killed at least one American in the heat of the moment that he hadn’t gotten a good look at. For all he knew, that could have been Joey. And it could have just as easily been Jason or Eric had events been slightly shifted. 

 

Salim didn’t want to imagine that. It was so much easier to pull the trigger in the chaos of battle on men he didn’t know. The fact that he apparently had pulled the trigger on Eric was still gnawing at his gut unpleasantly.  

 

All of this death… And for what? 

 

“Sergeant!” 

 

Speaking of Eric, that was him yelling now. And it didn’t sound like things were going well for Nick. 

 

…But they could have been worse. 

 

As the two of them came into view, Salim noted that Nick was on the ground by the cliff – injured but not dead, it seemed – and Eric was… being leered at by Joey.

 

Now, that was a sight. 

 

The two were barely apart – Eric’s eyes wide and his chest heaving with fear as he leaned back and Joey leaned forward.

 

“Colonel!” Jason skidded to a stop in front of Salim, his gun raised. 

 

“Jason!” Nick pushed himself up on the ground, clear relief written on his face. 

 

“Wait!” Eric gestured for him to stop with his hand, but he didn’t so much as blink at the monster in front of him. “Don’t move, Sergeant!”

 

Joey didn’t attack. He just growled faintly mere centimeters from Eric’s face, then cocked his head to look past him at Nick. Joey snarled, trying to circle around Eric to get to Nick, only for Eric to side step to block him again. 

 

Still, Joey made no move to harm him.

 

“Corporal Gomez?” Eric asked breathlessly. 

 

“Colonel, that thing ain’t Joey anymore!” Jason’s brow was furrowed as he looked for a clear shot. “Use the UV lamp!”

 

“ What? ” Eric stepped in Joey’s way again as he kept trying to get around him to reach Nick. 

 

“Just trust me!” 

 

Eric gritted his teeth, grabbing the UV without taking his eyes off the vampire for a moment. 

 

Like last time, Joey went up in flames, and his resulting scream was so piercing and horrible that Salim winced even when expecting it. 

 

Eric swore as he scrambled back from the flames.

 

Joey staggered away, flailing wildly until he stumbled right off the edge of the cliff. 

 

Well… the rest of the vampires were alerted again, it seemed. 

 

In contrast, their group was deadly quiet for a few moments. 

 

Eric gave his UV lamp an inquisitive look before clicking it off. “...Good call, Lieutenant.” Then he truly took in Salim for the first time, bafflement overtaking his expression. And then that gave way to concern. “Clarice…”    

 

“Jason!” Nick finally got fully back to his feet. “Damn, is it good to see you!” Then he also paused when his gaze settled on Salim. 

 

…Salim did not like this. Not at all. They’d been through so much, yet the two of them remembered none of it. 

 

Was this how Jason had felt with him every loop? 

 

At least they hadn’t pointed any guns at him. It looked like Jason’s plan with Clarice was working so far. 

 

Salim shifted Clarice in his arms. “If any of you have medical supplies, she is in need of it.” 

 

“...We do,” Eric said warily. He replaced the UV lamp on his belt and retrieved a medical kit from there instead.  

 

Jason stepped forward to take it from him, clearing his throat as he did. “His name is Salim, and he saved my life. He’s not hostile. We did also bring his boss, though, and he is an asshole.”

 

Salim sighed. “Jason, I don’t think that’s helping.”

 

“I’m just tellin’ the truth!” 

 

Chapter 25: Day 1/29 Pt.2

Jason had never been so rejuvenated and exhausted at the same time. He was over the moon about Salim being present in the loops to help. He really, really was. It felt like a physical strain on his shoulders had been… well, not lifted, but lessened. Everyone’s lives weren’t just in his hands alone now. He wouldn’t have to try to be everywhere at once trying to manipulate everyone and control every little detail. He had a brother he could fall back on again – something he hadn’t even realized how much he’d dearly missed until now. 

 

There was no one Jason would rather have fighting by his side for this. Nick was great and all, but there was only so much of a help he could be since he wasn’t included in the loop, and honestly… the man was a hot mess most of the loops. Reliable in a fight, yes. But between the checkpoint still messing with his head and the whole Rachel situation, he could be a bit of a loose cannon if Jason didn’t play things right. Like the time he’d gotten Eric killed by not thinking things through with Salim. 

 

But Salim was… steady. Level-headed. No matter what was going on, Jason knew he’d handle it well. Probably better than himself, if he was being honest. 

 

The exhaustion side of things, though… Yeah, despite the relief of having someone to help him, there were still some serious dampers on his mood. First and foremost, of course, was the damned parasite wriggling around him. Jason had so hoped that of all his deaths, this was the one he’d never have to experience again. And to make it even worse, now he knew Salim was going to be suffering from it too. Maybe not as much, but it sure wasn’t going to be fun. Especially when Salim wasn’t… used to dying yet. His first death had been quick. Mostly painless if it was anything like the time Jason had been through it. Jason hated to put him through that. But right now, there really wasn’t anything he could do about it. 

 

What they really needed to do was talk out a plan for a more standard loop than this one, but that would be hard with the others around, and what they’d need to do very much depended on how this loop went. 

 

Having Salim around wouldn’t help with his Merwin and Clarice and Rachel infection problems. If they didn’t figure that out, Jason was still going to be stuck with the same impossible choice of saving Rachel or Clarice and having no way to save Merwin at all. 

 

It won’t come to that, Jason told himself as he knelt by Clarice, who was propped up against one of the pillars outside the temple. 

 

There was a bit of tension in the conversion going on behind him as Eric and Salim bickered over the existence of the weapons’ silo, but it didn’t sound like bullets were about to go flying, so Jason turned most of his focus to tending to Clarice’s head wound while Nick stood next to them and Dar’s unconscious, tied up form that was close by on the ground. 

 

“You’re really okay with teaming up with an Iraqi?” Nick asked, his eyes slightly squinted as he looked in Salim and Eric’s direction.  

 

Nick’s questioning of him on this topic never failed to piss Jason off. At himself. He couldn’t blame Nick for expecting what he did from him, he just hated that he was right . And it was hard to pretend that he had no idea what Nick was talking about. But pretend he would. Carefully. 

 

Stupid lie tell…

 

“What, Salim?” Jason questioned in forced cluelessness. “Yeah, he’s alright. I ain’t chompin’ at the bit to shake hands with his Captain, though.” Jason tilted Clarice’s head to dab at the wound more easily. “Speakin’ of unexpected friendships, seems like the Colonel has takin’ a likin’ to you.”  

 

There. That would for sure get Nick’s mind derailed from the topic. 

 

“ What? ” Nick snapped his gaze over to Jason. 

 

“What?” Jason said casually. “He just put himself between you and a vampire. Seems like he’s got your back.” 

 

Nick looked irritated. “He’s my Colonel. Doesn’t mean we’re buddies now.” 

 

Jason didn’t get a chance to reply as Clarice finally stirred under his touch. 

 

“Hey,” Jason said softly, assuming that her head was probably not going to take kindly to anything loud. “Welcome back, lady.”

 

“Jason?” Clarity slowly built in her eyes. “Are we–”

 

“We’re okay. Take it easy,” Jason warned before she could even get the chance to move. “You remember what happened?”

 

“Kind of hoping I remembered wrong,” Clarice grumbled. “Don’t tell me we were actually attacked by monsters?”

 

Jason gave a small, apologetic smile. “Fraid so.”  

 

“Clarice!” Eric jogged over to them, kneeling beside Jason on Clarice’s other side. “How are you feeling?” 

 

“Eric!” Clarice started to sit up. “You’re–”

 

“Hey.” Jason stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. “What did I say? Hang on. Lemme finish this.” He started wrapping the remaining bandages from Joey’s medkit around her head.  

 

“Sergeant.” Eric looked to Nick. “Why don’t you see if you can get that radio we found working?” 

 

“On it,” Nick said, heading that way. He gave Salim a slight side eye as he walked by. 

 

Salim just awkwardly smiled in return. 

 

Honestly, Jason’s plan of having Salim carry Clarice had worked out better than he thought. There was a definite tension with Salim around, but there still hadn’t been any guns raised even when he and Eric were squabbling. 

 

Jason would be happy to point a gun when Dar woke up, though. 

 

“There we go.” Jason finished securing the bandages properly, his hand lingering a bit as it brushed the warm, still alive skin of her cheek.  “All patched up.” 

 

Clarice lightly touched the bandages with a wince. “Where’d my hat go?” 

 

“Uh… vampire ran off with it?” Jason shrugged. 

 

“Bastard,” Clarice groused. “Not even their color.” 

 

Jason snorted, chuckling lightly as he gave one chunk of her highlights a soft tug. “Yeah, well, this is a better color on you. But tell you what...” He tugged his own hat off, flipping it around and gently placing it on her bandaged head. “If it makes you feel better, you can hang onto this one for a while.”   

 

Clarice grinned back at him. “Thanks, Hotshot. All my problems are solved.”

 

Eric coughed suddenly, pushing back to his feet and turning away to hack into his elbow. 

 

Jason winced in sympathy. He and Eric probably weren’t far off in terms of infection timing, but Jason figured he was a little ahead. He’d already had a couple bouts of pain and coughing on the way here with Salim.

 

 Defending the temple was going to be interesting this time around. Two infected, Rachel dead,  and Clarice injured… Nick and Salim were going to have a hell of a lot on their shoulders if Salim couldn’t talk Dar around, which Jason wasn’t holding his breath on. 

 

“You okay?” Clarice asked.

 

Eric managed to nod while coughing, and then gestured to Nick. “I’m going to see how Sergeant Kay is doing with that radio.” 

 

He was still coughing as he walked away. 

 

Jason tried to ignore the guilt that was creeping up in him again. It was one thing to deal with the infections that happened, but it still just felt so wrong to get people infected on purpose, even if it was for their eventual own good. It felt like torturing someone and telling them they’d thank him later. 

 

Jason wondered how long it would take for the pieces to click together for the others with the gradual progression of the infection rather than Clarice getting dumped on them already looking over halfway to how Joey had ended up. They needed to figure it out, or no one would even have a cure on their mind before it was too late, but it was much easier to fill in the gap when she was writhing in pain on the ground in front of them with her skin bordering on grey –

 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Clarice asked. 

 

Jason blinked, focusing back on the very alive version of her. 

 

Shit. He couldn’t deny it. Shooting her like that had messed with his head more than he cared to admit. 

 

“Just a lot goin’ on,” Jason said. 

 

Clarice hummed. “Thanks, by the way. For saving my life.”

 

Jason swallowed past a lump in his throat that had nothing to do with the parasite in him. “You never have to thank me for that.” 

 

Clarice scoffed. “Well, I’d be kind of an asshole if I didn’t.”

 

Jason snickered. Bantering with her was so easy. 

 

…And then Dar ruined what little joy Jason had been feeling by choosing that moment to wake up. Because of course he did. 

 

It was a good thing they’d tied him up, because it took him almost no time to sit himself up and start yelling words that Jason could definitely tell weren’t of the friendly variety. 

 

Jason rolled his eyes. “You’re up, Salim.” 

 

“Dar!” Salim was there instantly, launching into something in Arabic. 

 

Good luck, Jason thought bitterly, Salim bleeding out in his arms still a very vivid memory. 

 

Shit, at this point next to everything reminded him of someone’s death.

 

“You know, I think I’m okay to stand,” Clarice said. 

 

“Yeah? You sure?” Jason doubled checked. 

 

“Well if I’m wrong, better we find out now than when those things show up and I fall on my face when I try to run,” Clarice reasoned. 

 

“Fair enough.” Jason got back to his feet and offered her a hand, trying to ignore the loud Arabic bickering that was close by. He pulled Clarice up easily, and she only wobbled a little bit as she got her feet back beneath her. “So far so good?”

 

“Yeah!” Clarice used his arm to keep steadying herself. “Yeah, all good.” 

 

“Holy shit, you’re right… ” Nick said from over by the radio, almost too low for Jason to hear.

 

Eric chuckled, then said something Jason couldn’t make out because it was actually too quiet. 

 

Jason frowned in their direction. What were they getting along about? And why did they keep sneaking glances at him–

 

The radio started wailing, sending Nick into a frenzy as he tried to stop it. 

 

Here they went…

 

“Salim, tell me you’ve got good news for me over there,” Jason asked as he watched Eric bark orders and Nick yank on wires. 

 

“He is reluctant, ” Salim said with an edge of irritation. 

 

Jason rolled his eyes. “Well, tell him he can either reluctantly help us, or we can leave him here as a snack to slow those things down!” 

 

Salim gave him an unimpressed look, but went back to arguing with Dar anyway, speaking faster this time. 

 

A crash drew Jason’s attention, and the radio’s wailing cut off. He snapped his head around to find Eric giving Nick a dubious look as the radio sat on the ground sparking. 

 

Nick gestured to it with a huff. “I wasn’t getting it working anyway.” 

 

Jason would have been more irritated had this not been an information run, but as things were it really didn’t matter. They all weren’t getting out of here this time around anyway.

 

Eric glanced nervously at the side of the cliff, where the shrieking had definitely gotten louder. “Fall back to the temple. Let’s get the hell away from here.”

 

“Copy that,” Nick said, and they both started to move. 

 

“Salim,” Jason pressed, slowly heading for the temple alongside Clarice. “What’s it gonna be for him?” 

 

Salim scowled, yanking Dar up and shoving him towards the door. “He’ll agree eventually when he sees the alternative face to face!” 

 

Salim wasn’t wrong. That was usually how it went. Dar had only ever agreed to a truce before when he’d had a literal gun to his head and vampire bats in his face.

 

Right now, though…

 

Jason glared. Dar glared back. 

 

Whatever. Jason could deal with it. 

 

“Lieutenant!” Eric called from inside the temple doors. “We need to lock this place down!”

 

“Sir.” Jason gave a firm nod, and the four of them headed for the door. 

 

They were a little ahead of schedule and wouldn’t have to wait for Rachel, so that might impact– 

 

Jason screamed, his chest spasming as agony shot through him. He stumbled in the middle of jogging, knees skidding across the stone ground as his legs gave out. 

 

Well, looked like he’d reached that point again…

 

“Jason!” Clarice doubled back for him. “What’s wrong?” 

 

He couldn’t answer her as he started hacking and the parasite wriggled around. 

 

It didn’t escape his notice that Salim stumbled too, but he thankfully caught himself on one of the temple doors. 

 

Jason vaguely registered Nick shouting his name too, and his shoes appeared in his hazy line of sight as he wheezed. 

 

“I got you, man!” Nick grabbed Jason’s arm and hauled him into the temple to deposit him on the other side of the door. 

 

Come on… Come on… Jason willed. He was still at the point where these attacks shouldn’t last long. 

 

“Lieutenant?” Eric’s shoes also appeared in front of Jason, but then he abruptly took a step back. “Shit!”

 

The little bastard worm was pushing at the inside of his neck again, and the others were definitely seeing it.

 

“What the hell is that? ” Nick demanded.  

 

Come on… 

 

Finally. 

 

Jason sucked in a deep, shaky breath as the pain subsided, and he mumbled some curses. This was only going to get worse from here. 

 

He snuck a glance over at Salim and found him leaning heavily against a pillar he and Dar were by inside the temple. Dar was giving him an odd look, but all the others seemed too focused on Jason to have noticed anything there. 

 

Probably about as well as that could have gone. 

 

“Jason…?” Nick gave his vest a firm pull, hauling him up and helping him stand. “Talk to us, man.”

 

How could he break the news to them without it seeming like just a crazy theory?

 

“He got pinned down by one of those bat things earlier, but I couldn’t tell exactly what it did to him,” Clarice said.  

 

“It got way too damn personal, that’s what,” Jason grumbled, still trying to catch his breath. 

 

“...I think I know what you mean,” Eric said warily.

 

“Wait, Colonel, you’ve been coughing too ever since that one got its claws on you.” Nick pointed out.  

 

Eric nodded, his lips pressing into a firm line. Jason could see the wheels turning in his head. 

 

“What exactly happened to your other man before he became like he was when we first arrived?” Salim asked. 

 

Bless that man. That was a great way for the others to figure it out instead of telling them directly. 

 

That said, Jason felt like a genuinely terrible person when he saw the look that came over the Colonel’s face.  

 

“...Oh, shit,” Eric said breathlessly. 

 

“Wait, you don’t think the two of them are gonna turn into one of those?” Nick demanded of Salim. “That’s crazy!”

 

“This whole thing is crazy, but it’s still happenin’!” Jason snapped harder than he meant to as he kept trying to catch his breath. “Somethin’ did that to Joey – damn well could have been this.” 

 

Were they going to deny the truth until it was too late? Had saving Clarice killed his chance of replicating what they needed in this run?

 

“Keep a close eye on us both, all of you,” Jason ordered before anyone could argue. “And let’s get these doors closed!” 

 

Thankfully everyone listened – apart from Dar, but he didn’t count – and they did get the doors secured relatively quickly after that. 

 

One step further. 

 

They might be moving a little too fast here. Without the vampires bearing down on them and the Colonel being so early in his infection, he might not offer to stay behind and run into that cure.  

 

“Nick, keep that generator runnin’!” Jason ordered as he and the Colonel secured the next set of doors. Now, without Rachel they needed… “Salim, you ever wanted to shoot vampires with a machine gun?”

 

“I do now. I’ll get it working!” Salim yanked on Dar’s arm, dragging him in the direction of the machine gun as he still kept protesting.

 

“Clarice!” Jason reached for his spare handgun, offering it to her as he kept his back against the door. The vampires would be here any second, he was sure.  

 

Clarice swore under her breath, but took the gun. 

 

“You got this!” Jason assured. “Just do what you can!”

 

Bang. 

 

And there were the vampires at the door. Apparently, however they sensed the infection in people, it didn’t go through doors. Or maybe they just didn’t care because they knew there was other prey beyond them. 

 

The chaos continued. 

 

The vampires beat away at the doors. Nick kept the generator running. Salim got the machine gun ready. And then Jason had another infection attack and Eric dropped the UV lamp when the door behind him took an especially hard hit. 

 

“I got it!” Clarice snagged the fallen UV lamp off the ground, stepping close enough to the door to shine the lamp through the gaps at the vampires on the other side. 

 

Atta girl. Always stepping up in a crisis. 

 

Eventually, though, they were forced to pull back again. 

 

“Go, go, go!” Jason shooed the others on as he skidded to stop by Salim. 

 

Rachel usually needed someone to watch her back here, so Jason wasn’t going to chance leaving Salim when he might need the same. 

 

“ Salim, ” Dar protested from behind Salim as he manned the gun. 

 

“He willin’ to help yet? ” Jason demanded. 

 

Honestly, how stubborn could the man be?

 

…Nevermind that Jason was about the same way the first loop. 

 

How had he been such an idiot? 

 

Vampires screeched, several of them scuttling towards them. 

 

Dar took a couple steps back, yelling something. 

 

Salim’s face lit up. “Yes, he’ll help!”

 

Took him long enough. Now they just needed to live long enough to get him untied. 

 

That was easier than expected, really. Just like with Rachel and Clarice usually at this point, Jason was there to get in the way when the vampires got too close.  

  

Time to go again. Down towards the catacombs…

 

“The center! Stick to the center!” Nick warned. 

 

Jason still kept an eye out for the wires. Not that he didn’t trust Nick, but that paranoia was ingrained in him now–

 

Eric went down ahead of them, crying out and then wheezing and twitching. 

 

Jason and Salim both wasted no time in each grabbing an arm as they reached him, barely causing a pause in their steps as they dragged him on.   

 

None of them stopped until the room that had originally been where they’d formed their first truce. Which it looked like it was about to get used for again.

 

 Jason and Salim gently set Eric down as Nick and Clarice watched their backs – Nick aiming his gun back down the hallway while Clarice used the UV not only as a weapon but another flashlight to light up the area. 

 

“Eric?” Clarice asked, her voice a little shaky as she drifted over to his side. 

 

“I’m… recovering,” Eric managed to get out between wheezes. 

 

Jason might have tried to push the conversation in a terrible direction to make Eric think the two of them needed to stay behind, but that was when he noticed Salim setting Dar free. 

 

Instantly, Jason had his gun pointed. “You sure about this, Salim? Can’t say I’m confident in him keepin’ his word.” 

 

Dar spat something in Arabic at him. 

 

Salim stepped between them, holding his hands up as he said something in reply in Arabic before looking to Jason. “I am sure that we need each other.” 

 

“Uh-huh,” Jason said warily. Yeah, Dar came around at this point, but things rippled in different ways. Maybe Dar would be too pissed off about being captive this time around to–

 

Eric wretched loudly, drawing everyone's attention as he collapsed right back to hands and knees, his whole body lurching.

 

The hell? He should have been far along yet to be having episode this close together– 

 

Eric lurched again, harder this time as he gagged and… vomited out the damn parasite. 

 

Jason almost gagged himself upon actually seeing the worm straight from hell for the first time. The drawings and journals they’d found had not captured how truly horrific the damn things were. 

 

“ Holy shit, what the hell is that? ” Clarice shrieked as the worm scuttled near her feet.

 

Eric scrambled back away from it, looking more horrified than anyone else at the moment, which was quite the accomplishment. Both Jason and Nick had their guns aimed at the thing, but it was hard to get a shot lined up with how quick it was–

 

Salim darted over, driving his stick-pipe through the parasite with a yell. 

 

Once again one-upping the rest of them with that thing…

 

Everyone’s screaming abruptly fell silent, leaving Eric’s panting as the loudest noise in the area. 

