~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For 20 advanced chapters, visit my patreon:
patreon.com/fatimasoomro123
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At this point, John Wick fought his way from the street into a stable, killing every assassin who had broken in. He then mounted a horse and burst out at full speed.
No sooner had John Wick charged onto the main road than two motorcycle assassins began pursuing him.
As he rode beneath an overpass, one of the bikers caught up from behind and reached out, trying to drag John Wick off the horse—but failed several times.
Seizing the moment, John slapped the rider's helmet, forcing him to lurch forward and exposing the pistol at his waist.
Still mounted, John Wick leaned down, yanked the handgun from the man's belt, and fired three shots into his neck.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The biker was killed instantly. His motorcycle spun out of control and slammed straight into a nearby truck.
Seeing the second motorcycle assassin close behind, John Wick used the brief gap to slide down the side of the horse, pressing his body tight against it to use the animal as cover. He then extended his arm and fired several shots at the motorcycle.
In an instant, the rider lost control and crashed into a car stopped ahead.
After dealing with the two motorcyclists, John Wick glanced back to confirm that no one was immediately following him. He felt utterly exhausted from the relentless killing and wasn't sure whether he could survive long enough to reach the Assassins' Guild.
Riding a horse across New York for such a long distance was far too conspicuous. By comparison, the Belarusian Theater was much closer. It seemed he had no choice but to use the token to ask them to send him onward.
Without hesitation, he urged the horse toward the Belarusian gang's theater.
At the Continental Hotel, Winston's phone—left on the table—buzzed again. He picked it up and saw that John Wick's bounty had risen to $2.1 billion.
"That's a staggering sum," Winston murmured.
"Jonathan… where are you headed?"
John Wick rode straight to the theater's ticket booth and slammed his hand against the glass.
"We're closed," the attendant said without even looking up.
John Wick pulled the token from his pocket and smashed the glass again. This time, when the attendant looked up and saw the token, he immediately opened the door and let him inside.
Across the street, two groups stood watching. Smith Doyle glanced in the direction John Wick entered and said,
"All right. Observation for today is over. Let's go back."
Fox, unfamiliar with the location, asked,
"You don't want to go in and take a look?"
Smith shook his head.
"There's no need."
The two of them turned and left. On the other side, the assassins memorized the location and waited outside.
John Wick entered the theater hall, where many members of the Belarusian mob had gathered.
One of them stepped forward upon seeing him.
"Long time no see."
John Wick looked at the table in front of him. He first placed the token on it, followed by the gold coins in his pocket and the blood oath marker.
The man beside him said,
"Take off your belt as well."
John Wick complied, unfastening his belt and placing it on the table. The man then instructed those nearby,
"Take him away."
Turning back to John Wick, he said,
"Goodbye."
John Wick picked up the token from the table and replied,
"Goodbye."
He pushed open the door and walked into the theater.
Inside, the leader of the Belarusian syndicate—a woman—was watching a dancer perform. John Wick approached her, dropped to one knee, and raised the token he carried.
The Director glanced at him and asked,
"Jonathan, why have you come home?"
John Wick said nothing, simply holding up the token.
The Director studied it and said,
"You show this to me as if it alone were the answer."
In a hoarse voice, John Wick replied,
"My token still stands."
The Director looked at him coldly.
"You've caused so much chaos in recent weeks. Do you truly believe your token is still valid?"
"Have you forgotten that the Russian Roma answer to the High Table—and the High Table stands above all?"
"They could kill me just for speaking to you."
"You bring death to my doorstep. Is this how you show respect?"
"Oh, Jonathan… what has become of you?"
John Wick took a deep breath.
"I am Jonathan John Wick, a Belarusian child—an orphan of your tribe."
"You are obligated to help me."
He raised the token again.
"You have a duty. I have a right."
The Director stared at him for a long moment, then called out to the girl dancing Swan Lake onstage.
"Rooney. That's enough."
She stood up and said to John Wick,
"Come with me."
She led him backstage and said,
"'You have a right.' No—you don't, Jonathan."
"When my students first come here, they want only one thing: to escape pain."
"I try to dissuade them from such childish thoughts, but you know—art is suffering."
"Life is suffering."
John Wick glanced at the dancers backstage but said nothing, silently following her.
"You escaped the hardships of life by sheer luck. And now, today, you've returned to the beginning."
"What was it all for?"
She brought him to the men's wrestling pit and stopped, watching the fighters.
"Do these bring back fond memories?"
Without waiting for an answer, she continued on, guiding him through the training rooms and into a private chamber, where she sat at a workbench.
Facing each other, she said,
"Even if I wanted to help you, I can't, Jonathan."
"The High Table wants you dead."
"How do you fight the wind?"
"How do you shatter a mountain?"
"How do you bury the sea?"
"How do you escape the light?"
"You can walk into the darkness—but they dwell in darkness as well."
"So tell me, Jonathan… what is it you truly want?"
John Wick answered firmly,
"Passage."
She asked,
"To where?"
John Wick gave her the address.
"A textile factory in the suburbs."
She laughed, thinking it a joke.
"The outskirts of New York…?"
Then she froze.
"Wait. A textile factory."
"You actually contacted them."
"You are incredibly lucky."
John Wick extended his arm and raised the token before her.
She glanced at it and said,
"So be it."
"Give me the token, and I can tear it apart."
"If that's truly what you want."
John Wick nodded, took the token from his hand, and placed it before her.