Ride Interupted IC

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:28 pm

[see ooc thread for map of the area. Jon and Kelly can decide if they are in or out of the bus next time they post]

Everyone (who is an NPC) is sort of milling around blankly after the horrendous crash and the violent death of the bus driver. Gary notices that the luggage was thrown off of the roof of the bus when it flipped and is strewn along the side of the road. He starts picking up his various costume's and props.

Beatrice is calmer but worried. "What do we do now? We're stranded who knows where."

Harry tries ot put on a brave face. "We were still on a road of sorts. If we wait someone will eventually come by and we can get help."

Will notices that some sort of blight or insect must have ravaged many of trees and they are dying. they should all be green and thick this time of year.

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Wed Jul 27, 2011 12:35 am

There is the sharp crack of a rifle shot. It briefly echoes through the hills.

Simultaneously, the side of Bull Billing's head explodes outwards.

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Wed Jul 27, 2011 4:03 am

"Goddamn!" Kelly grunts, before he starts shoving the nearest person to him to the ground.

"Hit tha goddamned deck an' hug it like it was yer fuckin' momma!"

Kelly briefly looks for the nearest cover, before attempting to stiffly throw himself into it.

(Oooc: Wot do I need to roll?)

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Wed Jul 27, 2011 1:30 pm

[no need to roll to fall down. Also, at times like this, when I say everyone, I mean NPCs. I'm not making assumptions about your character.]

Everyone considers Kelly's advice sound and drops down where they can. Gary is close enough to the bus that he dives back inside.

3278 · Post by **3278** » Wed Jul 27, 2011 3:40 pm

"Jeepers!" Will cried, thinking back to Siam. He dove back through the missing rear window, landing in a tangle with the funnyman. "You stay down, fella," he said, and then ignored his own advice, turning around so he could peek outside and see what was going on. The big farmer was dead, no doubt about it, and most of the others had already gotten low. That was good, but they were going to get chewed up pretty bad if they stayed out in the open, so he called out, "Take cover!"

Tiny Deev · Post by **Tiny Deev** » Wed Jul 27, 2011 6:51 pm

Ben's head whips around when he hears the shot, and slowly crouches down when the big man told him to hug the ground. He walks close to the bus but doesn't go inside, and cocks his head slightly, listening, trying to make out where the bullet came from.

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 2:58 pm

Ben notices a glint about 350 feet away up the hill, south by soutwest where what looks like a dry creek enters a stand of evergreens. He swears that there is a rifle pointed directly at him.

Tiny Deev · Post by **Tiny Deev** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 4:41 pm

Ben drops to the floor and crawls towards the bus, away from potential line of fire.

"Ey! Big guy! With the accent!" Ben shouts to Kelly, from half way into the bus. "Southwest, by the riverbed at the trees."

He then quickly slides into the bus, back to his backpack and takes cover.

DV8 · Post by **DV8** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 8:15 am

Jon hears the shot and immediately pulls Beatrice behind the bus, tucking her as close to the ground as he can. Confident that she's safe when he hears someone shout out the direction of the shooter, he stands up and peeks around the corner to the direction of the firing. He immediately shot his gaze towards the south-east, hoping no other shooters were joining.

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 2:59 pm

A shot rings out and kicks up dust a foot from Harry Goldmine. Harry is the most exposed slightly up slope from the bus gathering luggage. He jumps up, attemptign to use his suitcase as a shield as he runs for the other side of the bus.

Two more shots target Harry as he's running, each only a couple of seconds apart. When he gets behidn the bus, Jon notices that a shot went through the suitcase, grazing Harry's rib as well as causing several superficial wounds from splinters of suitcase and stuff stirking Harry.

Harry catches his breath then attempts to smile and flinging out, "I haven't had such a harsh audience since I played in Brooklyn."

The shooter starts firing once every twenty or thirty seconds at various possible targets. One hits the bus and goes through the sheet metal roof but misses everyone inside.

3278 · Post by **3278** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:15 am

Other than waiting for the gunman to run out of ammunition - not necessarily practical - Will wasn't sure what to do. There was no way any of them could run the distance in time, and it didn't seem likely the rumrunner would be able to hit anything at this range with a pistol. Not seeing any other alternatives, he called out to the shooter: "Say now, you there! We..." He had no idea what to say. He rarely knew what to say when someone wasn't shooting at him. "We would really like it if you wouldn't be shooting at us anymore," he finished, lamely.

Tiny Deev · Post by **Tiny Deev** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 1:25 pm

Ben looks up confused as he hears the awkward man shout towards the gunman.
"Hey, fellow, usually when someone is shooting it means they're not up for listening to what you have to say."
With a low rumble of annoyence, Benjamin looks out of the window for cover closer by the shooter, or a good way to get into the forest.
"Besides, I don't think he can hear you from over there. You know, with the rifle-shots echoing and all."

