Defying the bullets storm, Floriana crawled to Declan; his legs could not hold his injured body up anymore and slipped to the ground. Floriana took him onto her lap.
“I am sorry,” Declan whispered in pain. “I am sorry I shot your mother. She was crazy. She was ready to kill you. I am sure she would have. However, she was your mother. I hope someday you find the strength to forgive me,” he said with difficulty.
Floriana tried to suppress a sob as she pressed his wound with her palms, trying to stop the bleeding. “Why did you bring me here if you knew she was dangerous? You should have helped my brother escape instead of putting us both at risk,” she panted.
Declan moaned with pain as he placed his weak hand over his bleeding wound. “They threatened to kill my mentor if I didn’t. I had just arrived in Weengarts when they called me and demanded that I hand you over to them, or else they would kill Akio Sato. They gave me no choice. I had to bring you here. However, they never proved that my mentor is even alive.” He breathed with difficulty.
“What’s done is done.” Floriana tried to stay calm while the man’s blood streamed through her fingers. “We do not need to talk about it right now. Help is coming, and we will have plenty of time to talk afterward,” she lied.
“There is one more thing I need you to tell the Grand Master,” he answered, coughing.
“You will tell him yourself.” She could not hide the shakiness in her voice.
“My time is up, Floriana. Tell the Grand Master that they threatened to kill Akio Sato only because they knew he is my mentor. Tell him that I went undercover because we had received information about a Withered Rose within the ranks of the Imperium. A withered rose. He will understand.” Noticing the puzzled look on her face, Declan motioned not to interrupt him. “Also tell him that ... I am responsible for the death of a Romanian detective called Dumitrescu. He pretended to be a member of the Order while really working for the Imperium.” He spoke slowly and with great difficulty. Declan’s body spasmed as he coughed up blood. “Let him know that I tried to stop the attack in Uzbekistan by dropping an antidote I created in water tanks but did not have time to thoroughly test its effectiveness.”
“You will tell him yourself,” Floriana whimpered.
Convulsions racked Declan’s body, and a stream of blood poured from his mouth as he tried to assign Floriana one more task. “Please, if you ever meet Helga, please tell her to take care of Ruth, the little girl I saved at Birkenau. And also... please tell Helga... that I loved her madly. She has always been my heart and soul,” he whispered before collapsing.
Floriana let out a soft wail as Declan’s soul left his body. Still holding him firmly in her arms, she wept for his early death, and for his love for Helga and Ruth. She cried for the loss of her mom, a loss she had to suffer twice. She cried for all the unfortunate souls the Imperium and the Nazi regime had killed. She felt Vittor putting his arms around her and heard his weep for the mother he too had just met and lost. Their grief was so deep that they did not realize that they were no longer in the middle of a fight. It was a familiar voice that brought them back to reality.
“Floriana!”
Red-eyed, she looked back and saw Eric emerging from the forest and running towards them. A woman with a strikingly beautiful face followed him. They were both wearing Denison Smock jackets, the coverall jacket the British Special Operations Executive agents used to wear and had their guns in their hands.
“Declan!” the woman cried out before she ran frantically to them, kneeled, and put her arms around Declan’s body. “Oh my God, no!” she moaned as she put her palm on his lifeless cheek.
Floriana let Declan’s body slip into the woman’s arms and caressed her hair softly.
“Are you Helga?” she asked calmly.
The sobbing woman nodded before she tenderly kissed Declan’s bloodied face.
“Declan wanted you to know how much he loved you. You were his heart and soul, that is what he said. His last words were about you,” Floriana told her with tears in her eyes.
Helga clasped Declan’s dead body tightly in her arms and let out a loud cry.
“Floriana.” Eric drew her close to him and cupped her face in his palms. “I thought I would never see you again.” His voice trembled with emotion and he gazed affectionately into her green eyes. Floriana buried her head into his chest as she put her arms around his waist and cried so hard that she felt her heart would break. Under the shadow of tall oaks of Kaiserreich, she mourned for the illusion she had lived in for most of her life, for the mother she had found and lost again, for the dreadful challenge she’d gone through with her brother. She cried for the loss she suffered, the pain the Imperium had brought to the lives of hundreds of people, and the heavy burden of personal sacrifice she had to bear as a member of the Order of the Black Rose. In the warmth of Eric’s hug, Floriana cried until she had no tears left to shed.
CHAPTER 20
*
Heavy gunfire sounded from the town as the feds raided the houses, the offices, and the headquarters of the Imperium, putting an end to their insane plan to control the world.
It couldn’t have been done without the Special Operations Executive interference. SOE, also known as Churchill's Secret Army, was a secret British organization that conducted espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe against the Axis powers, and to aid local resistance movements.
Few people were aware of the existence of SOE. One of them was Ganni Rose. He had joined in several missions of the Baker Street Irregulars, as they were also known after the location of the SOE London headquarters. That was how he gained Winston Churchill's trust, with whom he cooperated several times after the end of World War II. Together, they reinstated the correct course of history several times.
