Act 1 - The Free City of Krakow (All Players)

grabbing the documents john walk over to the humvee and climbs in the rear passanger side,resting his rifle across his lap with the muzzle pointed to the door.
"so krakow it is" john says as he pulls out a small map of the area "maps a bit outdated but maybe you should look for a good spot to hide the vehicle. i reckon that nikoli should try and patch it up... maybe leave him a guard, while the rest of us cheak out krakow." john says as he hands the map up to bear.
"and mind you we need to think about what we can barter to gain entranced to this town, even if the hummvee is f*cked, make it look good... might be able to trade it"

Bear turns in his seat to face john. "Aye, that's why you're here with that' glib tongue o yours. You could talk a mule outta it's own arse if yer mood took ya. I'd rather not lose a our ride, but depends on what we find when we get there."
He turns back and begins to study the map closely.

Kawalski places the truck in gear waiting for the last door to be shit and smirks. To pitty że John nie zna polskiego he might be more useful in getting that donkeys ass while at Krakow. Our greatest asset isn't this truck. Rather the skill that the Russian and I have. Plus we can keep trading them unlike the truck. Provided they have the materials. Plus speak Polski Useful while we are in Poland" Turns and looks at the still opened door and sighs.

as Nikoli get's into the hummvee he mutter's to himself

"первый шанс я получаю русский ключ будет частью починки головки ..... которая тупоумный американский сотрудник военно-медицинской службы"

With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head, Bear mutters to himself "F#$%IN KIDS.." . He then jams a finger at the map and whistles appreciatively.

"I think we got a good spot to hunker this piece o junk down and get it under some cover, about 5 clicks or so from Krakow."

Steps the foot on the gas. Kawalski glances quickly at the map. "How far down this road are we going?".

Further down the road he comments, "Hmm it's funny. 45 years ago Poland was invaded by the Nazi's, now it is invaded by the Russian's for the 2nd time. Yet Poland still stands and proud! My Grandparents used to tell me stories about the country. Well only before the Nazi's and subsequent Russian occupation. Always wanted to see Polska, but not like this though." continues driving and looking out at the scenery.

Bear half folds the map into a smaller square and holds it towards Kawalski, pointing out the spot by the road. "Somewhere round there, should be close enough to not be a long hoof, far enough to be outta the way with luck."

looking up from the papers, john frowns slightly
"im not making much headway with this stuff, but if you know polish kawalki you might have a better chance, i can only make out bits a peices."

Kawalski not taking his eyes off the road says "Yeah I'll look over the rest of the papers once we stop. Can't really look at them now" laughs. "Guess all the time learning has came in handy apart from talking to my grandparents. But high school did try it's hardest to teach me Spanish. I only need to know enough to read the Taco Bell menu." smiles.

with a grin john looks out the window
"well spanish is a language that im fluent in, not too much help over here tho"

As the Hummer is jolting down the road, Lawrence has a hard time trying to reload the belt into the chamber. Being jolted around himself by the Hummers shocking suspension, he eventually manages to get the belt locked into position and hooks the bolt assembly open so that the weapon won't fire by accident flying over a large bump, but means that it only requires being unhooking before firing saving hefty amounts of time.

As the Hummer jars its way down the road Lawrence remembers to hook the safety belt onto the roll cage to stop him being thrown off. He listens intently to the conversation being passed around. Looking back toward Nikoli, Lawrence decides not to enter into discussing his skillset. There's just something about being around a Russian that makes him uneasy. It just doesn't seem right.

Lawrence looks back to the front of the vehicle, assessing his arcs. Being top cover isn't his cup of tea by a long shot. He knows from experience Top Cover always goes down first, and after seeing what was made of the last convoy coming through the area, he was sure anything they were to come up against wouldn't be easy to take down.

"Hey Bear" Lawrence begins, raising his voice a little trying to get above the drone of the Humvees engine and road noise "You think they have much spare in Krakow? I need my engineering equipment and ... Well I need a lot of things."

listening to lawrence, john grins
"its a sellers market, even if they do have it.. they know that its probably not being made in any quantity anymore, so your going to pay a small fortune for everything"

Bear looks back over his shoulder towards Lawrence, and raises his voice to be heard abover the vehicles running sounds. "Yeah, I'd say we can get almost anythin' ... for a price ... we need tah' step lightly in there though or we might end up like those boys back there" He jerks a thumb back the way they have come from. "Our words will need to be guarded, no slips and whatever we do... we don't upset the natives. I reckon we get John to do tha' talkin', let everythin' go through him at first unless we need tah speak up, what ya'all think?""

