Rio Negro

[Shadowsage]

Hearing the call from above, Azazoth's mind finally clicked into what many had called 'the zone.' Almost serenely, he flicked the safety back into the on position and dropped the rifle, trusting the webbed sling it was carried on to hold it at his side while he dealt with the task at hand. The once-assassin carefully handled each lantern; extinguishing the flame by smothering the wick. That is, until he saw an archaeologist pushing the lanterns off the side. Her more permanent extinguishing method was infinitely faster. Azazoth gave a mental shrug and started bashing the metal hooks that each hung on until they dropped into the water with a sizzle and splash.

The boat shuddered and lurched to the right. The ex-commando nearly fell off the boat into the oily river below. He pulled himself in barely and tried again to get rid of the lights that served only to make the boat a more attractive target to whoever, or whatever was shooting at them. Knowing he was silhouetted while performing this action, he ducked back inside as soon as the lanterns within reach of him were either sitting dark on the floor or sinking to the bottom of the river. He groped for the weapon hanging at his side in the darkness and called up to the boat's pilot. "Lights are out here; no sign of leaks! Orders?"

[TheShammySocialist]

As the water exploded in a geyser in front of them, splashing down on the pilothouse, and half-soaking Victor, he looked ahead for a moment, as he suddenly pulled the throttle all the way down, and cut the engines completely. There was no above-water obstructions in front of them, and the fathometer was reading clear for the next one hundred yards at least, and he suddenly flicked all the light switches, dousing the boat in complete darkness, even shutting off the spotlight. He got down next to Sonia, and said, "Good call, professor. We stay silent and run dark."

He half-called, half-hissed back along the boat, "No lights! No lights! No talking back there! Pass it along! Keep it down to a whisper for right now! Don't return fire!" He looked at the fathometer one last time, which was still reading clear, and then he powered off the light, and the darkness overtook the pilothouse. Victor was breathing heavily, and he felt a trickle of sweat forming along his brow, and it was not at all from the environment. He stayed crouched in the wheelhouse, hoping no one would return fire on whoever they were, the last thing they needed was for that man who had some type of grenade launcher to actually get a bead on them. Victor left the engines on standby, and since they were warmed up, odds were he could easily turn them over and gun the throttle if needed, but that wasn't before he was going to try to play hide and seek.

As he leaned down next to Sonia, he nervously grinned in the dark, and whispered faintly, "Having fun yet?"

Edited December 24, 2011 by TheShammySocialist

[King Timmy]

Matches heard the snap as three rounds flew past his head and he promptly fired six rounds in the direction the shots came from before diving back down the steps before they could take another round of shots at him.

[Captain Enema]

[quote name='King Timmy' timestamp='1324699759' post='2885363']
Matches heard the snap as three rounds flew past his head and he promptly fired six rounds in the direction the shots came from before diving back down the steps before they could take another round of shots at him.
[/quote]

Matches, having given away his position with his six shots, is responded to with a round from the M-79. Rather than crank off a fragmentation round the gunner shoots off one of his precious canister rounds and blows a cloud of deadly .32 caliber lead balls at where he thinks Matches is shooting from. Another wave of gunfire ripples out from the woods as the four remaining riflemen rattle off three or four rounds a piece in the approximate location where they think the boat is located.

"Get ready!" the leader of the ambush team orders as he prepares his men for the next part of their operation. Whether he is heard or not remains to be seen given the rattle of rifle fire lashing out at the boat.

Edited December 24, 2011 by Tidy Bowl Man

[iKrolm]

Guy had dozed off in the hammock and no doubt would have regretted the lack of mosquito netting the next morning had he not been abruptly awoken by gunfire coming from the shore. Only half awake, he rolled out of the hammock and landed on his palms and toes with a thud, the last traces of sleep vanishing quickly in the commotion. As the shots continued from the shore and people began to douse the lights, he hurried--doing his best to keep low--to the large box on deck labeled 'chalecos salvavidas' and donned a life jacket.

With the thump of a grenade echoing over the boat, Guy dropped to the deck again spouting a colorful Tagalog profanity--though everything sounds colorful in Tagalog. Judging by the sound though, he guessed the grenade had missed; by how far, he had nnd pistol shots were o idea in the darkness and noise. He heard whispers come along of 'No lights, no talking' and passed it on but clearly someone didn't as six shots erupted into the dark from somewhere near the stairs.

[King Timmy]

[quote name='Tidy Bowl Man' timestamp='1324700597' post='2885380']
Matches, having given away his position with his six shots, is responded to with a round from the M-79. Rather than crank off a fragmentation round the gunner shoots off one of his precious canister rounds and blows a cloud of deadly .32 caliber lead balls at where he thinks Matches is shooting from. Another wave of gunfire ripples out from the woods as the four remaining riflemen rattle off three or four rounds a piece in the approximate location where they think the boat is located.

