Winters looks to the area where the source of the "moans" might be thinking to himself survivor? He looks over to Lt Ashton and SFC Redgrave nodding his head in that direction. Without waiting for an order he begins to move slowly, and quietly as possible in the general direction of the sound, moving in a flanking arc.

Cam’s gaze cut toward the sound of motion, she thought she might have herd a sound previously, but Winters movement cinched it.  At his expression when their eyes met, Ashton nodded once, even though he probably didn‘t get the chance to see it. She’d rather not have the support weapon left hanging, but they were also covering corners so-to-speak, and he was a big boy.

“Maybe send Medic?”, Cam leaned to her left cutting a glance at Tanya, then peered in the direction that Winters went before eyeing the road. “I wait for confirmation.” She sighed slowly.

Tanya shrugs her head 'no' when Cam looks to her the first time to see if she has seen or heard anything.  She goes back to scanning the area when she hears the moaning coming from nearby.  Tanya nods at him to go ahead and that she would follow behind.  Tanya leans into Cam, Yes ma'am, you might as well send for 'em now.  I'll follow Winters in.  I swear I heard moaning too!

Bernhard nods his head to Zhukov, and continues checking the dead man for anything useful,"That plan is better than mine. Keep listening for any change in tone that Don or I might miss." He takes the radio and hands it to Zhukov,"Take this for now, I want you to keep listening for information, hopefully they let slip something about their position, or movement plans." He takes one last look at the map, then stows it in one of his pockets. After taking everything of value off the corpse, he turns to where Sgt. Matterson is,"Did you see any sign of the shooter? Or do we just have a silent guardian angel?"

Cam pointed to Tanya with a slight nod, “no forget radio if need.” She called after in a low tone, then  glancing from side to side briefly Ashton slid down from her spot, moving close enough to the road to get someone’s attention. She had remembered Smith’s last position clearly enough, so angled it that way trying to keep low.

“Pssst!  Smith,  Psst.” Announcing herself as she drew nearer in the gloom. Camilla’s light eyes searched for any sign of him on the approach.  “Maybe.. need Medic..  Maybe live one.”

"My personal opinion is that this is the same one who was helping us out earlier," Matterson replies and continues to sit behind his tree. "But if so, I don't know why they haven't shown themselves, seems like a lot of work to keep playing this overwatch game when they could come out and get their food and a place to sleep."

He glances over his shoulder and says, "I could go look for him," he pauses, "Or her, if you wanted. Talk 'em into coming with us, maybe."

He pauses again.

"They might have a nice rifle if nothing else," he notes grimly.

A short search later and a badly wounded man is found amonsgt some particularly thick underbrush. From the signs, it is evident that he dragged himself there after being hit during the attack. He is conscious but has lost a great deal of blood and is extremely weak. Somebody will have to crawl in after him and drag him out - an act that could possibly even kill him...

"No, I dont know if that would be a good idea. Just keep your eyes open, maybe us knowing they are there will help us find them if they do this again."

Bernhard heads over to where the wounded man has been found.

Marcus' voice in a low-tone seems to come out of no where, "Lieutenant" before he appears out of the nearby brush almost as if the shadows themselves created his form. He nods at her mention of medic, "I'll help" and then adds, "Doc Gallin is in the BTR too." He motions with his left hand for her to show the way.

She studied him as he seemed to melt into view.  Cam’s gaze searched the flicker of light that glinted off the depths of his eyes just long enough.  “If survivor, Wound maybe bad..  Get Gallin, we meet here. Then go.” Her words didn’t need to indicate the importance of time, She knew he understood that already, though  Ashton’s whole presence seemed to be hesitant of late..  Uncertain.  Gamble this gamble that..  Her lips pursed into a thin line, angry at the circumstance.

(Depending upon the situation), she’d turn silently, and move back along the line up to where she had last seen Winters and RedGrave vanish. If Gallin could come all the better, but if not, at least there was an attempt. Either way she’d lead Smith to her companions.))

