Andy followed Chris' directions and noted the location of the pair of kids. He moved his rifle to cover them and spoke softly over the radio, "Sniper team has the unidentified observers under surveillence. If they do anything out of turn we can take them down."

Clarke swore when she heard McRae.  "Jesus, McRae, jumping the gun, aren't we?" she thought to herslelf."  Then she got on the radio.  "First priority is capture, not elimination.  Capture if they attempt to flee.  Amber Actual out."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:41, Sun 25 May 2008.

Fair enough, Andy thought, and hunkered down.

Deciding that it would be best to see how they reacted under different circumstances, Fox first sent 2 militia in a Ford F150 up to the yacht club.

After moving to where they could see the front of the house, the two observers were positioned on a rooftop under some tree branches. From there Andy and Mac had an excellent view  across Highbury St. at the house on the corner. They got ready to intervene if the watchers made any threatening moves.

The militia parked and got out, trying not to look across the street or look like they wanted to run for cover immediately.

The one punk in the window brought up a pair of binoculars and said something to the other, which Andy couldn't catch because his lips were obscured. Andy watched the guy peering through the binos, while making some notes on a pad. He was unshaved with greasy long hair pulled back into a pony tail, a beat-up leather jacket, cut-off camouflaged shorts and running shoes wrapped in duct-tape.

Although they were ready to put a bullet in him if necessary, nothing overtly threatening occurred. There were no weapons in evidence they could see.

The militia went in and eventually came out, and again they were watched as they got in the truck and left. The second punk came out and they could see it was a man about the same age, with a green mohawk, stublled cheeks, wearing a surplus Bundeswehr jacket, jeans and boots. He was smoking a cigarette and again it was impossible to read his lips from this angle when they spoke.

Soon after, Taras sent in a couple of Mounties, and the same process repeated itself. It was clear they were there to observe, take notes, and presumably report back on the comings-and-goings across the way at the Yacht Club.

"Those aren't homeless guys, those are spies.  We need to flush them and let Chris and Andy pick them up."  Lee was in her duty uniform, not fatigues.  The Mounties and civilian volunteers had been running the census.  If someone knocked on the door, their guys might decide to duck out the back.

"Lee, Kelsey, some thoughts.  I think we should call in a couple more Mounties.  Have two go in quietly to support Chris and Andy.  Lee, you and one other person go to the door and act like census takers.  Kelsey and I will cover you.  With any luck, it will spook those two.  They'll scoot out the back and into the arms of our boys out back."

"Yeah.. glad we did it your way instead of mine"

*Kelsey looks a little serious, nodding to her*
"Right, certainly are.  Though are you sure it wouldn't just be better to simply assualt the position, drop a flash grenade and bust in?"

Clarke nodded. "Green 6 to Red 11.  Request additional RCMP personnel to our location, break.  Two to backup Green 23, two for Green 1, break.  Green 6 Out."

She turned to the rest of the team to update them on the plan.  "OK, folks, when the RCMP get here, two of them will join Chris and Mac unobserved.  Lee, you and another RCMP will take clipboards and play census takers, go to the front door.  The rest of us will cover you at a distance.  Plan as previously stated - hopefully we flush the rabbits right to Chris and Mac."  She also called to the Little Hawk and McDonald by radio and updated them as well.

The arrangements went quickly, with additional units arriving. They were lucky in that as the targets were oriented north with all of the city at their backs, there was plenty of covered routes of approach.

Andy and Mac exfiltrated their position (to north at the front of the house) and relocated on foot to the rear alley, and were joined by a pair of uniformed Mounties, also on foot. An RCMP marksman team (Green-34) replaced them at their hide and was placed under Clarke's tactical control. The rest of the team waited in SUVs a block away to the south, on West 1st. If needed, they could put together an ad hoc RCMP entry team, although at some point Lee hoped to actually train a real (if part-time) ERT.

Lee and another Mountie approached the front of the house along West 1st avenue from the direction of the Marina. The marksman team (Green-34) kept the house under surveillance, reporting that as they approached the door, the pair inside split up and moved away from the window.

They knocked, waited, knocked again. "Hello! Is anyone home? We're here doing a survey for the city."

