Chapter 3

“So that’s why they call you the Iron Man” one of soldiers said.  ‘That’s right” Bruckner grinned in between sips of ale “half-a-dozen of those Belgian pussies tried to turn me into a human pin cushion.  I got so pissed off about getting stabbed twenty-four times by those dumb-shits and being spat on while on my knees, that I picked up the regimental flag right next to me and skewered the first on of those assholes, then tossed his corpse on the rest of them.  It threw them off long enough for me to put out my boot knives and kill them rest of them.  That’s when I passed out.  When I woke up in the field hospital, the doctors told me it had been a miracle that I was still alive.  That’s how I earned the nickname, Iron Man.”

The men clacked their steins together “To the Iron Man” one soldier shouted “To Sergeant Bruckner” another shouted.  On one side if the room Wolfgang and some of the men were arm wrestling. The men were shouting, whopping and making bets for either the grizzled corporal or the newbie soldier, who in a drunken faze thought he could take on the corporal, who was one of the top arm wrestlers in the battalion.  Another couple of soldiers in one corner were playing darts, while others were playing cards and another group was gathered around a soldier playing the piano and singing “Lied der Deutschen” by Hoffmann von Fallersleben. They were clearly enjoying themselves.

Bruckner finally found the captain in corner looking out a window that was overlooking the North Sea.  Bruckner went up to him “Herr Captain?”  Schroeder turned his head as if he was brought out of a daze “What is it Hans?” He asked.  “You haven’t called me that since the war, but then again you have been a very busy man.  Why don’t you come and join the men in the fun?  Schroeder shrugged “Guess maybe I should.”

“You’re thinking about Frau Von Braun again?”  Bruckner asked.  Schroeder shifted “That’s right I have been lately, I don’t know why.”  He sighed “I just don’t understand why she couldn’t wait for me.  She knew my family wasn’t as wealthy as they should be and that my being heavily involved in the military was the only reason I could improve my family’s standard of living.”  Bruckner put his hand on his shoulder.  “You have to understand, she’s a women and she has needs.  She can’t wait forever for you to pop the question as to when you want to be her husband.”

“I don’t know female biology, but what I do know from being raised by my mother, is that at a certain time of a women’s life, they stop producing babies.  Helga wouldn’t want to wait that long just to tie the knot with you.”  Schroeder shuttered “That’s more than enough information I want to know on the female body, but thanks for the pep talk.”  Bruckner grinned “Now that’s the Heinrich I know, come on old friend and let’s join the boys like you promised.”

 *********************************************************************

The town square of Greydorf was bustling with the drunken rowdiness of Prussian troops on leave, which was the perfect opportunity for the Duchess to perform her craft.  While she had finished planting the bombs in the town square, she still had time to spare.  She decided to let some of the soldiers try and have their way with her so that she could have some fun slitting their throats with her saw-toothed knife.

“Are you trying to ruin the mission Duchess? Or do you enjoy any unnecessary attention?” Fallion asked coldly in her earphones.  The earphones were a new type of technology that allowed people to communicate with each other within great distances.  The technology was still experimental, but it proved effective in completing missions nonetheless.  “I am only trying to have some fun” she said with a sadistic smile

“You’ll have plenty of that” Fallion stated plainly “Right now you need to reach the secondary objective” he stated “or have you forgotten that?”  He said.  “I haven’t forgotten that.  I may not have been a spy with the limey government, but I at least know enough about the world of spy-craft, to prove I am not some idiot, you stupid freak of nature” she snarled.  A deathly silence hung in the air.

Fallion was an albino and was tormented by it since childhood, even though he was born to a somewhat wealthy family, he was still persecuted for how he had been born.  When he had been accepted by her majesty’s government to be part of their espionage group upon graduating from Oxford, he thought it would earn some respect, it didn’t.  He was still treated like a freak and often looked down upon by his superiors.  He tried to hide it with make-up, but it often could be seen.  Often more than once, he had killed people for mocking him as such

“When you two are done being useless, may we continue on with mission? Hideo’s voice came in with an annoyed tone. “Your right” Fallion calmly stated “I just finished with civilian residences and I’ll be on my way shortly.”  Duchess gave a frustrated sigh “I am finished with the market square and you Hideo san?”  “The city offices were an easy enough task.  Barely anyone there, so I am waiting at the base for your arrival.”  Duchess tapped her headset “Be there five minutes.”  “Same here” Fallion joined in.  Hideo was smiling on the other the end as he radioed in Blackthorn “Primary mission complete lord.  Proceeding with secondary objective.”