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 5:02 pm

Kelly looks at his knee for a second, then grimaces, and looks towards will.

"'ey, kid. Look, runnin' will work for everyone else, but ah ain't gonna be able to run. Ah'm gonna need yer help. You scared?"

Kelly pauses, then continues. "Ah'm gonna want ya to run beehin' tha bus. Ah'll cover ya while ya do it. Once you get behind it...well... ah'm gonna need ya to snap pictures at that asshole with the rifle. Yer flash might distract him long enuff fer my crippled ass ta git behin' tha bus.

Kelly grins for aq moment, then calls over his shoulder. "Don' nobody else go into da damn bus. It's a death trap."

DV8 · Post by **DV8** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:00 am

Jon, sitting behind the bus, got a fairly a good idea now of where the shooter was and hadn't seen any signs of other gunmen. He decided to move along the bus, away from the rest of the group, always keeping the bus between himself and the shooter.

3278 · Post by **3278** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 1:40 pm

"Say, that's an interesting kind of plan, fella, but there's kind of a wrinkle in it." Will looked at the Leica with a distantly apologetic expression. "Flash is in my bags." He glanced back outside, toward the shooter, at the terrain. Absently, as if it were an afterthought, he said, "You want to get behind the bus but don't want to get shot, wait until he fires, and go right then. Fella doesn't seem in a hurry to shoot, and anyhow he's gotta work the bolt. Probably want to put the engine between you and him."

That wasn't what Will was thinking about, though. Will was thinking about a tragedy of geography: they were downslope, the shooter was upslope, and there was only more down beyond them, and more up beyond him. They needed to get somewhere he couldn't shoot, or sneak someone closer to him, and Will couldn't see a way they could do either one.

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 3:43 pm

When Jon moves towards the front of the bus, he notices that the right front wheel is gone, broken at the axle. The engine case is definitely cracked as oil and coolant have pooled on the ground.

Will notices that following the road as it goes northwest would bring him closer to the gully that the shooter is in. There would still be risk but it would be the best approach.

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 3:43 pm

dup deleted.

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 7:12 am

"well, kid, git behin' tha bus. Then we'll see if ole Kelly can still make it." Kelly grins, somewhat manically at Will.

"But by the by, git those folks outta tha bus, if ya can. If ya'll wander down the way, tryin not to get shot, or find a spot to lay low, ah think ah can ambush this bastard."

Kelly shakes his head and looks at the forty five that's crept into his hand without thinking.

"how in tha hell did I find mahself back here, where the rats chew on the bones of dead men?"

3278 · Post by **3278** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 1:33 pm

Will nodded, and began gesturing with his hands. "The shooter's in that gully there, see? If you want to get close, move down the road that direction, it'll get you there. Maybe you can lay low in the drainage ditch?" Will addressed the bus in general, "After the next shot, I'm going to bolt for cover, see? Let's get this jalopy's engine 'tween us and him." With that, he waited for another shot to ring out.

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 3:10 pm

A shot rings out and everyone exits the bus. What must be a full minute passes with no more shots.

DV8 · Post by **DV8** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 4:32 pm

As the shot rings out, Jon bolts from cover and sprints towards the road, crosses it and dives in cover along side the road. Laying face down he gives himself two seconds to feel. Feel his body. No sharp pains? Good. Tiger crawl. Trench work. I can do this.

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:45 am

Kelly waits until everyone else has cleared the bus, ducking his head constantly as he looks around and prepares for the dash. Only dash isn't so much the word for it, as he stiffly pushes himself standing, then a brisk shuffle towards the engine. He doesn't think about the shot so much, because by the time he hears it he'll be dead. Damn huns and their mortars and machineguns.

But he never hears it, and with sweat pouring down his face, he slouches behind the bus, holstering the pistol.

"I'm gonna slow ya down, no matter how ya cut it. But ah wouldn't mind the company."

Kelly bobs his head up and looks at the gully, then ducks and shakes his head. "Naw. Aint gonna happen. Not with me havin' a .45. "

"Say, which one of ya'll know how to use a pistol?"

3278 · Post by **3278** » Tue Aug 09, 2011 2:41 pm

"Well, that fellow sneaking across the road looks like he knows a thing or two. Probably a little late, now."

