A few minutes go by as the other group advances also. There appears to be 8 people dressed in Polish uniforms and armed predominantly with AK's. They are not carrying packs. The distance between the two groups has now closed to 100m (The other group is 350m away and your captors are 250m).

One of the far group moves out in front of the others and appears to say something. The others of his group do not appear to relax however.

"Hmmmm... not sure what's going on.... something's not right..."

Weapons fire breaks out suddenly. You aren't sure which group fired first.

The Pole carrying an SVD and Gallin's M177 is hit in the opening shots and disappears into the tall wheat.

The two Poles with you now have their attention focused on the battle.

OOC: Have we managed to get the knots or whatever loose on our hands?  If so, that'd probably change my plans.....

..

The RPK gunner disappears into the wheat as he is hit. A grenade fired from Kett's M203 lands just past the newcomers, knocking two of them down with shrapnel hits. A barrage of bullets flys between the two sides but no hits appear to result.

The driver of the UAZ starts the engine as the guard turns back to you and urgently motions you to your feet.

OOC: The bonds are loosening but not likely to give any time soon. You have been tied for a few hours now and i assume you've been trying the whole time.

I take it from the 'disappears into the wheat' comments, you mean 'falls over into the wheat field' - rather than 'was shot at, then ducks into the wheatfield'.
Are the locations of these soldiers' falls nearby?

I get to my feet, keeping my head down and whisper to my friend here
Let's hope that one takes a hit or is distracted, then one of us calls the break and both of us sprint for the wheat and concealment, getting into it, zigzagging, and prone shortly thereafter....

Then wait for an opportunity, or for Mike to say "Go!Go!Go!". If I see the opportunity, whisper "Go!" and take off running for the wheat field, zigzagging.

Michael nodded to Gary. "Deal." As he rose to his feet he intentionally stumbled a little to put himself closer to the guard.

(OOC: is there just one guard paying attention to us at the moment? If so, can I try to stumble in such a way as to loop my bindings around the gun and disarm him? Or if jsut two, could I keep the guard I'd be trying to disarm between myself and the other so I didn't get shot?)

I follow his play. Mike will probably be concentrating on the gun. I'll concentrate on getting my legs tangled with his and taking him to the ground. Gunplay while wrestling is very hard to manage period. If Mike can't get that close, we should both just stay ready waiting for him to be distracted.

If we get into HTH, I can't really do much damage (I'm not HTH expert). But it shouldn't be too hard to overbear, as this should be easier than throwing good punches or securing locks, etc.

I do, however, have combat boots on. Given the chance, I can try to break some ribs.

However, if this looks like a plan to get us all killed, we should both hold until we get a good chance....

Quote
I take it from the 'disappears into the wheat' comments, you mean 'falls over into the wheat field' - rather than 'was shot at, then ducks into the wheatfield'.
Are the locations of these soldiers' falls nearby?
end quote

It's hard to tell exactly at this range but from the way they moved you can presume that they have been hit.
quote Nuked
The other group is 350m away and your captors are 250m.
end quote
This is at the first shot and does not include the driver and other guard who you can presume to be basically sitting on the tailgate.


quote Sergeant Michael Gallin
(OOC: is there just one guard paying attention to us at the moment? If so, can I try to stumble in such a way as to loop my bindings around the gun and disarm him? Or if jsut two, could I keep the guard I'd be trying to disarm between myself and the other so I didn't get shot?)
end quote

The driver is facing forward away from you. The other is motioning you to your feet with his weapon.
quote Nuked
After your hands were tied, you were securely tied to each other in a "chain" and attached to the back of the vehicle
end quote
There is at least a metre of rope between each of you and another couple of metres between the vehicle and closest prisoner (the German)
quote Nuked
Kett is last in line, next to the American
end quote

I hate to say it but at the moment you are unlikely to be effective in attacking the guard. Perhaps your best chance is to try and stop the UAZ from driving off and see what happens in the battle?
you may well think of something I haven't though so do as you wish, I'm not likely to kill you off this early in the game either.....
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:08, Thu 04 Mar 2004.

The captors can drag us off down the road by the rope if they choose to. So we'd better get up. I can't really see any way to prevent this, but we can get up slowly and stay as low as possible so as not to collect stray rounds.

I take it the rope is tied from prisoner to prisoner and then to the trailer hitch or the like. And buddy with the weapon is sitting on the tailgate.

So, tied up, with no way to get loose (though I am going to work hard at that idea... maybe the rock I picked up has some sharp edges I can use on my rope...), and tied to the truck, there is little we can do. If we charge buddy with the gun, we're swiss cheese. If he try to resist, he just shoots us. So we have to 'wait and see' and work on our bonds, biding our time.

The balance of power shifts dramatically away from your captors as first the M203 gunner is hit and goes down and then a grenade is thrown. Three more Poles hit the dirt as shrapnel and concusion do them in.
The remaining 4 Poles fire back, with the result of two of the newcomers falling to the ground but there are still four standing, including the thrower of the grenade and their RPK gunner.

