John Wick, a ghost forged in blood and vengeance, carved a desperate path from the city streets to a stable on the outskirts. Inside, the acrid smell of gunpowder mingled with the earthy scent of hay as he dispatched the last of the assassins who had cornered him. With barely a moment to breathe, he commandeered a horse and burst back onto the asphalt, the thunder of hooves replacing the roar of a muscle car.
He hadn't gotten far when the whine of high-performance engines sliced through the night. Two killers on motorcycles were closing in fast. As he galloped beneath the skeletal frame of an overpass, one of the riders pulled alongside, a gloved hand reaching, trying to drag him from the saddle. The attempt failed, but the proximity was a fatal mistake.
Wick seized the opening, slamming the heel of his hand against the rider's helmet. The man's head snapped forward, exposing the pistol holstered at his waist. Leaning low over the horse's neck, Wick ripped the gun free and fired three shots in quick succession into the assassin's throat.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
The rider was dead before his motorcycle, now a driverless projectile, veered sharply and slammed into the side of a parked truck with a screech of tortured metal.
The second rider was still on his tail. Wick spurred his mount, then slid sideways, using the horse's body as a shield. He extended his arm, the captured pistol barking in his hand, and stitched a line of bullets across the pursuing motorcycle's tires.
The bike wobbled violently, lost control, and crashed headlong into a row of cars, erupting in a shower of sparks and shattered glass.
After dealing with the two pursuers, John Wick glanced back, his breath coming in ragged bursts. The street behind him was empty for now, but he knew it was a fleeting reprieve. The relentless hunt had taken its toll, and exhaustion gnawed at the edges of his focus. He wasn't sure he could make it to the sanctuary of the Fraternity alive. Riding a horse through the arteries of New York was a conspicuous way to travel, a beacon for every killer drawn by the multimillion-dollar bounty on his head.
However, the Belarusian theater was not far. It seemed his only choice was to use the pass and ask for safe conduct. Without another moment of hesitation, he urged the horse into a gallop, heading straight for the home of the Ruska Roma.
Meanwhile, at the Continental Hotel, the phone Winston had left on the table buzzed with a new message. He picked it up, his expression unreadable as he saw the bounty on John Wick's head had climbed to a staggering twenty-one million dollars.
"That's quite a lot of money," he murmured to the empty room. "Where are you going, Jonathan?"
John Wick reined the horse to a stop before the theater and strode to the ticket counter, slapping his palm against the reinforced glass.
"We're closed," the conductor stated, not bothering to look up.
John pulled the pass from his pocket, a rosary beads with a crucifix, and slapped it against the glass again, the heavy metal clinking sharply. This time, the conductor lifted his head. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the object, and he immediately unlocked the door, allowing him entrance.
Across the street, two figures watched from the shadows. Smith Doyle lowered the binoculars he was holding and turned to the woman beside him.
"Alright, that's enough observation for today," he said, his voice calm and measured. "Let's head back."
Fox, still new to the intricacies of this world, tilted her head. "Aren't you going to go in? See what happens?"
Smith shook his head. "There's no need."
With that, they melted back into the alley, leaving the scene behind. On the other side of the street, another pair of eyes, belonging to a low-level killer, took note of the theater's entrance and settled in to wait.
Inside, the theater hall was filled with members of the Belarusian gang. One of them, a hulking man with a scarred face, nodded a greeting.
"Been a long time," he rumbled.
John Wick ignored him, his focus entirely on the table before him. He placed the pass down first, followed by the few gold coins left in his pocket and the blood oath marker.
The man who had spoken gestured to his waist. "Put the belt on, too."
Obediently, John unbuckled his belt and laid it on the table. The man grunted in satisfaction and gestured to a nearby guard. "Take him." Then, to John, he said, "See you later."
John picked up only the pass from the table. "See you later."
He was led through a heavy door and into the main theater. On the stage, a lone ballerina danced under a single spotlight while a formidable woman, The Director, watched with a critical eye. John approached her, dropped to one knee, and held out the pass.
The Director's gaze flickered from the dancer to him. "Jardani," she said, her voice a low rasp. "Why have you come home?"
John didn't speak, merely raising the pass higher.
"You present this to me like it's an answer," she said, a hint of steel in her tone.
"I still have my ticket," John said, his voice hoarse from exhaustion and disuse.
The Director's eyes narrowed. "After all the chaos you've caused these past few weeks, you think your ticket is still valid?" she scoffed. "Have you forgotten that the Ruska Roma are bound by the High Table? And that the High Table stands above all?"
She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "They could kill me just for talking to you. You bring death to my door, and you call this honor?" She sighed, a sound of profound disappointment. "Oh, Jardani, what has become of you?"
John took a deep breath, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. "I am Jardani Jovanovich, a child of the Ruska Roma, an orphan of your tribe..." He held up the pass, his knuckles white. "You are bound to help me."
He pressed the point, his voice gaining a sliver of its old strength. "You are bound. I am owed."
The Director studied him for a long moment before shouting at the dancer on stage, "Rooney, that's enough!" The girl froze mid-step. The Director stood and fixed her gaze on John. "Follow me."
She led him backstage, past sweating dancers and watchful trainers. "'You are owed nothing, Jardani,'" she said, her voice echoing slightly in the corridor.
"You know, when my students first come here, they wish for one thing: a life free of suffering. I try to dissuade them from these childish notions. But as you know, art is pain. Life is suffering."
John said nothing, his eyes scanning the familiar, yet distant, backstage world as he followed her silently.
"Somehow, you managed to get out of that life," she continued, "but here you are, back where you began. What was it all for?"
She brought him to a halt before a room where men were locked in grueling wrestling matches, their bodies slick with sweat. "Recalling any fond memories?" she asked, though she didn't wait for an answer. She moved on, leading him through another training room and finally into her office, where she sat behind a large, ornate desk.
As they sat opposite each other, her expression softened into one of resignation. "Even if I wanted to, I can't help you, Jardani," she said softly. "The High Table wants you dead."
She leaned back, her voice taking on a poetic, fatalistic cadence. "How can you fight the wind? How can you smash the mountains? How can you bury the sea? How can you escape the light? Of course, you can go to the dark, but they are in the dark, too." She paused, her eyes searching his. "So, tell me what you really want, Jardani."
"Passage," John said, his voice clear and firm.
"Where do you want to go?" The Director asked.
John gave her an address. "A textile factory in the suburbs."
The Director let out a short, sharp laugh, thinking he was joking. "Suburban New York... Wait, a textile factory?" Her eyes widened in realization. "You actually contacted them. You truly are a lucky one."
John extended his arm, holding the pass out to her once more.
The Director looked at it, then at him, her decision made. "So be it," she said with a heavy sigh. "You give me the pass, and I will tear it. If that's what you truly desire."
John Wick nodded, taking the pass and handing it across the desk to The Director.