Z-Day + 1 - 6:00 AM Mountain Time - 4 miles east of Scobey, Montana In the living room- Jake squeezed Caitlin in a bear hug, tears in his eyes. "I'm just so relieved you made it here in one piece," he said. "Clyde, get the back door and let Caitlin's friends in."
"Right, Pop," said Clyde. "Good to see again, Caitlin." He hurried off through the dining room to the kitchen.
Mary hugged Caitlin next. "Are you and your friends hungry? We were just finishing breakfast, but there's plenty left."
"Oh, you poor dear," said Veronica to Caitlin. She closed and barred the front door once Caitlin was inside.
In the kitchen- Clyde opened the back door, and two youngsters with blond hair walked in. The woman was beautiful, with Russian features, and the man was handsome and looked vaguely Scandinavian. Then a pretty, dark-haired woman in her late twenties entrered behind Lara and Sven. They hadn't even known she was behind them. She wore a short black skirt and a white blouse with a V-neck. She and Clyde seemed to recognize each other. Clyde was a plain-looking, strong man in overalls, and he carried a hunting rifle.
"Oh, Clyde!" said the woman, running up to him and throwing her arms around him. "Thank God you're here!"
"Tricia?" he said. "Hey, I'm glad to see you're alive, but my wife is in the other room and she might get the wrong idea."
"Your wife?" Tricia released Clyde and stepped back. "Oh..."
OOC,[b]Lara[/b] and [b]Sven[/b], you may roll Psychology.
Perplexed, Larasees the girl, a waitress..or? She lets the girl run past the trio and nods at the family inside. "Spasiba.." She shuts the door and bolts it. Then pockets the 9mm. When sure there isn´t anything wrong about to happen, she backs up to the wall next to the door and watches the reunion.
With all the hugs and reunion initiated, Catilin turns to make introductions. "Everyone, this is Lara and Sven. Lara helped Dad and myself escape the barnhouse, and we ran into Sven on the road... almost literally."
In the dining room- Caitlin and her family walked into the dining room from the kitchen while Clyde led Lara, Sven, and Tricia in from the kitchen after barring the back door.
"I'm Jake Bell," said the big, middle-aged rancher to Lara and Sven, sticking out his hand. "Welcome to the Bell Ranch, and thank you for getting my niece here safe and sound. You're in my debt, and you can stay on my ranch as long as you like. You'll have to work like the rest of us, of course. We can be self-sufficient here, but it'll take all of our efforts to do so." He looked at Tricia. "I thought you said you were with two others, Caitlin. Who's this?"
"Oh, I'm not with them," she said. "I just arrived at the same time. I'm Tricia Barrett, a waitress from Scobey and probably the only survivor left from there. Can I please stay here too, Mr. Bell?"
The homestead and wholesome atmosphere of the ranch, combined with the morning meal - makes Lara feel something close to relaxation. The same sensation you have when you´ve studied for two months on a dig site - only to know that you don´t get the spot. You know you have the knowledge but don´t need to show it off. You can rest - because you know it wasn´t for nothing. That feeling is easy to bear. She´s happy to be safe. To be at a place like home. "Domoĭ, home..."
She sighs and watches the family reunion unfold.
In the dining room-
"It's okay, Pop," said Clyde. "I know her from the diner is Scobey. She's all right."
"Please, Mr. Bell?" asked Tricia, looking at Jake with wide doe-like eyes. "I can pull my weight and work as hard as anyone else."
Jakegave her a warm smile. "Of course you can stay with us," he said. "I won't turn you out on your own, not with those crazies out there looking to eat anyone they can get their hands on."
"Oh, thank you, thank you!"
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my family." He indicated each in turn. "This is my wife, Mary. My son Clyde you've already met, and this is his wife Veronica. My niece, Caitlin."
"Hi." Tricia stared at Veronica. "Wow...you're so beautiful..."
Lara stays seated, her back towards the wall. "My name is Lara Voronova. I escape skinheads. Run from deads. Find Caitlind and father. We drive here and find sad Sven." She pauses and adds, "Thank you for letting us stay."
In the dining room-
"You're quite welcome," said Jake. "And thank you again for bringing Caitlin here safely. You had a run-in with those Aryan Brotherhood types near Scobey, huh? I never liked living near those Nazi scumbags. I'm glad you got clear of them."
"I escaped from them too," said Tricia. "I had been trapped up on the roof of the diner where I worked in Scobey when a bunch of them rode in and 'rescued' me. I had to play along with them until I got a chance to slip away."
"What do you mean, they're gone?" said Clyde. "There were, like, a couple hundred of them in that fortified plot of theirs outside Scobey! You couldn't have killed all of them. Unless they'd had their ranks thinned out by the crazies..."
Tricia shook her head. "There were still a lot of them there when I left about an hour ago," she said.
"I think I know what the mixup is," said Sven. "Lara got away from skinheads further south. So there's more of them up this way?"
"Yeah, a whole bunch of heavily armed Nazis," said Jake. "They've got some land about a mile southeast of the Scobey city limits. They're led by some self-styled general - though he calls himself Gruppenführer - named Holt. Benjamin Holt. They've never bothered us none, though I don't much like having them nearby."
OOC,[b]Lara[/b], you got the 9mm pistols from [b]Deadeye[/b] and [b]Nitro[/b], not from [b]Mutt[/b] - though one of them had taken it from [b]Mutt[/b]'s dead body originally.
"Oh I misunderstand. Have slept bad. I fled from skinheads before not here. Are they here?!"Lara gets up, not as comfortable as she had been just a few seconds ago. "They chasing you?" She looks out a window towards the back side and tries to see if there´s someone out there.
Lara turns to the others. "If we could see you from road. So can them. We should light out and hope they not come here. The skinheads I mean." She continues to look out for any movement in the dawn light.
Caitlin speaks up from leaning on the wall. "Lara, there was nothing in our rear view the whole way here, even with our turn arounds and detours. Besides, the gate is still locked and, if we keep a constant watch, we'll see them coming before they even come close."
Very OOC,Of course, however, since this is a survival apocalypse thing, SOMETHING's gonna breach the compound eventually, hahaha.
OOC,It's a ranch, not a compound. The fence helps, but it might not keep out zombies for long and it certainly won't stop humans forever - you got in, after all.
In the dining room-
"Oh, no," said Tricia. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to lead them here, I just didn't know where else to go."
"Now don't you worry none," said Jake Bell. "I said you can stay, and I meant it. I'll not turn you out and let them get their hands on you. We're not fleeing, either. This is our ranch, our home, and we can hold it, like Caitlin said. Clyde, you can stand first watch."
"Sure, Pop," said Clyde.
"I think Lara means we can put the light out," said Veronica. "So they don't see it."
Jake nodded. "It's still dark out, though," he said. "But we can close the shutters, so that the light won't get out."
OOC,Nobody has posted in this thread for over two weeks now, but I know that I've seen both [b]Lara[/b]'s and [b]Caitlin[/b]'s players active on the board. Remember that even if you're doing nothing, you should still post to describe your inactivity. You could just sit here and wait until something happens, but I wouldn't recommend that. Time is a precious resource, and you shouldn't waste it. If you both want to do things that take a while, that's fine, and I'll move things forward.
Caitlin, finally starting to relax a little, check her ammo reserves. Looking up at Jake she asks, "What do we have to defend ourselves with... if it comes to... you know."
Lara checks the mag in the 9mm. "Three rounds left...bad." She hesitates. "We came with car fully loaded. Best we fetch it!" She gets up and comments. "Foolish forgets. I got keys." She starts for the door. "Who want comes and helps?"
In the dining room-
Everyone had finished breakfast by this time, and Tricia helped Mary clear away the dishes.
"I've got four," said Sven, checking the other pistol.
Caitlin found that she had fourteen spare shells in her box, in addition to the two loaded into the shotgun.
"I've got my old carbine," said Jake, "Clyde's got his Marlin, and the women have shotguns. We've got a decent amount of ammo for them too. Not as much as we had yesterday, but it should last us some time. Things have quieted down."
"I'll go with you," said Clyde to Lara. He walked with her to the front door and moved aside the barricade. "Once we open the gate, we can drive your car and its supplies right into the barn." He opened the door and led her outside while Veronica covered them with her shotgun.
Lara Voronova/Caitlin Bell/Sven Petersen,The pickup truck that brought you here ran out of gas on the road close to the ranch.
"Well, not. It out of gas. We need to carry the items we can use. Maybe you have extra gas? Or a carry-wheel?" She gets ready to walk/run to the gates.
"Uhh, we'll have to push it. We petered out on the road as we neared the gate. But we should probably get the truck and our supplies in before we attract someone's attention."
In front of the house-
"Well, we do have a gas pump over by the barn," said Clyde as he led the women down the front walk. "We can push your vehicle over to the pump, or we can grab a jerry can from the barn, fill it up, and bring it out to your truck. Up to you."
Caitlin thinks for a moment before deciding. "It might be safer to push it in the gates quietly. It would require a couple more people, but we wouldn't make as much noise trying to get the engine to catch as the gas cycles in."
Caitlin stays there for a second, stunned at Lara's sudden action. Picking up her gun and following after, she turns to her family and shrugs. "She does that sometimes."
Outside the barn-
The sky was already starting to lighten with the dawn. Sven joined Clyde and the others outside while Veronica stood watch at the front door. Clyde unbarred and opened the gates, and they followed him out to the road. The four of them had no problem pushing the truck, though it was slow going. Once they got it back through the gates, Clyde secured them again. Then they continued pushing the truck, as it got brighter still. The sun was visible in the east by the time they were a couple of minutes from the barn.
OOC,Everyone, please roll Spot Hidden. The base skill is 25%.
OOC,The term "impale" is only used in the rules for attacks in combat, but yes, it is an exceptional success and you'll see a lot more detail.
Caitlin Bell,[b]Caitlin[/b] happened to glance back at the road outside the ranch's front gates when she saw three horsemen approaching from the west. They also had a dog on a leash, which looked to be a German Shepherd. All three men wore military-style uniforms and caps, though they appeared to be either bald or shaven-headed. The leading horseman had a pistol and a saber on his belt, and the two that followed him carried M16 assault rifles. The leader's cap had a single gold vertical bar indicating his rank. [b]Caitlin[/b] noticed that they all had insignia on their collars as well: twin lightning bolts, the emblem of the notorious SS.
Lara keeps on pushing the truck. "Da, pushing..." She lowers her head and gets a better footing and makes a good effort to get the truck some momentum.
Lara stops and looks down the road. She stoops and grabs a rock and puts it behind one of the rear tires. She stays low and circles the truck to hide behind it. When she gets to the other side, she lays down and peeks at the approaching riders of the apocalypse from under the truck. "Have they seen us?"
Caitlin kneels by Lara and hisses, "What are you doing? I said move FASTER. Hide in the cab, don't hold us up. If we keep moving, we might not fight. We stop here, we definitely will. And we might not all make it."
Handy,What does Caitlin know of this group... Similarly... what do [i]I[/i] know about 'em?
Caitlin Bell,[b]Caitlin[/b] only knows what her family and [b]Tricia[/b] told her earlier in this thread. She hasn't spent a whole lot of time here on the ranch, and she has never encountered the local skinheads before, so she doesn't know any more than that.
Outside the barn- Clydesaw the skinheads too. "Crap!" he cried. "Run, Caitlin! I'll cover you." He raised his rifle and trained it on the fast approaching horsemen. Svenalso caught sight of them and followed Lara back to the house.
The three horsemen trotted along the road. One of them pointed at the small group of people gathered near the barn, and then all three of them broke into a gallop and unslung their weapons. They quickly reached the front gates.
On the front porch- Lara and Sven bolted for the front door of the house. They reached the porch, where Veronica stood ready with the shotgun. Veronicalooked confused by their panicked flight. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Some skinheads on horses come to the gates with rifles. I have not much ammo..." She tilts her almost useless gun. "We are more than them. If we walk at them with guns - they might ride away. We seven they three. No good match for skins..."
Outside the barn-
"Hold it right there!" shouted Clyde. "This is private property!"
