CLICK
by Gunman
Disclaimer: I do not own John Wick or its characters.
Summary: After killing Santino, John meets with the new leader of Camorra.
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Chapter 4
Camorra
It had been two days since John Wick had killed Santino D'Antonio outside The New York Continental.
Two days since he had survived nearly a dozen assassination attempts, and killed nearly a hundred men working for both Gianna and Santino over the last week. Both in Rome and New York.
He had fought long and hard, and in the end he succeeded. He added to his reputation even more, and was now in hiding.
Even if The Continental was a very nice hiding place, it was still a hiding place.
Santino had put a contract out on John, and John had effectively killed Santino, so... Camorra would be very upset at hearing that.
They probably knew already.
The Doctor had examined, cleaned up, and even stitched up John, trying to make sure that his self-inflicted injury, which was the only way he could kill Santino by getting him off of the Continental grounds, was nothing too noticeable.
But John didn't really care, and was still plagued with uncertainty.
He had killed Gianna D'Antonio, head of the Camorra branch of the High Table, someone he considered a friend. He had killed Santino D'Antonio, who had not only put a bounty on John's head for killing his own sister, but was the one who sent John to kill his sister in the first place. He owed him a marker, anyway. Now, Camorra would not let that stand. They would most likely honor the contract Santino had put on Wick for his sister, but would also want revenge for what he did to both of them.
He wondered what they would do, if they found out that it was Santino who sent him to kill Gianna?
Regardless, here he was, lying in his bed in the Continental, with his dog laying on the foot of his bed.
He still hadn't named him.
Winston was accommodating to John in many ways, but would he risk war with Camorra over him?
He would like to think that even The High Table would honor the neutrality of The Continental, but he couldn't use other people like that to save his own skin.
No. As soon as he was able, he would leave The Continental. And face his own problems. As he had in the past.
That was one of the things Winston and the others like about John. He didn't use other people just so he could get the job done.
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The doors to The Continental opened up and a finely dressed man entered with his entourage.
Four looked like bodyguards, wearing sunglasses and carrying luggage, one looked like a personal aide, wearing a business suit and glasses and carrying her own luggage, and another looked like a 'traveling companion' of sorts.
The group approached the concierge, where Charon was standing ever vigilant at his post.
"Welcome to the Continental. How may I help you?" Charon said.
"I'm looking for a man. John Wick." the middle-aged man in the fine pinstripe suit said. "Is he in?"
Charon straightened up more than he was. "Mr. Wick is currently indisposed."
"I see. Is the management in?" the man asked.
"The management is always in." Charon said.
"Would you please tell him that I wish to speak with him?" he asked.
"Of course." Charon said as he picked up the phone and pressed the button. "Sir? There is a Mr. Matteo here to see you."
Winston was quick to come into the main foyer of the Continental to personally greet the current high-ranking member of Camorra. As quick as a casual walk was for him. He saw no reason to be any later than his usual self permitted.
"Mr. Matteo." Winston said, shaking the mans hand.
"Winston. It has been a while." Matteo replied, a firm grip on the managers hand.
"It surely has. Long trip? If so, come, let me offer you a drink." Winston said.
"Thank you." Matteo said with a small bow.
Winston lead Matteo and his personal aide into his private office, where he poured a drink for the man. Matteo's guards waited outside along with his lovely traveling companion.
"Something for you, my dear?" Winston asked the aide.
"Just water, thank you." the young woman in the business suit, glasses and hair tied in a bun said.
Winston did his best to be a good host, and so accommodated his guests.
"So, tell me... what brings Camorra's highest seat here to my domain? Or do I even need to ask?" Winston asked as he sat across from Mr. Matteo.
"I was hoping to speak with Mr. Wick, concerning the matter of Gianna and Santino D'Antonio." Matteo said.
"I'm afraid Mr. Wick is currently indisposed. It's been a rather... busy week for him." Winston said.
"Yes, I know. Three days ago he killed Santino D'Antonio, outside of Continental grounds. Two days before that, he killed his sister, Gianna, in her private room in Rome. Now... I have heard several rumors regarding Mr. Wick, and I merely wish to confirm them." Matteo said.