********************************************************************

Kurt had followed Fallion and had learned that he was planting bombs there.  Fortunately he knew enough of the bombs made by the Blood Knights that disarming them was simple enough.

Kurt then took out a portable radio.  “Black Shadow to Mother bird, over!!”  There was at first some static then Helga’s voice came in “Mother Bird here, over!”  “Mother Bird we got a problem, the targets are planting bombs, just like they’ve used before, over!”  There was nothing but silence “Damn it all to hell” she said “Alright Black Shadow, new mission: search for the bombs in whatever locations that might be vital.  Samson, Dead-Eye, Savant and I will proceed with all-speed.  Can you find where the bombs would be?

Kurt sighed “I’ll try my hardest, but if I had to guess it would be any place that would cause the most terror, I’ll start with the town square and then try city hall, over!”  “Roger that, good luck Black Shadow” Kurt once again sighed “You too Mother Bird.”  With that in mind Kurt began heading for the town square with all speed.

************************************************************************

“Best out of three, what do you say?”  The drunken soldier asked.  Wolfgang smiled “Alright you damned fool.”  Wolfgang put up his right arm as did the other soldier.  Bruckner came forward “Alright you dogs, let’s have a good clean match” he raised his hand, palm up then he dropped it and said “go”.  The two soldiers began struggling to see who could slam the others hand down on the table.  Schroeder was watching with interest to see who would win, he had placed a bet on the corporal and so far he had won a hundred deutsche marks in the last five rounds.

The soldiers hand was slammed on the table and the corporal had won again.  “That’s another win for Corporal Freidan” the troops who had placed the wrong bets grumbled and the winners cheered.  “Herr Captain” asked one of the soldiers “Care to take a try?”  Schroeder shrugged ‘Why not, I am tired of winning everyone’s money” he sat down at the table.  “Place your bets, what odds do we have that the captain will beat the corporal” one of the soldiers shouted.

“Fifty to one says he wins” a solider shouted.  Bruckner sneered “I say ten to one, my bet” the crowd went silent.  “I don’t want to insult the Herr Captain sarge” said one of the soldiers “But no-one ever beats the corporal in an arm wrestling watch.  Ten to one odds aren’t even close because I haven’t even seen the captain arm wrestle.”  Bruckner gave the soldier a nasty stare, which shut down the man.  “You can place whatever damn bets you want you maggots, my money is still on the captain”

The soldier shrugged “Your loss sarge.”  The men started placing their bets.  Seven bet on the captain while the rest on the corporal.  The corporal grinned “I’d hate to beat you this way Herr Captain, but that’s the way the game works.”  Schroeder smiled “Not a problem” he put his hand up as did the corporal.

Bruckner placed his bet “thirty deutsche marks on the captain” the soldier taking bets grinned “Your loss sarge.”  Bruckner came up to two.  ‘Alright old friend, no cheating, same to you corporal, you cheat and I’ll break that arm of your.”  The men were mocking a scared tone of voice.  “Ready?” Bruckner said raising his right hand, palm open and then he said “Go” just as he lowered his hand.

The captain and the corporal began really sweating and struggling to bring the other down.  It was a real clash of muscle and mind.  Heinrich had never been an arm wrestler, but what he was taught by Bruckner and his troops growing up.  “The pain is in your mind, that’s where the other half of your strength comes from.  The other half, you put it in your arms.”  The corporal’s face was turning red, while Heinrich’s was barely even crimson.

“Give up yet, captain?” the corporal said struggling to find the words while grinning.  Schroeder grinned back “Just…one….more……push” and with that corporal Freidan’s hand came down.  The troops stared in shock at what they saw.  They never thought that one of the best arm wrestlers in the battalion would lose.

