1 Chapter 1

Chapter 1

In one of the world's fastest-growing cities where stood one of the greatest monuments of human ambition and advancements, in the form of the tallest building in the world. The buzzing and illuminating city of Dubai was leaping forward at a leopard's pace, and at the place where once was nothing but sand dunes under the scorching Sun now stood one of the world's biggest cities.

One man stared down at the illuminated city, and from his place, as he stood at the topmost floor of the Burj Khalifa, the people below looked like ants. Through the tinted glass windows of his suite, he could look in all directions and see the whole city like an overarching deity.

"It is rare for you to travel like this, Elder?" said the only other man present in the suite. This man, in contrast to the other one, was not dressed in the signature Emirati kandura but was dressed in the Western style and wore simple brown pants and a blue shirt matching with his blue eyes. His blonde hair was tucked back and shimmered even in the dim light.

"Indeed, but I wanted to see the city for myself," began the Elder as he turned away from the arching glass as finally turned to face the blonde man who stood straight, sweating lightly even in the air-conditioned suite.

The blonde man nodded before he spoke slowly.

"It's growing rapidly. They say by the end of the decade it might even overtake New York as the world's economic hub," yet the Elder shook his head.

"I doubt that, but you are partially correct. The city has grown quite a bit," spoke the Elder slowly as he scanned the sky line of the city and continued.

"And I believe it is imperative that we bring order to it before the chaos spirals out too much," and the blonde man stiffened at those words as his eyes widened. Silence descended into the room before he finally spoke up.

"A continental in Dubai, wouldn't it be a bit premature?" questioned the Berrata cautiously, and the Elder shook his head.

"No, I believe it is time," and the Elder's words broke no argument.

The Continental was a chain of highly exclusive hotels that served under the High Table. And the High Table served under the Elder. Berrata nodded immediately, for there was no chance of refusal. The Elder was absolute.

"As you say, Elder. We will begin the construction as soon as the due process is completed," spoke Berrata. And just like that decision was made. A decision worth more than tens of billions. For the Continental weren't just a chain of simple hotels. No, they were the beacon of order and stability to a world obscured from the view of the common man. A secret world that dealt with the more animalistic tendencies of homo sapiens. And the continental was a symbol of stability for such a world.

"Good," said the Elder as his eyes focused once more on the blonde standing at the center of the room. The elder frowned for a moment or so as he began to walk towards the table in front of him, and sat down on the chair placed there.

"I remember hearing about some nasty business in New York involving some chaos in the Continental there," asked the Elder and the blonde man nodded as he replied immediately.

"Indeed, there was an incident, one of the members decided to break the rules and tried to assassinate someone in the vicinity of the Hotel, but I have been told that her membership has been revoked and the matter has been taken care of," informed Berrata, his eyes focused on the Elder as the man nodded before he suddenly spoke up a name.

"Indeed, I heard that the person she was trying to kill was John Wick," and Berrate gulped as he heard that name. For none in their circles didn't know that name. There were many names for John Wick, Baba Yaga, and the Boogeyman. A monster of intangible will and prowess, bred and nurtured by them for a singular purpose.

Death. Absolute and certain death.

"Indeed, her name was Perkins, but the manager there has assured her that she will no longer be a problem," yet the fact that the Elder knew that name meant that he was completely aware of that incident. Yet Berrata couldn't understand why he was suddenly interested in such a small skirmish that had taken place on the other side of the world.

"I know that Winston killed her for her actions. An appropriate punishment for her offense, yet I find it rather intriguing how she failed to kill even an injured and nearly dead John Wick," spoke the Elder as he leaned back into his chair. And Berrata didn't know how to respond to that. He wasn't privy to the details, though he suspected that Elder already knew them.

He gulped as the Elder suddenly asked him a question.

"Remind me, what's the strongest punishment for breaking the rules?"

Berrata frowned before he cautiously answered.

"Excommunicado, the person is declared excommunicado by the High Table. They are denied all services, and a bounty is placed on their head," and the Elder nodded at his words.

"Excommunicado," the Elder spoke slowly before suddenly whispering another question.

"And what if that's not enough?" and the question stumped Berrata. He thought of a reply yet found none, so, in the end, he cautiously spoke up.

"Respectfully, there has never been such a case, Elder. No one has ever survived more than a day after being declared excommunicado. It is the highest order of punishment and control dolled by the High Table. There is nothing beyond that."

And suddenly, he noticed a glint appear in the elder's eyes before the man whispered ominously.

"Perhaps there should be."

0000

Nina Dobrov watched the kid in front of her and could barely believe that the infamous HWwas just a kid who had yet to reach puberty. The kid stood there staring at her as his dog sat by his leg as they negotiated the contract.

Viggo Tarasov's death had rattled the Russian mafia in the city, and with both him and his son dying, there was a war going on. A war that she needed to end by tonight. And that was what had brought her to him. HW is a rising star in the underworld. For the past two years, his name had been going around in various circles, and now she could understand why.

She looked him over, and the kid barely reached her shoulders and was dressed in black pants and a blue shirt with those Japanese cartoons over it. From afar, he looked no different than a new teenager, yet his eyes spoke a completely different tale. Those blue eyes that looked her over from head to toe and saw merely a target. She had seen that disregard for human life in only a few people, very few people, and each and every one of them was a legend in the underworld.

"So what brings the White Ghost to a nobody like me?" spoke the kid as he stared at her lazily. Nina looked him over once more before she spoke out.

"I have a contract, an urgent one," and she saw him grimace a bit at that.

"You do know that urgency costs extra," and she nodded. She had heard that. So, she took out a golden stack of golden coins from her pocket and showed it to him.

"Ten golden coi…" but he shook his head.

