A Man of Service A John Wick Fanfic

Prologue

A/N  Since it looks like we won't have another JW movie until 2022 (2023???), I guess we'll just have to read fanfics to get our doses of John Wick and company. So here's another start. Enjoy! As a further note, I do not own these characters and am using them for entertainment purposes only.

T/W – violence, adult situations, swearing, use of guns

As John walked toward the glass doors leading out onto the roof of the Continental, he heard running footsteps behind him, and immediately grabbed the gun from the waistband of his pants, turned around and aimed.

Kate stopped dead in her tracks. "John, it's me," she called out to him.

"Oh, shit," he exclaimed, putting the gun back in his waistband. He started to walk toward her, but seemed to anger the closer he got. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, taking her firmly by the shoulders. "I got you out of here for a reason. To keep you safe. I can't protect you here, Kate. Why didn't you stay where I left you?"

She looked up into his face and saw worry and concern behind flaming, dark eyes.

After a long while, Kate said just over a whisper, "Are you here?"

John shook his head in confusion. "What?"

"Are you here?" she asked pointedly, her eyes flashing towards spots in the destroyed room.

"Yes," he sighed, still not understanding. "I'm here."

Kate stepped closer so they were toe to toe. Sweetly, she murmured, "Then 'here' is where I want to be."

John's face softened. "You know this can't happen, Kate. I've wanted you from the minute I saw you, but it's impossible. I've explained it to you. We live in two different worlds and I can't bring you into mine and yours wouldn't want me. We can't do this."

"I really don't understand. Why not?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Because it will be too hard to stop."

She heard the gunshots as she waited for him inside the doors and instantly and impulsively pushed against the glass, just in time to see John take a final shot from Winston's gun and fall over the side of the building.

"Winston, what have you done?" Kate cried out, running to the ledge. "What have you done?"

"Killed him, I think," he answered steadily with a slight smirk for the benefit of the other people standing around him.

One tall woman with short, dark hair immediately got on the phone. The concierge seemed unconcerned. The violence had no effect on them.

Kate ran to Winston and slapped him across the face with a strong hand. "How could you betray him like that? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Before Winston could answer, Kate turned around and headed for the doors with John's dog at her side. When she reached the street below, the dog took off down the alley and Kate knew he was following John's scent. She ran after him and spotted John's broken body in a grocery shopping cart, being pushed by someone she didn't know and who reminded her of a homeless man. They all turned down another alley, with Kate following them as discreetly as she could.

What she didn't know was the apparent homeless man had hearing like a blood hound and could hear her quite clearly as she placed each foot in front of the other on the worn asphalt. Still pushing a broken John in the cart with the dog at his side, he ducked into a breezeway and grabbed Kate roughly when she passed by.

"Why are you following me?" he barked at her, his face twisted in anger.

Kate tried to swallow her fear. "I...I...I saw John fall and I wanted to make sure he was okay."

"Bullshit, Lady," he snapped. "Who do you work for?"

Kate choked on her own saliva. "No one. No one. I used to work in a band. I was the singer..."

He couldn't decide if he should believe her or not. As John let out a moan from the cart, the homeless man got right up into Kate's face, and not worrying that he was spitting on her, told her to "get the fuck out of here before I kill you both."

Her back straightened as she replied, "No."

"You're in over your head, you know," the man told her. "Quit being a fucking Mother Teresa and go sing with your band. Mr. Wick here will be taken care of. If you stick around, you're gonna see some stuff you really don't want to."

"I'll accept the risk," she answered flatly. Kate heard John mumble her name and reach out a bloody, broken hand that she took in hers.

"Go back," he groaned. "Go where I took you. Please."

He seemed to pass out again and his hand went limp in hers but she held on tightly. "Where are you taking him?"

"To see the King, you pain in my ass. Now get lost." The man pointed his handgun right at Kate's forehead. She was so frightened she nearly lost control of her bladder but reluctantly released John's hand and backed away. Kate watched them until they turned a corner out of her field of vision.

Now she needed to get some answers and she knew whom to ask. Winston. She hoped he had gotten over the slap on the face or she was going to have to do some fast talking; for that matter, she would do nearly anything to find out where that man was taking John.