"Ask who then?"
He waved his arm at the scared people who melted away into the rubble.
"Mi' be best ta leave something here on tha ground and show them tha's more if they come visit?"

In reply to Donnachaidh (2nd Lt) (msg #886):

"Don, let's ask the people in the station who these assholes are, how many there are, what they are armed with, where they are now, anything. We can offer some food."

Virgil moved forward wondering how long it would take to get back to the hospital.

Marcus moves quickly, but doesn't run.  He meanders through the streets not taking a very direct route in the general direction of the hospital.  They were not going all the way back to the hospital, they would eventually break off about half-way and make their way back on a parallel route, but not the same route to the main avenue to the train yards.

Tanya keeps pace with the others as they move through the streets.  She keeps her awareness up around her as they move.

Katka followed the others, dull gaze trailing over the path behind them as she assumed a lack-luster rear guard.  The rifle was out and low.  Silent reservations over the whole of their current actions were tossed aside. As the group made for the prospective ambush site,  light shimmered off the edges of discoloured irises, pupils dialing down, as her glaze rose toward the heavens for sign of time’s passage.

She hoped night was not swiftly approaching, though with the nightvision some had, it could be a boon.. RedGrave was the closest to her cutting a glance her way, “We learn who make fire at Clinic yet?” The burns still irritated her, though not to the point of distraction, but having been down in the squalor of the tunnels Katka’s skin crawled beneath the loose wraps they had used to treat them.

To the disillusioned, self-proclaimed, Ukrainian freedom fighter’s best memory.. The path leading into this place was flanked by mounds of uncertain rubble, and shifting debris.. A gauntlet of junk. Anything useful having been plucked free at risk of slides and collapses.  There must have been plenty of places for a choke point, but she was uncertain of which ones were safest. Deferring to Marcus and Virgil's judgment seemed best at that point.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:01, Thu 17 June 2010.

Don offered food as Brown had suggested, but nobody appeared willing to take it. Giving up for the moment, but expecting somebody to show up on the doorstep a little later, the group returned to the "clinic" to regroup, tally their booty and plan the next step in dealing with the marauder problem apparently based in the train station just a few hundred metres from where they now sat.

NPC'd
Seated in the BTR ready to move the instant she received the call for assistance over the radio, Mary relaxed as it became clear their services would not be needed.
"Shall we go back inside and debrief?" she suggested to Vlad & Svetlana.
"I'd like to know more about you too also. See if you have anything to offer."

Waiting by the door, she spied the heavily laden group hurrying to reach the safety of the clinic, glancing backward from time to time, nervously expecting the bandits to chose just that moment to strike.
So what have you go there?"

"No trouble?" asks Vlad, just to make sure.  He then sighs at the release of tension and nods, heading back inside.

Tanya drops off all of the gear she was able to carry back with her and look for something to drink.

Svetlana inclined her head to the British officer, puzzling through the notion of being debriefed.  Pleased to be doing something other than waiting, the Russian girl hopped out of the vehicle, pausing to stretch -hands linked above her head. A sidelong glance was set toward Vladimir, turning to the sounds of new arrivals. -Slowly her arms lowered,  peering around the corner of the BTR quizzically.  “Mmm..”, The sound emanated softly as she took a slow breath.

Noting that her comrade  had slipped into the clinic’s structure, Lana followed suit, certainly not wishing to be caught out without his skills to be of benefit.

The trip back left Katka weary..  She was stiff, hungry, and on edge. The relative safety of Krakow had been an illusion that drew them in, the fire at the clinic and their experience at the train station threatened any notion of security even there, which had been vaunted as a place of healing, maybe even hope.

Her mouth was mortar dry as she wordlessly set her collection of goods to the growing pile, Hazel eyes narrowing at the sight of strangers vanishing into the building. Stand-off-ish the Ukrainian offered to help inventory and store the items, not wishing to mingle just yet, and cut a troubled panning of her vision over the probable approaches.

When Tanya finds something to drink, she takes her fair share and offers some to Katka, "I know we've had our differences in the past but, good job today."

A slight nod was offered in response to Tanya’s words, possibly in thanks for the drink; which she sipped at sparingly. “Same goals, different views.”, Her thickly accented voice rose amidst a brief smile. They measured the grey area’s differently, Katka’s haste and impatience usually got the better of her, and then there was the hard learned belief that nothing and no one was innocent.  “Thank you for drink.”

Bill added as much information as he could to the mix after dumping his load with the rest. It wasn't much as he, Bader and the doctor were relative latecomers to the action.
"Ah've a feelin' associates of those five men will come looking for us pretty soon. Not too comfortable with our chances of defendin' the clinic here if they come at us in force."
The floor was open for suggestions....

"Perhaps we should explore the possibility of moving within the city walls then and use the local forces as an additional layer of protection?"
The possibility of retaliation was a major concern to Mary. The soldiers amongst them could probably handle the danger, but they had the young mother and her newborn baby girl to worry about to, not to mention nearlly half of their number were support troops who'd barely even held a weapon since basic.

"The baby is doing well," Elena reported.
"Although the mother is still touch and go. She can be moved though, with care."

"Swell idea, Mary!"

Don moved closer to her to show his appreciation.

"But it will probably cost a rather big pile of pounds, I guess..."

"Anyone having any cash, or should we read through the inventory again, Mary?"

He smiles. That list has been up quite a few times now.

"I guess our views are or were different.  I'm ready to move past it!"

"Will you leave the city?"  He nods at his companion.  "Miss Ivanova and I want to leave but also to go with group.  That is your saying: 'safety in numbers', yes?"

"If you want to trade for more security inside the city walls we still have plenty of diesel to trade," Virgil said, "we might also want to discuss trading our vehicles for a couple of four wheeled drives like the Tarpan Honker. It'd give us more to spend and the vehicles would be easier to fuel and maintain. Personally, I'd rather be in the BTR when we try for NATO lines, but it is an option."

He listened to other opinions and said, "Leaving's an option but where do we head for? Running is one thing but if we aren't running too something we could end up wandering until we run out of food and supplies."

"The question of where to go, is an easy question to answer. I'm going back to Scotland. However, that is something that will take some time, and food, and diesel, and more. If only you lassies wanna follow, I'll take you on a great ride!"

Don smiles broadly to the girls in the group.

"It is a harsh world out there, but I would actually want to continue my journey. However, if there are possibilities here in the city, that will help me come there faster, I'd be more than happy to help us out. After all, that is why we went in here from the beginning, right Tanya, Mary?"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:04, Sat 10 July 2010.

At Matterson's question, Vladimir shrugs.  "West?"

When Scotland is mentioned, he shrugs again and nods.  "Good football there."

"West is where NATO forces are." Virgil said, "Unless you know of some to the East that we could link up with. Many of the Westerners here want to get back home, I know I certainly do and moving East seems counter-intuitive to that action."

"Aye, the best football in the world!"

Don doesn't make eyecontact with anyone.

"Might be a little bumpy to play there now. I've heard they had to use Celtic Park as a cemetery."

"But I'll fix that, just get me back to ol' Scotland!"