Chereads / The BloodHound: Von's Shades / Chapter 40 - War Clock

Chapter 40 - War Clock

Four assassins were standing in front of a small wooden warehouse. Curiosity and impatience was on the faces of these four agents.

All four Cerminian assassins had participated in all the events of the mission. The classified information was no longer so classified. Despite this, Sophie, Tilian and Gior stayed out of the High Command meeting.

-I know he is the leader, but it's very unfair that we are not present for the report.- Tilian grumbled as he looked at her three mission companions.

-Don't be grumpy, Tilian. Orders are orders and we have to respect them. - Gior scolded Tilian who kept moving.

-I have to agree with Tilian, we have done more for this mission than he has.- Sophie's frown showed her stress about everything. She felt unappreciated, because she had done so much for the mission, while apparently Von had just watched things happen, and even killed Niero.

-This is just bureaucracy. Lizandra is at Deep Spear showing the cargo to Tyr and Fenrir and she has no leadership position. Stop wanting to feel special. We are agents, not Kings.- Gior finished the conversation.

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The musty smell of the warehouse was evidence of its abandonment. Hardware and the remains of boats were scattered all over the room. Ashtrays and broken swords lying on old wooden barrels.

A single, solitary light bulb suspended by its own wiring, threatening to break, and a light, icy wind swaying the same bulb sideways.

Standing in this miserable place, two Cerminian generals and the BloodHound of the Chasseur family stood face to face.

Von was sitting in a wooden chair positioned in front of a black table. Fenrir Krauser and Norgard were standing in front of Von waiting for the mission to be reported.

What would have been just a bureaucratic verbal report, became an interrogation.

-Now that it is just the three of us, I would like you to tell me the reasons why Niero, Marlena, Klen and Magnun are dead. - Krauser stood impassively before Von. His crossed arms and his grave tone of voice clearly showed the stress of that general.

-Marlena killed Magnun for personal reasons and also because of Niero's influence. So, after a brief investigation on the second day of the mission, Sophie exposed Marlena and killed her. - Von took a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth, unlit. - Klen had discovered part of Marlena and Niero's plan, but had not yet identified the Dendalian as an accomplice in the mission. That same night Klen was killed by Niero. - The next morning, Lizandra told us about the incident with Klen, and I went to investigate. It didn't take long for all the clues to lead me to Niero, but the Dendalian saved my time and came to me. He revealed that he had conspired with Marlena to create an atmosphere of distrust in the team, so that we would all kill each other, and he would be able to take the cargo to Dendalion alone. It would be an attempt not agreed with Dendalion so that he would redeem himself and be accepted by his nation again, and with that, he could take the side of his beloved.- BloodHound was lighting his cigarette and pulling some smoke into his throat.- So we battled, and I killed him.- Von was slowly blowing the smoke upwards. - The end. -

Von brought the hand holding the cigarette up to his mouth, but was stopped by Krauser who took the cigarette from his hand and threw it on the ground.

-Insolent boy! I'm not surprised that an underworld trash can't follow orders.- Krauser punched Von in the face, making him fall off the chair. -The orders were clear: NO HURT IN NIERO, And you killed him? Incompetent. -

Norgard Chasseur was silent as he watched Von get up from the floor. The Bloodhound's gaze burned with rage. He would never allow anyone to hurt him without consequences, and Norgard knew it.

-He was a traitor. It was my life or his.- Von ran his finger over his lips, realizing that some blood had dripped from the punch he had just taken. His body was burning with rage. But before he could make any movement, he heard General Norgard say a few words.

-Despite everything,- Norgard looked at Krauser and then at Von. -the cargo was safely escorted. So we can say that the mission was not a total failure. - General Chasseur laughed as he finished his sentence.

Unlike Norgard, Krauser and Von remained serious as they looked at each other. A conflict had arisen there, and like all good Cerminians, sooner or later that disagreement would be settled in blood.

-I understand that all of us here have personal issues that make us lose our patience. - Norgard was saying to Krauser, who was frowning, trying to understand the hint that General Chasseur had made.- But let's not throw it all away. We're almost there. - Norgard's sarcastic laughter strangely calmed Von's spirits, and, conversely, angered Krauser more and more.

-You're right, Norgard.- Krauser's expression changed from water to wine, as if the stress had evaporated. -I'm sorry Von. I have to admit I got a little out of hand unnecessarily.-Krauser extended his hand to Von, expecting a handshake.

Von responded to the handshake, without looking away from Krauser's eyes, which were also still staring at him.

This was extremely suspicious. There were only three people in the room, each of whom had extremely dark secrets about their lives. Secrets that were never told, and apparently Norgard knew some of Krauser's secrets.

-We are finished here. Let's see the cargo. - In an authoritative tone that was totally different from how it had been in the last few seconds, Krauser signaled for Norgard to leave the place.

Von continued to stare at Krauser, who walked to the warehouse door and opened it. As he looked, he realized that Norgard had something to say. Before walking out the door, General Chasseur turned to Von and with a smile on his face, said:

" When the blood stops flowing, and the smell of gunpowder is gone, count to 30 and be guided by the map of uncertainty."

The door closed.

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-Apparently Dendalion has lost all humanity, hasn't it? -Fenrir watched as some of Cermina's soldiers and scientists removed the biological weapons tanks from the cargo room.