 

And that was when Jason’s confusion set in. And his pissed off-ness. 

 

He’d turned his back for two damn seconds, and Eric had just… spontaneously been cured. 

 

How? Why him? Of all the people infected, how was it that the man marked for death seemed to be the only one that managed to live? 

 

What was Jason missing?

 

He shot Salim a questioning look as the others focused on Eric. 

 

Salim gave him a subtle shrug, shaking his head. 

 

So, he had no idea either. Just great. 

Notes:

I can hear the collective groan from the readers AND Jason from here lol Don't worry Jason, buddy! You've ALMOST got it. XD

Also, yes, I did add in Clarice having purple highlights after a friend ran across her old concept art with her having longer purple tipped hair. lol That's been adjusted in the last few chapters as well.

Chapter 26: Day 1/29 Pt.3

Jason felt really bad about the amount of frustration and pain that had to be bleeding over to Salim right now, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. Unlike Eric, who seemed to be immune to dying via infection.

 

Did the man have a damned food allergy to vampire worms? Was it a medical thing? What made him so damned special that the worms would turn everyone but him?

 

“You all right, Colonel?” Nick offered his hand down, and Eric accepted it, grimacing as he was pulled to his feet.

 

“Much better than I was.” Eric was visibly disgusted as he looked at the remains of the worm. “That was… highly unpleasant.”

 

“That seems like an understatement.” Nick was also making a face at the worm.

 

“What caused your body to reject it?” Salim asked, shaking off the end of his stick-pipe to free it of the worm guts there. “We must find a way to replicate it for Jason.”

 

Dread flashed over Eric’s face as he turned to Jason. “I… I have no idea. I’m sorry, Lieutenant.”

 

Jason sighed. Then he started coughing again, struggling to keep standing as another wave of parasite wriggling induced pain pulsed through him.

 

Dar babbled out something, and Salim answered him quickly, his teeth gritted, likely due to the pain he was getting from Jason. Dar looked at Jason in clear horror as he said something else.

 

It was enough for Jason to get the gist.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I got one of those in me too,” Jason grumbled, lightheaded.

 

The characteristic clicking and screaming of the bats echoed down the hall.

 

“The doors!” Nick sprang into action, slamming into the doors that led towards catacombs and pushing. “Help me with these!”

 

Right. Because they were back on track with usual events and no more answers about the worms than they’d had before.

 

Jason tiredly moved to help, wondering when the best time was to ask to be put out of his misery. There wasn’t much point to continuing on. Even if he wanted to be heroic and send them all on without him, the loop would reset anyway. There was no way for him to even sacrifice himself for them if he wanted or tried to. He just needed to make sure he was around Salim when the infection took a turn for the worse.

 

…Which, now that Jason was thinking about it, might be more difficult than it was before. Everything was so chaotic at this part of the loop in particular, what were the chances of Salim being able to replicate his path through now that he remembered?

 

He knew where to go, though, right? Yeah, he’d know.

 

The bigger problem might be Jason himself.

 

Too late did he think about not dodging that damn vampire that always tried to drag him away. Normally, that would have been preferable since he’d be there to help out during the fight, but now he was just going to have to try and walk all the way to their normal meeting point while the damn worm messed with his insides.

 

He could feel the infection progressing as the fight went on, probably going faster now that he was in combat. Salim said fear and adrenaline quickened the process, and Jason’s adrenaline was definitely high.

 

He carried on as best he could.

 

Eric saved Nick from the ancient human vampire. Clarice ran to help Eric when he got in trouble. And then Jason lost track of all them when he ended up… helping Dar.

 

The Curator was laughing at him right now, he just knew it.

 

It was Dar’s lucky loop. Jason couldn’t lie, being infected in this room was damn well handy. With none of the vampires willing to attack him, Jason cut between them and their targets with no hesitation, forcing them to back off or try and go around him. It gave Salim the openings he needed to absolutely go to town with his stick pipe.

 

…Until the parasite inside Jason decided he was being a little too helpful and knocked him out of the fight with some really damn painful crawling and stretching around.

 

Jason wasn’t sure how the others fared after that. He was too busy being hunched over his knees in a ball on the ground.

 

He blacked out at one point, he was almost sure. It was hard to tell. Things were just suddenly… quiet around him. 

 

The fight was over.

 

Jason couldn’t bring himself to look up just yet. Too much pain still.

 

The process had definitely accelerated.

 

Jason broke the silence of the room with sounds that were so twisted they barely even sounded human to his own ears, his cold and sweaty forehead pressing into the filthy stone of the floor.

 

He had to get up. He had to find Salim. Or someone. Anyone, really–

 

Jason flinched as a hand landed on his shoulder, and hell if that wasn’t the most comfort he could have been offered. He may not have been able to relax, but the massive amount of relief was enough to even be felt through the pain. Now he just needed whoever this was to–

 

Son of bitch.

 

Jason let out a hysterical-sounding laugh to go with his twisted wailing as he managed to bring his head up to see that the hand on his shoulder belonged to Dar, who was standing in front of him.  

 

How uncharacteristically nice of him to show any sort of care in the general direction of any American. Jason guessed him literally shielding the man with his own body the whole fight had softened him up to him a little.

 

Having someone that hated him here wasn’t the worst thing in the world in this case anyway.

 

Dar had a rifle he must have picked up at some point.

 

Shakily, Jason reached out, pushing the end of Dar’s rifle up to be level with his forehead. Hopefully this would be enough, because he wasn’t sure how to communicate that Dar needed to stab him through the heart too.

 

Dar looked taken aback.

 

“Oh, come on, man…” Jason muttered as his insides kept feeling like they were in knots. “You’ve never hesitated before.”

 

Jason pressed his forehead into the metal, locking eyes with Dar.

 

“ Hey! Drop it!”

 

Shit, wait, no–

 

Dar backed off instantly, holding up his hands.

 

Jason shot his arm out in the direction of the voice. “Do not fire, Nick! I asked him too!”

 

Oh, and look at that – Eric was alive too. And he had the UV lamp on his belt again. Shit, when had he gotten that back? That didn’t bode well for Clarice.

 

Oh, what did it matter? The whole loop was resetting in probably a couple minutes at max anyway.

 

“Asked him to?” Eric demanded, stalking forward in sync with Nick. “Lieutenant—”

 

“I’m out of time, Colonel.” Jason panted, pressing a hand over his chest. “Whatever helped you, I can’t wait for it anymore.”

 

“No!” Nick snapped reaching Jason and crouching beside him as he placed a hand on his back. “Don’t you give up on me now–”

 

“Nicky.” Jason looked at him sharply. “I don’t wanna end up like Joey.”

 

Something cracked in Nick’s expression.

 

Jason lurched again with another spasm, his scream far too loud for how many vampires had to still be lurking around.

 

“Nick.” Jason scrunched his eyes shut. “Nick, p-please.”

 

Shit, he was ready for this to be over with.

 

Dar said something, gesturing at Eric. Eric just gave him a blank look in return.

 

Nick seemed to ignore the exchange, standing up and pulling out his handgun with a shaky hand.

 

“It’s okay,” Jason assured. Probably should have been the other way around, but he knew things would be fine. Nick didn’t.

 

“It was an honor to serve with you, Kolchek,” Eric said hollowly.

 

“Back at you, Colonel,” Jason returned. Funny. Him dying before Eric. That was a rarity.  

 

Dar gestured to Eric again, more urgently this time with his tone as he spoke.

 

“Whatever you want, not now,” Eric snapped.

 

Nick raised his gun, his aim still wavering.

 

“It’s okay,” Jason repeated to him.

 

Nick could not have looked any less comforted. Jason wasn’t even sure he’d hit him if he did pull the trigger with how much his hands were shaking.

 

“Nick–"

 

“I can’t.” Nick shook his head frantically. “I’m sorry, Jason, I can’t.”

 

Dammit Nicky.

 

Eric stepped forward, placing his hand on top of Nick’s gun and pushing it so it was aimed at the floor. “Stand down, Sergeant. I’ll do it.”

 

That worked too. Jason didn’t care who it was as long as it got done quickly.

 

Dar spoke again, even louder than the first couple times.

 

Eric and Nick both shot him a glare this time, but said nothing.

 

Dar dropped his hand to his side, clearly exasperated. Then he stalked straight for Eric. 

 

“Hey!” Nick started to raise his weapon, but then Dar just grabbed the UV lamp off of Eric’s belt and shoved against his chest before gesturing to Jason. 

 

Oh, shit. 

 

Pain was never fun, but it had been a while since Jason was actually scared to die. Now he was. 

 

Dar was right. It was the easiest way to make sure Jason didn’t come back, but he was not looking forward to burning to death. 

 

Jason swore, Rachel’s first ever death replaying in his head. 

 

“Just do it, Colonel.” Jason scrunched his eyes shut, bowing his head and trying to steel himself. “Those things managed to turn Joey when he was already gone. This is the best way to make sure I stay down.” 

 

“...I’m sorry, Kolchek,” Eric said lowly. 

 

“...Me too.” To Salim especially. This was definitely going to be an emotional extreme.  

 

There was the click of a button... The buzz of the light as it flickered for some reason…

 

But instead of the pain of flames eating away at his flesh, Jason felt the parasite move again, faster than ever before. It was rushing through him.

 

Jason’s eyes shot open, and he flinched away from the light with a hiss as his skin burned, but not like the burn of fire. 

 

He fell to the side, catching himself with his forearm. And then he heaved, the parasite seeming to be trying to escape him as it shoved its way back up his throat and out of his mouth. 

 

Jason retched, bringing up more of whatever fluid the worm was coated in while Dar moved over to the parasite and stomped on it repeatedly. 

 

…He was okay.

 

The UV lamp was the cure. All this time, the damn UV lamp. Which Clarice must have accidentally hit Eric with earlier. And Eric must have hit himself with when he stayed behind that other loop. 

 

“You’ve gotta be kiddin’ me…” Jason mumbled out around a mouth full of goo. He spat on the ground, too weak to pick himself up yet. 

 

Idiot! It had been right there the whole time, he’d just thought it would light the infected on fire because of what happened with Joey, not–

 

What is to give light must endure burning.     

 

…The hint from the Curator. He’d told him, Jason had just been too dense to figure it out.

 

But apparently Dar of all people hadn’t been. Unlike Eric and Nick, he didn’t look the least bit surprised. He’d been ready for the parasite. He’d somehow known, and that’s what he’d been trying to communicate.  

 

“Jason!” Nick was back by his side, a massive grin on his face as he patted Jason’s shoulder. “I told you not to go giving up on us yet!” 

 

Jason had no words. He was too mad. Mad himself for being a moron. Mad at Dar for figuring out the solution after being such a massive pain in the ass all the other loops. 

 

“Are you alright Lieutenant?” Eric asked. 

 

Jason laughed, his anger fading as he thought about Clarice and Merwin. He had a cure. And it wasn’t even remotely difficult to get to them. 

 

“Better than alright, Colonel.” Jason blinked back tears of relief. 

 

No choosing between Clarice and Rachel. No hopeless situation for Merwin. Saving everyone was actually on the table again. 

 

Jason didn’t protest as Nick and Eric both gently pulled him to his feet. And then he turned his attention to Dar. 

 

The Iraqi looked a little smug for Jason’s taste – probably thinking about how much smarter he was compared to the dumb Americans in the room – but Jason could let that slide given the circumstances. 

 

Jason offered his hand. 

 

That had Dar’s eyebrows raising a bit, but he only hesitated for a moment before he grasped Jason’s hand firmly and gave it a shake. 

 

“I’ve really seen everything today…” Nick muttered. 

 

“Don’t ruin the moment, Sergeant,” Jason told him. 

 

But the moment was officially ruined anyway as a damn spear hurled through the air at them– 

 

“Sergeant!” Eric reacted before the rest of them could, shoving Nick out of the way to take the hit himself.

 

Shiiiit. 

 

The spear tore right through him, pinning him to one of the crumbling statues. 

 

“Colonel!” Nick fell back to his side as Dar started firing at the ancient human vampire. 

 

Jason scrambled to get his own gun ready since he’d been occupied the last few minutes.

 

Eric coughed wetly, blood bubbling over his lips as he grasped the spear sticking through him. 

 

Jason winced. There was no coming back from that injury. 

 

“...UV,” Eric coughed out. “...Go.” 

 

Nick hesitated for only a second, then gave a firm nod and grabbed the UV lamp off Eric’s belt. 

 

“...Go,” Eric repeated, a death rattle already clinging to his shallow breaths.

 

And so they did, and Jason added another death to the list of ones he needed to avoid for Eric. Because of course he couldn’t make any progress without that list growing.

 

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

 

Teaming up with Dar was unexpectedly smooth sailing. They all may not have been able to talk, but some soldier things were universal. And some things were just common sense. Like getting the hell away from spear-throwing, Biblically-old vampires. 

 

It also didn’t take much communication to decipher the message that Salim and Clarice left them, which was Clarice’s initials, something in Arabic, and an arrow. Jason smirked a little at that. Looked like Salim was already pretty good at modifying things but keeping them familiar. 

 

Salim and Clarice… Another odd team up that had happened a couple times now. Jason wondered what on earth they would have to talk about on their trip. Probably a lot more than Jason, Nick, and Dar. 

 

Hell, Jason and Nick were barely talking to each other. Maybe that was just because of Dar, but Jason suspected otherwise. 

 

One of these days, Jason might actually manage a run through the day where Nick wasn’t an emotionally beaten down wreck, but that sure wasn’t this time. He was already generally in bad enough shape after the checkpoint and dropping Rachel off a cliff, but now he had to deal with Eric dying for him on top of those. And almost having to shoot Jason in the head probably hadn’t done him any favors either. 

 

“You hangin’ in there, Sergeant?” Jason asked as the two of them dropped down the ropes left by Clarice and Salim first. Maybe this run wasn’t really going anywhere now that he had his answer about the parasite cure, but he still didn’t like seeing his friend suffer in silence. 

 

“Never better,” Nick deadpanned.  

 

Jason scoffed, glancing up to check on Dar, who was just now securing his rifle so he could start down the rope. “Yeah, sure.” 

 

“I’ve had a shit day,” Nick said.

 

Jason snorted. “Can relate to that.” 

 

If Nick only knew…

 

Nick winced. “I’m sorry, man. That looked like hell.”

 

“I’m sorry I asked you to take the shot,” Jason said honestly. Nick’s conscience did not need that. 

 

Nick chuckled hollowly. “I’d rather not kill anyone else I care about today. Or get anyone else killed.”

 

“Hey.” Jason nudged Nick’s arm with his elbow. “Eric’s a smart man. He knew what he was doin’.” 

 

“ Did he?” Nick said bitterly. “You think he would have been so generous if he’d known I was sleeping with his wife? Who I also dropped off a cliff?”

 

Well, damn. He was bringing all that up. That sure was some timing considering Jason wasn’t supposed to know any of that this time around yet. Jason wasn’t quite sure how to reply to that. 

 

“Rachel and I were seeing each other. Three weeks.” Nick rubbed his eyes. “This morning I thought I had a future. Then he walked in and Rachel told me things were on hold. And now I can’t even hate the guy. Both of them are dead because of me–”

 

Dar screamed something in Arabic, cutting off their conversation as they whipped around in time to see him hit the ground, not unlike Jason did at the start of every loop. But he hadn’t slipped or anything. He’d obviously decided to drop faster, and now he was scrambling for his rifle as he looked up and rambled out something that was clearly a warning.   

 

Jason raised his gun to point at the top of the ropes. 

 

Was it a bat-vampire, or that ancient human one again? He’d never been here this late before to know what kind of threats–

 

…Oh, what the hell . 

 

“You’ve got to be shitting me!” Nick said, sounding even more distressed than Jason felt as the vampire version of Eric hurled himself down to land in front of them and growl. Dar yelped, trying to scoot back while he was still on his backside. 

 

“I don’t have a shot!” Jason said, for once not wanting to shoot Dar.

 

“I got him!” Nick forwent his rifle, grabbing the UV lamp off his belt and rushing closer. “Time to rest, Colonel!” 

 

…Except the UV lamp only flickered on for a split second before going dark again.  

 

Nick swore, frantically smashing the button again and again as Eric turned on him. 

 

“Nick, move! ” Jason ordered. 

 

Now Dar was out of the way but Nick was right in the line of fire– 

 

Nick cried out as Eric tackled him and he dropped the UV lamp. 

 

“Nick!” Jason forgot trying to shoot and grabbed his knife, stabbing Eric several times as soon as he reached him. 

 

Eric lashed out at him with a flail of his arm, and Jason barely dodged. Eric stayed primarily focused on Nick, though, and it was not looking good. 

 

Jason kicked Eric off, sending him rolling across the ground. Thankfully, that was enough room for Dar to open fire, and Eric staggered back under the impact until he fell off the ledge. 

 

Jason grabbed hold of his rifle again and looked over the edge cautiously.

 

Oh, what kind of sick joke was this?

 

Jason gritted his teeth so hard he wouldn’t have been surprised if they cracked.  

 

Eric had just fallen and gotten impaled on another stalagmite. And Nick was… very dead with his throat bitten through. By Eric. Who’d originally died to save his life. 

 

What was this, the loop of ironies? 

 

Jason put his gun away, kneeling beside Nick’s body with a heavy sigh. 

 

He was so tempted to put a bullet in his own head right now. He had the cure. He wanted to get to actually trying to get everyone out again. But no. He needed to talk to Salim and get a game plan for the next loop before getting to it. And he honestly… really didn’t want to. Would it be less painful than most other deaths he could get? Of course. But it also felt like crossing a line he wasn’t quite ready for yet. 

 

And so he sucked it up, tossed Nick’s bag to Dar, and they moved on. 

 

…Now it really was far too quiet. 

 

Notes:

Yippeeee he finally got there! lol

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https://archiveofourown.org/works/67816571

Chapter 27: Day 1/29 Pt.4

Salim was a frequent prayer, but he was sure he’d never prayed so much in a whole week combined before than he was now while sharing Jason’s pain. His American friend had not been exaggerating about the agony caused by those terrible parasites. Even with the pain being second hand, it had reduced Salim to being able to do little more than scream and writhe on the ground while Clarice of all people hovered over him trying to help. 

 

Of course she could do nothing since there was nothing wrong with him, but she was definitely trying, and he appreciated that. Even if she was shouting out every swear word under the sun in the process in frustration. 

 

Salim dearly hoped that Jason had someone with him that would end this soon. That wouldn’t help them be closer to a cure, though, and they desperately needed that enigma solved–

 

Salim gagged suddenly, not unlike when he’d felt Jason getting infected in the first place. 

 

Could it be? 

 

Salim forced himself onto his side, the feeling in his throat causing him to vomit up the contents of his stomach even though he had no parasite himself.

 

Oh. Oh, he felt better. He felt much better.  

 

Clarice swore again, hesitantly patting Salim on the back. 

 

“...I think I’m okay,” Salim dared to chance saying. 

 

What did that mean, though? Had Jason found the cure? Or did their tether work strangely when it came to one of them being transformed into a vampire? 

 

“What, did your breakfast just not agree with you?” Clarice demanded. “The hell was that about? You didn’t hork up a slug like Eric.” 

 

“I don’t know,” Salim rasped, his throat rough from all the screaming. “Perhaps I inhaled something that affected me similarly.”

 

 “...Sure, whatever. My head hurts too much to think of a better theory.” Clarice grimaced, getting back to her feet with a slight wobble. “So, you’re like… not dying anymore?”

 

“I don’t think so.” Salim wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, gingerly rising off the ground as he was hit by a torrent of emotions from Jason. 

 

Relief, gratitude, a great deal of irritation… Certainly not what a vampire would feel, Salim was sure. Had Jason found the cure, then? That would be very good news if it were true. And it would also mean that they would need to speak before the next loop if at all possible. 

 

Probably best Salim stick as closely as possible to what Jason was used to happening, then. 

 

“We should get away from here,” Salim suggested. “I fear I may have attracted the vampires to us with all of the noise.” 

 

He wasn’t entirely sure where he stood with Clarice. Falling into working with Jason and Eric had been easy, but she was no soldier, and he’d barely spoken to her thus far.

 

“No protests here, but where can we go?” Clarice glanced at the halls around them. “Don’t exactly have a map for this place.”

 

“Well… I’d rather not go back the way we came with all the vampires, so… forward?” Salim gestured. 

 

Clarice gave the hallway a look of dread. “You, me, one pistol with I don’t know how many shots left, an umbrella frame, and an unknown path into vampire territory. What could go wrong?”

 

Salim chuckled. He definitely could have had worse company. 

 

They talked quite a bit as they moved along. Mostly about their homes. His hopes for Zain. How she had become a scientist. It helped pass time and ease their nerves. 

 

They even managed to best the vampire that tried to ambush them at that particular set of doors before the waterfall. 

 

This time, it was Salim’s turn to know the threat was coming before it appeared, and he managed to stab his weapon through the vampire’s heart after Clarice stalled it with a couple bullets. 

 

“Damn.” Clarice lowered her gun as the vampire stopped twitching. “You’re kind of a badass with that thing.” 

 

That was kind of her. 

 

“You’re quite proficient yourself for having no training.” Salim yanked his weapon free. 

 

He hadn’t forgotten about the fact that she’d apparently outshot Dar on more than one occasion. 

 

“Must be Jason’s hat,” she joked, wiggling her fingers at him. “Magic Marine powers.” 