"We're not on your property!" called back the lead horseman from outside the gates, some fifty yards from the ranch house and well out of effective pistol range. "Now lower that rifle before someone gets hurt."
On the front porch- Caitlin ran onto the porch just as Veronica stepped outside, hefting her shotgun. "Clyde, be careful!" she cried.
Lara and Sven darted through the open door and into the living room.
In the living room- Jake, Mary, and Tricia came in from the dining room in time to see Lara and Sven burst in, gasping for breath.
Jake was sitting in one of the dining room chairs, and amid the conversation between Mary and Caitlin, was nodding in and out of sleep. A long, restless night, coupled with a hearty breakfast and the arrival of his niece, had created a strange sense of normality despite the events of the previous day. Mostly, it was the exhaustion...
Suddenly, the commotion from the living room caused the women to startle and they rushed out of the dining room...
Damn fool!...Jake thought to himself as he sprang out of the chair, grabbing the .30 Carbine he had left against the wall a few feet away, berating himself for letting his guard down. The adrenaline rush cancelled out the pain in his knees from a life of ranching and he was soon passing the women in the living room, even as Lara's words hit him, as well as the anxiousness in her voice.
As he bolted onto the porch, Jake raised the rifle and sighted it on the three mounted men, even before his eyes had fully adjusted to the early morning light...
"STATE YOUR BUSINESS OR CARRY ON OUT OF HERE!"
OOC,I'm sighting my rifle based on the assumption that Clyde and Veronica have theirs sighted and based on what I glimpse as I burst onto the porch. If I'm incorrect,I blame my 50 year old eyes, the poor early morning light and my grogginess...Hopefully I'm not endangering the family I'm trying to protect by startling the skin heads....
OOC,[b]Veronica[/b] has a shotgun and she hadn't pointed it at anyone yet, but otherwise you're correct.
In the living room- Tricia sidled up to the door and peeked out. "Oh, God, it's him..." she hissed.
On the front porch- Veronica raised her shotgun and leveled it at the riders when her father-in-law came out and aimed his rifle. Having him beside her was reassuring.
Outside the barn- Clyde held his rifle steady.
"We're looking for Tricia," said the lead horseman. "I know she's here."
Damn!...he thought. Was she out on the equipment crew to the barn with Clyde and the two foreigners?...Did they see her?
He knew, or thought she went out as far as he could recollect, but his exhaustion was wreaking havoc on his memory, but he knew he promised to keep her safe despite her sudden appearance from out of no where and Clyde vouching for her....
Did they know?....
His eyes kept darting to Veronica in a vain attempt to get her to notice and raise her gun, but to no avail...
He choose to lie..
"Three people showed up here but we had neither the supplies or space for them to stay. We lent them our old '76 Ford and, in exchange gas for money, they carried on towards the west...A young girl with what I believe...were Romanian-speaking kids.....?"
Jake hoped the skinheads had not seen more than what he thought...and he could feel his finger tense up on the trigger....
OOC,Do I need a Fast Talk or Bargain here or did they see more than what I hoped in the early morning...
OOC,Sorry I missed Veronica getting in on the action..Again my bad eyesight but happy to have her as a daughter-in-law and getting in on targetting skinheads ;)
Lara Voronova walks towards the gates again, her pistol raised once more. "No matter - you leave now." She walks towards the riders of the apocalypse, remembering her own ordeal with the similar group at the motel.
"God, you better keep aim true...", she whispers as she closes in on them and aims at the one closest to the gates. With any luck, a missed shot would either hit one of the others or at least one of the horses - scaring them away or throwing off the rider.
Fast Talk Roll,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3319653/]Fast Talk (05%) lying to the skinhead riders (1d100=40)[/url]
It was only a few seconds but felt like an eternity to Jake.
My lie didn't stick...thought Jake. The riders neither moved nor responded. He may have fast talked Randy at Northside Tire and Auto in Scobey for sweet deals on auto parts but this situation clearly did not apply...
It was then that he saw the blonde foreign girl approach the gate with her pistol drawn and aimed...
God help us, this may get ugly.... He thought...
"I'll take the one in the middle..." He whispered to Clyde and Veronica, despite the riders being far from ear shot...
He took aim on the middle rider and tried one last stab at a peaceful resolution...
"THAT'S YOUR CUE TO RIDE ON OUTTA HERE WITH YOUR HIDES INTACT! IF YA CAN COUNT, YOU'RE OUTGUNNED!
In the back of his mind, Jake remembered how their guest's story left close to a hundred skinheads uncounted for and an incident here may bring them...Either way, this was not good for the family or the ranch....
Jake was a reasonable man but somewhere inside himself, he believed things...life...would return to normal...but now it looked like they would never be the same....
On the front porch- Lara and Caitlin emerged onto the porch as well with their pistols drawn, but they were still some fifty yards from the gates, well out of effective range. They did not yet have time to get closer.
Outside the barn- Clyde watched the skinheads carefully, ready for anything.
"Oh, I can count, mister," said the lead rider. "This isn't over!" He whirled around to the west and waved to his two men. They rode off in that direction, the dog following after them.
Feeling the lightness in her heart as she sees the three men ride away comes close to the nearly empty 9mm in her hand. Lara sighs and says "Now, let´s see if we fix truck? They come back with more and I not think your family wants me here. I´m trouble. Girls and boys...always trouble. Tricia seems trouble to the family too. Maybe we get fuel for truck, then leave again? You want to stay with your family, yes? I understand. If not we can leave - perhaps all - if you have more cars? The skins will come back and be much trouble." While babbling, she´s evidently startled by the encounter with these new skinheads and has no plan to stick around for them to come back.
As the riders galloped from the ranch, Jake let out a deep breath and lowered his rifle...
The Skinhead leader's last words echoed in his mind... "This isn't over..."...
He turned to Clyde...
"Good job son..." He gripped his son's shoulder and turned to Veronica...
"Veronica...." He trailed off and nodded...He was proud of her but lacked the words to express it...
Just then he heard Lara and the fear in her voice...
Syrinx wrote: "Now, let´s see if we fix truck? They come back with more and I not think your family wants me here. I´m trouble. Girls and boys...always trouble. Tricia seems trouble to the family too. Maybe we get fuel for truck, then leave again? You want to stay with your family, yes? I understand. If not we can leave - perhaps all - if you have more cars? The skins will come back and be much trouble."
"Whoa girl! We should have some time here..Maybe we should relax, all go inside and discuss a plan of action...."
Jake tried to talk as soft and calm as he could to relax the distraught young lady....
Jake pulled off his ever-constant John Deere hat and wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm....Which was odd because the early morning temperature was still cool...
These kids are going to give me a heart attack!
"All right!" Jake addressed the group but directed towards Lara. "You can all leave and I have no problem giving up the gas to help ya but I think we will be better off if we stick together, in numbers. I never heard of no southern Skinhead group but, even if they hook up with the Scobey ones, would they risk coming through all the crazies to get us...and besides, how many would be left? I say we stick it out here and defend...even if they do come back. I've avoided run-in's with these idiots in my life but, from what I've gathered, they're nothin but cowards..."
"Da, I see your point. But my gun is light, I need bullets. And maybe a rifle. I not know what´s in the truck. Caitlin, sestra, do you have rifles and ammunitions in there, from the farm?"Lara eases down a bit by Jake´s calm demeanor. "Yes, cowards. From the barn we can hold them away. Then maybe fall back to the main house, protection from the hills? Some of us can stay in the house to cover fire... Then have the truck ready if we must leave. On the back side of the house." She smiles at Jake."Now, we push truck. Later we push skinheads."
OOC - Tactics:
Spoiler:
Assuming they have time to push the truck and fill it up as well as check for weapons and reequip whatever arsenal they have ready at the farm, I´d like a small layout of the farm, fence etc. To work out a plan regarding natural cover and such.
Show,Right on Syrinx! Either Lara and Jake will be heroes for pulling this off or it's gonna get ugly! Regardless, this should be fun! :) Along with Syrinx's request for a layout, we should also get clarification for weapons and ammo. Jake and Clyde have their rifles while Mary and Veronica have shotguns, based on the Dec. 4th post, with the others (outside of Lara) stating available ammo:
[size=85]
"I've got four," said Sven, checking the other pistol.
Caitlin found that she had fourteen spare shells in her box, in addition to the two loaded into the shotgun.
"I've got my old carbine," said Jake, "Clyde's got his Marlin, and the women have shotguns. We've got a decent amount of ammo for them too. Not as much as we had yesterday, but it should last us some time. Things have quieted down."[/size]
How much ammo do we have and do we have any additional weapons on the farm? Looks like a potential show-down at the Bell ranch lol!
Thanx!
On the front porch- Tricia came outside. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry I got you all into this mess," she said. "I think they might have seen me. If you want me to leave, I'll leave."
Veronica lowered her shotgun. "I doubt that would do any good. Even if you left, they'd still think you were here. But maybe you'd be safer."
Outside the barn- Lara and Sven rejoined Clyde, and the three of them were able to finish pushing the pickup truck up to the gas pump in a couple of minutes.
OOC,There are no additional weapons or ammo on the truck, and all the guns and ammo on the ranch are listed in the Locations and Weapons thread next to each character's name. The pickup truck mainly has water, food, medical supplies and tools. It is not broken, just out of gas. It will take one person about fifteen minutes to refuel it fully. The other vehicles on the ranch are already fully fueled. [b]Lara[/b] has three bullets in her 9mm pistol, [b]Sven[/b] has four in his, and [b]Caitlin[/b] has sixteen shells for her shotgun plus her scalpel. [b]Jake[/b] has almost 200 rounds for his carbine, [b]Clyde[/b] has 200 for his rifle, and [b]Mary[/b] and [b]Veronica[/b] have 100 shells each for their shotguns (which are both 12-gauge, just like [b]Caitlin[/b]'s). Those are the only firearms on the ranch, though I'm sure you can find other things that can be used as or made into weapons.
The ranch and its surroundings are on pretty flat ground. The ranch is a square property about a quarter of a mile on each side, just south of the east-west road where the front gates stand in the middle of the northern fence. The ranch house is fifty yards south of the gates. The only natural cover is some light woods on the ranch grounds, to the southwest of the ranch house. The barn is located fifty yards west of the ranch house, and the gas pump is in front of the barn. The ranch has large pastures for cattle and horses, surrounded by smaller fences.
Jake Bell nodded at Veronica and then spoke to Tricia.
"Veronica is right. You should hang tight with us. We have a better chance with numbers and, if they come back, we'll be ready..."
Jake swallowed hard. He watched Lara and the others push the truck to the pumps...
That foreign girl had a good plan... Jake thought.
"Clyde!" Jake shouted, "After you fill their truck, get them to bring it around to the south side of the house and you bring the Civic around as well. Then meet me at the barn..."
Jake retreated into the house and retrieved the keys for the Dodge and the tractor...
"Mary!" Jake shouted even though his wife was most likely close by...
OOC,Unfortunately Syrinx had to retire here but I think the plan had its advantages..Going to proceed as such..:)
Caitlin stood by listening. She had come this far to arrive here and now this. She started to prefer the threat of mindless beasts. "Maybe we can shuffle the stuff in the back of the truck to carry more for everyone. Just in case. We don't want to be caught unprepared if we have to make a run for it."
"I agree. After Clyde pulls the car around the house, where it will be waiting with the kid's truck, Mary and Veronica can decide what more we need in terms of food and supplies, based on what they already have with them, and stock the truck and car in case of a quick get-away. Then Clyde and I will station in the barn, with the rifles and a pair of binoculars..."
Jake made a mental note to grab the binoculars then continued...
"Everyone else can remain stationed in the house..." Jake glanced at Caitlin's shotgun, noting a 12 guage. "If you're short on ammo, Veronica or Mary can spare some shells. Anyways, if things look bad up front we can leave...All of you in the vehicles behind the house and Clyde and me in the truck in the barn. But first, we have to assess what we're up against..."
Jake turned to Tricia. "Can you tell us what's going on and what we're looking at? I wouldn't expect the skins to show up here unless you have something they want. If there's anything you need to tell us, then please do..."
Jake's voice softened as he trailed off but he was worried.
I hate to leave the ranch. It's been my life....and where do we go? He thought. Dear God...What have these kids got into....?