-Their hypocrisy regarding ethical values has always been evident. However, offering Gran Tlaboc their own soldiers as guinea pigs is a bit beyond my expectations. - Tyr was answering his brother standing beside him.

-Dendalion arose out of a breakdown of Cermina's political and military ideologies, no matter how hard they try to hide their true nature, they will never succeed when faced with imminent danger. - Krauser Vautour entered the cargo room in slow steps. The presence of the Great General Cermina made everyone present, including Tyr,Fenrir and Lizandra, who was keeping silent, revere the blond man.

-General Krauser, the orders for the relocation of the tanks to the Cermina ships have already been issued, what do we do with this ship? - Tyr Kirve's tone of voice revealed a certain degree of respect for the blond man in front of him, an unusual attitude coming from one of the Kirve brothers, and Lizandra did not fail to notice.

Krauser watched the last tank being removed from the ship and then turned to the Kirve brothers.

-We will make our soldiers the new crew of the Deep Spear.-

Krauser left the room the same way he came in, with slow, unassuming steps. Minutes later, it was Fenrir's turn to leave the room, leaving only Tyr and Liz.

-Did you do what I asked you to do, Liz?-Tyr's tone of voice was again overbearing and authoritarian.

-It's funny how his tone changes when General Krauser isn't around. - With a big, debauched smile on her face, Lizandra teased Tyr, who did not change his expression.

-Answer my question, soldier. - With a few words, Tyr managed to reprimand Lizandra efficiently, making the brown-haired girl smile less.

-I don't understand why you need to know so much about the Chasseur duo.- Lizandra ran her right hand unassumingly through her brown hair, combing it with her fingers. - But yes, I did manage to find out a few things. -

-I already said they are orders from General Krauser. Now tell me what kind of things you found out?- It was clear that Tyr's patience for Liz's antics was wearing thin.

-That's all right...All right, "Mr. Stressed Out", no need to lose your temper. Apparently Von and Sophie have a relationship, I don't know whether hidden from General Norgard or not. - Lizandra took a deep breath and continued. - Look, I don't know the real relevance of this information, but if it really interests you, it would be important for you to know that Sophie is the person most involved in this love affair with Von. -

-That's enough, soldier. Good work.- As if communicating with a simple Cermina soldier, Tyr left the cargo room leaving a nonconformist Lizandra alone.

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Hundreds of men and women dressed in red and gray circulated around the port of Innsmouth. Most of them were sharing the biological tanks for some of Cermina's ships, while the rest of the soldiers were supplying the Deep Spear ship with food and armaments.

In the midst of all the movement, a lone figure was looking out over the green sea of Innsmouth. Norgard Chasseur was motionless, as if he were appreciating a work of art, or waiting for fate to give him clues about his next episodes. And he clearly knew what was coming.

Sophie Chasseur did not disguise her interest in her father's behavior. Looking at him from afar, the redhead wondered what was going through General Norgard's thoughts. Although it was a vain attitude, Sophie would never stop trying to decipher her father's behaviors.

-Thinking of me, Miss Chasseur?- Von stood next to Sophie, who turned her face to look at him.

-Now you want to talk to me, dog?- Sophie turned her attention to General Norgard, disdaining Von's presence. She had become insecure again in Von's presence. Not out of shame, but out of fear that she didn't understand Von's real intentions towards her.

-You know, I've only been here a short time and I already understand that it's a waste of time trying to understand what goes on in the mind of General Norgard, maybe you should give up too. - In some inexplicable way for Sophie, Von always knew what was bothering her.

-And who told you that I want to understand anything? -Sophie looked back at Von. His gaze was totally defiant.

-You always want to delve into everything and everyone, Sophie. -The strong wind shook the strands of hair of the two killers, who looked at each other like two wild animals battling for territory.

-You must have hate this... - The redhead looked forward and then down, covering her face with the red hair that swayed in the wind.

-Actually, that's one of the things I admire most about you. -

Hearing Von's words, Sophie threatened to look at him again, but gave up when she saw General Norgard and General Krauser approaching the two assassins.

-Sophie...Von... The mission of you two will be different from the rest of the agents.-Norgard's words were precise and objective.

In silence, the two assassins just waited for more information about their missions.

-The war plan will be passed on only once, so pay attention to the information.- General Krauser caught Von and Sophie's eyes. - The ship Deep Spear will dock in the port of Dendalion. The ship will be commanded by Gior and Tilian, and there will be most of the Cermina soldiers on board, and with that they will start the attack on Dendalion. Parallel to the invasion of the port, the Cermina ships will invade from other shores, drawing most of the defenses towards them.

Krauser finished his speech and then Norgard began.

-The ships will disembark from Innsmouth in two days. With the travel time, I'm guessing that in four days the war will start, so we need you two to leave on a road trip to Dendalion today. -

-And for what reason do we have to go before everyone else? - As usual, Sophie was impatient with the information given to them.

-You and Von will infiltrate overland. You will hide in the small villages around the capital of Dendalion until the attack on the port is initiated.Having this information, you will invade the core of the citadel, which will be weakened in its defenses. -

-And what do we do once we are inside the core? -Von began to speak.

-You will hunt down and kill Bion and Freya Asten... the royalty of Dendalion. -

Before the information could be assimilated by Von and Sophie, Norgard handed BloodHound the key to a motorcycle.

-You may go now.-

The two assassins nodded their heads in agreement and turned their backs to the two Generals.

And finally the war clock started ticking.