"Get ready!" the leader of the ambush team orders as he prepares his men for the next part of their operation. Whether he is heard or not remains to be seen given the rattle of rifle fire lashing out at the boat.
[/quote]
The balls ripped through wood behind him as he jumped back down the steps. He noticed several holes on the back his shirt which showed just how close he had come but luckily he could not find any wound on his person. What he wanted to know was just how the hell their ambushers knew exactly where they would be. Someone knows, someone always knows. He didn't know who on board he could trust so he would trust no-one. He sat down silently and made plans for what he would do next.

[Evangeline Anovilis]

Charles-Albert was sleeping and had just dreamed that god had given him a vision, when the shots awakened him. Slowly he stood up and just as one round missed his nose by a few centimetres, he 'realised' that the situation had considerably worsened. People were shooting at the boat, the expedition shot back, it was horrible. "No, Nooo! Don't shoot!" He stood up, widely visible to all, being an easy picking for even the most retarted marksman in the whole amazonas region. He trusted his faith, grabbed the crucifix around his neck and held it up high. "Thou shalt not kill! Thou shalt not kill!! Thy Lord loves all his creations and he loves all men alike, be they on land or be they afloat. Do not burden thy soul with murder! Do not stain your existence with the blood of your brother or sister. Thy Lord has given us all life, so we can live in peace and harmony, not to kill each other off. Do not be ignorant towards thy Lords will!"

By now, it was a wonder he wasn't already shot, as he swang around his crucifix in his left and his bible in the right. But he knew, the Lord would protect his children from harm, should he want them to live on. And what point was there in living on anyway if the Lord was against it?

[Markus Wilding]

Christoforo, although not a devout Christian, took himself out of cover to pull the preacher/pastor/whatever the hell he was down to cover. "Listen, Messer Bible," he hissed in the darkness, "shut it! The more you go around shouting about 'thou shalt not kill' the more likely you get us shot!"

[Captain Enema]

[quote name='Markus Wilding' timestamp='1324735616' post='2885590']
Christoforo, although not a devout Christian, took himself out of cover to pull the preacher/pastor/whatever the hell he was down to cover. "Listen, Messer Bible," he hissed in the darkness, "shut it! The more you go around shouting about 'thou shalt not kill' the more likely you get us shot!"
[/quote]

Suddenly, as if Christoforo has the uncanny ability to see the future, a rifle bullet buries itself into the side of the riverboat a mere inch from his head. With this last shot the ambushers begin to shift location farther up the tributary where they will wait for orders once they have a chance to settle into their new position.

Edited December 25, 2011 by Tidy Bowl Man

[Markus Wilding]

"Holy*&#@ing$&*@thatwasclose" Christoforo whimpers out before checking his revolver. He scanned one last time, and seeing no apparent danger, he crawled his way toward the captain. Upon reaching him, he'd take cover and try to watch the banks of the river. "Hey, [i]capitano,[/i]" he whispered, "maybe we should just turn back, huh?!?"

[King Timmy]

Upon hearing the whisper Matches replied by whispering from the steps, "Hell no, you turn us around I'll shoot you myself. I don't get to the site I don't get paid, keep going."

[TheShammySocialist]

The shouting of the priest annoyed Victor, while he was not an overly religious man, he still went to church, and would go to confession, but he still believed in choice, moreover, choosing ones' own path, but the missionaries' idea of religion seemed to be much more than that. He hissed loudly, "Quiet back there! If I want to venture to St. Peter's Gates, its going to be on my own terms!" He kept the boat going straight, feeling the boat's momentum slowing, as he looked down at Sonia, with a bit of concern, "Are you okay?"

But as he asked that, a man with a heavy Italian accent queried him if the boat was going to turn around, and another man telling him he'd be shot if he did turn around and he swung around, and said, "We go back, we go back into that ambush, its too tight to turn around right now, and I can't see anything. We keep pressing upriver to the first site, it shouldn't be too far ahead." Turning to the darkness, where the other man had threatened to shoot him, he hissed back, "You try to kill me, Mr. Malone, and I'll sink you in this river myself, and then you won't get your beloved paycheck at all. There is no need to be threatening me or anyone else on this boat, we're in this together, so keep your mouth shut unless you have anything productive to say."

Victor let the craft drift forward through the water, quietly, and thought for a moment, before hissing aloud, "Does anyone have nightvision equipment? I need it up here now, please."

