John Wick: Within a Dark Wood Ch. 06

Flipping open her phone, Elisa accessed her security cameras and found that her veterinary clinic was surrounded by what she quickly counted as ten individuals. Who sent them, she didn't know and neither did John. Were they simply looking for Baba Yaga or more? Reopening the hidden panel there in the store room, John began to arm himself as Elisa calmly walked out front to the receptionist desk where a man in a dark business suit was waiting. Putting on her best fake smile, she rolled up her sleeve making certain her mark of immunity was visible.

"Can I help you?" she asked, noting that his eyes looked directly at her arm and in particular the tattoo before returning and looking her in the eye. Her hands gently rested atop a metal clip board that held a blank liability form in anticipation of her next patient.

"I'm supposed to pick up my girlfriend's dog." He smiled and put on an excellent performance of your average everyday guy, but the wear marks on his belt and a ever so slight tug at the right side of his jacket told her all she needed to know about the man.

"Really? Are you certain you're not waiting on a signal from your friends?" At this his face became serious. "That is how things are usually done. A man picking up a pet usually arrives during business hours. Can I at least know who sent you?" At this a cocky grin flashed across the man's face and in the flash of a second he pulled a glock from beneath his jacket.

"Keep your hands where I can see them," he told her. By his saying this, Elisa surmised that he had no idea who she was or he surely would have shot her already. "I want you to follow my instructions very carefully or else I'm going to kill you, understand?"

Elisa didn't answer, instead her eyes studied the man's posture and his hand placement taking in every miniscule detail. In the flash of a second she grabbed the metal clipboard and sent its edge directly into the gunman's stomach with all of her force. He doubled over allowing her to knock the gun from his hand then slam his head against the counter while bringing the clipboard edge down with her full body weight onto his neck with a sickening crack. As the body slid to the floor, John emerged from the storage room then moved around towards the back door. In his hands he held a Heckler and Koch P3oL, his third for the day, fully loaded and ready to go. Elisa silently gestured that there were five individuals in the alley ready to come through the door. He nodded then moved in that direction.

He paused only once to open the breaker box and flip the switch. Instantly the place went dark just as the back door came open. John waited a few seconds for the first man to step inside before firing a single shot into his chest. The sound alerted the intruder directly behind the first and he immediately aimed his own firearm at John. All he needed was one or two seconds, but Baba Yaga was quicker and caught the man's arms, sending them skyward before putting a bullet through his head. With those two dispatched he went into one of the exam rooms and waited for the next one to show himself. In anticipation of his next skirmish he began opening drawers looking for anything he could use as a weapon. Scalpels! Yes, surgical knives would be perfect.

Opening the door slightly he saw one of the intruders just to the left of the door with his back to him. John clapped a hand over the man's mouth then dragged him into the exam room. Slamming the assailant against the wall, John plunged a scalpel into the man's side then sliced him open from hip bone to hip bone allowing the contents of his body to spill out onto the floor before releasing him and letting him rejoin his entrails. It was far from over though as he knew there were at least three more moving in his direction.

Back in the front of the clinic another assailant, a woman, entered the building, her gun already out but not up and ready. As she attempted to raise her firearm, Elisa caught it under her arm and then punched her hard in the face with her other hand. She twisted the woman's gun arm as far behind her as she could, causing the woman to cry out in pain, then turned her so that the hand still in possession of the gun was now pointed at one of her associates entering the building. Elisa pulled the woman's trigger finger, firing two shots into the intruder. The woman attempted to reach the gun with her other hand only to have Elisa take a paper weight from the desk and level it across her head.

Although the one assailant had been shot he was not dead yet, only slowly bleeding out. Hoping for one final moment of victory he started to reach for a knife handle that was sticking out of his boot. Elisa saw it and, snatching it for herself, she rose and slashed open the throat of another man just coming into her clinic. The woman once more got up and came at Elisa, attempting to throw a punch, but the former assassin moved aside and sank the knife deep into her attacker's neck.

In the back of the building John armed himself with a firearm he had taken from the body lying in his own blood and intestines and quietly moved over to one side of the door. Cautiously he peeked around the corner. Not seeing anyone he left the exam room and went back to the supply room hoping to get more ammunition. He did find other magazines but none that would fit the gun he had taken. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed vials of a heavy barbiturate used for euthanizing horses. Grabbing a syringe and needle meant for such large animals, he emptied a vial then stepped out from the supply room. Too dangerous to carry, but wanting it to be at the ready, he set the syringe on a shelf then began to sweep the room looking for the next assailant.