 

Ah, yes. Jason’s rather well-worn hat that he’d said he wore in memory of the fallen. Salim was surprised he’d given it away so readily. Perhaps his confession to Salim about his true reason for enlistment had made him okay with parting with it. Or perhaps he just knew he’d get it back in the next loop anyway. 

 

“Wait.” Salim paused their progress through a certain area, recognizing it as the spot where Jason had left a message for the others when they’d been through this area before. Repeating that gesture for Jason to follow would likely be beneficial. And he could let Jason know Clarice was with him as well. 

 

“Here, sign with your initials as well in case some of your friends survived,” Salim said as he finished signing in Arabic in case Dar had survived and drew an arrow in the direction they were going. 

 

“You really think any of them could have made it out of there?” Clarice asked as she scraped her finger through the dirt to make a C and an S .

 

“I’m certain Jason did,” Salim said honestly, though of course he was going to give her a different reason than the truth. “The vampires wouldn’t harm him in his condition.” 

 

“What if his condition is what harms him?” Clarice pointed out, the worry in her tone obvious. “It didn’t seem like he was doing too well.”

 

“He’s strong,” Salim assured. “He’ll pull through.” 

 

“Hope so.” Clarice tapped the brim of her hat. “Gotta get this back to him after all.” 

 

It was only after the fact that Salim realized he probably should have said something comforting about Eric given that he was the one Clarice had known before this day, but he had no such confidence in Eric’s survival. In fact, given what Jason had told him regarding Eric’s issues of staying alive, he almost certainly hadn’t survived unless Jason managed to interfere. 

 

Yes, it was probably best that he avoided that topic. False hope could be rather unkind. 

 

“Well, this place looks nicer than anywhere else down here,” Clarice noted as they reached the drop above the waterfall. 

 

Salim agreed. That was why he’d paused just below there last time to mourn for Dar. He had not had a peaceful end, but dropping his wallet was the closest Salim had been able to get to laying him to rest.  

 

“Do you have enough rope?” Salim gestured to Clarice’s backpack. 

 

“I should.”

 

And she did, of course. She probably had the same amount issued to her as Jason did when they’d climbed down. 

 

Salim didn’t stop at the waterfall this time, and he hoped that wouldn’t ruin the timing of the others meeting up with them at the music room. He had no doubt Jason would try to be right behind them, but that had been a close call before. Salim very much didn’t want to be in the middle of all those hatching vampires with only a couple bullets for Clarice and his weapon for himself. 

 

Perhaps he needed to find something to make them go slower. He and Jason had stopped and spoken for a while before in addition to his pause to say his farewells to Dar. 

 

“This is incredible!” 

 

…Or perhaps she would say something that stopped him in his tracks. 

 

“Incredible?” Salim repeated incredulously as they stood on the platform that overlooked the great cavern of cocoon mounds. Until Jason had told him about the loops, Salim had found the place a smotherer of hope. He had knelt on this ledge and felt his faith in his ability to get home flicker like a candle on its last bits of wax.   

 

But not Clarice. Her eyes were wide with wonder. Curiosity. 

 

Scientist . Of course. The potential of this place must have been fascinating to her. 

 

For the first time, Salim felt he was getting a look at what the woman was like when her spirit and energy weren’t being oppressed by her injuries. And he learned very quickly that her curiosity was a menace. 

 

“Wait!” Salim snagged her hand an inch from the fossilized vampire. “Perhaps not the best idea?” 

 

Why on earth had she and Jason felt the desire to touch that thing? 

 

He really shouldn’t have been surprised when she started taking samples of the goo that poor ancient man was half covered in. 

 

“Want some?” Clarice offered, holding up a piece of gum as she crouched by the now fully dead man since Salim had just put him out of his misery. 

 

“. ..Now? ” Salim demanded, at a loss.

 

She shrugged. “I need the wrappers. Plus the pressure down here is a bitch. Making me sleepy.”

 

“You’re certain that’s not you likely having a concussion and running on adrenaline for hours on end?” Salim asked dryly.  

 

“Maybe.” She popped some gum in her own mouth and then collected some of the fluid with the wrapper. 

 

Salim shook his head. “Very well, I’ll take one.” 

 

“Science thanks you for the assistance.”

 

Was she even that type of scientist? Or was she just intending to turn her bubblegum-contaminated findings to someone else if she managed to escape this place?  

 

Whatever the case, at least it was delaying them further. Surely Jason – and the others if they’d survived – wouldn’t be too far behind them now. 

 

He wasn’t. 

 

“Heads up, ya jackass!” Jason yelled before blasting the vampire that had been closing in on Salim and Clarice once the cocoons had begun hatching. 

 

Wait, if Jason was firing, where was Nick? It was just… Jason and Dar? Well, that seemed rather ironic. But Salim didn’t have time to dwell on it as the four of them fled the vampires.

 

It was once they reached the music room that Salim let himself stop and think again.

 

“You made it!” Salim clapped Jason on the shoulder, taking note of his normally colored skin. 

 

He was about to ask about the cure when Clarice pushed past him, all but tackling Jason in a hug that looked tight enough for Jason to feel through his vest. 

 

“Holy shit is it good to see you hotshot!” Clarice laughed as Jason blinked in surprise for a moment before he embraced her back with the one free arm he had since the other was holding his rifle off to the side.

 

Salim felt his heart skip a beat at the same time a soft smile flickered over Jason’s face. 

 

“It’s good to see you too.”

 

…Ah. And here Salim had thought Jason’s extremely driven motivation for saving Clarice in particular was due to her civilian status and the sheer amount of suffering he’d seen her go through. And perhaps it was that. Partially. But Salim knew better than to assume those were the only reasons now.  

 

Clarice pulled back, not just looking him over, but resting the back of her hand on his forehead as she did so. “Feels like you shook that fever, and you look better. Eric figure out what helped him?” 

 

“Yes, did you find the cure?” Salim pressed. 

 

 The look Jason gave them was one of pure and utter irritation. “Actually, your boss did, Salim. Turns out if you hit someone infected with Eric’s handy UV lamp before they fully turn, they don’t go up like a haystack, they just choke up a worm and go back to bein’ fine and dandy.”

 

Oh. Ohhh, no wonder he was so frustrated. For the answer to have been so close all this time… For it to have been mere feet away while he and his friends suffered time and time again… 

 

“Unfortunately it also ain’t working now.” Jason pulled the lamp from his belt, tossing it on the nearby table. “Piece of shit picked a great time…”

 

Clarice had finally removed her hand from Jason’s face, and she stared at the UV lamp for a moment. “...Jason, where is Eric?” 

 

Jason didn’t quite meet her eyes as he should his head. “Lost him and Nick both. It’s just us.” 

 

Clarice swore, her face falling. 

 

“ Salim. ” Dar thwacked Salim on the back, apparently deciding he’d been waiting in silence long enough. He then gestured to the three of them.  

 

Salim quickly condensed the conversation and gave it to Dar in their native tongue. 

 

“Hey, how’d he know what about the UV wand anyway?” Jason wondered. 

 

Salim relayed the question before doing the same in reverse for the answer. 

 

“He saw the light of the UV lamp strike Eric just before he was… cured. When Clarice was carrying it.” 

 

Jason just looked even more fed up. “...I can’t believe I missed that.”

 

Probably because he’d been busy pointing his gun at Dar and had his back to Eric at the time. Not that Salim had noticed either. 

 

“Well…” Jason sounded pained saying the words. “Tell him thanks.” 

 

Salim passed that along, trying not to smile too much. 

 

Dar gave Jason a firm nod in return. 

 

“He’s injured,” Clarice pointed out. 

 

She was correct. Dar may have escaped with his life this time, but he’d still managed to receive some wounds to his chest. 

 

“We can use the medpack– nevermind.” Jason caught himself off. “Already used it.” 

 

The medical pack… Yes, Salim had seen and heard that mentioned a few times this and the last loop, and this time around it had been used to wrap Clarice’s head wound. 

 

“...I think I can help him out,” Clarice said. 

 

Jason raised an eyebrow. “Last I checked you weren’t that kind of doctor.”

 

“No,” Clarice agreed. “But I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve.”

 

“Alright,” Jason agreed. “You do what you can for him while Salim and I see what all we got left.”

 

Ah. Jason was dividing them up so the two of them could talk. That was a good idea. 

 

Salim spared a moment to pass along the plan to Dar before he and Jason collected all the weapons and bags and started laying things out on the table. 

 

“Congratulations,” Salim said, making sure his voice was low enough that Clarice couldn’t hear what he was saying. “You found your cure. That is a great step forward in progress.” 

 

Jason tossed him a small, relieved smile before it dropped and he shook his head. “All this damn time… Can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner.”  

 

Exactly the guilt Salim had been expecting from him. 

 

“What matters is that you know now,” Salim tried to assure him. “And we will be able to use that from here on out. You can save all of your friends.” 

 

“From infection, ” Jason clarified, setting some ammunition on the table. “Still a long way to go and a lot more threats to face before everyone is safe.” 

 

Salim placed a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “Yes. There is much still I’m sure we’ll have to face. But embrace your victories, my friend.” 

 

That brought Jason’s smile back again. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. This is great.”

 

That was better.

 

“Do you have a plan for the next time that I should know?” Salim adjusted some of the ammunition on the table, trying to look like he was actually paying attention to their task.

 

Jason nodded. “Up to a certain point. Hard to predict past the point where someone’s always been dead before, but I know the best way to start things off.” He placed his rifle on the table. “We need to get our groups workin’ together as soon as possible. Eric and your boss are gonna be the biggest problems there.”

 

“Mostly just Dar,” Salim admitted dryly. “Eric may have had me restrained, but that seemed more because he thought he was obligated than true distrust.”

 

Jason grunted in agreement. “Yeah, he ain’t bad. Just needs a little push. Rachel and Merwin ain’t gonna be the friendliest, but they’ll be onboard if you got me and Eric vouchin’ for you. I’ll make sure Eric’s the one you run into first again – that worked well last time. Just do whatever you did before.”

 

“Make sure?” Salim echoed. “Did you orchestrate that?”

 

“Yep,” Jason said simply. “Original time it was Nick. I manipulated the shit out of things to push Eric into that spot instead since he was the one draggin’ his feet on trustin’ you. Nick never protests much. Don’t really need the boost.”

 

Salim found himself wondering not for the first time just how much Jason had shifted without him realizing. How many things were there that Jason himself didn’t even think about anymore because they’d become so routine? It was strange to think that what Salim considered the first time through the day was still something Jason had heavily edited from matters that had played out on the true first run.

 

 “So, assuming I am successful with Eric, that just leaves Dar,” Salim noted with a grimace.

 

Jason groaned. “Can’t lie, man… You ain’t had the best luck with that. It’s about damn near impossible to get him to stop shootin’ at us unless there’s vampires in the room to shoot at instead.”

 

That was… sadly true. Trying to convince Dar with words was about as effective as throwing a rock at one of the vampires to fend it off. Honestly, Salim was surprised Dar had been willing to save Jason’s life at all.

 

Salim glanced over his shoulder at where Dar was making a face at Clarice as she tended to his wounds. “What did you do to be on his good side right now? You seem to have made more progress on that front than I did.”

 

“Uh. I used myself as a human shield while I was infected and to keep the vampires off him– Clarice, what hell are you doin’?”

 

“Improvising, adapting, and overcoming?” she tossed over her shoulder with a wry smile.

 

Oh. It was only then Salim realized she was using the fluid from the vampire cocoons to dress Dar’s injuries. How creative. No wonder Dar looked uncomfortable, though, with her layering a green goo from gum wrappers over his open wounds.

 

Jason snorted. “Cute.”

 

“Aww, thanks, Hotshot.” Clarice tossed him a smirk. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

 

…My, she was rather forward. Not that Jason seemed to be complaining.

 

But back on their issue of Dar, Salim wasn’t certain what to do. Jason’s success here was… not easily replicated. In fact, Salim was certain he and Jason would both prefer to avoid either of them getting infected again at just about any cost.

 

They would have to find another way. The time proved it was possible, at least, as it had with many things.

 

“We can always knock him out again and drag him with us until cooperates,” Salim said under his breath.

 

Jason side-eyed him. “If I leave your restraints easy to get out of, you think you could get away from Eric and knock Dar out at the same place I did last time?”

 

Salim shrugged. “Worth a try.”

 

They had their plan, then. All that was left was to… well, die.

 

Even knowing that he’d come back, Salim couldn’t deny that the thought turned his stomach. The first time had been so quick that Salim had barely felt a thing, but he knew there was very little chance of that always being the case before they found their way through things.

 

He was not looking forward to what lay ahead on that front.

 

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Keeping lookout for Jason while he planted the explosives was beyond easy given that Jason already knew exactly where he needed to be. In fact, Salim found it more difficult just to pretend that he was as nervous as Dar and Clarice about the whole situation.

 

“ That foolish man has a death wish, ” Dar muttered in their language.

 

“I would consider him quite brave for volunteering for the task. ” Salim followed Jason’s progress with his binoculars.

 

“ There’s brave and then there’s crazy, ” Dar grumbled. “ He pressed his head into the barrel of my rifle earlier without so much as a blink .”

 

Of course he had. It had probably been a huge relief to him that someone was around to shoot him at all. Fortunately, it hadn’t come to that. 

 

“ He was trying to avoid turning into a vampire and killing us all, ” Salim said. 

 

“ What? ” Dar demanded. “ That worm would have caused that? ”

 

Salim dropped his binoculars to give Dar a side glance. “ You didn’t know? ” 

 

Now that he was thinking about it, he supposed Dar had never seen Joey.

 

“ No, ” Dar hissed. “ I just assumed he was seeking a less painful end. So that was what happened to the Americans’ leader to change him… ”

 

“ What? ” Salim said sharply. “ Eric? I thought he was cured. ” 

 

Come to think of it, Jason hadn’t said how Eric died this time.

 

“ He was. Then he got impaled by a spear and came back as something else. Killed the other American with us, ” Dar explained. 

 

…No wonder Jason hadn’t wanted to talk about it. 

 

“What about Eric?” Clarice leaned between the two of them, startling Salim. 

 

“...He had an unfortunate end,” Salim told her, switching to English. 

 

“...I wasn’t really expecting otherwise in this place,” Clarice said dryly. 

 

That was a fair assumption.    

 

“ What is he doing down there? ” Dar gestured in Jason’s general direction. 

 

“ Is that concern I hear? ” Salim asked, more amused than he should have been. 

 

“ Of course I’m concerned ,” Dar said through gritted teeth. “ If he fails we’re as good as dead as well .”

 

“ Yes, yes… Of course that’s the reason… ” Salim smirked.

 

“ …What are you implying? ”

 

“ Just that you’re getting slightly more attached to these Americans than you claim .”

 

“ Don’t be absurd– ”

 

“ He saved your life. And then you saved his .” Salim smiled as he shook his head. “ You’re not going to go back to shooting at him if we get out of here .”

 

“ Salim– ” 

 

“Hey!” Clarice cut in, scowling as she gestured to Salim’s binoculars. “Are you gonna watch his back down there, or do I need to take those and do it myself?” 

 

“I am watching!” Salim protested, although he absolutely hadn’t been since Jason said he wouldn’t need it. There was nothing–

 

Wait. Oh, there definitely was something . 

 

Salim grabbed his radio while still keeping his eyes on Jason’s crouched form by the cocoon mound. “Jason, behind you! It’s the man-thing again!” 

 

Jason shot up immediately, going for his rifle. 

 

Oh, dear. The bullets only stunned the man-thing’s advance, and the gunshots… There were so very many vampires converging on Jason now. 

 

A sigh rattled over the radio just before Jason’s voice. “Salim, do me a favor and hit that trigger now. ”

 

Salim grimaced. “Very well.” 

 

Faster than being eaten, he supposed. 

 

Clarice yanked the radio from Salim’s hands. “Jason, come on! You can still get out of there–”

 

Salim pressed the button, sending the cocoons up in flames as Clarice cried out. 

 

Jason’s death had been quick, at least. Salim shuddered as a flash of heat overtook him for a moment, but then it was gone. 

 

…Just as he was about to be. 

 

He hadn’t been certain how the tether would feel in a situation like this, but now he knew. 

 

“ Salim? ” 

 

Salim barely registered Dar catching his shoulders as he slumped over, his heart radiating pain through his whole chest as it quickly slowed. His breath left him shortly after that…

 

…And then he was falling.

Chapter 28: Day 2/30 Pt.1

Back to the start again. But for the first time in a long while… Jason wasn’t dreading every moment. He was ready .

 

Salim was right. This was finally progress. Those stupid parasites weren’t going to hold him back anymore. No impossible obstacles in the way. 

 

He had the cure. He had help. And they had a plan. 

 

“Sorry,” Jason muttered under his breath just before Clarice was yanked into the shadows. He was never not going to feel bad about that, but at least this time he wasn’t dooming her. He could save her later. He would .

 

At this point, saving Merwin was a breeze, so Jason easily navigated that path again, muting his and Merwin’s radios at the proper time to avoid Nick alerting the vampires.  

 

“The ‘ell were those things…” Merwin wondered, his speech slurred. 

 

“Don’t you worry about it right now, Corporal. You just save your strength.” Jason tried to keep the grin off his face, knowing he’d also be able to save Merwin now. No more bleeding out or transforming. 

 

Jason clicked his radio back on once that they were past the danger for the moment. “Mailman Two-One Actual to Mailman Three. Over.” 

 

Nick answered. He backtracked with the Colonel to meet with Jason in Merwin. The four of them moved on. 

 

Like before, Jason made sure to manipulate things to give Nick some time to mentally recover from dropping Rachel off a cliff, win some trust with Eric by saving him from the tripwire, and then make sure Eric was in the right spot when Dar attacked for him to get driven towards Salim. 

 

In your hands now, buddy, Jason thought. He hoped Salim remembered what he said before to get on Eric’s good side. 

 

As tempting as it was to rush in and get things going, Jason resisted. He had to let Salim work his weird no-one-is-capable-of-not-liking-me magic. 

 

Jason checked his watch. He really needed to start timing things. He had no idea how long he’d let them talk last time. 

 

He clicked his flashlight off and crept closer until he could hear their voices clearly. 

 

“So, what now, soldier?” Eric asked, sounding friendly enough. 

 

“My name is Salim,” Salim corrected. “And, well… you are the one with the gun, but personally I’d prefer not to go back to shooting at each other while we’re picked off by bat demons.”  

 

Oh, Salim had made sure to get his name in there this time. Smart. That would help avoid any slip ups like the ones Jason had been dropping like shells from that machine gun before.

 

 “Eric King,” Eric replied, then paused to take a breath. “Well, I can’t say I’ve ever ended my sessions with my trauma therapist by shooting him before, and now’s probably not a good time to start.” 

 

Jason nearly choked on air. Salim was great to talk to and all, but Jason hadn’t expected Eric to casually drop to him that he’d been in therapy. Although that made a lot of sense given his missing leg now that Jason was thinking about it. 

 

Salim chuckled.

 

 “Dropkick to–” 

 

Dammit. Jason was definitely close enough for them to hear Eric’s voice echoing through his radio.

 

Jason jogged forward immediately, entering the area Salim and Eric were in.

 

“Colonel! Good timin’.” He came to an abrupt stop as he pretended to notice Salim.

 

Eric held up a hand. “Easy, Lieutenant! He’s non-hostile for the moment.”

 

Oh, the irony. 

 

Jason squinted, trying to make Eric think he was thinking about something. Hopefully Salim would catch on and go with it. “ You? ” 

 

Eric looked between them. “You know each other?”

 

“He had me when we were on the surface, sir,” Jason admitted. “Spared my life instead.”

 

“...Why would you do that?” Eric gave Salim a baffled expression. 

 

Jason wondered yet again just how many times this discussion was going to come up.  

 

“He was vulnerable because he paused to spare the life of one of the shepherds.” Salim shrugged. “I have standards.” 

 

That made Eric look even more reluctant than he had the first time around. He sighed deeply. “Lieutenant, restrain him. Nicely, if you can.” 

 

“Yes sir,” Jason said out loud, but he swore internally. He’d figured Eric wouldn’t go for leaving Salim completely free – which was honestly the responsible thing to do in his position as commanding officer – but he’d hoped. Oh well. Things could have been worse. Back to their original plan they’d talked about.

 

Salim looked disappointed as Jason moved around behind him to “secure” his wrists. 

 

“I am sorry, but you have to understand my position here,” Eric told Salim. 

 

Salim just nodded glumly, and Jason fought the urge to laugh at how guilty Eric looked. 

 

Yeah, Salim had definitely won him over even if he was trying to act all responsible about things. 

 

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“You holdin’ up okay, buddy?” Jason asked Nick as they set up the tripwires. 

 

There wasn’t much he needed to shift around here while Salim and Eric were having their vampire study discussion like they were in the same class and comparing notes, but maybe it was time he gave Nick some attention. Nick still really was… well, the one Jason had most neglected so far, for lack of a better word. Even with the whole thing with Eric’s vampire business last time, Nick still remained the easiest to keep alive, so Jason kept on pushing him down on his priority list. But… Nick deserved better than that. Even if he wasn’t dying as much as the others and Rachel wasn’t actually dead at this point, Nick’s pain was very real. Especially his pain over the checkpoint. 

 

…The checkpoint. Which Jason had talked to Salim about instead of Nick after all the times Nick had tried to bring the topic up. Jason definitely felt bad about that even if it wasn’t exactly something he’d planned. 

 

Nick sighed. “We should have given her a second warning.”

