A flash of recognition. Bernard saw Richard at the same time Richard saw him, and although both men had changed considerably in their years apart, there was something in each that instantly knew his brother.

Richard had come to Lenoran to personally get to the bottom of their resistance and uncover any secret bases of support that they might have against him; he had never expected to find they were being led by his younger brother, whom he long suspected dead. For his part, Bernard was shocked and dismayed to see Richard had so quickly gotten to him; he wasn’t sure if this was about Jez’s death, or the refusal of Gunter (and by extension, the entire Marknosan family), or because he had uncovered who Bernard really was.

Then again, it didn’t much matter at that moment – all that mattered was that Bernard knew he was in serious trouble. Bernard hoped that he hadn’t given away in his eyes as Richard had in his…if he was lucky, Richard might not know that Bernard had recognized him. Bernard could play dumb and hopefully keep Richard on the back foot.

Bernard had no intention of getting into a face-to-face confrontation with his crime boss of an elder brother in front of his staff, especially not unprepared. Who knew how quickly things could escalate, or how Richard might blackmail him?

If Bernard was going to deal with Richard, it needed to be on his own terms; things would have been difficult enough if Richard had no idea who he was, but now, Bernard could almost see everything that he had built crumbling around him.

Unsurprisingly, Richard attempted to barge his way into Bernard’s office space immediately, but was stopped by Bernard’s aides. They came to inform Bernard of a very rude, very insistent and intimidating visitor, and he responded only that his schedule was far too full that day to entertain any additional unscheduled appointments. Surely that would incense Richard even further, but it would give him an opportunity to figure out what to do.

Bernard expected that Richard would fly off the handle, breaking things and people in an attempt to get to him as quickly as possible. However, Richard had gotten a bit less impulsive (and perhaps a bit craftier) in the years since Bernard had seen him last. Instead of reacting the way Bernard expected, Richard simply turned around and left town, as quickly as he had arrived.

This was almost worse; Richard had no shortage of tools and weapons at his disposal, and it seemed like each man had chosen to retreat, and to prepare for their inevitable conflict. As Bernard would quickly find out, his brother was not slow to act.

Having control over hardened and violent criminals was only part of the way that Richard kept his power. However, he also had (like Bernard did in his community) influence over the flow of information, with both politicians and newsmen in his pocket.

The pressure began immediately for the Lenorans. Goons from Richard’s organization began to show up and harass, violent crime started to crop up out of nowhere, and goods making their way in or out of the Lenoran Union weren’t making it to their destination. At the same time, the presses started spitting out papers as to the “mysterious cult” of the Lenoran Union, and their “criminal fraud” of a leader.

“Slander! Evil lies!” shouted the people of Lenoran, not believing for a minute that their beloved Bernard could be anything other than what he had always told them. Besides, they were getting the opposite story from their own media, about the oppressive and violent organization trying to strong-arm them into sacrificing their freedom and well-being.

In the mind of the people, Bernard was raised even further due to this unfair treatment. They were reminded nightly of all that he had done for them in the evening papers, and he made promises to drive out the evil presence that was trying to force its way into their paradise.

With the help of Peter and his team, Bernard was definitely successful at keeping Richard’s campaign against him from being effective with the Lenoran people. However, that wasn’t the only fallout. Others read the things that Richard’s papers had to say about the Lenoran Union, and questions started to be raised about the legality of such a community. Demands started to be made that the Juldanian government investigate immediately.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

From a personal perspective, Bernard was also certain that Ben was now aware of his return (or suspected that “Vance” had been hiding out in the outskirts all this time, but either way knew where he was). That was just one more battle Bernard would likely have to fight; he could only imagine that Ben would definitely blame him for the death of Jez, right or wrong, and it was sure to get nasty.

