John Wick: A Life For A Life

By Andreas Leachim

John Wick is a professional hitman employed by the Tarasov Syndicate in New York. He is becoming a legend in the criminal underworld, and his life resolves entirely around killing anyone that his boss, Viggo Tarasov, orders him to. But when John receives an unexpected phone call, he takes on a new job. This time, instead of taking a life, John must try and save one ...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andreas Leachim
• Release date: Oct 30, 2021

Andreas Leachim

Andreas Leachim is seven feet tall and has six fingers on each hand. He speaks 22 languages. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and the Cy Young Award all in the same year. He once climbed Mount Everest while juggling a pair of flaming chainsaws. He is allergic to other human beings.

Book preview

John Wick: A Life For A Life

By Andreas Leachim

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2021 Andreas Leachim

Cover art and design by Andreas Leachim

This is a work of fan fiction based on the John Wick film series. All characters and names and related trademarks are the property of Derek Kolstad and Lionsgate Films. The author of this work receives no financial compensation from it and does not seek to infringe upon Lionsgate’s copyrights in any way.

Prologue

Mackinaw, Kansas

There was a knock on the door. David Miller set down the morning newspaper and reluctantly got up out of his recliner to answer it.

Figures, he muttered to himself. He finally had the house to himself for a few hours and now someone had to come and bother him. It was probably the mailman delivering a package. His wife hadn’t told him that she ordered anything on the internet, but maybe she had. He idly ran his hand through his thinning hair and opened the front door.

A man in a black suit stood on the porch. He was of medium height and build, with jet black hair and a black beard trimmed very short. His suit was simple and nondescript, but perfectly-fitted and without so much as a thread out of place. The man’s hands were folded in front of him.

David froze in place, hand firmly on the doorknob, his mouth half open with an unspoken greeting. His eyes opened wide and he sucked in a short gasp, as if he had forgotten how to breath.

J-John? he managed to stammer.

Good morning, Laurence, the man named John said. It’s good to see you again.

David hadn’t been called Laurence in years. It was the name he’d been born with, but everyone knew him as David now, even his wife. Hearing his old name was like a knife in his heart.

He glanced back over his shoulder into the house. My … my wife is ...

At work, John said. And your daughter had a sleepover at her friend’s house last night and won’t be back until this afternoon. Let me in the house, Laurence. I have to talk to you.

David’s hand shook as he opened the door all the way and stepped aside. John gave him a short nod and stepped into the house. He went over to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair. David watched him and then took a deep breath before closing the door. He prayed that no one saw John come to his house, but he doubted that John would have been sloppy enough to let that happen. If he knew about David’s wife and daughter, he also took the neighbors into account.

John sat down and undid the buttons on his suit. He propped one leg on the other and then gestured for David to take a seat beside him.

Do you .. do you want a coffee or something? David asked, stalling.

No, thank you. I won’t be here long. Please, sit down.

David did as he was told. He sat with his hands in his lap and forced himself to meet John’s gaze, although every muscle in his body was screaming at him to run as fast and as far as he could.

You’ve done well for yourself, Laurence, John said. I’m happy for you. To be honest, I’m a little bit jealous. It’s not often people like us get to make a clean break.

It wasn’t clean, David said. You know that. If they ever find out that I’m alive ...

They won’t, John assured him. Nobody knows I’m here. You don’t think I went to all the trouble to help you, just to screw up and lead them back to you now, do you?

No, David said. But I don’t understand how you think, John. I never did. I don’t know why you helped me in the first place. So if you chose to betray me now, I wouldn’t understand that either. For all I know, you came here to kill me.

If I did, you’d have been dead the moment you opened the front door, John said matter-of-factly. He opened his coat and and reached into an inner pocket. David felt his heart sink in his chest, and watched in despair as John took out a large gray metal coin and set it on the table. It had a skull on it with the words Quod Debitum Sanguine.

David stared at it and choked back a sob. John … John, I can’t … I have a family, I can’t help you, I just can’t ...

It’s your Marker, John said. You owe me.

I thought that … I thought that you’d never need to call it in. I can’t go back, John, David whimpered, feeling tears in his eyes. He averted his gaze from the Marker and stared at the floor, shaking his head. I can’t do that anymore, I can’t help you ...

Yes, you can, John replied calmly. And you will. You don’t have to go back. You get to stay here with your family and be happy for the rest of your days.

David forced himself to look up. Then … then what do you want?

I saved your life and brought you out here in the middle of nowhere so that no one would ever find you. You’re going to return the favor.

1

New York – Six months ago

It was raining. John Wick sat in his car and watched rivulets run down his windshield as the rain pattered across the roof. He wiped his hands on a handkerchief and tossed it onto the passenger seat. Examining his fingernails, he saw stubborn traces of blood still smeared in the cuticles of his right hand. He frowned and then reached into his pocket for his keys.

The car started with a roar. He eased his way out of the alley where the car had been parked and blended into city traffic. It was heavy, as always, with a multitude of cars, SUVs, taxis, and delivery trucks jockeying for position. Brake lights glared and reflected off the wet pavement. Pedestrians on the sidewalk huddled under umbrellas as they hurried along.

The drive to his employer’s office took forty minutes. He drove in silence, patiently maneuvering through the crowded city streets. His destination was a four-story office building that seemed indistinguishable from the other buildings on the street. By the time he arrived, the rain had slowed to