Broken Armageddon

8.Memories of a Distant Past

The sound of a gunshot rang from a ridge overlooking the mansion and a bullet screams through the foggy morning air ripping through flesh and bone in its path.

"Runner down. Status on target ? " whispered Hadric loading another round of high velocity munition.

"Cut in half. Two more. East. Tiger statue." reported Johann looking through his visor's infrared feature.

Inside the building, those three operators  cleared each room with near perfect accuracy.

Then, they reached the quarter where his workers — the butlers and maids stayed.

"Colonel, we don't have to do this. " whispered Karl attempting to convince Klaus to lead them past away from the Workers Quarter, " They don't have anything to do with Wolfgang."

Sobs and sniffles reach through the thin elaborately decorated sandalwood door on which Klaus had already placed his hand on the cold steel handle ; rifle leveled in his free hand.

With a sudden push surprising and terrifying those inside, the door poor is pushed part way open by Klaus then lobbing a flash and smoke grenade among the panicking group of workers in their casual clothing having been alerted by the sound of gunshots emanating from adjacent quarters and rooms.

That cylindrical grenade popped and hissed filling the space inside with grey acrid smoke, lowering his face shield and activating the visor's goggles that shone like a pair of red demonic eyes, the Colonel ignoring Karl's plea stormed inside.

Terrified screams resounded within and anyone that saw deaths red glaring eyes would feel paralyzed when a gun's cold steel muzzle would emerge from the smoke enveloping them.

Karl watched keeping guard over the entrance as this Colonel and fellow grunt, Ekhart with cold calculated actions began removing credible witnesses.

"Never should've joined." thinking he began doubting his decision to join this elite group of operatives.

The pristine marble walls and carpet floor stained with blood, bullet-holes and shell casings where Klaus and Ekhart surrounded by cold lifeless bodies with expression terrified faces in their final moments began double checking ; stabbing and shots fired at the head.

As Karl kept guard outside, he would feel a hand grab his leg. Upon looking down there lay a man more dead than alive, surmising that he must be a butler from his bloodstained tuxedo.

"W...what di...d we do to des...r...ve this?" asked the dying man clueless as to why death had come knocking at their door.

The young lancesoldat though appearing stoic, his face shield hid behind it a pained individual who was only following orders.

Klaus with pistol in hand and rifle in the other stopped beside him. Using his sidearm would fire a round into the dying butler's cranium ending him.

"These people are equally guilty of collaboration. Do you understand, Yudeinsig ? " coldly stated Klaus exiting the room with Ekhart behind still checking and ending survivors.

Karl looking straight into his Colonels eyes responded with an empty, "Yes sir." which slipped past the commanding officer's ears.

"Good. Now, do as your told from here on out. "

The morning fog had begun to lift and sunrays streamed through the windows revealing a scene of chaos, the aftermath of Unit 235's handy work — bodies of Wolfgang's hired guns, pieces of broken glass, fragments of concrete and shell casings littered the floor and the walls of this mansion were disfigured and decorated by weapon fire with holes and craters.

Taking point, Karl led the other two onwards gunning down any remaining resistance on their way towards the Wolfgang Mansion's centre where upon reaching would be a elevator leader down into the basement.

With a ding the elevator door opens leading into a passage where at the end was a metal vault door.

"Planting thermite." said Eckhart taking a short tube like object from his equipment pack and placing it top of the doors locks, he then cautions "Stand back. Cover your eyes."

With a noisy sizzle and blinding sparks of hot blue light, the thermite eats through metal breaking the door open.

Klaus stormed inside followed by Karl and Eckhart both screaming "On the floor! Now! "

Here was their wanted man, Doctor Sthal Wolfgang von Seiberengofung, indeed a family as beside were two other individuals — his son and wife.

"You know why we're here." declared Colonel Klaus kneeling on one leg looking at Sthal who stared back.

With no hesitation Klaus let loose his pistol on Sthal ; one shot to the head. The wife still clutching their son cried and cursed at the uniformed men looming over them like shadows.

Covering his nose with a handkerchief, he then shot the wife before bringing down the muzzle on the boy.

"To hell with this! " cried Karl getting between the Colonels gun and this boy who looked on in surprise.

"Lancesoldat, move aside or you will be charged with treason." Klaus then sighed upon seeing the grunt's adamance " You really are that naive."

Then a standoff ensues between Karl and Klaus with Eckhart siding with the later when the former raised his rifle in stubborn defiance.

Silent they each looked down their gun sight at the other.
Then, shots rang accompanied by the sound of falling bodies.

Karl had shot both Eckhart and Klaus. Now, he was a traitor and would find himself put on death row.

Just when his fate would be sealed, fate would play its hand by having an unexpected figure drag him out of this predicament.

Walking into the court room was none other than her majesty Queen Brunhilde who had come to see this stubborn and disobedient soldier she had heard of.

"Bring him over to me." the blonde firm bodied and rather statuesque queen asked for Karl.

Dressed in a blue jumpsuit cuffed up at the wrists, he was dragged and rebuked by the guards.

"Mr. Karl Yudeinsig, you have courage that none in my country possess." she commended, " Going against orders for what you believe is right was a brave action. Come with me."

Motioning for her body guards to halt their duties, she led him out of the and into her car.

"Look, Karl. I admire the fact that you stood for what was right. Really." she commented when both of them had sat down in her limousine, their compartment separated from the driver's by a soundproof wall.

She then continued after taking sip of apple juice, "Don't worry about that child, he'll be in foster care and a pardon for you."

Unable to keep a straight face, Karl lit up and asked, " But why ? Is it just because of my defiance ?"

"More than that. You didn't destroy your ideals and most importantly your humanity."

"So, what now ?"

"I have no choice but to exile you. Your line of work has too many ill wishers that want an ex-operator dead. I hope you'll understand."

"I do."

"You'll have a few options on where to be dropped. It's the least I can do."

"I am forever in your debt, my Queen."

"Take care, Mr. Karl"