IC-Breakfast(various)

[Mr. Handy]

9:20 AM
In the parking lot-
"This is Erica Spears," came the female helicopter pilot's voice over the radio. "I'm about 25 minutes out of Brownson now, and I'll be on fumes when I get there...if I get there. I sure hope you'll be there waiting for me." The final barrel was not yet halfway full, and they still didn't have the means to transport the fuel, however.

Luke hastily started the engine of his pickup truck. Just as he was starting to pull out, two vehicles approached from the dirt road to the north. The first one was a large white pickup truck, and it was followed by a white panel van. The men in these vehicles had shaven heads. There were three visible in the cab of the pickup truck, and the driver wore a red beret. Four more rode in the back of the truck, two with rifles and two with shotguns. There were another three men in the front seat of the van, though there were no windows visible that would let anyone look into the back of the van. Both vehicles made U-turns so that they faced back north and parked about halfway between the T-Bone and the motel, some fifty yards away.

In the diner-
Flip finished off the waffles. "They're here," he said to Horst, gesturing to the floor-to-ceiling windows to indicate the two vehicles parking outside.

OOC,[b]Horst's[/b] Listen roll (25% / 2 = 12.5% base skill): [dice]0[/dice] [b]Flip's[/b] Listen roll (36% / 2 = 18% base skill): [dice]1[/dice] [b]Bud's[/b] Listen roll (45% / 2 = 22.5% base skill): [dice]2[/dice]

Flip/Bud,[b]Ashley[/b]'s raised voice could be heard from behind the back room door, but it was not possible to hear what she was saying, as the door was fairly thick. The sound of the two vehicles approaching from the north was also audible outside.

[Silver Priest]

"There's a lot of them, and they're armed." Sean says, stopping with the fuel for now and picking up his own weapon. He does not intend to start trouble, especially given the number discrepancy, but he wants to be ready for it if kicks off.

[Starspawn338]

Jim reaches for the mike inside the helicopter.
"We're just finishing up with the fuel and will be heading to Brownston momentarily. I figured we had 30 minutes but if you say 25, we'll be there in 25."
While he's talking, he unsnaps his holster and pulls out his pistol and keeps his head on a swivel.

[aine]

Samantha

Listen,[dice]0[/dice] (sorry not sure yet what I'm doing wrong: rolled on dice: 61)

Michael Walters

Listen,[dice]1[/dice] rolled on dice: 7 Still catching up but here are the two listen rolls.

Michael frowns at the number of weapons on show. 'Crazy Americans - any excuse to play at cowboys. No wonder the deaths by guns count is astronomical here.' He keeps his thoughts to himself.

[Mr. Handy]

9:21 AM
In the parking lot-
"Roger that," said Erica over the radio. "More like 24 minutes now, and that's if I even make it. If I have to land sooner, you'll need to come to where I am. If that happens, I'll try to set down on a road. Over."

Bob kept the fuel pump going, and the final barrel was now halfway full. His pistol was within reach, but he didn't draw it yet. There was no sense in antagonizing these men, and he knew they were outgunned and outnumbered.

The ten men got out of the vehicles, except for one of the riflemen in the back of the pickup truck. He had a sniper rifle on a bipod, and he began to set it up. The one with the red beret had a large pistol, three of the men with him had shotguns, and two had M-16s. The three from the van were armed with pistols, and one of them carried what looked like a satchel.

Luke pulled out with a screech of tires and drove onto the on-ramp to I-80 west at high speed.

In the diner-
Rosie emerged from the kitchen. "Where's Ashley?" she asked Rita.

"Hammond's office," said Rita, glancing nervously out the windows.

"Better hurry," said Bud. "I can hear her from here, and she sounds upset."

"I can't wait to get a look at that meteorite," Jenny said to Michael. "I've never seen one up close before."

OOC,You made the dice rolls on the online roller correctly, and your numbers were visible. You just can't see them until after you submit your post, that's all. Then you can go back and edit your post based on the results of your roll. I'll use the dice roller's numbers, which both failed, so neither of your characters heard anything. Please also post for [b]Ms. Foo[/b] in Wake Up Call.

