Danny eased his hand off of his right side, the bulge of the Viper in its holster disappearing again into the fabric of the sweater. He scanned the area one more time, using his Zeiss vision mag cybereyes to extend his range out a bit. With nothing in view, he sighed and put a hand on Mirage’s shoulder:

“Looks like they’re gone, dearest. C’mon, we’ve got some planning to do.”

Hawk watched as the helicopters blades spun faster and faster. The noise was deafening and the wind was enough to pelt gravel and grass for a 100 yards. The big birds blades reached their lift off velocity. The chopper shuddered and moaned as its frame broke free from earths gravity and lifted into the air. The Hughes made aircraft was at its near limit of 1200 kilograms. Mostly fuel batters stacked in the cargo space. The rest of the team sat crouched in what little space was left, or at the edge of the open door with their legs hanging of the side.


It only took a few minutes and the helicopter was gone, out of sight and heading south. Cypher had assured everyone that the flight plan was good to go. Now it was time for Hawk to get to work, he had to cross the border legally, ride south deep into the Cascades and hopefully find the orks.

Mirage sits in the helicopters open doorway, watching the eerie wasted landscape of Puyallup roll by beneath them.

No turning back now, lets hope that Reynaldo and Cypher know their stuff.

Hawk had made sure that he put lots of the extraneous and weighty gear onto the helicopter if they weren't going to be taking him. Make me run around like damn bunny! talk about need buy gas! Who paying my gas! He grunts around as he finishes putting away a lot of his stuff in the heli. He keeps his sword and his rifle on him, as well as what he's wearing. But he puts most of the gear except for 15 days ration bars, his self inflating tent, sleeping bag, and the survival kit in his own cubby before they lift off.

The troll gives them a salute as the team goes off. Hope see you down there! After they leave he rides his bike slowly while using his wristphone to call Jonathon Clemens, the ex-salish military like Hawk and the one man Hawk would trust with his life. He hits speed dial one and the phone starts to ring...

"Clemens, go ahead."

"Howdy Clemens, Hawk-wing Here. Listen, I need your help. Running an op in the cascades in Salish. We're running an Air-Cav unit, but we're gonna setup base in an outpost near the cascades near Mt. Airy. Wondering if you could hook me up with a local to help us get situated and get us supplies... ammo, fuel, booze and cigarettes the usual. The men were thinking Cascade Orks, but anyone with local knowledge would be good. Think you can help me?" The trolls gruff voice can be heard as professional as it gets.

"Your in luck old buddy, gimmie a second." The sounds of paper shuffling can be herd over the comm. "Yeah got it here, fellow named 'Burnout' runs a T-bird through that Aid Station down there. Was just talking my hind end off about a bunch of milspec grade fuel he needed to unload, I'll get a good deal for you guys. As for the rest of the stuff, jsut get me a list, I got a contact with the orks that shoudl be able to deliver. How you been?"

"You are hero Clemens, my hero. I've been good. Life's kinda slow when you're not in the military anymore. I try to keep self on old routines, but never feels same. Made my way into a Troll Bar this morning, place was nice. Hoping to go back some time and make nice with owner. How's you doing?"

@ Hawk,

"Things are good omae, things are good. So, I'll see you in a few hours?"

@ Reynaldo and company,

The 'Aid' station was just that, a small group of tents, a single guard tower made from local wood, and a helicopter landing pad marked with stone. The place was mostly over grown, the first fly by spooked a pack of dog-ish looking animals and had them running into the wood line. MT Adams looms in the horizon, filling the southern sky. Reybaldo ends his loop around the camp hoviering 15 feet over the landing pad.

With that taken care of Hawk will make his way to the aid station on his bike.. taking the most direct route possible.

"Reynoldo touch down for a second. We'll check the place out on foot, while you cover from the air."

Mirage raises the hood of her coat, ready to activate it's active camouflage as soon as the team touch down.

Hope those dog things don't come back, they looked big.

As the aid station came into view, the modified helicopter dropped a good hundred feet and slowed down as to get a better look. Reynaldo’s body had been still for the whole flight, as the dwarf rigged the aircraft. Now, he was coming out of his comatose state, both of his large hands going to work; flipping switches left and right.

