sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Wonderful, helo hunting lol
Story Market Day
- Thread starter ComCamGuy
- Start date
steamroller
Contributing Member
This is going to get real fun in a hurry.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
“Next order of business,” Doug continued “We seem to be a little light in the weapons department. We have Zed’s bird killer, my issue lever gun, my 9mm, Heidi’s 9mm and what else? If that’s it, things might get tough.” To this, Jesse smiled and spoke.
“I have a few things that might help. I have a cute little assault rifle, circa 1985, with several magazines, and a match grade AR-15 I bet Heidi could put to good use.” Jesse was expecting some sort of positive reactions all around. He did get it from Doug and Zed, but Heidi looked worried. Jesse called her on it. “You can remember how to run one of those, right?”
“You said match grade?” Heidi asked cautiously.
“Yeah, I got it for my granddaughter to practice with before she went to boot camp. What’s the worry? I’m sure you will remember how they work. It’s just like riding a bike.” Jesse smiled, thinking she should be fine after his reassurance.
Heidi stands up.
“A full size match grade AR with 20 inch barrel,” She holds her flat hand parallel to the ground just above her breast, “comes up to here, and the length of pull is somewhere way the **** out here.” She holds her arm at full extension. “In the service, we had GAU-5s. They were stubby little versions with the telescoping stocks made to collapse them down small to keep them from getting in the way. I had to use mine with the stock all the way in. Do you have anything a bit smaller?”
Jesse started thinking to offer her his little M-1 Carbine. It was smaller and would be more maneuverable. Zed had other ideas and said so.
“I saw you were carrying Doug’s 45-70. Are you recoil adverse or sensitive?”
Heidi shook her head. “Recoil doesn’t bother me as long as I can get my hands and arms set right. That’s why I need a smaller rifle. But if we are doing this as a sudden hammer blow, it needs some punch.”
“Might have something.” Zed looked over at Doug. “With the plan you are formulating, you are looking to get in close until you kick things off, right?” At this, Doug nodded. “Under a hundred yards?” Doug nodded again. “Well, I have something that might work. We can cut the stock down some to make the length even better. Hang on, I’ll be right back.” Zed went into one of the back rooms. They could hear some rummaging around in boxes or cases or something. A few moments later, he reemerged carrying a small soft, zip up rifle case.
“I was going to give this to Tracy. She wasn’t much taller than you are and the issue lever gun looked just as out of place size-wise on her as it does on you.” He set the case on the table. His deft hands unzipped the case. Opening it, he revealed a stainless lever gun, much similar to the one Heidi had in her hands when they drove up, but this one looked smaller somehow. Zed started speaking again. “Marlin came out with a version of that one,” he gestured at the one leaning up by the door where Heidi left it, “that more matches my 30-30. The trapper model has a sixteen inch barrel. We can cut the stock down to match your length of pull. The downside of the shorter barrel on this one is you lose a round in capacity. Go ahead, pick it up.” He waved her over to it.
Heidi reached out and pulled the rifle from the case. It seemed to swing easier than Doug’s. She knew if they cut about two or three inches off the buttstock, it would nestle in quite well for her.
“I don’t want you to cut the stock just for me.”
“I may as well. I was going to anyway for Tracy, but she won’t be getting it now.” Zeds voice seem to hold both rage and sadness at the same time.
While Zed was showing Heidi the rifle, Jesse slipped out of the room, unnoticed. He returned with a bundle in his hands. He caught her attention and then spoke.
“Alright, Heidi. I have a pistol I can loan you as well. How good are you with a pistol, by the way?”
“Fair to middling.” she lied. She won all the MOUT exercise pistol shoots at her unit. She ran pistols better than she did rifles.
Jesse set a bundle on the table. Heidi pulled back the cloth. There on the table was a tan holster with a tan pistol in it. Jesse began talking again.
“This is just a loan. I want it back. Forty-five should do what you need it to do.”
Heidi pulled the pistol from its holster. It was a Colt Rail gun with a pistol light on its rail. She was more used to Berettas and Glocks. This was both easier for her hand to fit and heavier than she was used to. Turning it in her hands, a grin started to creep across her face. Jesse saw it and felt the need to reiterate.
“Like I said, Just a loan. Don’t get too attached.”
“I have a few things that might help. I have a cute little assault rifle, circa 1985, with several magazines, and a match grade AR-15 I bet Heidi could put to good use.” Jesse was expecting some sort of positive reactions all around. He did get it from Doug and Zed, but Heidi looked worried. Jesse called her on it. “You can remember how to run one of those, right?”
“You said match grade?” Heidi asked cautiously.
“Yeah, I got it for my granddaughter to practice with before she went to boot camp. What’s the worry? I’m sure you will remember how they work. It’s just like riding a bike.” Jesse smiled, thinking she should be fine after his reassurance.
Heidi stands up.
“A full size match grade AR with 20 inch barrel,” She holds her flat hand parallel to the ground just above her breast, “comes up to here, and the length of pull is somewhere way the **** out here.” She holds her arm at full extension. “In the service, we had GAU-5s. They were stubby little versions with the telescoping stocks made to collapse them down small to keep them from getting in the way. I had to use mine with the stock all the way in. Do you have anything a bit smaller?”
