"Ah," Dreamer murmured as the car pulled across the road ahead and the men stepped out.  "Ah.  This is more like it... real guards.  Probably just here to warn us away from Clent Station... to keep us<span style="font-style: italic"> safe </span>."  He smiled slightly... as though that were somehow funny.  "Bring us to a stop far enough away, Kitten... maybe a bit sideways s Sherra can get a clear shot if... no, never mind."  No reason to expose the station wagon's side to the men's guns... or the furries hidden in the back seat.  Besides, if Dreamer played his cards right, they would let the car pass... the men didn't seem threatening yet.  Of course, the sheepdog-fur still on the hood might have something to do with that.<br/><br/>"You three stay down... but if you have to, Sherra, be ready to shoot.  Into us all, if you have to."  The car was coming to a stop.  "I can take a couple bullets.  These guys won't."  He glanced quickly over into the back seat, using mostly his eyes, but he pressed his lips together as he imagined Maeve beneath there.  "Hopefully it won't come to that... but be ready."<br/><br/>When the car finally stopped, Dreamer stepped out.  Sure, he could have sent Kitten, as his "underling" or simply because he was far less threatening in appearance --- not that Dreamer's appearance, save for the wounds and tattered shirt, was intimidating --- but in all truth, Dreamer was surely the best suited to having to suddenly fight... or survive being shot.<br/><br/>His handgun was in his hand, held casually, pointed at the ground, much like the men before him; not threatening, just there because, like them, he had no real place to put it except down his pants.  With the safety off as it was, that wasn't a good idea.  His knife was still sheathed at his left side.<br/><br/>"Hail, friends," he called, smiling back at them in a friendly fashion and walking toward them casually.  If they could avoid killing anyone, he'd try to.<br/><br/>--- --- --- ---<br/><br/>Vultana waited motionlessly as the soldiers inspected the roof fully.  She was terrified that they would climb the section she was on, even though there was no stairs or ladder giving on it, but after a time they finally converged on the machinery room.  When Vultana heard the loud bang of the door being kicked open, she waited two seconds and straightened up just enough to see what was there... two wolves outside, one trying to radio someone but failing.  Neither of the two seemed to have a clue where she was... so it was now or never.<br/><br/>She straightened up just enough to lift her weapon.  It occurred to her that it was lighter than it had once been... there wasn't much ammo left.  Damn it!  She'd left the small briefcase --- though it might have had only one clip of slugs left inside anyway --- in the machinery room.  She didn't have much ammo left in the rifle itself.  Still... surely she had at least four shots...<br/><br/>She brought the scope to her eye, and grimace inside her beak as she realized the focus was way, way off.  She wasted precious seconds readjusting it before finally sighting on one wolf's skull and pulling the trigger.  His head exploded, spattering the side of the machinery shed with a red and pink paste; however when she shifted her sight to the next target, she found that a combination of her shoulder wound, unfamiliarity with firing in such close proximity, and the wolf's startled movement at his friend's demise made her miss completely.<br/><br/>She fired three more times in quick succession, bringing him down, a slug finally finding its way into his brain.  But... damn it.  She didn't know if she had any ammo left, and at least two wolves remained to deal with...!<br/><br/>She set on the entrance of the shed anyway, ready to fire.  If she could improve the odds... besides, it wasn't like they would be able to see who she was yet.  Se had options left, were she to truly run out of bullets.