The temperature had not risen by much but again Jake pulled off his John Deere hat and wiped a cold sweat from his brow with his forearm....
On the front porch- Tricia looked at her feet. "I think it's me that they want," she said. "Well, that one guy, Lt. Joshua Stuart, anyway. He has a thing for me. I was trapped on the roof of the diner in Scobey by the infected people. For all I know I'm the only survivor from there. Those Nazis rode in on their horses. They'd come to loot the town for supplies and stuff, but they 'rescued' me while they were at it. I guess they did save my life, but...they just give me the creeps. They took me back to their compound, and I was too scared to try to refuse. There must have been at least a hundred men there, all heavily armed. Stuart put me in a room next to his and told me to get some sleep. He didn't try anything, but he did kiss me goodnight and told me he'd see me in the morning. I didn't dare go to sleep in that place. I waited until everyone fell asleep and then slipped out. The compound's fence is topped with razor wire, but I found a tree just inside the fence with a branch that went over it, so I was able to escape. He must have tracked me down here because he wants me back. Maybe...maybe I should just go with him. Then the rest of you will be safe."
"Nyet," said Lara, a grim frown crossing her face. "I die before I let those pigs touch you."
"They might not leave the rest of us alone even if you did go with them," said Sven. "We've already defied them, so they might want to make an example of us. And now they've seen that there are other women here." He spoke to Jake. "The truck we came in is already loaded up with water, food, and other supplies from Caitlin's farm. Loading more supplies from your ranch into your own vehicles would help too if we have to make a run for it. But where would we go?"
Outside the barn- Clyde hooked up the gas pump to the pickup truck's tank and began pumping the gas. He nodded in reply to his father.
Caitlin searched her mind for anywhere else they could go; until then, the ranch had been the one escape and now that seemed like it was going to be a lost hold-out. "How long could we make it on the move?"
Jake Bell weighed the information provided by Tricia...
She's claiming there is still around 100 skinheads at the Scobey compound. He thought. So much for the crazies thinning their numbers, as Clyde speculated earlier....and what if they hook up with the other skins Lara escaped from...?
He remembered the M16's the three riders were carrying before riding back west...
If they came back in numbers, we wouldn't stand a chance....
He liked Lara's fire and fight..but this may be a losing battle. A heavy weight descended on his heart. He hated to leave the ranch and even the animals he had grown accustomed to fighting with during the daily chores day after day....
He wished Clyde was at the house to help with the decision but he was still fuelling the truck...
He listened to the others as they spoke...
Sven: (To Tricia then Jake)
"They might not leave the rest of us alone even if you did go with them. We've already defied them, so they might want to make an example of us. And now they've seen that there are other women here. The truck we came in is already loaded up with water, food, and other supplies from Caitlin's farm. Loading more supplies from your ranch into your own vehicles would help too if we have to make a run for it. But where would we go?"
Caitlin: (...Apparently wanting answers in general)
"How long could we make it on the move?"
Jake heard the others and had to make a call...
"You..." Pointing at Sven "Run out to Clyde and give him a hand filling whatever jerry cans we have with gas and load them into the truck. We're going to have to leave!"
"I'm going to get the Civic out of the barn and pull it around to load up."
He addressed the women. "The rest of you...grab what we need for supplies. I'll bring the car around. We can travel east from here along Highway 5. We'll carry through Flaxville, without stopping, after what we've seen yesterday, and can move east to Plentywood. Along the way, we can check the small communities...Navajo, Redstone.....for supplies...Then we can look at North Dakota in two different directions...Or even Canada....."
Jake trailed off then mustered up the strength he could to instill confidence in the others...
"Maybe, in a larger center, we will find others trying to survive what we are trying to as well...."
He stopped Caitlin....
"Can you check the radio...or the "Social Media" to see what anyone is saying.." Jake was admittedly ignorant of what the young kids were into. "Maybe see if there's any word of a safe place available for us to go to..."
Jake sprung into action but the thought of losing what he had built up, in terms of a life and the ranch...family....was a hard pill to swallow....
OCC,I'm sure the ranch has jerry cans for gas..if not we have a shabby operation :D
Caitlin nodded. She went to where the truck was being fuelled and hopped in, turning the battery on once they had finished and clicked on the radio, scanning the stations for anything that sounded like information.
Outside the barn-
While Clyde refueled the pickup truck, Sven gathered six jerry cans from inside the barn. Each one would hold enough for half a tank of gas for one of the vehicles, though the tractor ran on diesel. Jake brought the Civic and then the pickup truck out and parked them near the pump. Caitlin tried all of the radio stations, but all she got was static.
"I stayed on the air for as long as I could," said Sven, "but even I had to go off and make a run for it eventually. I don't think anyone's still broadcasting any more, at least not around these parts. There's been no Internet connection since early yesterday morning either."
Mary, Veronica, Tricia, and Lara gathered water and nonperishable food, as well as what medical supplies they could find in the house, and loaded them into the Civic and the Bell family's pickup truck. Everyone was very organized under Jake's direction, and by the time Clyde had finished filling up the pickup's tank about fifteen minutes later, they had gathered enough to fill the back of the other pickup and the Civic's trunk, leaving only enough space for the jerry cans. However, there was only one manual gas pump, so the jerry cans could not be filled until after Clyde finished with the pickup. The other vehicles' tanks were already close to full.
OOC,Only two of the men had M16s. The leader had a pistol and a saber.
It will take about another 45 minutes to fill all of the jerry cans.
Outside the barn-
"Cell service went out at the same time the Internet did," said Tricia. "Landlines still worked the last I checked, which was yesterday, but I don't know if there'll be anyone on the other end."
Caitlin was becoming increasingly irate regarding the lack of contact with anyone outside. "What about CB's? Could there be some emergency signal going out?"
Outside the barn-
"CBs do work," said Clyde, "but there's no emergency signal or anything like that. We heard some chatter yesterday, mostly panicked people who didn't know what to do, but nothing so far this morning."
Jake Bell assisted Mary, Veronica, Tricia and Lara with the loading of supplies into the vehicles after pulling the Civic around. Once they had finished loading what they could, he observed Clyde's progress...
It's going to take about 45 minutes for him to fill those jerry cans but we need them... He thought. Who knows what we'll find in terms of fuel once we leave...
He heard the chatter between Clyde, Tricia and the others about communication from the outside but he had other things on his mind....
He had to establish a watch...
"I'm going to establish a watch for the skins! Clyde keeping filling those jerry cans!" He nodded towards his son... "Once I spot them, we're out of here, regardless of what we have filled up for extra fuel! We have three vehicles here so it doesn't matter how we divide up, there being 8 of us and enough room for all. I'm going to take a watch and, heaven forbid, we have enough time...."
The Watch,IIRC - All the vehicles are at the barn, which is on the west side of the ranch, 50 yrds from the ranch house (which is to the east)....
If this barn has an upper story and an opening, I will climb up there and keep watch to the west, the direction the skins last rode away in, and whatever other direction I can see. If I can view multiple directions, I'll take someone with me to cover those directions. If we can, I will take a second person regardless and try to punch a view hole in the wood of the barn wall facing other directions to make sure we are not surprised.
Even without binoculars, we should be able to see dust on the horizon from multiple riders, especially a great number. We will continue to fill the jerry cans but, if we see anyone approaching, we will immediately leave!
If the barn does not have an upper story, I will have to retire to the farmhouse and view from there...In this case, I definitely take someone with me to cover the other views. Since the farmhouse is on the way out of the ranch (exit to the north IIRC), we can alert the others and be picked up....Let me know if this plan is legit..?! Thanks!
Outside the barn- Veronica went into the barn with Jake, while Clyde and Sven worked together to fill the jerry cans at the pump. Mary, Caitlin, and Lara remained with the vehicles near the pump.
In the barn- Jake and Veronica climbed the ladder inside the barn to the loft. There were large, wide openings looking out to the north and south, but they were able to create small holes in the west and east walls with a wood axe kept in the barn. The first fifteen minutes of the watch went smoothly and without incident. By this time, two of the jerry cans had been filled below.
OOC,[b]Jake[/b], please roll Spot Hidden. The base skill is 25%.
Spot Hidden Roll,[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3392251/]Wow! Not even close lol... :roll:[/url]
I'll continue about my business, observing mostly to the west. I'll also remind Veronica to mention any thing suspicious she might see, no matter how small it may be...
In the barn-
While Veronica was looking out to the west, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. "Papa Bell!" she said. "I see someone approaching on foot from the west, on the road. Still a long ways off, and I can't make out any detail, but it's just one guy."
Jake Bell instinctively ran over to Veronica and took a look, but her report was accurate and his old eyes were no better....
Damn fool... Jake scolded himself.. ..Like I would make out more. Could be another survivor or even one of the infected...Hard to tell...
Mr. Handy,Do we have binoculars available on the farm? If we do, I'll have to send Mary to retrieve them as we need Clyde to keep filling the jerry cans. If not, we'll have to wait it out until the lone figure gets close enough to get a read on who or what he is...
In the barn- Jake and Veronica waited as the figure walked closer. As it approached, it became apparent that the person was male, dressed in blue denim overalls. But it wasn't until he was fifty yards away that they could see the angry red of his eyes - a sure sign of infection! Veronicacalmly raised her shotgun and took aim. She fired, but the buckshot spread too wide at that range.
OOC,No, there are no binoculars.
[b]Jake[/b], please roll Sanity for seeing the zombie. Sanity loss is 0/1d10, so you lose no Sanity if you make the roll or 1d10 if you fail. If you lose 5 or more Sanity, you must roll Idea. Failing that roll means you may act freely. Succeeding at the Idea roll means you go temporarily insane.
If you stay sane, you may take a shot at the zombie. It is within your base range (barely), so you use your full skill. The only penalty is the -5 for aiming at the head if you choose to do so, which is recommended. If you hit, go ahead and roll damage for your carbine (2d6).
Crouching at the blast from above, Lara watches the walker go down. She stays put and scans for more incoming visitors. If they were not coming before, they might have picked up on the gun fire.
Anyway, she decides to investigate the walker more closely. He was quite dead - with the head blown off. There might be something worth scavenging while the others prepped the cars.
OOC:
Spoiler:
Different approach, same outcome . Glad to be back, guess it´s hard to let old acquaintances go.
Jake kept his rifle near shoulder height, pointing it in the direction of the prone walker, in case it was playing possum...
He squinted and scanned the horizon.
"Veronica, we have to keep an eye out and your eyes are better. Keep watching the horizon and check the other directions. I'll watch here" He spoke calmly to his daughter-in-law.
He leaned forward to the opening to help his voice carry in the cool, morning air...
"Clyde! How many more cans do you have to go?" He shouted out, hoping to get the attention of his son...
OOC,No problem SSior.27..We understand and congrats from me as well! :D
In the barn- Jake's shot drilled his target between the eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that the man was dead. He had seen the infected take a lot of damage and keep going, but a shot like that to the head brought them down every time. Veronica nodded and loaded a fresh shell into her shotgun to replace the one she had fired.
Outside the barn-
"One down, two to go, Dad!" Clyde called up from below.
Inside the gate-
By the time Lara was in a position to see the zombie, it was already dead. The body lay in the road beyond the ranch's perimeter fence, about fifty yards west of the front gate, which was barred. If she wanted to investigate the corpse, she would need to go out there.
Seeing the walker is outside the perimeter, Lara relaxes and waits some more. Two to go? She scans for more targets. If they stay outside of the fence, she´ll let them pass. Else...
If that infected bugger came from the west on foot, it means we should have time to fill the last jerry cans. If they were on horseback, they would have met him long before he got here...We should have the time!
Mr. Handy wrote:
Outside the barn-
"One down, two to go, Dad!" Clyde called up from below.
"Good job boy! We should have the time. Does your Ma need any help down there? I can send Veronica down if need be!" Jake shouts.
He then notes Lara creeping around the fence line..
"Hey Blondie!" Jake shouts at Lara. "Stay close in case we have to leave in a hurry. Don't want to be fetchin ya from a distance!"
Jake continues to scan the horizon and waits for a response from Clyde...