Jesse started thinking to offer her his little M-1 Carbine. It was smaller and would be more maneuverable. Zed had other ideas and said so.
“I saw you were carrying Doug’s 45-70. Are you recoil adverse or sensitive?”
Heidi shook her head. “Recoil doesn’t bother me as long as I can get my hands and arms set right. That’s why I need a smaller rifle. But if we are doing this as a sudden hammer blow, it needs some punch.”
“Might have something.” Zed looked over at Doug. “With the plan you are formulating, you are looking to get in close until you kick things off, right?” At this, Doug nodded. “Under a hundred yards?” Doug nodded again. “Well, I have something that might work. We can cut the stock down some to make the length even better. Hang on, I’ll be right back.” Zed went into one of the back rooms. They could hear some rummaging around in boxes or cases or something. A few moments later, he reemerged carrying a small soft, zip up rifle case.
“I was going to give this to Tracy. She wasn’t much taller than you are and the issue lever gun looked just as out of place size-wise on her as it does on you.” He set the case on the table. His deft hands unzipped the case. Opening it, he revealed a stainless lever gun, much similar to the one Heidi had in her hands when they drove up, but this one looked smaller somehow. Zed started speaking again. “Marlin came out with a version of that one,” he gestured at the one leaning up by the door where Heidi left it, “that more matches my 30-30. The trapper model has a sixteen inch barrel. We can cut the stock down to match your length of pull. The downside of the shorter barrel on this one is you lose a round in capacity. Go ahead, pick it up.” He waved her over to it.
Heidi reached out and pulled the rifle from the case. It seemed to swing easier than Doug’s. She knew if they cut about two or three inches off the buttstock, it would nestle in quite well for her.
“I don’t want you to cut the stock just for me.”
“I may as well. I was going to anyway for Tracy, but she won’t be getting it now.” Zeds voice seem to hold both rage and sadness at the same time.
While Zed was showing Heidi the rifle, Jesse slipped out of the room, unnoticed. He returned with a bundle in his hands. He caught her attention and then spoke.
“Alright, Heidi. I have a pistol I can loan you as well. How good are you with a pistol, by the way?”
“Fair to middling.” she lied. She won all the MOUT exercise pistol shoots at her unit. She ran pistols better than she did rifles.
Jesse set a bundle on the table. Heidi pulled back the cloth. There on the table was a tan holster with a tan pistol in it. Jesse began talking again.
“This is just a loan. I want it back. Forty-five should do what you need it to do.”
Heidi pulled the pistol from its holster. It was a Colt Rail gun with a pistol light on its rail. She was more used to Berettas and Glocks. This was both easier for her hand to fit and heavier than she was used to. Turning it in her hands, a grin started to creep across her face. Jesse saw it and felt the need to reiterate.
“Like I said, Just a loan. Don’t get too attached.”
Sportsman
Veteran Member
It's refreshing to see a novel where the hero doesn't go into a back room and return with exactly the weapons needed from an arsenal costing a million dollars. Jesse had reasonable firearms for his purposes and phase of life, and they will make do with them.
Thanks! That made my lunch break go quickly. Still hoping for another chapter or two when I get back inside this afternoon.
Thanks! That made my lunch break go quickly. Still hoping for another chapter or two when I get back inside this afternoon.
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Very nice, thank you.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
And we already knew he had the pistol (introduced in earlier chapter, as well as the chapter where he retrieved the AR)
Shotgun Willy
Contributing Member
Thank you, I've got an Israeli paratrooper bag that I carry up for my everyday carry, and it's good to find a better way to make it work. I'm loving the story keep it up. Thank you
Griz3752
Retired, practising Curmudgeon
Yeah OR...the required piece, with ammo, just happens to be in the after-action salvage pile.
223shootersc
Veteran Member
Welcome and enjoy! 2T2-Crash
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Doug said he had a basic plan and could outline enough for some things to start happening.
“There isn’t enough time nor do we have the bodies to do a full scale ‘you go here, then you go there’ type of plan. I think if we keep it simple and flexible, we can do this.” He paused a moment to collect his thoughts so he could make them make sense. Everyone was waiting. He continued. “It’s going to be two groups so we can hit the upper camp and the lower camp simultaneously. The upper camp is a single building and the helicopter, with maybe half a dozen men. My plan is to have Jesse and Zed take the upper camp. Zed will start things by killing the helicopter. Jesse, you be ready to go into the cabin or catch them as they come out, as you see fit.” He paused again.
“That has Heidi, Emilia and me for the lower camp.” At the mention of Emilia’s name, Emilia looked shocked and Heidi started to object. Doug kept talking. “Heidi, wait until I lay it out, then tell me I’m wrong. The main camp seems to have the hostages in one building, and the bad guys working out of another. My plan there is to creep into close proximity, and depending on how they are concentrated and how many there are, unload with the long guns, then move down and clean out the rest. We then free the hostages, sending them away in one of the bad guy’s vehicles. Since there are several buildings and multiple points of failure, I was hoping to number the buildings and have Emilia as the spotter while Heidi and I clean out the trash.” The room was silent for a moment, then two as they all thought about the plan.
