In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg # 55):

"If we are not taking the tank I can permanently disable it with this, but it does seem a shame."

He holds out a M14 thermite grenade.

We are going to take the tank with us. It will lead the convoy and breach any obstacle. Is a good insurance too with that dushka on top. The humvee and V-100 will go after. The I want the Iltis with me at the back. If we run into an ambush we will return maximum fire back. Without stopping if possible. We are going back to Fort Langley.

"Right you are. Do you want me to keep driving the Iltis?" said Mac. "Or do you need help with the wounded?"

"About the prisoners.  They should be split up among the vehicles so that they can't talk to each other. Or gagged, if space is short. That second group especially."

After an initial moment of hesitation Staff Sargent in command Taras V. Shevchenko gathered the troops and laid out the convoy column composition.

Okay, at the front weèll have the tank. Darek will be the driver and Koldan the gunner. Inside the turret we will fit the wounded. The radio call sign will be "KING".

Next is the V-100 with Abbot and Tremblay. You'll take some prisoners with you. Your call sign is "QUEEN".

Kel, you'll be in the humvee with Andrews and Hawke. Take some prisoners too. Your call sign remains "BISHOP".

Mac and Andy. You'll be with the Iltis. Just you, guys. Call sign is ROOK.

Since Darek will be driving the tank Tyler will be my loader. I can take one or two wounded in the back. My call sign is KNIGHT. And I cover your butts.

At the beginning of the march we are going to do what we call castling. This is a move in the game of chess involving a player's king and either of the player's original rooks.  Castling is an important goal in the opening, because it serves two valuable purposes: it moves the king, or in our case the T-54, into a safer position and it moves the rook or the Iltis to a more active position as a recce element. More exposed but more agile.

Prepare your vehicles and crew and report when youère ready!
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:13, Sat 03 May 2014.

Mac nodded and hurried off to the Iltis.

In reply to Christopher Little Hawk MacDonald (msg # 62):

Kelsey nods in reply
"Give me five to set the radios, and we need to stop by our old Hummer and either take or reset the radios to get them off my net.  We move to all Sincgars on this move, I don't like being compromised and digital is going to be more reliable in this jamming storm."

Very well. Just hurry up a bit. Night is coming soon. We are not far but we need to get going soon.

Taras returned to the Cougar to find a map of the area. Fort Langley wasn't too far away but it was a little bit tricky to get back. The route was part streets and part highway.

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg # 64):

Kelsey will double time to make sure that only secure radios are on the net, reset to a new setting, and that everyone has at least one available.

Andy joined Mac in the Iltis.

Abbot accompanied her back to the HMMWV.  He kept watch while she played with the radios. He grabbed his pack and extra can of linked 5.56 ammo to take back to the V-100.

On the way back, Abbot said to Champlain.

"I'm not sure why we're leaving this thing behind, Sergeant. It's a better ride than half of the crap we picked up today.  That tank can yank it out in about 30 seconds.

Taras went back to the Cougar. After checking with Wayne about the status of the vehicle, the Staff Sargent crunched some numbers. The external C-6 GPMG was still unused with a full box of ammo with 100 rounds. The co-ax had seen some use but there was plenty of supply and a fresh belt was quickly fed.

The main gun shells remaining were 12 HESH-T, 7 canister, 5 of smoke, 2 HE and 3 illuminating rounds. Reorganizing the inventory, the Ukrainian moved to the back the smoke and illuminating rounds as well as half of the HESH shells. Also at the back the big directional mine and the thermobaric rocket shared space.

His individual combat load was still intact. The AKs-74U seating in front of the lifchik, the hand grenades firmly pinned and the RCMP issue Smith & Wesson as sidearm. Once all the items were inspected he took some time to introduce his new partner to the internal workings of the turret as well as the different types of ammo shells that needed recognition: The round nosed HESH or "Squash" with their characteristic black warhead, the less blunt high explosive rounds and finally the short and stubby yet deadly canister shells.

Yeah, you are my loader but I need you to man the machine gun up there.