"No, we're good down here, Pa!" Clyde called up as he started to fill up the second jerry can.
In the barn- Jake and Veronica kept watch, but the next half hour passed without incident. Below, Clyde filled up the second jerry can, and then the third. "We're all done, Pa!" he shouted up to the loft when he had finished.
Mr. Handy wrote:
Jake and Veronica kept watch, but the next half hour passed without incident. Below, Clyde filled up the second jerry can, and then the third. "We're all done, Pa!" he shouted up to the loft when he had finished.
"Good job, son!" Jake shouted down to Clyde. "Send that foreign boy on up..er...Sven is his name I think..."
Jake addressed Veronica. "I'm gonna head on down and help Clyde look over the vehicles. The foreign kid can help the watch then we should be ready to go."
On the ladder down out of the barn, Jake considered the situation...
I hate to leave the farm. We could make a stand here but who knows how interconnected these two skinhead groups are. Besides, if they have numbers and heavy arms, how long before we give in? The thought of the skins shooting up the ranch and kidnapping the ladies makes Jake shutter...I hate the unknown but better to be safe than sorry...We'll head up the road east and hopefully find others like us and a safe haven...
Despite trying to think positive, the burden of leaving the farm and the fear of what is out there is no comfort for Jake...
As Jake reached the ground, he encountered Sven....
Outside the barn- Lara arrived at the vehicles and joined the others. Caitlin followed her.
"I'm not a foreigner," said Sven, "I'm an American. My family came from Sweden originally, but I was born here." He headed inside, reaching the ladder to the loft as Jake finished climbing down. Sven climbed up the ladder to join Veronica while Jake went outside.
OOC,You're getting ahead of yourself. There isn't time just yet to inspect the vehicles.
Everyone, please roll Spot Hidden and Listen. The base chance for both skills is 25%.
Keeper,Sorry Mr. Handy. I jumped the gun there. I was lulled into a false sense of security due to the relative peace we've been experiencing this morning...which is the point of a zombie movie...just when you relax.... :D . Anyways, I've editted my previous post and please disregard the three mechanical rolls for [ZA]Jake Bell (3444881,34444883 & 34444889).
Mr. Handy wrote:
"I'm not a foreigner," said Sven, "I'm an American. My family came from Sweden originally, but I was born here." He headed inside, reaching the ladder to the loft as Jake finished climbing down. Sven climbed up the ladder to join Veronica while Jake went outside.
Jake could hear Sven talking outside and realized his mistake. As Sven passed Jake, Jake stopped him...
"Sorry son," Jake spoke softly. "I didn't mean to upset you. It was only a misunderstanding caused by your name and the fact you arrived with Lara, who is definitely from another country. It was my mistake and I apologize." Jake nods to Sven then carries on outside.
Lara Voronova,[b]Lara[/b] could hear the unmistakable sound of two motor vehicles approaching from the west.
Jake Bell,After [b]Jake[/b] stepped outside, he caught a glimpse of two vehicles approaching on the road north of the ranch. There was a gray pickup truck followed by a van of the same color, and they were coming from the west. They were still a long way off, but they would arrive within a minute or so.
OOC,You heard [b]Sven[/b] just fine. The Listen roll is for something else. You made it outside, but there was no time yet to do anything with the vehicles. Don't worry about thinking you had more time there.
[b]Lara[/b] is Russian, by the way. You might have mixed her up with [b]Katarina[/b], who is Romanian and listed right above her in the Character Sheets, though she is not in this thread.
Spotting the vehicles, Jake springs into action...
"WE GOT GUESTS FROM THE WEST!!!
Jake raises his rifle and tries to sight them in preparation...
"Let's get some of the ladies to the Civic just in case they have to run! He attempts to shout up to the barn with a voice already hoarse and struggling against the late morning Montana heat. "Veronica! Sven! We got some vehicles approaching!"
"I hear them.", Lara replies and gets into the drivers´ seat of the truck she had arrived in. As she drove it previously, she hopes she did leave the keys in the ignition. They must have been there, otherwise they couldn´t have pushed it up to the barn.
She Waits for everyone to get ready. "We leaving?"
In the loft-
"Ladies first," said Sven, pointing to the ladder leading down. Veronica wasted no time in scrambling down it.
Outside the barn- Lara slipped behind the wheel of Caitlin's father's pickup truck. The keys were indeed still in the ignition. While she did this, Caitlin climbed in the passenger side of the cab and slid over into the middle seat, leaving the shotgun seat open for someone else.
"Ma, you and Tricia get in the Civic!" said Clyde, standing ready with his rifle. Mary hustled Tricia over to the car, and both women got inside the front seats.
Two gray vehicles came down the road north of the ranch from the west, and now they were visible to everyone. The lead vehicle was a pickup truck, and behind it was a large van. They pulled up outside of the ranch's gates, blocking the way out.
Mr.Handy,I have this lay-out of our ranch based on previous info:
- A flat ranch south of an east/west road with a grove of trees in the SW corner (from the ranch house)
- Front gates (now blocked) at the north end
- Ranch house 50 yds south of the gate
- Barn 50 yds west of the house with a gas pump present. (Lol..oh joy) Hopefully this is correct....
Is there any other breaks in the fence among the yards perimeter? Maybe where the cows get out....If not we may have to drive Caitlin's father's pick-up through the fence (not the Civic for sure!) and depending what kind of fence it is? (Wood posts, wire, etc.)
Anyways, I feel I will direct the ladies to drive the two vehicles (Caitlin's pick-up and the Civic) to the south side of the ranch house...Maybe they can provide firearm cover from there or even get away. Anyways, that's my plan on the spur of the moment...
Jake Bell can hear noise coming from the barn when the two vehicles block the entrance and knows someone is vacating the loft...
"Sven, Veronica! We need cover from the loft! He shouts painfully, his voice already hoarse from the previous excitement. "Find a knot hole and take aim without being seen!
He then shouts to Lara and Mary, the strain not as bad due to distance...
"Get those vehicles over to the south side of the ranch house! Get ready to cover us or make a run for it through a section of the south fence! Ram it if need be!"
He then addresses Clyde...
"We need to back away from the farm truck and the gas pump and take cover in the barn doors...but don't take your sites off of 'em..."
Jake beguns to slowly backstep towards the barn, rifle in position. He can't believe how thirsty he is now and the sweat threatens to invade his eyes. He can feel his heart pounding heavily...enough so, that he believes he can feel it in his ears....
Lara watches the vehicles. Somehow these seems to be too organized to belong to any rag-tag skinhead pin heads. "Stoj...." she replies to Jake, not sure if he can hear it. He seems to be on the way to the other side of the ranch house. Nothing bad in that.
She raises an open palm through the open side window.
However, then she starts the truck and brings it so the front towards the north gate.
She flicks the head lights on and off in morse. _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ _
This action to show they need help and not want to casue any trouble could make the visitors to show themselves. The skinheads - should this be them, would probably also get out and state their business... Let´s hope these are good people. She doesn´t hold her breath, though.
"We see who visits, Sestra...", she whispers to Caitlin.
OOC:
Spoiler:
No offense taken regarding Sven and his anscestry, Pickman
Outside the barn- Clyde jumped behind the wheel of Jake's pickup truck and started up the engine. Jake reached the cover of the barn. He could catch glimpses of men climbing out of the vehicles outside the gates, on the north side only. Their bald heads and uniforms, which matched those of the horsemen who had come by earlier this morning, and the rifles they carried told him everything he needed to know about who they were. They took cover behind their own vehicles.
Mary started up the Civic and tried to drive around the side of the ranch house, off the driveway, but the car got stuck in the mud. "Oh God oh God oh God..." moaned Tricia, next to her.
Caitlin gripped the seat, her knuckles going white. "Lara, why are we still here?" she asked. "Uncle Jake said to drive behind the house."
In the barn- Veronica groaned, having just reached the bottom of the ladder, and climbed back up to the loft.
In the loft- Sven found a knothole to peer through in the north wall of the barn and kept watch, but there was little he could do if it came to a fight. The skinheads were out of pistol range, but he did have a good vantage point.
OOC,The layout is almost correct, but the trees actually cover the area southwest of the house, not the southwest corner of the ranch. In fact, they go almost up to the house. The ranch is quite large. The perimeter fence, which is made of wood and does not have wire, encloses the entire property. The front gates are the only opening, and that's where cows would be brought in and out. There is plenty of room for them to roam on the ranch itself, which has large pastures.
Also, keep in mind that the Civic is not made for off-road travel, and there is no road on the south side of the house.
Realizing that the visitors are indeed the same as feared, Lara just says "Da, da... Looks we are stuck here." She nods at the Civic bogging down. She starts to turn the truck around to give the Civic a nudge to get free.
"I try to get them going." She will drive the truck slowly to ease the Civic oout of the mud. By power and not speed.
As Jake backs into the entrance of the barn, chaos descends! He could make out several armed, bald-headed men in uniforms departing the vehicles and, in a moment of clarity, realizes maybe they should have foregone the filling of the jerry cans and just fled...
Oh you stupid old man... Jake belittles himself...
He watches as Clyde runs to the farm truck and starts it up, instead of backing into the barn on foot, weapon drawn with him...
"Boy! Where ya goin?" Jake shouts hoarsely, his voice dry and cracked from the heat and most likely unhearable....
He watches the Civic pull away around the corner of the barn, out of view...However, he still hears it a second later then Lara's truck follows after...However, instead of distant engines, he hears the sound of motors still there and a dull thud...
He tries to focus on the sights of his gun and the Skins in the distance but also tries to remember how muddy the yard was before this encounter and considers if the Civic could handle it....
The tires! I should have changed the car's tires...As bald as a coot! I'm a thoughtless fool!
Jake felt despair descend upon him. They were in a mess and he had to re-group....but how...? The barn wasn't the place they needed to be. He attempted to count heads to determine how many of the enemy there was and quickly contemplate how to get this group back together...
We have enough weapons to fight this small group at this point but how to get everyone back together? Maybe this group is attempting to hole us in until reinforcements arrive....We need to act fast! Suddenly, Jake bolts upright! Damn! Does Sven have a rifle? He attempted to plumb his memory for the answer because that would help...
OOC,I'm sorry, I misread what you typed in your instructions to [b]Clyde[/b], but it's also possible that he either misheard or had a better idea.
In the loft- Veronica hurried over to join Sven and found her own vantage point. "Dammit, we're trapped in here!" she said. "I don't like this one bit."
"I'm not exactly enjoying it either," said Sven.
"At least the worst thing you have to worry about if these guys storm the place is getting killed."
In the barn- Clyde backed the truck up into the barn past where his father had taken cover. "In case we need to bust out of here," he said.
Jake recalled that Sven only had a pistol, not a rifle. Counting the men, he saw that there were ten of them. Three had been in the gray pickup truck and seven in the van.
West of the house- Lara slowly pushed the Civic forward with the pickup, but it was making poor progress. The car's wheels kept spinning uselessly. It was still going nowhere under its own power.
"Tricia Barrett!" called one of the men. "I see you in that car! Come on over here! We just want to talk to you!"
"Nonono..." whimpered Tricia.
"Don't worry, hon," said Mary. "We're not going to let them lay a finger on you."
OOC,No problem. I believe the chaos of the moment would be something else! I know my brain is spinning... :?
As Clyde backed the truck into the barn, Jake close the barn door behind him leaving only a small gap and shouted...
"Good job son! I need you in that loft. I forgot that only you and I are armed with weapons that can take on that range. Everyone else is armed with shotguns and pistols. Jake paused to catch his breath then continued. "Ask Sven if he can handle the pick-up and send him down. We need to rescue the others!"
Mr.Handy,Is there an alternative entrance to the barn facing any direction besides North? Or even a knothole or opening that I can see what is happening on the east side of the barn?
OOC,There is a very large opening in the east wall of the barn above the doors, accessible from the loft. You can also find a knothole in pretty much any direction.
OOC,Oops! I thought the barn door was facing north for some reason. So, the barn door faces to the East. Does that mean the Civic and Lara's truck are south of the barn and out of sight or in plain view? Sorry, my bad! I had the lay-out messed up in my head.