The silence was broken by a large explosion and the shattering of glass.  Soldiers began diving to the floor for cover along with those who turned over tables to cover themselves.

“Stay down” the loud voice of Sergeant Bruckner stated as he was pulling the captain down with him.  Another series of explosions were being made, some closer to the bar while others seemed distant.

“Let me up Sergeant” the captain shouted over the explosions. ‘Can’t do that sir, you getting killed wasn’t in my job description” Bruckner struggled to keep him down.  When the explosions stopped around the town square, only then did he let go.  The captain rose to his feet, dusting himself off and looking around the bar.

He saw tables and chairs strewn about, the soldiers were just picking themselves; a cough here and there was heard.  But the real destruction was outside.  Not since the war had Heinrich saw such destruction.  But this wasn’t a war.  It was an attack.

**********************************************************************

Duchess and Hideo had arrived just in time for Fallion to detonate the bombs.  Fallion smiled coldly under his mask, he then tapped his headset.  “Your lordship, primary mission complete, it’s time to send in the troops.”  Lord Blackthorn on the other smiled coldly.  “Excellent work Ghost, proceed to secondary objective, as discreetly as possible” he then ended the connection.

“Now that we are at the base, getting in should be no problem” Fallion coldly explained.  “We have stealth and subtlety; I take it you have a disguise in mind?”  Hideo asked.  Fallion began to remove the wrappings that were covering his face.  Duchess and Hideo knew that Fallion was master of disguise, which one, they never knew.

After the wrappings came off, a very handsome individual was being looked upon.  Duchess smiled “If that’s what you’d really look like, you would be one person I would never kill after seducing.”  The man Fallion was disguised as frowned “Don’t be a damned fool, the man I am disguised as is a very devote Christian.  He has never slept around with anyone except his wife or should I say his current widow.”  Duchess still smiled.

“Who was he?” Hideo asked.  Fallion shrugged “A mere logistics officer that had special access to what we are looking for.”  Hideo gave a brief smile “Now then, shall we move on?”  Just as they set about their business, the base gates opened up and the troops began pouring out.

**************************************************************************

The explosions went off just as the Wulfkorps members arrived.  Helga had a look of shock “We’re too late.”  Ulrich had a grim look on his face just as he was getting his weapon unloaded.  It was a heavy looking weapon the was somewhat based off Hiram Maxim’s machine gun, except this particular weapon could be carried by a very strong individual, a different firing mechanism and a different kind of everything.

Helga regained her senses “Alright new orders, Sheila head to the base with Harbin and Kruger and make sure the Knights don’t come and take what they are here to steal, Ulrich you’re still with me, let’s head to the town square.  Blood Knights are more than likely going to attack whatever troops are there, let’s move!!!!”  She hefted up her special weapon that was a sort of gas-powered crossbow that could switch between single shot and rapid fire.  She still carried the standard issue Wulfkorp pistol.  It was the first ever gun made that carried a magazine, which was quite helpful for quick reloading, but also could be switched between single shot and triple shot.  It had short snot for a barrel and long handle that was made from pine tree. “Let’s go Ulrich” with that Ulrich gave a nod and followed her to where the chaos was devastating.

*************************************************************************

“Put the fire out immediately, the fire brigades need all the help they can get” Bruckner barked “Let’s go ladies, this fire isn’t going put itself out” he then said as he removed his shirt.  Once he, Captain Schroeder and the men from the tavern came out it was a nightmare.  Fires were everywhere and some buildings looked pummeled.  Schroeder, who was the only ranking officer available,  gave orders to the men were to grab their standard issue Mauser rifles and secure the area in case it was an attack, then he ordered a squad of men to assemble the local fire brigade and the rest to grab what they could used to put out the fires.

“Come on men, lives need to be saved” Schroeder shouted to some of the men.  He had taken off his officer’s uniform and was wearing only his standard issue pants and boots.  “Hey Captain” he heard someone shouting and it was Wolfgang.  “There’s a family trapped in that building and the fires spreading, if we don’t get in there soon, the burn to death.”  With that Schroeder approached Wolfgang.

