Hidden and Dangerous Story 2
Name: Hidden and Dangerous
Player: Kestrel
Scenario: Campaign 1 Mission 2 (Heart of Bell)
We infiltrated the factory compound from the subterranean utility tunnels. The Germans were no dummies. They had sentries patrolling down there, but boredom made their senses dull. Day after day of long hours in the corridors with nothing happening had conditioned them to let their minds and their reflexes lapse into a sluggish state.
The noises made by dripping water and humming electrical cables were steady and loud. Rats scrabbling from place to place made intermittent noises that were amplified by the hard surfaces of the walls. It was perfect to cover our quiet advance. We quieted the sleepy watchers one by one and they never knew intruders had come their way. One came running when a muffled gunshot echoed through the passage. I was waiting with my sniper rifle at one end of the longest straight section and stopped him before we were ever seen. When the echoes of the shot were finally settled by the humid air, we realized that the rats were still now. A hum and drips and nothing else.
I switched to my sidearm to make the trip up the cold ladder to the surface. Who knew what was up there? Holding my breath, I looked out and waited for my eyes to adjust to the brightness of daylight. Taking a full breath, I thrust my self through and to cover behind a large assembly of pipes and tanks. There was no sound of footsteps at all. There was no one in sight.
After several minutes, I began to lean out to see what way lay open. Still nothing – but then the edge of a guard tower about 75 yards out. Watching…watching… nothing but one man at the top. I switched to the sniper rifle. If he had looked, he would have seen just a small bump at the edge of a tank, but he never turned my way. After the kick and the jump of the gun, I didn't even have to look. He was down.
AAAGH! There was a soldier running at me. He must have been at the base of the tower and off to the side, standing just out of my sight. He was running fast…I jacked in a shell…the scope was no good now…he was too close!... I can't pick him up...switch to my sidearm…fumble, tangled, no good!
TAT A TAT !!
What happened!? I'm not dead! The soldier is on the ground and not moving. I whip around, still no weapon in my hand. My buddy kneels there behind me and a wisp of smoke curls from his SMG. We get to cover and no one comes. We wait for a long time and then take a breath.
Time to move on and finish the job.
-- End of Story --
I knew my squadmate was there, but I was truly surprised that he could cover for me. Teammate AI in those days was almost nonexistent. It was so great that I set it up again, made my sniper shot to the tower, and then switched to third person view to just watch it all take place.