From Bullets To Billions

It didn't come as a huge surprise to Max that the Black Hounds knew where he lived.

They already knew which school he attended. And more importantly, they knew he was a genuine member of the Stern family. After all, they had confidently claimed they'd be in touch within two days, so Max had been expecting something like this.

If anything, he had half-expected them to try and provoke him, maybe to see if he'd run.

But when Max went to the door, the real surprise wasn't that someone had shown up. It was who was standing there.

A bald-headed man dressed head to toe in black stood on the porch. His appearance screamed street thug, rough hands, sun-worn skin, eyes that didn't blink often.

If Max had passed him on the street, he would've avoided eye contact entirely. He was the kind of man most people instinctively avoided, the kind of man you didn't want to be on the wrong side of.

"You're Max Stern, right?" the man asked, his voice deep and gruff. "Before you say no, I'm with the Black Hounds, and I've got a schedule to keep. I'd rather stick to it."

"I am," Max replied, keeping his voice even. Without hesitation, he stepped out and followed the man.

Outside, a large black SUV waited at the curb, its engine idling with a low hum. Another person sat in the driver's seat, their face mostly obscured by tinted glass.

The bald man walked around and, surprisingly, opened the door for Max. It was… polite, oddly so, coming from a gang member. Then again, maybe they were trying to keep things smooth. Max was a high school student, and they probably preferred this to be an easy transaction. Or maybe they wanted him calm, compliant.

Still, Max couldn't stop wondering what exactly the Black Hounds wanted.

As he climbed into the vehicle, he glanced into the side mirror to check his surroundings.

No one's taken my phone. No threats. No demands. How exactly do they expect this to go down? They haven't even asked about the money yet…

"Last time I spoke with Vivian," Max began casually, "will I be seeing her today?"

The bald man chuckled, loud and amused. "Vivian? She doesn't handle small tasks like this. You probably only saw her last time 'cause she happened to be nearby."

He turned slightly in his seat, flashing a grin that didn't reach his eyes.

"But trust me, we're all part of the same crew. So it'd be in your best interest to follow the plan today."

As the car moved, Max began to recognize the route. He'd been here recently. They were heading back toward the KTV parlor.

When they arrived, the thug opened his door and stepped out.

"Stay here," he said to Max.

A few minutes passed before the door opened again, this time, the man had someone else in tow. He was dragging Chad by the ear, practically hauling him along like a misbehaving child. Without ceremony, he shoved Chad into the seat next to Max.

'So much for being polite,' Max thought, watching Chad groan and clutch his ear. Guess that treatment was just for me. But honestly… anyone would want to mess Chad up. I get it.

"Would you guys be gentle for once?" Chad snapped, wincing. "You want your money, right? If I'm dead, you're never getting it!"

Max rolled his eyes. He didn't know how someone could be so shameless, especially when he wasn't the one giving up any money.

"You seem pretty confident," Max muttered, refusing to meet Chad's eyes. "Not looking too worried, considering."

"Of course I'm confident." Chad scoffed and leaned back in his seat. "After today, this whole mess I'm involved in? It's gonna be cleared up."

He turned toward Max, that same arrogant glint in his eye.

"Let's face it, Max. You're putting on a brave face, but today the Black Hounds are gonna show you they mean business. They're a real gang. And even with all your money, there's nothing you can do to protect yourself.

"There's only two ways this ends. The hard way, where you resist, learn the hard lessons, and eventually have to cough up the cash. Or…"

He held up two fingers, then slowly folded one down.

"You do it the easy way. Hand over the money. We all walk away. No problem."

Max stared at him, stunned, not by the words, but by how naïve Chad sounded. How was he this calm? Did he truly believe this was all going to end smoothly?

At one point, Chad's debt had been small. Manageable, even. So how had things spiraled this far out of control? If it was really that easy, they wouldn't be in this situation. And the Black Hounds wouldn't need to drag them somewhere to make a point.

Just then, the thug turned from the front seat, his voice casual.

"I couldn't help but overhear your little heart-to-heart back there. We'll be arriving shortly, so I thought I'd give you a heads-up."

He reached behind his seat and pulled out a black duffel bag, tossing it toward them.

"You two are apparently VIPs tonight. Special guests. So, you're getting these."

Inside the bag were two masquerade-style masks, both designed to cover the top half of the face.

One resembled a wolf, dark and sharp-edged. The other was… a clown. Bright, gaudy, and twisted in a fixed grin.

Without hesitation, Chad snatched the wolf mask and slipped it on like he'd done it a dozen times before. Max, a little more reluctant, took the clown mask and pressed it to his face.

"Perfect. You two look great." The thug grinned. "Hope you brought a lot of cash tonight. Our VIP guests usually do."

As the vehicle drove on, Max finally asked the question that had been gnawing at him.

"Where exactly are we going?" he said, this time looking directly at Chad.

Chad, still lounging in his seat with the wolf mask tilted up slightly, answered with a smirk.

"We're going to one of the Black Hounds' private events."

He leaned in a little closer, voice dropping to a whisper.

"An underground fighting ring."