Re: Blood and Iron

The Rothschilds had lost two branches of their family in as many months. The attack on their Austrian Branch was a reprehensible crime, but after extensive investigation they were led to believe it was instead an act of random violence as the perpetrator had not left anything behind that could tie him to a greater conspiracy.

In fact, Erich had concealed his involvement in the murder spree so well, that he had even managed to frame someone to take the fall for him. But after the massacre of the Rothschild Branch in Naples things became clear that the Rothschilds were being targeted.

And there was no mercy being granted to them. Not only were the men being shot in the streets, having their throats slit in their sleep, and having the grand misfortune of being run over by trains. But the women and children were not spared the violence either.

By now, the Rothschilds had estimated there was a grand conspiracy looming in the shadows, men who had become aware of their plots to destabilize the world and establish hegemony over it in the aftermath.

And these conspirators were targeting those in charge. But it wasn't just the Rothschilds who were dropping like flies. Other prominent bankers, businessmen, industrialists, et cetera were having mysterious deaths which were no doubt being caused by this shadowy cabal.

At first the Rothschilds and their conspirators thought that perhaps the men involved in trying to get Britain out of the war were involved with whoever was hunting them down like strays, but with their assassin being killed in the middle of his attempt to eliminate these prominent British officials it became clear that whoever was targeting them was operating at a level of clandestine warfare well above their own.

Had the family known for financing the rise of the Habsburgs come to realize that it was a single man killing them in the dozens, if not hundreds they might genuinely die of an aneurysm from the sheer overwhelming shock and rage of such a fact.

It was perhaps because Erich was operating as a lone wolf that it had become damn near impossible to find out just who was behind these attacks. The man, after all, had extensive military, law enforcement, and espionage training.

An expert marksman to boot, and having a wide experience working with demolitions, Erich's skills were almost tailor suited to the task he had been given by Bruno. He never even asked why he was being sent to kill so many people, many of which were women and children, nor was he actually being paid under the table to do so.

No, Erich was a chained hound, and where his master pointed, he attacked. That was all their to it… Loyalty? Fortune? No such things motivated his swift hand as it stabbed the enemies of the Reich within the back from behind.

His sole reason was the violence he was being permitted to conduct. And because of this, the man was perfect for the task. The kind of man who would rather die in a firefight with those pursuing him than surrender and potentially be forced to yield critical information.

This was the whole reason Bruno had kept Erich alive, despite his rebellious tendencies. After all, a mad dog was prone to trying to break free from his bindings should a stray rabbit cross his path at any given moment.

Because since the moment he gained the nickname the "Terror of Belgorod" Erich had proven to Bruno that he was a valuable tool, one that could be honed to kill his enemies from the shadows when the time came to do so.

And that time was now. Especially as Erich stood in front of a burning automobile one which he had caused to be lit aflame. Evidently the wreckage had been lit for some time, as the corpses within had long since turned to bone, their flesh and organs burned away by the supreme temperatures which had claimed their life.

What exactly had killed the passengers inside the car? That was a very good question, one which Erich seemed to be the only person aware of the answer. Either way, it was evidently safe for consumption, as the man pulled out a cigar and lit it with the burning wreckage. One that no doubt by now had triggered a response from the local fire department.

After taking a smoke from his cigar and gazing upon his handiwork with a sadistically satisfied smirk, Erich turned away, and adorned his cap, using it to conceal his presence as he walked into the darkness, fleeing the scene of his most recent crime in a string of murders that spanned across Europe.

Though it would be extremely difficult to identify the corpses, eventually the answer would reveal that Karl Artelt, and Lothar Popp, the infamous leaders of the Kiel Mutiny which had aided in the Kaiser's abdication and the collapse of the German Navy during the end of the Great War of Bruno's past life were among the deceased within the flaming automobile. Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

Few would think anything of their deaths. But when Bruno read the names in the paper, he would happily cross a few names off of his list, and would nod his head in satisfaction, knowing that his mad dog was completing his job quite efficiently if he had already gotten to this point of the list of targets he had been given.

Frankly speaking, the death of these two men was inconsequential to the timeline, as the conditions required for the Kiel Mutiny to begin had already been prevented.

Even so, Bruno would not rest until all of those from his past life, who were responsible for the defeat of the German Reich during the Great War and all that followed with it were held responsible for the crimes they had committed in that timeline, here in this new life.

After all, one should never suffer a traitor to live. Should they have the chance to get rid of them permanently? To do so would be to invite another betrayal later on, one which Bruno was wise enough to prevent before such a thing could ever manifest itself.