Emilia wasn’t sure what to think. Doug was including her, which is good, and didn’t necessarily want her running around trying to shoot people, which was smart. This sounded like something she could do to be really helpful, without getting in the way.
Jesse and Zed looked at one another. Each knew they could get their end accomplished, one way or another.
Heidi looked to be deep in thought, and she was. She wanted to leave Emilia here at the cabin, but that was the protective mother talking, and not the military mind. She knew Doug’s plan was a decent one for the assets they had in hand. She only saw one major flaw. She had to point it out and get it in the open.
“There’s a minor flaw, Doug. With your injuries, are you going to be able to run flat out and turn on a dime? You able to do the quick maneuvers we are going to need up close?” She saw the doubt spring up in his mind. She hated herself for bringing it up, “Here’s the solution, Doug. We creep fairly close. Emilia is still on overwatch and eyes in the sky. We get to a good, close vantage point and you get set up to provide the hammer. I get closer. We start with the rifles, then when mine runs dry, I start the CQB with the pistol. I’m small, I’m fast as hell, and a darn good pistol shooter. We do this around dawn when they are still stunned and not awake, but light enough we can see them because we are dark adapted, and they are not.”
Doug didn’t like it. This seemed an unnecessary risk for her to go the final distance alone. Part of it was a blow to his ego that she was right, he wasn’t sure how well his body would react to the sudden activity. Another part of him was ashamed to be a bit relieved to not be in knife fight range and have to pull the trigger on someone. Was she really as good as she says she is?
Jesse didn’t like the sound of her plan. This wasn’t some action movie where the hero runs in and kills all the bad guys and gets the girl. This was a quick way for her to get killed. All the old worries about women in combat reared their ugly head. He thought he had packed them all away for good when he was at Page’s graduation. He was just and old man with old man worries, he chastised himself. If she says she can, she can.
Zed got a chill down his spine when Heidi laid out her alternate plan. There was a hint of resignation in her tone. He didn’t know if the others heard it or not, but he would talk to her later, when they were alone. He didn’t need to throw it on the table right now in front of everyone.
With everyone silent, Heidi felt she needed to add more to close the deal.
“Besides, with it this way, it keeps Doug at arm’s reach, so if anything happens, the medic is safe.”
That last bit set loose a whole bunch of worry in Emilia. She had a cold ball of lead in her stomach the moment those words came out of mom’s mouth.
“There isn’t enough time nor do we have the bodies to do a full scale ‘you go here, then you go there’ type of plan. I think if we keep it simple and flexible, we can do this.” He paused a moment to collect his thoughts so he could make them make sense. Everyone was waiting. He continued. “It’s going to be two groups so we can hit the upper camp and the lower camp simultaneously. The upper camp is a single building and the helicopter, with maybe half a dozen men. My plan is to have Jesse and Zed take the upper camp. Zed will start things by killing the helicopter. Jesse, you be ready to go into the cabin or catch them as they come out, as you see fit.” He paused again.
“That has Heidi, Emilia and me for the lower camp.” At the mention of Emilia’s name, Emilia looked shocked and Heidi started to object. Doug kept talking. “Heidi, wait until I lay it out, then tell me I’m wrong. The main camp seems to have the hostages in one building, and the bad guys working out of another. My plan there is to creep into close proximity, and depending on how they are concentrated and how many there are, unload with the long guns, then move down and clean out the rest. We then free the hostages, sending them away in one of the bad guy’s vehicles. Since there are several buildings and multiple points of failure, I was hoping to number the buildings and have Emilia as the spotter while Heidi and I clean out the trash.” The room was silent for a moment, then two as they all thought about the plan.
Emilia wasn’t sure what to think. Doug was including her, which is good, and didn’t necessarily want her running around trying to shoot people, which was smart. This sounded like something she could do to be really helpful, without getting in the way.
Jesse and Zed looked at one another. Each knew they could get their end accomplished, one way or another.
Heidi looked to be deep in thought, and she was. She wanted to leave Emilia here at the cabin, but that was the protective mother talking, and not the military mind. She knew Doug’s plan was a decent one for the assets they had in hand. She only saw one major flaw. She had to point it out and get it in the open.
“There’s a minor flaw, Doug. With your injuries, are you going to be able to run flat out and turn on a dime? You able to do the quick maneuvers we are going to need up close?” She saw the doubt spring up in his mind. She hated herself for bringing it up, “Here’s the solution, Doug. We creep fairly close. Emilia is still on overwatch and eyes in the sky. We get to a good, close vantage point and you get set up to provide the hammer. I get closer. We start with the rifles, then when mine runs dry, I start the CQB with the pistol. I’m small, I’m fast as hell, and a darn good pistol shooter. We do this around dawn when they are still stunned and not awake, but light enough we can see them because we are dark adapted, and they are not.”
Doug didn’t like it. This seemed an unnecessary risk for her to go the final distance alone. Part of it was a blow to his ego that she was right, he wasn’t sure how well his body would react to the sudden activity. Another part of him was ashamed to be a bit relieved to not be in knife fight range and have to pull the trigger on someone. Was she really as good as she says she is?