One evening, Peter and Bernard were having a late night, talking through their strategy for coping with the problem. They hotly debated how best to approach it – there were so many immediate issues, with more on the rise, that it was hard to choose what to address first. And though Bernard knew it wouldn’t stop until he somehow took down Richard’s organization, that was a goal that Peter wasn’t really interested in at all. Eventually, Peter decided to make his big gamble.

“We don’t need to do any of this, you know. What we ought to do is to cut and run. It’s not your fault, Bernard. We could never have expected to run into someone from your past with this much power and influence, and such a grudge against you. But now that we have, let’s be realistic – we can’t win this. If the Marknosan family doesn’t get us, the Juldanian government will. “

“Peter, come on.” Bernard answered. “I understand the concern, but we’re not in that bad of a position, when you think about it. Our people are still firmly committed to us, and entirely dependent on us. They’re not going anywhere. We’ve got a lot of tools at our disposal, just not as much influence or viciousness as the Marknosans.”

Peter shook his head in protest. “That’s no small thing! Those monsters will kill us – at the very first chance they get. And they’ll do it publicly, to make an example out of us. Even if we take out a good number of them…even if we get your brother, at the very top, I don’t think they’ll stop. Besides, what about the government?”

“I don’t think we have to be too worried about the crown yet.” Bernard assured Peter. “We haven’t made any claims, we aren’t refusing their rule, anything like that. We’re just a bunch of like-minded people sharing resources and working to make each other’s lives better. What could we be charged with? I’m telling you, Richard played that card too early. If he had waited, we’d be a real threat, and the official investigation would have to be done, but right now, we’re not worth it.”

“Why take the risk? Use your brain, man. Remember what you promised me!” Peter was almost shouting at this point. “You promised me that we’d be rich, and secure, and that it would all work out. Well, this is where we complete that promise. There’s plenty of money in the coffers – over fourteen million. That’s plenty for us to make our getaway, go somewhere far outside of danger, and live comfortably for the rest of our lives. We don’t even have to go together if you don’t want.”

Bernard raised his eyebrows and gave Peter a long hard look, until Peter realized that he’d said too much. How would he know exactly what was in the collective savings? That had nothing to do with his official duties, and it wasn’t a widely-shared number. Although Peter realized he had been caught out, he refused to back down.

“Give me a reason, Bernard. Give me a good reason not to take the money and just go, with or without you. I won’t do anything to hurt you, or turn you in to the Marknosans, but I want out. You can join me, or not, but it’s time for me to leave.”

Peter ran his fingers through his hair and stood up; although it looked like he might leave right then and there, he instead began pacing back and forth through the small room.

“Cards on the table, Peter?” Bernard said. “There’s only one reason for you to stay, and it’s the reason you’re still here now. You’ve been lining your pockets plenty to have made your getaway in the night long ago.” Ignoring Peter’s shocked expression at the revelation that Bernard knew about his embezzlement, Bernard continued. “You want the big prize. I know it, and so do you.”

Bernard stood, joining Peter and moving towards the window. “Look at it out there. Everything we see – it’s ours, right now. Every person, every building, every good. But it isn’t enough, is it? We’re just a few small steps away from the biggest prize we could get, and that’s what you’re here for. You believe I can get us there. Well, so do I.”

He thumped the man’s back once in encouragement. “Here’s what we have to do. We’re going to ignore the drama here for a little bit, and focus on the cause. I’m going to take out Richard, and then we’ll dismantle his little group. All of their territory and influence will become ours. At that point, my friend, we’re going to mobilize the people.”

Bernard turned and stared directly into Peter’s eyes. “You’ve trusted me this far. Trust me a little further. I can’t tell you that it will all be over in a week, or a month, but soon. Until this is over, my priority is no longer growth, it’s protecting what we have, and that means taking out the Marknosans once and for all. I'm going to make that happen. You, though - prepare your speeches, and plan your propaganda to get the people riled up. As soon as Richard is gone, we will have a clear path to total power, and we’re going to march right down that path to take the crown.”