As you move as slowly as you can get away with, the Poles with you are beginning to look worried and the driver says something you can't make out.

Что случается? Кто - они?
(What is happening? Who are they?)

Освободите нас! Вы не можете уехать с нами тянущийся позади! Мы убежим, и Вы никогда не должны будете видеть нас снова!
(Free us! You can't drive away with us dragging behind! We will run away and you will never have to see us again!)

Try to look scared and pleading, try to indicate he should cut the rope or untie it from the back of the UAZ.

The guard looks at you and wonders what this person is babbling at him as the UAZ slowly starts to move forward. The rope digs in to your wrists at you are dragged after it. Another few words are spoken by the driver, this time sharper and more insistant in tone than before.

One could have hoped, being Polish and in the Red Army at one point...

At any rate, obviously we have to go with them. I guess we're still looking for some sort of opportunity. Watch for a major distraction. It is evident that, tied up and unable to loosen the knots, we won't be doing much with the guard watching us from the tailgate with a gun.

The Guard yells back at him and then draws a large knife.
In the meantime, another Pole is hit and goes down, leaving only 3 standing where only about 15 seconds before were 10.

Stoop a little (to allow some spring to my knees if I have to slam into the guy with my shoulders). I'm hoping he'll cut us loose, but if he tries to do some knife work, I'm not going down without a fuss! (BCD=1!!!!)

Obviously desperate, the remaining Pole infantry open up using automatic fire in an attempt to regain the initiative. two more go down to the disiplined fire of the newcomers leaving only one on his feet.
The Guard on the tailgate swings his knife down to the rope connecting you all to the UAZ. He quickly saws through it leaving the four of you shocked at the sudden apparent freedom as the vechicle accelerates away.

(OOC: Sorry folks! school and work got the best of me..... )

Michael yelled out in Polish as the UAZ drove off. <"You could have at least dropped the knife for us!">

He turned to the others. "I don't know about you, but I think we need to get these ropes off fast.  Those others may have won, but I'm not sure we're in a better situation than we were before."

He began looking around as well as he could for something to finish removing the ropes.

I suggest, in English that we move to the wheatfield. Perhaps if the nearest downed enemy is close enough, we can procure a knife and some firepower there.

Assuming I can convince people to move with me, start heading in that direction, keeping an eye on the departing jeep.

Do I think any of the guys that went down had my kit? Where do I think my pack ended up? (Probably driving away in the UAZ....)

The nearest downed Pole is approximately 350m away from you in the direction of the newcomers. They are at present still mopping up from the fight and begining a quick search of the Poles.
The other two men with you appear to be in shock - first from being captured and now the sudden and unexpected release. They don't resist any action you take to guide them.
Most of your equipment was shared out amongst the poles, Kett's C7/M203 was used to good effect before the pole in posession of it was taken down. Weapons, armour, nightvision gear, etc. all went to the Infantrymen while your packs and webbing were last seen in the back of the UAZ.

You feel the heat of bullets flashing past you before you hear the sound of them firing. The Pole on the tailgate opens up at the four of you as they drive off, apparently to inflict payback upon you - the real culprits well out of range of his SMG. The German is hit in both legs and screams in agony as they crumple under him. The Norweigen is grazed in his side by the same burst but stays on his feet, shocked at being suddenly wounded. Fortunately for the other two of you, they shielded you from the burst.

I'd thought some of them went down next to us.

Yell to Michael "Leg it!". Grab the German under the arms and start dragging him off into the ditch or the nearest cover. Try to get Michael to similarly tow or direct the Norwegian.

We need to get out of line of sight with that arsehole in the UAZ. I wish one of those others would put a bullet in him!

Two of the newcomers sprint towards the UAZ as it accelerates away, bumping through the field at 20m per phase. The Pole on the back fires another burst towards you as they move out of effective range of his weapon. The Norwiegen spins around as he is hit in his leg and falls to the ground, bullet lodged in his muscle.
You feel more than hear the remaining bullets in the burst crack past you as you dive for cover.

[Ref, OOC: Is this your way of 'cleaning up' the loose NPCs? If so, I can let them go, though my instinct is to try to save every NATO soldier if given the opportunity....]

Since we're still roped together, we can't go far without the German and Norwegian.

Roll onto my side. bend my knees up to my chest and tuck my ankles in. Try to work my tied hands down and over my feet (I've seen this done enough times - works if you are a bit spry - requires a little roll up onto your shoulders sometimes to get your butt off the ground and your hands to slide over your butt, past your feet, and around to the front). I'm only about 5'4" tall and about 160 lbs or so, so I might be able to get my hands in front of me (still tied). With that, I could at least effectively drag one of the wounded to cover, or get the ropes to my teeth to get them untied.