Jesse didn’t like the sound of her plan. This wasn’t some action movie where the hero runs in and kills all the bad guys and gets the girl. This was a quick way for her to get killed. All the old worries about women in combat reared their ugly head. He thought he had packed them all away for good when he was at Page’s graduation. He was just and old man with old man worries, he chastised himself. If she says she can, she can.
Zed got a chill down his spine when Heidi laid out her alternate plan. There was a hint of resignation in her tone. He didn’t know if the others heard it or not, but he would talk to her later, when they were alone. He didn’t need to throw it on the table right now in front of everyone.
With everyone silent, Heidi felt she needed to add more to close the deal.
“Besides, with it this way, it keeps Doug at arm’s reach, so if anything happens, the medic is safe.”
That last bit set loose a whole bunch of worry in Emilia. She had a cold ball of lead in her stomach the moment those words came out of mom’s mouth.
Grouchy Granny
Deceased
Well heck (would use the other H word) now I know what was wrong with the AR I had - even with a collapsible stock it was too long - it was a competition model which I am guessing is match grade?
Just couldn't do it at my height and arm length. Oh, and bifocals really screw things up as well, even with a scope.
Just couldn't do it at my height and arm length. Oh, and bifocals really screw things up as well, even with a scope.
steamroller
Contributing Member
Plans are being made.
Shooter
Veteran Member
go to a range and rent several different ones, I have several AR-15 pistols. 10 1/2 incg barrel anda brace that I have been told some people put against there shoulder , try a few, a lot of fire in a small package.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
There is also some PDW collapsing stocks that go smaller than the standard at buffer tubes
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you.
Griz3752
Retired, practising Curmudgeon
And Troy makes some good kit; I have a buddy who buys so much of it he should have shares.
G.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Emilia turned angry and full of venom, a look no one had ever seen from her. She looks at Doug
“You said you don’t want them in our forest. Just how and what message are we going to leave with those ****ing pirates at the camp to keep out any more that show up? Huh?”
Emilia stared at Doug waiting for an answer until she could no longer control herself dropping her head into arms sobbing.
“You said you don’t want them in our forest. Just how and what message are we going to leave with those ****ing pirates at the camp to keep out any more that show up? Huh?”
Emilia stared at Doug waiting for an answer until she could no longer control herself dropping her head into arms sobbing.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Zed and Heidi were in the workshop part of the shed working on the rifle. The easy part was cutting the stock shorter, all of ten minutes with a hand saw. Zed then spent another twenty with a sanding wheel fitting an old butt plate from a spare stock from an old project. They worked in silence. Each was lost in their own thoughts. Finally Zed had to speak.
“I think I know why you changed the plan.”
“I changed it because it needed changed.” Heidi tried to sound a matter of fact.
“Bullshit. You did it to protect Doug and Emilia.is the obvious answer. The underlying part to that is you care more about them than you do yourself.” Zed’s voice wasn’t accusatory, it was just a statement.
“If anything happens to me, I have to make sure Emilia is taken care of. Doug and I haven’t gone through the same training. If you have people not trained the same, running around in building clearing, it’s a recipe for fratricide.”
She sounded pretty convincing. Zed still wasn’t sure. Heidi changed the subject.
“So, anything else you can think of to improve our stopping power?“
Zed knew she was changing the subject, but didn’t fight it.
“Well the thing with the rifle ammo, it was made to dig twenty or thirty inches through meat and bone. You won’t get all the energy transferred to people. They are just too thin.”
“Do you have any hollowpoints or something?” She replied, hopefull.
“No, just these like the ones Doug brought. Big heavy solid cast and doesn’t start expanding until fifteen to twenty inches.”
Heidi Was thinking while Zed sanded. She was struck by an idea from a half memory from her husband talking about ammo.
“Zed, did you ever hear about the safety slugs for pistols filled with shot?”
Zed was thinking now.
“Alright, what are you thinking , Heidi?”
“If you have some birdshot and a drill press, we can hollow the slug and dump in some shot, fill it with wax to hold the shot in place.” Heidi seemed to be putting more pieces together as she spoke.
“It will screw up the accuracy. They won’t be balanced right.”
“If we get really close, the accuracy won’t be as much of an issue compared to dumping as much energy as we can into their torso.” She grinned.
Zed nodded as she went through it. Her idea might work well. A four hundred grain hollowpoint dumping some birdshot to expand the wound tracks.
“That could work, Heidi. We can work some of those after we finish the fitting. So, what else do we need to tweak for you.”
“Got some sling swivels so I can sling it when it runs dry?”
“No, but I have some eye bolts we can use.”
“Well, let’s get to work.”
“I think I know why you changed the plan.”
“I changed it because it needed changed.” Heidi tried to sound a matter of fact.
“Bullshit. You did it to protect Doug and Emilia.is the obvious answer. The underlying part to that is you care more about them than you do yourself.” Zed’s voice wasn’t accusatory, it was just a statement.