The Mexican’s accented voice came to life on the waves of the comm system.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ll be touching down shortly. Please make sure your harnesses are tightly secured and if you feel the urge to hurl, please swallow it down or wait before we’re on the ground.”

A few switches later, Reynaldo had transferred most of the helo’s electronic output toward the sensors, turning them on the aid station below and the surrounding forest.

After circling the camp twice, the aircraft started it’s decent, flattening the surroundings vegetation and kicking up a large cloud of dirt.

"Reynaldo touch down for a second. We'll check the place out on foot, while you cover from the air."

“Copy that. Touch and Go people… get ready.”

Once the team was on the ground, the helicopter rapidly took some altitude as a heavy autocanon popped out of a turret under it’s nose.

Mirage leads the way clear of the helicopter, manhunter out, activating her stealth coat as she goes.

"Mirage, on the ground heading for the tents, over.

The open chopper door blowing his hair around, Danny felt a little adrenaline rush as the rotorcraft made its way towards the base. On its last pass, he reached behind his right side and pulled out the chrome Viper, checking the mag and the chamber and taking the safety off. He moved the tac gear bag on his shoulder, adjusted the subvocal mic and transceiver and hopped off the craft at touchdown.

“Right behind you Mirage, lead the way, over.

He scanned the horizon for any sign of critters, then covered Mirage on her way to the tents.

The helicopter was only down for an instant. Mirage, Danny, and Cypher bailed out hitting the ground. Mirage took point moving from points of cover to cover. Her small athletic body allowed her to move at incredible speed. Danny moved behind her, not moving until the cover she used was fully vacated. It was late in the morning so the sky was clear, it was a cold crisp clear, and the air was a little heavy. Cypher moved behind Danny, staying ont he mans six. His MP-5 was out, but pointed down as they moved. Both Mirage and Danny noticed that the man moved with an athleticism, and care, that belied his persona as a hacker elite. He had to have been military trained.

As Reynaldo circled the position, he turned his attention to the sensors readout, scanning the camp and surrounding areas for lifeforms and anomalies such a vehicles. A few quick sweeps of the area revealed nothing of real interest... which was a good thing.

"Helo to all; the area seems pretty clear from up here. A few furry critters here and there... and what looks like some wolves. Nothing dangerous but be careful, over."

Mirage dashed across the compound moving from one shadow to the next. She was fast, flash fast and melded with the shadows like she was one. After 20 minutes of searching the ground team decided the camp had not been used in many years. Vegitation overgrew most of it.

""Reynaldo - Mirage it's all clear down here, safe to land, over."

Walking back to the others Mirage deactivates her chameleon camouflage and says, "I guess we make ourselves comfy and wait for Hawk to get here."

"Copy that. Be down in a minute."

A few minutes later, the heavy roar of the helicopter's rotor could be heard as a large shadow started to decent toward a clear patch of the camp. As it neared the ground, dust, leaves and everything that didn't have a good grip on the earth was kicked up. What didn't go flying off was flattened down.

Slowly, but surely, the engine of the utility aircraft whined down until the blades came to a stop. The stocky dwarf jumped out of the side door, a tool kit in one hand and a combat shotgun slung over his shoulder.

The dwarf immediately went to work, securing the helicopter's well by planting stoppers in the ground, and unrolling a giant forest camouflage net.

"Danny, come over here and give me a hand to hide this baby. Cypher; go grab us a bunch of those large tree branches."

"Right," Cypher jogged over and started clearing the branches.


---


Hawk's big hog made good time as he bore through the backroads of the nearly forgotten country. Dim shadows lept at the edges of his headlights as he cruised down the dirt roads. It took him a while, but 8 hours of driving later he arrived at the Aid Station.

Hearing the bike approach Mirage steps cautiously into view, her Manhunter held behind her. When she spots Hawk she smiles and replaces the pistol in it's holster, "Welcome to our little camp, what kept you?"

"Copy that, on my way, over."

Danny climbed deftly over the helo and had the camo net covering the vehicle as best it could. The heat signature would still be visible for a while, but with the place as deserted as it seemed, perhaps their presence would remain undetected.

As the bike pulled in, Danny kept an eye on Mirage as she went out to greet the rider. Once it was clear Hawk was the driver, he went back to securing the net and readying supplies.