"Oh? And what rumors are those?" Winston asked playfully.
"That he killed nearly three dozen of Gianna's guards, as well as nearly forty of Santino's own men. Not to mention several other people in New York who tried to claim the bounty on his head." Matteo said.
"As you say, a busy week." Winston said.
"There are questions that I wish to ask Mr. Wick personally. You understand." he said.
"I do. My concern is that you may or may not like the answer."
Matteo said nothing for several minutes as he smiled at the other man.
"I have no interest in going to war over a simple meeting, Winston." Matteo said.
"You have gone to war in the past, for much less." Winston argued.
"True. Much to my own... inconvenience." he agreed.
Winston said nothing as he let Matteo finish his drink.
"You have my word, Winston, I honor the neutrality of the Continental." Matteo said.
"That is good to know." Winston said. "I will speak with Jonathan, on your behalf, regarding this meeting you wish to have. When he is ready to talk. But that is up to him."
"I have nothing but time, Winston. Until then, I take it the hospitality of the Continental is still available to us?"
"Always." Winston said.
Matteo turned to his assistant. "Make the arrangements, will you?"
"Yes, sir." the woman said.
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It was two days later, and John was feeling better. Mostly in body. His mind and soul, however, were still in a state of turmoil.
John had been informed of his guests from Camorra. He could only guess at what they wanted. Though, a more pragmatic man would instantly know why.
He looked over to his side table and saw his phone.
It was a gift from Julius from the Continental of Rome. His phone had been destroyed, but the memory chip inside it was still functioning. Julius had been nice enough to get him a new phone. It was more than he deserved, really.
John dressed himself to be as presentable as possible. He knew this meeting was inevitable.
"Stay, boy." he said to his dog as he headed out of his room.
John headed down to the meeting room that Winston had arranged for his face-to-face with the new leader of Camorra.
Which is something that John found a little odd.
A member of the High Table, waiting until he was ready to meet with them. Something like that was completely unheard of.
Then again, it was The Continental, and certain 'protocols' had to be followed. Even the High Table respected that.
And then of course, there was John's reputation to consider.
John walked to the meeting room as best he could. He was feeling much better than he had been a week ago.
He stopped at the meet room, where two men in suits were standing guard.
"I'm here to see Mr. Matteo." John said to them.
The men nodded and opened the doors, allowing John to enter.
When he got inside, he saw that the setting was much more comfortable than expected. A long and low wooden and glass table in between two plush couches. At the head of the table was a single seat chair, which John suspected was for Winston as both host and informal third party.
John quickly noted that Winston, Mr. Matteo, his secretary, and one of Winstons aides were there as well.
"Jonathan. Thank you for coming." Winston said.
"This meeting was inevitable." John said.
"Oh course. Please, sit." Winston said as his aide brought John a glass of bourbon.
Mr. Matteo sat down across from John, with his aide next to him, her laptop out and on her knees. Winston sat in the single chair at the head of the table.
"Mr. Wick. I thank you for meeting with me." Matteo said to him.
"I apologize if I kept you waiting." John said to him.
"You have had a busy week." Matteo said. "Quite understandable really."
John said nothing, giving the man his undivided attention.
"I'll get right to the point, Mr. Wick. About a week and a half ago, you killed Gianna D'Antonio. Two days later, you killed her brother, Santino. Now... I have heard numerous rumors as to why, considering you were said to be retired. But I also want to hear... the why, from you. Please, entertain me."
John took a calming breath before telling him.
"About five years back, I gave Santino a marker, a favor in blood to be paid back, because he helped me out with a special job. A job that I needed to do in order to be retired." John explained.
"Mmm-hmm." Matteo nodded.
"Then one day he came back, and presented me with a job he wanted me to do. I refused. So he burnt down my house. It was after that, I reluctantly took the job he wanted of me." John said.
"To kill his sister." Matteo said.
