TMA Sniper Hide

HardCore Airsoft

Papabear reloaded. We decided to throw our bergans and webbing over the fence. We hoped to recover them once we crossed. Again we pressed forward towards the ridge. Deno laid down a volley of pellets at his brother (Drew) finally scoring a hit. Mark fired and took Roper out. Thinking the area was clear, he pushed forward. Only then did Simpson reveal himself, he had laid in ambush. He squeezed the trigger hitting Papabear in the shoulder. I replied with my Car-15, tagging Simpson quickly. Deciding to press home the attack, I was creeping along the fence line. At that moment was hit several times by a burst of pellets coming from the nearest bush 2m on the other side of the fence. Hat off to Ian, revenge must have been on the agenda. Indeed, I had been ambushed in the classic style of sitting fully obscured until it sounds like your target is on top of you. �HIT!� I cried, reeling from the shock. Just then Wraith, 3m behind me, leaned over the fence and fired his single shot. �Hit� squealed Ian.
Both Ian and myself backed off. I moved to the rear of our line. Wraith and Papabear had both opened up on the players returning to the ridge. Looking at my watch, I realised that this intense firefight had actually been going for a long time now. Only 10 minutes remained! Pellets whizzed everywhere. Wraith�s words echoed in my head �Go for it!� so I did. Running the last 15m to the marked fence, I ignored everything and concentrated on getting across. As I neared the fence, the intense sound of cover fire kicked in and another R.F.G. player shouted �HIT!� Taking the fence in my stride, I stood on the wire and jumped down onto the other side. Again, Ian�s full auto burst claimed another tag, as he fired from a prone position in the pine 20m from the fence. Even now I found it hard to spot him,�Hit!� I yelled, as I waved my arm in the air.
Only then did I realise, I had crossed the fence, so backed off along it towards the kit. I stopped and looked back towards Ian, firing a couple of shots just to suppress him. He returned fire. I decided that allowing someone to shoot me 3 times in a row, would do my reputation no good. I turned tale and moved to the bergans. Getting there, I decided to take all of it to the rendezvous point, some 300m away up hill. Throwing Wraith�s webbing on and my own rucksack, I carried Papabear�s in one hand and my gun in the other. After 50m, I knew that I wouldn�t make it with everything. The gradient was taking it�s toll on my tired legs. While the dense pine trees required me to simply put my head down and battle through them. I dropped Papabear�s bergan, otherwise I wasn�t going to make it. I pressed on. Breaking out of the tree line I cut onto a path. Gauging that the junction was to my right, I set off. Rounding a bend, I could see Napoleon up ahead. Not wanting to be caught out by the clock, I sprinted the final 50m. Before collapsing in a heap at his feet. I gasped for air. �Did I make it?� I asked. �Yes. Somehow!� exclaimed Napoleon, with an astonished expression.

Only 3 minutes remained and I sat looking back down the track willing my unseen team mates on. But, the time limit finished and only after a further 5 minutes did Wraith and Papabear appear. Napoleon was amazed we had made it at all. He explained, that he would now accompany us to a camp site of our choosing. We saddled up after a nice drink. We set off up the path, before deciding to take the next turn back down hill and camp in a pine thicket, on the opposite side of the Bull Field from R.F.G. Finding a clearing between two streams, we checked the map and found the location to be called �Glass House Springs.� Crawling into the hollow clearing, we made camp, using bungees and ponchos. Napoleon announced that another game was to start this afternoon. Handing us a map, he instructed us to reach the start point for 2pm and then follow the route indicated on the map. In other words, the game was a patrol. He added our main objective was to avoid contact with our opponents, although, we could engage them if forced to. Napoleon set off towards the Ghost�s camp.
Our camp was well concealed; being low to the ground, it was only visible from within 20m. It was also very comfortable, being flat and with a soft carpet of pine needles. I unpacked my meagre kit; a hexi-stove, mess tin, KFS set, 1 season sleeping bag, torch and gun. Settling in, I felt safe here and began to relax, listening for sounds of movement. Papabear and Wraith were busy eating. Once we had all finished our tasks and eaten, we checked our watches, 2:30. We were already 30 minutes late. We cammed up and departed quickly.

Arriving at the start line, we were now 50 minutes late. The area was high up on the slopes of the hill. Without a word T.M.A. spread out into a linear patrol. As usual, I was point. I moved 40m along the path, reaching the crest of a hillock. I was looking into a small gorge which the path cut a line across and up the steeper far side. I could see to the crest of this next ridge, some 80m away.

All around, low ferns covered the forest floor, with trees in a lower density here. This was a good place for an ambush, so I paused, to check for safety. All of this area was on a very steep gradient, within 80m of the valley top. Birds could be heard and seen in the vicinity of the path. All was calm.
I gave the signal to move up. Stalking forward, the others advanced to my vantage point and covered me. I crept forward, the nerves of a pointman tingling. Looking everywhere, without moving my head much; I tried to spot something unusual or out of place. Often this was a process of the sub-conscious utilising your peripheral vision. I was still not fully tuned in, to the task in hand. I reached the top of the crest and looking over, saw the path curved out of sight 10m away. I waved our team to move up to my position while I covered. When they had all crossed the gorge and moved up to my position, I glanced at Papabear.
Suddenly, I saw motion in my peripheral vision, as a matter of instinct I spun and fired. Everything went into slow motion. Looking back to the path, I was shocked to see Ian and Dave (with AEG�s) rounding the corner, point blank, in front of me. �Hit!� yelled Ian. At the same instant, Papabear opened up with his MP5, �Hit!� shouted Dave. I was in shock, as the game had changed in an instant, my adrenaline had kicked in. I could not believe we had taken them out without them firing a shot, they had failed to react.
Snapping out of it, Mark put down a covering burst as the rest of us sprinted back down the path. �Go, Go, Go!� we moved 60m back and then struck up hill into the ferns. We kept moving until 50m above the path, then hit the dirt amongst the low ferns. My lungs were burning. Marks gun was heard to fire a last burst and then we saw him sprinting down the path. We saw him stop to try and locate us. Making a clicking sound, he saw us and pushed on to our position.