The Ghillie suit camo was better than nothing for Mac and Andy, and there were plenty of driftwood branches that were floating around. They would just look like some flotsam that washed up on the roof. At least the woods across the street behind them broke up their silhouette.

Nothing seemed to be happening at the farm. No one was on the berm or the roof. They could see the upper half of the barn, no movement or persons were visible.

In the zodiac, they quickly approached the NW corner of the square berm configuration. As they got close, they didn't see anyone on the berm, either, but were able to see there were cameras mounted beneath the eaves of the building, probably for closed-circuit security monitoring. (Not full cameras but small dome mounts.)

Everyone could see there was now a little smoke drifting up from a tin chimney on the barn roof.

"Cameras!  Damnit.  Do we count on him not having backup, or not watching the cameras?"

Andy stared down the scope and steadied his breathing, slowing himself down and finding the familiar rhythm of combat, "Mac," he said, "tell me what you see."

DAMN THE STEAM, FULL TORPEDOES AHEAD!!!

The interesting, challenging and absorving situation didn't help Taras with the formulation of classic quotes. The berm was fast approaching and before the landing it would be mandatory to remove the life vest in order to facilitate access the lifchik



Staff Sgt. Shevchenko  Bravo 1
Removing the life vest for action
AKS-74U (30/30) +4 mags in chest rig
S&W 5946 (15/15) +2 mags
RGO handgrenades x6
1 RPO
2 flares

This message was last edited by the player at 06:00, Wed 06 June 2012.

Beside him, carrying out his role as spotter, Mac peered through the high-powered spotting scope at the artificial island and the building.

"No targets visible."

In reply to Matthew Stone (msg #201):

Hawke drops into the hull of the vehicle, and takes a few minutes to repack his bag and restock the IV from the extras he packed.

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg #205):

As the berm approaches, Wayne will judge the slope of the embankment.  If he thinks it will permit the boat to beach itself without undue risk to the occupants, then that is how he'll play it.  If, on the other hand, it looks more like a wall, he will motor down and slide the boat up alongside it.

Kelsey scans the berm for traps and tries to judge when to get out of the boat.  "Taras, I will lead, take the berm, then cover.  Unless you have a better idea."

Down in the troop compartment of the LAV, William packed and restocked his kit.

After he was done, he climbed back into the turret and up through the commander's hatch.

---

The berm was made of dirt, sand and gravel, and stood about a metre or two above the water. The sloped sides were not too difficult to climb, and the loose material made it an easy if slow climb. Keeping low to avoid drawing fire, the Zodic's passengers couldn't see the area within, or even across the berm.

Back at the OP, they were about 2m up and so could clearly see at least across the berm (if not down inside the dry space). Through his scope, Andy caught a glimpse of another boat, a speedboat, just disappearing behind the trees of the drowned golf course. It was heading off to the east, motoring down Dominion heading towards the river.

The speedboat had likely been tied up on the south side of the island. It looked like there was maybe some kind of wharf there, accessed via stairwell from down in the compound. Suddenly, Mac's voice snapped his attention to the right of the berm.

"All units. I see one tango, 300 metres, top of the berm, south side. Visual reference is west side of the barn. To the right from my position, walking west. Armed with a rifle."

The man was wearing a black toque, woodland-pattern fatigues, a black tactical vest, and carrying an HK91 rifle slung on his shoulder. (It was impossible to see if he was a skinhead or not, but HK91 clones were the signature weapon of the neo-Nazi New Americans.) He was walking casually, yet still looking around.

As he was on and across the dyke, and the Zodiac was below the level of the dyke, neither had seen each other. Wayne had cut the motor and gently docked the Zodiac on the side of the dirt berm. From where they were, Kel couldn't see any kind of traps where she was. Again, she couldn't see the man across the berm unless she stood up.

Kel noticed what appeared to be a ladie's purse/handbag nearby on the water side of the bank. It looked almost like it was... discarded.

In the quiet after Wayne cut the motor, the occupants of the Zodiac could still hear the loud whine of the bandsaw down in the open space. Additionally, they could hear music playing (classic rock, Hendrix's "Voodoo Child"). While the woman had stopped screaming, they could now hear the faint sound of men's laughter echoing up the banks from below them.

