Clearing the Market

[jawdog]

Gordan set the recruit down on a chair. "We got to do something about that leg." Gordan took some bandages from one of the medical boxes and made a make-shift cast for him "I'm no doctor but it'll last for now."

Gordan checked his clip. He had two bullets left in it. He decided to take a clip out of his back and put it on him when the time comes to reload. Then he continued to seach the shop. He saw broken items every where. All he managed to find of use is a small brass lighter.
"This could come in some use." and put it in his bag.

He looked around at the wounded Yankees they were a strong force but even they could take on that many zombies. Gordan noticed Nathan, he didn't look like one of them. Just a civilian by the looks of him. Good to see regular people can survive in this nightmare Gordan thought.

[Nathan Ellis]

"I don't normally smoke, but after seeing that out there, I think I could use one," Nathan said, taking one of the offered cigarettes. Taking his match box from his bag, Nathan lit it and took a drag.

His nerves calmed a bit, Nathan started looking through the goods for anything he might need. Finding a few feet of some thin rope on a shelf, and grabbing a couple boxes gauze pads and medical wrap from his earlier find, Nathan walked over to the canned food shelves and grabbed a couple cans of fruit, a couple cans of ground pork, and a couple cans of soup. He also found a small blanket which he bagged too. He wanted to take more, however only having a small backpack, he didn't have any way to transport any more.

[[OOC: GM coming very shortly, i need to take a break though ]]

[Scott Bruhn]

With the lit cigarette in his mouth, Scott walked down the aisles looking for any type of fishing line he could come across. Finding a small spool with about ten meters left, Scott grabbed it and walked back to his men. "I need one of your grenades Private." He told Ramirez.

"Here, sir. What do you plan on doing?" Ramirez asked as he handed a grenade to Scott.

Taking the grenade and pinning it to the front of his harness, Scott replied, "Trip wire." and walked back to the front of the store, looking for anything else he could use.

Coming across several oil lamps and oil for them, he grabbed one, filled it, and lit it. Walking around with the small amount of light he risked, he could see several things he had missed. There was a lot more medical supplies than he had originally thought. He grabbed a box of gauze and stuck that in the last open pouch on his harness and walked back up front to renew his search for cigarettes now that he had some light to look with. He spotted an unopened pack on the floor and quickly snatched it, putting it with the other pack in his right pocket. Seeing the cash register, Scott pressed the button to open the drawer. Once the drawer had popped out to reveal what was inside, Scott practically laughed and grabbed the thirty cents that were inside.

"Either this store wasn't very successful or the owner decided to take the money with him." Scott said aloud.

[[Not sure, but if my history is correct they had nylon fishing string back then. Anyone know if they had tape? I can't remember if they did or not.]]

[Nathan Ellis]

[[OOC: Where's Anton when you need him ]]

GM

Now that everyone had what they needed, it was time to get on the move again. Bruhn's lieutenant was counting on them to link up with him, and without much experience, he wouldn't stand much a chance against anything like they just had. However, most of Bruhn's men were severely wounded, and Gordon's companion couldn't move very fast. They could either leave them here for the time being and seek out help, or attempt to move them. With a small horde of undead still pounding on the front door, their only other options of escape would be out the back somewhere.

Seeing that the medic was patching up the last of the wounded, Nathan began looking for another way out. Walking to the back of the room, he spotted a back door, however, closer inspection revealed it to be nailed and boarded shut. Walking back into a small supply room, he found a flight of stairs leading up to the second story.

"Well, we can try to break down the door to move the wounded," Nathan said, "Or we can see if there is a way to climb down to street level from the second story."

[Scott Bruhn]

"Well, I'd prefer to move the men, but in their state I doubt we'd get far. We should move a shelf or two in front of the door before we do anything else, that way there's at least some thing that'll take a little omphf to move. Other than that, I think you, the uninjured Brit, and myself should go." Scott stated.

"Corporal, if this is the plan, I'm counting on you to make sure no one else dies here." Scott told the man.

"You got it, sir, just leave that lamp by the door so we can see whatever decides to break through." He replied

"Negative, I can't take the chanace of setting this place ablae with you men inside." Scott said.

he moved over to a shelf and put his body wieght into pushing it to block the door further. Private Ramirez walked over and helped him finish pushing it in place.