Over the radio Green-34 reported "...ah, be advised we have one individual exiting the rear of the house, he's now out of sight..."

Knowing that there could be at least one other person inside (or more) Lee knocked again, louder. She looked at her partner and they both placed their hands on their sidearms. "This is the police, we'd like to talk, please open up!" Both Mounties moved so that they were not in the line of fire of someone opening the door. Their Kevlar patrol vests were good against pistol, subgun and shotgun fire, but much less so against rifles. Knowing the Stickmen's fondness for crossbows, both were wearing the optional Lexan "stab-plates".

To the rear, Andy could hear someone going over the fence, probably to the next house to the right (as this was a corner house, Highbury St. was to their "left" and Pt. Grey Rd. at the "front"). He looked at Mac and the pair of Mounties, who got ready to move.

http://tinyurl.com/48bah6

[OOC: not that this is a big deal, but Mac and Andy were observing the house from across the park to the front, as you can't observe the front of a structure to the rear.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:01, Tue 27 May 2008.

Knowing that a foot pursuit wasn't unlikely, Chris had ditched his heavy rifle, webbing, helmet and body armour behind a plastic trash car in an overgrown bush a couple houses down the back alley. He was just wearing his fatigues, boonie hat, and pistol belt (with holstered Hi-Power). Like Andy, he also had been given a small canister of pepper-spray and some Zap-Straps to use as flex-cuffs.

When the sound of someone climbing the fence reached him, he got ready to move.

Andy saw Mac readying himself for action. He whispered to the two Mounties, "Stay here in case the other guy breaks cover."

He looked at Mac and nodded to him and the two of them moved toward the guy climbing the fence. They would find him and capture him for interrogation.

Clarke heard the report from Green-34 that one of the men had exited the house.  "Green-6 to Green-23.  One Tango has exited rear of building.  Do you have visual contact?  You are clear to apprehend.  Green-6 out."
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:03, Tue 27 May 2008.

The Mounties nodded understanding. Andy in the lead, the pair ran down the alley.

They couldn't see the man going into the next yard over from the alley, but could easily hear him.

Entering the next yard, they could see the guy was jumping down onto the overgrown backyard grass, stumbling, then taking off and heading for the next fence.

Andy intercepted him from the side, easily tripping him with a foot-sweep. The guy sprawled flat and Mac was on him, pinning his arms. "Where you going, huh? Where you gonna go now? Stop struggling man, you're under arrest!"

"Fuck you!" The man struggled to pull out a wicked knife but the pair easily disarmed and subdued him.

At the front of the house, Lee talked to the man inside. He refused to come out so the RCMP backup was deployed with entry tools. Although they hadn't received formal ERT training, these were experienced police and could be expected to handle themselves in an armed entry situation. Still, they had a real ERT member who had experience in negotiations. After about 10 minutes of talking, Lee got him to come out peacefully where he was cuffed and arrested.

The prisoners were returned to the temporary command post for the decision on what to do with them.

Clarke was pleased things had gone smoothly.  None of her people had been hurt and both suspects were apprehended.  She was concerned by Chris' decision to ditch his body armor, but decided that was a "training issue" that could be covered later.

"Good job, all.  I'm really pleased by the teamwork you all displayed."

*Kelsey sighs a big sigh of relief once it is all over*

"I tell you.. this police stuff is hard on the nerves, I am so glad everyone is all right.  Think there is a chance they will actually...."

*She stops midsentence*

"I wonder if anyone was observing them for capture, did they have a radio, how were they to report.. maybe we should put some people in the house disguised as them.. with a watch on the house with radio, and see what more we can net us?"

*She wonders aloud*

Not a bad idea.  I was wondering myself if maybe we should have observed longer before moving in.

They brought the prisoners back to the temporary HQ. The militia lifted the cordon, heading back to the Uni. These were part-timers; keeping them called-out would mean other tasks would go uncompleted back home.

A detailed search of the house found (aside from some water bottles, dirty dishes, canned food, sleeping bags rancid with body odor and a water pipe with a baggie of pot and a lighter) the notepad and binoculars. Everything else seemed like it belonged to the former owners, and was left as-is. It was uncertain how they traveled there or how they communicated; no vehicles or comms were found.

