Black Market Merchant

The sun was nearly set when the remnants of the groups of surveying militia members finally returned. The news that they had brought back greatly worried the ERM leaders. Of the hundred personnel that went out that day, only forty-three remained.

The three that managed to escape the initial attacks from the Black Rats reported that they had been out gunned and outnumbered. They were unsure how they had been located so easily and surrounded so quickly. They, at the time, had been surveying an area that was out of the anticipated direction that the gang would have been expected to come from.

This situation also puzzled Nathan. “Why had the gang attacked these outlying surveyors and not shown up in mass with Garret? Surely if they all showed up together Garret wouldn’t have agreed to have the duel with Gillian.”

After dismissing the three from giving their report for a well-earned rest, the ERM leaders discussed how to proceed. Things were had now become quite grave and the room that the meeting took place in felt tense. If they didn’t figure out some way to get an advantage over the Black Rats, they were going to lose simply due to a lack of manpower.

"It seems that the gangsters are still quite resourceful." Mr. Flanagan said breaking the rooms silence. "They managed to find our weak point rather quickly. It seems that even our mole couldn't anticipate this."

"That's correct." Gillian said reluctantly. "The moles account of the attacks came after the Black Rats leader, Garret, had already left from here."

"All this shouldn't affect our plans, right?" Nathan asked hopefully.

Gillian scratched his chin thoughtfully before giving his reply. "I don't think it will. The preparations we have made for the three-pronged attack will work even if we are more shorthanded. As long as neither of the groups breaks apart or get wiped out that is."

"That's good. I am confident in our forces drive to rid their town of the gangsters." Nathan replied with a nod. Then he turned to speak to a man sitting at the far end of the table.

The small blond man was thin and rather nerdy in appearance. However, the sunken look and posture he possessed gave an air of depression. Yet this depressing man had something important to offer the ERM. Something that could be a surefire way ensure their victory.

"Mr. Yates, are your projects finished for the battle?" Nathan asked.

Mr. Yates stirred in his seat as he grudgingly sat up. He took off his round glasses and wiped a hand across his heavily receding hair line. In an exhausted sounding voice, he mumbled out his reply. "Yes, all the groundwork is done. I stayed up most of the last three nights to get them running. All I need is a few adjustments to make and they will run smoothly. It would be nice to have someone capable to help me with the computer issues, but I'll manage it."

"Excellent." Nathan said clapping his hands together.

"We appreciate all your hard work to get this done." Mr. Flanagan said with sincerity.

"Your thanks isn't necessary." Mr. Yates said holding up a hand. "I would have done it anyway. They took my wife and child from me. It's overdue that they pay!"

"I agree full heartedly." Gillian said reassuringly. "That is why I volunteered to help you."

"Thank you." Mr. Yates said in a quiet tone. "Your help with the live tests has been useful."

"Well then." Nathan said after clearing his throat. "Tomorrow is the day. They will likely attack at first light. Best we get some rest. Meeting adjured."

…

It was just as Nathan had predicted. After his defeat, Garret couldn't sleep all night. He waited angrily throughout the night for the first faint signs of daylight to start approaching. When he finally saw the black lines of the surrounding buildings outside becoming visible, he immediately woke up the entire Black Rat camp himself.

"Get up! It's time to show those pathetic ingrates who we really are!" Garret yelled out in the dark. Then giving a series of other numerous insults, he stomped from room to room and building to building to wake everyone.

In no more than half an hour the gang was mostly awake and ready to go. The nearly six hundred gangsters all were armed with weapons of their own making and well over half had firearms. Several hand carts carried enough ammunition to last the gang for a long while. It was quite the impressive display that the gang had mustered. Having such a large force in this small town alone was a testament to the Black Rats superiority of the easters side of town.

Garret paced back and forth, anxiously waiting for everything to get ready. Once his men were ready, his voice boomed out in the dim, but brightening, light. "We now march on the fools that stand in our way. Those that dared appose us will die today! We have spent years taking out our rival gangs. This town belongs to us! We earned it."

The crowd stirred being fueled by Garrets speech. Garret was right, they had survived so many fights, battles and loses before to get where they are now. How could they just let it all be taken from them? Though many were born in this town, being rejected by family members, growing up as orphans, or struggling to feed themselves; being in the Black Rats had been their saving grace. The ERM was threatening their livelihood and they were not going to just give in.

"We shall refuse to just roll over and let these upstarts just take what they want! They will die by our hand for this insult. We will prevail!" Garret said, his voice bellowing out to stir the sleepy morning into a growing frenzy.

The gangsters cheered, pounded their feet on the ground and banged their weapons together. This was truly a barbaric scenario that was normally only seen in movies and was now being displayed in its anarchic fashion. If not for the modern weapons, this would have appeared completely so.

"Now let's move out!" Garret said turning quickly down the road. Raising his rifle high, Garret marched proudly onwards to start the battle.

His lieutenants followed right in his heels. Immediately behind them, the hoard of six hundred men swarmed forward. Looking from side to side at all his men, Garret nodded satisfied at what he saw. There was no way that locals would be able to beat such a force.

"You all know your jobs. Get into position fast and as soon as my signal is given, give them hell. Don't hold back!" Garret barked to the lieutenants.