“If anything happens to me, I have to make sure Emilia is taken care of. Doug and I haven’t gone through the same training. If you have people not trained the same, running around in building clearing, it’s a recipe for fratricide.”
She sounded pretty convincing. Zed still wasn’t sure. Heidi changed the subject.
“So, anything else you can think of to improve our stopping power?“
Zed knew she was changing the subject, but didn’t fight it.
“Well the thing with the rifle ammo, it was made to dig twenty or thirty inches through meat and bone. You won’t get all the energy transferred to people. They are just too thin.”
“Do you have any hollowpoints or something?” She replied, hopefull.
“No, just these like the ones Doug brought. Big heavy solid cast and doesn’t start expanding until fifteen to twenty inches.”
Heidi Was thinking while Zed sanded. She was struck by an idea from a half memory from her husband talking about ammo.
“Zed, did you ever hear about the safety slugs for pistols filled with shot?”
Zed was thinking now.
“Alright, what are you thinking , Heidi?”
“If you have some birdshot and a drill press, we can hollow the slug and dump in some shot, fill it with wax to hold the shot in place.” Heidi seemed to be putting more pieces together as she spoke.
“It will screw up the accuracy. They won’t be balanced right.”
“If we get really close, the accuracy won’t be as much of an issue compared to dumping as much energy as we can into their torso.” She grinned.
Zed nodded as she went through it. Her idea might work well. A four hundred grain hollowpoint dumping some birdshot to expand the wound tracks.
“That could work, Heidi. We can work some of those after we finish the fitting. So, what else do we need to tweak for you.”
“Got some sling swivels so I can sling it when it runs dry?”
“No, but I have some eye bolts we can use.”
“Well, let’s get to work.”
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sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
A big thank you.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
While Zed and Heidi were working on the rifle, Doug and Emilia were going over things for her part. He was making sure she was comfortable with driving the eight-wheeler. They went over how well it can climb, creep, and race. He told her she was the rescue driver as well as the spotter. If she had to race in to get one or both of them, she needed to be ready.
Once they drove all over the little canyon enough for Doug to be comfortable with her driving, they refueled and reset the little thing for the upcoming mission. They were looking to go down tomorrow evening to slink in in the predawn darkness.
Doug went through showing her where he was putting the medical gear in the little vehicle. Doug had set this thing up as a backcountry rough terrain patient evacuation platform an untold many times through the past years. He knew where things worked best to treat patients on the move. The trick this time was trying to also fit a warfighting mission on board. He could end up being the wounded one, or heaven help us, Emilia. He had to have someone other than himself knowing what was where. Lives might depend on it.
Doug followed the equipment layout with some quick and dirty emergency trauma training for Emilia. Combat Gauze, tourniquet, battle dressing, and chest seal. The ability to apply these in a hurry properly could be the difference between living and dying for one of them.
Emilia was as focused on learning as she had ever been. She knew after Doug was done teaching her, she was supposed to get with Jesse and learn how to be a decent spotter. This was all overwhelming, but what in the last two weeks hasn’t been?
Once they drove all over the little canyon enough for Doug to be comfortable with her driving, they refueled and reset the little thing for the upcoming mission. They were looking to go down tomorrow evening to slink in in the predawn darkness.
Doug went through showing her where he was putting the medical gear in the little vehicle. Doug had set this thing up as a backcountry rough terrain patient evacuation platform an untold many times through the past years. He knew where things worked best to treat patients on the move. The trick this time was trying to also fit a warfighting mission on board. He could end up being the wounded one, or heaven help us, Emilia. He had to have someone other than himself knowing what was where. Lives might depend on it.
Doug followed the equipment layout with some quick and dirty emergency trauma training for Emilia. Combat Gauze, tourniquet, battle dressing, and chest seal. The ability to apply these in a hurry properly could be the difference between living and dying for one of them.
Emilia was as focused on learning as she had ever been. She knew after Doug was done teaching her, she was supposed to get with Jesse and learn how to be a decent spotter. This was all overwhelming, but what in the last two weeks hasn’t been?
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Between what Jesse brought and stuff Zed had on hand, they were able to piece together holster and ammo pouches for Heidi to use. She had the belt from Doug to work with as a base. They stripped one of the medical pouches off to give her more room for bullets. She knew she had to move fast and reload on the run. One of her worries was training scars from her prior duty weapons. She kept working at it and testing. Finally, she talked to Zed about her concerns.
“Zed, I keep trying to figure how I’m going to do the shooting when I get down there. I don’t know if this pistol is going to work well for me. It’s phenomenal but I have done all my training with double action, double stack. I hate to ask, but is there a different pistol I could use?”
Zed thought and thought. He had his own Glock, but only two extra mags. He felt she may need more than that. That would get the job done, but he figured to pitch it to Doug, since he would be her partner on this excursion. He was just coming into the pole barn now.
“Doug, how many mags you got for your pistol?”
“I grabbed the couple extra I left at the cabin, so I have all six, plus the one in the pistol. Why?”
Heidi and Zed explained their concerns to Doug. Once it was out in the open, Doug was a bit uneasy. Part of him hated the idea, but that was just his overprotective nature. This was his father’s service pistol. He knew he could keep it safe but…..He also knew it was probably the best weapon for the job. He pulled it out, plus a spare magazine.