Still, Lara can´t get the gears working properly."Maybe best we wait by the barn?" She puts the truck in reverse and drives back to the barn - making it possible for the ones inside to hop on the roof if need be.
In the barn-
"Sven, can you handle a pickup truck?" Clyde called up to the loft as he climbed out of the cab. "If so, come on down here!" He turned back to his father. "Thanks, Dad. I'll get up there as soon as he comes down."
In the loft-
"Coming!" Sven said. He hustled over to the ladder and climbed back down to the barn, leaving Veronica on watch.
West of the house- Tricia, frustrated at being stuck, threw open the door of the Civic and leapt out, sobbing. "Wait, come back!" called Mary, but she didn't listen. Tricia ran southwest, into the woods. Mary kept trying to free the car, but the wheels just kept churning up mud.
OOC,Don't worry about it. I didn't draw a map, and my descriptions might have been incomplete. I'm not completely sure what I've put down and what is only in my mental picture of the ranch. If you have any more questions, just ask. The Civic and the other truck cannot be seen from the opening facing east in their current positions, but if you look out a knothole facing south instead, you can see them.
Welcome back! [b]Caitlin[/b], if [b]Lara[/b] allows you to switch places with her, you may roll Drive Auto to try to push the Civic. The base skill is 20% (not 25%). If either of you drives back to the barn, there is no need to roll.
OOC,No problem Mr. Handy...Maybe wishful thinking lol! Oh well, we'll be rolling with it..Just adds to the chaos...and fun! :D
Jake continues to sight the skinheads and realizes he can't leave this post to see what's going on, considering only him and Clyde have the only long range weaponry...
Maybe Sven could look once he gets down here Jake ponders. Get the girls back here...See what's going on! If they get those vehicles back here, maybe we can all re-group and come up with some kinda plan....
Jake attempts to wait for Sven to arrive but patience was never his strong suit...
"Sven! Jake attempts to shout with his hoarse voice. "We need you to go to the south end of the barn, find a knothole and see what's goin on! The women might be in trouble and we gotta get them back in here! I gotta stay here to watch the skinheads! Can ya see what we're up against.....!
OOC,[b]Sven[/b] was actually already at the bottom of the ladder in the last update.
I rolled for [b]Caitlin[/b], as it's been a while.
In the barn- Clyde climbed the ladder and joined his wife up in the loft.
Sven hurried over to the south wall and peered through a knothole. "I see them clearly!" he reported. "The Civic got stuck in the mud, and the pickup truck is trying to push them free, but it's not working! Oh, no! Tricia just got out and ran off into the woods! Now Mary's getting out and heading back to the pickup truck!"
All Jake could see from ground level facing north was that the skinheads were still behind their vehicles, but those vehicles blocked his view.
West of the house- Caitlin tried to push the Civic with the truck, but it wasn't going anywhere. Mary climbed out, leaving her door open, and hurried back to the passenger side of the pickup truck. "Forget the Civic!" she said, looking over her shoulder at the woods. Tricia was already gone from view. She opened the door and started to climb inside.
OOC,No Drive Auto roll is needed if you're driving somewhere else and not trying to push the Civic, unless you're trying to drive into the woods, as the pickup truck is built for off-road travel. The trees are dense, and it won't be easy to get through them.
[b]Tricia[/b] is returning to the thread linked below.
Mr. Handy wrote:
Sven hurried over to the south wall and peered through a knothole. "I see them clearly!" he reported. "The Civic got stuck in the mud, and the pickup truck is trying to push them free, but it's not working! Oh, no! Tricia just got out and ran off into the woods! Now Mary's getting out and heading back to the pickup truck!"
Jake Bell could feel his heart racing...
I gotta do something! I gotta go get them!
Jake opened the barn door and prepared to go out into the open...
"Clyde!" Jake shouted. "I'm goin out to git yer mother, Caitlin and the others! Cover me!"
Jake, crouching, began to exit the relative darkness of the barn into the bright sunlight...
In the loft-
"Right, Pa!" called Clyde. "Be careful!" He made his way over to the large opening facing east, rifle in his hands, and kept watch.
Outside the barn- Caitlin backed up her pickup truck until she was just outside the entrance to the barn just as Jake opened the doors and stepped outside. "Oh, good," said Mary. "Let's back right into the barn. There should still be enough room even though the other truck is already there." She called out the window to her husband. "Tricia panicked and ran off into the woods. I couldn't stop her!"
Lara exits the pick up after Mary. The scenario reminds her of Caitlin´s farm. All too much. This time, though, the pursuers are still alive - not half living. "Is it good to stay in here? They can burn it...we toast." She waits down behind the pick up, looking for an exit out of the barn. No need to get trapped.
After Caitlin backed the pick-up into the barn, Jake retreated inside as well, closing the door behind him but leaving it slightly ajar...
Mr. Handy wrote:
(Mary) called out the window to her husband. "Tricia panicked and ran off into the woods. I couldn't stop her!"
"What is wrong with that girl?!" Jake half muttered to himself but loud enough for anyone to hear and maybe respond...
Alright old man..get a hold of yerself! Jake rubbed his brow. Someone should go after her but how? There's only one exit. Maybe she'll be safe in the woods as long as we can see the 'skins' from here... Jake's trail of thought is interrupted by Lara...
Syrinx wrote: "Is it good to stay in here? They can burn it...we toast."
Jake shook his head and grimaced...
She's right! Man, when it rains, it pours....
Mr.Handy,How strong is the wood of the barn? Do we have any implements i.e. an axe, etc. in the barn that we could use to create an exit through the south wall of the barn, facing away from the skinheads or could we drive one of the trucks through the wall?
In the loft-
"We have to go after Tricia!" said Clyde.
"Like hell we do," Veronica said. "There's no way we're risking our lives to go find her. She ran off instead of sticking with us, so she's on her own."
In the barn-
"I think Tricia just got really scared," said Mary as she emerged from the truck. "I can't say I blame her. What are we going to do now?"
Jake Bell,The wood is pretty strong. Driving a truck through it won't work, as the barn isn't big enough to build up enough momentum to break through. There is an axe in the barn (in fact, it's been packed in the back of the pickup truck), and with some effort and time it could be used to chop an opening in the wall. It would take a lot longer to create an opening wide enough for the trucks than to make one big enough for someone on foot to squeeze through.
Down by the pick up truck, Lara contemplates the situation. "Can I go after? The truck can follow. Everyone is important! Who comes with?" She gets in the driver´s seat once more and shouts, "Open up!"
Jake remembers the axe but knows the barn is pretty sturdy...
Jake flings the door open to the barn...
"I'll go!" He shouts to Lara.
As he runs to the passenger side of the truck, he stops Sven...
"Son, can you run this carbine?" He motions his rifle to Sven....
"If ya can, give me yer gun and close the door behind us to a crack and cover us! Also, maybe get someone to chopping with the axe at the other end of the barn to at least knock out a board or two so escape is possible in case they storm us...."
In the loft-
"Be careful, Dad!" Clyde called down from the loft.
In the barn-
"I'm no good with a rifle," said Sven. "Not all that great with an axe either, but I'll get to work." He grabbed the axe out of the back of the truck and went over to the south wall, where he took a swing. The axe cut into the wall, but not through it.
Lara got into the driver's seat, and Jake got into the shotgun seat, leaving a stunned Caitlin between them. Lara pulled out of the barn.
Outside the barn- Lara drove out of the barn. She, Caitlin, and Jake could still see the two vehicles parked outside the gates and glimpses of the men behind them, but it was impossible to tell what they were doing from here.
Lara drives on the road towards the woods as far as it will take them, then she drives to the treeline across the fields hoping not to get stuck. She looks at Caitlin. "You friends with Tricia, yes? Friends help, yes? Let us help. She come for your farm for help. We help." She looks for an obvious place where Tricia might have escaped into the woods. A larger opening. "We maybe leave truck and walk after her. Can not drive through trees, no?"
Caitlin knew they had to help but still regretted not staying with her family she had worked so hard to get to. "She's already gotten a good start. They may have already found her. But yes, we need to help. What the hell are those guys doing?"
Mr.Handy,I'll keep the rifle with me since Sven turned it down if that's O.K. and he can keep his pistol...
"No, it's doubtful we can take the truck into that thick brush. We'll have to park alongside it and go in on foot. However, one of us should stay with the truck and keep an eye on the 'skins.' Also, we should be wary of the walkers while in the trees. Who knows what else has been creeping up on the farm!"
West of the house-
The road did not go back towards the woods, so Lara drove off-road as she had before. Fortunately, the pickup truck had four wheel drive and had no problem. She moved past the bogged down Civic and to the edge of the woods. Tricia's muddy footprints were visible leading from the Civic to the treeline, but they faded after that.
OOC,If you do want to try to drive through the trees, you will need to roll Drive Auto. A failure won't mean you crash into one (unless it's a critical failure), just that you'll be slowed down. The base skill is 20%. If you want to try to follow [b]Tricia[/b]'s tracks, you'll need to roll Track. The base skill is 10%.
Lara drives the pick up at the direction the footprints head she can´t finde them again when they fade off. When they reach the tree line, she stops. "We can´t leave one here to wait. Too dangerous. We can manage better all together." She exits the vehicle and shouts at the top of her lungs, "Trissia!!!"
Caitlin couldn't see a thing from the middle seat and, as she got out after Jake, she hisses to Lara, "Keep your voice down. We don't want to draw attention to us, too. We just have to keep an eye out for anything and hope we get to her first." She was rambling and she knew it...
West of the house- Lara, Jake, and Caitlin got out of the truck and reached the edge of the woods. While Jake couldn't see Tricia's tracks, he at least had a pretty good idea of which direction to head.
OOC,[b]Caitlin[/b], you may still attempt a Track roll at 10%. Also, you, [b]Lara[/b], and [b]Jake[/b], please roll Listen. The base skill is 25%.
Caitlin's ears still hadn't adjusted to the silence after Lara's shout. She couldn't hear anything worth mentioning. She shakes her head. "Where the hell is she?"
Lara Voronova,[b]Lara[/b] heard a distant sound, far to the southwest, carried on the wind. It was [b]Tricia[/b], and she was screaming for help, though [b]Lara[/b] could only barely hear it from this distance.
On the ranch grounds- Lara led the way through the woods to the southwest, towards where she had heard the scream, followed by Caitlin and Jake. Jake was by far the slowest, and Lara would easily be able to outdistance him if she wished. She was even somewhat faster than Caitlin. They hurried through the trees.
OOC,[b]Lara[/b], please let me know whether you want to run ahead of the others or slow down enough to stay with them.
OOC,I think you mean [b]Jake[/b]. [b]Sven[/b] is back at the barn.
In the loft-
Sven Petersen/Mary Bell/Clyde Bell/Veronica Bell,"They're getting back into the their vehicles!" called [b]Veronica[/b]. "They're leaving! They're heading back to the west!"
"Yes, but why?" asked [b]Clyde[/b].
"Are you complaining? I'm going back down." [b]Veronica[/b] climbed down the ladder.
In the barn-
Sven Petersen/Mary Bell/Clyde Bell/Veronica Bell,[b]Sven[/b] stopped chopping at the barn wall. There would be no point in damaging it further at this point.
[b]Mary[/b] looked out the door. "You're right, they're gone!" she said. "I don't know where [b]Jake[/b] and the others are, but maybe we should go find them."
"What if this is some kind of trick?" asked [b]Sven[/b].
On the ranch grounds- Lara slowed down to allow Caitlin and Jake to keep up with her. None of them heard any further screams or other sounds. After several minutes, they reached the edge of the woods near the southwest corner of the ranch. The perimeter fence was visible in the distance from here.
OOC,[b]Lara[/b], [b]Caitlin[/b], and [b]Jake[/b], please roll Spot Hidden and Listen. The base skill for both is 25%.
Caitlin Bell,Far in the distance beyond the perimeter fence, [b]Caitlin[/b] barely caught a glimpse of a gray pickup truck moving away to the west. One of the skinheads was riding in the bed of the truck, but she couldn't see who was in the cab.
Caitlin slows down a step then rushes after the other two again. "Guys, there looks to be a truck pulling away! Hurry!" The last word was nowhere near has enthusiastic as it may have should been.
