Red Moon: Revolution Chapter 11
Story by LiquidHunter on SoFurry
A little bit about Rommel.
Red Moon: Revolution Chapter 11
A warm embrace. All those television commercials about those tight shirts for dogs to make them feel as if they were getting a tight hug to make them feel safe. It made sense now to Trevor as he woke up in a similar embrace, but not wrapped in the embrace of some cheap material, but a warm, living body.
The night had been long, but fruitful as Rommel came back from the restroom. He took note of Dmitri and Trevor who were talking, not avidly, but holding a steady conversation. He put his travel bag away and laid down on his bed in a comfortable pair of shorts and a shirt. He pulled out a book, a mystery novel that he had seen a few days earlier and began reading. He wasn't about to get between the two.
"Yeah." Trevor nodded. "I had gone to Russia originally just to visit all of the historical locations that I had grown up reading about."
Dmitri rested his arm on the small table that was between them. "Many Americans, or really westerners tend to avoid Russia."
"The Cold War was a long time ago." Trevor dismissively waved his hand. "The stuff on the news, it doesn't stop tourism and I'm sure that the government was more than happy to take my money, just as I was perfectly fine with giving them my money to get there."
"Not enough people hold your point of view." Dmitri said. He was enjoying himself even though he was getting a sense of deja vu because he had this conversation before two years ago. It was difficult to digest that this Trevor was different than the one he knew, but he could also tell that there was hope. While a lot had happened during that short stay in Russia, most of whom Trevor was back then still existed now and Dmitri was finding it easier than expected to connect with him. All they needed was some time to themselves like now.
"It's really the news." Trevor leaned back into his chair, slumping a bit. He felt relaxed, as relaxed as he could be under his situation. "The whole deal in Ukraine hasn't helped much with the views towards Russia, though views have never been the highest. I just wish sometimes that people would just stop looking at ways to insult each other and..." He looked over at Dmitri, who seemed interested, but by the way he held himself told him that he was ranting a bit. "This isn't really the place." He chuckled.
"It's fine." Dmitri replied. "Though, I'm sure Rommel would be more interested in hearing about politics."
Rommel licked his finger and turned a page in his book. "I got enough politics over sixty years ago."
"If you don't mind me asking." Trevor spoke up. "How was it during the war, being a werewolf and all."
"My dear boy." He chuckled. "What makes you think I was always a werewolf. You've only been one for two years."
"Well." Trevor said and then looked over to Dmitri to see if he had anything to say.
"This is news to me." Dmitri hadn't really had any interest in Rommel's history. He only knew what was in the history books which he had heard Rommel say was not too inaccurate.
"Well, then." He cleared his throat and put the book down on the pillow that he wasn't currently resting on. "I guess I can divulge a little bit of information."
The jeep hummed happily as it moved swiftly down the packed dirt road, the occasional bump shaking the passengers inside. They all sat silently. One was in a gray uniform, his chest decorated with medals, all earned from great and harrowing acts and commands over the years and many decades of loyal service. The other three were in black uniforms, their medals were not as impressive or numerous, but the small twin thunderbolts on their collars made that irrelevant.
The man in the gray, Grand Marshal Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox and commander of the widely renowned and respected Afrika Corp, stared out from his seat into the woods. He watched as the trees went by. He didn't make eye contact with those around him, there was nothing to say to them. Enough had been said already.
In turn, the SS soldiers, did not say anything to him. While Rommel, a hero to many, was a traitor to the Reich the Fuhrer for his involvement in an attempted assassination attempt, they knew the man for his many great deeds. They kept silent in both respect and to prevent him from saying anything either for he was still a traitor.
Rommel twisted his hands around his baton, the same one that he had carried across North Africa in his campaigns against Montgomery. They had allowed him to bring it since they all knew that to try and escape would not only be a death sentence for him, but for his entire staff and family. He was at least gracious that they had given him this option when Wilhelm Burgdorf and Ernst Maisel, both generals, had come to him at his home and given him the option to come with them instead of being dragged in front of a court. This was the best way, for everyone else.
He remembered pulling his son less than an hour ago, less than ten minutes ago. It felt like an eternity ago.
"I have just had to tell your mother." He began slowly. "That I shall be dead in a quarter of an hour.He was calm as he continued. "To die by the hand of one's own people is hard. But the house is surrounded and Hitler is charging me with high treason. 'In view of my services in Africa.'" He quoted sarcastically. "I am to have the chance of dying by poison. The two generals have brought it with them. It's fatal in three seconds. If I accept, none of the usual steps will be taken against my family, that is against you. They will also leave my staff alone."
He had also told them not to try anything, to not and try to stop what was inevitable.
The car stopped, coming to a slow halt. The crunch of the gravel seemed unusually loud to Rommel as the car rolled off the side of the road and onto the side.
He could still hear some of the activities in the town going on as the driver and Maisel got out of the car silently, leaving him with Burgdorf who was next to him.
The two men went off in the woods a bit which Rommel was sure was filled with SS who were ordered to kill him if he resisted. He wasn't afraid to die, if he was afraid, he wouldn't have joined the military and served for so long. He was afraid for his family and they would die if he didn't go through with this because the soldiers would kill them after they killed him.