 

There it was again. And really, Nick deserved that conversation in full. Jason just didn’t want to go through that topic fifteen times like some of the others. The chances of this loop being the one were slim to none even with the cure, and Jason didn’t want this talk becoming standard. It wasn’t something to just go through the motions about. But he had to give Nick something now. He didn’t want to dismiss him again. 

 

Jason sucked in a breath. “Okay.” 

 

“Okay?” Nick echoed, shooting him a frown.

 

“ Okay I’m… ready to talk about it,” Jason clarified, finishing up his charge. “Just not here. Not now. Once we get out of this mess.” 

 

Nick was quiet for a few seconds. “...You know, with the way things are going, we might not get that chance.”

 

Son of a bitch. Jason should have known that wasn’t going to be good enough. 

 

“I can’t deal with this shit right now, Nick.” Jason shook his head as he stood again. “If I open that can of worms, I can kiss stayin’ focused goodbye.”

 

Nick nodded slowly. “I hear you.” 

 

Thank you. 

 

Jason did know something else Nick probably needed to get out, though. 

 

“I’m sorry about Rachel.” Jason changed the topic, making sure not to give away his lie to Nick this time. 

 

Nick flinched a little at that, his eyes going wide. “...What do you–”

 

“I know, Nick.” Jason bit his tongue before he could repeat himself. No repeating. “And while I think it was a stupid ass idea on both your parts, I’m still sorry it had to end that way.” 

 

…Maybe he should have left part of that out, even if it was honest. Jason was just… frustrated. All the shit with Rachel and Nick and Eric was such an unneeded distraction for all of them. Nick and good decisions just hadn’t been friends since the checkpoint, and Jason had to believe that all messing with his head was the reason he was dumb enough to start something with his married commanding officer . 

  

“Pretty ironic, huh?” Nick said bitterly. “I was worried about Eric being in the picture, but I’m the one who dropped her off a damn cliff to save him. ” 

 

“If you hadn’t cut it, she’d still be gone, Eric just would have joined her,” Jason said, though he was internally counting the seconds until the conversation was over. Maybe that made him a terrible person, but he really had other things to worry about than consoling Nick about the death of his affair girlfriend who wasn’t actually dead. 

 

This entire situation was such a pointless distraction. 

 

But he let Nick lament to him anyway. 

 

“It’s stupid,” Nick’s tone suddenly shifted to anger. “But I’m mad at the Colonel for not cutting it.”

 

…Yeah, that was pretty stupid. But at least recognized it was stupid even if he still felt that way. 

 

“You wish he had so you didn’t have to?” Jason asked. That… sort of made sense. 

 

“He was about to get pulled off that cliff,” Nick said flatly. “ He should have made the better call for the mission.”

 

He really should have. Nick wasn’t wrong about that. It was a terrible call as a Colonel for Eric to risk himself like that. But… well, Jason supposed there was the difference between a three week relationship and the dedication of a marriage: Nick may have been a better soldier, but Eric cared too much about Rachel to save his life over hers, no matter his rank. 

 

In all the runs Jason had seen with all the different paths, there wasn’t a single one so far where Eric was not absolutely dedicated to Rachel. He’d die for her in a heartbeat and was absolutely devastated every time he thought she was gone. 

 

And she was seeing someone behind his back. Poor bastard.

 

Not that he doubted that Rachel loved Eric back. Oh, no. He’s seen her grief at his death plenty of times too. Despite that elephant in the room, Eric wasn’t just some dedicated sap whose feelings had become unrequited. Why the hell Rachel had gotten involved with Nick in the first place was still a mystery to Jason. 

 

The two were the definition of complicated. Marriage counselor’s career break, to be honest. Too bad they were all in a hellish vampire dungeon with this all getting in the way of their judgment instead of looking into that. 

 

Whatever way things went with Rachel and Eric, though, Nick was going to get hurt in the end. Jason had seen more than enough to realize that. Rachel wasn’t going to pick him while Eric was still breathing, and Jason was going to get Eric out of this all alive no matter how many times he had to pull him out of death’s crosshairs. 

 

Maybe Jason should have felt bad about inadvertently crashing Nick’s relationship, but he really didn’t. Nick would be better off with someone else eventually. Someone not married and still in love with her husband, for starters. 

 

“Maybe. But are you really gonna hold it against him that he didn’t drop the woman you both cared about off a cliff to save himself?” Jason asked, hoping Nick could bypass his hurt to see reason. 

 

Honestly, though, Nick and Eric had gotten along better than Jason would have expected most loops, but that very well might have just been because Eric was usually dead soon after Rachel met back up with them. Jason knew Eric had apparently figured out the affair at some point during at least one loop, but he wasn’t sure if that was unique to that time where Eric had gotten infected and told Nick to watch Rachel’s back or if it was a running thing and he just hadn’t brought it up the other times. 

 

Somehow, Jason doubted Eric would be quite so understanding in the long run if he wasn’t resigned to staying behind to die. Now that he was thinking about it, keeping Eric alive might lead to some conflict down the road that he and Salim would need to look out for. Hopefully not, though. They were all level headed enough not to really let their emotions get in the way working together to survive in a situation like this, right? 

 

“...Nick?” Jason pressed when Nick didn’t reply. “Come on, buddy. I know you’re hurtin’, but–”

 

“But stay focused,” Nick grumbled. “Yeah, I know.” 

 

“Right.”

 

Nick gestured to the tripwires. “It’s armed.”

 

Well, Jason felt that conversation could have gone better, but it definitely could have gone worse too. At least Nick would probably feel better knowing Jason was willing to talk about the checkpoint later if nothing else. 

 

Now on to Joey and the radio…  

 

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Joey went about the same as usual. Up in flames… over the side of the cliff… 

 

The difference was Salim wasn’t with Eric like last time they’d gotten chummy. As planned, he’d gotten out of Jason’s poorly done restraints and vanished. Which Eric just seemed more disappointed by than actually upset about his prisoner escaping. 

 

“I doubt he’ll cause any issues for us,” Eric noted. “He has a son to get home to. He won’t take any risks he doesn’t have to.”

 

Well, Eric was right about that. Salim had fought to his last breath to get home to that boy in every single loop no matter what else had changed. 

 

Jason glanced around. He couldn’t see Salim right now, but he could take a guess about where he was – probably right where Jason had been when he was going to knock out Dar. 

 

Jason still found himself nervously watching the temple doors. If Dar got past Salim, that might get Merwin killed again. 

 

Relax, Jason told himself. Everything wasn’t on him anymore. He had real backup. Salim could handle what he needed to do. Jason had the easy job for the moment. 

 

He took a breath, trying to let go of his tension as he and Eric and Nick talked over what to do with the radio. It didn’t really matter since Merwin would be there in a minute to take over, but Jason embraced the lull in the action. 

 

There was nothing he needed to worry about right now. Nothing. The weight on his shoulders wasn’t so heavy anymore, and he was more than okay with that. 

 

“Those things’ll kill you, Sergeant,” Jason teased Nick as he fished out a cigarette.   

 

“Yeah, like smoking is the biggest threat to my life right now.” Nick shot back an expected level of sarcasm at that, and Jason found himself smiling at the banter as Nick dug around for his missing lighter. 

 

…Until, that was, he noticed the absolute murder glare that had suddenly darkened Eric’s face. 

 

“Colonel?” Jason frowned. “Somethin’ wrong?”

 

“It’s nothing,” Eric said tightly. 

 

…It sure as hell didn’t sound like nothing, but that was when Merwin staggered over to them, so Jason didn’t get to dwell on it further. 

 

As per normal, the radio started wailing shortly after Merwin started working on it, but it didn't take him long to fix that and get it up and running. 

 

Perfect. So long as Dar wasn’t about to pop up and shoot Merwin in the head. 

 

“Oorah!” Merwin cheered with pride as finished his work. 

 

Jason tensed. Now was when–

 

Thud. Clatter. 

 

All four of their heads snapped towards the temple doors to find Dar crumpled on the ground with Salim standing behind him, his stick-pipe raised from likely thwacking Dar in the head with it.

 

“The hell–” Nick started to raise his gun, but Jason caught his arm, waiting for Eric’s reaction. 

 

Eric just stared for a moment. 

 

“...Is that your commanding officer?” he eventually called to Salim. 

 

“...Yes,” Salim called back sheepishly. 

 

“Why would you do that?” Eric asked blankly. 

 

“He’s really irritating me today, and he was about to shoot you. He’ll thank me later. I still believe a truce is our best option for us all getting out of here alive.” Salim put away the stick-pipe. “So, do you want to tie me up again, or…?”

 

Jason snorted. 

 

Eric pursed his lips. “Corporal, put that radio to use. Lieutenant, secure the other Iraqi. I doubt he’ll be so cooperative.” He glanced at the cliff as a particularly loud screech came from somewhere that was far too close for comfort. “We fall back as soon as our message is out!”

 

Solid plan. Eric’s and Jason and Salim’s.   

 

Jason flashed Salim a grin as he jogged over to him to start restraining Dar. 

 

“So far so good,” he said lowly, rolling Dar over to get to his hands.

 

“Anything in particular I should do to make sure it keeps going that way?” Salim questioned. 

 

Honestly, Jason wasn’t too sure. Things were about to take a turn into some very unknown places once he cured Merwin and Clarice. 

 

“Stay close to Eric,” Jason decided. If there was one thing he knew wasn’t going to change, it was that Eric was still going to constantly need someone to watch his back. And Salim sticking with him wouldn’t even seem odd with how things had played out so far – why wouldn’t Salim stay closer to Eric over the rest of them?    

 

Salim gave a firm nod. 

 

Jason finished securing Dar’s restraints. “Help me get him inside.”

 

And so they hauled Dar into the temple, leaning him against one of the pillars while they waited for the others. They’d probably need to wake him up quickly and at least get the offer of a truce extended. Yeah, he wouldn’t accept it at first, but shooing him along again until he eventually had no choice but to work with them was better than literally dragging him unconscious while they were all trying not to get ripped apart and eaten. 

 

“You wanna start on your little issue here?” Jason said, glancing out the doors to check on the others.

 

“ My issue?” Salim sounded incredulous. 

 

“What, you think he’s gonna listen to me? ” Jason said. “Yeah, this one is pretty on you.” 

 

“You say that, but you won him over last time.” Salim smirked. 

 

Jason blinked. “Wait, really?” Yeah they’d shook hands and shit but won over? 

 

Salim shrugged. “He’d die before admitting it, but I know him well enough.”

 

“Huh…” Jason shook his head. “I ain’t replicatin’ that shit again, sorry.”

 

Salim grimaced. “Agreed. Even bickering with him about this a hundred times over is preferable to that. Dar.” He crouched down next to his Captain, tapping his face a few times before he switched to saying something in Arabic. 

 

Dar, naturally, immediately started causing a ruckus as soon as he was conscious, but Jason tuned the conversation out for the most part, just standing at the ready until the others came rushing in the door. 

 

“They’re coming!” Nick yelled as ran through first and put away his rifle in favor of helping Jason with the doors. 

 

For once, Jason really didn’t have to delay for Rachel and Clarice’s sakes, because Merwin’s hobbling did that for him. He’d just barely made it past the doors with a guiding hand from Eric on his shoulder when they heard the call.

 

“Wait!”

 

Jason felt his heart rate kick up.

 

Fine. It was all fine. They had the cure. There was no reason for it not to work. He was just so used to failure at this point that he was just waiting for something to go wrong. 

 

But nothing would. Not here. Later, probably, but right now everything was going just as it should.

 

Rachel tiredly let Clarice slide to the ground… Nick swept Rachel into a hug as he babbled his apologies about cutting the rope… Jason and Merwin got the doors shut while Salim and Dar exchanged heated words in Arabic… Rachel pulled away from Nick to talk to Eric…

 

And then Eric decked Nick with a fist in his face.

Chapter 29: Day 2/30 Pt.2

What… the hell?

 

Jason had been about to drop to Clarice’s side after helping Merwin close doors, but Eric and Nick suddenly being mid fist fight sure derailed that plan. 

 

“Whoa whoa whoa!” 

 

“ Hey! ” 

 

Jason snagged the back of Eric’s vest, pulling him away from Nick at the same time Merwin hauled Nick back by his arm. 

 

What on earth had caused this variation? Well, actually, Jason could take a pretty probable guess about why Eric had punched Nick in the face, but why this time specifically?

 

“ Stop it! ” Rachel pushed between the two of them as they were separated. 

 

“I know it’s him, Rachel!” Eric’s murder glare was back in full force and directed straight at Nick. “You sleep with my wife, drop her off a cliff, and then try to cozy back up to her right in front of me?”

 

Dar – who’d stopped verbally sparring with Salim when the fists started flying – leaned closer to Salim and said something that Jason just knew was a question about what the hell was happening. 

 

“Um…” Salim said hesitantly with wide eyes. 

 

Right. Jason might have forgotten to mention… this. It hadn’t been too much of an issue before now, so he hadn’t really considered it important.

 

“Cutting that rope saved your life, you ungrateful son of a bitch!” Nick spat back. 

 

“Is now the proper time for this?” Salim raised his voice to carry over their commotion. 

 

“Yeah, I’m with the damn Iraqi!” Merwin groused, still holding Nick back. 

 

“Shut up, Merwin!” Nick snarled at the same time Eric snapped, “Stay out of this!” 

 

…And here Jason thought it would be hard for Merwin to warm up to Salim. He guessed it was easier when your team was being out of control morons, though. Good thing they’d already  closed the door, or it might have been ignored until they were all overrun and dead. 

 

Jason was so not in the mood for this. He had other things to get to. 

 

“In case anybody cares, Clarice is dyin’ on the ground over here!” Jason yelled. 

 

Eric stopped struggling instantly, snapping his head around to check on his assistant, who was in her normal spot at this point. “Clarice?” 

 

At least he had enough sense and decency for that. 

 

Clarice whimpered, curling in on herself further.

 

“Clarice, what’s wrong?” Eric tugged free of Jason’s grip that he’d let slacken, bending down to lay a hand on her shoulder.

 

Which is naturally when she started screaming her lungs out and startled the shit out of him.

 

“What the hell?” Eric flinched back.

 

“She’s infected,” Rachel admitted.

 

“She’s turning into one of those things! Why’d you bring her here?” Nick demanded.

 

Funny how times changed. The first time Nick had said that, Jason had agreed with him. Now he wanted to join Eric in punching him in the face.  

 

And so the usual debate continued, except this time Jason couldn’t even get a word in with how much Eric and Nick were trash talking each other.

 

“I can help her! Unlike you, I don’t just abandon women to save my own skin!”

 

“She’s beyond help! Just like your poor excuse for a marriage was before I was ever in the picture!”

 

“Are you two shitting me right now?” Merwin deadpanned. “Did I wake up in a damn soap opera?”

 

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ward away the migraine that was forming behind his eyes.

 

Rachel looked pissed. Dar just looked confused. Salim looked like he’d rather go back to fighting for his life against vampires.

 

Oh, to hell with trying to talk Eric into using the UV.

 

“Gimme that!” Jason snagged the UV off of Eric’s belt, ignoring his protests as he clicked it on and shined the light on Clarice.

 

Clarice shrunk away from it for a moment, but then she lurched and heaved the parasite up onto the ground.

 

Jason ignored the various swears and yelling behind him in reaction to that, immediately pulling out his pistol and shooting the damned worm before it had a chance to crawl away.

 

…Admittedly probably wasting a few too many bullets in the process.

 

“Jason!” Salim placed his hand atop his gun, pushing it down. “It’s dead.”

 

Jason nodded shakily. “…Just makin’ sure.”

 

He holstered the pistol, crouching by Clarice and laying a steadying hand on her shoulder as she tried to sit up. “Are you okay?”

 

“Eurgh.” Clarice pawed at the worm goo around her mouth. “I think so. Just a mess.”  

 

Jason grinned as he noted her skin was already looking less pale. “Well, you look great to me, sweetheart.”

 

Maybe she was a mess, but she was alive and on her way back to healthy without Rachel’s life being the cost. Jason could hardly think of a better sight.

 

Clarice smirked back at Jason before looking to Rachel. “Thanks for not giving up on me.”

 

A vampire slammed into the doors, and Jason was almost thankful. Maybe that would keep Eric or Nick from reinstigating their dumbassary. 

 

“We need to fall back,” Jason ordered, sweeping the light over each person so it didn’t seem like he was going directly for Merwin. “Anyone else got a cough they need taken care of beforehand?”

 

Merwin of course was the one to swear and recoil, though, and a couple seconds later he was upchucking a worm of his own.

 

This time Salim took care of it, stabbing the thing straight through.

 

“Anyone else?” Jason scanned Salim and Dar last, but of course they were fine. “No? Great.” He clicked the UV lamp off and shoved it back into Eric’s chest so he had to take it. “Corporal, maybe speak up next time you notice a worm from hell crawlin’ down your throat.”

 

Merwin groaned, flipping off Jason as he spat on the ground. “I must’ve been unconscious.”

 

That made sense. He’d been pretty delirious leading up to that point. He probably didn’t remember it.

 

Vampires continued hitting the doors, making them rattle.

 

“Let’s move, people!” Jason snapped, moving over to offer Clarice a hand up.  

 

He was sure he was going to get an earful about ordering Eric and Rachel around later, but if they weren’t doing their jobs at the moment then someone had to.

 

Dar babbled further protests and Salim hauled him up and pushed him forward.

 

“What the hell is this?” Rachel demanded with a gesture at them.

 

“The Colonel made a friend,” Jason simplified as they all started finally retreating further into the temple.

 

“And I’m trying to make my Captain see the advantages of a truce,” Salim added.

 

Jason was already past Rachel so couldn’t see her expression, but he could just imagine the dubious look on her face.

 

Whatever. Everyone could recognize that they didn’t have time for further bickering at the moment.

 

The generator room was more chaotic than Jason had anticipated. He’d expected it to be easier with everyone alive, but he underestimated how difficult it was to watch over everyone at once. Especially with everyone’s tasks suddenly being switched around.

 

With Merwin back in the picture, he was the one that went straight for the machine gun while Clarice went for the cameras to find them a way out and Rachel went for the generator. Salim had all but shoved the still-restrained Dar on the ground in order to hold the door alongside Eric. All of that left Jason and Nick to shoot at the vampires trying to break through the doors.

 

Okay. Good. Everyone had a task they could handle.

 

Until, of course, the doors started breaking down.

 

Time to move again.

 

“The catacombs are the only place not swarming with these things!” Clarice told the rest of them as they congregated around the generator. “Down that way!”

 

“Down?” Nick echoed, sounding even more incredulous than when Rachel usually gave him the news. “How the hell is that supposed to get us out?”

 

“We ain’t got any other options!” Jason pointed out.

 

“Get moving! I’ve got you covered.” Merwin yelled, already aiming the machine gun. “Come to papa!”

 

The others complied, heading for the trip mined hallway.

 

Jason hung back a little longer, knowing Merwin might need some cover himself to get away from the machine gun once he was done—

 

Wait, shit.

 

No one was infected. No one was there to get between Merwin and the vampires if—

 

“Merwin!”

 

Jason tried to find a shot as one of the vampires managed to tackle Merwin from the side. Injured as he still was, he didn’t stand a chance to recover or fight back long enough for Jason to reach him.

 

“Dammit!” Jason shouted as Merwin’s writhing form disappeared beneath all the vampires swarming him.

 

They needed to keep him infected as long as possible, Jason realized. Merwin was infected later than Clarice or Eric or himself. He could make it past the next couple rooms. Maybe act as a shield for the rest of them like Jason had before.

 

Jason sprinted to catch up with the others, disheartened at already losing someone again so soon after the last issue had just been solved, but still unwilling to give up. There was still more he could learn from this loop even with Merwin gone, he was sure.

 

The vampires weren’t too far behind him when they triggered the trip mines, but Jason had managed to put enough distance between them that he wasn’t harmed.

 

“Where’s Corporal Merwin?” Eric asked, the first to notice they were missing someone.

 

Well, there was a little faith restored in Eric’s command abilities after that whole incident with Nick had brought it fairly low for a few minutes. Nice to know he was good about keeping track of his men’s status.

 

Jason shook his head. “He’s gone.”

 

Nick swore. Loudly.

 

Salim gave a sympathetic pat on the shoulder as he got close enough to him. “Next time, my friend,” he muttered lowly. 

 

Jason nodded just slightly. 

 

Dar said something, and Salim brightened. 

 

“Oh. He’s willing to help finally!”

 

Jason rolled his eyes. “About damn time.” 

 

Was Dar just too stubborn to ever get his act together before this point? It really was the truce room even now…

 

Better late than never, Jason guessed. 

 

And so they’d lost Merwin’s assistance, but they’d gained Dar’s. Jason definitely considered that a downgrade, but Dar was far from useless, and any extra gun was good when they were surrounded. Which of course they soon were.

 

Jason swore, stabbing at the vampire that tackled him and dragged him away yet again. He had to get more consistent about dodging that damn thing. There were just so many people he was trying to look out for at the same time. 

 

Eric was going to be dead by the time he met up with the others again, he just knew it. 

 

Jason finished off his fight with the tackling vampire as quickly as he could, clambering back to his feet to head for the normal meet up point for him and Salim. 

 

He hadn’t felt any pain through their connection, so things had presumably gone well enough for him.

 

Except he wasn’t in their usual meet up hallway. 

 

Jason scowled. He’d heard something from ahead, Salim wouldn’t be hiding from him. Not anymore, at least. 