“Alright Wolfgang, dump some water on me and give me an axe, I’ll go in and get the family before the fire approaches, understood?”  Wolfgang nodded.  A soldier came up to the captain with a pair of buckets, the soldier then proceeded to soak him with the water from the buckets, afterwards the valiant Captain Schroeder charge right in the burning house.

The house was a blazing inferno, but Heinrich had no time to delay.  “If you can hear me make some kind of sound” he shouted over the sounds.  He heard some coughing from upstairs and a loud “Up here.”  Heinrich then raced upstairs through the fires, narrowly escaping the fall from the collapsing staircase.  ‘Where are you? He shouted.  He heard coughing from a door on his right, with one good shoulder ram he broke down the door.

In there was an old man, a young women and a little boy, they were trying to do there best not suffocate.  “I am a here to save you, do you have a window we can climb out of?” he asked.  “There’s one outside in the hallway, if you can help them out, I can’t move, your going to have to leave me” the old man said between coughs.  “Like hell I am” Heinrich spat he picked up the old man, holding on to his legs and the old man’s arms over shoulders.

“Let’s go” he shouted to the women and child.  They headed down the hallway and saw how far down it was, it wasn’t a long ways down, but it still could kill a man if they fell the wrong way.  Heinrich saw soldiers with the fire brigade.  “Hey down there” he shouted over the roar which grabbed their attention.  “Get me a ladder or rope or anything to get down from here.”  The soldier started giving orders to the fire brigade to bring forth the ladders; they were able to reach the designated height.

“You and the boy go first” he said to the women “I’ll follow.”  The women nodded quickly as she picked up the boy and carried him on her back as they went down the ladder.  As Heinrich began to climb down the ladder, the house began falling apart behind him; he climbed down the ladder as fast as he could without dropping the old man.  As he was climbing down, he thought he heard laughter.

As Heinrich came down the ladder some soldiers helped take the old man off his back and put him on a stretcher, a nearby doctor was looking after the women and boy.  “Thank you” said the mother, while the boy was waving a thank you to him.  Heinrich smiled back. Bruckner was waiting for him at the end of the alley with his officer’s coat and sword.  “Well I hope you had an exciting time playing the dashing hero” he asked.  Schroeder chuckled as he was putting on his uniform, he took his sword and they began walking to the main square “Not every hero is born on the battlefield.  Sometimes it’s the little things that make men important.” Bruckner grinned “The immortal words of your father.  Did I ever tell you the time when…..” he was cut off by the sound of sporadic gunfire coming from the block, which leads to the dockyards.

He saw men running away with looks of terror on their faces.  Some were bleeding while others were bring carried by fellow soldiers.  Bruckner jogged towards the nearest soldier who had been carrying a fellow soldier.  “Soldier, what’s going on?”  The soldier he spoke to had a look of desperation on his face “It’s the Blood Knights, they’re attacking, they’re attacking Greydorf” the soldier walked off with the guy he was carrying to find the nearest physician.  The Blood Knights are here Greydorf?  What do they what here, other then senseless butchery.  Theses things were going through Bruckner’s mind when suddenly the captain touched him and snapped him out of his thoughts.

“We may not know what the Blood Knights have in mind for Greydorf, but right now we need to rally the men.  Who knows when the other officers will arrive to care about the men, so let’s get to it”  Bruckner nodded, he looked to a nearby soldier that was helping another onto a stretcher “Soldier, hand me that man’s rifle and ammo, I’m going with the captain to rally the troops.”  The soldier hurriedly handed the sergeant his rifle and ammo “The captain can have this man’s rifle too; he needs a doctor more than a rifle.”  The soldier saluted Bruckner and the captain, they returned the salute.

Just as Schroeder and Bruckner were headed to where the gunfire was, there was a large howling that reverberated across the square.  Large footsteps came shortly after that.  From the direction that footsteps originated, troops began running towards them with panicked looks on their face.  “What’s the matter soldier?” Heinrich asked.  One of the shuddering soldiers stopped “I...I…I…It’s a monster” the solider said as he ran away.  Heinrich could see a dark stain on the back of the man’s pants.

“What the hell is talking about a monster?” Bruckner spat.  The howling came again and what the Captain, Bruckner and every person in the square, saw something that they thought only existed in their worst nightmares.