"Yes. I did the job, reluctantly, and right after that, Santino tried to make it look like he was the good brother, and put a contact out on me."
"For seven million." Matteo mused. "A good price for you, Mr. Wick."
"Thank you. I had to go through a lot of people to get to here. Santino, however, chose to hide out here at the Continental like a coward. And in order to get him, I had to commit an extraordinary act, to get Santino off the grounds in order to end him myself."
"Yes. You shot yourself. Is that right?" he asked.
"In the head." John said.
"That must have been painful." Matteo said with a small smile.
"Made me pass out."
Matteo nodded in understanding.
"That confirms everything we were told." the female aide said to Matteo, who nodded to her.
"Where did you hear all this?" John asked.
"Cassian." Matteo said simply. "Though he was not the only one." he said, remembering how his men had found Ares in the museum on the verge of death.
"I see." John nodded. "How is he?"
"He was able to get that knife in his chest removed, without much blood loss." he said.
"Good to know."
"He was the one who told us about the Marker than you gave Santino. It is understandable that he would be upset, but as it stands, it also means that Santino was responsible for Gianna's death. And since you took care of that..."
"The High Table isn't concerned about me? About... retaliation?" John asked.
"Yours, or theirs?" Matteo asked.
John said nothing.
"Mr. Wick, let me be clear. There are some members of The High Table who would like nothing more than to... eliminate you, for the loss of one of their own. They don't like it that one of The High Table could be so easily dispatched. It makes them look weak. There are some, though, that wish to make you an offer to work for them. Given your skills, and reputation. However, I am aware that you wish to be retired. Is that right?"
"It is." he replied.
"Had Cassian not brought to us the details of Gianna's death, we would be more than willing to go to war with you. However, seeing as how you have eliminated the one responsible for her death, and given what has happened both in Rome and New York this past week... I see little reason to continue any sort of vendetta against you." he said to John. "Mostly because it is a waste of manpower."
John kept a straight face, even though Winston was smiling.
"As a gesture of good faith, I have already taken steps to make the bounty on your head disappear, Mr. Wick." he said.
John looked over to Winston, his aide talking to someone on her phone. The aide then whispered something to Winston, who looked back to John and nodded.
"I appreciate that." John said.
"I have also arranged for your house to be repaired. It should be ready in two weeks." Matteo added.
"Thank you, but... may I ask... why?" John asked the man. "You don't owe me anything, and if nothing else I have... inconvenienced you. Heavily."
"You have inconvenienced The High Table, Mr. Wick, not me. I can understand a blood debt to be repaid. I had one myself. Once. And as for your house being rebuilt, call it a payoff. A means of insuring that you... stay retired." he said to John.
John simply took to nod at what he meant. He was giving John something to ensure that he would not return to 'inconvenience' the High Table or Camorra again.
"I represent all of Camorra in this, Mr. Wick. I am well aware of your reputation, and I see no reason to bring... The Boogyman... down upon us."
Matteo turned to his assistant.
"We'll be leaving tomorrow. Make the arrangements." he said to her.
"Yes, sir." she said to him as he stood up.
"I will deal with Camorra and make sure they leave you alone, Mr. Wick. I will also encourage The High Table not to pursue this matter. So long as you stay retired."
Matteo and his assistant walked out of the room, with Winstons aide escorting them out to help with their departure for tomorrow, leaving John and Winston to themselves.
"He's being unusually generous to me." John said.
"Not really." Winston said. "He leads Camorra now. With Gianna and Santino dead, Matteo will absorb everything they had into his own circle. You've actually done him a service."
"That's why he's paying me off." John understood.
"Yes. Now, until your house has been rebuilt, feel free to stay here. And may I suggest something for dinner. You're looking thin." Winston smirked.
John didn't laugh, but smirked at the joke. He hadn't had anything much to eat in his recovery. And only Bourbon to quell the pain.
"Yeah. That sounds good." John agreed.
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Authors Notes:
Just a little something to tie up the last chapter, where John killed Santino.
Not sure where else to go with this, but I've got some other ideas for more John Wick-related stories.