With out taking his eyes off the road, Kawalski speaks "Also think we should get in civvies too. don't really want to broadcast that we are military, or at the very least show no rank. Even if Krakow is a free city, seeing a bunch of Americans rocking up is bad enough let alone military all of which are officers not such a good thing. We might want to keep our Russian friend here with the Hum-Vee too, like you said before. I'm pretty so he will get some attention. I'm sure there are still Russian's loyal to mudda Russia who wouldn't mind seeing a deserter taken out. How is Frances relationship with Poland there Laurie?" Deftly misses a pot hole.

Bear offers a slight grin at Kawalski's choice of words and with some underlying mirth comments "May be true at that, but for one I know i aint got a spare pair o' civvies tah string on my hide, an less u can see some marks o' rank on my fatigues I've missed, I'd be guessin i'm as good as I'm gonna get." He looks pointedly towards Nikolai. "Doc 'ere might have a point Nicolawatskiamacallit ....." Bear's grin broadens. " I ain't sure what the go is in 'ere, but I'd offer a guess that they ain't none too friendly towards the invaders ... we might need to suss out the sit before we drag you in. " He glances around the occupants of the Hummer as he finishes with a raised brow.

as Nikoli listen's to Bear and Kawalski he say's to them both

"comrade's i will stay with piece of s*it but you must remeber not every russian know i deserter so if you need me for something i will help...there need not be any more fighting amongst us i get it, you do not trust me but by end of trip i will have gained trust"

Nikoli extend's his big rough hand in frienship hopeing that his american friend's will put the past behind them he know's that it will take more than a hand shake to earn the trust of the group.

with a grin john playfully slaps nikolis hand down
"what is this oprah, you guys going to hug next"with this john looks out the window for a moment twisting his west point ring on his finger absent mindedly
"im up for runnin point on this, i will try not to sell you while im in there. how close are we now annyway?"

Lawrence looks down and places his hand on Nikolis shoulder "We all know you 'ave defected. And let's be 'onest, you would not even be breathin' now if we t'ought you were anyt'ing other than a friend." Lawrence looks back viewing his arcs once again "Our problem is, Russian man, we do not know w'ether you can be trusted in arms, to 'ave our backs when needed. Until then, I do not feel you will get any sympathetic treatment from any of us. Prove your worth mes amie"

Smirks a little. "I really just don't want to bring to much attention to us. I mean a Russian with Americans will get some attention. Unless he can speak something else and with a good accent. Or we could convince people that he is our Man Friday. I would just find it best to hold out until, as Bear said suss out the place. Unless just John and I go and report back what we see then make a decision on how to enter the place. This is all assuming that we can even get past the front gate." Shrugs while still holding on to the wheel. "Lord I just want a bed and hot shower, hell any just shower will do. John and I better cut off our silver bars off our uniforms." Yawns and quickly rubs one eye then the other.

as Nikoli listen's to the men he say's to them all

"i will have your back, if we get into trouble i will be there it is the less amount i can do, you did not shoot me when you picked me up"

Still smiling, Bear offers " We didn't? i think i just missed ... But seriously ... it's as the Doc said, it's not a trust thing, just a first impressions thing. rather not get shot at cause of a trigger 'appy guard."

Kawalski pulls off to the side of the road and turns off the head lights. "This looks to be the best spot to set up camp. Plus we aren't that far from Krakow" motions to the small collection of lights in front, but still a distance away. "I'd suggest rest for the night and decide out course of action is in the morning." Drives the Hum-Vee in to a more concealed location of the road. "Lets make camp, eat and set watch. You all know the drill."

as the group pull's over to a concelled spot Nikoli ask's the group

"if you dont mind i'll take first watch...i mean if i am to stay with sh*t box tomorrow i could use sleep after midnight"

The seemingly massive city of Krakow looms into view, the mountains to the south were barely visible through the river mist and the Wisla wound through the city like the Danube does through Vienna. It was beautiful. Ahead of the group on the road a farmer walks before a horse drawing a carriage seemingly full of hay.

as Nikoli notices the farmer ahead on the road he moves towards the back of the hummvee and silently wakes up Bear and say's to him

" Bear wake up..we have company i think its a farmer with a horse drawn cart but anything is possiable, we dont want to take the risk if it's not"