Tanya follows Winters up to where the moaning is coming from and the body is found in the underbrush.  Taking a quick look around to see if there's an easy way in, she turns to Winters, Well, it's either you or me going in for 'em!  I might be able to get in their easier but, I may need a hand getting him out.  I don't want to kill him tryin' neither.  Any suggestions?

The sounds drifting down from the brush and the hill, not too terribly far off, caused Cam to shift her Attentions. Her cool gaze speared past Smith toward the vehicle and with a tilt of her head she strode forward with purpose. “With me. Need light,  and maybe tool and Med-kit..”, Her words were clipped though not without concern as she walked up to the side looking for a hatchet, machete, or something that could be useful for clearing a spot.  Which would be helpful if quarters were cramped in the shrubbery.

“We go up, Tanya have radio.. If need. It not far.” Which she indicated with a slight jut of her head toward the moaning that wafted in from that out there. Providing she found something, Camilla would look to see when and if Smith had what he would need, and then they could follow the sounds up.

Marcus cooly watched Cam as she made her decision. He simply walked with her up to the BTR. He lightly knocked on one of the crew hatches along the side and spoke into one of the gun slits, "Doc, we're going to need you. See if there's some kind of hatchet or tool to clear brush in there." He quickly surveyed the exterior with Cam looking for a tool with a quick glance out of the corner of his eye at Cam, just to see how she was holding up.

Winters frowns at the obstruction of the brush. He holds his hand up, "Wait, le' me check fer booby traps." He systematically and intently scans the brush for signs of wires or devices of any kind. Finding nothing he suggests, "I say we try to cle'r some o' this brush her' and work on 'im a bit before movin' 'im. He looks bad." He pulls out his knife and attempts to hack his way through the brush.

Right! Tanya says as she reaches down for a knife and realizes that she has none!  When they reared up after being captured, she had to take what she could get.  Now, it was coming back to haunt her.  How could she forget to grab a knife or a bayonet, or something?  Tanya goes into the brush trying to clear some of the branches on the bottom where the figure crawled in byb breaking them.

Michelle nods grimly and grabs the medkit and rummages around for a machete or bayonet or anything to hack at brush that would be useful. She takes a quick lok around her as she steps from the BTR and cautiously heads towards the wounded.

Once the man has been located and tools retrieved from the BTR, it only takes a minute or two to clear a path through the scrub for a medic. Michelle is natually the best person for the job and so scrambles in as soon as possible. It's immediately evident that he is not likely to survive more than an hour or two.

“Schaeffer, Frederick L... Lieutenant,” the man manages to say. “Mission ... mission accomplished... almost. Operation ... R-Reset. Got that? Reset. Got to get them through...”

The Lieutenant's story comes out in bits and pieces. He frequently lapses into delirium, but is better able to speak as he is made more comfortable, and especially if a character with Medical skill is able to treat him for shock (stop his bleeding, keep him warm and his feet elevated, and give him him IV fluids, if any are available) and pain (administer pain reliever, if available).

His unit is, or rather was, a B team of the US 20th Special Forces Group. At first, all that the characters are able to understand is that Schaeffer's unit was carrying something of vital importance, that their unit immediate destination was Krakow, and that they were ambushed by marauders with the aid of a traitor.

“It was that damned Cutler,” Schaeffer says. “Sergeant Cutler. He ... he led us ... right into a trap. He was with the Captain in the lead Hum-Vee, and they didn't fire on him. He was with them when they rounded up the prisoners. Like he was in charge. He was with them when they marched us over to the woods...”

Schaeffer had been among those captured by the marauders, who he says numbered between 50 and 100. The prisoners had been led to the edge of the woods, herded together, then machinegunned. Schaeffer had been hit, but managed to crawl into the underbrush, his escape concealed by the fall of his comrades. He'd lain hidden in the underbrush while his friends were massacred, stayed hidden while the vehicles were stripped and the bodies looted. He'd lain there, his wounds draining him, until he'd seen the characters' arrival and managed to get their attention.

