In silent response to Tucker and the tug captain's inquiry regarding Milk's whereabouts, Ondar merely closes his eyes and shakes his head on his way past them.  He braces himself against the chill and moves out to make another lap around the perimeter before allowing himself any rest.  On his return, he approaches Bayer.

"Maybe while Major is sleep," the paratrooper nods in Anneka's direction and thumbs the empty holster attached to his web gear, "you take opportunity return pistol?"

He then sits in a corner and tends to his shoulder.  It was superficial, but all wounds still needed a thorough inspection and cleaning.  Upon completion, he unrolled his sleeping bag, took off his boots and crawled inside.

Bayer nods, and but doesn't say anything for a few moments. He drops his gear, sits on it and leans his back against the wall. He looks around, most of the team were already dropping into unconsciousness.

Looking up at Adam he answers his second question first. Quietly, but loud enough for the others to hear, he says, "He didn't make it back with us. It was quick. No pain."

Bayer's eyes lower to his sleeping comrades. Then he adds, "Alright. If you want to pitch in, it will be appreciated by all. You and Quyen take first watch please. Then Walter and Mariusz. I'll take the last shift with Ondar. Four hours per shift... I know it's long, but it'll give a longer uninterrupted sleep, and I think that's what we need the most at this point. So, a minimum 8 hours of sleep for us, and 12 for the wounded."

0900-1300 Adam/Quyen
1300-1700 Walter/Mariusz
1700-2100 Bayer/Ondar

Bayer didn't want to hurt Adam's feelings, so he kept quiet about Adam and Walter on sentry. He didn't want to stick both of the civilians together on a shift at the same time. If something happened, he wanted one of the team to be present.

"After the 12 hours, we'll reevaluate our options... stay a little longer or get moving. If we stay, some of the wounded can pick up a sentry shift. Regardless of our decision however, before we hit the bridges at the crossing, I want to detail a patrol to go ahead. To recce the route and the bridge itself... two men."

Rising, he collects his rifle, but leaves his helmet, body armor and gear where he had stacked it. "Ondar, I need ten minutes of your time before you fall asleep. Lets inspect the other buildings."

If Ondar is still capable, his intention is to learn about the rest of the small community... at the least, the adjacent buildings. Although they'll be checking mostly for signs of life, Bayer will be taking note of the layout of the ground (for defensive battle preparation... which buildings offered what protection, dead ground, hidden avenues of approach, etc).

"Quyen, as you are first... see if you can move the vehicles into a better position. Hidden if possible, but more importantly they should be protected from fire. Choose a good sentry position, concealed and in view of both the vehicles and approach routes."

Looking around at those still conscious, he asks, "OK?"

EDIT - I wrote my post while Ondar posted his.

Bayer nods at the Ondar. "Ja... alright. Go ahead. Just be careful not to spook any of the team. They are still wary of another threat from within." He doesn't elaborate, but hopes Ondar gets the point.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:04, Sat 14 Feb 2009.

Quyen acknowledges her orders - "Yes sir."

Looking at Adam she says - "Mr. Adam, an extra set of eyes for me please?"

Leading the way, Quyen exits the shelter and back out into the wind. She's begun to seriously regret trading away much of her winter clothing a few months ago. She'd never thought she'd still be in Poland to be honest.

"Cover me, I'll move the trucks." she says. Using what little energy she had she trots around the back of their building, sizing everything up and searching for a suitable place to stash the convoy from prying eyes or at least from any gunfire. Her quick, energetic movements mostly to help keep her warm.

Once she's scouted a spot, she climbs into each truck and maneuvers them into their holding positions. To help save on every drop of fuel, she simply pushes the motorbike rather than use its own power.

"We have camo nets?" she calls over to Adam? If so, she'll utilize them.

Once everything is done, she guide Adam over to a good spot for their sentry duty. "Here. Out of the wind, its got protection if we need to fight from it, and can see up these two roads... including the vehicles." She leans against the decaying wall. Widening her eyes, she fights the temptation to close them... even just for a second.

"Every couple minutes, I'm going to check around on the other side. The areas out of view. You can just hang out here ok? It's no problem."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:17, Sat 14 Feb 2009.

Griet looked around, weary and bone tired with her eyelids drooping and her throat hoarse. She found a fairly comfortable spot to lie down and curled up into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Mariusz waited for all the arrangements to be made before repliying to the Captain, "Sir, if I was in command of a partisan group and we were in this situation, I'd get them to disperse back to their homes and call it a day. You don't have that luxury. People need rest and we need it now. I agree with what you're doing entirely. We'll hole up here, get people rested and then reassess. Have a good rest, Sir, I'll keep alert."

He found a position to sleep once everything was settled and then cast his eyes around the house, trying to guess where any surprises might come. He touched his charms, hoping to God that they didn't come.

In reply to Dave 'Bones' Stoner (msg #442):

Dawid winced as Bones cut away his trouser leg, stiff with dried blood. His leg was also stiff, and he hoped there wasn't other problems like gangrene. He could always put on spare trousers, he had no spare leg.

