Chapter 1040: The Plight of Two Leaders

In the desolate fields on the outskirts of Rome, several men in civilian clothes were fleeing for their lives. They seemed to be on the verge of collapse from exhaustion, but they still didn’t dare to stop. After all, they had only just escaped from the blockaded city of Rome and had, with great difficulty, reached this relatively safe place.

These few, who had complained about the Italian soldiers’ inaction during the resistance, were now beginning to feel thankful for that very inaction. The German army had not yet completely surrounded Rome, and most of the defense had to be handed over to the local Italian troops. And so, after spending a large amount of money, Mussolini and a few of his attendants had escaped with ease.

And so, from more than an hour ago, running had become the main theme for Mussolini, the army colonel, the three guards, and the one attendant. These six poor souls had run all the way out of Rome, and only now had they just managed to catch their breath. Their mouths were dry, but they couldn’t even find a single sip of water.

It should be known that the German vanguard would soon discover that the important figure of Mussolini was missing. The search and pursuit would begin immediately. At that time, it was feared that this entire area would become a dangerous place, and it was quite possible that someone would be on their trail very soon.

“We must… we must find a car. If we keep running like this, we’ll definitely be caught by the Germans.” The most resourceful person left at the moment was the army colonel who was following Mussolini. He was still calmly analyzing the situation, hoping to find a more suitable way out.

In their current situation, it was already not easy for them to find a place to shelter, to say nothing of the remote possibility of rendezvousing with the troops who supported them. All that was left was to avoid all the Germans who were looking for them and to live on, in fear and with great caution.

“We don’t have much money left on us. It’s definitely not enough to bribe anyone, but it should be no problem to buy a car,” this army colonel said, taking out the money he had brought with him and telling Mussolini their current situation with a sense of resignation.

Because their escape had been too hasty, they had not arranged for any necessary diversionary measures in the underground air-raid shelter. They had neither burned any bodies nor had they gathered any money. They had fled in too much of a hurry, and had not even had time to bring the large amount of money they had prepared.

Thinking of the large sum of money that had been left in Mussolini’s safe, the army colonel felt his heart constrict. He didn’t know which bastard would end up with that huge sum. It was estimated that this one haul alone would be enough for this lucky fellow to enjoy for several lifetimes.

If possible, it would be more covert to buy a car through a proper transaction to escape. He did not want to steal one. That would attract the Germans’ attention and would point the way for their pursuit. So, although they had several German-made submachine guns in their hands, they still did not have any intention of bullying the weak.

He also had no intention of splitting up and fleeing. After all, at a time like this, to split up would be very safe for a small fry like a guard. But if everyone ran, then Mussolini would probably have to wait for death in this desolate wilderness. So the colonel did not suggest splitting up. On the contrary, he was more willing to concentrate all their strength, so that they could look out for each other.

In this chaos, Mussolini sat down on a rock in the wild. For a high-ranking official, to have run for so long on his own two feet was already an exceptional performance. He was so tired he was out of breath. “I… can’t… go on!” he gasped. “You… you all… just go on your own…”

If one listened carefully, the sound of gunfire from behind could no longer be heard. This meant that either they were far enough away, or the battle in Rome was completely over. Looking in the direction of Rome, the army colonel put the gun in his hand back on his belt and found a random place to sit on the ground. “Let’s all rest! I think, for the time being, this place is still safe.”

In the hall of the Rome City Defense Command, a squad of German troops with rifles on their backs was carrying the bodies of the killed Italian Blackshirts out of the room. There were simply too many corpses here. Some were so mangled that it would take a long time just to identify them.

An officer of the German special forces, from the special operations battalion of the 0th SS Division, stood with his hands behind his back, frowning at these bloody corpses. His expression was grave, as if something was weighing on his mind, troubling his thoughts.

In the end, he turned his head and asked a Wehrmacht officer who was standing to one side, doing a body count, “Lieutenant, we were ordered to come here to find Mussolini and to arrest him. Now you’re telling me to find him myself among these corpses. This is too much of a waste of time!”

