Robert tugged at Louis and O'Roarke and pointed at the two women.  "Let's go catch up to them.  They're watching something.  We need to bring them in and protect them from retribution."  He readies his pistol in his coat pocket and heads quietly forward toward the two.

Robert moves up, and catches sight of a police officer moving toward him from the next side street to his right. The man is looking straight ahead, and doesn't immediately react to Robert.

A policeman, no wonder the two women were ducking and hiding.  He looked about quickly for other cover for their group.

OOG: The police officer is in the alley nearest to Robert - the women are further up, looking around the next block.

IG: There are rubbish bins and stacks of empty crates all along the alleys here.

OOG: I totally misinterpreted the situation.

So the policeman is heading down an alley that leads into the street on which we are on?  The two women are ahead of us on the same street looking around the corner?

OOG: Yes. I've updated the Group 1 game map to show the positions. The policeman is basically between Robert and Claude.

OOC: Who or what are the guards shown on the map?

The guards are the soldiers you encountered in the warehouse.

Robert ducked back into cover behind a pile of empty crates.

OOG: Game Map 1 updated.

Robert and the ladies duck into cover as the police officer arrives at the corner. Ahead, Womack fires two shots at a figure who appears for a moment in front of them, and at least two people fire back at them from the corner.

Louis tugs on Robert's sleeve. "We have three sailors behind us," she whispers. O'Rourke turns to look. "Friends of yours?"

OOG: Their location is marked by the green diamond. They are certainly British naval personnel, but they are too far away to make out who they are.

Robert shakes his head for a moment as the situation suddenly explodes around him.  He glances back at Louis and nods.  "Most likely they are allies, no telling though." He frowns; "Who in the hell is Womack shooting at?  Germans most likely..." he answers himself.

Thinking quickly he decides to take action before anyone got killed.  "Louis, Claude, go see who the sailors are and if they are allies.  If they're friendly tell them we need help and send them on up.  Use my name or the Chief's if you need.  I'm going to go and see what is going on ahead of us with Womack."

He checked his pistol in the pocket again and then started to trot forward.  Robert called out to the policeman. "What is that firing officer?  Can I be of assistance?"

Louis and O'Rourke nod and move off toward the sailors.

The officer, a blocky fellow with a square jaw and rough-hewn features, looks at Robert as he steps into the open. He holds his service revolver in his hand, but he keeps it pointed downward.

"Who might you be?" His voice is calm, but holds a note of command.

Robert pulls up and faces the policeman.  He's tall and carries his own air of authority along with well tailored clothing that speak of a gentleman.  "Robert Jones officer.  Did you hear the shots fired?  There is some attack on those two women."  He pointed to Womack and her lover.  "I was going to their aid.  I fear that they may be agents of the Germans."

"There are other officers following who will be here in a moment," the officer replies. "Someone telephoned the report that shots had been fired. If you would be so good as to stay behind me, we will sort this situation out soon enough." He points down the alley from where he had come.

"Begging your pardon officer, there are two women in danger down the street officer.  There is not time for reinforcements.  Every gentleman who can help is required now."  He headed down the street toward Womack.

"Sir!" the officer calls out in alarm as Robert rounds the corner. Another fusillade of shots comes from whomever is in front of Womack and Remington, and the two women cower behind the waste bins as bullets slam into them.

Robert spies a man peeking around the corner from where the shots came, and he is armed with a pistol.

Robert ignores the cry from the policeman.  The gunfire is getting to be intense and despite their crimes he would not see the two women harmed.  As he rounds the corner he draws his pistol and snaps off two shots at the man.

The men, and Robert sees two of them now, disappear around the corner as Robert fires on them. The distance is long for his pistol, and the chance of a hit is slight. He reaches the cover of another refuse bin about fifty feet behind the women. Looking around, he sees the officer crouched some distance behind him.

Louis has moved up across the alley from the officer, and she has her rifle ready and aimed at the corner where Robert is shooting. The Secret Service agent is moving up behind her, and the last of the sailors disappears in the direction of Warehouse 37A. More gunfire - rifles this time - erupts from that direction. Robert can hear shouting from somewhere up ahead, but he can't make anything out over the roar of gunfire.

Robert turns back for a moment; "Cover me Louis!  I'm moving up."  He waved at the policeman.  "Where are your mates?  We've got a hornets nest of Germans over toward the other gunfire."  With that he advanced in a crouched run toward Womack.

The officer doesn't seem to hear Robert clearly; he crouches behind a bin near the corner. Louis' rifle booms once, firing at a target Robert can't see.

The women turn as Robert approaches behind them. "What are you doing?" Claude exclaims, her eyes wide with fear. "Gelber and his men are right around the corner!"

Robert hears voices shouting in German from inside the warehouse they are crouching near, and something heavy crashes to the floor. Another volley of shots rings out from around the corner just in front of them, but it sounds like they are on the other side of the building.

Meanwhile, a full scale gun battle has started in the direction of 37-A. Louis moves forward on the opposite side of the alley, followed by O'Rourke. They flop down behind a pile of stacked stone blocks, and peek out to cover the corner.

Robert grins as he reloads.  "Saving you two, what does it look like?  You go running from custody and run right into a gun fight."  He tosses a rock across the street to draw attention and then takes a peek around the corner.

The women stare at Robert - a duet of consternation and fear. He peeks around the corner, and jerks his head back just in time as four men raise their weapons and fire at him! Louis sends another shot around the corner and yells something Robert can't make out over the gunfire.

"Who in bloody hell is shooting at you?" he calls out to the two women as bits of masonry spatter him from the gunfire.

"We told you," Claude screams over the now-constant gunfire. "It's Gelber! He will kill us all!"

"Bloody hell... you should have stayed with us."  He looked about.  "We'll need to flank them."