[Silver Priest]

"These guys are up to no good," Sean whispers to Jim. "Thing is, I'm not sure we can do a damn thing about it. It's clear that he does not like this, but he continues to work, telling himself if they can get out of here whatever happened would no longer be their problem.

[aine]

"How about we head off now and take a look at that landing, Jenny?" Says Michael. "It might still be warm and wouldn't be super to be the first humans to see this particular rock from outer space?"

ooc,I don't know if Michael can see the minor army that's just turned up but he's keen to avoid any contact with them and will try to get to his ride without meeting them; they look like trouble!

[Starspawn338]

"Keep me apprised of your location. I'll let you know when we are on the road. Over." Jim puts down the mike and finds a spot that gives him some cover from the skinheads.

"These guys are up to no good," Sean whispers to Jim. "Thing is, I'm not sure we can do a damn thing about it.

"We may not be able to do anything about it but we sure as hell can't sit on the sidelines if they start shooting up this place."

[aine]

Whilst she impatiently waits for a waitress to appear, Samantha considers what she knows of the layout of the truck stop and whether there's any part of a building up high where she can get a good view of the junk yard and surrounding area; she wants look for the wild animal and possibly get a sighting on it before it disappears.

[Silver Priest]

Sean looks conflicted, but finally nods. "If they start something we hit them hard and fast. They're not soldiers; hopefully when we start shooting back they'll turn tail and run."

[Mr. Handy]

9:22 AM
In the parking lot-
The sniper finished setting up the sniper rifle, while the other nine men proceeded at a brisk pace to the diner. The one with the red beret gestured to the man with the satchel and then the gas pumps. "Toss it there, Nitro," he said, "then get back to the van and keep the engine running. If you hear a gunshot, any gunshot, or if someone tries to tamper with the satchel, set it off."

"Right, Buzz," said the man addressed as Nitro, heading for the pumps as the other eight approached the front doors of the diner.

Bo, Brigetta, and Stephanie rounded the corner, coming from the garage, and they froze when they saw the skinheads.

Luke's pickup truck vanished into the distance.

OOC,[b]Luke[/b] is moving to the thread linked below:

The Hunter Hunted

In the diner-
"Yeah, let's pay for our meal as soon as Ashley comes back and get out of here," said Jenny to Michael. "I'm just about done eating anyway, and those guys look like bad news." She pointed at the approaching skinheads visible through the windows. "But how are we going to get out of here without going near them? They're coming this way."

Samantha could not see the junkyard from inside the diner. It was a one-story building, so the only good vantage point was probably the roof, but she had no idea how to get up there. Rosie was a waitress, but she rushed past them without seating them.

Rosie hurried to the back room and knocked on the door. "Ashley, you in there?" she asked. The door opened, Rosie entered, and then it closed behind her.

OOC,[b]Rosie[/b] is moving to the thread linked below:

Danger

[Silver Priest]

Question,I imagine Sean sees what Nitro's doing? Would he be able to get a surprise attack off on him? I'm well aware this is a really, really, bad idea, but I don't think Sean would sit idly by while they're planting explosives. My optimal plan here is to hopefully get a suprise attack off on Nitro and then take cover before the rest of the skinheads can respond. I also want to get Starspawn's take before I react, since chances are pretty high this could get us killed.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,If you wish to shoot, you can get off the first shot, as can [b]Bob[/b] and [b]Jim[/b] if you coordinate with them. Everyone else will go off in DEX order. Yes, you can see what [b]Nitro[/b]'s doing.

[Silver Priest]

Sean whispers to the others but does not look at them, pretending to still be working. "That guy's setting up an explosive. We've gotta do something. I say we all shoot and neutralize him then take cover. Things are about to get ugly, but we do not want them with the ability to blow us all to hell."

[aine]

"On second thoughts, I don't think we'll wait for the waitress." Michael takes Jenny by the hand and then steers her adroitly across the cafe floor towards the door he assumes leads to the back of the building. He drops a $20 note by the cash register as they pass. "Let's go out this way." And follows Rosie.

