America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 294 They killed my dog

In the morning, Marcus got ready and came to the living room, where Daisy and John both rushed over.

He poured food and water for the dogs, patted their heads, and said, "Be good and watch the house. I'll be back before noon to have lunch with you."

The two Labradors circled him once before heading off to have breakfast.

Marcus closed the door, got into a pickup truck parked next to the building, and headed to Sherman Oaks.

Yesterday, he arranged with Chad to meet Martin Davis at the Angels Club this morning.

Marcus takes this very seriously because it relates to whether he can switch careers and enter the film industry he has always longed for.

If I can't be a real actor, I can be a stuntman or a firearms instructor.

Marcus has now left the military and no longer wants to do work involving fighting and killing.

Meeting Chad and Martin gave him an opportunity to move into Hollywood.

Upon arriving at Sherman Oscar and entering the Angels Club, Marcus immediately saw Martin, Chad, and Bruce, and quickly went over to shake hands with each of them.

Kane also joined in the fun, and prepared a reception room especially for the group.

Martin had previously asked Brussto to inquire about the relevant matters, including a U.S. military operation codenamed "Red Wings".

With Chad's retelling, I basically understood the course of events related to Marcus.

Chad whispered a few words to Marcus, who understood the importance of this meeting and then recounted his experiences in Afghanistan to Martin in detail.

With the person's description becoming clearer, Martin was absolutely certain that Marcus's experience was remarkably similar to a movie he had seen.

It seems to star Mark Wahlberg.

I don't have much of an impression of the other actors.

After listening to Marcus's description, Martin looked deeply impressed and said, "I can't comprehend the impact you experienced in Afghanistan because I've never been there, but based on your account of what happened, man, you're a legend!"

Marcus smiled and said, "The real legends and heroes should be my three teammates."

Building on that statement, Martin went on to say, "I personally believe that their story should be widely known, and that the public and all Americans must know what they did and what they sacrificed for this country."

These words struck a chord with Marcus, who became quite emotional: "Martin, do you think this story could be made into a movie or a TV series? A documentary would be great too! They gave their lives for the country and should not be forgotten."

Martin understood perfectly well that what was easily obtained was worthless.

He didn't answer immediately, but instead fell into deep thought, as if it were a difficult question.

Marcus then said, "I can give you authorization..."

Martin raised his hand to interrupt Marcus: "Wait a minute."

Marcus remained silent.

Martin got up and paced back and forth in the reception room, seemingly considering an important decision.

Chad was acquainted with Marcus and sympathized with Marcus's plight, but knowing he was part of Martin's team, he didn't speak up for Marcus.

Only Bruce, who knows Martin well, knows that Martin has made a decision.

Marcus was a little nervous. He had no connections in Hollywood and only knew Martin and Chad.

After a while, Martin sat down again and said, "Marcus, you and Chad are friends, and Chad is my brother, so there are some things I have to say upfront."

Marcus nodded: "Go ahead and say it."

Martin explained, "Running a film project is a very complicated process. Whether it's based on a true story or adapted from other works, it requires a process and the cooperation of all participants."

He then turned to the issue itself: "The Red Arrow operation you mentioned isn't widely known in North America. After several years of the War on Terror, public attention to Afghanistan isn't high. I was able to attract investment and other film companies because the projects I initiated could make them profitable..."

Marcus understood: "I can give you the license for free."

"No, that's not what I meant." Martin had never considered licensing for free; free was the most expensive. "This is what I'm thinking: don't push for a movie adaptation yet. I'll find a screenwriter or author to help you complete your memoir, and then release it in the book market so that more people can learn about your story. You don't need to worry about the movie adaptation. As long as we can reach an agreement, my studio will buy the film and television rights to your memoir in advance."

Chad then interjected, "That is indeed a relatively safe way of operating. Many special agents from the CIA or FBI publish memoirs after retirement, and then adapt them into movies once the memoirs have gained some influence."

He even gave a specific example: "The movie 'Catch Me If You Can,' starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Steven Spielberg, is a typical example."

Marcus knew about the film and said, "Okay." He emphasized again, "No need to pay me, I just want my teammates to..."

People's thoughts can change. Martin didn't want to cause trouble later because of this small upfront cost, so he said, "We are friends, but friendship is friendship, and business cooperation is business cooperation."

Marcus replied, "I'll listen to you."

Martin asked, "Do you have any relevant information about Afghanistan? I need to find a suitable ghostwriter."

“I have quite a few at home.” Marcus looked at Martin, then at Chad. Although he had spent a lot of time in the military over the years, he understood social etiquette and offered, “There’s a really good restaurant near my place. Why don’t you come with me to get the documents? It would also be a good opportunity for me to treat you to something to express my gratitude.”