It wasn't long before John noticed a shadow across the way, but was uncertain if it was a person or simply a shadow being cast by inanimate objects. He aimed his firearm, but before he could fire another man came up behind him, Baba Yaga saw him out of the corner of his eye, spun around and caught his arm preventing him from pulling his pistol. In turn the man knocked John's gun from his hand, only to be kicked in the gut. Even so the assailant was undaunted and charged at John, getting him around his waist and knocking him onto his back. Both men scrambled to their feet while simultaneously exchanging blocks and blows. Taking hold of the intruder's arm, John got under him and flipped him over his shoulder onto the floor just beneath the shelf. Baba Yaga grabbed the syringe and jabbed it into the man's jugular vein and instantly depressed the plunger. Initially the attacker attempted to fight, but within seconds his body went still.

John immediately felt around and located the man's fallen gun and it was in the knick of time too as he barely managed to turn around before another man grabbed his arm and pushed it upward. John's other hand managed to open a drawer where he located another scalpel then plunged it into his newest assailant's chest. With a yell he released John's arm, whereupon he began firing into the man's head and chest emptying his magazine. Satisfied, he knelt beside this latest body and found the man's gun then headed towards the front of the building to help Elisa.

His old friend had barely managed to finish off the first woman and make it to one side of the front door before another would-be assassin came in, her gun drawn and ready. Elisa instantly kicked it out of her hands and the two quickly began exchanging blows and kicks. The two women hurled each other one way and then another. Elisa managed to slam the woman against the front desk knocking various items including a radio onto the floor. She then flipped her over her shoulder onto the ground. As the unknown woman got to her feet, she took a stiletto knife from her pocket and with the slight movement of her thumb she pressed the button opening the blade. She took several swipes at Elisa and missed. The third time she came at Elisa the former assassin caught her hand in both of hers and held tight. The other woman's hand took hold of Elisa's shoulder and began forcing the knife towards her.

In a swift motion Elisa sent the knife into her own abdomen then pushed the woman backward causing her to trip over the other bodies lying about as she, herself, fell back against the counter. John Wick was just entering the front of the building, his eyes quickly assessing everything. The former assassin was running on pure adrenaline as she pulled the knife from her body. Seeing what was happening John pulled his gun and pointed it at the assailant as she was trying to get back up. Elisa never noticed he was there as she lunged forward and caught her attacker and plunged the knife through her chest then let her drop to the ground.

There was silence for a moment then soft moaning caught both John and Elisa's ears and they realized that one of the attackers was still alive. It was the one who had been shot by 'friendly fire'. The two old friends went over to him and Elisa knelt down and looked him over. He was bleeding out and would likely die without medical attention soon. Elisa was willing to provide it, but first she needed one answer.

"Who sent you here?" she demanded. Someone was breaking the rules and she wanted to know who it was. The man didn't answer, just stared at her defiantly as blood oozed from his mouth. "Someone sent you here in clear violation of the rules and I want to know who it was!!" Without a word he put his hand to his mouth then Elisa saw him bite something. His body suddenly began to seize and his breathing began to struggle then after a moment he was dead. Elisa forced open his mouth and saw the remains of a capsule. With a sigh she looked up at John and said "Cyanide."

Before either of them could think about their own injuries and clean-up of the veterinary clinic the sound of a police siren caught their attention and the sight of flashing red and blue eyes met their gaze. Carefully John helped Elisa up then assisted in trying to straighten up her appearance. This was a trick not even Houdini could have pulled off.

"You can handle this," he assured her in a low voice then pointed to where he would be standing if there was a problem. Despite her disheveled appearance, Elisa walked to the front door of her clinic with John at her side. As she twisted the bolt open John pressed himself against the wall so that when she opened it, he would be behind it and out of view of whomever was there. He held his gun up at the ready while Elisa carefully concealed hers behind her back. She opened the door and was greeted by the swirling red and blue lights of a police car and a lone middle-aged beat cop standing before her.

"Evening Ms. Drake." the officer said, politely.

"Evening, Ben," she returned, leaning against the door edge to try and hide the stab wound in her side while trying to seem casual. "Is there a problem?"

"Uh, just a noise complaint." The cops' eyes looked her up and down, eyeing the sanguine fluid splattered on her face, hands and clothes. He could see the blood oozing from her side and covered the hand she held over it, but there was no way it all came from there. She had slight cuts and bruises on her pretty face and a rumpled appearance that was out of character for her. There were also the bodies lying on the floor behind her. "You, uh, working again?"

"No, just a little emergency surgery... on a horse. I got a little out of hand, but it's fine now"

"Ahhh, I'll let you be then. Good-night, Ms. Drake." he tipped his hat and started back towards his car.

"Good-night Ben," she closed the door just before her knees gave out and was caught by John.