About an hour later, the helicopter was firmly secured on the ground, covered in camouflage netting and the branches Cypher had gathered. It probably wasn't the best job ever... and someone flying low and slow enough would surely spot the anomaly. But to your average flyer, and mostly on long range scanner, it would probably go unnoticed.

"Muy bueno Danny" said the mexican, taking a step back to watch their done work.

"Muy muy bueno." he repetead, punctuating his remark with a good pat in... the lower back of the brit.

The only drawback to camouflaging the aircraft in such a manner would be that, if they needed to bail in hurry... well... they would need at least 10 or 15 minutes.

Reynaldo had left a small side portion of the helo free of camo netting, so he could get in and out of his aircraft rather easily. The main reason he had done this was because althought the engine wasn't running, he had left some of the elaborate sensor suite active... but taken care in running it low powered enough to keep an eye on the immediate area.

He'd also set up his own tent, not too far from the helicopter, under the shadow of a tree. The dwarf had then filled one of his heavy canvas bag with all his food, and hung it up a tree. Last thing they need was a hungry bear rummaging thru their food supplies.

All and all, he was now rather comfortable and ready to wait it out until he was needed.

Hawk astride his hog, with little care in the world. He had noticed the lack of smoke, and ruckus of normal civilization. He trusted in his team to have the place secured when he arrived, so he rode in casually, just keeping an eye for anything on the roads with him. Once he met back up with the crew he gave Mirage a wide toothy grin, "Hello again, m'lady. I trust things went good?"

He unpacks his gear, decking himself out in hunting mode, assembling his rifle, and setting up his non-inflating tent at the home base. He still tries to keep his stuff either in his person or packed up still, for ease of use. He leaves his bike leaning against a tree.

"I gots yous fuels coming now, by jumpjet. We maybe talk with man about locals when he here. Iffen you be needing gear, get your shopper lists ready. I be resting up now. Might as well wait for daylight to begin our hike? Don't wanna be tired and in the dark on your first day out in the wild now."

Munching on the butt of a half smoked and now unlit cigar, Reynaldo took his cowboy hat off and hung it on a near by branch.

"Muy bueno Hawk. With his fuel, we will be able to insure any... how to say.... sorties we make."

He stretch his short arms, yawning heavily, then swung the combat shotgun from off his shoulder and propped it against a nearby tree, where he sat down.

"Until we do our initial recon, I do not think we can get a shopping list. So... what is el plan now?"

The Rainforest seems to come alive with the morning sun. A light drizzle of rain soaks through everything (it is a rain forest) and the animals just outside the camp scitter and scatter. For a desserted camp it is awful loud.

Taking over the watch from Danny after catching a few of hours rest, Mirage is outside when the morning’s downpour begins. Her stealth coat hides her as she walks silently around the perimeter, her keen eyes searching for movement or tracks.

Ordinarily she would enjoy the rain, her sophisticated audio cyberware picking out the sound of each raindrop, and her jacked-up reactions giving her the time to enjoy each sound - today though she filtered out the sounds of the rain, her cyber-audio reducing the noise down to a low hiss. She concentrated instead on listening for more dangerous sounds, the stealthy approach of predators, or the sound of anything man-made.

As she patrolled Mirage paid particular attention to any sounds from downwind; predators would most likely choose to approach the camp from that direction, as would she.

After greeting his friend, Hawk Wing had introduced the rest of the team to his old pal Jonathon Clemens, just to show the man they were on the up and up. Hawk nodded at Reynaldo to pay the man before just catching up on all times.

After the long ride down, he figured he deserved a little early R&R so he retires shortly after the night settles in. "You need me, you yell. I come." He then sleeps in his tent, with his sword at his side.

At daybreak. Krum, takes a look outside to make sure nothing is the matter, then if noone is doing anything urgent, he'll set out to clean out his rifle. Trying to keep the chamber dry and everything moving smoothly in this humid environment wasn't the easiest thing in the world. When he's done, he steps out of his tent, fully ready to go. He's wearing all his armor, he's got a framed hiking backpack on his back, and he's slinging his rifle over one shoulder, and his sword at his hip. It would seem like a lot for normal people to carry, but the burden is nothing for the massive troll. He stands there, calmly smoking a cigarette to start his day.