1410 Hours

Brother Edgar's revelation brought no immediate reaction among the busy crew. Roadkill wanted to get on the road, but understood without any guards he would be dead meat on the roads. Like Peter, he was reduced to waiting and watching. Smoker kept watch as well from the roof of the trailer.

Everyone else who was there helped with the removal and burial of Law Dog Mendoza, his wife and one of their children, his deputies and the rest. With the added help this unpleasant task took a couple more hours.

The sun rode high in the sky when they were done. Col Schaeffer returned at that time. He reported that he had followed the tracks across the Shalam Colony Trail bridge across the Rio Grande. He'd abandoned the trail when it started to climb into the mountains. The other buildings had been recently occupied but abandoned. unlike the main building, there were no fires here nor signs of a fight. He was unable to find supplies, so he returned to the main compound.

When they were about done, they broke and took a break. After helping dig the graves, Rowan brought cool well water for people to drink. Dakota, Arthur, Brother Edgar and Michaela drank and washed up as best they could. Rowan also reported that her bird friends said the watchers were still to the north.

Roadkill wandered over and lit a cigarette, then stuck his hands in his jean pockets. "Well, if we're all done then let's hit the trail to St. Louis. I see it this way: there's someone waiting for us to the north. East through central New Mexico is out, there were a lot of nukes that went off around White Sands and Alamgordo. Road's crap, I hear there's lots of mutie Road Gangs that way. That leaves south on I-10, then East through central Texas, then north. We'll go through some nuked areas but I been that way and the roads go through."

With the bodies gone, the circling scavengers dispersed. As the others were mulling their options, Rowan wandered over to her Raven friend and said goodbye.

Jane responded trying to convince the group that it was a bad idea to leave the doomsayers behind them. "This is an opportunity that won't happen twice. We know where they are. We know they are waiting for us. If we use this to our advantage we may be able to flank them. As I said earlier, they will find us eventually but the longer we leave them out here, the more villages they will destroy. "

Brother Edgar, having taken an opportunity to rest and wash a bit, returned to the others.  Roadkill's obvious desire to avoid taking on the misguided Doomsayers was not what he had hoped to hear.  Though, he could understand the Convoy-man not wanting to risk his truck and crew.

But, the Doomsayer found some hope in Jane's argument against leaving these men behind.  He offered his agreement to hers, "She is right.  The opportunity is too valuable.  We can end this."

Shaeffer refilled his suit's hydration bladder and took another drink of water. Right at this moment, he was willing to kill someone for a nice, long shower. Hell, a cold short one would do as well. Thinking of killing, he chimed in.

"I agree. There#s no point in leaving such a threat behind us. Aside from out own safety, something like this should not be allowed to happen again."

He knew about Virginia City and what had happened there. Added to that, the crosses made him uneasy and while he tried to avoid looking at them by standing with his back to them, he had a nearly ohysical feeling of the looming behind him, waiting...
Apart from the innocents killed, the Colonel wanted some payback for that as well.

Jack nodded.  "Hans 'n Glowy got the right of it."  The usual humorous quality in his voice is gone as he replaces his tattered garment.  "Everyone dies.  I say today, we make it their turn.  'Sides, both God 'n th' Devil get pissed at me if'n I don't fill my quota."

Arthur walked up to where the others were, and leaned in as he heard them talking, making sure that he was standing where the Colonel was to be certain he would be able to hear him properly.  He didn't need to, of course, because of his naturally excellent hearing, but he thought it improper to eavesdrop from a distance.

He couldn't help but crack a smile at what Dakota Jack said.  "We're with you four," he said pointing to Jane, the Colonel, Brother Edgar, and Dakota Jack.  "A worthy cause to lend our swords to, if ever there was one.  What do you say, Michaela?" he asked his squire, to gauge how eager and ready she was for battle.

In reply to Arthur Dayne (msg #6):

"What do I think? No retreat, no surrender. My dad may not have been a Templar like you, but he's a US Marine, which I figure is close enough." She brushed some hair out of her eyes and took a sip of water.

Her father hadn't wanted her to become a warrior like him. The New Bushido code he now lived by wasn't as sexist as the original it was based on, so he probably just didn't want her to become a warrior like he was. The trouble was, it ran in the family. Her mother had been her father's CO during the war and when their unit disintegrated they stuck together and fell in love, starting a family outside Portland.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:17, Mon 19 July 2010.

"If people want to fight, then I can do no less. I'm not a Christian but what happened here is a travesty, a sacrilege. I'm sure my friends can help, and I've had the birds scouting the area for the last couple hours while we worked. They should be reporting back on anything within 10-15 miles of here."

Rowan used the dipper in the bucket of water she'd brought to wash her hands and pour over her head.

"Ah! Much better. I'll lend my rifle to stop this madness."

Peter winced slightly as he listened to the others "debate" about the next course of action. Going after Green Robes? He'd rather tie the rope that was going to be used to hang himself with. He stared at Jane for several moments silently. Then he sighed softly and spoke up. "Well, Jane is my gunner so I cannot easily leave her behind." He paused. "We need to get more information and formulate a plan first, though."

Brother Edgar looks around to each as they speak up with approval.  These people do seem to be decent, good people.  People willing to try and make this world better than they found it.  Just the sort of people that can bring about the hoped for Utopia.  Closing his eyes for a moment, he offers a quiet prayer to the Glow and its mysterious ways.

Finally, he turns back to the Driver and inquires, with lifted brow, "What say you, Mr. Colby?  Will you help us stop these marauders?"

"Don't call me Hans, Jack. It was my father's name and it makes me feel even older."

Though the Colonel knew that he'd be able to take out the Greenies by himself as his rifle had a surperior range, he was willing to wait to get more intelligence and some close in support. Though thanks to the M4 he carried he could do very well at close range as well.

While it irked him, Shaeffer knew that the rest of the posse would most likely not be willing to let him fight his way, in the dark and from a save distance.
The Templars were cqb people and Jack's pistols put him in the same range bracket.

He sighed.

Dakota Jack couldn't help but laugh.  "Seriously I was that close?  I was jus' making that shit up.  I always thought some dumbass done come up with that 'All Germans are named Hans' bull shit.  Hell I figgered you didn't even know nobody even named Hans!  I'll hafta tell ya'll why they call me Dakota Jack sometime..."

Having made up his mind, whether they called the Colonel Hans or Franz made absolutely no difference to him.  However, this new topic did catch his interest.  He turned to Dakota Jack and fixed him with a very serious, steely look - which was pretty much the only look that Arthur Dayne was capable of fixing people with.  "Why do they call you Dakota Jack?"

"Because..." Jack started before he paused, letting the gravelly tone of his voice play up for maximum theatrical benefit.  "...I'm from Texas.  Ask me again sometime, I got a million of these."

Jane looks towards Peter feeling slightly guilty. After all, the man had given her a job even in this godforsaken world they now lived in. "Sorry Pete. I believe that fighting them now will be better in the long run."

She then added another argument. " Anyway, if they go around killing all your clients it won't be good for business."