Heidi’s eyes lit up. These things were so expensive any more. When you found them, you usually couldn’t afford them. The little brick of German engineering sat heavy in her hand. Doug went through the controls, the idiosyncrasies, the nuances. They rummaged around and found some pouches to work on her belt. This pistol would run well for the mission ahead. It was inherently much more accurate than the others. While there wasn’t the nostalgia like there was from the 1911 for most people, there was a sort of symmetry in a park duty weapon being used to drive these guys into the ground.
Doug adjusted the chest rig down to fit her. She would need it since no other holster was available for the pistol. He shifted stuff on his belt to accommodate the 1911 they were borrowing from Jesse. If she was the primary mover, then she needed the best tools for the job.
Heidi shifted more things around, did some jumping jacks and some sprints. This was followed by another round of moving things around and a repeat of her movements. She did this until she was satisfied with its arrangements. She then turned to Zed and Doug.
“Zed, do you happen to have something a little more subdued than what I’m wearing? Size small? I need to move fast and still need to have some protection and stealth. Something along the lines of the fatigue shirt or BDU top? I am going to wear my cargo shorts and trail runners, but I need sleeves and a few more pockets. Doug, I know the uniform shirt you scraped up for me helps make me official, but it’s a bit too light colored for this.”
Zed looked at her a few moments before speaking.
“My wife was a few inches taller, but you have bigger shoulders. I might be able to find something.” He walked back inside the house, leaving Doug and Heidi alone in the pole barn.
“Heidi, I can come down to the buildings with you. You don’t have to do this alone.” Doug started. Heidi cut him off.
“How many hours have you spent training on building clearing since FLETC? We did it at least two or three full days every month. You can’t keep up with my running, and I can do this.” Her speech seemed stalled at this point, like she was catching some words before they blurted out. After a moment she continued. “I need you whole and intact to protect Emilia if anything goes wrong. I need your medic brain there if anything goes wrong.” She ran out of steam as Zed reappeared from the house, a bundle of cloth in his hands.
“See if this works, Heidi.” He said as he held out a safari jacket looking thing in green and mustard and red splotches. It was faded and worn. It obviously had seen a lot of use.
She was sure it would work a lot better than the black of her compression shirt. It would also keep it from being snagged. She held it in her hands. It was softer than some fleeces she had held, the cloth worn over years and years to get this way. As she raised it up to slide it on, she could smell the faint but distinct smell of jasmine. This was obviously something special to Zed’s wife, and therefore to him as well.
“Zed, I don’t know…This… this had to be something special of your wife's.” She started sliding it back off her arms. “For what I’m probably doing, it will get all covered in mud and grubby and maybe even torn. I don’t want to ruin something so special.”
Zed held out his hands in a stop motion. When he began speaking, there was a little hitch in his throat.
“Marta would have given it to you, even if that were the only clothes she had. You need it for this mission. It’s not like I can wear it, and it’s just hanging in the closet. It’s yours.” His face was a mix of wistfulness and finality.
Heidi slid the jacket back on. It moved around her like a fine silk blouse, worn in all the right places.
“Thank you, Zed, and thank you Marta. This is a gift I will treasure.” She looked down at the arms, trying to recognize the pattern. Finally she gave up and asked. “I don’t know this camo pattern. What is it?”
“I think it’s Belgian. I picked it up for her on of our Africa trips. The airlines lost one of our bags and she needed a jacket to fend off the brush. It was our first trip there.….a sort of second honeymoon.” Zed was quiet after that. Heidi spent some time finding all the pockets, rolling the cuffs up a turn, then another, readjusting the belt and chest harness over the jacket, and repeating the jumping and twisting. Doug helped adjust the buckles and secure the loose ends of the straps. Once everything was set, she walked over to Zed and gave him a long hug. She stepped away from the startled Zed.
“Thank you Zed, it’s perfect.” She could see tears in the corners of his eyes as she stepped back. His voice was husky in its reply.
“If it’s perfect, keep it that way. Bullet holes would ruin it.”
Doug and Heidi went up to the house for their next preparations. Zed didn’t follow. When next they looked for him, he was sitting in a chair out front under a tree, just rocking slightly in the evening light.
“Zed, I keep trying to figure how I’m going to do the shooting when I get down there. I don’t know if this pistol is going to work well for me. It’s phenomenal but I have done all my training with double action, double stack. I hate to ask, but is there a different pistol I could use?”
Zed thought and thought. He had his own Glock, but only two extra mags. He felt she may need more than that. That would get the job done, but he figured to pitch it to Doug, since he would be her partner on this excursion. He was just coming into the pole barn now.
“Doug, how many mags you got for your pistol?”
“I grabbed the couple extra I left at the cabin, so I have all six, plus the one in the pistol. Why?”
Heidi and Zed explained their concerns to Doug. Once it was out in the open, Doug was a bit uneasy. Part of him hated the idea, but that was just his overprotective nature. This was his father’s service pistol. He knew he could keep it safe but…..He also knew it was probably the best weapon for the job. He pulled it out, plus a spare magazine.
