SECTION 17
Crawling from rock to rock, darting one by one in a crouch across the open spaces, we slowly approach the guard. The trick, as I discover, is to move only when absolutely certain the way is clear, to take no chances at being discovered. Individually this would be difficult; as a group it is damned near impossible. I am lucky that the others know almost instinctively what they are to do. If I had to command them all, we would be caught instantly.
As we near, the tension grows great. My hands are sweating, my grip strong on my sword when we reach a spot where we can see each guard’s face clearly. They are battle-hardened faces, but they are not cruel. Their eyes are clear, their purpose worthy. Suddenly, I am beset by a pang of regret, that in order to get what I want, some of these men might die. I wonder if I am cold-blooded enough to carry it through.
But now our last move faces us. The guard is only two short crawls away, both over the crests of small hills. Once over the first, by far the more dangerous, a line of rocks and crevices will hide us until we mount our charge. But the hard part is before us now.
Tom goes first. His head and stomach pressed to the ground, he drags himself over the crest. If the guard look up now, they will see him, but luckily they don’t. Then Tom lets himself roll over the top, and somehow he makes no noise. One by one the others follow.
My turn. This is hard work. My fingers hurt as they dig into the ground, and my stomach hurts as it feels the stones dig in. But over the top I go, and like the others, I let myself fall. My wrist twists beneath me as I roll, and from my lips escapes a sharp yell.
McManus shouts. The guard has heard, and they rush towards us.
Using the rules for combat, determine the winner of the battle. Because Derek’s men have failed to use their Stealth, the guard gets to attack first. The guard numbers nine men, with an Ordnance Value of 6. Their Attack Strength, therefore, is 54. They attack on Chart D.
As the stats sheet shows, Derek’s men have an Ordnance Value of 6. Multiply this value by the number of men in Derek’s squad to determine the Attack Strength. Find this number along the top of Chart C, roll two dice, and cross-reference to find the number of guards killed by the first attack.
Remember that you can, at the start of any round, arm Derek’s men with the guns they carry with them. If you do so, increase Derek’s Ordnance Value to 10. Also, mark a “1” in the RAL section of the stats sheet.
If Derek wins (kills all the guards), turn to Section 23.
If Derek loses (all his men are killed, including himself), turn to Section 37.