CLICK
by Gunman
Disclaimer: I do not own John Wick or their characters.
Summary: John makes a different decision when faced with Santino at the Continental hotel.
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John Wick stared hard at the Italian man as he sat in the lounge of the Continental. John was bloodied, bruised, haggard and limping just a little. Gun in hand, he stared down the man who had used him and then betrayed him.
"Duck fat. Makes all the difference." Santino D'Antonio said as he sat at the private table.
"Jonathan..." Winston, the manager and owner of the Continental said to Wick.
"Have you seen the menu here? Lot of options." Santino said, somewhat smugly.
"Jonathan, listen to me..." Winston said again, trying to get John's attention.
"A man can stay here a long time and never eat the same meal twice." Santino said.
"Jonathan, just walk away." Winston said, more urgency in his voice.
"Yeah, Jonathan. Walk a..."
John slid the chamber back on the gun, the bullet ejecting without incident. He quickly turned the gun on Santino and pulled the trigger.
CLICK.
The few people in the lounge, including Winston and Santino, let out a breath.
"Do you know the last thing your sister said to me? She asked me... if I believed in damnation. You know what I said? I said 'yes'. Because I know, the second I die, I'll never see my beloved Helen again. I have no illusions about that." John said as he turned around and walked over to the bar.
The bartender looked at John, as if waiting for him to make his order.
"Bourbon. Neat." John said as he stood by the bar, his rage boiling over in his body.
Winston just looked at John as he stood beside him. He could see John's hands shaking.
"I have to admit, Jonathan, I actually thought you would shoot him. Here." Winston stated.
"I still want to." John said as the bartender brought him his drink.
"You know, of course, the repercussions of such an action." Winston said.
"I do." he said as he guzzled down his drink.
John then placed two gold coins down on the bar.
"What's that for?" Winston asked.
"Dinner reservation." he said.
At hearing those words, Winston tensed up, thinking that John was going to kill Santino anyway.
"John, you know better." Winston warned as the bartender refilled his drink.
"But I also know that I have no other way out." he said.
Winston looked at John, slightly puzzled.
"They'll never stop hunting me. He'll never cancel the price on my head. And I can't touch him without bringing hell down upon myself." John said as he downed his drink again. "I'll be hunted no matter where I go."
Winston kept silent.
"Tell Charon to take care of my dog." John said as he slid the bullet back into the chamber of his gun.
"John..." Winston said, getting nervous now.
"And tell Aurelio, he can have my car." John added as he gripped the handle of the gun.
Winston was not liking where this was going.
"Jonathan... don't." Winston said, now realizing what was about to happen.
He'd hoped he was wrong, but now...
"I'll never be free. Even in a nice refuge." he said as he looked up at the ceiling.
"There are other ways of handling this." Winston said. "To live, when others want you dead, is in itself, a great victory."
"I tried to live. I tried to quit. I tried to be happy. And now... I'm tired. I'm just so tired."
"Then take a rest, Jonathan." he suggested.
"An eternal rest."
"Don't do this." he said, knowing full well that a man of Focus, even in his waning moments, could not be swayed.
"I'm sorry about the carpet, Winston."
"Jonathan..."
The gun slid neatly underneath his chin, his eyes closed as he muttered three words.
"Helen... forgive me." he said, right before he pulled the trigger.
BANG!
His body fell to the ground, the gun still clutched tightly in his hand as the blood stained the fine, and recently cleaned, carpet.
Winston said nothing, and motioned for Santino to say nothing either.
He was not in the mood.
Winston hoped, he truly hoped, that John Wick, in some way, found peace. He knew it was a fools hope, considering Johns life, but maybe, just maybe, a merciful god would grant this poor man something.
Santino said nothing as he walked out of the hotel, a satisfied smile on his face.
Back inside the Continental, Winston pulled his phone out his phone and dialed a number. He looked to the bartender.
"Mr. Wick has a dinner reservation. Would you call it in?" he asked the bartender.
"Yes, sir." the female bartender said.
"Operator. How may I direct your call?" a female voice said.
"Accounts Payable." Winston replied.
"One moment, please."
Winston waited a few seconds.
"Accounts payable. How may I help you?" a new female voice said.
"I'd like to open an account." Winston said.
"Name on the account?"
"Santino D'Antonio."
"Verification?"
"1-1-1-1-1."
"State of contract?"
"Open."
"Location?"
"New York City. All five boroughs."
"Denomination?"
"5 million."
"Processing."
Winston was still on the phone, as Charlie and two of his men arrived for John.
"Order confirmed." the operator said.
"Thank you." he said.
"Is there anything else to declare, sir?"
"Yes. The account for John Wick has been closed." Winston stated.
"By whom?" the woman asked.
"The man himself. Dinner reservations are under way."
"Understood."
Winston sighed as he hung up the phone.
"The usual, sir?" Charlie asked the manager of the Continental.
"No. I think, The Special, for our dear Jonathan." Winston said as he handed Charlie a third coin and looked at John's dead body "Rest in peace, my boy."
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Authors Notes:
Just a little something I came up with after watching John Wick Chapter 2 on DVD. Finally got to the end.
I just wonder, what would have happened, if John had decided not to kill Santino on Continental grounds.
Yes, John died, but Santino would be getting his in almost the same way. Hunted, like John was. With John dead the contract was cancelled, and thus a new contract was opened. Course, that only applies while Santino is in New York.