Heidi’s eyes lit up. These things were so expensive any more. When you found them, you usually couldn’t afford them. The little brick of German engineering sat heavy in her hand. Doug went through the controls, the idiosyncrasies, the nuances. They rummaged around and found some pouches to work on her belt. This pistol would run well for the mission ahead. It was inherently much more accurate than the others. While there wasn’t the nostalgia like there was from the 1911 for most people, there was a sort of symmetry in a park duty weapon being used to drive these guys into the ground.
Doug adjusted the chest rig down to fit her. She would need it since no other holster was available for the pistol. He shifted stuff on his belt to accommodate the 1911 they were borrowing from Jesse. If she was the primary mover, then she needed the best tools for the job.
Heidi shifted more things around, did some jumping jacks and some sprints. This was followed by another round of moving things around and a repeat of her movements. She did this until she was satisfied with its arrangements. She then turned to Zed and Doug.
“Zed, do you happen to have something a little more subdued than what I’m wearing? Size small? I need to move fast and still need to have some protection and stealth. Something along the lines of the fatigue shirt or BDU top? I am going to wear my cargo shorts and trail runners, but I need sleeves and a few more pockets. Doug, I know the uniform shirt you scraped up for me helps make me official, but it’s a bit too light colored for this.”
Zed looked at her a few moments before speaking.
“My wife was a few inches taller, but you have bigger shoulders. I might be able to find something.” He walked back inside the house, leaving Doug and Heidi alone in the pole barn.
“Heidi, I can come down to the buildings with you. You don’t have to do this alone.” Doug started. Heidi cut him off.
“How many hours have you spent training on building clearing since FLETC? We did it at least two or three full days every month. You can’t keep up with my running, and I can do this.” Her speech seemed stalled at this point, like she was catching some words before they blurted out. After a moment she continued. “I need you whole and intact to protect Emilia if anything goes wrong. I need your medic brain there if anything goes wrong.” She ran out of steam as Zed reappeared from the house, a bundle of cloth in his hands.
“See if this works, Heidi.” He said as he held out a safari jacket looking thing in green and mustard and red splotches. It was faded and worn. It obviously had seen a lot of use.
She was sure it would work a lot better than the black of her compression shirt. It would also keep it from being snagged. She held it in her hands. It was softer than some fleeces she had held, the cloth worn over years and years to get this way. As she raised it up to slide it on, she could smell the faint but distinct smell of jasmine. This was obviously something special to Zed’s wife, and therefore to him as well.
“Zed, I don’t know…This… this had to be something special of your wife's.” She started sliding it back off her arms. “For what I’m probably doing, it will get all covered in mud and grubby and maybe even torn. I don’t want to ruin something so special.”
Zed held out his hands in a stop motion. When he began speaking, there was a little hitch in his throat.
“Marta would have given it to you, even if that were the only clothes she had. You need it for this mission. It’s not like I can wear it, and it’s just hanging in the closet. It’s yours.” His face was a mix of wistfulness and finality.
Heidi slid the jacket back on. It moved around her like a fine silk blouse, worn in all the right places.
“Thank you, Zed, and thank you Marta. This is a gift I will treasure.” She looked down at the arms, trying to recognize the pattern. Finally she gave up and asked. “I don’t know this camo pattern. What is it?”
“I think it’s Belgian. I picked it up for her on of our Africa trips. The airlines lost one of our bags and she needed a jacket to fend off the brush. It was our first trip there.….a sort of second honeymoon.” Zed was quiet after that. Heidi spent some time finding all the pockets, rolling the cuffs up a turn, then another, readjusting the belt and chest harness over the jacket, and repeating the jumping and twisting. Doug helped adjust the buckles and secure the loose ends of the straps. Once everything was set, she walked over to Zed and gave him a long hug. She stepped away from the startled Zed.
“Thank you Zed, it’s perfect.” She could see tears in the corners of his eyes as she stepped back. His voice was husky in its reply.
“If it’s perfect, keep it that way. Bullet holes would ruin it.”
Doug and Heidi went up to the house for their next preparations. Zed didn’t follow. When next they looked for him, he was sitting in a chair out front under a tree, just rocking slightly in the evening light.
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you 
steamroller
Contributing Member
Looks like it's about to hit the fan.
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Later that evening, Jesse came to find Zed. He was in the back of the closet in the master bedroom, throwing clothes out onto the bed.
“What are you looking for?”
“Not looking, digging out some clothes for the girls. We got people who will need them and Marta doesn’t. She would kick my ass for not taking care of them. Besides, I needed to do this awhile back.” Zed still hadn’t stuck his head out of where he was at. A pair of boots came sailing out “Jesse, find out what size shoe they wear. I got a couple pairs of boots here.”
Jesse was torn. He wanted to pull his friend out and help him. He also knew this was something Zed needed to do. This was a way for Marta to help someone one more time. He turned from the growing pile on the bed and went back out to the living room.
“Heidi, Emilia. What size shoes do you wear? Zed has been digging around and has some stuff you might be able to wear. Why don’t you guys go back there and help him before he empties the closet himself.” Heidi and Emilia got up and went to the master bedroom, a puzzled look on their faces.