OOC,Only [b]Caitlin[/b] saw the truck, and it was gone quickly before [b]Lara[/b] or [b]Jake[/b] could see it.
Caitlin Bell,The gray pickup truck looked kind of like the one that had pulled up with the van in front of the ranch's gates. She couldn't know whether or not it was the same one, especially since she only had the briefest glimpse of it.
Jake looks in the direction Lara is referencing but only sees the dust, swirling and settling...
"I didn't get a good look and they appear to be long gone."Jake frustratingly states. "We ain't gonna catch 'em standing here and gawkin! We better get that truck and get back to the barn....See what's happenin!"
Jake turns back along the treeline to get the truck...
Lara turns runs back after Jake to get to the truck. "Sorry we could not help the friend, Sestra.", she says to Caitlin as she catches up with her. Getting back to the truck, she hops in the passenger side as Jake probably has taken the wheel, letting Cait run shotgun.
OOC,The fence is still off in the distance. You'd be delaying by a couple of minutes to go up to it from here and hit it.
In the loft- Clyde followed his wife down the ladder.
In the barn- Mary, Sven, Clyde, and Veronica went outside.
Outside the barn-
When Jake, Lara, and Caitlin emerged from the woods where they left the truck, they saw that the others were standing outside the barn, and that the skinheads' vehicles were no longer anywhere to be seen.
Mary smiled at Jake. "We're gonna be all right, honey," she said. "The Nazis just up and left about ten minutes ago." Her face fell when she saw that it was just the three of them. "You couldn't find Tricia?"
"We have to decide if we should go and rescue her, even though we're not sure which skinhead compound she went to or even if she even went there..." He swallowed hard..."...Or we move on and consider her lost. We need a call here."
He looks at Lara, Sven and Caitlin.
"If ya'll have some information 'bout why the 'skins want her so bad, better spill it now. We don't have alot of time or options..."
Lara gets out of the truck last, she has been thinking about their options. "She is pretty. That´s good and bad. Trust me I know. She will live. Maybe we stay now? It is a good place and we are no army. I do not even have a good clip." She pockets her 9mm. She watches down at the fence. "They stay there when they come. Maybe we build a nest in the trees on the other side of road? We can cross fire them... The dead cannot climb trees. We use a ladder. Some boards and wait - they will come again." She points at the trees she means and at the truck. "We park the truck at the gate to have cover. Then wait. If we can stay?" She looks at the Bells. "Maybe too cowboy?"
Outside the barn-
"They got what they came for," said Veronica. "Maybe they'll leave us alone now, and we can stay here after all."
"We can't just leave her to them!" protested Clyde. "We have to save her, and before they hurt her!"
"Are you nuts?! Think what you're risking! There are lots of them in that compound, and only a handful of us. They have better guns than we do, and it's their home turf. They'll kill you guys if you go in there, and then what do you think they'll do to the rest of us without you around to protect us?"
"Tricia was our guest," said Mary. "I feel like we should do something for her, and I don't want to leave her in those creeps' hands."
"I want to help her too," said Sven, "but what can we possibly do?"
OOC,There is only one skinhead compound anywhere near here that you know of, the one about a mile southeast of Scobey. It's located a few miles west and one mile south of the [b]Bell[/b] ranch. The truck was heading west when [b]Caitlin[/b] saw it, in the general direction of that compound.
"The truck headed west, I think, but I don't want to go anywhere near those people. We came here to be safe. Dad died so we would make it here safely," referring to Lara, Sven, and herself. "What good is his death to us if we go barreling into danger? I'm all for staying here!"
Mr. Handy wrote: "Tricia was our guest," said Mary. "I feel like we should do something for her, and I don't want to leave her in those creeps' hands."
Jake moved close to Mary and embraced her. It was an uncommon, open display of affection in the past but, these days, the fear seemed to incite a different response...
He spoke to Mary but to the rest of the group as well, having heard the majority of opinion...
"I agree with Lara, Sven, Caitlin and Veronica. We have neither the numbers or firepower to storm that compound. We either hole up here, preparing for a potential return by the Skins, or hit the road."Jake swallows and takes a deep breath...
"Tricia chose to leave the protection of the group but I cannot see what more we can do for her without putting us all at risk...."
Jake closes his eyes and awaits the inevitable backlash from Mary and Clyde, the latter which seems to have more than a healthy interest in the missing young lady....
Outside the barn- Mary hugged her husband tight. "You're right, of course, dear," she said. "I just wish there were something we could do for that poor girl."
Clyde grumbled, but he didn't say anything more.
"So, what do we do now?" asked Sven. "Do we stay or do we go?"
OOC,[b]Jake[/b] (and anyone else) may roll Psychology about [b]Clyde[/b]'s reaction. The base skill is 5%.
Also, everyone please roll Sanity for abandoning [b]Tricia[/b] to her fate. Sanity loss is 1/1d4.
Mr.Handy,I believe I lost 1 SAN there but did not document it properly...my bad!
Jake cleared his voice and addressed the group. "I'm a reasonable man and there is nothing more painful than leaving the ranch I built, raised a family on and know nuthin but this but I believe we should go. We have the vehicles packed. We just have to get the Civic out of the mud then we can carry on and maybe find others...East of here or even North to Canada..."
Jake pauses then looks at Lara." I think your plan is viable but there is no guarantee they will not come back in greater numbers than they have shown, with heavy weapons, overpowering us and having their way. We cannot take a chance like that in my opinion so I advocate running from here and hoping to find solace elsewhere..."
"As for Tricia, only our prayers may keep her safe..."Jake swallowed and, as usual, the air was dry and suffocating...
"So, as I said, I am a man of reason, more or less, so the floor is open to any differing opinions we may consider..."
Jake looks around at the remaining group, awaiting a response, but focuses in on Clyde. Despite not getting a read on his son for once, his response when Tricia first arrived at the house was suspicious...
Jake Bell,You're free to draw your own conclusions based on your observations. A successful roll might have revealed more.
Outside the barn- Laracouldn't help but be affected. The simiarity to her own ordeal shook her. Tricia had been taken off in a pickup truck screaming for help - for her help - but nobody could do anything for her. It was just like when Nitro and Deadeye had abducted her. Nobody was able to rescue her from them either. If the zombies hadn't come, they'd still have her, and she'd be in the same situation as Tricia. She was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't even think about Clyde.
Mary tried to convince herself that she was doing the right thing for her family, but it didn't quite work. She burst into tears, shaken to the core. "What's happening to us?" she wept. "What's happening to the world?"
Clydefelt disgusted with himself, and it wrenched his heart, but he felt he had to respect his father's decision, even if he disagreed with it. But he did have to think about Veronica and the others. "I'll go get the the Civic," he grumbled, heading off to where the car was stuck in the mud.
Veronicahad no problem with herself. Part of her was even glad Tricia was gone, though she didn't know why. She had been the first to advocate writing her off. She felt just the slightest twinge of guilt, but she shrugged it off.
"I don't know, dear. But what more could we do? There's rumoured to be upwards of a hundred of them and we do not have the manpower, or even firepower, for that matter. And to stay here is just to wait for them to come back and pick us off one at a time..."
Jake felt the burden of silence from the others beginning to weigh down on him and decided he need not explain his reasoning any further. He released his hold upon Mary.
"Well, if there's nothing more to be said, I'm going to help Clyde get that car out of the muck..."
He pauses, waiting for anyone to speak, then makes his way to the car...
Listening to the others, Lara is brought back to the motel. The room, the smell... The jump from the stairwell and the flight from there. Now, Tricia was in the same dilemma -live or die. And it´s nothing she can do to help. What can she do here but help this family? Not much. She blinks and shakes her head and starts walking down to the gates as she hears the Civic´s engine roar to life.
She clutches the 9mm in her right hand as to confirm she is awake.
Caitlin makes back to the truck, her dad's truck, one of the only things she had left of him. In the lull after the close encounter with the skin-heads, she was again slipping to a remorseful recollection of events. She had to get something done, and getting the truck ready might just help. She checked for the keys as she approached the vehicle.
OOC,Changing my thought and speaking font to a blue/red scheme for easier record-keeping between my characters. Sorry for any inconvenience.
"Clyde, you rock the Civic back and forth while I push!"Jake yelled to his boy as he approached the vehicle. He planned to ask him about his behaviour towards the waitress once they got the car out...
I don't know what that boy's deal is but since she arrived, his attitude has been somethin else....
Jake took position behind the Civic when he noticed Lara walking slowly towards the gate...
Awww, what now? What is it with these young kids?Jake pulled his John Deere cap off and wiped the sweat from his brow before starting to push...What is she doing? A rescue? How!? On foot? She should have spoke her piece back at the front of the house! Damn!....These kids! Always right but no way to go about getting it done. Well, anyways, we'll get this vehicle out then go see what plan she has in mind. She won't get too far on foot by then...
Jake makes eye contact with Clyde in the rear view mirror and waits for the car to move forward so he can begin pushing...
Inside the gates- Lara reached the front gates quickly. They were still barred, but it would be a simple matter to remove the bar from the inside and open them. The road beyond, which went east and west, was deserted.
Sven followed her and stood beside her. "Hey, you okay?" he asked.
Outside the barn- Caitlin saw that the keys were still in the ignition of her pickup truck - for it was hers now. She got behind the wheel and started it up. The motor purred like a kitten.
West of the house- Clyde nodded and shifted to first gear. He pressed down on the gas pedal, but he couldn't quite get the car free. Its wheels spun, splashing mud all over Jake's overalls as he tried to help.
"Yes, I am fine. But that girl is not, she is in problems. And I cannot help it. I am the same. Lost. Damaged." She attempts a smile at her friend. "Thought it best to spot visitors before they spot us. That is why I stay here. Are we staying or leaving? I float away on my thoughts before..." She tilts her head and listens to the Civic trying to get free.
Having been a person who is upfront and positive, Lara now is more withdrawn and careful. That´s not to say she is careful. Not by a long shot.
Inside the gates-
"I wish I could do something for her," said Sven. "I wish I could do something for you. I've...I've been so empty ever since Clara...Yeah, I think we're leaving. They're just getting the car out of the mud."
Outside the barn- Caitlin continued to wait in her truck. Mary and Veronica got in the other pickup truck and started it up.
West of the house-
"Sorry, Pa!" called Clyde. He kept trying to free the Civic, and the wheels kept churning. Finally, the car leapt free. "Did it! Hop in and I'll spin you back to the barn."
Jake hops into the Civic with Clyde when he notices Sven now at the gate with Lara.
"Clyde, maybe we should find out if they want a ride back to the barn as well."Jake nods his head in the direction of the two. "Hopefully they've made a decision."
Lara smiles at Sven and says. "We go back and see if they want to move." She offers Sven a hand and starts walking back up to the barn.
When arriving to the barn she asks. "We ready to go? I not know where, but the bad men will come back for more. I think that´s true. I nor want to be next. Not again..."
Outside the barn- Sven gave Lara's hand a gentle squeeze as they walked back to the barn where the others waited. Clyde and Jake reached the barn at the same time that they got there.
Jake nods to Mary, speaking to her but loud enough for the others to hear...
"Yes. I'm thinking that we best leave now before the skinheads re-appear. We were ready to go before they showed and we would be best served getting on before they come again..."Jake pauses a second then continues addressing the group as a whole...
"I would like to have given these vehicles the once over before leaving but I don't think we have time. We'll go east and hopefully find a garage on the way or even in Flaxville, where we can check things over but we should be gettin a move-on..."
Jake can feel the adrenaline flowing and is anxious. "We should travel with the Civic in the middle between the two trucks. Since we are limited by our lack of long-range firearms, I want one gun in each truck. Clyde, you're a better shot than me and your .30-06 has longer range so I need you to ride in the back truck to cover our backside. I'll ride in the front truck with my carbine.
Jake pauses again to consider Tricia...
Should I say something. I feel like the bad guy.... He clenches his fists. No! That damned fool ran away. I have a duty to protect my family and the ones that have came under our protection. May God have mercy on us all and her...
Jake closes his eyes for a few seconds then grips his rifle, prepared to climb into the lead truck...