Thomas moved his gear to the new Humvee and grabbed the two AT-4 anti tank weapons as well. He had no anti-tank rounds for the Carl Gustav left and only one HEDP so the additional options would be welcome.

Thomas put the launchers at arms length after checking they had the HEDP 502 (High Explosive Dual Purpose) warhead and not some exotic AST (Anti Structure Tandem-warheads) or HP (High Penetration) rounds.

The sun sank lower as they prepared to move on convoy back to the fort. Kel was able to switch the digital sets to alternate frequencies and that helped with local reception. But the longer range net was still being stepped on by someone who knew what they were doing.

In reply to Taras Vladimirovich Shevchenko (msg # 68):



"Loader? What about my car?"

He gestured at the '69 Challenger his father had somehow come into possession of during the raid on the Stickmen in Stanley Park.

"Dude, I can't leave it here! It'll get ripped off for sure! As well, anyone connected to the Angels find it they'll put me with you."

Taking the initiative, Tremblay took his C7A1 and a radio to set up a 1-man security OP about 50m down 56 Ave.

"Kel, I'm just going to keep an eye on the road to the west, in the direction of the Angels' club house. Just so no one comes at us while we're getting our shit wired tight."

Nice ride. Perhaps we should go on a fucking picnic with it and leave here the stinky Cougar, eh! We are in the middle of a war against the Hell's Angels and that pretty thing won't last two seconds in a fucking shootout. You have five minutes to hide it somewhere. We have to take the prisoners and the wounded out of here ASAP. We don't have a relief column and its getting dark. Tomorrow at first light we'll come back here to recover the humvee and your amazing ride...If we still alive. That is.

Tyler laughed.

"Well now, if you ask nice and promise to put out, I might let you have a ride in 'er one day. At least let me get to second base?

"I don't know about you, but I will, personally, never die, so that's not an issue.

"Or, I can just drive it. Not to be a dick but I'm not really part of this dog-and-pony show, I showed up because you fellers needed some help. It's part of OP I'm on, not some kind of frivolous luxury. Essential, you might say."
This message was last updated by the GM at 21:07, Thu 15 May 2014.

Belanger perked up as they were loading him into the Humnvee. Weakly, he lifted his head and croaked,

"You... were part of my OP. Leave... the damn... car. We'll get you another. Promise."

Tyler sighed.

"All right. Can't blame me for trying."

In reply to Tyler Gabriel Hope (msg # 76):

Kelsey switches out as fast as possible and signals.
"Knight, this is Bishop, ready."

Roger , Bishop. Other units report for duty!

Corporal Abbot climbed into the V-100 and tossed his pack in to the seat next to the driver. He stashed the extra belted 5.56mm ammo under the seat and fastened his C9 into the weapons rack between the seats.

<blue>"Hey Tremblay.  If you have anything left in the truck, you better go get it.  It's going to stay here overnight at least."<blue>

Abbot carefully checked out the back of the V to make sure that there were no tools or other items that could be used by the prisoners to try to escape. If any are found, he removes them and tosses them or puts them in external storage.

<radio>KNIGHT, this is QUEEN. We can roll in about 5 minutes. Ready to load prisoners in the meantime. Over</radio>

In reply to Stanley Alistair Abbot (msg # 79):

He thought for a moment.

"Yeah, I got a lot of gear, plus food. Mind giving me a ride over? I can't pack it on foot."
This message was last updated by the GM at 06:30, Fri 09 May 2014.

Tremblay and Kel took the captured Humvee to go strip the bogged vehicle of the M240, the radios and other supplies. They they covered it up with cut branches and greenery on the camo netting to camouflage its presence. They would be back tomorrow, probably at night someone scavenging the battlefield would miss it unless they were doing a detailed search or had intimate knowledge there wasn't usually a bush there.

Following on the Challenger, Tyler drove a ways past, then turned off 56 Ave to see if he could hide the Cougar in a garage or probably just in some trees or bushes, again, piling branches and greenery on top. He came sauntering back towards where Kel and Tremblay were parked.

Back at the market, they began marshalling the remaining vehicles. It was clear they wouldn't be able to fit nearly twenty dead, plus wounded and prisoners in the vehicles without severely crowding them.