Nods with a smile as he sees Stoeckel moving on his own. He'll motion Stoeckel out the window in the back then as Stoeckel exits a realization will set in, my pack! With a muffled curse Doc moves at a crouch back to the stairs then bolts upstairs to retrieve his pack. As he throws it over one shoulder curiosity gets the best of him and he can't help but take a quick peek trying to look out a window toward the vehicles.

  A few feet down the sidewalk was a square brick planter with a sickly looking tree that had seen better days. They doted the street all the way down, beutification for what must have been a nice avenue at one time. She made her way over, it would provide more direct cover from down the street and at the vary least it was peace of mind.

Outside a curtain of heavy rain falls over the area reducing visiblity to barely a few dozen metres. In such a downpour you could walk almost up to touching range without being spotted.

The flare drifts groundward, it's radiance virtually swallowed by the teeming rain and the constant thrumming on just about every surface making hearing even normal conversation difficult.

Surely the storm cannot last much longer at this intensity?

No more shots are fired, perhaps because of the drastically reduced visibilty and you find your way into a relatively "safe" haven for the remainder of the night. Dry and fairly dust free (the town has been abandoned for about a year) the building you chose even has proper beds with sheets, blankets and all! A quick search finds towels and the four of you are soon settled in. Watches are organised and you get what rest you can.

The rain continues to pour with visibilty rarely increasing to more than about 50 metres, even with all the high tech gear at your disposal. Finally at around 4am, it reduces to little more than drizzle and by dawn is gone completely.

As dawn finally breaks, Corrigan finds himself on watch and, as the rays of sunlight filter through the thinning clouds he glances around at his new companions.  After their escape they hadn't had much chance to get acquainted, more concerned with escaping from the unfriendlies and then finding a shelter from the storm, as such he still wasn't sure how much he could trust either of them though the Corpsman was friendly enough, he knew they probably felt the same way about him as well though...

Either way, they had all managed to get some sleep and felt at least a little refreshed, and Corrigan silently picked himself and the heavy RPK up from his watch position, careful not to reveal himself to any snipers that might be outside, and moved quietly to take a better look around the area and the building they were in considering visibility had been virtually nil when they arrived...

He also wanted to see what other supplies might be around, considering the beds and linens they had found told him that this building had escaped the worst of the looting...

Sebastian lined up over the ball, preparing to take a free kick. He launched his boot through the ball, striking it well. He watched it, as if in slow motion, curling around the wall of defenders, past the outstretched hand of the diving goalkeeper, and spinning into the upper left corner of the net. As he turned to run his celebratory lap around the edge of the pitch he noticed that he was alone on the field. The stadium was silent and empty as well. He looked up...

Blinking his eyes he saw, not blue sky, but mold-speckled, peeling plaster.

Sheist. Poland. Why can't this be a dream...

He crawled groggily out of bed. After the adrenaline from his near death experiences the night before had worn-off, he'd crashed. He hadn't slept that well for weeks. However, now he was left with a lingering sense of dissappoinment in the realization that the dream of his former life had only been just that.

He put on his boots, picked up his Uzi and stumbled downstairs where he ran into the British warrant officer.

"Guten Morgen, her...?" He waited for the Englishman to introduce himself.

Brooks stares at the mold speckled ceiling, deep in thought. His mind racing over the past few years and just when his thoughts turned to the present he forced himself out of the fog. Shaking his head he rolls out of bed and pulls his boots off. After changing his socks he grabs his weapon and medkit before proceding to take a look around their new found shelter.

Corrigan had heard the beginnings of movement above him so had at least a little warning before the other man appeared before him, something that was beneficial for Sebastian as it meant he wasn't shot, though thankfully Corrigan was hardly the jumpy type.

He smiled at the introduction and, holding the RPK cradled in his left arm, he extended his right hand as he spoke, "Mornin'...  Corrigan, Andrew Corrigan though most call me Andy...  British Army, SAS...  And you are?" he asked politely as they shook hands, noting the other didn't exactly seem the rugged, life in the military type that he himself was...

Sebastian runs his hand through his non-regulation length, greasy, blond hair, wild from sleeping on a real pillow for the last four hours.

"Sebastian Stoeckel... Bayern Mu... er, I mean Bundeswher... pioneer Gefreiter. Pleased to meet you."

He looks around, surveying the room in which they now stand. He hadn't seen too much of it in the dark the night before.

"Have you seen anything...anyone else outside since...?"

  Dok had found a catch of towels in a linen closet and she was greatfull for it. The two and a half block jog in the rain had soaked her to the bone and she wasnt looking forward to yet anouther night in wet clothes. The house wasnt large but well attended by its previous occupants, whoever they had been, an older couple by the looks of the place. No sign of a childrens room.

