It's been a trying days walk through the Polish countryside. All afternoon you could see the clouds gathering and so you pushed on until after dark to reach the shelter of the small deserted town of Wolbrom.
Settling in for the night after yet another cold meal, the rain starts. first a light drizzle but it steadily builds over the next few hours until around midnight it's not far from a downpour. A few flashes of lightning now and then light up the buildings around the one you'd picked as your home for the night.
Exhaustion has been your constant companion these past few days. With only the two of you, there's barely been enough time to take turns sleeping before dawn breaks and forces you on ever southwards to the promised safety of the reputedly free city of Krakow.
Fighting the stay awake, you almost miss the burst of gunfire from down the street and around the corner. Your tired mind at first mistaking it for yet another peel of thunder...

Sebastian is dog-tired, and therefore, uncannilly quiet. Besides, in this downpour it's difficult to hear much besides rain and the occasional peel of thunder. Then, another sound. Thunder? No, something else... gunfire!

In a throaty whisper, ""Sheist! What was that?!?" (OOC: Imagine his dialogue in a German accent: w = v, s = z, etc. I don't want this to be impossible to read!)

Without looking, he reaches out with his left hand and slaps Brooks on the shoulder.

"Come on!"

He shuffles through the mud towards the nearest wall of the corner building and leans heavily into it with a wet thud. He thumbs the selector switch of his Uzi submachine gun from "safe" to "full auto" and then pauses, trying to filter out the din of the rain, listening for any other man-made sounds: Footsteps (or splashes, rather), voices, the not-so-subtle metalic clack of an AK's selector switch. All he can hear is the rain beating on his steel-pot helmet. He slips it off and tries again. Still nothing. He slides along the wall to the corner, eases down to one knee, sets his helmet gently on the ground, and slowly peeks around the corner...

OOC: Nuked, should I be sending these Group 3 posts "privately" to you and WHB only? Hi everyone!

GM Edit: only you, Will and I have access to this thread.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:45, Fri 14 July 2006.

"That ain't thunder." Brooks says to no one inparticular as he watches Stoeckel move toward a wall. Following suit he slaps against the wall sending a spray of moisture around. He inches toward the corner along with Stoeckel and leans his rifle against the wall before unsnapping his kevlar helmet from its normal resting spot hung on his left canteen.

Exchanging the helmet for his drenched boonie hat before picking his rifle back up he'll inch a bit closer toward Stoeckel and wait for a report of what he sees.

OOC: I misread Nuke's post as "gunfire from around the corner and down the street" when it actually reads "down the street and around the corner". This doesn't really change my original post except that instead of peeking around "the corner", Sebastian will attempt to peer through the darkness and rain ahead for any sign of what may be going on.

IC: Sebastian turns around and and looks searchingly at Doc Brooks.

"What should we do?"

After a brief but expectant pause, Sebastian turns back to face the far end of the road ahead.

Wiping his face he squints down the road, “Let’s go take a look see. Let’s just keep an eye out for cover in case we need to get out of the road fast.” Brooks will adjust the pack on his back then place a hand on one of Stoeckels soldiers, “You want the lead or shall I?”
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:17, Sat 12 Aug 2006.

Physical bravery is not one of Sebastian's virtues. However, Doc Brooks had patched him up, in effect saving his life...

"I will lead?"

It's almost more of a question than an answer. Sebastian pauses a moment, looking into doc's face, then turns abruptly before he has a chance to change his mind. His picks up his helmet and puts it back on, pooled water pouring out and down his neck. He begins walking forward slowly, keeping close to the wall. He cranes his neck around quickly to make sure Brooks is close behind.

"Stay close."

He proceeds methodically towards the end of the road, scanning both sides for any sign of danger and slowing as they inch closer to the end. At the corner, he pauses again to listen, easing down on one knee and removing his helmet once more. He glances back sheepishly at Brooks and shrugs his shoulders as if saying "What next?" Then, very slowly, he peeks around the corner.

Nods at the stay close, then moves slowly forward a few paces behind his companion. When they reach the corner Brooks takes a knee and watches the street forward and glances at the building next to them trying to pay attention to an escape route if they need to beat a hasty retreat back down the street.

After Stoeckel takes his peek Brooks will whisper, "See anything?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:37, Sun 30 July 2006.