Terra Mortis II: The Gathering

Nori had positioned the groups very well by her reckoning. They all had good concealment and cover. The main road into town lay open and led straight into the middle of the trap that the rebels had set. Now all that needed to be done was to wait for the Horde to ride into to town and to spring the trap. God willing casualties would be kept to a minimum.

Nori was sitting inside an abandoned building where the Rogue group lay concealed. Next to her was the group's captain Laurie who was peering over a window ledge to peak outside.

"I guess that if you are in charge of all of us that would make you a major or colonel or something. I really don't understand these things," Laurie said.

"No, I'm just here on loan. I'm just a lieutenant with the Misfits," Nori replied. "I don't know why Nathan sent me here instead of himself."

"Scuttlebutt has it that it was Lisa's idea," Laurie answered.

"What? Why would she suggest that? She doesn't even like me. Lisa would only send me out if she knew it would get me..."

"Runner!" Laurie interrupted.

Nori stuck her head around the door and looked outside to see a lone person running straight down the middle of the road.

"What idiot would run right down the street? Everyone knows better than that," Nori grumbled angrily.

"It's Nathan!" Laurie answered.

They watched as Nathan ran down the road and then jumped behind a small red Toyota. Nori was about to jump out of her hiding place, march over to Nathan and give him a piece of her mind when she heard it. They all heard it, the sound of a score of motorcycles rumbling down the road.

"Everyone, get ready," Nori called out.

The bikers began to pour into town. They were running right down the middle of Main Street just as planned. Nori was getting ready to yell out the order to open fire when she heard Nathan's shouting voice. Nori peered out the doorway to see Nathan standing up behind the Toyota defiantly.

"You will pay for all that you have done to us and the peaceful people you are now holding under your tyranny!"

"Great," mumbled Nori. "Open fire!"

No further prompting was needed. Close to eighty rifles and assault weapons started pouring lead into the bikers and the U-Haul that had just pulled in behind them. Nori was pleased to see the bikers fall near their bikes. It would soon be over and then she would tell Nathan what he could do with his damn ego.

The last biker fell, only a couple had time enough to return fire, but now there were over twenty bodies lying in the road. Nori called the cease-fire and prepared to exit the building. It was strange how little blood there was amongst the bikers. She thought for sure that after all the firing from the rebels the streets would literally run with blood.

Suddenly an explosion filled the air. Nori ran out into the road and looked up the street toward the hill where the Misfits were lying in support. The entire hillside looked like it was being blown apart. Trees were tumbling and a giant plume of dirt obscured the view of the steep hill. Nevertheless, it didn't hide the old World War II half-track that was firing its machine guns into the hillside nonstop.

"Dear God..." Nori began as she felt someone tugging on her arm.

Nori spun around to see Jennings there next to her.

"Message from Captain West: Get everyone out of the town now!" the winded boy yelled over the noise.

The crack of a handgun brought Nori's attention back to the bikers. There were about a dozen of them getting up from the ground drawing their weapons and firing it towards the buildings. The bikers were wearing body armor. That was why there wasn't much blood. Nori cursed herself momentarily. Nori then pulled Jennings into the building with her.

"Laurie have Rogue group cover us as we pull out!" Nori ordered.

"Yes ma'am," Laurie answered. Then the captain began yelling orders to her group.

"Everyone pull out, pass the word!" Nori shouted again.

The pull out went off much better than expected. Nori doubted that the bikers would follow them far into the woods. She regrouped her small army of rebels in a clearing not far from the town. The sounds of gunfire had long since stopped, even that of the half-track.

"Oh, my God. The Misfits," Nori thought to herself. She was about to cry when she noticed a group of late comers enter the clearing. It was Sergeant Miller. The small lieutenant ran over to her with a grim look on his face.

"Thank God, you guys made," Nori began.

"Sorry, but Captain West, Coop and Akira stayed behind to take out that half-track and save Lisa," Miller said looking towards the ground.

"We didn't want to leave, but he gave us the order. Ma'am we have to go back," Miller pleaded.

"You are right, everyone get ready to go back," Nori shouted.

"Everyone stop. We are staying put until things calm down," Nathan shouted.

"What?!?" was all Nori could choke out as she spun on Nathan.

"We'll wait a couple days, let things calm down. Then we'll see what happens," reasoned Nathan.

Nori stood there trembling just staring at Nathan as if she saw him for the first time. The rage and loathing for him finally was bubbling to the surface just waiting to explode in a burst of violence.

"Calm down now. We can't do anything for that so called Captain West. Hell, he blew the whole operation," Nathan smiled.

A red cloud filled Nori's vision. The dam of suppressed emotion inside her finally broke.