Reconnoitering

Dundee and his aforementioned entourage crossed the river with guns drawn and at the ready. They saw utter devastation - dozens of dead Apache, riddled with bullets, some torn apart by explosions - laying before them.

Dundee wasn't sure whether it would be better to stay together or split up. They were looking for evidence of any further Apache presence, or any bodies of theirs they had failed to recover. After about ten minutes of looking, they found nothing more on the far bank.

This would be a hell of a lot easier if Sergeant Kimmel were here, Dundee thought to himself. He was somewhat afraid for her, and yet also very upset. Knowing her, she probably just crashed her helicopter into a goat somewhere.

Then, they heard a rustling sound, and an all-too-familiar noise:"Oh shit, not again!" Frisco shouted.

"Be quiet," Dundee said. He then silently motioned for his command to split up: Marco and Kermit to the left, Peacemaker and Frisco to the right, him in the middle. The men moved out into the desolate landscape, guns out. Dundee cradled his shotgun nervously, looking for signs of life among the Apache corpses. He, too, had heard thenoise, and knew something was up. But to increase the inherent drama, he split up his force anyway.

Suddenly, another noise was heard. It sounded low and loud - like - a helicopter! Yes! He could hear a helicopter, and he hoped it was Sergeant Kimmel. It was close - so close, that the noise of its blades drowned out the continuingnoises.

It was almost too late when Dundee saw the two gun-toting Apache aiming at him, he turned his shotgun, and as he fired, the ground beneath the two exploded, sending their bodies sky-high. A few other Apaches - there were only about a half dozen - ran for cover as missiles and machine guns tore into them; they were all cut down but one, who Marco Leone dispatched with a crack shot.

Hurray! Dundee thought. It was Sergeant Kimmel, and she had come to save the day. But his feeling of elation was shortlived, as the helicopter appeared over the horizon. It began firing missiles, rockets, and machine gun bullets wildly.

"Run!"

The five skirmishers rode hell-for-leather back to the river, with the helicopter in hot pursuit. A missile exploded into the water, sending a geyser several feet in the air; Kermit's horse reared up, but he managed to regain control of it. Peacemaker and Marco made a brief, ineffectual anti-aircraft sortie with their obsolete equipment before running from a spray of machine gun fire. Finally, the squad made it back to friendly ground.

"Prepare to fire!" Dundee shouted. His artillery and machine gun crews suddenly snapped to attention. As the helicopter crossed the river, it was subjected to a withering blast of machine gun and anti-aircraft fire. Several hits were made, and the helicopter crashed into the river.

Dundee's men leaped up, guns at the ready, preparing to shoot anyone who came out of the helicopter. Someone did survive, but they swam to the near shore. Dundee saw - to his surprise and disgust - it was Sergeant Kimmel. She panted for breath for a moment, before asking Dundee: "What in the hell am I going to do with that?" pointing at the sinking hulk of the Apache.