I've got a gang of bikers intercepting a more urban, sophisticated gang moving into the bikers' territory. The story's set in the mountains, and I've got the bikers set up on a narrow road - forested slope up on one side, less forested, steeper slope down on the other. The bikers have blocked the road forward with a pick-up and then most of them have hidden themselves in the woods on the uphill side of the road, well-armed. The other gang is driving along the road in four SUVs. I assume they'll be in some level of contact with each other. They'll just see a pick-up blocking the road and a car pulled off to the side, with two guys standing by the car. One of the guys is wearing a sheriff's uniform. I'd like the guys in the SUV to be arrogant but not totally stupid. Is there an acceptable way for them to move into this scenario? Probably some of them are ex-military, so if there was a standard military approach (like, how a military convoy would deal with an apparently broken-down car in Iraq or Afghanistan or wherever) that would be excellent. Right now I'm thinking the first SUV comes forward and the other three hang back, but maybe that's kind of sending the first guys out to die, and that wouldn't be the procedure? Any ideas?
I'll just add some thoughts: I don't know about the procedure. It really depends on the leader(s). In the mountains, cell phone service for communication would be questionable/inconsistent. There are short range radios and such, if the SUV drivers thought of that ahead of time. An urban group may not have thought of that. There are a lot of unanswered questions. How packed are the SUVs, and what are the riders doing--sleeping and getting woken up. How are they armed. Handguns won't be very handy in such a situation. I am guessing the biker gang among the trees has shotguns and rifles. Disabling the SUVs (shooting out tires, for example) would be easy. I guess it depends on what you would like to happen, and if the SUV gang is expecting trouble. The biker's apparently are. Did the SUV group have an inkling that they were being tracked? Aircraft, for example? Keeping track of folks in the mountains, to block a particular road at a particular time could be tricky. Unless the SUVs are somewhat armored...I would think an SUV could push through the truck blocking the road. A sheriff without a law enforcement vehicle probably wouldn't fool too many people.
I like the cell phone idea! I've used it elsewhere in the story, and it would be good here, too. I'm thinking the guys in the SUV may have been dozing, but they weren't right out. Probably 3 or 4 guys per SUV. Handguns for sure, and probably more powerful weapons but they'd be packed away for travel. The SUV guys didn't know they were being tracked - single biker followed them for a while, and the rest was just based on knowing their likely route and their rate of travel. I've got the bikers with standard rifles plus AK-47s, but maybe I'll add a few shotguns as well. What the hell! What I'm hoping for is a standoff that leads to the leaders of the two groups talking. I'm looking at armoured SUVs, but hoping to find ways to bypass that. Lightly armoured, maybe, but not fully bulletproof - I need the guys inside to see the need to get out and talk. Thanks for the ideas!
It just feels so like sitting ducks in this approach. Regardless of formation, such as one in front 3 behind the problem is they are moving into enemy terrain. A large armored style assault like 4 SUVs suggest to me is not the first step or at least not my first step. The problem is stealth. Now 4 SUV is a strong force but hardly stealthy. Which if the enemy sees them coming and can prepare that force means nothing. I think a more likely approach is to send a much smaller team alone first. A scout as I believe it is called. A scout can see the land ahead and see how the enemy has set the land. They can see good approaches and bad approaches. Most of all the scouts can be stealthy. Slipping in and out un-detected. Well more or less. Remember closer they get, more they see but the more they risk being caught. The goal of scouting is less winning and more allowing the SUV team to know enough so they aren't walking blindly. The trick is a scout well, is not strong, so if they get caught they usually get dead. A scout can also lay traps. A common method for a siege like you describe would be for the scout to see the best angle of approach and then plant a bomb on the edge of the other side. Approach strong from the right. A big blast of fire from the left to hide your approach. Before they know what is going on you are in their face. To note. I am not a actual military person. But did anything I say sound poor in terms of logic?
The idea is that this gang is coming to the town to start trouble, but they don't know the town (well, the bikers) are ready for them. So it isn't really a military situation, it's just some guys trying to drive somewhere to do some crime.
Well you did mention they might be ex-military. lol. But the unknown is a big part. First how unknown? I mean I get that don't know everything. They are coming to this town to commit crime? Why? How do they know about this town? Had they done no research? It is bad form for anyone to walk into a situation without some form of information. I mean that is from any standpoint. If I move to a new city one might think I did research on the town. Is it safe? Does it have want I need? What I want? Think of a person who is planning on hurting people or stealing or what ever crime you going to have them do. Do you really think practically they wouldn't ask the same question plus more like. Are these people ready to defend themselves? If so, how well? Can I handle it? A person that doesn't ask these questions regrets it later more times than not. You did say not stupid but arrogant. To me, that means not the lack of research but doing the research and then going forward even though the research suggested you stop because after all, you can handle it. lol. Does that back sense?
Yeah, they've done research. They know about the town in general, they're aware of the biker threat, they just aren't aware of this particular ambush. I think I've got the overall picture figured out, I'm just trying to work on the mechanics of this one scene. (I know, that ties in to the rest of the story, but it would be pretty exhausting to summarize the entire plot here.)
if you want a stand off make it a public place like a car park. your mountain scenario to me sounds like a ambush that the bikers would not back off, use both so that there is a reason for the truce at the stand off. in Australia we had a bikie shoot out see milperra massacre http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milperra_massacre
Whoa, that's a crazy story - "bikie" sounds so innocent, and then the soap-opera details leading up to it all make it seem funny, but then... oh. Seven people dead. That's not so cute.
I have to admit calling them bikies brings up images of men in lycra tights most gang deaths in the motor cycle gangs are over personal issues like that incident,