 

“Whoever is there, identify yourself,” Jason said cautiously, his gun raised.

 

If it was Dar, he wouldn’t have put it past the man to stick a knife in any of their backs now that they were out of immediate crisis. Maybe he was beyond that when Jason had used himself as a human shield to protect him, but Jason doubted he’d be so restrained with their lack of interaction this time around. 

 

“Jason?” a voice called from the shadows. 

 

Oh. Okay, that was definitely not Dar. 

 

“Clarice!” Jason lowered his gun as Clarice stepped out from between a different set of pillars that Salim had hidden between in the past. 

 

“Boy, am I glad to see you.” Clarice looked a bit frazzled, but unharmed. He also noted that she somehow had gotten the UV lamp. 

 

…He’d forgotten to give her his pistol this time. Oops. In that case, Eric had probably tossed her the UV lamp so she’d have something to defend herself with. 

 

“Yeah, back at ya, sweetheart,” Jason returned. After all the times he’d watched her die, every second she was breathing and not screaming in pain was a delight for him to see. Especially now, with her being cured rather than just surviving at the cost of another life. “You see if anyone else made it?” 

 

Clarice shook her head. “Too much shit going on.”

 

Yeah, that was fair. Pretty close to what Salim used to always say too. 

 

Jason nodded. “We should move ahead. If anyone else pulled through, I doubt they’ll be stayin’ put around here.”   

 

“Right,” Clarice agreed. 

 

Well, Clarice was much better company than Dar and Nick when he was depressed, so Jason wasn’t complaining.  

 

“You feelin’ okay after earlier?” Jason asked. He guessed he really didn’t need to given that he knew exactly what that whole experience was like, but it might be some comfort to Clarice to know someone cared. 

 

“Yeah. Hell of a lot better.” She held the UV lamp up for a moment as they walked. “How’d you know this thing would save me anyway?”

 

Jason shrugged. “Lucky guess. Knew nothin’ down here was fond of sunlight, and it didn’t seem like you had a lot of options.”  

   

“Hey.” Clarice stopped him for a second with a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Thanks. I know saving lives is probably pretty commonplace in your line of work, but it sure as hell isn’t in mine. It means a lot.” 

 

Jason couldn’t help but smile at her. He’d made her a promise near the start of all this, and for the first time in a long while, he actually had a shot at keeping it. 

 

“You are one tough lady, but I got your back.” He gave her a wink. “So long as you got mine.”

 

She gave him a mock salute. “You got it, Lieutenant.”  

 

He didn’t doubt it. She was a menace whenever she was armed. 

 

He wondered how she’d learned to shoot. Maybe she wasn’t a soldier, but there was no way today was the first time she’d ever used a gun. 

 

He caught himself just short of asking. Nope. Couldn’t do that now because she hadn’t had a gun this time around. Maybe later, then, because he was definitely still curious. 

 

“So, you think those chemical weapons are close yet?” Jason said neutrally. 

 

Clarice snorted in laughter. “Yeah, totally. Probably right next to where Santa stores all the Christmas presents during the year.”

 

“That’s ridiculous,” Jason said with a straight face. “We ain’t anywhere near the north pole.”

 

“That’s just where he wants you to think they are. Duh.” 

 

They kept up the nonsensical banter to ease the tension as they went. Which wasn’t just Clarice’s tension, surprisingly. 

 

Salim, Jason realized. Whatever was going on with him, he was finding it stressful.

 

…But really, what wasn’t stressful in this place? 

 

Jason tried not to flinch as he felt a few minor spikes of pain too a couple minutes later.

 

Ignore it, Jason told himself. They didn’t feel like major wounds. And it wasn’t like there was anything he could do. Either Salim would pull through or they’d reset. 

 

If Jason didn’t reset first, that was. It was time for the vampire attack at the doors before the waterfall, and while Jason trusted Clarice to be competent… Well, she wasn’t Salim with his stick-pipe. 

 

“Clarice!” Jason warned as the vampire appeared behind them. 

 

If she could just blast the thing with the UV lamp while Jason got the door open, that might work even better than Salim’s usual stabbing of the monster.  

 

…Unless the damn lamp decided to stop working right then again. 

 

Shiiiiit. 

 

Jason went for his gun as the UV lamp flickered out, but the vampire was already rushing them.  

 

Oof. 

 

It wasn’t the first time he’d been smacked through those doors, but that didn’t make it any more pleasant. 

 

Jason scrambled for his knife, trying to avoid the fangs going for his neck. 

 

He was going to find a way to bubble wrap that damn lamp so it stopped getting damaged by people dropping it all the time. 

 

Jason cried out as one of the bat’s claws managed to rake across the side of his face. 

 

Shit, that had just barely missed his right eye. Being blind was definitely not an injury he cared to try and navigate a run with again. That had been hell last time. 

 

“Jason!” 

 

There was a shine of purple light finally, and flames started springing up over the vampire’s back.

 

Jason shoved, using the vampire’s pain and distraction to free himself from being under it. Lucky for him, the light hitting its back first meant he wasn’t also catching flames right now. 

 

He scrambled away as the flames traveled over the rest of the monster, its shrieks dying out a few seconds later as it collapsed and stopped moving. 

 

“Are you okay?” Clarice was at his side in an instant, setting the UV lamp down gently in favor of inspecting his injury. 

 

Jason groaned, his face radiating pain as he felt blood drip down his neck. “Well, I’m probably gonna have to give up that modelin’ career I had planned, but I’ve had worse.” 

 

Clarice barked out a laugh. “Yeah, well, you still look great to me, Hotshot.” 

 

Jason tossed her a grin before it was wiped out by a grimace as she helped him back to his feet. 

 

Gingerly touching over the area of his face, he felt that he now had three lovely claw marks: one around his jaw, one on his cheek, and one that stretched from somewhere in his hair across his temple that stopped just short of his eye. 

 

Ow. Unpleasant. But not unmanageable. 

 

Clarice helped him rip one of his sleeves to clean up the blood as best they could, and then they carried on. 

 

“This is incredible!” 

 

Jason gave Clarice side-eye as she gleefully took in view from the overlook platform when they reached it. 

 

“That ain’t exactly the word I’d use,” he muttered. 

 

“Oh, don’t get me wrong – I’d rather be just about anywhere else in the world,” Clarice clarified. “But it is pretty cool.” 

 

Jason sighed. “The only cool thing I want is beer.”

 

Clarice snorted. “Dammit, now you made me want one too.” 

 

“Well, guess we’ll have to grab some once we’re out of here,” Jason said. Because they both would eventually get out of here, now that he had a way to cure her every time.

 

Clarice arched an eyebrow at him, a smirk pulling at her lips. “ We, huh?”   

 

“If you’d like.” He returned her teasing tone. 

 

“Oh, I would like,” she assured. 

 

What was he even doing? It wasn’t like she was going to remember this next time. 

 

But at least he knew what she’d say if he did ask once he’d figured out the real path through the day. 

 

…He was a moron. This should have been the last thing on his mind. 

 

But he had to have something to look forward to to keep his sanity through all this, and he was… really getting fond of Clarice. 

 

Jason mentally seesawed with himself all the way to having to stop Clarice from touching that damn fossilized vampire. 

 

“Hey.” Jason caught her hand about an inch from the monster’s claw. “We got enough down here tryin’ to kill us without temptin’ fate, don’t you say?”

 

“Yeah, fair enough.”

 

Take that Salim. Jason wasn’t the only one dumb enough to touch it after all. 

 

And then came the ancient guy, who Jason had to finish off with his knife given that Salim wasn’t here with his stick-pipe for the first time.  

 

“Hey, wait.” Clarice stopped Jason as he started to move on, and she crouched down by the guy’s body.  

 

Right. She’s taken some of that with her last time to use on injuries. She’d probably want to do the same here. 

 

No harm there. They probably did need to kill a little more time to let the others catch up anyway–  

 

“Hold still,” Clarice ordered, standing back up.

 

“Whoa.” Jason flinched back as Clarice came right at his face with that green goo all over her hand. 

 

Clarice gave him a flat look. “What did I just say?” 

 

“I don’t want that shit on me,” Jason protested. Even if he’d seen it work just… no. 

 

Clarice rolled her eyes. “You rather your wounds get infected? Because we’ve got some strong proof that this is better than any medical supplies we brought. Which we have none of right now.” 

 

Jason sighed. “Fine. Go ahead.”

 

Her touch surprisingly didn’t hurt. The goop didn’t sting, so the only thing that was slightly uncomfortable was the pressure on the wounds, but Clarice’s touch was a gentle one overall anyway. 

 

Jason found himself internally snickering at her slightly wrinkled nose of concentration. It was endearing. 

 

“There we go,” Clarice said as she pulled her hand back with a grimace at the goop. “Feel okay?” 

 

“Mm-hm,” Jason hummed, noting that she hadn’t taken a step back from him yet, which left her so close she was nearly standing on his foot. “Thanks, Sweetheart.”  

 

She flashed him a wry grin back. “Hey, what are friends for if not slathering snot ointment over your wounds–”

 

He really didn’t think about it. He just… acted, tilting his head so their hats didn’t bump and  pressing his lips to hers. 

 

It wasn’t a long kiss by any means, but he still thoroughly enjoyed the moment before he pulled back. 

 

…That had probably been stupid idea, he realized. Not only was this not something that wouldn’t stick after the reset, but Clarice was going to think he pulled this after a few hours of knowing her. She had no idea that he’d known and had been trying to save her for weeks .  

 

She hadn’t punched or slapped him yet, though, so he guessed that was a start. In fact, she was kind of staring at him mischievously if anything.

 

“Didn’t feel like waiting for the beers?” she asked neutrally. 

 

Jason gave a slight cough. “I’m sorry–”

 

“Sorry?” Clarice repeated incredulously. “Was I being too subtle with my interest back at Camp Slayer?”

 

Jason chuckled. A woman had never been less subtle with him in his life. 

 

“No, I was just gonna say that was probably a little fast.” 

 

Clarice gave a half shrug. “Any other day? Yeah, that probably would have gotten you a fist in the face. But today? I don’t know. I already almost died once. Kind of feel like living a little.” 

 

And with that, she yanked him by his vest back down into another kiss. 

Notes:

FINALLY

Chapter 30: Day 2/30 Pt.3

The run may have already been ruined, but Salim was pleased that he’d at least been successful with the tasks Jason had given him so far. Sticking close to Eric had allowed Salim to rescue him alongside Rachel when his life was threatened by that man-thing vampire. 

 

Unfortunately, Salim now only knew where Eric was. They’d been separated from everyone else.

 

This particular part of the loop was going to continue to be difficult, Salim was sure. The sheer chaos was so difficult to shape. It was hard enough to escape with their own lives, let alone protect all the others as well. 

 

At least Salim knew Jason was alive since he was.  

 

“Thanks by the way,” Eric said suddenly, his voice a low whisper. 

 

“Hm?” Salim glanced over at him as they advanced down the dirt-coated halls. 

 

“You came back for me,” Eric clarified. Then he gave a slight roll of his eyes. “More reliable than some of my own men.” 

 

Salim wasn’t terribly certain he knew how to respond to that. “We are stronger united. You agreed to us helping each other, and I am a man of my word.”

 

He was just going to cautiously navigate around the topic of Eric’s feud with Nick. How Jason had not thought that was something that needed mentioning, Salim didn’t know. And when Eric had said things weren’t the best between him and his wife, Salim had not anticipated that leading the man to brawling with one of his men over her. 

 

Salim wasn’t sure about the finer details of how Americans normally ran their operations, but this all seemed rather unorthodox. Although Rachel’s presence at least made more sense now than it had when Eric had initially mentioned her. It had taken quite some time for Salim to realize she was an American soldier of some kind herself, and he had spent the time up until then wondering why on earth Eric would have brought his wife with him on a mission to raid chemical weapons.

 

Eric held up a fist suddenly, stopping their slow advance. 

 

Salim squinted at the area ahead of them, hearing some movement there. It didn’t sound like the vampires. And with good reason. 

 

“Dar!” 

 

“Sergeant!” 

 

Salim and Eric called in hushed tones at the same time. 

 

It appeared their fellow soldiers had already found one another. And things looked… less than ideal. 

 

There was no hatred in their expressions, but Nick and Dar were still pointing guns at one another.

 

“ Did you not just agree to a truce? ” Salim demanded of Dar, irritated. What would it take other than Jason shielding Dar with his own body through a whole room of vampires?  

 

“ That does not mean I trust them not to shoot us the first chance they get! ” Dar said through gritted teeth. 

 

Salim arched an eyebrow. “ Oh, so he raised his weapon here first? ”

 

Dar went silent. Exactly as Salim thought. 

 

Salim sighed, holding his hands up in a pacifying gesture at them both while he debated on which language to speak in first. He settled on English since Eric and Nick were warily watching his conversation with Dar.

 

“Can we all just–”

 

Salim was cut off by growling behind them, and suddenly all guns were pointed that way. 

 

…At Rachel, who had apparently been transformed into a vampire very quickly, because she had been perfectly fine when they’d rescued Eric together. 

 

“Rachel…” the sheer dismay in Eric’s voice was clear to hear. 

 

This poor man. He’d thought he watched her die once already today, then he’d discovered she was unfaithful to him, and now she was undead and going to try to kill him. It wasn’t just death set on finding Eric this day, it seemed to be misery in general. 

 

“...That’s not Rachel,” Nick said. 

 

Despite his words, Nick didn’t open fire on her. Not that it would have done much good. 

 

That didn’t stop Dar, though, who immediately started unloading his rifle into her. 

 

All it did was make her stagger, and then she looked very upset about it.

 

…And then the other old human vampire also crawled its way out of a hole in the ground. 

 

“Run. Run!” Salim urged. 

 

As if one of those things chasing them wasn’t bad enough. 

 

Salim and Nick managed to close some of the heavy temple doors behind them as they fled, but Salim wasn’t as confident in them holding as Nick seemed to be. 

 

“Gonna take her a tank to get through that. Better hope she ain’t got one of those.” 

 

Slam. 

 

The doors rattled. 

 

“...You were saying?” Eric said. 

 

“ To hell with this! ” Dar yelled before he started running again. 

 

The others may not have understood his words, but Salim suspected they got the meaning well enough, and the three of them followed suit.

 

…Until they reached an area where the only way through was a thin gap that they could only take one at a time.  

 

Dar, being in the lead, started to shuffle through with no hesitation. And Salim certainly knew who needed to go next. 

 

“Go, Eric!” Salim gave him a shove on the shoulder towards the gap. 

 

Eric shot him an odd look at that, but he complied anyway, probably knowing there was no time for a discussion. 

 

The vampires were on them. 

 

Nick fired away as best he could, but as expected it only staggered the man-vampire while Rachel rushed in from the other side and tackled him. 

 

Salim moved quickly, trying to aid him with his own weapon, but he was cut off by the man-vampire, who threw Salim back into one of the columns in the room before going for his neck. 

 

Salim held his weapon up as a shield, pushing the vampire back as best he could as the monster’s fangs danced dangerously close to his throat. 

 

Panic pulsed within him. He most definitely still was not accustomed enough to dying for his survival instincts to have relaxed. 

 

“Salim!” 

 

Oh, why was Eric still here? Hopefully this wouldn’t let death have a chance to sink its claws into him. If he kept his distance–

 

Eric gave a yell as he rammed into the vampire, managing to push it away from Salim and into a hole in the ground. Which he also fell in. 

 

Salim dove after him, dropping his weapon on the ground as he made a mad grab for Eric’s flailing hand. Salim just barely managed to grab hold, and he wasted no time in hauling Eric back up. 

 

That had been close. The barest glance in the hole told Salim that Eric had no doubt just avoided falling to his death. 

 

…But Nick did not appear to have fared so fortunately. 

 

As Salim and Eric scrambled back to their feet, Nick was already giving his last twitches as he clutched weakly at his bleeding throat. And Rachel didn’t even seem to care about him anymore. She was already eyeing her next meal.   

 

Salim snagged his weapon off the floor, hurling it at her not unlike he’d thrown it before to save Jason. 

 

It was only after he followed up with the attack and shoved and twisted the metal into Rachel’s heart until she stopped struggling that he thought about Eric having to watch the whole thing. 

 

Salim swallowed as he looked over at Eric. “...I am so sorry–”

 

“She was already gone,” Eric said hoarsely, slowly walking closer until he was at his wife’s side. Then he sank to his knees, one of his hands hovering just above her mutated form as a twisted noise tore from his throat. 

 

Salim turned away, giving him what little privacy he could. 

 

“ Salim? ” Dar called, his face just visible through the gap he’d gone through ahead of them. 

 

“ A moment, ” Salim returned. 

 

Dar had the audacity to roll his eyes. “ We do not have time for the Americans to cry over each other– ”

 

“ She was his wife, ” Salim snapped, cutting him off. 

 

“ ...He brought his wife with him? ”

 

Salim sighed. “ Just shut up and wait a minute! ”

 

Honestly, Eric didn’t take very long. Certainly not as long as he wanted, Salim was sure, but he was a soldier, after all. 

 

Salim offered him a hand once he’d said his goodbyes. He didn’t know if Eric would struggle with that sort of movement with his prosthetic, but he figured Eric might appreciate the gesture either way. 

 

“Thank you,” Eric said roughly. “We should–” He cut himself off to clear his throat. “We should take the supplies Sergeant Kay had on him.” 

 

A wise plan. If those supplies weren’t all soaked in blood. 

 

Salim couldn’t help but notice that Eric didn’t look particularly bothered by sight of the other man’s body. 

 

…Eric could have helped him, Salim realized, a jolt of shock rushing through him. Salim and Nick had been attacked at about the same time. Eric had chosen to help Salim.

 

He wasn’t sure whether to be flattered Eric held him in such high regard this time or concerned at his lack of care about Nick’s death. That could be a potential problem in future loops. 

 

Dar gave Eric a frown as they finally joined him on the other side of the gap. 

 

“What?” Eric snapped tiredly, then looked to Salim for an answer. 

 

“ He wants to know why you’re causing yourself wrinkle lines on his behalf, ” Salim said to Dar. 

 

“Merely wondering why he went back for you instead of his own man ,” Dar said dryly. 

 

…Ah. So Dar had noticed as well. 

 

And went back? That was right… Salim had pushed Eric ahead for his safety, so him aiding Salim meant that he’d doubled back for him. 

 

“ Well, it’s nice that someone did ,” Salim shot back. Honestly, all of the Americans had been more reliable and sensible today than Dar. He was lucky Salim had insisted on saving him at this point given what an impairment he’d been to all of their survival.  

 

Dar’s lip curled. “ Your insubordination today– ”

 

“ Insubordination? ” Salim demanded incredulously, then laughed. “ I have been trying to keep you alive all day despite your concerning need to be a failed martyr no one will ever hear about! ” 

 

“I am serving our country! ” Dar spat. “ Something you seem to have forgotten about in favor of saving your own skin! You’re a disgrace! You cozy up to these American like the war never happened– ” 

 

“ There is no war down here! ” Salim yelled. “ There is only us! Men and women that need each other to get through– ”

 

“ Oh, save your poetic rambling! All you care about is your failure of a son– ”

 

Enough time had passed that Salim had almost forgotten how satisfying it was to punch Dar in the face. How nice to get a reminder. 

 

Eric blinked, looking between them both. “Um…” 

 

Dar glared. Then he dropped his rifle. And Salim dropped his own weapon.  

 

Salim mentally apologized to Jason for the multiple fists he managed to get to various parts of his body, but landed more of his own than he took, so he was pleased with that. 

 

“Hey!” Eric pushed between the two of them, trying to separate them. 

 

…Only to get a stray fist from Dar directly to his nose. 

 

“Eric!” Salim moved to help him as he landed on his behind on the ground, one hand pressed to his bleeding and probably now broken nose. 

 

“ Oh, yes! Rush to your American friend’s aid again! Abandon your country! ” Dar taunted. 

 

Salim whipped around, jabbing a finger in Dar’s face. “ You want to go ahead alone? Be my guest! See how far you get by yourself! ”

 

Unsurprisingly, Dar made no move to leave them. 

 

By the time Salim crouched by Eric’s side, he already had his nose pinched and his head tilted back. 

 

“What, your fellow soldier try to steal your wife too?” Eric asked dryly. 

 

Salim snorted. “No. He insulted my son.”

 

Eric grunted. 

 

Salim glanced over his shoulder at Dar, who still hadn’t moved. 

 

“ So? ” Salim demanded icily. “ Do you want to work with us, or are you going to take your chances alone? ”

 

Dar’s displeasure radiated from him, but his answer of sticking with them was clear anyway. 

 

Well. Salim supposed he had no right to judge the Americans on squabbling amongst themselves in the middle of a crisis anymore. He and Dar were just as bad. 

 

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Salim wasn’t sure what exactly was going on with Jason, but what he was feeling from him was certainly… something. As was becoming common, the first thing Salim felt from the man after their separation was pain – a very sharp pain that seemed to cover half his face when it initially flared up through their tether. That was rather unpleasant. 

 

But things hadn’t stayed unpleasant. 

 

Salim had felt a few positive emotions from Jason before. Relief. Gratitude. But nothing like this.  

 

Salim found himself almost wanting to whistle a peppy tune.

 

It was so odd. Every time Salim had felt Jason’s emotional status it had been in a range from sheer exhaustion and misery to hopeful at best the entire time since the tether had been formed, but now he felt positively delighted. It almost reminded Salim of the giddiness his younger self had felt when he and his wife had just begun their relationship–

 

…Now that was a thought. Clarice was with Jason – their initials had been left in the dirt together as a sign for the rest of them to follow. That might explain his good mood. 