Winston Churchill wasn’t surprised when he saw his ‘old’ friend again. When Ganni and Eric landed in his bedroom in the War Rooms underground London, Churchill was only surprised by how older Ganni Rose was looking this time.
It was early April 1945, and Soviet troops had captured Königsberg, while the Western Allies swept across western Germany capturing Hamburg and Nuremberg. Imperium tried to change the course of history by poisoning tanks with drinking water and turning human beings into moving bombs that would be used as weapons against the Allies. Their previous attempt to create a superhuman being that would become the base to create their army of super soldiers that would be used to stop the Allies advance on German soil had been stopped by Egon’s self-sacrifice.
That was as far the Imperium could go at altering history. Ganni needed to know how they managed to travel back in time, however, he suspected it has something to do with the time machine that Eric and Floriana had failed to retrieve in their trip to 1945.
“Since those guys have already built a time machine, then why didn’t they try to intervene in the course of history before the war was lost by the Nazis?” Eric had asked.
“If I’m right and Foulkaneli is behind all this, then I can only assume he didn’t want to intervene in the history Hitler had already created and he jumped in when the war was lost for Führer,” the Master said.
“When Foulkaneli gets out of the way, the time machine inventors will be able to use it to alter history in whatever time point they want. This time, we need to confiscate that darn thing for good,” said Eric.
“It won’t stop them. We must find who they are and where their base is. But first, we must deal with the current situation,” said the Master. “Winston, you need to send your Irregulars to Kaiserreich. Eric will join them. When history is fixed, the Orologion will send me back to the future,” the Master said.
“This means that we’ll have the time to catch up with your news,” Winston said.
“As long as you don’t demand me to reveal what future lays for you and the world, I’d gladly have some tea with you,” the Master said smiling.
“And Eric, remember that there is no depression in this house and we are not int
erested in the possibilities of defeat. They do not exist," Winston said as Eric left the bunker.
A few hours later, Eric landed with a group of Paras at an opening near the forest outside Kaiserreich in West German. Helga was the one who had provided SEO with the Imperium’s secret coordinates. Acting as a double agent, Helga had gotten into the village and penetrated the ranks of the secret organization. She had met Declan when he was forced to travel several times back and forth in time and help Imperium put their evil plan in action. They fell in love and their relationship was the reason Helga decided to become a mole. When Declan kidnapped Floriana, they knew that Imperium was one step away from fulfilling their plan; they knew that Helga had to contact British intelligence and give away the coordinates.
They wiped out the secret society and with Vittor’s help, they discovered the time machine in the basement of a large building in the center of the village. This time, they didn’t leave it behind. Eric, Floriana, and Vittor jumped back to the era they belonged. They also took Declan’s silver stylus, a tiny time device, with them.
Helga was left behind to join the girl Declan had saved and take care of her for the rest of their lives.
The Order of the Black Rose had done its duty. History was again on the right course. Now, it was time to go underground once more; it was time to grieve their losses and heal their wounds.
CHAPTER 21
*
FLORIANA STARED AT the night sky through the window of her bedroom. Weary as she was, she had gone to bed right after they got back in the Clocksworth Academy. When she awakened, she saw Eric sitting in the seat beside her, looking at her in a loving and gentle manner.
“Welcome back,” he told her and caressed her hand with his finger. “How are you?” he asked solicitously.
“I’ve been better,” she replied softly but bitterly.
“Vittor told me everything that happened in Kaiserreich. You have been very brave.” Eric smiled.
“Oh, well, I had to take care of myself since you were not there to save me,” Floriana teased as she stretched her arms. “Did Vittor tell you everything that happened with our mom?” Her eyes fell into shadow.
“He did. I am sorry you had to go through this.” Eric clasped her hand in his.
“That person, she was not really my mom. I mean, physically she was my mom, although her appearance had slightly changed. She was older, with small wrinkles on her face, and her once chestnut hair was silver-white. However, she was not the person she used to be. My mom, as I remember her from my childhood, was not in that woman’s body. I try to bring back the memory of any event from my childhood that could have indicated she was mentally ill. Unfortunately, I cannot remember any. Maybe it was because I was a happy child dreaming of pink clouds and unicorns.” She sighed.
“Or maybe it was because your mother became aware of her illness and she tried to fight it. Maybe when she realized that she had lost the battle against her madness, she decided to fake her death and disappear from your life. Maybe that was her gift to you. The chance to live a life without the consequences of having a mentally unstable parent,” Eric reasoned.
Floriana turned her gaze to the dark sky once more. “Too many maybes... And maybe I have to pick up the option that is the most comfortable to live with for the rest of my life.”
Eric tightened his grasp. “You are not alone in this. You have Vittor. And you have Ganni. And you have me.”
“Do I have you?” Floriana wondered.
“You know you will always have me.” He grinned and clutched her hand tightly.
Floriana peered at him. “I cannot stop thinking of Helga and the pain she felt for Declan’s loss. Was that what you felt when Maite died?” asked Floriana.
Eric frowned at the memory of his ex-girlfriend, whose loss and deceit he had fought hard to overcome.