[jawdog]

"ok stay here with the others ill go with them and get help for you" Gordan exclamed. He then said "Alright ready to move out when you are"

He checked around for somthing to climb down on. He saw a Pipe heading down to the ground from the roof "Hey! I found down and i think its clear!" He said pointing toward the pipe. "I'll go first to check it out." He walked up to the window and shook it a little bit to make sure it wouldnt fall under his wieght.

Then started down. Once he hit the ground he checked around. The zombies' attention was focused at the front for now but that could change at any moment "Clear" Gordan said

[Nathan Ellis]

Nathan, being the gentleman he was, allowed Gordon to go first into the street. And after looking out the window to make sure nothing grabbed him, Nathan followed suit, pistol in hand. Down in the street, Nathan took a look around. He couldn't see any hostiles in the immediate area, but they no doubt were nearby. The walls and alley were damp from the an earlier mist, and the sky was gray. Not knowing which way to go exactly, Nathan just backed up against a wall and scanned the skyline.

[[OOC: Congratz, Bruhn you get to lead us to your Lieutenant.]]

[Scott Bruhn]

Scott was the last man down the pipe, right behind Nathan. Reaching the bottom, he made sure his guns were loaded and told the two with him, "I'll lead the way, Nathan your behind me. Gordon our watch our six." Scott started down the alleyway, hoping that the lieutenant had already met up with the Brits that were being deployed after Scott and his team headed in. He lead both of the men with him the six uneventful blocks it took to reach the rendezvous point. Stopping at the corner of the alley they were in, Scott motioned for Nathan to watch the walls, to make sure nothing was going to ambush them. Then peering around a corner, Scott was appalled at what he saw. There were bodies everywhere, some mangled, some ripped apart, and the gruesome were the ones ripped open with their intestines strewn about the ground around them. Looking up and down both sides of the street to make sure there were no zombies of any kind waiting to attack some careless person. Satisfied that there was no trap of any kind waiting for them, Scott motioned for the men to follow him.

[[OOC: Gordon can NPC a British regiment if he so desires.]]

[Nathan Ellis]

[[OOC: sorry, i want to get the move on with this...]]

GM

Once out in the open, the trio could see the true extent of the damage. Laying in the street, in every way and matter, were two platoons of American soldiers. Blood flowed in the crevices of the cobblestone like water from a rain. A couple soldier still laid there, coughing up blood, however feeling no pain due to the shock. Few were lucky enough to have had a quick death.

Evidence showed that it hadn't been a very long battle. The two platoons had been ambushed just as Bruhn's had. But evidently, these troops had been marching right down the middle of the street, a rather unwise move. And the only remaining survivor was a lieutenant curled up in a balled, rocking back and forth by a door barely hanging by its hinges. Blood and dirt covered the pale officer's face, as well as everything around him.

Stopping at the first body Nathan came upon, he bent down to scoop up a dead Corporal's rifle. A half inserted clip was still in the M1917 Enfield, and a further search of the mangled body produced two more clips, for a total of 14 rounds. Better than nothing. Unable stand the sight or stench of the body, Nathan continued walking through the street, a few yards behind Bruhn.

[jawdog]

Gordan looked upon the mangled lifeless bodies and had to fight the feelings of sickness growing in his gut. He slowly walked over the bodies. His boots were covered in blood and more and more splashed on as he continued forward following Nathan & Scott. This will take forever to get out he thought to himself. He saw one of the soldiers with a Springfield M1903 still holding tight in his four fingered hand. Gordan reached down and took it from him. He seached the man's pack and found 12 ammo. He holstered his pistol and equiped the rifle.

He watched the rear as the Sergeant had told him to. It was more difficult to see through the glass of the gas mask because of the dirt build up growing on the lenses. He wiped it off with his sleeve. Looking the in broken windows into the darkness in them. The half caved in building showed the ruins of lifes wrecked by the outbreak. There was pictures in broken cases on the ground. Children toys snapped in half from being stomped on by fleeing civilians.

So far he hadn't seen any movement. He was sure they where in the clear. The small shaking in his body had stopped. The doubts in his mind about making it out alive had been blocked out by the confidence to do any thing.

[Scott Bruhn]

Scott saw his CO huddled in a ba by the door and it came as no surprise to him. Well it surprised him that he was stil aive, but that wasn't his main concern. Walking around looking through the bodies to see if any of the dead had used a trench gun. Finding the only soldier that was carrying one, he knelt down and rummaged through the soldiers harness and found three shells. Grabbing the gun, he wasn't entirely surprised to see that it was empty.