Edited December 24, 2011 by TheShammySocialist

[Evangeline Anovilis]

"How could I care about my own life, when others are getting theirs extinguished?" Charles-Albert looked at Christoforo in shock. "The Lord will surely support the one preaching his word to the violent. And with killing your fellow kind you will just defile your soul. How can you people shoot at them?" And once again, he stood up and looked down at Christoforo. "This shot..." he pointed at the location where the bulled had missed the Italians head. "..it was a sign of the Almighty. Do not disturb my prayer for peace and love. Do not shoot at others." He once again swung around his crucifix and shouted into the scenery. "The true christian loves his enemy just as much as any other living being. The Lord teached us love, not hate. He teached us peace, not violence. Do not anger your Lord in the Heavens, lay down your weapons, all of you. The Lord is forgiving, but his wrath is terrible for those that repeatedly ignore his commands. It is not too late, if you follow the teachings of his son, now. Let there be peace!"

And then, with an angry glare to the side to Victor. "I pity your soul for the heresy you are committing. Please consult me after this, so we can cleanse your heart and mind from the evils that made you say such blasphemic words."

Edited December 24, 2011 by Evangeline Anovilis

[King Timmy]

"I was speaking to our Italian friend but at least now I know how you feel."

[Markus Wilding]

Christoforo stared at the priest. "Jesus H. Christ will you shut up?!?" Christoforo sighed as he turned back towards the captain and Matches. "You try and shoot me, I'll stick this machete up your ass and turn you into a popsicle. Any of you nutcases get me killed, I'll pay you a personal visit in Hell!"

[King Timmy]

[quote name='Markus Wilding' timestamp='1324761076' post='2885795']
Christoforo stared at the priest. "Jesus H. Christ will you shut up?!?" Christoforo sighed as he turned back towards the captain and Matches. "You try and shoot me, I'll stick this machete up your ass and turn you into a popsicle. Any of you nutcases get me killed, I'll pay you a personal visit in Hell!"
[/quote]
Matches couldn't help but to smile. "I like your style Signor. Perhaps if we survive this boat trip of certain death we can help each other help themselves so to speak."

[TheShammySocialist]

"Pity my soul all you want father, the only consultation you'll need to give me is last rights if and when that may be needed. But I am not going to get in an argument about our beliefs, but think of it this way, if you continue to shout, and they do not listen to you, you put your fellow travelers' lives in danger. Therefore, you inadvertently have a share in the sin of their death because you did not choose discretion when you could. Practice what you preach, father, those men made their choice," hissed Victor, "And we have made of ours. Murder is against the ten commandments, as you preach, therefore, do not inadvertently cause the murder of your fellow travelers. Now [i]be[/i] quiet, everyone no firing back, lock it down all of you! Keep it quiet!" He directed his speech at Malone and the Italian, who had begun arguing nearby.

"I need night vision equipment up here, please, if anyone has some," hissed Victor, repeating his request.

[Evangeline Anovilis]

"Monsieur Christoforo, should the Lord call you out of this world, be sure I'll pray for a safe ascension to heaven. So stop worrying about hell and may the Lord bless you."

[King Timmy]

[quote name='TheShammySocialist' timestamp='1324761535' post='2885804']
"Pity my soul all you want father, the only consultation you'll need to give me is last rights if and when that may be needed. But I am not going to get in an argument about our beliefs, but think of it this way, if you continue to shout, and they do not listen to you, you put your fellow travelers' lives in danger. Therefore, you inadvertently have a share in the sin of their death because you did not choose discretion when you could. Practice what you preach, father, those men made their choice," hissed Victor, "And we have made of ours. Murder is against the ten commandments, as you preach, therefore, do not inadvertently cause the murder of your fellow travelers. Now [i]be[/i] quiet, everyone no firing back, lock it down all of you! Keep it quiet!" He directed his speech at Malone and the Italian, who had begun arguing nearby.

"I need night vision equipment up here, please, if anyone has some," hissed Victor, repeating his request.
[/quote]
Matches having tested his to ensure it worked grabbed it out of carrying case and brought it up to the driver. "Here you go, I'm going to need that back once we hit land though. You need anything else while I'm up here?"

[iKrolm]

Figuring that speed and silence might be more important than acknowledging, Guy dropped down below deck and fumbled around in the darkness until he found his duffel bag and located the flashlight in it. Careful not to shine the light up or at the stairs where it might be seen from outside boat, he removed the goggles from their case and returned to the deck to find another pair had already been procured. Instead, for lack of anything better to do, he placed the goggles around his neck and took a seat near the helm in case the captain needed anything else.