 

Perhaps Salim was speculating a bit too much on this.

 

Or perhaps not, Salim thought when they finally caught up with Jason. 

 

He was, in fact, with Clarice – standing guard in front of her as best he could with the vampires closing in. 

 

Not that he needed to. In fact, they didn’t even seem to need rescuing at all like normal. 

 

“Jason, move, ya dumbass,” Clarice said, although her tone seemed more bemused than anything, despite their situation. She pushed in front of him, raising the UV lamp to set the two closest vampires on fire. 

 

“Hey, I didn’t know if that thing was gonna work this time!” Jason said. 

 

“Lieutenant!” Eric called down to them. 

 

Jason’s gaze snapped up to them. “Colonel! This way!”

 

They made it to the music chamber with little issue, but Jason still had a deep scowl on his face as he helped Eric and Salim up from crawlspace. Dar he left to get up on his own, which amused Salim more than it should have.

 

“Nick and Rachel?” Jason asked. 

 

Salim shook his head. “I don’t know how, but Rachel somehow became infected and changed quickly . Nick… he couldn’t fend her off.”

 

“Shit,” Jason muttered under his breath. “One more thing to worry about.” 

 

Clarice also swore, moving over to Eric to put a hand on his shoulder. “Eric, I am so sorry– damn, what the hell happened to your face?” 

 

Unsurprising that she’d noticed that. Eric’s nose was most definitely broken, and it was turning a rather garish shade of purple by this point. 

 

Eric shot Dar a glare. “It’s nothing.”

 

“Let me take a look,” Clarice pressed. 

 

Eric relented, giving her a nod. 

 

“We’ll take inventory of what supplies we got left,” Jason volunteered. “Wanna give me a hand Salim?” 

 

“Of course,” Salim agreed. A perfect time for them to talk.      

 

It wouldn’t be hard to take their time while looking like they were busy. 

 

“So, are you having fun this time around?” Salim asked lightly as they started setting out the remaining ammo. 

 

“ Fun? ” Jason shot him a dubious look, and Salim noted some claw marks on the side of his face that must have been the source of the pain he’d felt earlier. They were already treated with that cocoon fluid, though.

 

Salim shrugged. “You sure seemed happy about something.”

 

Salim almost laughed at the sudden spike of embarrassed panic from Jason as he froze, his eyes flicking over to Clarice for the barest of seconds. “You felt–” He cut himself off with a sharp inhale. “Not important. What can you tell me about what happened with Nick and Rachel?”

 

My. Jason hadn’t even said anything, and yet he managed to have a terrible poker face anyway. It was a miracle he’d managed to get anything done without the others growing suspicious. 

 

But he was right. There were more important matters for them to focus on. This was likely their last chance to speak before they reset again. 

 

“Rachel and I managed to save Eric from that man-thing. I thought she was right behind me, but we were separated. Then she showed up… changed. It was so much faster than the other times.”

 

Jason nodded. “That’s happened before. Last time Eric got a spear through his chest by that Biblical-time vampire, and he was already running around as one of those things by the time we hit the waterfall.” 

 

Salim hummed thoughtfully. “Rachel was with that vampire when she returned.”

 

“So, make sure no one gets left near that jackass. Got it,” Jason said simply. “And if we keep Rachel on her feet, Nick should be okay. He normally makes it this far just fine.”

 

Salim grunted. Maybe he would be. 

 

“What?” Jason asked as he set down a pistol. 

 

Salim clicked his tongue. “The, ah, animosity between Eric and Nick may prove to be an issue.”

 

Jason rolled his eyes. “Oh, yeah. Sorry about the lack of warnin’ on that. Hadn’t really been a problem before. I don’t think Eric knew about Nick and Rachel most of the loops, but obviously he figured it out this time.”

 

Salim frowned. “He deserves the truth. But perhaps amidst all this isn’t the best time.”

 

Jason tilted his head. “Did it cause problems?”

 

“Well…” Salim hesitated. It wasn’t really a problem for him . “Eric did choose to save my life over his when presented with a choice between us.” 

 

“Are you serious?” Jason looked rather inappropriately close to laughing. “I warned Nick that was gonna come back to bite him in the ass…”  

 

It was a bit unnerving that Jason could make jokes about his friend’s death like that, but then Salim remembered just how much longer Jason had been doing this compared to him. Even if the loops didn’t take up full days, Jason had been here for weeks at the very least, watching them all die and return to life endlessly. Of course he was desensitized in some areas. 

 

“I’ll see if I can keep an eye out for how Eric caught on.” Jason moved to set a rifle on the table. “He already knows it’s someone by the time I catch up with him, I’m just not sure how he figured out it was Nicky.” 

 

He knew the entire time? And he was still so dedicated to her? Salim felt pity for the poor man. 

 

“And what of Merwin? Have you thought of a way to better safeguard him?” Salim shifted the topic slightly. Eric and Nick’s rivalry might have been cause for concern, but it certainly wasn’t their greatest problem. 

 

“I think so,” Jason said, but he didn’t sound particularly thrilled about it. “He’s not showin’ any signs of infection yet when we need to cure Clarice, but the vampires can always tell when someone is. If we leave him for a little longer, he’ll be safe from ‘em and maybe even be able shield the rest of us a bit too.” 

 

Salim nodded. “Then… we’ll have to ensure that he stays close to Eric so he is not stranded without the cure.” 

 

Jason hummed. “I can probably come up with some bullshit reason to get him to.” 

 

“If he is close to Eric, then perhaps Eric won’t need the additional help from Rachel and myself…”

 

“And we can avoid whatever happened to Rachel this time around,” Jason filled in.  

 

“There we are then!” Salim forced some chipper into his voice, giving Jason a clap on the shoulder. “We already have potential solutions to all problems we encountered this time.” 

 

A nearby noise of disgust drew Salim’s attention, and he glanced over to find Dar watching him from across the room. “ Are you just going to make friends with every American you meet now? Forget your loyalties entirely? You know, that son of yours isn’t going to get very far with a traitor for a father. ” 

 

Fury rushed through Salim, and opened his mouth to snarl back a reply–

 

“ Man, do you ever shut your damned mouth? ” 

 

Salim flinched. Dar blinked hard. Eric and Clarice snapped their heads around. And Jason just… stood there with wide eyes. As though he couldn’t believe what had just happened himself.

 

Eric cleared his throat, recovering from the shock first. “...I was unaware you spoke Arabic, Lieutenant.”  

 

Chapter 31: Day 2/30 Pt.4

Jason stayed still for a few seconds before he managed to answer Eric. “I… You know. Picked up a thing here and there.” 

 

He swiveled right back around to the table before anymore could be said. 

 

“...You don’t speak Arabic,” Salim said factually, low enough that nobody else could hear. 

 

“Not a word,” Jason admitted. “…Well, actually, I reckon I could take a guess at some of the shit yelled at me, but still.”

 

“The tether?” Salim suggested. It was the only thing he could think of that made sense.

 

“Gotta be.”

 

Salim tilted his head, switching to Arabic. “ Can you understand this? ”

 

“…What?” Jason asked blankly.

 

“I’ll take that as a no.” Salim thought about it for a moment. “Perhaps it’s like the other instances where it requires certain extremes?” 

 

Jason snapped his fingers. “I did feel that you were pretty pissed off a second ago before it happened.”

 

Salim grimaced. That he had been. “Dar is being rather… irritating this time around.” 

 

“Did you two get into a fight earlier?” Jason wondered, sounding amused. “Thought I felt a few punches.” 

 

“...Maybe.” 

 

Jason snickered, but then his expression dropped again. “You know, when we find the way through this, you two are gonna need to skedaddle real fast after the eclipse. Air support’s probably gonna be comin’ in pretty quick..” 

 

Salim's brief confusion about whatever a skedaddle was was interrupted by concern at the rest of Jason’s words.

 

“Eclipse?” Salim repeated. 

 

“Yep. That’s another thing to deal with if we ever make it to the surface again.” Jason adjusted a magazine that he’d already placed in line with the others. 

 

That would have been another thing good to know earlier, but Salim understood Jason leaving some things out. Every conversation they had was on a timer. Jason had to prioritize what to tell him, and they hadn’t even managed to make it to the surface yet. One thing at a time. 

 

The implications of an eclipse were terrifying, though. To have these monsters above the surface…

 

“Eclipses only last a few minutes, no? Can we not just stay down here for a while longer? Delay things in this room itself if needed?” Salim suggested. This room was about the safest they got the entire time down here. “Or better yet, prevent alerting the vampires below to our presence at all when we are by the cliff?”

 

“...Maybe,” Jason said. 

 

“Why do you hesitate?” Salim wondered. Perhaps he was missing some finer details, but that seemed like a simple matter of dealing with Joey and radio more quietly. 

 

Jason gnawed on his lip for a moment. “It sounds solid, changes just tend not to go the way you plan. Still… might be worth a shot at some point.” 

 

“These are only suggestions,” Salim assured. “I will continue to defer to your experience, whatever you may decide.” 

 

Jason smiled softly, and Salim felt one of those pulses of gratitude.

 

“I’ll think on those,” Jason said earnestly. “Until then, let’s see if we can get you some experience on how things look past where we keep dyin’.” 

 

It would be nice to have that information before they got there with more survivors and they really needed things to go smoothly, yes. 

 

Still… Salim wished there were more opportunities for him and Jason to communicate as the loops were progressing. With Salim staying close to Eric, their chances were very limited. 

 

…And maybe that was possible, now that he was thinking about it. 

 

“Could we perhaps change radio channels and communicate more frequently as we go without the others knowing?” Salim wondered. 

 

It might not be consistent or very reliable, but it was more than what they had now. 

 

Unlike with his other suggestions, that one had Jason instantly perking up. “That would be pretty damn useful. Gotta make sure we don’t just start talkin’ with others around, though.”

 

Salim tapped his finger twice over his radio, but didn’t put enough pressure to press the button. “We could signal when it’s safe for us to talk?”

 

“Yeah! Yeah, that would just sound like an accidental mic up to anyone else, but we’d know to switch channels,” Jason agreed. 

 

“Excellent.”

 

Jason glanced over his shoulder. “Think we’re out of time here.” 

 

Of course. They’d been talking some while. It didn’t take that long to count. They’d talk again when they could.   

 

Salim supposed for now his task was just to see how far they could go from here, and once they reset he’d do the same as he’d done last time. 

 

…Well, for the most part. Surely there was a better, less conflictive way to deal with Dar? He was never going to be in the best of moods if he was knocked out, literally dragged around, and then forced into the ultimatum of an alliance or death, but nothing else Salim had tried yet had gotten through to him. There had to be something, though.

 

…Beyond not punching him in the face, that was. Though that was probably a good start, to be honest. 

 

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Jason volunteered to plant the bombs again, and this time Salim was going to keep a better lookout in case there were any more surprises. Even if Jason was going to have an additional weapon in his favor. 

 

The UV lamp may have technically belonged to Eric, but he seemed content to let Clarice keep it back in the music room, and she stopped Jason before he could leave in order to push the weapon into his hands.  

 

“Just in case,” she said. 

 

“Much obliged, Lady.” Jason dipped his head, giving the tip of his hat a tug.   

 

And then she yanked on his vest to get him low enough for her to give him a quick kiss. 

 

…Well, if Salim had had any lingering doubts, that would have certainly cleared them up. 

 

“For extra luck,” she said. “You get your ass back here in one piece.” 

 

“ What the hell… ” Dar muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. 

 

Salim tried to smother a grin, but he wasn’t entirely successful. 

 

Jason jabbed a finger at him. “Shut up.”

 

Salim laughed. “I didn’t say anything!”

 

“Yeah, well, still shut up,” Jason grumbled before heading off. 

 

“Not a word,” Clarice warned Eric, who looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “I know it’s a surprise, but–”

 

“It’s not,” Eric said bluntly, taking Jason’s previous spot to Salim’s left while Dar took the spot to his right. 

 

“Oh, you’d already figured it out too?” Salim wondered, amused as he brought the binoculars up to track Jason’s progress. 

 

Eric scoffed. “Please, I clocked that back before we left base.” 

 

Oh, so it was an interest from the start, not something Jason had developed while watching Clarice suffer repeatedly. Salim was glad to hear that. It seemed… healthier. 

 

He still worried for Jason, though. Clarice was going to have no memory of their recently formed relationship next time through the day, and though Jason had to be expecting that, it didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt him. 

 

Salim knew his presence was helping, but it was no cure-all, and it was clear to see and feel that Jason was little more than teetering on the edge of emotional stability. There was only so much one man could take, even one as stubborn as Jason.

 

Salim needed to lighten his burden further.  Ensure that they made consistent, real progress. 

 

“How’s he doing?” Eric asked. 

 

“So far so good.” Salim offered Eric the binoculars since nothing seemed out of place. He trusted that the Colonel was capable enough to watch his man’s back. 

 

“ This is insanity, ” Dar muttered. 

 

“ If you had a better idea, you should have spoken up before now ,” Salim said dryly. 

 

“ I did speak up about allying with the Americans before now !” Dar snapped.

 

Salim rolled his eyes. “ You really think that all this is their fault? That we would have made it this far without them? ”

 

Dar muttered something under his breath Salim couldn’t quite make out. 

 

Salim sighed. Dar was so stubborn, but he wasn’t unreachable. Jason had managed to win him over. Even if they couldn’t replicate that run, it showed it was at least possible.

 

Jason hadn’t gotten through to him with reasoning , though. They hadn’t even been able to speak to each other. It had to be something more emotional. But also something more than just Jason saving his life – Salim had already done that several times tonight, and Dar was still pissed off at him.

 

Whatever the case, Salim’s current, more logical approach was not working, so he needed to try another one.

 

 “ You may not like them, but if we get out of this alive, I’m sure even your wife would be willing to thank them for getting you back to her .”

 

Dar looked at him sharply. “ How did you… ”

 

Salim reached into his pocket, fishing out Dar’s wallet there and tossing it to him. “ Now you really owe me .”

 

Dar flipped open his wallet, his expression softening at the sight of the picture there.

 

Ha. There was the type of crack Salim had been looking for. Perhaps Salim could build on that next time. For now, though… Well, if there weren’t going to be any lasting consequences for him embracing a bit of pettiness.

 

“ Funny how I knew about his wife before yours ,” Salim said bitterly with a jut of his chin at Eric, who was still looking through the binoculars. 

 

All right, so that wasn’t technically true considering he found Dar’s wallet before he met Eric, but it was close enough, and the point still stood.

 

“ …I don’t tend to unload the details of my personal life to my subordinates, ” Dar said.

 

“ Your subordinate? ” Salim repeated incredulously. “ You know, I always respected you as my Captain, but I also considered you a friend. I suppose I was wrong to assume such a thing on both accounts! ”

 

“Um…” Clarice looked at the two of them nervously.

 

“ What the hell is going on up there? ” Jason’s voice crackled over the radio. In Arabic.

 

Eric dropped the binoculars with a frown. “Two-One Actual, can you repeat that?” 

 

Oh. Jason must have been feeling his irritation.

 

“Nothing is wrong here,” Salim said through gritted teeth before Jason could reply, then he looked to Eric. “Did you see anything?” 

 

Eric nodded. “Two-One Actual, I spotted several of those cocoons hatching up ahead to the left. Advising you stick to the right-hand path.”

 

“Copy that, Dropkick.”

 

Fortunately, Jason had no problems like last time. He set the charges and returned to the rest of them promptly. 

 

“Hell of a job, Lieutenant.” Eric clapped him on the shoulder with a grin. 

 

“Oorah!” Jason replied enthusiastically. “Now let’s get the hell out of here.” 

 

Right. They were almost to a point that Salim had never reached. If only he could avoid–

 

A vampire landed directly in front of Salim, cutting him off from the others and forcing him to detour. 

 

Every time, Salim thought, irritated. Even knowing it was coming, he kept not being able to avoid it. 

 

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Salim had gotten separated from them. Again. 

 

Jason sighed, squinting across the caverns to find Salim in the usual spot. 

 

“He’s there.” He pointed out to the others.

 

This was fine. He knew what to look out for this time. He was confident he could get Salim out and avoid any tossed spears–

 

“Where the hell is Eric?” Clarice asked sharply, making Jason snap around. 

 

That… was a very good question. He’d been right behind Jason when they’d reached the platform, so he hadn’t been split off from them like Salim, but he wasn’t with them now. 

 

Jason went for his radio. “Railroad Spike, I see you. Sit tight for a sec. Dropkick, what’s your status?” 

 

“Still in one piece and hoping to keep all of us that way, Lieutenant,” Eric returned calmly. “Wait for us by the elevator. If we don’t come back, you know what to do.” 

 

…Well, he’d be damned. Salim had won Eric over enough for Eric to go back for him. 

 

Selfless idiot, Jason mused. If Eric had waited a minute they could have gone together. Now death was probably going to find a way to get to him again. 

 

“He just wants us to leave without them?” Clarice demanded. 

 

“Well, only if we’re presumin’ that they’re dead,” Jason said dryly.  

 

“ Hey! What is going on? ” Dar demanded. Which Jason understood perfectly. 

 

Huh. Well, multiple lives to live or not, Salim was still surrounded by vampires and in duress. Must have been enough to trigger Jason’s… inconsistent understanding. 

 

But was it enough to get a reply out? Couldn’t hurt to test. 

 

For the first time, Jason really leaned into his tether with Salim instead of trying to push away pain or duress. 

 

Jason pointed in Salim’s direction, hoping Dar would get the message even if he messed it up. 

 

Jason didn’t mess it up, though. 

 

“ Eric went back to get Salim .” 

 

The words flowed out of his mouth perfectly. Like they were as natural as English. Because of course they would be to Salim – Arabic was his first language. But Jason himself didn’t know any Arabic, and it was weird to feel his tongue and throat perfectly shaping things he shouldn’t have had in his mind. 

 

Hell, this was messing with his head…

 

“ Went back– why? He is not one of you! ” Dar said, seeming baffled. 

 

“ Don’t you get that we’re all in this together yet? There is no us and you – not here. Not now. ” 

 

Dar’s lips pressed into a thin line for a few moments… and then he started walking off.

 

“ Hey! Where the hell are you going? ” Jason demanded. Really, he would have been fine letting Dar wander off to die, but Salim probably would protest. Or would he this time around? Dar had been pissing him off too.

 

“ I am not sitting here while some American rescues one of my men! ” Dar snapped back, picking up his pace.

 

…Well okay then. Jason didn’t realize a lot could be changed at this point, but it would be interesting to see how this went.

 

Jason hesitated. All four of them going after Salim was just asking for something to go wrong, but he wasn’t about to leave Clarice here alone. 

 

Jason grabbed his radio. “Uh, Salim? So, Eric and Dar are coming to get you.” 

 

“…To be honest, I’m more surprised by Dar than Eric,” Salim replied.

 

“Same here, buddy.”

 

“Two-One Actual, get off the damn coms – you’re going to alert everything around us,” Eric hissed. 

 

Whoops.

 

“Copy, Dropkick. See you at the elevator. Over and out.”

 

Clarice didn’t waste any time in heading for the elevator, but Jason couldn’t seem to make his feet move.

 

“What’s wrong?” Clarice asked. 

 

Jason swallowed. Nothing was wrong. This time. Jason just hadn’t not gone back for Salim since… 

 

Jason gave his head a shake, finally forcing himself to go. “Nothin’. Come on.” 

 

This wasn’t the same. He wasn’t abandoning Salim. And Salim wouldn’t stay dead even if he did die. Completely different situation. 

 

And yet… Jason still felt guilty about before. How could he have ever been so cold hearted?

 

“I know this is gonna be about the stupidest question I’ve ever asked, but are you okay?” Clarice said after they’d been standing by the elevator for a few minutes. 

 

“Just thinkin’ about the shit review I’m leavin’ this place,” Jason said dryly. 

 

Clarice snorted. “Yeah, service has been terrible. Plus, my dinner was so undercooked I’m pretty sure it was moving, and it really gave me a stomach ache.” 

 

Jason barked out a laugh. “I can’t believe you can even joke about that so soon.”

 

“Do you want me to laugh at it or cry?” Clarice asked. “Because those are your choices.” 

 

“Oh, well that’s easy. I’d much rather hear your laugh.” He tossed her a wink. 

 

“Damn, you’re smooth.” 

 

Jason really enjoyed bantering with her. But it did not sound like the others were having as good of a time as they ran around the corner bickering.  

 

“Why is he even bothering to yell at me? We can’t understand each other!” Eric asked Salim. 

 

“Ignore him,” Salim said with an amused smile. “He’s just upset we had to save his life from a vampire hurling spears after he was trying to save mine.”  

 

Oh, Jason bet Dar was just burning about that. Good. About time they annoyed him as much as he’d been annoying them.

 

Jason didn’t even try to fight the grin that split his face as the five of them regrouped in the elevator and pulled the doors shut behind them. Maybe they were missing a few people, but this was still the first time Jason had made it this far since the start of all this.

 

Slowly but steadily, they were making progress.

 

Salim said something in Arabic to Dar, and clearly he was less stressed than a few minutes ago because Jason couldn’t understand a word of it. He switched to English a moment later when he spoke to Eric, though.

 

“Thank you for coming back for me,” Salim said earnestly.