Tiny Deev · Post by **Tiny Deev** » Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:36 pm

After Ben hastily exits the bus, he clumsely stumbles into cover. He waits for the man with the guns to stiffly make his way over.
"I've handled a pistol before. I can't say I'm a good shot, but so far I've managed to be better then the others. Not that I'll hit the ugly git from here."
Ben turns to Will and says; "Yeah that gent does sure look like he knows what he's doing. But where is he going?"

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Tue Aug 09, 2011 8:16 pm

Gary the salesman pipes up. "I'm ok with a pistol."

Beatrice shakes her head to clear it. "Actually I have a gun such as it is." She pulls a derringer out of her purse. "A girl travelling alone can not be too careful. But I've never actually shot the thing."

It's still quiet, no more shots.

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 7:34 pm

Kelly pulls the small revolver from his pocket, and offers it to Ben.

"Ain't much, but I don't see the point in me bein' the only one with a Gun, not now. "

Kelly Looks at everyone, then continues. "So.. what now, shall we follower our intrepid tommy?"

3278 · Post by **3278** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 7:42 pm

Will looked bemused. Did everyone travel armed except him? Considering the number of times he'd been shot at, that seemed like a pretty reasonable idea, come to think on it. Then he realized the bootlegger had been talking. "What?" Will asked, entirely too loudly. "Oh. Yes. Those as can, and have arms, by all means. The rest ought to sit tight, see. Though I think our gunman might have run himself out of shells. Or patience."

Tiny Deev · Post by **Tiny Deev** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 8:30 pm

Ben takes the gun and weighs it in his hand. He thought it would be heavier, for some reason. He tries not to show that he's uncomfortable with it in his hands.

He offers Beatrice a grin when he sees her weapon, and says "Wow, you're a dangerous bird aren't ya? I like that."

His head snaps back towards Kelly. "So whats the plan? Hm?"

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 7:49 pm

"Hell, Ah don't know. But ah reckon we might wanna stop Tommy from tryin' ta storm tha trenches. Ah don't know wot his plan is, but it can't be good. Pistol against rifle, and unknown enemies? Never a good idea."

Kelly shakes his head, looks at Jon, then leans around the bus for a second.

"hell, I don't see anyway this can work in his favor."

3278 · Post by **3278** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:01 pm

"Did you see he's got a pistol? I didn't see he's got a pistol."

[Will pretty clearly has no plan except "take cover until people with guns solve the problem." But he's great eyes and ears, and might even be induced to come along if the people with guns have a plan that includes him. Seems like the only thing we can do is...you know, that stuff that's missing from the OOC post I can't find.]

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:07 pm

Will notices a moment of movement due south of the bus.

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Tue Aug 16, 2011 1:05 pm

A shot rings out and Gary the salesman jerks as a bullet rips through his torso. He dashes around the corner and into the bus.

It occurs to some of the passengers that they have been out flanked. Beatrice scrunches into the tire well of the the rear driver side tire which is against the ground. Harry drops to the ground and rolls down the into a very slight depression along the road - not great cover but something.

3278 · Post by **3278** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 1:33 am

"Say, now," Will said, in a tone of voice quite bereft of anything resembling an appropriate amount of urgency. "He's gone 'round the other side, is what he's done." Will gestures toward dimly-seen movement down the road to the south, as he scrambles, one hand frozen like rigor on his camera, to put the bus between him and the shooter.

DV8 · Post by **DV8** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 6:45 am

As the other next shot rings out, Jon stops his tiger crawl and lays perfectly flat and still. Trying, somehow, to determine from which direction the shot came, and how near it could have been.

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 10:28 am

Jon realizes that the shooter has moved and he's now the furthest person away, in a relatively safe position.

3278 · Post by **3278** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:58 pm

Will crouched again, the mass of the bus between him and the shooter, gesturing for the others to follow. His eyes fell on Jon, now stranded some distance from the others and squinting into the dust for his quarry. Will whistled, short and sharp, and pointed with a crooked thumb toward the rifleman. He shrugged, and made a face, as if to complain about the unpredictability of random strangers who tried to kill you.

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 3:43 am

"Ya know what would be handy? A rifle what folds, so you could carry it in yer pocket. We got flyin' machines, but not foldin' rifles?"

Kelly shakes his head, leans heavily against the bus.

"Alright, ah think that best idea now might jus' be ya'll clearin out to join up with tommy, an' lettin' me lay'ere against tha bus. When yon fella gets close, I'll plug him a good one, an' then we can git the hell outta here. "

DV8 · Post by **DV8** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 10:55 am

"Ah yes, of course," Jon mumbles to himself after spotting Will and noting the rather sudden shift in the situation. Jumping back to his feet Jon drew a short sprint to the gunman's initial location, nearly losing the book that was still stuck underneath his shirt.