  She had taken second watch but spent the better part of first awake, converting an upstairs craft room into a place where she could sleep and hang her clothes to dry. A closet contained a few items of clothing, simple dresses for the most part and not her style. She put on a nice V-neck sweater and pulled a loose, sleevless brown dress over that, tied at the waist by her leather pants belt. It wouldnt win any contests but, it would keep her warm and dry while she stood watch. Dinner that evening was stale, rain soaked bread and the remaining goats cheese she had, the last of her homemade foods stolen from her old unit.

  The night had gone by uneventfull, save for a few phantom gunshots that kept rousing her to half conciousness. Now the sun shown thru the curtains, lighting up the room in a warm glow. Snuggled in thick blankets and sheets, a real pillow under head, She couldnt think of a single good reason to get up or didnt want to.

So whats the plan? Any of you wishing to step up and take a leadership role over your small group?
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:32, Wed 22 Nov 2006.

OOC: My plan is to sleep the day away unless someone wants to wake me up. lol

OOC:  I'm easy either way, though would like to get a description of the building we're in, surrounding area, and any other supplies we can find in the bulding...

As far as Leadership goes, some would say it would be best for the most experienced to be leader, now I'm not sure whether this would be Corrigan since I haven't taken a close look at the others, but it would be difficult for him to take such a position considering he only just met everyone here, and was already almost blown to bits!  :-)

Anyone else have any preferences?  ;-)

OOC: Sebastian isn't much of a soldier. He'd prefer everyone have a say in the decision making under "normal" circumstances but he understands that democracy doesn't work very well when the lead starts flying. He'd nominate Brooks for a leadership role because he knows him and trusts him. Based on rank, experience, and NATO affiliation, either Brooks or Corrigan appear qualified to lead.

OOC: Thanks Sebastian but I am just a Corpsman. I think Corrigan should lead cause he's SAS for one, a Warrant Officer (equivalent to Sergeant Major in the US) and he has the bigger gun. :) I think he is fully qualified to lead our little NATO peace keeping force. LOL

OOC:  Why do I get the feeling everyone stepped back two paces when I wasn't looking???


*grins*

It makes sense - he's got the rank, he's got the training and if anyone argues, he's got the big gun! ;)

OOC:  thanks for re-affirming my appointment, chief...


*grins*

Now, can we get a descriptive of the area, the building and any supplies we turn up????  :-)

OOC: WHAT!? you want ME to describe it? Well, you picked it... ;)

Essentially it's just like almost any other residential building in wolbrom. Take a look at the pics I posted a while back (this thread I think and OCC). Two or three stories high and close to it's neighbours, it's not the most defensive of places but it did provide shelter for the night. Since you'll probably be moving along in the near future, that should just about suffice.

OOC:  LOL, thanks for that!!  :-)


"Pleased to meet you as well, I only wish it were under better circumstances... he said with a soft smile before continuing, his gaze taking in the area around the building they were in, "Nothing, not a bloody thing, and thankfully not a bloody soul...  But we can't stay here forever...  So, do you or any of the other two know where we can hook up with friendlies?  Any intel about where we could head, anything?" he asked hopefully.

Out of the couple he'd met, Corrigan himself seemed by far the most experienced, certainly in combat, and that weighed heavily upon him knowing three others would be looking to him for guidance...  "We need to get out of here, though nightfall might be the best, but if that's what we need to do we do need to figure out who's leadin' us out of the four of us, and where we're going..." he said, hoping the woman who still seemed to be sleeping on the floor above had combat experience as well, more so than the two he'd met...

Sebastien seemed nice enough, though he wouldn't know for sure until he saw him in combat.  He did know he'd been shot at by a sniper and had somewhat held his shit together which was a good point.  William, as a Corpsman, was a boon to the group, anyone who could deal with wounds was a benefit nowadays, but the woman was still an anomaly...  "See if you can get the other two moving, will you?  You've known them longer than I, but warn them not to show themselves, that sniper might still be around...  I'm going to get a better look a round..." he said, intending to carefully get an impression of everything around them and to try and make sure the sniper hadn't followed, though as heavy as the rain was that was unlikely...  As he watched Sebastien start to move he felt his stomach growl softly, and realized it had been a while since he had a decent meal, though SAS training had taught him to go for a long while with minimal sustenance, he was starting to get to the end of his endurance...

"Ya, OK."

Corrigan seemed like a decent fellow, by far the most "soldierly" the group. That could be a good thing. Real soldiers were becoming, very literally, a dying breed, and his combat experience and skill could potentially help keep them all alive. On the other hand, it was often those "soldierly" types that would leap up and charge machinegun nests yelling "Follow me!" That was often the last thing they, or their men, ever did.

