I didn't know what to do in the back of this APC, other than check and recheck my weapon. I was lucky, I would be staying back with the armor, not this fellow, I thought, he's going straight in.
We finally got into our position and everyone disembarked. I watched the squad run to the city crawling with insurgents, doubting they'd ever come back. I hear the APC commandeer call out "We've got tank, west!" I see the Abrams turret swivel, one deafening blow, a crunch in the distance, "T62 down" All is silent again.
I wonder to myself, where the hell do these insurgents get tanks?
My train of thought is broken as I yell "RPGs South!" A flash of tracers from the coaxial guns rip apart the man's body, leaving a tattered bloody mess for his family.
Everything is quiet again, the worst time is when it's quiet.
A shriek, a smoke trail, and an explosion. An RPG round just glance off an Abrams and exploded in air. I train my sights on the end of the smoke trail, one shot from my M14 embeds itself into the heart of another man to meet Allah.
As I look around in my binocs, a grey flash, a VBIED just popped up from below the berm, I yell "Suicide Bomber South!!"
Before I finish my sentence 6 HEAT rounds from the APC crumple the now lifeless Toyota. I sigh in relief, you never get used to these things, do you?
Our squad leader tells us that new intel from the commander shows a large number of insurgents in the nearby factory. Instantly the whole area is showered with HEAT rounds. I hear sporadic gunfire to my right I fire a couple of shots to take out some insurgents that have wondered up to an APC unseen. How did they do that? Who was watching our rear?
Two shrieks, three explosions. "APC DOWN!" It is already too late, I hear screams from inside the APC and see fire licking at the hatches. The screams die down to moans, and then stop. They are dead before medical help arrives.
Our convoy pulls back a few hundred yards behind a berm for some light field repairs. Nothing serious, not for us at least. The APC is beyond repair, but it is best not to let those things fill your head.
We move back to our position, an RPG streaks by and misses. Someone yells "RPG South!" I see a man running across the street. A couple of shots and he crumples under the weight of his RPG. I reload, and that is that. Suddenly three RPGs come by and hit our APC, blowing it up. I hear metal on metal, I turn around to see a VBIED well under a tank, everyone inside is killed instantly, but the cupola gunner desperatley tries to get away from the flames. He is a hopeless cause, but the medics work furiously. It is too late for him too. His last words were "Those fuckers really got me good, hu Leo?"
No time to grieve though. In the confusion more insurgents have snuck up on us, they're coming from all sides. The tank is hit by several RPGs and the crew bails out. I hear a sickening crunch and a scream. I can't believe it, I look around and our armor column is a smoking wreck. A technical just ran over the crew! He now turns towards me. I don't know what to do, he's coming at me fast, I dive to the side, and this goes on for some more unsuccessful attempts. He is driving at me in a 45 degree angle, this is it, do or die, I now understand the meaning of those words. One shot. The insurgent's head jerks back, blood splatters all over the back seat. I check for survivors, there are none, it is just me, and all the vehicles we had are gone.
I start running, maybe if I get out of the hot zone I can get a Blackhawk extraction. Excruciating pain overrides all thoughts, I've been shot, this is it, the day that I die. I take a deep breath, and gurgle out one last sentance. "Those fuckers sure did get us good"
**********************************************************
All of this actually happened, and most of the things that the character thought, I actually did think, and the last line I actually did say after I was shot.
It was a great game, thanks to everyone who was in the squad and thanks to Dan for the great game. Screenies coming soon.
EDIT: What's with the thumbs up sign beside the name of my thread?
EDIT2: There is also this thread http://realitymod.com/forum/t18969-p-armor-squad.html
about this same squad and round.
EDIT3: Screenies!

The Crew