[Captain Enema]

[b]Farther up the tributary..[/b]

"Senor, I do not know if they have turned back. They turned the lights out on their boat as soon as we started shooting," the ambush leader says into his cellphone.

"Next time I'll send you out with a pair of night vision goggles. For now just wait and listen. If you hear anything take a few shots at it and see what happens. I'll start getting everyone to move from our base camp, we can not be seen here if they make it past you," the voice replies back.

"Si senor, we will wait here. I will send up a flare if I think I hear them. I do not think they are going to come any farther for the night though senor," the leader says quietly.

"You better hope not, your life may well depend on it," the voice snaps back curtly as the man on the other end cuts the connection.

"Mi amigos, stay down, stay quiet, and listen. If you hear anything don't shoot. We will send up a flare and see what is out there," the ambush leader orders his men as he consciously ignores his employer's directives.

[TheShammySocialist]

"Thank you," said Victor, as he slid the night-vision goggles on, and stood up again, getting used to looking through them. "We're going to keep a move on up the river, keep the light and noise down to a minimum. If someone has night vision goggles, I want them to start a three hour watch right now on both sides of the river. After your three hours are up, give them to another volunteer, and they can keep a watch on the riverbanks."

Victor powered up the fathometer again, putting the screen on the lowest lighting setting, so he could still make it out through the night-vision goggles, as he reached down and hit the power button again. The motor started up with very little sound this time, and he eased the throttle forward to a low power setting. The boat's engine let out a gentle purr as it accelerated, and they continued upriver.

"Everyone should try to get some rest if they can, if you can't sleep, watch for movement or lights in the trees."

[Sarah Tintagyl]

As they sat in darkness, the sound of gunfire echoing around them, Sonia looked over at Victor and his smile as he asked her if she was enjoying herself. Even in the panic of the boat and her own body shaking, she nodded with a smirk. "Most fun I've ever had in my life I think." But as he rose, the captain offered her to stay down until the chaos on the shore and on the boat decided to die down. Unfortunately, given the circumstances on the boat and the types of personalities that Doctor Silvar had enlisted, silence was the last thing on anyone's mind. The moment the lights shut off and Victor offered to turn the boat around to avoid further confrontations from these strange attackers, the other treasure hunters immediately jumped against him. One even threatened to kill him and all the while the priest who had come along, probably from France or another French-speaking country, as Sonia hadn't spoken to him personally yet, harked on about the in-humaneness of the boat's counter-attack.

Finally as the arguments began to come to a halt, Sonia pushed herself up from her kneeling position on the side of the boat and walked over towards where Victor stood in the pilot house.

"Hey, I'm sorry about all this." She said chuckling and leaning against the wall of the enclosure. "I'm starting to think that this entire journey was a mistake. I didn't really sign up to get shot at, probably by the very people who are on this boat. How are you holding up?"

[Evangeline Anovilis]

Charles Albert stood still there, but he stopped his preaching, as it was completely dark. He knew not if he would talk to the men in need of the holy word or just some animals not able to understand his Spanish or French. Before there were shots at least, signalling human presence, but now there was nothing. Just a few nocturnal animals he didn't know.

"As I guess that we will not head back to the sinners, so I can read them the stories of Jesus, I will now pray for the souls that were tainted by these acts of violence and then go to sleep. Tomorrow is another day on which I can carry out the teachings of the Lord into the world."

After a quarter-hour, only some snoring was to be heard, the missionary was asleep for better or worse.

[TheShammySocialist]

Things had quieted down substantially by the time that Sonia had come back to the pilothouse, and Victor let her inside the mosquito netting, which he had draped over the entrance. The boat was quietly running at a steady rate, the engine purring as it powered it upstream, it was after midnight, and the sense of tiredness was beginning to wash over Victor double-time. The adrenaline high of the attack had subsided, and had left him even more tired then before. The presence of Sonia was one that at least kept him awake, something that was proving hard to do now that things had quieted down.

"Hey, you need not apologize, Professor," he said in a low voice, giving her a mock accusing look, accompanying a tired smile. "Unless you intentionally hire gunmen to shoot at the boats you and your expedition mates are on in the middle of the night." As she mentioned the entire journey being a mistake, he was well within thinking the same thing as well, unsure of what to make of this recent attack. "If we go back downriver, we risk going back into that ambush, we are closer to the first site right now as it is." He said, lowering his voice even further, "I'm not sure if some of our comrades would like it either, I think we should make a decision upon reaching the first site, and the sun getting up."

He looked at her, his tiredness evident, and whispered, "I'm holding out for now, but I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to stay awake all night though, at least, awake enough to run this thing."