 

Dar said something that sounded like it was probably the least hostile words he’d said this entire loop and gave Salim a clap on the shoulder.

 

“To be honest, I’m not sure you needed the help, Soldier,” Eric joked. “You seemed to be doing pretty well on your own.”

 

That was close to the truth. Yeah, Salim hadn’t made it on his own the other times, but he’d definitely gone down giving those vampires a run for their money. He’d do anything he could to get home to his boy, Jason knew. An absolute force to be reckoned with.

 

…Who currently looked like he was beaming like a praised child at Eric’s words.

 

Jason snorted in amusement, glancing up to find the elevator nearing the top.

 

“Look alive, boys and girl,” Jason said, gripping his rifle. “We’re not out of this yet.”

 

But they were close. Close enough that Jason maybe needed to think again about what he was going to do if he and Salim actually survived the eclipse. Maybe he needed to make sure that he saved a bullet.  

 

He wondered how painful death via the tether was. He’d been the one that had died first since that first became a thing, and Salim hadn’t said anything about it. He wondered what would be the kinder option for Salim – that or a bullet. They may have been in this together now, but Jason still felt protective of him. There was no reason for Salim to have to go through all the shit he had.

 

“Go, go, go!” Jason ushered the others past him up the ropes, staying back to watch the waterfall warily.

 

“What’s wrong?” Salim asked, hesitating at his side.

 

Jason waited for a few seconds before shaking his head. “Nothin’ this time it looks like.”

 

Made sense. Clarice was just ahead of them, so it wasn’t like she was about to pop up and  try to make them lunch this time. Jason was just… paranoid.

 

Okay. They’d pass the ropes… hauled ass through the temple… climbed again to reach the surface…

 

Jason collapsed to his knees as soon as the ground was beneath his feet, dropping his head back and closing his eyes as the sun hit his face.

 

The eclipse was soon, he knew, but he just… needed a moment.

 

Sunlight.

 

He used to hate this hot, dusty country. Now it was the most welcome sight he’d ever seen.

 

The only sunlight he’d felt in weeks were those few rays breaking through the crust of the earth at the start of every loop, which he had to run away from immediately to get to the others to save them.

 

He could hear Eric, Clarice, and even Dar celebrating around him, and it was such a welcome sound. Some time that would be all of them. 

 

A gentle but firm hand fell on his shoulder. “You okay?” 

 

“...I will be.” Jason cracked his eyes open to give Salim a wry smile. 

 

And then was when Jason spotted Dar nervously gripping his rifle as he glanced between Jason and Eric. 

 

“Don’t you dare, ” Jason growled. 

 

“ Dar, ” Salim said with a clear warning in his voice.

 

Jason could see Eric settle a hand on his gun out of the corner of his eye.

 

“Salim, I swear if he tries to shoot any of us right now I am leaving him to rot in that hellhole next time and every time after!” Jason snapped. 

 

“Next time?” Eric echoed. 

 

Who cared what he or anyone else heard at this point, honestly? They’d be resetting soon, and in just a minute they’d be way too busy to care. 

 

But much to Jason’s surprise, Dar eased his grip on his rifle, lowering it fully. He gave Eric a nod, mumbling something. 

 

Eric flicked his gaze over to Salim and Jason, obviously hoping for a translation. 

 

“He’d rather not fight, he just didn’t want us to be taken captive,” Salim said. 

 

Eric tossed Salim a slight smile. “Well, you’d better be gone by the time they show up.” He reached for his radio. “Dropkick to Coyote Two. Radio check. Over.”

 

The reply was immediate. 

 

“ This is Rhino One-Five. Solid copy. We’re five minutes from your position. Where the hell have you guys been? Over. ”  

 

Eric didn’t answer them. He just looked back at Salim. “You’ve got five minutes.”

 

Salim’s expression was a soft one in return, and he extended his hand to Eric. “Thank you. All of you.” 

 

Loop or not, Jason could tell Salim meant that. He genuinely appreciated Eric’s treatment of him. 

 

Jason checked his watch, climbing to his feet as he glanced at the sun.

 

Yeah, he figured it was about that time.

 

“Colonel,” Jason warned just before the area started to darken.

 

It only took a moment for Eric to follow his line of sight, his face dropping.

 

“Are you shitting me right now?” Clarice said.

 

“Get to the huts!” Jason yelled, taking off as he heard Salim shout the same thing in Arabic.

 

Oh, look, Jason understood that again. Yeah, he could see why Salim was back to being stressed…

 

Jason kicked open the first door he reached, automatically moving to fortify the poor excuse for a stronghold as the vampire’s screeching drilled into his ears.

 

“Barricade every crack!” Eric ordered, also doing so himself.

 

“How long do we have to hold out?” Salim held his stick-pipe at the ready, eyes darting around to each hole in the hut that hadn’t been covered yet.

 

“Give or take six minutes!” Clarice said at the same time Eric answered with, “Six minutes, max!”

 

No wonder Jason and Nick hadn’t been able to hold out on their own before.

 

Salim blanched at them. “That is far, far too much time!”

 

Clarice rolled her eyes as she finished shoving a table against a window and then fell back with Salim, the UV lamp in hand. “Well, what do you want us to do about it?”

 

“We can’t rush the damn moon!” Eric snipped as he joined the two of them with his gun drawn.

 

Jason and Dar were the last to fall in with the rest of them, and Jason gritted his teeth as he kept a tight grip on his rifle.

 

Would this be easier or worse with more people? Would the extra guns help, or would there eventually be so many people here that it would incredibly difficult to keep an eye out for them all?

 

As the bullets started flying, Jason realized that this whole event was going to be much, much worse than that sacrifice room they still hadn’t even figured out. The hut was going to be cramped as hell once they eventually managed to get all eight bodies in here, and there were vampires trying to claw their way in at every angle.  

 

Jason yelped as he was almost yanked out through the roof, but Clarice and Salim were there in flash — Salim dragging him back down to earth while Clarice blasted the vampire with the UV lamp.

 

Jason didn’t know how he and Nick had ever made it this far without that thing, but he was sure it was going to be invaluable on the final run when he and Salim managed to get everyone out, whenever that was.

 

Because it was a when now. Not an if .

 

“This is my last clip!” Eric warned.

 

Save a bullet, Jason reminded himself.

 

By the time he was to that point, though, Eric had already found the boxes of flares.

 

“ What the hell is this? ” Dar demanded with a frantic gesture.

 

Eric may not have had a link with an Iraqi to help him understand the actual words of that, but he seemed to get the general meaning anyway as he tossed a flare to Dar.

 

“Light them!” Eric told them all. “We can hold them off.” He looked to Clarice sharply. “Clarice, the UV lamp is the best chance we have now!”

 

“Yeah, no pressure!” she said with wide eyes, shining the UV lamp at the vampire that had been trying to force its way through the window closest to her.

 

She fell back as the flames licked up the monster’s flailing arm, which put her close to the door–

 

Shit!

 

“Clarice–” Jason tried to warn her, but it was too late.

 

The door burst open right behind her, and that damn ancient human vampire bellowed at them all.

 

Clarice was quick to whip around with the UV lamp, but the bastard had his usual resistance to it for whatever reason, and–

 

“ Clarice! ” Jason cried out as that damned spear was shoved straight through Clarice’s chest.

 

No amount of reminding himself that she wasn’t gone for good made it easy to watch the pain on Clarice’s face as the spear was yanked free and followed up with firm chomp to her neck before she was discarded to the side.

 

“Damn you!” Jason snarled.

 

He didn’t know how things would be between him and Clarice by the end of everything, but things had been special this time. He’d wanted so much to get her out this time after failing her for so long.

 

Salim and Eric rushed in to tag team the vampire, but Jason found himself at Clarice’s side as she twitched weakly. Vaguely, he registered Dar rushing over to guard his back, but his main focus was still on her as he grasped her hand a final time.

 

She didn’t even manage any last words before she stilled.

 

Jason almost started swinging when Dar hauled him to his feet by the back of his vest.

 

“ Focus, Lieutenant! ” Dar yelled into his face. “ Or it will be all of us next! ”

 

Jason hated that he was right.

 

He gave Dar a firm nod, pulling away to grab the UV lamp off the ground.

 

Meanwhile, Eric and Salim had actually gotten the upper hand on the ancient human vampire, and Jason looked over in time to see Salim holding the monster still while Eric shoved a flare literally down its throat.

 

Jason’s gaze flicked down to the floor beside them.

 

Screw the UV lamp. He had a better finishing touch.

 

Jason stalked over, pushing the UV lamp into Eric’s empty hands before he stooped down to grab the dropped spear there.

 

Thrusting the old weapon through the heart of the vampire was one of the most satisfying things Jason had ever done, even if it was already writhing around on the ground with the flare in its mouth. Now it was extra dead.  

 

Rot in hell, Jason thought viciously.

 

But they weren’t done. More vampires were still trying to get inside.

 

Jason pulled the spear free, adjusting his grip on it as the four of them regrouped in the center of the room.

 

But then suddenly the vampire’s shrieking wasn’t the loudest thing around anymore.

 

Gunfire. Not from any of them. Not from any small guns at all.

 

“It’s air support!” Eric said, letting out a laugh of disbelief.

 

Oh, hell yes. Finally, all the work with the radio each loop had been worth it—

 

Jason barked out a cut-off cry of pain as his body lurched, agony ripping through him.

 

What…?

 

“Kolchek!”

 

Jason gasped, his mind reeling as Eric caught him before he hit the ground.

 

“No, no, no, no! You’ve got to be kidding me!” Eric raged, his eyes wide as he looked Jason over.

 

“ Salim! ” Dar said in alarm. “ Where were you hit? ”

 

Hit… What had hit…

 

Oh, damn it all!

 

Air support. Jason had been hit by their own air support of all things, who’d probably been aiming for the vampires. And of course Salim was feeling his injuries.

 

“Hang on, Lieutenant!” Eric shuffled around so Jason was fully on the ground and immediately started putting pressure somewhere on Jason’s chest. “Just hang on!”

 

Jason flinched, screaming through gritted teeth.

 

The area around him was blurry, but a lot lighter than it was a minute ago. The eclipse was over.

 

…And yet, Jason was on the ground bleeding out. 

 

Maybe it should have been a relief that he wasn’t going to have to put a bullet in his own head, but no. The pain of death was still not something he was ever going to enjoy, and he sincerely hoped he never truly got used to it. 

 

He was used to it enough to know it was coming, though. 

 

“In here! Help!” Eric yelled. 

 

Oh, this was not going to end well. 

 

Not that the loop was going to last long enough now to see it fully play out.

 

Jason lurched again as he started coughing up blood. 

 

“ Dammit, Salim! Where were you hit? ” Dar pressed. 

 

Shadows fell over Jason again, but this time it was just other humans. 

 

The pressure of Eric’s hands disappeared, and an unfamiliar face took the place of his. 

 

Someone was screaming. Not in pain. It was angry. And familiar. 

 

Eric. Oh, he was absolutely laying into the highest ranking soldier there. And Dar was yelling too at the soldiers who were pointing guns at him. 

 

“I said stand the hell down!” Eric bellowed, more pissed off and intimidating than Jason had ever seen him. His glare was absolutely murderous .   

 

…And then he punched the soldier in front of him in the face before continuing to berate him. 

 

Jason choked as he tried to laugh. This really was the run of people decking other people. 

 

“Lieutenant? Lieutenant, stay with me!” The soldier tending to Jason tried to get his attention. 

 

Jason paid him no mind, letting his eyes slip closed to the sounds of the brawl that was breaking out between Eric and Dar and their backup .

 

Eric had made it out alive, Jason realized. That was one hell of an accomplishment. And five of them had made it to the huts even if not out of them. 

 

Best run so far. By a lot. Small victories. 

 

Note to self: make sure air support doesn’t cut half of them down with friendly fire.   

 

Time to fall again. 

Chapter 32: Day 3– 9/37 Pt.1

It was still hard to watch Clarice get yanked into the shadows, but Jason restrained himself to let it happen. There was nothing that needed changing at this part. He had this part of the path down. 

 

Fall, get up, cut Merwin down, send Nick off, let Clarice get taken, get the morphine in Merwin and start dragging him down the tunnel—

 

Jason gasped, stumbling where he never had before and losing his hold on Merwin’s vest in surprise. The noise had already alerted the vampires, but Jason couldn’t even get his gun up to fire at them as they approached. His hissed, his knees given out while he clutched at his chest through his vest. His heart hurt. Too much for him to even catch himself as he slumped over on the ground–

 

Fall. Thud. 

 

“Oof!” 

 

Jason blinked hard, finding himself right back at the start of the loop. 

 

What? That… heart attack had killed him?

 

A wave of sheer irritation from Salim swept over him. 

 

The tether, Jason realized. So, that was what it felt like to die from it – a really abrupt heart attack.  

 

But how the hell had Salim managed to get himself killed that quickly? They’d only just started.  

 

Whatever. He couldn’t waste anymore time. Off to save Merwin. Hopefully whatever happened with Salim wouldn’t happen again. 

 

And it didn’t. There.

 

The tunnels went just fine with Jason getting Merwin out. Except then he stumbled and just about fell on his face while he and Eric were looking for Joey because of what felt like claws raking across his side. 

 

“Lieutenant!” Eric crouched by him instantly. “What’s wrong?”

 

Jason never got the chance to answer as what felt like more claw wounds raked across various parts of his body, and then his chest seized and his heart gave out.

 

And then it happened around the same time the next round. 

 

And the next. 

 

And the next.

 

Five damn times during the search for Joey. 

 

Six rounds total where Jason had yet to make it back to the point where he could even push Eric into meeting Salim. 

 

Jason would have been pissed had he not been so concerned. So much for Salim avoiding the experience of dying in horrific ways repeatedly. 

 

What was going on? Salim had been fine getting through things with his memories the first couple times he’d been able to keep them. What had changed?

 

He guessed he wasn’t going to find out until they met up again, so he just kept going with his side of the plan, finally getting to the skirmish with Dar where Eric was separated from them.

 

Jason hissed, curling into himself behind his cover as he felt Salim take another claw wound to the thigh. 

 

Seriously? Was he about to be dead for a seventh time? 

 

The mock heart attack didn’t come, though. Jason managed to get away from Dar with them both living through it, so Salim also must have gotten out of whatever mess he was in. 

 

…And then Jason heard the screaming. Not Salim’s. Eric’s. And it wasn’t just him mourning Rachel this time either – this was more along the lines of what Merwin sounded like at the start of each loop. 

 

Eric was hurt bad . 

 

Jason swore under his breath before booking it through the tunnels. Normally he had to kill time here, but clearly Salim and Eric were not getting chummy right now.

 

Salim was nowhere to be seen, actually. It was just Eric and the dead vampire that was collapsed on top of him. 

 

Huh. Given that Eric was a walking death magnet, Jason was honestly surprised he’d done that well against a vampire on his own without knowing what he was dealing with. 

 

Not that his status was great, but he was still breathing. For the moment. 

 

“Colonel!” Jason secured his rifle back so it was out of the way and fell to his knees by Eric and the vampire, trying to assess the damage. 

 

Oh, damn. No wonder Eric was screaming his lungs out – the vampire’s damn fangs were still lodged in his collarbone area. 

 

“Sit tight, Colonel! I got you!” Jason tried to assure. 

 

The fangs weren’t even the extent of his injuries, it was just the worst of them. The usual vampire claw marks were all over him, but thankfully it looked like his vest had for once done its job and safeguard everything that was vital. 

 

“Sorry in advance,” was all Jason gave as a warning before he took hold of the vampire’s fangs at the base and yanked .  

 

Jason winced, holding Eric down with one hand as he shoved the vampire aside as best he could with the other.

 

“Stay with me, Colonel – I’m gettin’ that medkit.”

 

Eric gritted his teeth as he gave a shaky nod. “Y-you were right about the creatures…” 

 

“Well, lucky for you, I don’t think now is the right time for an I told you so, ” Jason said, trying to lighten the mood as best he could. He grimaced at the dark gunk now all over his hand that he’d picked up from the fangs and wiped it on his pants leg. 

 

Eric gave a pained laugh, his eyes going distant as he kept lurching under Jason’s hold. 

 

Jason couldn’t get the vampire off him to get to the medkit with one hand, dammit. 

 

“Ah… hello?” came a call from nearby. 

 

Well, it was about damn time. 

 

Jason snapped his gaze up. “Salim, what the hell have you been–”

 

Jason stopped, blinking hard at the sight of Salim dragging another injured Marine with him as he pointed a rifle back the way they’d come. 

 

…How? Where? What?

 

“I can explain.” Salim let go of the man he was dragging with him, staggering over to Jason and Eric. Jason could see the leg wound he’d felt, but it didn’t look life-threatening. “Can I help here?” 

 

Jason refocused on his task. “Yeah, help me get this thing off him!”

 

Salim instantly set his rifle aside, grabbing one of the vampire’s arms and pulling on it while Jason pushed at the monster’s chest from his side. 

 

Eric groaned loudly as the vampire was shifted off of him, looking between Jason and Salim with a glazed confusion that he didn’t seem to be able to voice. 

 

Well, this conversation would be a hell of a thing to explain away if Eric was coherent enough for it. Which Jason doubted he would be, but it was still a concern. Unless…

 

Yeah, Salim was definitely rattled enough for it. 

 

“ Talk to me, ” Jason said in Arabic as he went for the medkit, retrieving the limited supplies there so he could get to work on Eric’s main wound. 

 

Salim grimaced. “ There is a second group of Americans I encountered. They’re usually wiped out by the vampires, but I thought perhaps I could help them. ”

 

“ I take it by the half dozen heart attacks I’ve had that that… ” Jason paused. No word for ‘ain’t’ in Arabic? “ Hasn’t been going too well ?” Jason peeled away part of Eric’s vest and shirt collar to get access to the puncture marks. 

 

“ No ,” Salim lamented. “ There’s no way to warn them. If I try to speak to them, they treat me as an enemy and dismiss my words until it is too late, but if I wait, then they’re dead before they know what’s happening. ” 

 

…Yeah, that explained a lot. Jason couldn’t even be annoyed. It was nice of Salim to try and save those other Marines. 

 

“ He’s the only one I was able to help, but I fear he is not doing well .” Salim gestured to the Marine he’d dragged with him. 

 

Jason spared the soldier a glance, raising an eyebrow. “ ...Is he breathing? ” 

 

Salim hobbled over to check while Jason focused on Eric. 

 

“ ...No, ” Salim said a few seconds later from where he was crouched next to the… body. 

 

Salim sighed deeply, a wave of weariness washing over Jason from their tether.   

 

Aw, hell. Jason recognized that feeling. He’d felt exactly the same when he’d been repeatedly getting his ass handed to him trying over and over again to find the route to save Merwin by himself at the start of each loop. 

 

“ You okay? ” Jason asked. 

 

Salim ran a hand through his hair, standing with wince before he slowly headed back over to Jason and Eric. “ You are… very resilient. These monsters are… not merciful to their prey. ”

 

Jason grimaced sympathetically. Those runs trying to figure out how to save Merwin at the start had been rough, and that was about what Salim had just gone through. Jason had been lucky he’d had that stupid run where’d faked passing out to collect himself a little. “ I’m sorry. ”

 

“ Don’t be, ” Salim said quickly. “ I volunteered for this. ” He shook his head. “ I don’t think there’s anything more I can do to help them, though. Not when they won’t listen to me. ”

 

Jason nodded as he began wrapping Eric’s wound by starting by his neck and going under his arm. “ If you think that’s the case, I trust your judgement. There’s nothing we can do to save Joey either .” 

 

Maybe if he knew exactly who those men were he’d be willing to give them a few more tries, but Salim was one of the most stubborn men he’d ever met, and if he said there was no way, Jason was inclined to believe him. Jason had been so dead set about Clarice and Rachel and Merwin because he’d known there was a way to help them and he just needed to figure it out. 

 

Salim nodded solemnly, frowning down at Eric, who was still conscious but didn’t look like he could answer two plus two at the moment despite being a nuclear engineer. Really, Jason hoped that was the case so Eric didn’t absorb any of this shit with Salim. They may have been talking in Arabic, but Salim’s presence at all would be difficult to explain this early. 

 

“I fear I have thoroughly destroyed a proper attempt at things this time around, ” Salim admitted.

 

…Yeah, he really probably had. But if Jason had learned anything, it was that most runs had some sort of informational value.    

 

“ Sounds like a good time to try those ideas you had, then. ” Jason finished with the bandages, though Eric didn’t seem to notice. The man was out of it. 

 

“ Keep the vampires below from being alerted this time? ” Salim suggested, gesturing to Eric. “ He’ll never make it through that siege in this condition .”  

 

“Yeah… ” Jason agreed. “ Let’s do it. ”

 

They were already going to have to deal with Clarice and Merwin not being at a 100% after their infections, Salim was limping right now, and then there was the whole stupid deal of dragging Dar along… Yeah, adding Eric in there as one of the injured was more than going to get him killed – it would likely get all of them overwhelmed and killed.

 

“ Do you have an idea about how to go about it? ” Salim asked. 

 

Jason thought about it. “ Well, we’re going to have to make sure that radio is fully unusable, and then I guess deal with Dar. ”

 

“ Dar? ” Salim tilted his head. “ Don’t you mean Joey? ”

 

“ Both, really. ” Jason resituated Eric’s shirt and gear as best he could without messing up the bandages. “Last two times I tried to take care of Joey early, Dar moved up his attack and killed Eric, and then he killed you by accident. ” 

 

Salim sighed, glanced at the dead vampire nearby. “I’m going to bring this with us. ” 

 

“ ...Why? ” Jason asked.  

