Amid the bustling crowd,
a young girl—no more than fifteen or sixteen—walked out of the airport terminal.
She stood still for a moment in the arrivals hall, scanning the area curiously.
Then, a tall, striking man stepped toward her.
"Eve Macarro?"
His deep voice carried a magnetic tone,
and a warm smile spread across his face—
despite the faint traces of blood still visible on his clothes.
"Yes."
Eve nodded softly, her voice steady but cautious.
Curiosity, wariness, and a bit of unease flickered across her youthful eyes.
"Alex Cross," he introduced himself calmly. "From the Lighthouse Organization."
John reached out a hand, attempting to pat her on the head—
but the girl instinctively caught his wrist, holding it tightly.
A few seconds later, she released her grip,
and his hand gently came down to rest on her hair.
"From this day forward," Alex said evenly,
"you're part of the Lighthouse.
As your initiation gift, I'll take you to see your sister…
and together, we'll destroy the organization that murdered your father."
His words made Eve's guarded expression soften.
The cold, distant look in her eyes melted away, replaced by trembling hope.
"Mr. Cross," she asked in disbelief,
"you really mean that?"
"Of course."
He withdrew his hand, palm open toward her with an assured smile.
Without hesitation, Eve placed her small hand into his.
"Let's go."
Alex led Eve toward the exit,
Anna followed close behind,
and eight armed nuns from the Sisterhood formed a tight security circle around them.
They moved swiftly through the crowd and reached the curbside.
Everything seemed smooth—
until Eve stopped, staring at the two SUVs waiting nearby.
Both vehicles were battered and cracked,
windows half shattered.
"Mr. Cross…" she muttered, her tone half mocking,
"no offense, but it doesn't look like you're doing too great in Prague."
Alex rolled his eyes and flicked her forehead lightly.
"Trust me," he said with a sigh, "you'll understand soon enough."
Just then, Heather opened the rear door.
Alex, Anna, and Eve climbed inside, and the convoy pulled away from the airport.
For a few minutes, all was calm.
Eve opened her mouth to speak—
—but then, across the street,
two cars suddenly veered through the median and barreled straight toward them.
"Mr. Cross!" she screamed.
Before she could react further,
Alex had already drawn his silenced pistol.
He aimed calmly at the oncoming car's front tire—
Pfft! Pfft!
Two muffled shots,
and the car's tire exploded instantly.
It swerved violently, smashing into the other vehicle.
The collision erupted into chaos, triggering a chain reaction across the road.
Eve turned, wide-eyed,
watching as several assassins crawled from the wreckage, guns drawn.
Her years of basic assassin training kicked in instinctively—
she ducked low, covering her head.
Ratatatat!
Bullets peppered their SUV,
but the reinforced armor and bulletproof glass held firm.
Only now did Eve truly grasp
why Alex Cross's ride looked like it had been through hell.
---
Meanwhile, in Prague—
At the Continental Hotel,
Daniel Pine stormed through the glass doors, clutching his daughter tightly.
His car screeched to a stop outside, still dripping blood on the leather seats.
Moments later, several cars pulled up behind him.
Through the tinted windows, armed assassins glared inside.
One of them grabbed his phone and called.
"Sir, did we get the traitor Daniel?"
"Negative," came the reply. "He made it into the Continental.
We can't touch him inside."
Silence.
Then—
CRASH!
The sound of a glass being smashed echoed through the line,
followed by the heavy breathing of the furious old man—
the Town Chief of Hallstatt.
"Fall back for now," he growled.
"I'll have Lena issue an open bounty.
Let every killer in Prague hunt him down."
---
Inside the Continental—
Daniel climbed the stairs, still holding his daughter.
At the top landing, he froze.
Standing before him was John Wick himself.
The man of legend.
He said only three words—calm, clear, and sharp:
"Car keys."
Instinctively, Daniel pulled the keys from his pocket and handed them over.
Without hesitation, John Wick took them, turned, and walked away.
Daniel stared after him in stunned silence,
then bowed his head in quiet respect.
---
Outside,
the assassins of the Hallstatt clan pulled away from the hotel—
only for John Wick to slide into Daniel's car moments later.
He started the engine, shifted into gear,
and tore down the street in pursuit.
---
Back in Hallstatt,
the Town Chief slammed his palm on the desk,
glaring at Lena.
"Effective immediately—
put a public bounty on Daniel Pine's head.
Three million dollars."
Lena nodded and quickly made the call to the High Table's Order Center.
Within minutes, every contract killer in the region received the alert:
> [Open Contract]
Target: Daniel Pine
Affiliation: Bounty Hunter
Reward: $3,000,000
Time Limit: 24 Hours
Location: Prague Continental Hotel (Live Update Enabled)
The old man finally relaxed a little,
but then turned back to Lena.
"Gather twenty men," he ordered.
"Go check on Alex Cross's situation.
If he's still standing, wait it out—
but if he's on the verge of falling,
bring him in alive."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're interested, you can read advanced chapters:
pat reon .com / Samorash