06-25-2014, 10:11 PM
Jacques should have been resting, but it was evident the moment Reed climbed into his vehicle that he wasn't. He was sifting through the myriad of reports he was constantly receiving from throughout Sierra Leone from his scattered teams, and from teams in other parts of Africa. Those reports were at least of a more benign nature; business as usual throughout most of Africa.
Pockets of secular violence had popped up with the ever increasing news of DV, but such things were nothing new in Africa, and the had yet to gain any noteworthy traction.
The casualty reports from the teams tasked to securing the Red Cross workers was blessedly short as well, although he had already lost one full team when an American owned mine had been attacked only a few hours drive from Freetown, near Kenema, in the Kambui Hills Forest Reserve. By what he could glean of the reports, they had come under attack by Temne supporters led by foreign mercenaries. An unsettling turn of events.
"It is no longer the Moroccan embassy."
He didn't kick her out, and instead simply signaled for the driver to go. Moments later the small convoy was rolling off the airport and down the highway, south towards the ferries to Freetown. It didn't take long before the roads became choked with refugees fleeing to the presumed safety the city provided.
The convoy of SUVs was eventually forced off the road and onto the rougher terrain that ran adjacent to it. Even then there were crowds of people on foot or leading pack animals, but the Legion vehicles were able to navigate their way through at a slow and steady pace.
Jacques seemed intent to ignore Reed's presence for the entire trip, distracted as he was with sifting through the endless stream of information. But eventually he seemed to catch up with what needed his attention; e-signatures were given over on important documents. The loss of life in DV had created havoc with the Legion's life insurance providers; they were not eager to pay out on so many accounts so suddenly, but he had managed to corner them on the subject.
Of course, it meant the Legion's premiums were likely to increase, but he had over two hundred families dealing with the loss of a loved one, and while money wasn't going to make things better, it was the best he could do for the moment.
He finally tucked his Wallet away and pulled off his Landwarriors, rubbing tired eyes before settling his gaze on Reed. "I still want my vest back, you know."
-----
Amirmoez and Miki's looks soured at Jay's question and the pair shared a look. Amirmoez was called away and he seemed quite willing to take the distraction, vanishing into the hallway after giving Miki a black-humoured pat on the shoulder with his stump.
Miki glanced around the room, then pulled over a simple metal chair and sat; the man was clearly tired, but who wasn't by that point? The Legionnaires were spread too thin to have been afforded any rest during the night. "Rumour has it the CEO is going to give a speech later today. Operation Jeddah, the civilian evac mission from Dominance five? Most of theDeuxième Bataillon was lost. The survivors are in CCD hospitals."
"The CEO cleared 4th Platoon's emergency deployment to back us up. They arrived a few hours ago. So at least the perimeter's secure."
4th Platoon, 1st Company was the current 'high readiness' unit based at the company's HQ in Morocco, set to be deployed en-masse should a situation turn sour. They had been spared deployment to DV only because 2nd Battalion had already been on the tarmac and best suited to the mission.
-----
Confirmation of Natalie's safety had been delegated to Commandant Tuff, who had passed it on to her mother within minutes of her confirmed arrival at the Moroccan embassy. Of course, the message had been masked with a comprehensive list of all the Red Cross workers already rescued, and their medical state.
There were already plans in place to site refugee camps in the area. A team of Legionnaires coupled with Sierra Leonean civil engineers acquired thanks to their work with the elected government officials had departed at first light to start surveying a potential location south east of the city. Ideal locations were hard to find around Freetown though; the region was still mostly jungle and wildlife reserves.
-----
The situation in the embassy was quiet, at least for the moment; with the added security they were better able to process the Moroccan refugees and grasp the situation at large.
With 4th Platoon newly arrived in the country, those Legionnaires that had weathered the first day of the unrest were given a respite, a chance to rest and tend their wounds.
There was a steady stream of Moroccans arriving at the embassy despite how difficult travel through the area had become; most were those already in or near Freetown, and had managed to pass through the Sierra Leonean military checkpoints that now secured the city's perimeter.
Most were people of dual-citizenships, and not 'true' Moroccans, but their birth records were enough to afford them the protection of the more stable of the two countries. Promises of a chartered ship to carry them back to Morocco had been announced by the government, although it would be days before it was dispatched, let alone arrived in Freetown.
The Chinese had proven faster; they had been much faster to respond to the situation, a benefit of their style of government. There was much less red tape to cut through. Rumour had it that the first of the Chinese vessels would be arriving the next morning.
Tasked to the small embassy's perimeter wall, Jared was afforded the unenviable view of refugees seeking their embassies. Most were African, and the Chinese were easy to spot in the mass; most were of the rich and powerful persuasion, arriving with armed guards of their own, mercenaries mostly (in some cases Legionnaires).
