Chapter 435: Blood Is Thicker Than Water
BOOM!
Somewhere else, another location erupted in flames as missiles struck it one after another.
Its secluded location worked in Red’s favor. He could continuously open fire without worrying about innocent civilians getting caught in the crossfire.
And where were they?
Above.
Vodka piloted a small chopper, circling through the thick smoke, while Red stood by the open door, firing missiles at what appeared to be a vineyard below.
But they both knew it wasn’t just a vineyard.
It was one of Marshal’s bases—a place where his men stored large quantities of illegal drugs.
And now, Red and Vodka were setting everything ablaze... including the men running the place.
Both wore masks to protect themselves from the thick smoke.
TAK!
Red quickly ducked behind the side of the door as bullets struck the chopper’s metal exterior.
The people below were fighting back.
"Vodka," he called.
Vodka didn’t answer. He simply veered the chopper away.
The smoke had concealed them well, but it also prevented Red from getting a clear shot.
The chopper pulled away before circling the area again.
As soon as they emerged from the thick smoke, Red spotted several armed men running below. They immediately opened fire at the aircraft.
Vodka pulled the chopper higher, taking them out of the bullets’ reach.
Then, Red stepped forward. Standing by the open door, he raised the bazooka onto his shoulder.
"This, for sure... will reach you."
"RUN!"
The screams from below somehow reached them.
Men scattered in every direction, running for their lives.
BOOM!
Bodies were blasted away by the impact, but Red didn’t stop.
Another missile struck.
BOOM!
More men were swallowed by the explosion.
No mercy.
The files Ashley had handed them contained everything her people needed to know about their targets. For Red, this was simply the fastest way to eliminate the men who had terrorized the nearby villages and ruled over the residents like kings.
The explosions were so powerful that the nearest village immediately sought shelter.
Yet despite their fear of being caught in the attack, the villagers couldn’t stop themselves from staring at the thick smoke rising from the infamous vineyard.
The place where their tormentors lived.
Men, women, children, and the elderly stood together, staring at the enormous column of smoke and the flames illuminating the distant sky.
They didn’t need to see the vineyard up close to understand the scale of the fire.
They knew, deep in their hearts, that the flames were enough to consume the entire place.
And hopefully... the people inside it.
"Are they... going to die?"
One of the women gathered inside the village chief’s home covered her mouth. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes as she stared at the distant flames.
Silence fell over the villagers.
Then, a child’s voice broke it.
"Mama... will they finally leave us alone?"
Everyone turned.
Scars and bruises were still visible across the child’s body after he had suffered at the hands of one of the men from the vineyard.
The boy looked at them expectantly. Then he smiled, revealing several missing teeth.
"Will they?"
The village chief approached him and gently placed a hand on top of his head.
As cruel as it sounded, the old man sighed and turned his gaze toward the distant fire.
"Hopefully..." he whispered. "Hopefully, they all die and burn for all the suffering they’ve caused us and the neighboring villages."
Perhaps it was wrong for one person to pray for another’s death.
Perhaps it was even worse for an entire village to do so.
But that night, the people of the village—and those from the neighboring villages—prayed for the same thing.
The complete demise of the group that had tormented them for years.
Hours later, the village chiefs gathered to meet two visitors.
Red and Vodka.
Unlike the others, the pair had received a special order directly from Ashley.
They were to meet the villagers and tell them one thing.
"If anyone tries to take over this place again, call the Madam."
Red handed the village chiefs several spare phones.
"Her number is already saved." He paused. "This place... is now under her territory."
Having someone suddenly claim their land as part of their territory should have sounded threatening.
Strangely, it didn’t.
Instead, the declaration gave the villagers something they hadn’t felt in years.
Reassurance.
Protection.
Red and Vodka didn’t linger.
They had already confirmed the fate of their targets and delivered Ashley’s message to the village chiefs.
And just like that, they left to reunite with the others.
The following morning, several sheriffs from the main town arrived to investigate. But no matter who they questioned, the villagers gave the same answers.
"We don’t know."
"No. We didn’t see who did it."
"We didn’t hear anything."
Not a single person spoke about Red or Vodka, or anything about the Madam.
*****
Meanwhile...
Ashley sat silently inside a church confessional.
The booth was dark and suffocatingly quiet.
Through the perforated partition beside her, she heard someone enter the adjoining compartment.
"It’s been a while, Miss Ashley," a man’s voice greeted from the other side. "What brings you here at this hour?"
Ashley’s gaze remained fixed on the floor.
She had known the priest on the other side since childhood.
After all, she had been coming to this small church since she was young. It was the first church she had ever run to as a child.
And the priest sitting on the other side?
He was the reason she had stopped coming to places like this.
It wasn’t only because her prayers had gone unanswered. It was because of the atrocities happening behind this very church.
Over the years, Ashley still occasionally came here for business. But she never stepped inside... until tonight.
"Father," she called quietly. "I have a confession to make."
The priest nodded in understanding.
"Alright." He recited a brief prayer and went through the familiar ceremonial words before finally asking, "What is it you wish to surrender to God?"
For a moment, there was only silence. Then Ashley’s quiet voice echoed inside the confessional.
"Father... do you remember when I came here as a child?" She paused. "Back then, you told me that praying for my father’s death was a sin."
The priest nodded. "No matter what happens, your father is still your father, Miss Ashley."
"Even if he destroyed my life?"
The priest fell silent for a moment. Then he answered,
"I believe everything your father did was in your best interest."
"Like what?" Ashley’s voice remained eerily calm. "Like making his young daughter watch him kill someone, then telling her she’d end up the same way if she didn’t do well?"
She paused.
"Or sending his daughter to do his dirty work?"
"Miss Ashley, Marshal is still your father," the priest argued gently. "He may not be perfect, but blood is thicker than water. At the end of the day, your father will give an arm for you."
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