He went back upstairs and found Katka, racked out and sofly snoring. He wondered for a moment about how he should wake her. A hand on the shoulder could illicit a reflexive response that Sebastian would probably not enjoy. Very loudly, he said,

"Katka. Katka! Wake up, frauline. It is time to... do something. And, stay away from the windows. The sniper may still be nearby."

Sebastian wasn't quite sure what Corrigan had in mind, yet he was doing what the Englishman had asked without question. Hmmm, he'd just met the SAS man and he was already following orders. The product, he supposed, of years of obeying coaches' and, more recently, officers' directives.

He turned to leave the room and ran into Brooks.

"Doc, the Englishman wanted me to get the two of you moving. Do you know what he has in mind?"

Brooks shakes his head, "No clue what he has planned, just as long as it doesn't get any of us killed I am good with it." He swings the medkit around to his back then grabs his pack and rifle. Brooks drags the pack down the stairs to the first floor and sets it down before taking a crouching position near the center of the room.

  Eyes popping open at the sound of her name, she thru off the covers and leapt to a standing position, mumbling something in ukranian and then english, "I am up."

  Still half asleep she went for her boots, dressed only in panties and the new found sweater tho, it became quickly evident that she should put on the rest of her clothes first. Cleaning the mucus out of her eyes she checked on the condition of her uniform, still a little wet. Her bare legs showed evidence past hardship, burns and potmarked scars ran down the back of one leg, wounds that might have healed cleaner had they been tended to properly.

  She slid into one of the dresses found last night, buttoned down the front tho she only bothered to go as far as her waist, room to move. Looked to the AK but decided against carting it around the house, why bother. Shruged off the rest of her stuff and made her way downstairs behind Sebastian.

  The Brit and her had been like ships in the night and this was the first real decent chance she had to take a moment and get a good look at him.

  "Katka Valechzev." With a nod.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:41, Sun 17 Sept 2006.

Corrigan did a cautious circuit of the ground floor, taking a good look out of every vantage point he could as he heard the three upstairs moving and starting to come down, having seen nothing so far he made his way to the rough center of the building and settled down on an old stool left there who knew how many months ago.

Although they had found linens and towels upstairs there seemed to be little downstairs, perhaps the looters had been scared off before they could search the building properly, either way it had meant a dry bed for most of them though Corrigan had spent colder and wetter nights than last night, and though the other three had seemed to take to the comforts he had found it difficult to accept them.  It wasn't that he couldn't accept them, he'd just spent too long in the military to want to be caught unprepared, and so he'd slept in the polish fatigues he was wearing, bundled up as best he could the theory being if he got warm enough it would somewhat dry out his fatigues.

Hadn't worked as effectively as he'd hoped, but then it had been a cold night, either way he'd survive, he always did, at least he'd have been ready for action if needed which was better than being dead...  As the group came together above him he slowly settled the RPK near his feet and grabbed the dry towel he'd left for himself, rubbing his face a little to help with the moisture from the cool morning air before dropping it to the side and waiting, smiling as the Corpsman, William, came down first, followed by Sebastien.  Then came the woman...

She was something of a surprise though he hid it well, he'd been sure he'd seen her in fatigues of some kind before, but now she was in a dress she'd apparently found, though he noticed it was left open enough to allow ease of movement which told him something of her skills, and obviously she'd left her weapon upstairs which was fair enough as well.  He stood as she introduced herself, standing at his 6' 3" he could be imposing, particularly when carrying the huge RPK, yet the softly spoken words belied the power of his form, "Andy Corrigan, pleased to meet you..." he said with a smile before asking the question that was nagging him considering the other two he knew, "Combat experience?  Unit?" he asked, shorter than he would have preferred but he was hoping she had some combat experience as well...

"Forgive, all of you, I'm not trying to give orders, I'm just trying to find out something about you all to give us the best chance to survive...  I'm also hoping one of you has an idea of where we can hook up with friendlies?" he asked the last, turning to all three.  He knew the approximate direction to where he had been assuming they hadn't moved on, and could judge the correct direction by the sun if the clouds ever let up, but that was all hoping his friends were still around, and so hoped there might be someone closer...

Sebastian looked sidelong at Brooks and then spoke,

"We have seen plenty of Russians and Poles but I cannot recall seeing any 'friendlies' for some time. We have been drifting south, dodging enemy patrols and following rumors that Krakow is a free city, open to anyone. According to our maps, we are close. Considering our current position, I doubt there are any NATO units around here. If you pardon my asking, how did you come to be here?"