Berrada walked back to his ornate chair and sat down, crossing his legs. "I cannot tell you where to find the Elder."
At his refusal, John exhaled a breath of frustration and stood up.
Seeing John rise, Berrada held up a hand. "You don't understand. The Elder isn't someone you find. He is someone who chooses to find you."
"If you wish to speak with him, go to the edge of the desert. Look up. Canis Minor, the constellation that follows Orion through the night sky. Follow the brightest star."
"Walk until you are on the brink of death, and then keep walking. When you have only your final breath left, he will find you. Or perhaps... he won't."
John Wick didn't hesitate. "I'm grateful."
Beside him, Sofia added, "Thank you, sir."
The two turned to leave, ready to face the dunes.
"Perhaps you weren't listening earlier," Berrada's voice drifted after them, cold and expectant. "Social contracts. Social relations. Just now, you received a great gift. I hosted your friend."
He gestured toward John, then stood and walked toward Sofia. "How will you repay me?"
Berrada returned to the Malinois he had petted earlier. He knelt, stroking its fur one last time. "So gentle, yet so fierce. I truly like this dog."
He looked up at Sofia. "I'm keeping him."
Sofia froze. "What did you say?"
Berrada stood up slowly, his hand lingering on the dog's head. "This will be my gift. Your way of showing fealty."
Sofia shook her head, her voice firm. "No."
"It's the least you can do," Berrada insisted.
"No," Sofia repeated, her hand drifting toward her side. "You are not keeping my dog."
Berrada let out a disappointed sigh and raised his hands. "Fine. Fine."
He turned toward a box on the table, pulled out a handgun, and aimed it directly at the Malinois. "Then I'll just kill it."
Bang!
Berrada pulled the trigger. The bullet struck the dog, and it collapsed instantly.
Sofia let out a strangled cry and fell to her knees beside the animal, clutching its neck. "Medic! I need a medic!"
On the top floor, the gunshot echoed clearly. Hayate's team, who had been watching the scene like hawks, saw the movement immediately.
Hotaru whispered, "Someone really did shoot the dog."
"Boss," she added, "wasn't the whole reason John killed Viggo and his son because of a dog?"
Hayate nodded. "Just watch. This 'dog person' has a temper every bit as explosive as John's."
On the second-floor balcony, Berrada looked down at the frantic Sofia with zero sincerity. "I'm sorry, Sofia. But some lessons must be learned the hard way."
As she sobbed, Sofia's hands moved over the dog's body—only to feel something hard. She pulled a flattened lead slug from the dog's ballistic vest.
The bullet hadn't penetrated; the vest had saved it.
Sofia's grief vanished, replaced by a cold, murderous rage. She looked at John.
John saw the look in her eyes and warned, "Don't."
It was too late. Sofia drew her pistol from the dog's harness and fired a round into Berrada's stomach. She didn't stop there, immediately opening fire on the surrounding guards.
With the peace shattered, John Wick had no choice. He lunged at a guard, wrestled away a submachine gun, and began spraying lead.
Berrada groaned, trying to scramble away, but the dog he had just shot suddenly leaped to its feet. It lunged, its jaws snapping shut directly on Berrada's groin.
Berrada's scream was high-pitched and harrowing. "AAAAGGHHH!"
The skirmish was over in seconds. Between two legendary assassins and two highly trained war dogs, the guards didn't stand a chance.
Berrada lay on the floor, clutching his crotch, blood soaking through his hands. Sofia walked over, her shadow looming over him, and raised her gun to finish it.
"Sofia, don't," John urged.
Sofia glanced at John, then shifted her aim and put a bullet into Berrada's thigh. "He shot my dog," she growled.
John nodded solemnly. "I understand."
Berrada continued to wail. Sofia scanned the area. "We have to go. Now."
The two of them, followed by the dogs, began their fighting retreat out of the hotel.
Upstairs, Hayate and his team had seen the whole messy affair.
Looking at the carnage and the specific nature of Berrada's injury, even Hayate felt a sympathetic phantom pain.
"Boss," Iruka asked, "do you want us to go down and help them?"
Hayate thought for a second. "Let's go. We're going to help."
He turned and led the group down to the second floor. As they approached the balcony doors, Hotaru whispered, "Boss, John and Sofia are already gone. They're fighting their way to the gates."
Hayate smiled. "I never said I was helping John Wick. He has the information he needs; he'll find the Table. Right now, the one who needs help is poor Berrada."
He pushed open the balcony doors. Berrada was still on the floor, thrashing in agony. Hayate clicked his tongue.
"Tsk, tsk. What a mess. Honestly, why would you shoot a dog in front of a professional dog lover? The last guy who did that got his whole family tree erased."
Berrada looked up, his face twisted in pain. Seeing Hayate, he gasped, "Shiranui... what are you doing here? Are you here to..."
He prepared himself for the coup de grâce.
Hayate shook his head. "No, I'm not here to kill you."
Berrada gripped his leg. "The Elder's location—"
"I don't need it yet," Hayate interrupted. "It's not time for our meeting. I'm here to save you."
Hayate knelt beside him. He checked the leg—a clean through-and-through. Then he checked the other injury.
Still there. Barely. The dog had been relatively merciful, but it was hanging by a thread. Hayate wondered if the Paraffin Wax Bath from the Continental's medical tech would work on that.
Hayate leaned in and whispered a few words into Berrada's ear.
The manager's eyes widened. He began to nod frantically, a glimmer of desperate hope replacing his terror.
Hayate stood and looked at Iruka. "Pick Mr. Berrada up. Be gentle. Take him to the executive lounge."
Then he turned to Rock Lee and Sasuke. "You two, go prepare a recovery bath. We're going to see if we can put this 'believer' back together."