"Field Marshal." Burgdorf turned in his seat, the leather squeaking as he did so. "It's time." He held out a clenched fist to Rommel who held out his own opened hand. The man's hand opened up and Rommel felt something small. "The faster you get this over with, the sooner this whole mess will be forgotten and lives moved on."
The hand pulled away from Rommel's. There was a small pill. It looked so innocent, but it contained enough cyanide to cause death in three seconds. It would be uncomfortable at first, but three seconds would not be long for it to really matter.
Rommel looked up at Burgdorf who patiently waited. He wasn't going to rush this, not for long anyhow. Things like this took time. A life was precious and to take it from another person, like this required time and contemplation. He could stand to wait a little.
"My family." Rommel said as he rolled the pill between his fingers.
"They will be watched." Burgdorf said in a calm voice. Rommel could only see him from the lights of the car that managed to seep in from the headlights. "But not harmed so long as they keep quiet."
"How do I know that is the truth." Rommel questioned and looked out into the woods. How was he supposed to know that everyone wasn't already dead or dying. The other conspirators whom he had dealings with were surely dead, the SS would make sure of that, but those who weren't involved. His staff that had served him and Germany loyally like and good soldier should, what assurances did he have that they would be left alone? He had none.
"You will have to trust the word of a fellow German." Burgdorf replied.
It was the best that Rommel was going to get. He looked back, away from the two people, the driver and Maisel who stood with their backs to him. Maisel was smoking a cigarette, most likely and import since the quality of tobacco products in the fatherland had dropped well below the standards of most years ago. The driver just stood with his back to him, his hands stuffed into his pocket. Neither of them spoke.
"Now is the time."
"I suppose it is." Rommel grimaced. Now that he was faced with death he had to take a moment longer. "Let my family know as soon as you can."
"I will."
There was no procrastinating anymore. With a single smooth motion, Rommel dropped the small pill into his mouth.
Burgdorf watched as the man that had inspired so many over the years jerked as the poison worked. It was quick and over just as soon as it began.
The man slumped forward, his hat falling off of his head and his Field Marshal Baton slipping from his hand. It was over, just like that.
Burgdorf waved over the other two who slowly walked back to the car and looked at the slumped form of Rommel.
The driver sniffed. "It's over."
"It is now." Maisel said and walked over to the other side of the car and opened the door. He didn't immediately get into the vehicle. He looked at the body, it didn't look quite right to him, but then again, he never would have imagined that he would ever see the Desert Fox commit suicide. It was surreal and he blinked several times, expecting to see Rommel lively and with a smile. "I never would have suspected the Field Marshal."
"No." Burgdorf shifted in his seat to get a bit more distance between himself and the body. "Let's go. I have a family to call."
The driver got into the car and started it up. Maisel looked away from the body and got in.
Burgdorf watched the woods as the car carried its passengers away.
In the woods, sets of eyes watched back and nodded.
"It's official now." A man in an SS uniform said to another person who was in a casual suit with a tie and a hat. "To the world, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel is dead." He pulled out a cigarette from his breast pocket and stuck it into his mouth, though he didn't light it. There were still dangers in the woods, both Nazi and not.
"Though, the Desert Fox will live on like never before." He patted the form next to him that sat slumped next to him, leaning up against a stump.
"Volkner... Your sacrifice will be remembered." The SS said and took off his hat and held it over his heart.
"He knew what he was doing when he volunteered for the reconstructive surgery." The other man sighed. "It was necessary and he understood that."
"They won't be able to tell the difference?"
"No." The man shook his head. "There's no reason and Burgdorf will make sure that they never know that we switched out the body with a doppelganger."
The SS chewed on the end of his cigarette. "Ok." He got up and went over to the unconscious form that was Rommel. Burgdorf had given him a capsule filled with a powerful drug that would render him unconscious. He would be awake by morning and when he woke up, he would be faced with another choice.
Trevor was nodding off by the time Rommel had finally decided to stop. He had moved from the uncomfortable seats to the bed.
"I'll tell you more at a later time." Rommel said as Trevor's eyes closed and he pulled the blankets up to cover himself. He then looked at the digital clock on the nightstand between the beds. It was past midnight. "He has the right idea." He said to Dmitri who was on the edge of the bed, looking passionately at Trevor. "We'll need to start the day early and we need to be well rested for what the day has for us."
Dmitri grunted and laid down. There was a space between himself and the smaller man. "It's..." He reached out and pulled the covers up a bit more to cover Trevor's exposed shoulder. "It's strange seeing him again. It's him, but it isn't. I want to just hold him."
"Then hold him." Rommel said with a yawn. "I doubt he will care much about that, but I do warn you." He laid his head on his pillow with his eyes closed. "Don't do anything before he is ready or you will lose him." Rommel rolled onto his side and fell asleep.
Dmitri reached over and turned off the lamp with a twist of the knob. He was engulfed in darkness and he laid down. He could hear Trevor's breathing, he could smell him, that same smell that he had smelled so long ago. He reached out tentatively and pulled Trevor close to him. He quickly fell asleep.