They could also hear the faint sound of a boat motor, fading off to the east (towards the river).

---

A. Taras (AKSU)
B. Kel (C8)
C. Wayne (MP5)

1. Tango #1 (HK91)

---

This message was last edited by the GM at 06:24, Tue 05 June 2012.

Kelsey crossed gently and scooped up the purse, tossing it back into the boat, evidence.  Maybe what they needed to ID a body.  She didn't want to think further.  She slowly advanced up the slope, taking her rifle off safe and staying low.


Bravo-Two.
Advancing up the slope, staying low.
C-8 Carbine - 6 spare Mags (5.56 NATO) - round chambered, safe off.
6 C-13 Frag Grenades  (Attached to webgear)
2 Smoke grenades (Green/white) (pockets)
Kevlar body armor.  Life vest.
Kevlar helmet ON!, chest mic on lbe, AN/PRC 68-B on hip with sidearm,
Sidearm:  Browning Hi-Power, 2 spare mags

Kelsey, spread to the left and signal Andy to get the tango if needed. Wayne, spread to my right. Stay low.


Staff Sgt. Shevchenko.  Bravo 1
Giving orders
AKS-74U (30/30) One up the pipe, Full Auto.
S&W 5946 (15/15) +2 mags
RGO handgrenades x6
1 RPO
2 flares

This message was last edited by the player at 06:00, Wed 06 June 2012.

Andy pulled the butt of his rifle firmly into his shoulder and started to aim at the sentry.

"Tell them I'm on the sentry, Mac," Andy said, "also if no one else is doing it, call for back up, we're assaulting a fort with three people, I think we're gonna need help."

Andy
Parker Hale and 10x Scope 5/5
Lying on the roof
Aiming at sentry

Kelsey takes it to the left as ordered, after crouching a momement and relaying Taras order on her chest mic as she scans for targets.

"Bravo 7 and 8, Engage Tangos.  Alpha, please call for backup, we are engaging."


Bravo-Two.
Advancing up the slope, headed to the left.
C-8 Carbine - 6 spare Mags (5.56 NATO) - round chambered, safe off.
6 C-13 Frag Grenades  (Attached to webgear)
2 Smoke grenades (Green/white) (pockets)
Kevlar body armor.
Kevlar helmet ON!, chest mic on lbe, AN/PRC 68-B on hip with sidearm,
Sidearm:  Browning Hi-Power, 2 spare mags

"Leave the boat?" Wayne asks uncertainly.  He has looked a little disoriented ever since Taras gave his urgent command a few moments earlier.  Wayne lets go of the outboard tiller and takes up his rifle in both hands.

Wayne will follow Taras' instructions.

Sgt. Shevchenko suddenly stood up over the berm challenging the armed sentry:

Hey you! This is the Police! Drop your weapon!


Staff Sgt. Shevchenko.  Bravo 1
Giving orders
AKS-74U (30/30) One up the pipe, Full Auto.
S&W 5946 (15/15) +2 mags
RGO handgrenades x6
1 RPO
2 flares

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg #217):

Genuinely surprised by Taras' sudden appearance and challenge genuinely surprised the man. Pausing in confusion, he quickly recovered and crouched.

He readied his rifle and brought it up to fire at Taras.

Anticipating the actions of the lonely sentry, the burly ukrainian immediately dropped to the ground to add even more distress to the suspect and clear the path for a clean shot. The act of steadying oneself and getting ready to fire a weapon comes with a stillness, nothing short of a golden moment for a sniper, enough for Andy to understand the threatening nature of that action and respond in kind.


Staff Sgt. Shevchenko.  Bravo 1
Dropping to a prone position
AKS-74U (30/30) One up the pipe, Full Auto.
S&W 5946 (15/15) +2 mags
RGO handgrenades x6
1 RPO
2 flares

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg #219):

As Andy kept the cross hairs on the sentry he saw the man start to raise his weapon toward where the sniper assumed that Taras and the others would be. He rolled the trigger and sent a round down range.

Andy
Parker-Hale 10x scope 4/5
On the roof
Firing at sentry

In reply to Andrew Montgomery McRae (msg #220):

"Two from Eight, confirm we have eyes-on one Tango."

