REESE

chapter forty one (b).

Third Person POV:
Import Lane, France

When the American armed forces marched on Import Lane, they did not attempt to conceal their arrival.

They advanced, two thousand strong, into the hub of France's underground, unconcerned with the political conflict that would undoubtedly arise with the absence of discretion. No longer did they care to participate in a discrete war, they now demanded a brutal one. A war that sought retribution, sought punishment, and called for split blood over the desecration of the American throne. The American empire was a merciful one under the command of their heir, but Reese Vanderbilt was taken from them too soon. The eighteen-year-old slipped from their pleading grasp so suddenly, the shockwaves would continue to pummel through their ranks for what seemed like would be an eternity of detrimental loss.

Now, days later as their ranks scrambled to solidify without the girl that created their reign, the American Don demanded retribution for the murder of his daughter.

A payment was due.

The empire had arrived to collect.

_

The American heir's siblings led the charge.

History would remember Alexander Di Genova, Pria Sangha, Gavino Di Genova, Elijah Ivanov, Simon Takahashi, Maximus Di Genova, Rocco Di Genova, and Rafael Gonzales standing side by side, united under one emblem.

They moved, not as five separate kingdoms, but as one grief-stricken power, adamant on condemning the people responsible for their sister's death to a brutal end.

They stood supported by Landon Zhang and the English select team, who sought their own retribution for their missing brother and heir.

Another Rutherford child gone, another heir lost, another empire standing on its last leg but this time, hope had no ground to stand on. Reese Vanderbilt and Carver Rutherford fought side by side, they stood hand in hand on the Port of Paris. If one heir was dead, likelihood called for the death of the other. So tonight, French executions would be conducted in honor of both of them. Blood would call for blood in recognition of the English heir, the Italian princess and the American heir.

"All soldiers be warned, French forces are twenty minutes out."

The group exchanged knowing glances before they set off in a hurried jog. The Baudelaire call house was located deep inside Import Lane but the group was still positioned at the entrance. While the American soldiers ransacked the neighboring shops, houses, clubs, businesses, and security towers, higher command had a specific target in mind.

Cryptic drones tasked with finding the bodies of the American heir and English heir were also tasked with tracking down known Baudelaire associates. Reese's advanced scan software ran an incredibly evasive digital search of the family. Every single man, woman or child any one of the Baudelaire's ever had a personal relationship with, was recorded into the American database.

If someone shook Elroy Baudelaire's hand ten years ago, the Americans knew about it.

Jonathon Vanderbilt, Alexander Di Genova and Stephen Rutherford then ordered for the execution of half of those names. Children were spared, women were warned, but the men were left to the hands of Pria Sangha and Kenzo Collins.

The two assassins took exactly eight days to slaughter every last name on their list. They left a trail of blood in their wake, leaving the mutilated bodies to be found by horrified French citizens. The killings made national news, reporters sending out warnings of serial killers making their way through France. What the public didn't know was that the killings weren't random, they were targeted. The Baudelaire's were very publicly losing family members, friends, associates and allies.