"Yes boss!" All the lieutenants chanted in unison.

The gangsters traveled straight down the road, in plain view, at the ERM base. In no time at all an alarm was sounded from the base. Even in the still dim morning Garret could see their enemies through gaps scrambling into their places behind the car wall. However, they were moving too slowly and in pitifully few numbers.

One block away from the parking lot, that was dividing the ERM base from the other buildings, was when the gangsters started to split up. Garret stayed in the middle with two hundred of the gangsters. Terry and Erin moved to the buildings on the left with around one hundred and twenty men. Marco and Adam went to right with another hundred and twenty men. Diana was at the rear with one hundred men and two large objects covered under tarps. Zane was tasked with the remaining sixty men to ascend to open roof tops or balconies to lay down sniper and suppression gunfire.

The plan was simple. Attack at once from three locations simultaneously. All the while Zane and his men would prevent anyone from being able to shoot at the charging gangsters. The charging front line members would be carrying metal car doors to minimize the bullets damage. Though meager as it was, it was better than nothing. Once one of the attacking forces had breached the defensive line than would Diana join in.

The two sides soon were in their places, though the ERM didn't look ready yet. From the faint noises coming from behind the car wall, it sounded that they were still mobilizing. However, these sounds ended abruptly, and tension filled the open parking lot. Neither side moved, not even the wind dared stir this moment.

"Charge!!!" Garret sounded out the signal, like lightning in the night.

The gangsters surged forward yelling, weapons at the ready. Gun shots rang out from both sides. The open parking lot was soon turned into a blood bath. Men screamed when shot and writhed on the ground, while others were silenced forever. Though the car doors the gang carried did little to stop bullets, it provided enough cover for them to reach the car wall. Metal weapons pounded on the car walls as some tried breaking their way in. Others climbed on top of it, only to find guns and spear points in their faces by the ERM defenders.

The battle was quickly progressing. It was clear that the East River Militia had the advantage thanks to the car wall, but the lack in men to defend such a broad area was becoming very apparent. There were still many ERM forces crossing the open ground to reach the wall. A few areas of the wall had soon been breached and handheld weapons combat was well underway.

Garret mounted the top of a car and lifted his rifle and plinked away at the enemy below. Several men crumpled to their knees after he finished unloading his first magazine into them. He then reached for another clip.

"Zip!"

A bullet flew right through Garret's right ear! The sudden brush with death caused him to jump back and down into cover, behind the car wall. Breathing heavily, he surveyed the battle, all the while clamping a hand over his bleeding ear. The center and right flanks were doing well. Many of his men had engaged in close combat and were clearly pushing the ERM back.

Turning to look in Diana's direction, Garret then waved vigorously over head at her. She spotted his wave and waved back. Turning around she issued out commands to attack. The men readied themselves and two men yanked away the blue tarps covering the hidden objects. By doing so they revealed that there were two large forklifts equipped with metal plates for the driver’s protection.

After the two gangsters entered the forklifts, they, in unison, charged ahead with the rest of the gang following close behind. The forklift's forks were raised up at mid height and aimed to collide with the car wall. With a cringe worthy ruckus, the forklifts smashed into the wall and the forks buried deeply into the compacted metal, but they didn't stop moving. The drivers kept advancing with everything the forklifts had to offer. Black smoke rose off the wheels as they struggled against the compact cars weight.

The metal car wall relented and screeched with protest as the wall was pushed back across the parking lot. The forklifts had now created a break in the defensive line, allowing the gangsters to charge right on in. The defending ERM forces were rapidly losing ground now and being pushed back. This was it; the militia was clearly doomed. It was clear now that the out manned militia force was going to fall. The Black Rats were going to take back their territory and resume control.

Suddenly, two bright red flairs shot up into the cloudless morning sky. Before the gangsters could wonder what the flairs were for there came from behind, in two different directions, the sounds of yelling. Charging at the gangsters was the Militia reinforcements!

Momentarily shocked and bewildered the gangsters froze. Garret turned about and opened fire at the charging late comers. He wasn’t the least bit intimidated by the sudden turn of events.

"Don't just stand there!" He yelled hoarsely. "Attack!!"

Snapping out of their stupor, the gangsters resumed the attack. Though they were nearly evenly numbered now, the gangsters were still in possession of superior weapons and ammo. Not to mention Zane's forces were wreaking havoc from above at the backs of the new ERM arrivals. Zane and his men were unable to shoot properly at the start of the fight due to the poor lighting, but now they were utilizing their height advantage to the fullest.

Just as things were once again starting to seem more in favor of the gangsters, the militia's base doors opened with a heavy, jolting bang! The two huge warehouse doors slowly scrapped heavily on the ground and two yellow caution lights revolved on either side of the entrance. Between them was the dark interior of the warehouse and the doors black maw appeared ominous.

Upon seeing it, Garret felt a sudden tingle of worry. Something was going on and it was going to be bad.

"Burrrrr, clunk! Burrrr, clunk!"

The sound of heavy electronic objects moving from within the dark warehouse sounded out noisily. Suddenly a huge lumbering mass immerged. Three Minion Class Mineral Mover Mechs (MCM3) were now marching out onto the battlefield!