The ticking away of time became louder and louder minute by minute, second by second. This silence, this deceptive calm, was unbearable.

It was impossible to imagine what would happen when the clock struck six.

It was a lot of money, even for contract killers, because life could end quickly with each contract. And fourteen million was enough, enough reason to kill anyone. .... Even a John Wick.

From Santino D'Antonio's initial seven million dollar bounty, which was enough for enough assassins to mess with John Wick, the High Chamber doubled it to make sure that the interest in the Baba Yaga and the money was greater than their own lives.

With so much money at stake, many seemed to forget who they were supposed to be killing. A mistake. A big one.

It might be that most of the underworld was now on the hunt for Jonathan, but it would hardly be that easy.

Gone. Far away. Out of New York, but where? There was no place John could run to without anyone noticing. The Boogeyman would raise eyebrows everywhere.

"No," there was only one person whose voice was as calm and determined at the same time as Alice knew it to be, "No way."

"Excuse me?" asked Alice, looking up at the manager of the New York Continental who was standing a meter away from her, looking down at her, "I did...."

"But I know what you're thinking right now," Alice was politely interrupted by Winston, "I've known you for years, dear Alice, so I know you can't just sit on the sidelines when it comes to Jonathan. You've been there. There's nothing we can do for him."

"In less than ten minutes, he'll be up for grabs. He'll be hunted like a fox in the fox hunt," Alice countered, breathing heavily, "people will kill each other because everyone wants to be the one who gets the money in the end. And not only that. Whoever kills John Wick will be the new Baba Yaga. The most feared killer. So if someone dies hunting John, it would be considered an occupational hazard."

"Then I wish you a good hunt," Winston nodded, "Maybe you'll get lucky and find John Wick.

With a million metropolis like New York City, easy. Nearly nine million people in 783.8 square miles. A joke.