"Many thanks, my friend! I splashed some vodka on it, but that didn't seem to cure it. I shall lie back and relax while you work."

He sighed and lay back, composing his face to be expressionless while gritting his teeth against the pain.

"We should set up the damn mortar. Tomorrow, perhaps."

Sam will slump down and then sleep.

October 12, 2000
1400hrs.
35F
Heavy clouds; freezing rain
Approx. 30km south of Gora Kalwaria

In the dark and rush and the fury of the past 24 hours, it had been hard to see. Now, in the dull, dimly lit, almost bare interior of the government building- the only one alloted to such a small settlement- the party's pathetic visage was on stark display. Torn clothing, dark with stained blood, crusted with sweat-salt, some of it still caked with dried raw sewage from the previous night's canal crawl, adorned their slumping forms. The men all sported at least a day's worth of whiskers and everyone had dark, swollen bags under bloodshot eyes. They were beyond exhausted. They were worn out.

The first four-hour watch period passed without event. Konrad and Ondar toured the surrounding area. The municipal building was set apart- 150m or so- from the rest of the village buildings, like some sort of unwelcome newcomer. The nearest buildings- including the former maruader nest- were all badly damaged by fire. Even the trees lining the main road were withered and burned. There were no vehicles on the road. It was an old village, the dated masonry suggesting that the village had at least a centenary celebration under its belt. It was bereft of life, during their brief circuit, the visitors seeing not so much as a rat. Meanwhile, Minh moves the vehicles to the east side of the municipal building. The wind grew steadily stronger, draughts of cold air whistled through the building, chilling those not burried under blankets or in sleeping bags.

Mariusz and Walter took over the second watch. It began to rain, a light, icy cold rain, which soon turned to sleet. Water leaked through various cracks in the ceiling but there was still plenty of dry spots on the floor for the sleepers. The patter of the freezing rain on the roof seemed unaturally loud in the empty interior of the building. With the temperature inside and out hovering around freezing, fire would soon be an absolute necesity.

A shout cut through the white noise of the falling rain. Walter runs into the main interior room where most of the party is resting.

"Men, on road!" Clearly flustered, he switches to his native Polish, "At least two men and several animals are coming this way. From the west. They have... I know it sounds crazy but I think I saw a camel!"

Looking through a large gap in the west wall of the building, the party (those who care to and are able to look) can just barely make out, through a fallig curtain of icy rain, a man leading a line of pack animals- horses or mules, heavily laden- toward the village. They are about 200m out, having made an unseen approach under the cover of the storm. And, sure enough, at the head of the group, a long-legged, long-necked, hump-backed... camel.

Actions?
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:46, Sun 15 Feb 2009.

Dave winces at the misuse of alchohol. "Dude, vodka is for internal use only. Don't you read the label?. Alright, bro, you're set. Take two aspiring and call me in the morning. Or maybe the afternoon. Uhhh have your people call my people and set something up. We'll do lunch or something..." he mumbles as he falls asleep.

Tucker will remain in the spot he found for himself and waits to be checked out before he passes out with the others.

In reply to Dave 'Bones' Stoner (msg #451):

"People? I... don't have... my sister... not any more... people..." He switched from English to Polish. He faded out in mid-sentence, not finishing the painful thought, drifting into a deep nightmare-less sleep.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:32, Sun 15 Feb 2009.

Bayer eyes snap open. He rises, feels around for his rifle that he'd left close by. He looks around disoriented and confused. A second later he says, "Where?" despite the location already given.



He lays back down, relaxing his grip on his weapon, but leaving it resting on his chest. Disinterested, he says, "They don't see us no?"

"Then, I don't care myself. Probably traders. We don't need anything we can afford to trade for anyways ja? Then I say let em go... less who know we are here the better."

"If someone wants to meet them..." he pauses, "Then I am ok with it." He wasn't sure it was worth the risk of making contact, but if someone wanted to give it a shot, he'd wouldn't object.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:23, Sun 15 Feb 2009.

Mariusz hunched in cover as he watched the small column. He listened to the Kaptain's assessment and nodded, "If anyone wants to talk to them I'll interpret if you can't get by in Polish. Personally I'd let them go by but they will know what's going on further down the road. That might be useful."

Quyen was stretched out on the ground listening Mariusz, Bayer, and Walter talking. She had insulated her lightweight sleeping bag by lying it over a bed of papers and other insulators. Sitting up she says, "I'll go." Getting up she says, "If you are ok about someone meeting them, I'll go with Mariusz and we'll ask about up ahead."

Leaving her rifle, she checks her sidearm and laces up her boots. "Ready?" she asks Mariusz. "Lets look non-threatening, but we careful ok?" Hopefully the appearance of a female and a young boy wouldn't set off the passers-by... assuming they were friendly in the first place.

As she leads the way out of the house, she gets Walter's attention. "Hey. Don't shoot or anything... unless something bad happens. And if then... be careful what you shoot at ok?" Gesturing Mariusz onwards she says, "We're going outside to the road."

