At that moment, Viggo had already cornered Marcus in his home. All of Marcus's weapons had been stripped away.
Several men pinned Marcus down while Viggo beat him mercilessly. Now Marcus lay on the ground, barely breathing, his face drenched in blood.
Viggo sat on the nearby staircase and pulled out his phone, dialing John Wick.
"Hello, Jonathan."
"I appreciate you granting my son death. I really don't know what else to say."
John Wick was driving as he listened to Viggo's words.
"Marcus betrayed me. For your sake, he crossed the line."
"I'll deal with him according to the rules of the Russian Mob."
Viggo hung up after that. Then he picked up a towel and twisted it until it looked like a rope.
Marcus, lying on the floor, barely croaked out,
"You canceled the bounty."
Viggo's eyes flared in anger.
"If the bounty had remained, you'd still have a chance…"
"A chance to kill John Wick."
"If you'd done your job, my son might still be alive."
He punched Marcus again, then after a few more brutal hits, strangled him with the twisted towel until he stopped breathing.
······
As the call ended, John Wick jerked the wheel violently and made a sharp U-turn, heading straight for Marcus's home.
On the way, he recalled what Fox and Winston had said back at the Continental. His clean-up work really had been a mess.
If Viggo had discovered Marcus helped him, he might also have found out that Smith Dole saved him too. If so, Smith could be in danger. He immediately called Smith.
"Smith, it's John."
"John, what is it?"
Wick's voice was heavy with sorrow. A dear friend who had saved him multiple times had died because of him.
"I shouldn't have spared Viggo."
"Marcus helped me, and Viggo killed him for it."
"You saved my life too, and ruined Viggo's plans. I'm worried he'll come after you as well. Be careful."
Smith glanced at Fox in the passenger seat and sighed.
"Viggo already sent his men. Fox and I took care of them."
John Wick was silent for a moment.
"I'm sorry, Smith."
"I'll make sure he won't bother you again."
After hanging up, Smith shook his head.
Even if John Wick wanted revenge, Smith had no intention of letting Viggo live either.
But first, he had to return to the Assassins' Brotherhood. As for Viggo's life—it depended on who reached him first.
······
Soon after, Smith brought Fox back to the Brotherhood. He placed her in the recovery room, then headed to the meeting room.
There, the Gunsmith, the Butcher, Cross, and Mr. X were already waiting for him.
Cross looked up as Smith entered.
"GOD, your mission selection is ready. Choose one."
"These organizations listed here... they're all ones we believe need to be wiped out. But the difficulty varies. Even our oldest nemesis is on that list."
He placed a folder in front of Smith.
Smith opened it. The first page surprised him—it listed none other than the Russian Mob in New York, with detailed info on their leadership, headquarters, outposts, and major crimes.
Smith skimmed through it and flipped to the second page.
If the Russian Mob was the appetizer, then the second enemy—Wilson Fisk of Hell's Kitchen—was definitely a main course.
He turned to the third page: the High Table.
Then the fourth: the Hand.
The Hand was the Brotherhood's long-standing rival. Although no recent conflict had occurred, former leader Sloan's greatest achievement was brokering a temporary ceasefire with them.
Despite the reputations of these organizations, Smith felt no fear. With his current strength, he could take them on.
Cross spoke again.
"There are four groups here, but you only need to complete one of the first two."
"The last two will be your responsibility after you become the head of the Brotherhood."
Smith understood. Though it looked like four missions, only the first two mattered for now—either the easier Russian Mob or the tougher Kingpin.
He closed the folder and said:
"I'll take all four."
Mr. X blinked, stunned.
"Smith, you only need to do one."
Smith nodded but insisted:
"I'll start with the Russian Mob. As for the rest—since they're all on our clean-up list, I'll take them down one by one."
Cross nodded.
"Then begin with the Russian Mob. But that one, you must complete alone. The other three… once you become the leader, you'll have the entire Brotherhood at your command."
······
Elsewhere.
John Wick had arrived outside Marcus's home. He got out of the car, weapon in hand, and quietly moved inside, unsure if Viggo had left anyone behind.
Inside, he found no one—just Marcus's lifeless body lying in a pool of blood. Viggo and his men were already gone.
John's expression darkened. Marcus had been beaten severely—his face unrecognizable, legs pierced with knives, and finally strangled.
Seeing his old friend's eyes wide open in death, Wick gently closed them and whispered:
"Marcus, I will avenge you."
He picked up his phone and called Winston. When the call connected, he went straight to the point.
"Winston, I want information on Viggo."
Winston replied,
"John, the Continental has rules. So I can't tell you that someone is currently holed up in his headquarters…"
"Or that he's summoned all his men there."
John understood the hint immediately and hung up.
Looking down at Marcus, John Wick made a silent vow of vengeance.
He left the house. He needed to prepare. Charging in without weapons wouldn't be revenge—it would be suicide.
(End of Chapter)
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