“Second Lieutenant, I know you have your duties, but you can also see that the battle here has just ended. I only know that my men charged into this building and then finished off all the resisting Italian garrison… But you’re asking me now who was killed, what their names were. I really can’t tell you,” the Wehrmacht lieutenant said. He pointed to the bloody dog tags on the table. “You can look through them yourself, see if anyone in there is the guy you’re looking for.”

“The person I’m looking for is the former ruler of Italy, Mussolini!” the special forces second lieutenant repeated, somewhat annoyed. “Can you give me some advice? The advice of a brave soldier who was the first to charge in here.”

Hearing the hint of flattery in the other’s tone, and knowing that to continue to make things difficult for a comrade would not end well, this lieutenant turned his head and pointed to the stairs at the end of the corridor. “That leads to the basement. We killed a good number of people in suits and civilian clothes down there. Maybe his body is there.”

Every army has its own pride. In the German armored forces, whether it was a reconnaissance company or a unit that was capable of being the first to launch an attack and to capture an enemy position, which one didn’t have a bit of a temper? Even if they weren’t plotting against each other behind their backs, to gain some advantage in a war of words was a “form of struggle” that everyone enjoyed.

Sure enough, after hearing these words, the special forces second lieutenant nodded, said a “thanks,” and then left with his men. This small, well-equipped squad was indeed a bit more swift and decisive than many of the regular German army units.

After looking through the bodies, this second lieutenant had finally confirmed what had happened after the fierce battle here. He looked at a long tunnel that led to who-knows-where, and took the new model walkie-talkie from the signals soldier’s hand. “This is Prison 1. The target was not found at the city defense command. Mussolini has escaped. We need to expand our search area!”

“Ladies and gentlemen! I am honored to be able to stand here and to announce a piece of good news to you all.” Standing under the lights, the Führer, in his black SS uniform, looked much younger than his actual age. And his upright posture also gave people an illusion—as if time, from the moment he had taken control of all of Germany, had stood still for him.

He wore a striking utility belt, and his body was still so thin, which accentuated his tall stature, making him look even taller. One of his hands rested on the gun holster that hung on the side of his belt, and the other rested on the edge of the podium. And at this very moment, the people facing him in the audience were, without exception, all socialites and high-ranking officials.

“The situation in Italy is already completely under our control. Apart from the traitor Mussolini and a few other die-hard elements, Italy is still a staunch ally of the Third Reich… and the integration process between the two countries will also proceed more rapidly.” A trademark smile hung on Akado’s face. This smile put everyone in the audience at ease, because the Führer was a gift from God to the German people. His smile was enough to prove that everything was still under the control of the Empire.

In these past few days, because of the turmoil in Italy, the Empire’s economy had been severely affected. The investments of many people had lost half or even more of their value overnight. The real estate in Austria, the transport in and around Italy, and the shipping in the Mediterranean, and even the production and export of daily necessities had all suffered a severe downturn.

The businessmen and the financial groups were all waiting for the Empire to give them an answer, an answer that would strengthen their confidence in their investments. Many of the giant conglomerates with deep backgrounds had even begun to put pressure on Akado, because the current Third Reich could not afford a serious failure like losing Italy. If the war were to enter a stalemate, then the hundreds of billions in investments would be for nothing, and the Empire’s economy would also collapse in an instant, along with the failure at the front.

“The friend of the Empire, Marshal Garibaldi, will take charge of the Italian government. The German-Italian alliance is still one of the most solid alliances in this world. The economic and trade cooperation, military cooperation, scientific and technological cooperation… and so on, between the two countries will all continue. Apart from a few local disturbances caused by the war criminal Mussolini, there have been no changes. Please rest assured, everything is under the control of the Third Reich!” Akado raised his arm, ending his speech with a German salute. “Long live the Third Reich!”

Whether it was because of the profits that the Third Reich had brought them, or because of the power, no one would go against money and power. As long as this Führer could still bring them victory, could still bring them huge wealth, then they would not be stingy with their support. And so all the men and women in the audience, in their tuxedos and evening gowns, all raised their palms above their heads. “Long live the Third Reich! Heil Akado Rudolph, my Führer!”

Advance chapters at Nightjar Reads · nightjarreads.com