“In a way, it was. We had a passionate relationship, although deep inside I knew I should not trust her. On the contrary, I think that what Declan and Helga shared was real love,” he finally said.
“Have you ever felt this kind of love?” Floriana bit her lip.
“Not yet. But I hope I will,” he said, gazing at her, tightening his grip, and making her heart flutter. “But enough about me.” He abruptly changed the subject. “The Master is waiting for us to join him. We should not leave him waiting any longer,” he said and gallantly helped her up.
The Master and Vittor were waiting for them at a small table in the old man’s office. Vittor’s hollow eyes showed that he had not slept since they got back, while the Master’s serious look indicated he’d had a hard time as well.
“It was a hard day for all of us,” the Master said when Floriana and Eric took their seats around the table. “Not only did we face another challenge, but we experienced an unforeseen family tragedy. Let me start with the operational part of the events. We moved fast and efficiently. The Imperium had plotted a sinister plan, and we managed to stop them despite the sacrifice we had to make.”
“There is something Declan asked me to covey,” Floriana said. “He reassured me that the Imperium had not figured out he was a double agent. He also confessed that he was responsible for the death of a corrupt Romanian detective called Dumitrescu. However, there was something else he said to me that stroke me. He said that there was a Withered Rose working in the ranks of the Imperium. A withered rose. He said you know what that means,” Floriana said firmly, despite the painful memories the narration brought back.
“A withered rose. Yes. In the beginning, I thought the withered rose was Declan. Withered rose is the code name for a member of the Order of the Black Rose who is corrupt or acts as a double agent. However, Declan had never been a formal member of the Order. Also, you should know that Dr. Sato was found dead in his apartment in New York.” He stopped for a minute to give them time to absorb the information and then he added, “Your mother was the Withered Rose.”
Floriana swallowed hard against the sob that was rising in her throat. She closed her big green eyes tightly, so her tears would not roll down her face. She was hurt inside. However, she did not want to let the others see how overwhelmed she was. Besides, they could easily guess.
“There is something else,” Vittor’s hesitant voice made her open her eyes again.
“Mother told us that you could have saved Father from death. She said a powerful medicine called the Water of Life was in your possession, but you denied it to Father. Why the heck did you do that? Why didn’t you save our father? Your own son?”
It was the first time Floriana had heard her brother raise his voice to their grandfather, who was taken by surprise by Vittor’s uncharacteristic display of boldness.
“Well,” the Master cleared his throat, “I never expected that this would come up. Actually, I had even forgotten about it. It was part of an unreasonable confrontation that I had with your mother when your father was infected by that deadly virus. She never mentioned it again, so I assumed she was satisfied with my explanation. It now seems to me that my failure to provide my dying son a treatment that would have saved his life...it was the beginning of the end of your family. Maybe it was what triggered Althea’s madness.” His shoulders drooped, and he sighed.
“During my stay in Kaiserreich, I found out that during World War II, under Adolf Hitler’s command, Dr. Foulkaneli created a life-prolonging serum called the Water of Life. Mother was convinced that you still have the formula for that serum,” Vittor said in a probing tone.
“Indeed, he created a life-prolonging serum, and I was the one it was tested on,” the Master admitted calmly. “I was a young, enthusiastic scientist, and I would do anything for science. Apparently, it runs in the family.” He winked. “When he was sure I had survived the test, Dr. Foulkaneli took the medicine himself. We took a few grams of it every day until the war ended. You can see the serum results right in front of you. I am turning 100 in a couple of years, and I still look like I am in my seventies. Unfortunately, I did not get to see Dr
. Foulkaneli again, but from what I was told, he looked pretty robust for a man who has lived for more than a hundred years. When he fled Berlin, following the Allies’ invasion, Foulkaneli vanished from the face of Earth, and most of his secrets vanished with him. The Water of Life formula was not one of the secrets we have been able to recover. Althea, your mother thought I had the formula hidden, and she urged me to use it to save my son’s life. She never believed I did not have it in my possession. She was convinced I had let my own son die in order to be faithful to the Order’s principles. She never believed that I would rather give up my post as the Great Master than watch my only son suffer a painful death.” His voice cracked as he emphasized every word.
An uneasy silence filled the flight cabin until the Master spoke again with a cracking voice. “I know that I have not been the best grandparent in the world. I had always put the needs of the Order before my family duties. But I want you both to know that I never did anything to force your mother to leave you. I never made her choose between you two. The choice was all hers, and she made me believe back then that it was because of her concerns about your safety. She believed that if you grew up separately, you would be safer. I never agreed with her, and I had expressed my disagreement. It seems it was then that the first seeds of her illness were planted in her disturbed mind. However, I am devastated that I failed to protect you. I failed to find out that Althea was still alive, and I failed to keep you safe.”
“I played my part in that,” Vittor muttered, his head down. “If I had told you that she had come back from the dead when she first met me, then none of this would have taken place.”
“Could we please stop talking about that?” Floriana grumbled as tears filled her eyes. “I really am not ready to analyze our family issues right now. It will take us much time to process it all.”
“And a bunch of money for therapists,” Vittor added, making them crack a smile.
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