Chapter 14 : Nord War Drums
[Charming Main Street — April 18, 2008, 2:15 PM]
The smoke column was visible from three blocks away.
I was on my lunch break, grabbing a sandwich from the diner, when the fire trucks screamed past. The smoke rose black and angry against the clear sky, coming from somewhere near the industrial district.
By the time I got back to TM, everyone knew.
Lumpy's Salvage. SAMCRO-protected business. Burned to the ground.
The Nords had made their move.
---
[SAMCRO Clubhouse — 3:30 PM]
Church was called within the hour.
I stood outside with the other non-members—Half-Sack, Lowell, a few hangers-on. The chapel doors were closed, but we could hear the voices. Raised, angry, talking over each other.
"—send a goddamn message—"
"—can't let this stand—"
"—hit them where it hurts—"
The vote, when it came, was unanimous. I could tell by the sudden silence, followed by the scrape of chairs.
The doors opened. Jax emerged first, face set in hard lines. He scanned the gathered crowd, found me.
"Cole. Half-Sack. With me."
We followed him to the garage. Inside, away from windows, he stopped.
"Nords burned Lumpy's place. Clear message—they don't respect our protection anymore."
"What's the response?" Half-Sack asked.
"We hit back. Tonight." Jax's eyes fixed on mine. "You want to prospect? This is the audition. Show us what you're made of."
"I'm in."
"Good." He turned to Half-Sack. "Both of you, ready at nine. Wear dark clothes, nothing with club markings. We roll quiet."
He walked away.
Half-Sack let out a breath. "Holy shit."
"Yeah."
"This is it, man. This is the real thing."
I looked at my hands. Steady. No tremor.
"I know."
---
[TM Parking Lot — 9:00 PM]
Eight bikes, two vans. The club assembled in near-silence, checking weapons, exchanging hand signals.
Bobby pressed a shotgun into my hands. Pump-action, twelve-gauge, stock worn smooth from use.
"Legal enough to hold in California. Barely." He handed me shells. "Don't use it unless you have to. And if you have to, don't miss."
"Understood."
Chibs materialized beside me, checking my grip. "Keep the barrel down unless ye're ready to fire. And stay with your group—no heroes."
"Got it."
The convoy rolled out at 9:15. No headlights until we hit the main road. Unser's cruiser was parked at the town limits, lights off. He didn't stop us. Didn't even look.
The arrangement in action.
Half-Sack was in the van with me, nervous energy practically vibrating off him.
"You ever done anything like this?"
I thought about training exercises, simulated combat, the gap between practice and reality.
"Not exactly."
"Me neither." He gripped his weapon—a baseball bat, nothing fancy. "My heart's going crazy."
"That's normal."
"What if I freeze?"
"You won't."
"How do you know?"
Because you survive this. You survive everything until Cameron Hayes puts a knife in your chest.
"Because you're not the freezing type."
He looked at me for a long moment. Then he nodded, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.
"Thanks."
The van slowed. We were there.
---
[Nord Meth House — 9:45 PM]
The house was a shithole. Single story, windows boarded, lawn dead and overgrown. The kind of place that screamed "drug operation" to anyone with eyes.
Jax gave the signal. Teams split—front door, back door, side entrance. I was with Chibs and Tig, taking the side.
The door was cheap. One kick and it splintered inward.
I swept through, shotgun raised, every sense hyperalert.
The room was a living room converted to a cooking space. Two Nords inside, scrambling for weapons. One reached a pistol.
I fired above his head. The shot was deafening in the enclosed space, plaster raining from the ceiling.
"Down! Now!"
He froze. The other one—younger, terrified—dropped to his knees immediately.
Chibs moved past me, zip-ties appearing from his pocket. "Good work. Cover the door."
I covered the door.
Shouts from other parts of the house. More shotgun blasts—warning shots, nothing lethal. The club wasn't here to kill. Not tonight. Tonight was about sending a message.
Tig appeared with a can of gasoline. "We're clear. Get them out."
Chibs hauled the two Nords to their feet, shoved them toward the door. I followed, shotgun tracking until they were outside.
The van was waiting. The Nords were loaded in—they'd be dropped miles from town, a lesson in humiliation.
Behind us, the house went up in flames.
Orange light painted the trees. Smoke rose into the night sky.
I watched it burn.
---
[Van, En Route to Charming — 10:30 PM]
My hands were shaking.
Not during the raid. Not while the shotgun was in my grip and violence was an option. But now, in the aftermath, the adrenaline crash hit like a truck.
I pressed my palms against my thighs, willing the tremor to stop.
Half-Sack sat across from me, face pale but grinning.
"We did it. We actually did it."
"Yeah."
"That was insane." He laughed—high, nervous. "Did you see Tig with the gasoline? I thought he was going to light it while we were still inside."
"Tig's got a flair for drama."
The joke landed. Half-Sack's grin widened.
"You were solid in there, man. Like you'd done it a hundred times."
"First time for everything."
He caught the shake in my hands. Didn't comment. Just reached into his jacket, pulled out a flask.
"Bourbon. Helps with the after."
I took a pull. The burn steadied something inside me.
"Thanks."
"Brothers look out for brothers."
We rode the rest of the way in comfortable silence.
[RELATIONSHIP UPDATE: HALF-SACK — BONDED (55)] [LEVEL UP: 3 → 4]
The notifications flickered. I pushed them aside.
The van pulled into TM. The clubhouse lights were on, music playing. Victory celebration.
Time to face what came next.
MORE POWER STONES And REVIEWS== MORE CHAPTERS
To supporting Me in Pateron .
with exclusive access to more chapters (based on tiers more chapters for each tiers) on my Patreon, you get more chapters if you ask for more (in few days), plus new fanfic every week! Your support starting at just $6/month helps me keep crafting the stories you love across epic universes like [ In The Witcher With Avatar Powers,In The Vikings With Deja Vu System,Stranger Things Demogorgon Tamer ...].
By joining, you're not just getting more chapters—you're helping me bring new worlds, twists, and adventures to life. Every pledge makes a huge difference!
👉 Join now at patreon.com/TheFinex5 and start reading today!