 

“ For Dar, ” Salim said dryly. “ He never believes me at first? Fine. I’ll see if I can convince him before the living ones are trying to claw us to pieces again. ” 

 

Jason still didn’t have much faith in Dar being that reasonable, but it was worth a shot. Especially this round. “ If that works, maybe you could arrange it again? Maybe don’t tell Eric about the sunlight weakness until later? ”

 

“ I’ll give it some thought, ” Salim agreed, picking up a stray pistol on the ground, situating his rifle and stick pick, and then grabbing one of the vampire’s arms so he could start dragging it. 

 

Dammit. Jason had been hoping to have his help with Eric, but it looked like he was caring more than his fair share at the moment. Oh well. Jason had managed Merwin by himself, so he could handle this. 

 

Jason hauled Eric up, earning a groan from him, but he still didn’t seem really alert. 

 

…Something was off here, Jason noted. He’d been hoping for Eric to be disoriented the entire conversation with Salim, but now that he was thinking about it, Eric should not have been this incoherent with the injuries he had. Jason was going to have to double check things once they got back to the temple. 

 

“ Let’s move. ” 

 

And so they did, making slow progress with their respective dead weight. 

 

“ Your accent in Arabic is abysmal, by the way, ” Salim commented.

 

Jason shot him a raised eyebrow. “ You say that like I talk prim and proper in English. ”

 

Salim snorted. 

 

“ Hey, what happened when you died right at the start of the reset? That was way before the others. Didn’t feel like one of the vampires either. ”

 

“ ...I don’t want to talk about it .” 

 

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Salim had fully expected his luck of avoiding painful deaths to run out, and oh it had. He’d been granted one more quick one when he’d stupidly tripped at the wrong time and the truck that normally helped him fell right on top of him, but after that…

 

He supposed it was his own fault, really. He should have got along with matters like normal and spoken with Jason about it first, but it just seemed wrong to leave those men to die. Especially after he’d misstepped one time when fighting his initial vampire and they’d saved his life by opening fire on the vampire. But even with the few tries he’d done, he could think of nothing more to try. 

 

There was no time to win their trust. He just sounded like a crazy person if he tried to warn them. It was Dar all over again, but entirely worse. 

 

Salim very much hoped the dead vampire he was dragging would help with Dar. He’d finally have proof for their initial conversation–

 

Salim hissed as his chest gave a strange spasm of unexpected pain. 

 

“ You okay? ” Jason glanced back at him, moving a little faster than Salim was capable of while dragging an eight-foot tall bat and three weapons while his leg was injured. 

 

Salim frowned, pressing a hand to his chest while his other stayed holding onto the vampire’s leg. “ Fine. ”

 

“ Yeah, that’s why we’re still talking in Arabic, because you’re fine .” Jason gave him an unimpressed look. “ You know I can feel your stress right now? ”

 

Salim kept forgetting about that…

 

“ Strange phantom pain, ” Salim admitted. “ It’s already passed .”

 

Jason gave a slow nod of understanding. “ You’ll probably keep getting those. Part of the whole thing where our bodies reset but our minds remember all the horrible shit we’ve been through, I figure. ”

 

Oh, dear. Salim hadn’t thought about that. He wondered how often Jason had to deal with his erased injuries coming back to trouble him given the sheer amount of times he died. 

 

Salim hated this. He still didn’t regret his choice to join Jason instead of selfishly forgetting the pain and horror that kept building for his friend, but suffering as he had recently wasn’t something anyone should have had to experience, let alone endure multiple times.  

 

The memory of dying was not meant to be carried by ones still living. No man or woman was suited for such a task. He and Jason would not make it out of this place without that more than anything changing them forever. 

 

“ Do you have any idea where Dar will be prior to when he normally attacks? ” Salim asked, trying to focus on his next task.  

 

“ Not specifically. Somewhere in the temple– ”

 

“Jason?”  

 

Oh, there was Nick – standing in the middle of the main temple area in front of them looking absolutely baffled. 

 

“ ...You didn’t radio ahead to him, did you? ” Salim realized. 

 

“...Nope,” Jason said, once again speaking in English. “Uh, hey buddy! We’ve got a bit of a situation here.” 

 

“Yeah, I can see that.” Nick’s gaze swept over Jason and Eric, then Salim and the vampire, and then settled back on Jason. “The hell’s going on? What happened to the Colonel?”

 

“That damn oversized bat happened, that’s what,” Jason said dryly. “He’s hurt, but he ain’t dyin’. Fortunately, Salim here backed us up and kept us breathing.”  

 

“Hello…” Salim said awkwardly. 

 

Normally Nick was fine with him, but these weren’t like their meeting circumstances before. He didn’t look hostile, though. He didn’t try to raise his weapon. He just kept looking more confused by the moment. 

 

“And… what’s he doing now?” Nick asked. 

 

“Staying with you all so I keep breathing,” Salim said, trying to help. “We shouldn’t be fighting. Not now.”

 

“Agreed,” Jason said. 

 

Nick blinked slowly, staring at Jason for several long seconds. “You… do?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“You? You agreed to a truce?” Nick sounded more incredulous with every passing second. 

 

“ Yes! ” Jason’s tone took on an edge of irritation, though not enough for Salim to feel through the tether. “Now will you help me get the Colonel settled somewhere safe? He ain’t exactly made of feathers.”

 

Nick shook his head. “Sure, what the hell…” He moved over to Jason’s side and started helping arrange Eric better for two people to carry. Eric just disorientedly groaned and squirmed a bit. 

 

Nick frowned again. “His injuries don’t look that bad – why’s he so out of it?” 

 

“Well that bandaged wound ain’t shallow, but you’re right. Somethin’ else seems wrong here. Let’s get him settled and then I‘ll look more into it. Salim?” Jason looked back at Salim, switching back to Arabic. “ You want to make sure that radio can’t make any noise and keep an eye out for Dar? ”

 

It occurred to Salim that it was probably a bad sign for his mental state that Jason had been able to speak Arabic this entire time since they met up. 

 

Salim nodded. “ Yes, I believe that would be best .” 

 

“Copy. Just remember, if you see Joey, we need him to infect Merwin first. ” 

 

“Understood.”

 

“Okay, when the hell did you learn Arabic?” Nick demanded. 

 

“I thought it might be useful – put some time into it when I had extra,” Jason lied decently convincingly.   

 

Nick’s attitude was… strange. A little too surprised. Granted, he’d seemed surprised before at Jason and Salim getting along, but they’d been rather busy those times. Salim was no fool. He knew Jason wouldn’t have been quite so amiable to him the first time everything had happened for him. But Nick’s attitude made him wonder… just how much had Jason changed since this began?

Chapter 33: Day 9/37 Pt.2

“I don’t get it.” Nick shook his head, looking down at Eric, who they’d gotten settled on the table inside the tent now. “His injuries ain’t that bad. Nowhere near Merwin’s. “

 

Jason chewed the inside of his cheek. He’d been thinking the same thing. “He had that creature’s fangs in him for a hot minute before I got them out. Some sort of venom, maybe?”

 

Was that something they had? Man, Jason had thought after all these loops that he knew what they were dealing with, but now he was realizing he’d never been bit and lived to feel if there were any lasting impacts. Or seen any other others do that either. Usually, if anyone was bit, the vampires had managed to get them in the throat. 

 

“Great,” Nick muttered. “That would be just what we need.” 

 

Jason plucked the UV lamp off of Eric’s belt, clicking it on and waving it over him. Eric just winced slightly when the light passed over his eyes. No throwing up a worm or anything.

 

“The hell you doing?” Nick wondered.

 

“Salim said these things don’t like sunlight.” Jason turned the lamp back off. “Thought it was worth a shot.”

 

If there was something in his system like a venom, though, there was no guarantee the UV lamp would fix it. He wasn’t being changed into something that hated the sun this time, after all. If something had gotten into his system, the UV lamp probably couldn’t burn it out because Eric's own damn skin was in the way. 

 

“Yeah, about him – we gonna talk about the elephant in the room there?” 

 

Jason secured the UV on his belt instead. “What elephant? Better chance of us living’ if we all work together. Simple is that.”

 

Why can’t you just let it go, Nicky?

 

“…Right. And you’re just okay with that?”

 

“What are you talkin’ about?” Maybe if he kept playing dumb, Nick would back off.

 

“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Nick said confidently. 

 

Jason sighed raggedly. “I’m embracin’ a new outlook.”

 

“Since when?” 

 

“You know when,” Jason said hotly, turning on his heel to head out of the tent. Maybe that would stop Nick from prying. “We need to get this place secured.” 

 

It took Nick a second to catch up with him, but then he nodded. “Right. And what’s your new friend doing?”

 

Fully breaking that radio and punching out his boss again, hopefully, Jason thought. Okay, so talking Dar around would be a lot better than dragging him around, but at this point Jason was banking on Dar always making things as difficult as he could. 

 

“He’s tryin’ to make contact with his boss to get him to stop tryin’ to kill us,” was what Jason ran with. 

 

“...You’re putting a lot of trust in this guy.” 

 

“Guess so,” Jason admitted. Nick had no idea how much Salim had earned that trust.

 

Click. Click. 

 

And speaking of Salim, there was that signal he and Jason had agreed to give each other on the radio, but it didn’t look like Jason needed to go find a space without any of the others this time. 

 

…Salim was really stressing right now. Which was completely understandable, but still concerning that it was lasting this long. At this rate Jason was going to spend the entire loop with his added language benefits. 

 

Jason grabbed his radio, switching to Arabic, which he was sure would never not be weird. “Go ahead, Railroad Spike.” 

 

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Salim frowned slightly. That was the second time Jason had called him that now. 

 

“When did I get one of your callsigns?” Salim wondered, taking what he assumed was a hint that Nick was around and staying in Arabic.

 

Jason chuckled. “Nick came up with it on one of my early tries around the block. Ended up sticking.” 

 

“I like it,” Salim noted before getting back on topic. “The radio will no longer be capable of making any noise.” 

 

Salim had made quite sure of that. He’d left no wire attached, and he even taken a few pieces across the area and kicked dirt over them. It would have been a lot simpler to throw the whole thing off the cliff, but somehow Salim doubted that would help with not attracting vampires. 

 

“Copy that. Any sign of your boss?” 

 

“Not yet,” Salim admitted. He was really hoping Dar would turn up near the inner set of temple doors since he’d left the dead vampire there. “I’ll look further for him and Joey now that I’m done with the radio.”

 

“Alright, copy that. Keep me updated. Nick and I are going to secure the temple. Over and out.” 

 

Well. Jason had said that fighting Joey early tended to draw Dar in, so perhaps waiting near Merwin was a good place to start. 

 

There was only one table in the supply tent, so Merwin was laid out outside by the generator. Salim looked around the area, ensuring he wasn’t about to be ambushed, and then he took cover behind the nearest pillar with his stick-pipe in hand. It was nice to have a choice of weapons this time, but he didn’t want to risk all the extra noise of the guns he had. 

 

Merwin made pained sounds occasionally, but it didn’t seem like he’d noticed Salim. Something did notice the noise he was making eventually, though. 

 

Salim felt chill creep up his spine as a whistle echoed through the otherwise still temple. 

 

Joey. Salim peered around his pillar, following the noise back to the horned figure.   

 

And here Salim thought he’d seen the extent of the horrors this place had to offer. Clearly, that had been naive. The whistling was so… human. It unnerved Salim to see the twisted monster managing to replicate such behavior.  

 

But it kept doing it. 

 

Salim grimaced, managing to stay still as the short whistling pattern grew louder and incessant until the creature mercifully paused in order to infect Merwin. 

 

Salim adjusted his grip on his weapon. Just a few moments more would likely be enough. 

 

Wait…

 

Wait…

 

Salim heard the footsteps start to leave.

 

Now.

 

Salim charged out from behind the pillar, rushing the vampire before it could react and driving his weapon straight through its heart. The vampire shrieked, thrashing around and managing to land a few scrapes on Salim’s arms before it fell still and slumped onto the ground.

 

Salim breathed a sigh of relief, struggling to pull his weapon free as his hands shook.

 

He took a breath, trying to calm himself. He could do this. He would. Jason was proof that it was possible to push through. Salim just had to remember what he was fighting for. Zain. But it was even more than just him now.

 

Salim wanted Dar to come to his senses and realize why he should be trying to live, not borderline seeking death in search of glory. And perhaps even more than that right now, he wanted the Americans to live. He didn’t know Merwin well yet, but the others… He wanted Eric and Rachel to have the chance to find the reconciliation Salim never could with his own wife. He wanted Nick to find a way to forgive himself for his part in the checkpoint matter and for him to spread his accepting nature to others.

 

And then there was Jason. Jason above all deserved the peace of leaving this place behind after all he’d been through and done for the rest of them. He deserved to find that purpose he’d talked about lacking before he’d joined the military. Salim wasn’t sure what that would entail for him, but Salim wanted him to have the chance to find out. Maybe something involving Clarice if their care for one another stood the test of time outside of this hell.

 

They all had lives and homes to return to. Salim had to keep in mind. Not just him.

 

Salim attempted a calming breath, returning his weapon to its spot holstered on his back before he reached for his radio. 

 

“Jason? I managed to–“

 

Salim paused as he heard his own words echo back at him over by the tent. 

 

…Where Jason had Dar at gunpoint… and Dar had Eric at gunpoint.

 

Oh dear.

 

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It wasn’t hard to shake Nick for a few minutes. Given that it was just them this time around, it was easy to toss out a short excuse about sparing a minute to go check on the wounded while Nick set the mines. Jason had even managed to avoid his lie-tell. 

 

Now, Jason had all the faith in the world in Salim being able to handle himself, but he still preferred to ensure that he’d be okay. If Salim was looking for Joey, then him having the UV lamp would be a lot safer for him. 

 

Jason jogged into the main area of the temple, about to reach for his radio to ask Salim’s exact location when he spotted movement over by the supply tent.

 

Jason started to raise his weapon, but stopped quickly when he realized the wobbling figure was not, in fact, Joey. It was Eric. Who definitely should not have been standing in his current condition. 

 

Jason stopped himself just short of calling out. Last thing he needed was to attract both Joey and Dar to a delirious Eric. 

 

…Except it looked like Eric had managed to get some attention all on his own. Before Jason had managed to take two steps in the Colonel’s direction, Dar rushed into sight and smashed his gun into the side of Eric’s head, sending him to his knees..

 

Jason winced in sympathy, ducking into the shadows to sneak closer while Dar barked orders at Eric about surrendering and making the rest of them do the same if he didn’t want a bullet in the brain.

 

“I don’t… I don’t know what you…” Eric slurred. 

 

He really was taking a beating this time around, Jason noted. That blow to the head couldn’t be helping his already foggy mind. 

 

Also Dar really needed to figure out that he couldn’t make demands of people when they didn’t speak the same language. Well, at least Jason wouldn’t have that problem this time.

 

Jason crept up to Dar while he was distracted with Eric, pointing this gun at the back of his head. 

 

“Don’t you move,” Jason growled. 

 

Dar complied, but his gun was still pointed at Eric. 

 

“Okay here’s the deal.” Jason paused to lick his lips. This was supposed to be Salim’s job, but Jason wasn’t sure where he was at the moment, so he’d have to do his best. “There’s something down here in these tunnels that’s been picking us off on both sides, and there’s not that many of us left. Now, I’m not expecting us to be friends, but if we keep fighting, we’re all going to end up dead, and I think we both want to avoid that–“

 

“What are you talking about, you crazy American?” Dar interrupted. “You think we should all stand down because you’re afraid of the dark?”

 

Jason rolled his eyes. “Listen you shithead. What I’m talking about is very real. If it wasn’t, Salim wouldn’t have already agreed to work with us.”

 

“Salim?” Dar turned his head at that. “That cowardly–”

 

Speaking of Salim again, Dar was cut off by a yell from him over by the generator. 

 

Well, looked like he’d found Joey. 

 

Jason flinched as Salim drove his stick-pipe through Joey’s heart, returning his gaze to the back of Dar’s head as Joey thrashed around in vain. It would never not hurt having to see him put down again and again like some sort of rabid dog. 

 

“What the hell…” Dar said breathlessly, probably not entirely sure what he was seeing. 

 

Understandable, really. Joey might have been able to pass for human at a distance, but the noises the vampire made absolutely didn’t. They were animalistic and hair raising. 

 

“Still think I’m crazy and scared of the dark?” Jason asked. 

 

Eric hadn’t managed to get any more words out, but Jason noticed him blinking blearily clutching the spot on his head where Dar had hit him.  

 

Dar said nothing for several moments, and that was when Salim’s voice came through Jason’s radio. 

 

“Jason? I managed to–“

 

Salim stopped, looking in their direction. 

 

“Salim,” Jason called across the temple room calmly. “You want to bring one or both of those corpses over here so your boss can get a better look?”  

 

Salim gave a sharp nod, instantly bending down to grab hold of Joey’s boots and dragging him across the ground. 

 

“Salim?” Dar demanded. “You’re working with the Americans?” 

 

Salim stayed silent until he was closer, then he dropped Joey’s legs with a huff and gestured to the body while giving Dar an absolutely fed up glare. “Do you have eyes? We have other concerns.”

 

Dar was too busy gaping in horror at Joey’s appearance to respond to that. Jason could relate, but for different reasons. 

 

At least all the times Joey had gone up in flames or toppled over the side of that cliff Jason hadn’t to keep looking at the body.

 

Joey deserved so much better, but there was nothing Jason could do to help him. 

 

“And if that isn’t enough, I’ll get the other one!” Salim stomped off towards the temple doors.

 

Dar still said nothing, but Eric slurred something under his breath, looking about a second from passing out. 

 

“Lieutenant… what…” was all the Colonel managed to get out before he, as expected, slumped over unconscious. 

 

The barrel of Dar’s gun dipped a little. Like he couldn’t quite decide if he should fully lower his gun. 

 

“Are you really going to keep threatening the injured unconscious guy with one leg?” Jason asked dryly. “Can’t say I’m all that familiar with your view on honor and glory, but I’m pretty sure that’s not it.” 

 

“What other choice do I have to ensure you won’t kill me?” Dar spat. 

 

Jason sighed. “Listening isn’t one of your strengths, is it? I’m trying to work with you, you asshole.”

 

Dar made a disgusted sound, but the conversation didn’t go further because that was when Salim hauled the dead bat vampire over to where Dar could see it. 

 

Dar flinched, swearing and then spitting out a prayer in record speed. 

 

“This. This is what we are facing!” Salim gestured to each vampire with one hand. “There are hundreds, perhaps even thousands of these demons down here, and they can turn us into things like them! The only chance we have is to work together!”

 

Dar’s lip curled. “Better to die with our dignity of fighting for our home–”

 

“Yes, I’m certain the fact that you clung to your dignity will be of great consolation to your wife when you never return to her!” Salim snapped. “Except it won’t, because she’ll never know when even your body is lost in this darkness forever!” 

 

Oh, damn. Salim was pulling out the big guns. 

 

Dar looked at a loss for words again. “...How did you–”

 

Salim was ready for that question, pulling Dar’s wallet out of his pocket and shoved it at him, which caused Dar's gun to finally veer away from Eric. “You dropped this.” 

 

Dar swallowed as he looked at the wallet. Salim – clever bastard that he was – had forced it into his hand with the picture showing so Dar’s wife’s smiling face was in plain view. 

 

Jason glanced down at Eric. Luck may have never been on his side, but it looked like Jason had been thrown a bone for the moment with how he’d landed: his necklace had fallen free of his collar and vest and was dangling near the ground. 

 

“You see that ring on his neck?” Jason asked, sure that Dar could because the lights from the generator were making the metal glint. “If we all have people to fight for, that means we have people to live for too. Dying down here won’t do anything for them, and it sure won’t do anything for our countries.” 

 

Time to take a risk…

 

Jason lowered his gun. “What’s more important to you? Her, or dying only for the sake of your pride when no one will ever even know?”

 

Look at him getting better at all this diplomatic shit. Nevermind that he never in a million years would have chanced this with Dar had he not known that he’d wake up again if the bastard decided to betray and shoot him after this whole talk. 

 

Dar whipped his head around instantly, and Jason could just see him running scenarios through his head as he clutched his wallet. 

 

“Dar…” Salim gently verbally nudged. 

 

Dar gritted his teeth. “We are still enemies. Once we are out of here, I will not show mercy.”

 

Well, hot damn. It had worked. It was possible to talk Dar around early.

 

Jason gave him an exaggerated fake smile. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 

Salim held up a hand, looking past Dar and switching to English. “He’s agreed to work with you. You can stand down, Nick.”

 

Jason did a double take. He hadn’t even noticed Nick there since he’d been so focused on Dar.

 

Nick raised an eyebrow, keeping his gun raised as he looked to Jason. “We’re all good here?”

 

“All good,” Jason confirmed. 

 

This was all going surprisingly well considering the rocky start. 

 

…Apart from poor Eric. The man probably had a concussion on top of everything else now. It was a good thing they hadn’t alerted the vampires, because there was no chance of him surviving that assault. He… probably wouldn’t die from just this though. 

 

Jason waved Nick over. “Help me get him back in the tent, would you?”

 

Maybe he should have listened to Salim sooner. Everyone was still alive. The vampires below hadn’t been alerted. Clarice and Rachel would probably be along shortly. Maybe this was a better way to tackle things.

 

Notes:

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