Martin hadn't had much to do these past couple of days, so he replied, "Then I'll take my leave."

The group chatted for a while longer before leaving the club together and heading towards Santa Monica.

…………

South of Santa Monica, four Black men parked a stolen car on the side of the road.

"The one with the red-tiled roof, Edmund, is it?" the bald Alfonso asked. "Is this a suitable target?"

Edmund stretched out his heavily tattooed arm and pointed over there: "Boss, I absolutely can't be wrong, X can vouch for it!"

Axe was short, with a Magnum revolver tucked into his belt: "That man just moved here from out of town, he's not from Los Angeles. Edmund and I saw it with our own eyes, he brought a lot of boxes, and they looked like they were full of valuables."

Alfonso then asked, "Are you sure about the contents of the box?"

"I can't be sure," Axe added. "According to the movers, all the boxes were locked with combination locks. Who would normally lock something like that?"

Alfonso nodded: "Okay, let's pull this off!"

Diaz, who had been silent all along, then said, "Boss, all the houses here have back doors. I suggest we go through the back door."

Alfonso started the car, drove past the target house, and casually asked, "Does he have a dog?"

Edmund spoke first: "No, I'm sure of it."

Alfonso felt relieved and drove around to the back door of the target detached house.

He didn't turn off the engine or get out of the car, but waved his hand in that direction and said, "Hurry up, I'll meet you in the car."

Diaz got out of the car first, followed by Axe and Edmund. They climbed over the wall formed by the green belt, and Edmund easily pried open the lock on the back door and went into the house first.

X and Diaz followed, and after taking only a few steps forward, the sound of barking suddenly rang out.

The former immediately drew his Magnum revolver.

Two Labradors ran out of the living room and barked wildly at Edmund and his two companions.

John, the male dog, was a bit more aggressive and pounced on Edmund.

Seeing the huge dog lunge at them, X and Diaz simultaneously raised their revolvers.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Gunshots rang out!

John was shot in the head, screamed, and collapsed at Edmund's feet.

One of the shots hit Daisy in the neck, and the mother dog howled and ran away.

He hadn't run far when he collapsed with a thud.

"hurry up!"

The three men were incredibly bold. After firing their guns, they didn't leave immediately. Instead, they went into the living room to look for the box the movers had mentioned: "Quickly, find something valuable! Hurry up!"

Just as Diaz finished speaking, the sound of a high-powered pickup truck came from the front yard, indicating that someone had returned, and there was more than one vehicle!

They don't care about one person.

But since there are several people, it's best to leave first.

Edmund rushed forward faster than anyone else, running just as fast: "They're back! Hurry! Hurry!"

The three of them disregarded everything else and ran towards the back door.

He rushed out the door, jumped into the car, and urged Alfonso, "Boss, let's go!"

Just as the group of five people who had arrived in two cars near the house Marcus was approaching the front gate, they heard gunshots.

The experienced Bruce immediately recognized it: "A Magnum revolver shot!"

The pickup truck screeched to a halt, and Marcus, Kane, and Chad jumped out, each grabbing an M9, and rushed into the yard.

Bruce also pulled out his gun and got out of the car at a leisurely pace.

Martin cautiously followed at the very back, clutching a Glock pistol tightly in his hand.

Marcus, at the front, called out, "Daisy, John!"

no respond.

He opened the door and slipped inside. There was no one in the room, but a pungent smell of blood filled the air.

"Daisy!" Marcus's roar echoed outside, filled with immense grief.

Kane, Chad, and Bruce followed, while Martin remained at the back.

In the living room, Daisy, a Labrador, lay in a pool of blood, unresponsive.

Marcus was heartbroken. He closed Daisy's dog eyes and ran towards the back door, where he saw the body of another Labrador John.

The dog's head was blown off.

"Ah! Ah—"

Marcus roared, venting his inner pain.

Chad, who also owned a dog, roughly understood this feeling and muttered, "Damn it!"

Marcus gently touched the wound on John's head, closed its eyes, and stood up.

Martin suggested, "Call the police."

Marcus nodded and said to Kane, "Call the police for me."

He turned and walked towards the kitchen, then went to the storage room, where there was a table connected to the surveillance cameras at the front and back doors.

Marcus pulled up the surveillance footage, stepped back to check, then took out a box, clicked open the combination lock, took out a tactical vest, put it on, and took out two M9s and magazines, inserting them into the vest.

"Dude, calm down!" Martin advised.

Marcus said, "They killed my dog!"

(This is said to be the earliest creative origin of the John Wick series, but whether it's true or not is unknown.)

(End of this chapter)