Heidi saw they were almost too late. The bed was covered in clothes, the floor in shoes and boots. Zed was standing in the doorway of the closet, staring at a white object in a bag on a hanger in an almost empty closet. As they came closer, Heidi could see it was an absolutely beautiful Victorian Wedding Dress in a protective wrapper. When Zed heard them approach, he pushed the dress delicately back along the closet rod. After a moment he turned around, a salesman’s look on his face in an attempt to hide the red rimmed eyes.
“Alright girls, let’s see what will work for you. Better you get it than they get donated.”
“What are you looking for?”
“Not looking, digging out some clothes for the girls. We got people who will need them and Marta doesn’t. She would kick my ass for not taking care of them. Besides, I needed to do this awhile back.” Zed still hadn’t stuck his head out of where he was at. A pair of boots came sailing out “Jesse, find out what size shoe they wear. I got a couple pairs of boots here.”
Jesse was torn. He wanted to pull his friend out and help him. He also knew this was something Zed needed to do. This was a way for Marta to help someone one more time. He turned from the growing pile on the bed and went back out to the living room.
“Heidi, Emilia. What size shoes do you wear? Zed has been digging around and has some stuff you might be able to wear. Why don’t you guys go back there and help him before he empties the closet himself.” Heidi and Emilia got up and went to the master bedroom, a puzzled look on their faces.
Heidi saw they were almost too late. The bed was covered in clothes, the floor in shoes and boots. Zed was standing in the doorway of the closet, staring at a white object in a bag on a hanger in an almost empty closet. As they came closer, Heidi could see it was an absolutely beautiful Victorian Wedding Dress in a protective wrapper. When Zed heard them approach, he pushed the dress delicately back along the closet rod. After a moment he turned around, a salesman’s look on his face in an attempt to hide the red rimmed eyes.
“Alright girls, let’s see what will work for you. Better you get it than they get donated.”
turtlegent
Contributing Member
Just the right amount of detail.....
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you for this mornings chapter, it's a headache day for me. dang these new Med.s
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Jesse was discussing with Doug his ideas for an effective no trespassing sign they could put up once they won the battle at the main camp. They went back and forth with various ideas until Doug and Jesse agreed on their plan. Emilia had hit on the right concept. They needed to keep the ‘pirates’ out of the park. While Heidi, Emilia and Zed were in playing fashion show, Doug and Jesse went out to the barn to assemble the gear for their sign into the back of Jesse’s truck. They figured after Zed and Jesse finished their end of the plan, they could head down to the main camp location to help with the clean-up and final touches if Doug and Heidi were successful. Unspoken was the part where if they were unsuccessful, they would avenge them.
Dinner was a quiet affair. Everyone was worn out from all the preparation, both physical and mentally. After the food was gone, Emilia started cleaning up. She wanted to have some alone time with her thoughts. It seemed others had the same idea. Zed had a cup of coffee and was sitting back out under the tree in his chair. Doug was on the porch. Jesse was at the radios, headsets on, hands spinning the dials back and forth. Heidi was back in her new jacket and gear. She was running up and down the trail along the creek bed.
Jesse was trying to chase some very weak and elusive signals. He was only catching bits and pieces, but some were very frantic sounding. He kept picking up things like calls for help, find the shooter, the trucks are broke. That was all on one set of frequencies. Another set had short cryptic bursts of words and phrases like ‘Akbar, Hathcock times two. Acknowledge,’ 'Runners have tails. Recovery crews at the fire. At the forge, ready to assist,’ and ‘teams check in’ followed by several people on the radio. All Jesse knew was the hair on the back of his head and neck was standing up. There seemed to be some sort of action going on somewhere and he wasn’t sure where and between who. He made a note of the frequencies used. He would try to monitor them from the truck tomorrow. He went back to rechecking his gear, rechecking the magazines and looking for anything else he missed.
Dinner was a quiet affair. Everyone was worn out from all the preparation, both physical and mentally. After the food was gone, Emilia started cleaning up. She wanted to have some alone time with her thoughts. It seemed others had the same idea. Zed had a cup of coffee and was sitting back out under the tree in his chair. Doug was on the porch. Jesse was at the radios, headsets on, hands spinning the dials back and forth. Heidi was back in her new jacket and gear. She was running up and down the trail along the creek bed.
Jesse was trying to chase some very weak and elusive signals. He was only catching bits and pieces, but some were very frantic sounding. He kept picking up things like calls for help, find the shooter, the trucks are broke. That was all on one set of frequencies. Another set had short cryptic bursts of words and phrases like ‘Akbar, Hathcock times two. Acknowledge,’ 'Runners have tails. Recovery crews at the fire. At the forge, ready to assist,’ and ‘teams check in’ followed by several people on the radio. All Jesse knew was the hair on the back of his head and neck was standing up. There seemed to be some sort of action going on somewhere and he wasn’t sure where and between who. He made a note of the frequencies used. He would try to monitor them from the truck tomorrow. He went back to rechecking his gear, rechecking the magazines and looking for anything else he missed.