“Listen to me," he says with a desperate, burning intensity. “This is Operation Reset. Got it? Reset. We were carrying vital plans. Blueprints. Films. All the way from Lodz. They're all there ... I don't think they got them. Can't let them get lost. DIA needs that stuff ... bad ... real bad...”

Michells nearly falls back on her backside and tries desperately to  keep the man alive just a little bit longer. A reset? she thinks to herself. COuld the american forces possibly have regrouped and have a plan formed to end this insanity? or at least get a good upper hand. For the grace of the Gods above she hoped so. Working quickly but carefuly, she does all she can to get at least one litte bit of peace to the Lieutennant before he expires. Leaning in close, she grasps his hand, and promises him she will do her American best to see the operation to its fruition.

Schaeffer manages a weak grin. “Damnedest things you ever saw. Crazy ... Y'know. Used to have one when I was a kid ... got it for Christmas ... one year. They sure don't make 'em like that anymore!" He begins to laugh, then lapses into a coughing fit which leaves him weaker and bleeding from his nose and mouth. It subsides, and he continues. “Listen, you've got to get the papers. They got the ... the things ... the prototypes ... but I don't think they got the papers. That's what's important ... the papers! Raiders didn't know ... about the papers. Everybody'll want ‘em... DIA ... CIA ... KGB even. Got to get them ... get them to ... they'll pay...”

Schaeffer dies, leaving you more confused than ever. There are many papers lying in the field where the wind has blown them. Apparently they were scattered by the marauders who broke open footlockers and cartons filled with them in search for loot.

The rapidly growing darkness and the threat of a thunderstorm on the horizon means time is now short to find what he was talking about. A choice must be made - risk losing the valuable papers to water and wind, or use every available light you have and potentially attract hostile forces?
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:36, Mon 29 Aug 2005.

Dettingers voice calls from the radio without warning around the same time as the Lieutenants death.
"Sentry to all. Vehicles near camp. One BMP, two light still trucks with trailers, one UAZ with towed mortar, one school bus with large trailer. Heading south on main road at speed. Estimate minimum two dozen soldiers. No imminent danger. Out."

Wishing to become a target, Guido quickly starts rounding up the paper, "Shame it is not soft or it could have some other use than to start fires" thinking back to the luxury of indoor plumbing.

Now that the Leutennant is dead, Michelle looks quickly around and sighs. "We better get those papers. Then get out of here and get them to someone. Maybe end this war. What do you all think."

Tanya does the sign of the cross as the Lieutenant expires in front of her and the others along with his cryptic message.  She half laughs at Michelle's comment about ending this war, End this war Michelle?  If it ended it, that means we could go home, since it's over, right?  The war's over in my mind, now it's just survival of the fittest.  As long as you got weapons and ammo, you can get anything you need!  I'm not talking about marauding, don't get me worng but, militarily, would you still take orders to take that hill over there if we ran into a general?  Think about it!  Tanya appears to be getting very frustrated as she continues on.  It appears that all over her 20+ years in the army is coming to a boil right now.

Guido will casually skim thouth some of the papers as he picks them up.
OCC:

With 20+ years of brainwashing you probably would.

Michelle shoots a piercing gaze at Tanya.
 "If there is an organized U.S. Military left out there, and that is what it takes to bring order to this current Chaos we call life, then yes. Just because a government system falls apart doesn't mean that in your heart and mind it no longer exists. I fight for the hope that WE can end this, and help return the world back to a semi peaceful place, where my freedoms can still be lived freely without harassment from others. I am pretty sure that if you ask any of those simple Non military people who run for cover out of fear every time people come down the road, that if they thought that the military could return semblance of security and peace to thier lives, they would want them to do it. I'm pretty sure they would not want us to just take what we want and move on because we have guns and they don't." She looks back down at the Lieutennant. He still believed. I still believe. The only difference between him and me, is I'm still alive to carry on his hope. If you have hope, you have everything." Making sure to take his dogtags, Michelle gathers up the med supplies and any of the papers that are nearby.