"What the?!" Samantha watches the back of the retreating waitress with dismay. "Can't say I blame her though; I wouldn't want to serve these guys who are coming in. Looks like trouble and I doubt they'll be happy to see us armed to the teeth either. Should we hide our guns maybe?" She says to Bud and Alex. As she says this she sidles to the counter and stands behind it with her three guns out of sight.

[Mr. Handy]

In the parking lot-
"Are you nuts?!" hissed Bob. "We're outnumbered and outgunned. They'll kill us all, then plant the bomb anyway. We can't get the doc to Omaha if we're dead. Those gas pumps aren't that close to chopper. There's a chance that even if it blows, which it might not, we might be far enough away. It depends how much explosives are in the charge."

In the diner-
"Hey, that's not enough!" Rita called after Michael and Jenny. She was about to chase after them, but then Samantha got behind the counter and blocked her path, followed quickly by Alex, who also kept his rifle hidden behind it. From here they could see that Rita carried a .38 revolver. "You can't come back here! Outta my way!"

Michael led Jenny down the short corridor to the back. The door to the back room was to the right, but straight ahead was a fire door that led outside.

[Starspawn338]

"Are you nuts?!" hissed Bob. "We're outnumbered and outgunned. They'll kill us all, then plant the bomb anyway. We can't get the doc to Omaha if we're dead. Those gas pumps aren't that close to chopper. There's a chance that even if it blows, which it might not, we might be far enough away. It depends how much explosives are in the charge."

Bob's right... and besides, we can't just shoot people because we think we know what they are going to do." Jim continues to monitor the fuel situation but he looks for the best cover.

[Silver Priest]

"Yeah, you're both right," Sean says. "But mark my words, these guys are going to start trouble. And I don't think they'll be content with leaving us alone while they do." He keeps a close watch on the men, specifically Nitro.

[Silver Priest]

Tony Lathan fixes a wide, forced smile onto his face as he addresses his kids. "You two are gonna love Yellowstone, I just know it! Yessirie, seeing the majestic beauty of this land is a real treat. Isn't that right, dear?' He says to Cathy. He knows she's distant and that they've been having problems, but surely a little forced cheer will paper over them and they can make this trip a success.

[Mr. Handy]

9:23 AM
In the parking lot-
"Just stay calm, Trooper," said Buzz. "We got a right to bear arms, and none of this is any of your concern."

Nitro threw the satchel up against the gas pumps and then began to jog back to the van, holding the detonator in his hand. Meanwhile, Buzz waved to Horst through the diner's floor to ceiling window and led the seven skinheads with him into the diner while the sniper kept an eye on things.

Bo led Brigetta and Stephanie over to the helicopter.

In the diner-
"Yes, dear," said Cathy with a sigh. Clearly her heart wasn't in it, though.

"Where's the food, already?" complained Bobby. "It shoulda been here by now."

Scotty continued to play his Nintendo Switch, ignoring everything around him.

Michael opened the fire door at the back of the diner, revealing the empty ground behind it. He and Jenny slipped outside. They couldn't see anyone from their current position at the rear of the diner. To the north, which was incidentally the direction in which the meteor had fallen, a dirt road some fifty yards to the left disappeared into the distance. This was the road halfway between the motel and the truck stop. Of course, the meteor had landed several miles away, so it would take a very long time to get there on foot.

Bud casually slipped his revolver into his inside jacket pocket.

The bell above the front doors tinkled as Buzz pushed them open and strode inside, followed by seven more skinheads. Two of them had assault rifles, three had shotguns, and the others had pistols. The two with the assault rifles looked very similar. They might have been brothers. "Everyone just relax," said Buzz. "Everything's going to be just fine, folks. Just keep on eating. Our business is not with you. We have business with Hammond."

Horst and Flip stood up and joined Buzz. "Jeff and Guzzmann, watch the front doors," said Horst. "Mutt, you're with us." One of the men with the assault rifles went with Horst, Flip, and Buzz went toward the rear of the diner. The other one with the assault rifle and one of the men with shotguns stood in front of the doors. The other four kept an eye on the crowd and the other doors.