For weapons they seemed to only have their sheath knives.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:39, Fri 30 May 2008.

Lee washed up in the kitchen sink.

Like most places, the condo the HQ was set up in still had running water, although it took about a minute for it to come on clean and rust-free. It seemed most places had running water, abandoned or not.

She dried her hands. "So Clarke, what's our next move with these clowns? Want me to question them here? Take 'em back to the detachment?"

"Take them back to the detachment.  This may take a while.  You may need to contain them when they're not being questioned.  It would be good to have a place with some added security.

The prisoners were shuttled to the RCMP detachment via closed RCMP van, to avoid giving them any idea of where they were or any other details.

The guy with the Mowhawk snarled and spat through decaying teeth at the Constables manhandling him. "Fucking fascists! Fuck you! Get your hands off me! Motherfuckers! You can't hold me, I wasn't doing anything!" The other one looked a lot more scared and was silent, but still tried to keep up a brave front.

Resisting the urge to inform him that as it was a time of war, they didn't need a reason to hold him indefinitely, Clarke did think that charges of trespassing and looting could be made to stick if needed, not to mention narcotics offences.

Out of curiosity, Lee sniffed at the baggie they found and wrinkled her nose. "Smells like "skunkweed". Dripping with THC. Kicks the ass of any Yank Sinsimila or Mexican Red Hair, but also kicks your ass at the same time to."

Kelsey (and Mac) knew that locally-grown Skunk also had a nasty rank smell like a skunk's spray when smoked. It was the lower-class and ubiquitous brother of world-famous "BC Bud", a strain that had had all the worse effects bred out of it, but possessed even more THC.

Lee continued. "Those shitty tatts, those teeth. Not to mention the hygiene. At one time those boys were skin-poppin' smack or "jib" (crystal meth). Still would be, if they could get it, I bet."

"Well chief, you want to have a crack at either one or both of these bozos?"

Clarke waited until both prisoners had been "processed."  That is, they had been photographed and/or fingerprinted, whatever was used to keep track of people these days, given any necessary run-down on their rights, and allowed to cool off in separate cells for a little while.  She gave orders that they be in cells far enough apart that they couldn't communicate with each other.

I think we should have a spot of lunch and relax.  Give them a bit to think about where they are and what they've got themselves into.  Then we start with the one that looks a little more shaky, shall we?  Given time to let his imagination work, he may start babbling like an idiot the moment we start asking questions, just out of fear.

She thought for a moment.  "While we let them cool their heels, let's take a look at the notebooks they were keeping.  Get an idea of how long they've been watching us, what kinds of observations they made, and what purpose it seems to be for."

She thought it best to check in with McRae, McDonald and Champlain as well.  "Green-1 this is Green-6. Request status and location, break.  If you wish you may continue to provide security to the census takers or return to the Marina at your discretion, break.  Green-6 Over."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:29, Sun 01 June 2008.

"Green 6 this is Green 1, I think I'll join the six element for a bit, besides, I have an idea... Green 6, out"

Champlain makes her way to Clarke with a bit of a smile

"I was remembering some of those old TV shows.  Think if we keep them far enough apart that they cannot talk that will grow the paranoia, and maybe if we get a few lucky guesses, we can tell them stuff like.. your buddy said this.. and it'll go better for you with this, we are offering him this deal because he is co-operating, and stuff?"

Andy called in to let the Bosslady know he'd stay as security for the census takers. He attached himself to one of the groups and started to observe how they worked and to get to know one or two of the local officials.

Clarke acknowledged Andy's call in.  She was glad he stayed on station for some face time with the locals.

Clarke grinned and offered Kelsey a cup.  That, my dear Watson, is the basic idea.  Lee and I were about to take a look at their jornals.  From his body language, one of the two seemed more aprehensive.  We're giving them both a little cool-down time and then we'll start with him.  Does this sound like a good way to proceed to you, Lee?"

She paused for a moment for Lee's response.  "Of course, this isn't some TV drama.  We do have to be careful about what we say to these guys, and I think lying would be a bad idea.  We are living in a time of war and civil crisis, and spies would be dealt with harsly.  That is certainly something we could use in our favor."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:19, Sun 01 June 2008.