"Let's get rolling everyone!"
He tries not to glance at the family ranch that he spent years building and is about to leave, but he does. He shakes his head and carries on...
Outside the barn- Mary slid over to the middle seat of her truck and let Clyde get behind the wheel, while Veronica remained in the shotgun seat. Lara and Jake got into Caitlin's truck, and Sven got into the Civic.
OOC,Everyone, please roll Spot Hidden. The base skill is 25%.
Please let me know who is sitting in which seats in [b]Cailtin[/b]'s truck.
Cailtin Bell,Glancing out the window, [b]Caitlin[/b] saw a helicopter in the distance approaching from the south. It hovered over a point a few miles to the southwest and then descended.
Caitlin follows the object as it disappears behind the trees. Turning to Jake she asks, "What's over there, to the... southwest, I think it is? I think a helicopter of some sort just landed."
Outside the gates- Caitlin drove her truck up to the front gates, with Lara in the middle seat and Jake in the shotgun seat. Sven followed in the Civic, and Clyde, Mary, and Veronica brought up the rear in the other pickup. The vehicles lined up outside the gates, which were still barred. Someone would need to get out and open them.
"We should check out that helicopter," said Clyde. "If there are other people around with those kinds of resources, we need to get with them, especially if they're the military. They're bound to be better equipped than we are."
"Are you crazy?!" said Veronica. "The compound is off in that direction. It's too dangerous!"
Caitlin Bell,Once the helicopter set down, it could no longer be seen. It landed on a high plateau about a mile south of the compound's location.
Outside the gates- Jake got out of the truck and headed over to the front gates of his ranch. The area just outside was still eerily deserted. It would be a simple matter to unbar the gates from the inside and swing them open, after which the vehicles could leave. It struck him that he would probably never see his ranch again. All of the work he had put into it for most of his life would be thrown away. Wherever he and his family ended up, they would have to start over again.
Lara waits for Caitlin to maneuver the truck through the open gate. "We driving away from the skins, yes? To the right." She points at the road taking them away from the direction of the presumed skinhead stronghold.
Jake looks back at the ranch. He feels nostalgic and is lost in the moment but then something inside of him awakens...
"Why did those freaks stay here so long?" He speaks aloud to himself and glances at the fence. "We were distracted with that girl's antics...Did they do something to the fence?" Only the wind responds...
"Maybe they booby-trapped it. I could have swore it was open..."
Jakeinvestigates the fence for any sign of foul play before touching it...
Satisfied that the gate is safe, Jake swings it open then motions for the others to approach. Again, he pauses to reflect on his decision as his gaze drifts past the vehicles to his home. His heart feels heavy but in his mind, he is sure this is the right choice...
"There's no doubt those skinheads will come back..." He mutters under his breath in an attempt to re-assure himself. "Ain't nothin but trouble, especially in times like these."
He tries to wait patiently for the others but he is anxious...
While Caitlin drives through the open gates slowly, Lara makes sure the safety is on on the Ruger and indicates to Caitlin to turn right. "What is this direction?" She asks it so Jake can hear as well. "Maybe we can find a police station?"
Outside the gates-
"We're just gonna forget about the chopper?" said Clyde. "Those people have resources. They could protect us. We're just going to head out into the middle of nowhere with no destination in mind and hope we can survive? We're leaving the ranch, so we won't be self-sufficient any more. What happens when the food and water run out?"
"Jake will think of something," Mary said. "He always does."
Jake opened up the gate and got back in the truck without incident. All three vehicles turned right onto the road, heading east.
Jake Bell,[b]Jake[/b] knew that Flaxville lay about a mile to the east. It was barely a speck on the map, with a population of less than a hundred. It was by now far less, if anyone remained alive at all there, which was unlikely. They had probably shot down most of them themselves defending the ranch yesterday. There were no towns of any appreciable size anywhere nearby (other than Scobey, four miles to the west) so police stations were unlikely. Flaxville lay on a crossroads with a state route heading north and south. The Canadian border was not far to the north from there.
"We'll head east to Flaxville."Jake addresses Lara."We'll see what is there, even though I doubt not much. Maybe we can find some pockets of survivors. After that, we can decide whether to head north to Canada or some other choice. Maybe this horror hasn't stretched beyond our borders yet."
Jake settles in for the trip, keeping an eye on the horizon in all directions. He has forgotten about the chopper, possibly because he didn't see it, but any direction away from the compound is good by him...
On the road-
The small convoy of vehicles drove down the road to the east for about a mile, reaching a crossroads. The small town of Flaxville lay a short distance to the north, so they turned left and drove through it.
Flaxville was a ghost town. It was completely deserted, with no sign of life. There were a number of houses, a shop, a warehouse, and a decent amount of green space.
During the trip, Lara and Caitlin remained silent but so had Jake. No doubt they were lost in thought like him as well. Jake could not stop wondering whether leaving the ranch and heading for Canada was the right thing. He had always wanted respect as an elder but, since the group meeting in the ranch house, felt that maybe some were afraid to speak their minds...Also, his decision not to follow Tricia was beginning to haunt him...
Upon entering Flaxville and seeing the desolation, Jake could feel his heart sink. He searched for some optimism but found none and could feel despair nipping at his heels. Would Canada be better? Free from this plague? Or maybe the larger center of Plentywood, farther east could offer hope...
He decided to pull the convoy over, giving everyone one last chance to voice an opinion. He signalled to the vehicles behind to stop in the lonely hamlet and got out of the truck...
Besides, he could not remember if he loaded his tools up and he spied the shop nearby. Perhaps after hearing everyone's opinion, he could find some tools to take along, regardless of the direction or choice they made, in case they suffered a breakdown...
OOC-Mr.Handy,Did [b]Jake[/b] bring any mechanic tools along or were any already available in the vehicles?
Lara stretches her legs when having climbed out of the truck. She scans the shop fronts for a hardware store as well. Looking for an ad for guns & ammo. The automatic wouldn´t help her much, should they walk into an ambush by either the walkers or the deadheads. She gets a shovel from the back of the bed to use as close quarter defense. "Need some shots. You?", she asks Jake as he looks through the flat bed for tools. "I see you have troubles. It is her, da? "
On the road-
The shop was a small general store. It didn't look big enough to have much of a selection, and there was no guarantee anything useful was left.
Clyde also got out and walked over. "It's not too late, Pa," he said. "We can still go back and contact those people from the chopper. We can approach them from the south, so that we don't have to go too near the compound. We should at least tell them about Tricia. Maybe they'll be able to rescue her."
OOC,There are tools in the back of [b]Caitlin[/b]'s truck.
If anyone wants to go into the shop and look around, please roll Luck.
Jake checks the back of Caitlin's truck for automotive tools. Relieved, he finds what he needs. While perusing the box, Lara approaches him...
"Need some shots. You?", she asks Jake as he looks through the flat bed for tools. "I see you have troubles. It is her, da? "
He glances up towards her. Her broken English has offered him two queries but it is the second one he responds to.
"I...."Jake stumbles in his response. He is not one to let his feelings be known but he is undecided and weak at the moment. "Maybe we shouldn't have left her. I'm not sure..."
As if on cue, Clyde strides up....
"It's not too late, Pa," he said. "We can still go back and contact those people from the chopper. We can approach them from the south, so that we don't have to go too near the compound. We should at least tell them about Tricia. Maybe they'll be able to rescue her."
Jake ponders for a moment, removing his John Deere hat and wiping the sweat from his brow. His son may have an unhealthy obsession with this woman...
"Fine. Maybe we could go back. It's been a few hours since she's been gone and there's no guarantee that she's even alive or even that this chopper was military. Maybe it was captured by the skinheads. But I guess we should attempt something. We'll see what everyone else thinks..." He looks at Lara and Clyde for any sign of agreement then continues...
"I'm not sure if we need to take the entire group of vehicles though but we'll see what the others think."Jake
was wary of putting Mary or even Veronica in danger but he would wait to get the group's opinion. He turned back to Lara."As for ammo, if I recall you're low. Did you want to check out that hardware store? If so, I can go in with ya..."
In Flaxville-
Everyone else began to get out of the vehicles and stretch.
"I can take one of the pickup trucks," said Clyde. "That way it can go off-road. Anyone who wants to come with me can do so while everyone else waits here for us to return. The women should all stay behind."
"I could go with," said Sven. "I'm not much good in a fight, though."
"This is crazy," said Veronica. "None of us should be going anywhere near that place."
OOC,It hasn't been that long; it was less than half an hour ago. The shop is also a small general store, not a hardware store, though there may be hardware inside.
"Whoa...Alright we know where you stand but let's try to make this as democratic as possible."Jake attempts to placate Veronica. "Now, we know where you stand and where Clyde stands but what do the rest of you think? That chopper may be our chance to reach the outside world...if it is a military chopper. Also, I'm not sure I can rest easy knowing we left that girl..."Jake trails off for a minute and stares at the distant horizon.
"This is everyone's last chance to make a call. We can either carry on north or east or head back and investigate. I personally believe that not all of us need to go back and hiding out in Flaxville may be better than being at the ranch, which is where they think we are. So, if you have anything to say, speak it now..."
Lara gets ready to move onwards to the general store, for food and ammunition. "Yes, let´s look." she says and lifts the shovel in preparation. "See what we dig up... That´s how you say it?"
Hearing the argument of heading back to the helicopter sighting or staying at Flaxville, she says. "When returning. We do not enter the compound. We womans stay here. Need to look in store first." Lara walks to the door of the general store and waits for Jake.
What Lara said makes sense; if the compound was occupied by the same group that they met at the farm, then her best bet was to stay away from it. "Lara, I'll go with you," she called, following the woman. She checked her shotgun more out of paranoia than anything else. With buckshot, it would be good in the close quarters of the shop if they ran into any trouble.
"Alright...looks like we have some kind of plan here..."Jake looked around nervously, his voice slightly wavering. "Mary..." He looked towards her, the only one who had not spoken up. "You know this is right. We're just gonna take a look..."
He waited for a response but continued.
"Me and Clyde are just gonna slip over there and take a look. We'll come right back if things look bad."
He turns to Sven. "Son, I appreciate the offer but maybe you would do better staying here, with the low ammo and such..."
He nods towards Sven, hoping he did not offend the young man...
"Anyways we need some binoculars so we better check that store if we don't have them..."
Jake looks towards Lara and Caitlin who have a lengthy head start towards the store...
"So, I'll be goin Mary..."Jake pauses momentarily then goes on. "Clyde, maybe you and yer wife can discuss things..."
Jake rushes off to catch up to his niece and the foreign girl...
Mr.Handy,Do we have binoculars? Either way I'll join Lara and Caitlin on the search. Maybe look for some ammo...
Luck Roll,I totally forgot about the Luck roll, so here we go. Excellent result! Don't think you can impale a Luck roll, but I did, hahaha.
[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3681023/]Luck - 60% (1d100=9)[/url]
In Flaxville-
"All right, Jake," said Mary at last. "It doesn't sit right with me, leaving that girl behind. At least this way maybe those military types can do something for her. Just be careful, honey."
Veronica glared at Clyde. "I don't know how you talked him into this," she said, her eyes wild with worry and fury, her mouth moving faster than her brain. "You better not get yourself killed, or you'll be sleeping on the couch!"
In the general store- Lara, Caitlin, and Jake entered the store. The shelves had various household goods and foodstuffs, along with various tools and hardware supplies, but it did not sell binoculars. When Caitlin went behind the counter, she saw a box on a shelf there. It contained a hundred loose 9mm bullets. There were no magazines, unfortunately, but those who had 9mm handguns could still reload the maganes that were in them manually.
OOC,You have no binoculars. I checked back because I remembered the question coming up before several months ago at the barn.
Lara walks over to Caitlin and examines the box. She takes out her 9mm and ejects the magazine. Pulling out one round she compares it to the ones in the box. "Looks like."
Having checked the ammo out, she starts adding rounds to the magazine, stopping when it´s full. (10 or 15?)
Then she pockets the gun and takes the box under one arm and the shovel in her other hand. She checks the aisles for traces of someone having been in there lately. Also she looks for doors to other areas of the store. "Are we alone?" She whispers to Jake and Caitlin. Knowing it´s probably too late to avoid being noticed, but it´s a reflex action.