Many were wounded, exhausted. Foreigners had been prime targets for the Temne, second only to those of Mende origins, and few had escaped at least some of the horrors that had been visited throughout the night. And by the stories they brought with them, General Wallace-Johnson's soldiers were not innocent of their own atrocities.
Pockets of secular violence had popped up with the ever increasing news of DV, but such things were nothing new in Africa, and the had yet to gain any noteworthy traction.
The casualty reports from the teams tasked to securing the Red Cross workers was blessedly short as well, although he had already lost one full team when an American owned mine had been attacked only a few hours drive from Freetown, near Kenema, in the Kambui Hills Forest Reserve. By what he could glean of the reports, they had come under attack by Temne supporters led by foreign mercenaries. An unsettling turn of events.
"It is no longer the Moroccan embassy."
He didn't kick her out, and instead simply signaled for the driver to go. Moments later the small convoy was rolling off the airport and down the highway, south towards the ferries to Freetown. It didn't take long before the roads became choked with refugees fleeing to the presumed safety the city provided.
The convoy of SUVs was eventually forced off the road and onto the rougher terrain that ran adjacent to it. Even then there were crowds of people on foot or leading pack animals, but the Legion vehicles were able to navigate their way through at a slow and steady pace.
Jacques seemed intent to ignore Reed's presence for the entire trip, distracted as he was with sifting through the endless stream of information. But eventually he seemed to catch up with what needed his attention; e-signatures were given over on important documents. The loss of life in DV had created havoc with the Legion's life insurance providers; they were not eager to pay out on so many accounts so suddenly, but he had managed to corner them on the subject.
Of course, it meant the Legion's premiums were likely to increase, but he had over two hundred families dealing with the loss of a loved one, and while money wasn't going to make things better, it was the best he could do for the moment.
He finally tucked his Wallet away and pulled off his Landwarriors, rubbing tired eyes before settling his gaze on Reed. "I still want my vest back, you know."
-----
Amirmoez and Miki's looks soured at Jay's question and the pair shared a look. Amirmoez was called away and he seemed quite willing to take the distraction, vanishing into the hallway after giving Miki a black-humoured pat on the shoulder with his stump.
Miki glanced around the room, then pulled over a simple metal chair and sat; the man was clearly tired, but who wasn't by that point? The Legionnaires were spread too thin to have been afforded any rest during the night. "Rumour has it the CEO is going to give a speech later today. Operation Jeddah, the civilian evac mission from Dominance five? Most of theDeuxième Bataillon was lost. The survivors are in CCD hospitals."
"The CEO cleared 4th Platoon's emergency deployment to back us up. They arrived a few hours ago. So at least the perimeter's secure."
4th Platoon, 1st Company was the current 'high readiness' unit based at the company's HQ in Morocco, set to be deployed en-masse should a situation turn sour. They had been spared deployment to DV only because 2nd Battalion had already been on the tarmac and best suited to the mission.
-----
Confirmation of Natalie's safety had been delegated to Commandant Tuff, who had passed it on to her mother within minutes of her confirmed arrival at the Moroccan embassy. Of course, the message had been masked with a comprehensive list of all the Red Cross workers already rescued, and their medical state.
There were already plans in place to site refugee camps in the area. A team of Legionnaires coupled with Sierra Leonean civil engineers acquired thanks to their work with the elected government officials had departed at first light to start surveying a potential location south east of the city. Ideal locations were hard to find around Freetown though; the region was still mostly jungle and wildlife reserves.
-----
The situation in the embassy was quiet, at least for the moment; with the added security they were better able to process the Moroccan refugees and grasp the situation at large.
With 4th Platoon newly arrived in the country, those Legionnaires that had weathered the first day of the unrest were given a respite, a chance to rest and tend their wounds.
There was a steady stream of Moroccans arriving at the embassy despite how difficult travel through the area had become; most were those already in or near Freetown, and had managed to pass through the Sierra Leonean military checkpoints that now secured the city's perimeter.
Most were people of dual-citizenships, and not 'true' Moroccans, but their birth records were enough to afford them the protection of the more stable of the two countries. Promises of a chartered ship to carry them back to Morocco had been announced by the government, although it would be days before it was dispatched, let alone arrived in Freetown.
The Chinese had proven faster; they had been much faster to respond to the situation, a benefit of their style of government. There was much less red tape to cut through. Rumour had it that the first of the Chinese vessels would be arriving the next morning.
Tasked to the small embassy's perimeter wall, Jared was afforded the unenviable view of refugees seeking their embassies. Most were African, and the Chinese were easy to spot in the mass; most were of the rich and powerful persuasion, arriving with armed guards of their own, mercenaries mostly (in some cases Legionnaires).
Many were wounded, exhausted. Foreigners had been prime targets for the Temne, second only to those of Mende origins, and few had escaped at least some of the horrors that had been visited throughout the night. And by the stories they brought with them, General Wallace-Johnson's soldiers were not innocent of their own atrocities.