Now for the exciting part.  Waiting.  Blake gives it a very good look-over.  No need for an unfriendly welcoming party to be here too ...  the he ends the lay of the land for the best route out of here.

In reply to Blake Renfield (msg # 467):

Neva helped Blake keep an eye out for people.  She trusted Ken to try and keep the others in line, something he seemed to have a knack for.

Waiting.  That brought back some memories of stake outs and surveillance duty.  She had a small smile on her face as she her guard up.

Ken glanced at the clouds to the southeast and shook his head. "Make sure we get up out of any ravines people.  We don't want to get caught in a flash flood.  At least the storm will ground the helos."

Ollie looks nervously at the sky.

"Ken, are you sure that they aren't going to be flying? Should we be hiding ourselves?"

Linus finds a spot to curl up and goes to sleep.

With our luck, they're already here, but so well camoed we can't see them.  Old IISS field training joke from the instructors ...

One nesting spot with a view above the flood stage, with cover.  Better disperse a bit, use some ground cover to mask our IR signature too.

Neva took a quick look over at BLake and grinned.  "Hey there Negative Ned.  I was called on being a downer so you can't be one either...even if it is probably true."

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 469):

Walker finds a high spot, with two suitable trees, and pulls the camo tarp out of his pack.  Stringing it up, he sets up a low, floorless basha, with room under it for more than one.  He crawls underneath it, and uses his pack as a backrest.

"There's room." he says, quietly.

Ned and Nettie - we're doomed.  Way too much negative energy here.  Blake finds a location allowing some reclining and elevating of the feet.  Seeing as two ladies are present, he refrains from the usual banal 2 scouts walk into a bar sordid jokes ... Ya know, I need to get me one of those harmonica thingies ...

In reply to Blake Renfield (msg # 475):

Neva chuckled at Blakes comment about harmonica thingies.  "Well Ned, if you don't know how to blow on one of those harmonica thingies to make sweet music, don't forget the earplugs for Nettie."

I am a maestro in my own mind ... Miss Nettie.  Perhaps you are musically inclined ??  Or is the sounds of bullets flying for you ??

In reply to Blake Renfield (msg # 477):

"I don't worry about the sounds of bullets that I hear Ned, only the ones i don't hear.
I can carry a tune as long as I only hum it.  I am more than capable on a guitar but that's about it musically speaking."

This message was deleted by the player at 12:36, Wed 04 May 2016.

In reply to Thomas Walker (msg # 479):

Soon, it started getting dark. It had fully clouded over, and a light, cold rain started falling.

The wind began blowing, harder and harder. Trees swayed back and forth, adding to the background sound.

As the last light faded from the sliver of sky visible through the trees overhead, they heard the thunder rumble again. It seemed much closer and louder, almost overhead.

This time they could see a possible cause. The clouds lit up. But not with flashes of lighting. They saw the  clouds light up as something passed by overhead at high altitude. As the flashes passed by overhead they heard the craaaack-ruummmmble of a ship or small craft passed at supersonic speed during atmospheric re-entry, obscured by the low cloud layer.

Right on time - never did like cold showers.  Blake crawls out to send a couple flashes from the flashlight.  Lets make sure we got everything people.  Blake makes sure the carbine is ready, in case we have a different crew onboard ...

Ken looked up at the sky through the veil of light rain.  "Some one is making an assault from space by the sound and sight of it.  Let's hunker down for the night.  I don't want anyone lost or brought down with hypothermia."

Within minutes a small craft was hovering overhead, catching the last rays of the setting sun. It was a modular cutter, in Free Suns markings and with navigation lights on. Spotlights and landing lights stabbed down into the gloom under the trees.

The cutter circled the clearing, then came down for a landing.

Seeing the cutter start to land Ken stepped up.  Holding his arms up and hands clear he moved forward into the clearing.  "Come on, let's get out of here."

Linus sat up.

"Is that our ride?" he asked, yawning.

It could be ...  Looking at Ken ...

Ollie is keen to get out of here, so he eagerly grabs his pack and follows Ken.

"Well if we're going to catch that ride then we'd better get going. I'll cover the rear."

In reply to Neva Alexovna Morozova (msg # 488):

"I was thinking about that.  Can you spot for me?"

Ken calls back.  "Stay out of sight until I can confirm that they're truly safe."

In reply to Ken Jenkins (msg # 490):

Walker follows to a point where he can watch Ken interact with the incoming ship.

"Has anyone in our little group ever spotted for a long-distance shot?"