At Lara's question, Caitlin hefts up her shotgun again, suddenly more nervous than before. She continues to check around the shop, not straying too far from the other two.
Having struck out on finding binoculars in the store, Jake is rooting around the shelves when Caitlin calls Lara and him over. Upon seeing the box with the 9mm bullets, he begins checking around where that ammo was found, as if more would magically be there but his search is futile. He is still searching when Lara speaks...
"Are we alone?"
Jake stops in his tracks and scans the aisles around them. He unslings his rifle from his shoulder as a precaution... "You girls keep checking. I'll keep watch..." He whispers.
Caitlin continues looking around for anyone. At Jake's comment, she says "Very chivalrous of you to let the ladies go and get killed." Her attempt at humour fell flat even on her own ears as she looked around further, moving closer to the door.
Jake, momentarily lost in thought, misses Caitlin's quip and begins to speak almost immediately after...
"I think that's about all we're gonna find in here. Most likely any survivors would have made off with anything valuable and we were lucky enough to get them bullets. Let's get back to the others."
He still keeps his gun ready but considering the bloodbath at the ranch yesterday, doubts there is anyone in town at all...
At the door, Lara kneels down and waits for Caitlin to open it, sitting - sort of - back to the wall holding the shovel in her right hand and ready to trip anything coming out the door. "Da, Sestra..."
In Flaxville-
The general store was pretty small and completely deserted. It didn't take long to confirm that nobody else was there. There was a door in the back that led to a storage area, but that was also devoid of people. Lara, Jake, and Caitlin went back outside where the others were waiting.
"Well Clyde. If everything is settled out here, we better get a move on and check out that chopper."
Jake looks at the others. "The rest of you best get out of sight 'til we get back. Find a good place to hide the vehicles...maybe a garage or something. Ya'll should be safe here. If anyone is looking for us, it would be most likely back at the ranch."
Lara checks the surroundings and notices a large building , at west central of the small village, a warehouse. "There should be good, da?." "We wait there. Fix cars and wait. Many doors if we need to leave." She carries the box of ammunition to the truck and hands out rounds to Sven for his pistol. "Take those, never know how many you needs."
To Jake she says, "Stay off trouble." She nods to Caitlin, "Sestra, let´s drive."
In Flaxville-
"I'll drive, Dad," said Clyde as he led Jake over to their pickup truck, leaving Caitlin's truck, which was loaded with supplies, and the Civic. Mary and Veronica got in the Civic.
"Thanks," said Sven, taking a handful of bullets and filling his pistol's magazine. He joined Caitlin and Lara in Caitlin's pickup.
While Clyde drove south back to the main road, the other vehicles drove over to the large warehouse and hid in the parking lot behind it.
OOC,There is no gas station in Flaxville. The only large building is the warehouse, and there are no trucks parked outside of it. It is in the west central part of town. The shop is in the south part of town, right next to the road that goes back to the main road.
Jake checks his gun, making sure it is good to go while he rides in the truck with Clyde. He feels a little peace of mind now that they are doing something towards Tricia's benefit but still cannot relax considering the potential danger of the task: Getting close to the compound and the threat of the skinheads. He speaks aloud more to calm his nerves than to instruct his son...
"We'll try to get close enough without gett'in spotted and see whats happening with that chopper. Unfortunately, we have no binoculars so we may have to go in a ways on foot. Hopefully we'll have some kind of cover we can use."
It had been awhile since he had been in that neck of the woods.
"Remember boy, we're just goin to hopefully make contact with that chopper and let them know 'bout the kidnapped girl. Nothin that'll put us in harm's way..."
In Flaxville-
"I'm all right, I guess," said Sven. "Lara, you okay?"
On the road- Clyde approached the four-way intersection about a mile east of the ranch. "Right, Dad," he said. "The chopper set down about a mile south and four or five miles west of here. Which direction do you want to approach it from?"
"Da, fine."Lara replies. When the Civic reach the warehouse, she exits and gets the pistol out and covers the others when they move out of the car. She scans the rooftop for possible snipers and the surrounding streets for walkers. "We back the car to block the door. We get away fast when we leave, yes?" She waits for Sven, Caitlin, Mary and Veronica.
In Flaxville- Lara, Caitlin, Sven, Mary, and Veronica got out of the vehicles after they parked them outside the warehouse. The town was deserted, and there was no sign of anyone, living or dead, in the area other than themselves.
On the road- Jake drove south along State Route 251. After a mile, he came to a four way intersection with a dirt road heading east and west. He was still about a mile north of the approximate position of the helicopter''s landing site.
Jake Bell,Track would only help you if you went back to where you saw the skinheads' vehicles outside the ranch and you wanted to follow the tracks back, but you already have a pretty good idea that they returned to the compound and you don't want to go there. Helicopters don't leave tracks.
Natural History won't really help in this situation, but Navigate would help you find a good route from which to approach where the helicopter landed.
On the road- Clydewasn't sure which route to take himself, so he relied on his father's directions. They were more or less correct, and they proceeded another mile or so before he turned right. There was no road going in that direction, so they had to go off-road. Fortunately, the pickup truck had four wheel drive and was designed for off-road travel. They were now a few miles east of the estimated landing site.
Lara brushes her hands against her sides and starts walking into the warehouse. When she reaches the large doors, she reaches for her gun and gets it up, pointing it at the ground. She pulls one of the doors open. "Hello? Anyone?"
ON THE ROAD... Jake tries to gauge their surroundings... "If we can get close enough, maybe we can creep in on foot." He looks over at Clyde."No doubt we're kickin up a helluva dust trail with the truck cross-country..."
OOC,Do we have any natural cover or any way we can approach without being blatantly obvious? Just in case things went bad for the army boys...
Lara checks the lock to see if a crowbar could be used to pry the doors apart. "Sven, can you get this up? With crowbar?" While letting the question hang, she checks for low placed windows...and garbage bins. "Caitlin, do you see way in?"
Caitlin looks around. "No. Unless there's another door to get in. Let's check around back. If not, then, you can try to lever open the doors or maybe a window. And until we make sure there's no one else, let's try to be quiet, okay?" Caitlin makes her way cautiously around to the left of their position and waits for the others just before getting to the corner.
In Flaxville- Lara, Caitlin, and Sven circled the warehouse while Mary and Veronica waited out front. There were no windows at ground level; they were all high up on the wall. There were some garbage bins behind the warehouse that could be placed under the windows and used to climb. There was a door in the rear, but it was locked too. A crowbar could be used to force it open. It was impossible to see the helicopter from here, and there were no aircraft visible in the sky.
OOC,It will take a Climb roll to reach the windows, or a STR vs. STR Resistance table roll to force open the back door, which has a STR of 10.
Off the road- Clyde drove west for another mile, though the landing site was still about two more miles away. They were now directly southwest of their ranch. "There's some rough terrain near where that bird set down, Pa," he said. "We should be able to approach under cover with a slight detour. We can stop when we're about a mile away and go in on foot, but it'll take longer."
In Flaxville- Lara couldn't find sound footing on the tall bin. The curved lid was slick with rain from the night before, and she kept slipping.
Caitlin was trying to do the same thing with another bin beneath a different window, and she had better luck. "I'll get inside and open the back door for you," she called down. She opened the window easily, slipped through lithely, and lowered herself by her arms, dropping down inside the warehouse.
Off the road- Clyde drove on for another mile.
OOC,[b]Clyde[/b] and [b]Jake[/b], please roll Spot Hidden. The base skill is 25%.
In Flaxville- Sven went with Lara around to the back door. "How do you go on?" he asked. "How can you keep going when you've lost everyone and everything you've ever loved?"
A moment later, Caitlin opened the back door from inside, revealing a hallway leading to the warehouse's interior. "Ta-dah!" she said.
Off the road-
Jake Bell and Clyde Bell,[b]Jake[/b]'s old eyes [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3847060/]didn't notice anything[/url], but [b]Clyde[/b] [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3847061/]saw everything[/url]. "Dad, I see the chopper!" he called, pointing ahead and to the left. "It's up on that plateau, and there's a winding track right there that makes its way to the top, too. Definitely USAF markings. There are two pilots inside, one man and one woman. There are five men out in front of it in a defensive perimeter. One of them's a sniper, and another looks like...yes, those are a major's oak leaves on his collar tabs. There are also three women behind it. One of them is working on the engine, and the other two...damn, they're hot, especially that redhead. Uh, they're just standing around. The two of them are wearing Air Force gear, but they don't carry themselves like they're military."
Off the road- Clyde drove up a winding track that led up the side of the plateau. Jake found a greasy rag lying around that was still recognizable as white and stuck it on the end of the antenna.
OOC,[b]Jake[/b] and [b]Clyde[/b] are moving to the thread linked below. Please stop reading the current thread at this point. Everyone else remains in the current thread.
On the main floor-
"Here goes," said Sven raising his axe overhead. He brought it down on one of the crates. The blade pierced its side, but he hadn't broken it open. "Heh, this is tougher than it looks."
On the main floor- Sven slung the axe and picked up the crate with the help of Lara and Caitlin. Together, they carried it out of the door and into the hall.
Lara tugs at the crate and helps hauling it out through the back door. "About coping, Sven... We must hope we have future. Right? We can not stop to try..." When they get outside she slips and stumbles. She sighs. "We get up and go forward. Is that like you say?" Lara brushes the dirt from her hands. "I have a saying. You not know your next success - if you never fail."
She looks at the crate and her comrades. Sven and Caitlin.
"Who did this warehouse have organized. We look in different lines and find different stuff. We must know if there anything useful."
In Flaxville- Caitlin helped Lara get back on her feet. "Yeah, I get what you're saying," she said. "We've all...we've all lost people, but we have to keep going. Maybe some of those other crates will have tops, or better still coats. It gets cold at night. Probably all clothing of some sort."
Sven nodded. "Okay, let's go back inside and keep looking."
The three of them returned to the main floor.
On the main floor- Lara, Caitlin, and Sven returned to the warehouse floor. Sven picked out another crate in a different section of the floor from where they had found the first one and brought it down with Caitlin's help, then raised his axe to smash it open.
OOC,[b]Tricia[/b] isn't with you. The skinheads captured her a while ago.
[b]Lara[/b], please roll Listen.
"A truck is coming!"Lara is alerting the others. She takes a knee and draws her pistol. She rests her elbows on the newly moved crate and aims in the direction of the sound. "Might be Clyde, might not.."
On the main floor-
"Aunt Mary and Veronica are out front," said Caitlin.
"I'll go make sure they're okay," said Sven, heading out into the hall.
In Flaxville-
Mary Bell/Veronica Bell,[b]Mary[/b] and [b]Veronica[/b] watched as [b]Clyde[/b] pulled up in the pickup truck. There were two unfamiliar women in the cab with him: an absolutely stunning young redhead and a slightly less beautiful raven-tressed woman of about thirty years, carrying a bow and arrows of all things. [b]Jake[/b] was riding in the back of the truck with a man in a military uniform, body armor, and a helmet. He had the gold oak leaves of a major on his collar tabs.
Mary Bell/Veronica Bell,"Your mom is stunning," said the redheaded woman teasingly to [b]Clyde[/b].
"Most people notice [b]Veronica[/b] first, but my mom's always been a looker," said [b]Clyde[/b], parking the truck in front of the two women.
"[b]Jake[/b], glad you made it back," said the older woman. "I see you brought back a few new friends."
"You might say that, [b]Mary[/b]," replied [b]Jake[/b]. This here is [b]Major Nelson Harris[/b] of the U.S. Air Force. Where are the others?"
"Inside," said [b]Veronica[/b], jerking a thumb at the warehouse behind her. "Looking for useful stuff."
The major climbed out of the back of the truck. "Good morning, ladies," he said. "I need to speak to [b]Ms. Lara Voronova[/b]. I've brought a couple of her friends with me: [b]Katarina Iliescu[/b] and [b]Julie St. James[/b]." He motioned to each of the women in the cab in turn.
. Glad to be back, guess it´s hard to let old acquaintances go.