As they make themselves known, she asks, "Mariusz? Was there a zoo or something around these parts before?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:50, Mon 16 Feb 2009.

Mariusz uncovered his head and face before walking out to meet the column, Mihn was right, a woman and a boy wouldn't look too threatening. He heard her question and said, "A zoo? Warsaw had a big one, I'm not sure about anywhere nearer, we always went there. We could ask Ondar if any divisions moved from the Chinese Theatre had camels, I think they have them in Mongolia, this one might have walked here..."

Jason sits in the cockpit of the Blackhawk, his hands on the collective and cyclic, tweaking the controls to adjust the direction and attitude of the helicopter as it speeds along at treetop level.  Suddenly, a call comes from the rear compartment, "Men, on road!"  The voice resumes, speaking Polish, "At least two men and several animals are coming this way. From the west. They have... I know it sounds crazy but I think I saw a camel!"

Jason sits up in his sleeping bag as he awakens.  He barely remembers getting into it once the group arrived in the semi-abandoned village.  The pain in his thigh reminds him what had occurred earlier that day -- or was it yesterday?  He then hears the voices of others and realizes what he had heard was not part of his dream.  A camel???  "Uhhhh...  What's going on?" he mutters sleepily at no-one in particular.

"Let them go past," Anneka's muffled voice could be heard from deep within her sleeping bag.
"We're supposed to be hiding!"
Seconds later and sounds of sleeping could again be heard....

With the strange little convoy only 100m away from the municipal building, Minh and Mariusz step outside and into the freezing rain. They are a couple meters from the road when the man at the head of the menagerie sees them. He stops in his tracks and shouts twice- once for the humans, once again for the animals- for the others to do the same. He raises both hands to shoulder height in a familiar gesture many NATO troops refer to the "Polish Wave"- one hand empty, palm outward in a decidedly non-threatening gesture, and the other holding a weapon (in this case a pump-action shotgun) perpendicular to the ground, notifying the intended audience that the party, although peaceful, is not without teeth.

The leader shouts through the rain,

"Hello there! We'd love to work out a deal but we've got to get these animals under shelter right away. Do have a place for them? We can pay the rent!"

The man willingly reveals that he is a travelling merchant on his way to Kozienice (he doesn't specify from whence he's come) but that he's more than happy to trade with anyone he may happen to meet along the way. He's got the easy confidence of a professional salesman. He doesn't seem the least bit weary of these two armed strangers who've emerged from a seemingly abandoned, devastated settlement. There are two other men in the party, both in civilian dress but both armed. In their rain ponchos, it is difficult to tell much more about them. They hold themselves with a decidedly more guarded posture. The leader, however, is close enough to see clearly under his hood and wide-brimmed rain hat. He's got long, dark hair, and a long, pointy goatee. A gold hoop hangs from his left ear. His face, tanned and lined with age and wear, suggests that he's just short of middle age. He fits the gypsy stereotype quite well.

"Could we finish this conversation under cover? Cleopatra can't handle much more of this cold and damp!"

Next Moves?

Dave rouses himself from his bundle of blankets. "What's all the noise? You guys think this is a slumber party?" He crawls to his feet, grabs his rifle, and heads toward the door. As he passes Anneka he glances at the tiny Israeli woman. Damn, he thinks. For a little thing, she snores like a damn Marine.

He stops just inside the doorway and asks out loud of Minh and Mariusz "What'd he say? Was that english? I couldn't hear."

In reply to Dave 'Bones' Stoner (msg #461):

Dawid continued to slumber, completely oblivious to the world.

Ondar's eyes flutter open and a dream evaporates.  Annoyed, he glances around the makeshift bunkroom and listens for a moment.  Content that he would be rousted if needed, he is certain that he will be of dimishing use without more significant rest.  He closes his eyes and within minutes is again deep asleep, with pleasant dreams of the rolling hills of his boyhood home perforated by terrifying images of Armageddon. The ghosts of his fallen comrades fight on in his subconscious as, almost imperceptibly, he begins to whimper.

Mariusz looked at the merchant and said, "Welcome, Sir, I'll just ask if it's OK for you to join us."

He turned around and trotted back to the Kaptain, "Sir, the man claims to be a travelling merchant, he fits the bill. He's asking for shelter from the rain and is willing to pay." his voice fell to a whisper, well out of earshot of anyone but Bayer, "I say bring them in, if we get suspicious of them, they'll be closer to kill."

Griet slumbered on, oblivious to everything except the embrace of Morpheus.

In reply to Cap'n Rae (msg #460):

RObert strains his eyes when he hears the conversation from the outside about a merchant and a camel.  "A camel?  Out here?  Ow, ow, ow, I gotta see this for myself," he says as he strains to get up and see with his own eyes.  He holsters his Browning pistol while he looks to see what is going on.

Nobody answers him, and Jason is too tired to care about a camel, so he lies back down, rolls onto his left side (so the wounded hip is uppermost), and tries to go back to sleep.