As Mac was spotting for Andy and Kel seemed to be relaying Taras's request for Stone to call for reinforcements, so he held off on that part of the conversation.

He double-checked the range manually (Canadian snipers didn't use lasers as they could be detected) and calculated windage. He relayed the information to Andy with a few quiet words.

"One target, front." As they would be reacting to the Tango's actions, and not initiating beforehand, Mac merely confirmed the target and let Andy decide when to shoot.

Chris (Bravo Eight)
FN C1A1 (20/20)
Rooftop, 300m NNW from compound
Spotting for Andy with spotting scope.

GM Note: Typically, when it's up to the team to decide when to fire the cue is, "target, target, target" and the third "target" is the cue to fire. (In the movie Jarhead, the American cue is "fire, fire, fire". In this case, they were waiting for other events to transpire and it would be a more reactive shot.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:08, Wed 06 June 2012.

In reply to Christopher Little Hawk MacDonald (msg #221):

Ranging was accomplished completely manually and not using a laser, as a target could have some kind of laser warning system. With Mac spotting and checking the wind, Andy entered the "bubble" where nothing mattered but the target.

Half a heartbeat later (or was it a little later, or before?) there was a "zweeeethwap!"

His head jerked back, a pink mist spraying out behind him as the gunshot echoed across the water. Andy had placed them so the muzzle report would bounce off the trees on the far side of the compound, obscuring its origin. As lifeless hands let the rifle drop beneath him, he collapsed soundlessly onto the dirt surface of the berm, outstretched leg twitching.

Beside Andy, Mac quietly confirmed, "one".

There was no immediate reaction from down in the compound. Likely, the music, bandsaw and laughter drowned out the far-off sound of the gunshot. Plus, whoever was inside the barn was several metres below the waterline, inside and behind a berm.

In reply to helbent4 (msg #221):

"Bravo from Alpha, roger, Kilo Two is en route. Require SITREP, Ay-SAP."

Up in the LAV's turret, Stone juggled calls on the tactical net from Kel and the longer-range net to the Kilo Two backup detachment, just starting out from New West now in a two-vehicle convoy. He relayed information on the route they just cleared, and as it was cleared they could travel very quickly. Still, it would take about 15-20 minutes to arrive.

As well, Stone had his face pressed to the gunsight, using thermal to scan down the highway.

"Hawke, get up on the fuckin' commander's machinegun. Keep a 360-degree watch."

*Kelsey hits the dirt and while scanning with one hand on the trigger of her C8 she keys the mic again.*

The Chair is against the wall.  One kitten down.  We have a Bravo Oscar Alpha Tango that just took off.  The Kitten house is a bloody fort.  Repeat, Kitten house is a Foxtrot Oscar Romeo Tango.


Bravo-Two.
Transmitting on radio while scanning for targets, belly down on the dirt.
C-8 Carbine - 6 spare Mags (5.56 NATO) - round chambered, safe off.
6 C-13 Frag Grenades  (Attached to webgear)
2 Smoke grenades (Green/white) (pockets)
Kevlar body armor.  Life vest.
Kevlar helmet ON!, chest mic on lbe, AN/PRC 68-B on hip with sidearm,
Sidearm:  Browning Hi-Power, 2 spare mags

Stay low! I'm going to take a look from that position... The Staff Sargent was pointing towards the eliminated sentry. Taking advabtage of the slope to provide concealment he started a low crouching run.


Staff Sgt. Shevchenko  Bravo 1
Running towards the sentry location
AKS-74U (30/30) +4 mags at ready, Full Auto.
S&W 5946 (15/15) +2 mags
RGO handgrenades x6
1 RPO
2 flares

"Roger, Alpha copies all. Proceed if possible. I can spare one personnel here, if you can come by pick him up."

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg #225):

Taras began making his way along the water side of the berm, on the reverse slope. He couldn't afford to take too much care, but he at least made sure keep low. He slipped into the water but didn't go over, only his feet and lower legs got wet.

It wasn't easy, but after about 45 seconds, he rounded the corner without toppling over completely into the water.

Down in the compound, the bandsaw sounded like it was cutting something apart. The saw doesn't sound like it's in the barn, but more closer to the stairs to the wharf. From the corner, he could see a second boat, another Zodiac, tied off at the wharf. There was no one inside.