After diving into the gunman's ditch, Jon quickly looked around for discarded rounds, tracks, or anything else that would give him an idea of who the shooter was and where he'd head over to.

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Sun Aug 21, 2011 2:23 pm

After the one shot from the new location, there has been no sign of the shooter.

[please try to keep in mind that only Jon knows the info below]

Jon finds an small area that looks like someone has been here for a few days. There are dicarded tins, an empty canteen, a blanket that has been used as a mattress, a notebook, a badge, and a stick of dynamite with a crack along the top.

3278 · Post by **3278** » Thu Aug 25, 2011 1:52 am

"Oh, hell. And now I can't see him a bit." He cocked his head, with a dubious expression on his face, and then stood from his crouch. "I'm going to see if I can't get a better view." He began looking for hand- and footholds.

[Will's going to climb up the back of the bus to get a better vantage point, while keeping low to the "top" so he doesn't make a giant target.]

Tiny Deev · Post by **Tiny Deev** » Tue Aug 30, 2011 1:13 pm

Benjamin tries to go to Gary the salesman, and pull him into cover. Afterwards he wants to see if he's alright, and ifso how long he will be.

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 10:28 pm

Ben pulls Gary out of the way. He sees that the bullet passed through but never went deep.

The shooter starts firing about once every two seconds. Will sees that the shooter is charging as he shoots.

Bonefish · Post by **Bonefish** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:53 pm

Kelly grimly grins as he slides along the bus, .45 in hand.

"Now, did? Dis ah kin handle."

He pushes out from the side of the bus, and uses both hands to steady his pistol, waiting for the damned fool hillbilly to get close enough for him to shoot.

"c'mon, c'mon"

Almost as an afterthought, Kelly looks to ben for a moment: "Ah, yeah, you might as well shoot when ah start shootin!"

3278 · Post by **3278** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:11 pm

From his precarious perch half-atop the bus, Will watched as the shooter advanced on them, firing as he came. Not wanting to lose the one part of him the rifleman could see - his head - Will slowly backed down the bus, crouching behind its bulk. He looked around, automatically scanning the area behind the bus for...his mind didn't even know what: his eyes moved of their own accord.

DV8 · Post by **DV8** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 6:07 pm

Quickly gathering all the things he finds around the rifleman's camping spot and rolling them in the blanket, bundling it under his arm, Jon creeps up to the embankment and looks towards the bus. When he notices Will on top of the bus scanning around, he quickly raises his posture and waves his arms twice, to indicate his position, then quickly crouches down low again. He, too, keeps his eyes on his surroundings.

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Sat Sep 10, 2011 11:58 pm

The man with the rifle is running and shooting. As he closes, his plan becomes obvious. He is hoping that everyone keeps their head down as he gets close enough to throw a bundle of dynamite.

Ben and Kelly return fire as the world slows with the tense waiting. Everyone wonders if this is going to be it and they are going to get blown up. The man with the rifle and dynamite seems so normal, an everyday guy off the street who has taken up arms against strangers.

A bullet hits him and he decides to stop and throw the dynamite. Then he jerks and twists. He drops the dynamite and scratches himself all over with a ferocity that removes skin. The dynamite is dropped in the face of this new obsession. Even another bullet wound hardly seems to phase him.

The dynamite goes off twenty feet from the front of the bus with enough force move the bus a few inches. Something skids along the side of Ben's head and strikes his shoulder.

When the dust clears, everyone's ears are ringing but no one else seems to be seriously injured. Except for the shooter. He is no longer in one piece and is obviously no longer alive.

[This part is known only to Will.]
As he is sliding backwards across the top of the bus, Will hears a chattering and clicking sound. It is definitely coming from within the bus.

[Ben now has one strike, two more and he is impaired]

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 2:10 pm

After the commotion, Gary stares blankly at the body. "I wonder who the hells he was. "

Gary spins slowly and takes in the countryside. "I guess now we just sit tight and wait for someone to drive by and see us?"

3278 · Post by **3278** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 2:28 pm

"Say," Will says, freezing in place. "Does anybody else hear that?" He listens, to hear if it's stopped.

Nicephorus · Post by **Nicephorus** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 3:08 pm

Beatrice shakes her head, "Hear what? Not more crazies I hope."

Will is certain that the sound has stopped and hasn't heard it since his ears stopped ringing from the explosion.

DV8 · Post by **DV8** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 3:22 pm

After the excitement dies down, Jon comes wandering back to the bus, taking the blanket with the items belonging to the rifleman with him, putting it down and bearing it for all to see. "This is what I found. It seems our attacker made camp from his initial firing position. Juding by the copious amounts of empty, tin cans he had been there a while," Jon says, looking around to see if everyone is alright.