Walking back to his CO, he knelt down next to him, "Sir, is this all of the troops?"

"N. . . No, Some got away." He shakily said.

"Where did they go?"

"I I'm not sure."

[Nathan Ellis]

[[OOC: ok, not a GM but all well.]]

Nathan had been standing behind Bruhn keeping and eye on the street, and had heard the short conversation.

"Well, what would you like to do, Bruhn? We still have those wounded in the building back there, we need to find a way to get them back. Or if you want, we can attempt to find the lost soldiers." Nathan said, wrapping the sling of his new rifle around in arm to increase accuracy. He only had 14 bullets, and he needed to make them count. "May I suggest we find someone back at the wharfs with vehicle to drive your wounded and the uh.. lieutenant here, out?"

[Nathan Ellis]

GM

January 14, 1924
1425 hours
Portsmouth Market District
64 Degrees F, Cloudy, Mist

"Yes, I want you and Gordon to head back to the Wharfs, it's only 5 blocks back, and find a truck. I don't care if you have to steal it, just get one. Then bring it back to the general store where the rest of the wounded are at, I'll take the lieutenant over and meet you there. Everyone got it?" Sgt. Bruhn said, laying out the plan for everyone. "Yes, good. Now lets move!" He just hoped that the doc had managed to keep everyone at the store alive, cause if he hadn't, and he didn't put a bullet in their head soon enough, he sure as hell was going to have a problem to deal with once he got back.

As he watched Nathan and Gordon jog off up the road, he turned around to help the lieutenant up. "Come on sir, we need to get the hell out of here." Scott said sternly, even though his lieutenant had most likely become a nutcase, that just gave him all the more reason to court martial him for insubordination.

- Nathan & Gordon -

Having jogged four blocks back to the wharfs through the dark and foggy streets, they stopped just one block short. Their short run had been pretty uneventful. Nothing popped out, or stirred. Evidently the undead had found something better to go after then a couple humans running through the street.

Getting around the corner from the American staging area, Nathan laid out his plan. "Alright, we're going to do this pretty simple. We walk in as a refugie and a lost soldier. Once inside, all we have to do is look around for an unoccupied supply truck, and get the hell back. Pretty simple, no?" Ellis didn't even wait for a reply, he was already walking up the road to the military check point, and left Gordon scrambling to catch up. "Friendlies coming in!" Nathan yelled out to the guards. "Well, hurry the fuck up!" Came the usually brute American reply. Jogging up to and through the check point, they began to scope out for a vehicle.

Having walked only a hundred yards and around the corner of a warehouse, they found their objective. Sitting out in front of the warehouse, undoubtedly waiting to be loaded, was a supply truck. Getting Gordon's attention, Nathan pointed toward the vehicle. "Alright, once we are in, we are going to make a quick break for the checkpoint. I want you to talk to them when they stop us. And just tell them the truth, we are going to pick up some wounded. Your previous driver was killed, so you picked me up to help. And I can't shoot worth shit, so that is why I'm driving the military vehicle."

Hopping into the driver's seat on the right side, Thankfully it is British, thought Nathan as he turned the key that they previous owners had so graciously left in the vehicle. And off they were, making a U turn around a pile of supplies, they headed back to the check point.

[jawdog]

As Nathan drove up to the check point he told Gordan what to do. "Alright but i have a bad feeling about this." he said. As the wheels kept on turning they reached the check point. A American soldier walked up to the jeep.

"Hey Brit where do your going with that jeep? We need it for unloading supplies to the bases. Step out." the Yankee said. "Sir we just need this jeep to pick up wounded we have in town. This civilian is driving because he needs me to gun for him." Gordan replied to the soldier.

"I DON'T CARE! Step out of the vehicle!" The soldier was getting more impatient and raised his rifle to them. "Now listen here you Wanker, we got men trapped in a building surrounded by about hundred of those bloody things trying to survive! Now get your arse out of the way and let us go!" Gordan so angrily replied. The soldier was shocked by this. "Listen just get those men out of there" the soldier was almost whispering to them. He waved to the others to let them through. "Cheers!" Gordan said to the soldier as the drove off.

[Nathan Ellis]

[[OOC: You don't pay much attention do you? First off, its a British Supply Truck, not an American jeep, so the American's would have just thought it was yours. Secondly, they would have shot you before letting you waste one of their precious jeeps on a few helpless wounded.]]