"No, I believe they will not work. The continental has an age requirement which I do not meet currently, so those coins are useless to me at the moment," and she nodded though the age limit for continental membership was news to her. But Nina had skipped over the whole rules section like everyone else in her field. They all knew the necessary ones.

"I can do cash as well," she spoke and she saw his eyes narrow before he suddenly spoke up once more.

"Cash will work, however, I have another condition?" she frowned as he carried on.

"I want you to answer a couple of questions for me, and in return, I will only charge you the regular amount," and she frowned. Questions. But nonetheless, she nodded. A couple of questions about half the rate. That was easy.

"That will be ok. But how do you know that I have the answers to your questions?" she teased him yet the boy seemed unaffected by her.

"I just know. So, it's a deal, and she nodded," as she put forward her hand. However, there was no response from him.

"I don't shake hands with strangers. Now, I believe you want me to kill Velana Chevsky, I have heard she is giving your boss Igor quite a tough time," and she seemed surprised that he knew about the inner happenings of the Russian mafia.

"Yes, she is planning on meeting some other splinter groups tonight to convince them to come and work under her. Together they could pose a threat to Igor Tarasov. So, we need her to die before midnight, and I was told that you were the man for the job," and he nodded.

"You came to the right place. I can do the job as per the terms, I want twenty percent before the job and the rest within an hour after the job. Otherwise," and he shrugged as he waved his hand.

"There will be consequences," and she raised a brow at that statement.

"It will be done. I will need to confirm the job. So, I will be observing though I can assure you I will not interfere in your work," and he nodded.

"I don't mind," and she saw him look at his watch before he pointed at a building to her side.

"Velana is to pass through 40th street, you can observe it from the rooftop of that building. Now, I will be leaving for I have to make preparations," and with that, he began to walk into the shadow with his dog chasing right after him.

Nina saw him vanish into the shadows and smiled as she whistled.

"Oho, let's see how good you really are!"

0000

Nina stood on the rooftop as she looked at the traffic below with her binoculars, and as the midnight approached, the roads had begun to clear, and now there was barely anyone driving on the roads.

She checked her watch and saw that it was three minutes to eleven and a half, so that meant Velana would be passing by any time now. She looked below and found the kid standing there in the alley with his dog by his side as he played with a lighter in his hand.

Suddenly she saw a car turn on the street, and she immediately recognized that number plate. It was Velana. The car raced straight down on 40th Street, and she watched as the kid did not react at all and simply stood there. And she frowned as she saw this.

"What is he doing?" she whispered as the car raced down the road, and then it all happened in the blink of an eye as his dog suddenly ran straight out of the alley into Velana Chesky's car's path. And the kid was right behind the dog.

SCREEEEECH.

The driver hit the brakes as soon as he spotted the dog, and the car swiveled a bit yet the brakes had been hit too late.

BANG!

And she both saw the car hit the dog and the kid, and she cursed in her heart for trusting a kid with such an important job. Gods, what was she thinking?

She saw the driver come out of the car as the kid lay there bleeding though he seemed healthy enough to stand even though he was bleeding from his head and was cradling his arm.

"Porter! Porter!" screamed the kid emotionally, and Nina watched as the driver berated the kid for his foolishness and rashness as the kid whimpered and made excuses. Finally, she saw Velana herself step out of the car, and the wife of Viggo's ex-second in command was no ordinary woman. Regarded as the brain behind Priv, Viggo's second in command, she approached the kid and began to talk to him, and Nina thought it a perfect opportunity to take down the woman herself, and just as she was about to take out her own gun. She stopped as she noticed something come out from under Velana's car.

In the end, she watched as Velana gave the kid a couple of hundred bucks before she and her driver rushed back to her car. And in the end, the kid picked up his dog and skidded into the alley again and she watched as the car simply rushed past the street.

She frowned as she watched the car turn towards the other street heading towards the meeting place, and she decided to call the kid herself.

She took out her phone and dialed his number, and the kid picked it up after the first bell, and before she could say anything, he spoke.

"Count to five and then look down from the other side of the roof," she stopped, and she walked to the other side of the roof and just as she counted five.

BOOOOOM!

She watched as a car, Velana's car burst into an explosion, and she watched as people gathered and tried to pry open the doors yet to no avail. And she watched as Velana died right there in her car, and with her death ended the Russian mafia's internal war.

"You know what's easier to blow up than a petrol car, an electric car. I am waiting in the alley. Come down here to meet me," and with that the phone went off and Nina gave a final look to the burning remains of the car before she decided to get off the terrace.

She walked across the road, into the desolate alley and saw the kid sitting there as he bandaged his head.

"That's one reason I hate urgent calls," and she saw as his dog from earlier lay there bloodied and barely breathing.

"Do I need to take you to the Hospital," and he shook his head.

"No, all I need from you now is to answer my question," and she nodded. If the kid was old enough to kill one of the Russian mafia bosses like that, he was old enough to take care of himself.

"Ok, ask away," and the kid nodded but before he could say anything she saw him glance towards his dog. The injured dog was whimpering, and she saw him sigh before he walked up to it and cupped its head in his arms for a moment it was as if his eyes softened but then in the blink of an eye, he had reached into his pocket and taken out a gun.

BANG!

She was startled as he suddenly shot his dog in the head, putting it out of his misery. And her eyes widened, and her heart thumped in her chest as she saw him getting covered in blood.

"I was never a dog person anyway," she heard him whisper as he stood up and wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve. She gulped as she saw those lifeless eyes land on her.

"Now, does the word Harbinger mean anything to you!"

And her feet stilled as she heard that word. And there was a single thought running through her head.

'Gods, what had she gotten herself involved into!'

0000

OK, how about this one? I think this fits the vibe better.

Please tell me your thoughts! I would really love to hear them.

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