Thud. Thud. Thud.
Rain was pouring down while forming small puddles on the pavement. Small drops also landed on the meticulous uniforms of every Wehrmacht soldier and soaked the fabric bit by bit. Still, the sound of marching continued to echo through the dark streets of Berlin. A column of soldiers advanced steadily while residents watched carefully from behind their windows.
At the forefront, three figures were leading. On the left was General Werner von Fritsch with his hands behind his back and clad in his uniform. On the right was General von Blomberg. His gaze was stern and full of anger as he scanned the surroundings carefully.
In the middle walked a man who leaned onto his saber with every step. The soldiers and the two generals adapted to his pace. He was also clad in his old military uniform with his hat towering high.
It was Rundstedt. He was breathing heavily with each stride, but he took them all. Such a sacrifice made him one of the most respected figures of the Reich, honored by everyone including the soldiers marching behind the three men.
The truth was that these men had belonged to Rundstedt's former division and their loyalty still remained after all these years. Officers had sworn their allegiance once again and were now marching behind their former commander with a clear goal.
It was the large majestic building before them. The German flag was flying before it and a large gate shielded it from the outside.
On both sides of the road, the Berlin garrison had already taken over the streets. Guards were standing on high alert or running around wildly in the distance. Slowly but surely, the column reached the gate and the three Generals stepped forward. One after another, they lowered their hats to reveal their faces.
An older officer in charge of the gate widened his eyes while recognizing the former behemoths of Germany.
"Is this real? I heard you died in accidents," he stammered with a crackling voice.
"I am still alive and well," Blomberg said while stepping forward.
The row of guards raised their weapons almost as a reflex. Blomberg stopped and looked at the older officer sternly. The officer was shaking before he suddenly nodded and raised his hand slowly to turn around.
"Lower your weapons. These men are heroes of the Reich. We are to let them in," he said while giving Blomberg a nostalgic look.
"This is not right, Sir!" a younger soldier shouted while raising his weapon with anger.
A single gunshot fell.
Blomberg lowered his pistol while the barrel was still hot.
"There is no mercy for traitors. No mercy for the foot soldier, the General or..."
He paused.
"The Führer," he whispered before stepping past the older officer whose head was lowered in silence. Soldier after soldier passed the gate while stepping over the body of the young guard and walking past the remaining men.
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"What the hell is going on?!" General Keitel shouted while looking through the window on the third floor.
"We do not know, Sir," an officer said while looking through a gap in the door.
"Well then find out!" Keitel roared and turned around.
"Yes, Sir," the officer said hastily while pulling his pistol and leaving the room. Remaining inside were Keitel, Jodl, Halder, Reichenau, Bock, Brauchitsch, and other officers who had come together for a strategic meeting before they noticed the commotion outside.
"Still not working, Sir," another officer said while lowering the telephone. Keitel shook his head frantically.
"How can..." He stopped.
Distant and damp gunshots were now audible. The Generals exchanged panicked looks.
"Who would dare?" Jodl shouted while his eyes were wide with fear or perhaps anger.
"Close the door," Keitel murmured with a distant gaze.
When nobody moved, he raised his head suddenly. "CLOSE THE DOOR GODDAMN!" he shouted while his face grew increasingly red.
Two officers quickly ran toward the door and closed it while the gunshots grew louder.
"More!" Keitel shouted while gesturing toward the large table to barricade the entrance.
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Their steps echoed menacingly through the building while the marble under their feet reflected the silhouettes of what felt like thousands.
"Fischer!" a soldier read out loudly while splitting up from the column together with a group of others. Their submachine guns were raised. Then they kicked in the door.
The rest continued while gunshots and screams came from the room. With every new door, the soldiers rushed inside while working through a list.
That was how Rundstedt, Blomberg, and Fritsch made their way through the building while leaving blood and death behind. They suddenly stopped when a large staircase appeared before them, exchanging glances before standing aside.
"Major, open the way," Blomberg commanded the officer who nodded immediately. A large part of the soldiers rushed onto the staircase and ran to the top. While the Generals waited, a large exchange of gunfire happened above them and shouts reached their ears.
After a few moments, a silhouette appeared on the brink of the staircase and slowly walked down. It was the Major from before. His uniform was littered with blood.
"The way is free," he said emotionlessly while gesturing for the Generals to step forward.
Slowly, they climbed the stairs while Rundstedt's saber still struck the ground. It was a sound which somehow dominated the remaining gunfire coming from inside the building.
They reached the top floor which was now littered with bullet holes and corpses. The soldiers they had sent now stood aside while the rest followed behind them. The blood now covered parts of the mosaics. With each step they neared the large and menacing door at the end of the hallway.
Knock. Knock.
The sound echoed through the tall hallway with no answer coming from within. Rundstedt turned before tilting his head toward the door. It was a gesture the Major understood immediately.
The three Generals stepped back a few steps while the soldiers stepped forward to prepare themselves. One of them stepped toward the door while bearing a small packet. He glued it to the door carefully and then he also stepped away to await the command.
Rundstedt nodded decisively and the soldier pressed the device in his hand. A deafening explosion sounded while wood splintered everywhere and thick smoke covered the area. Immediately the soldiers rushed forward and shouted while entering the room through the now open door.
"Drop your weapons!"
"Hands in the air!"
Still, a single gunshot echoed while a small scream followed. Through the smoke, the three Generals stepped into the room until their silhouettes were finally revealed. Inside, the leading figures of the Wehrmacht were now kneeling while one of them was bleeding from a gaping hole in his hand.
"Keitel, what happened?" Rundstedt asked sarcastically while revealing himself from the smoke.
"You..." Keitel began while his face was completely red and his eyes were full of shock. But his shock and that of the others did not diminish once the other two figures became visible.
"What..." someone whispered.
"This is impossible," Jodl murmured while squinting his eyes.
Only one man had finally lost his mind. "Hah... hah... HAHAHA!" Keitel began laughing uncontrollably. "So you have fooled us all!" he shouted.
"Look at you. Look where your master has brought you. We have not fooled you but Hitler has. But you are still too blind to see," Blomberg said while walking toward Keitel and grabbing his chin. "Tell me Keitel. Tell me. Did you truly not know?" he asked with a murderous voice.
"What?" Keitel asked venomously.
"Huh," Blomberg sighed and stepped back. "Did you all not know or did you pretend not to know?"
"What are you talking about Blomberg? How did you manage to rise from the dead?" Jodl asked while his voice was almost desperate.
"I was saved. I was saved from being killed, not from dying in an accident. No, it was no accident at all. Fritsch was not saved from an accident either. We were saved from an assassination ordered by the Führer himself," Blomberg shouted while mustering the face of every General.
"That is a lie!" Keitel roared.
"It is not. But it is fitting for a dog like you to remain loyal to your master, Keitel," Fritsch suddenly said while stepping forward. "We were indeed saved by..." He stopped and looked at Blomberg who gave him an unidentified look.
"By whom? By whom?!" Jodl asked while looking at the soldier beside him with the submachine gun still raised.
"Heinrich Jaeger," Rundstedt suddenly said with a voice that was hoarse and deep.
The sound left the room completely while leaving the kneeling Generals and officers speechless. Then suddenly a clapping came from the far end of the room. One of the Generals stood up from his knees while giving the soldier beside him a serious look before walking toward the front of the room.
"Witzleben, what are you doing?" Keitel asked while his voice was full of distrust.
"The show has been so fun to watch," Witzleben began while walking past Keitel. "That I had to get a better view."
Witzleben took his place beside the three Generals and met Keitel's eyes.
"Of course you too, Witzleben. Of course. It was so obvious," Jodl shouted. The guard beside him gave him a head bump with his gun and received a death stare from Jodl whose head was now bleeding slightly.
"So you are telling me he planned all of this? And you believe he will be successful? You all are following him?" Keitel asked while being completely in disbelief.
Rundstedt only smiled before suddenly opening his mouth.
"We have wasted enough time. Tonight a new order will be established and Germany will be born anew. Will you be part of it or will you become the necessary sacrifice? Decide now. You have one minute."
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