From Bullets To Billions

Chapter 128: A Day Of Regret (Part 1)

The three girls were led forward, sharp pressure digging into their sides as the cold metal stayed hidden beneath bags and jackets. Their phones had already been snatched away, confiscated and clutched by one of the girls trailing behind them. No way to call for help. No way to run.

They were completely on their own.

Each of them was still trying to wrap their heads around how the situation had spiraled so fast. Just minutes ago, they were talking about barbecue. Now, they were being forced down unfamiliar streets by strangers with knives.

Cindy was the first to really take in the school uniform.

Seaton Academy... she thought, narrowing her eyes. Isn’t that the all-girls school? I heard the place was full of delinquents, but this is way outside their usual territory.

She glanced over at Abby, who was walking stiffly, eyes wide. They were heading into a large park now, its tall trees and open paths giving it a quiet, almost eerie emptiness.

The area was known for two things: it was in one of the poorer parts of town, and it was home to a run-down bowling alley that barely stayed in business. Locals didn’t go there often. The students from public schools nearby didn’t have extra money to waste on stuff like bowling. And even if they did, they stayed away.

Everyone knew the place was a hangout for delinquents, especially during the week. Only on weekends, when families came out in numbers, did the space feel safe again.

Cindy looked back at Abby and caught the subtle tremble in her arms.

She’s shaking, Cindy realized, heart sinking. This is the second time I’ve been with her, and we’ve ended up in a situation like this. Is it me? Am I the one bringing bad luck?

Her stomach twisted. And now Sheri and Abby are involved too. I dragged them into this.

But Cindy wasn’t the only one thinking.

Sheri had also noticed the school emblem. She recognized it immediately. And her mind was racing.

Damn it, she thought. My parents were just talking about switching schools, moving me out of here and into a new district. Now that our financial situation isn’t so dire anymore, they want everything to go back to normal.

We still owe so much, Sheri thought, eyes locked on the pavement as they walked. Whoever that corporation is, we’ve been spending money we don’t even have. Our situation isn’t ”fixed”, it’s just quieter.

We don’t deserve to be living like everything’s fine... like we’ve made it. And yet... I stayed. Maybe it wasn’t just because of the money. Maybe there was another reason.

Her thoughts spiraled.

Why would girls from another school come after us like this?

Did someone find out who I really am? Are they trying to blackmail me now, squeeze money out of me?

Sheri was a Curts, after all. Her family had been loaded once, a name tied to real wealth. But no one at this school really knew that. Who would believe that someone with that kind of background would be stuck in a public school anyway? Sheri certainly didn’t advertise it. That wasn’t the kind of thing she brought up.

Up ahead, the neon sign flickered weakly.

The bowling alley.

They were led through the front entrance and past the lanes, straight to the back, toward a round, semi-closed-off cubicle, usually reserved for kids’ birthday parties or private events. It was tucked away just enough to feel hidden.

As they stepped inside, everything clicked.

Eyes wide. Stomachs sinking.

Waiting for them in the booth were three very familiar faces. Faces from their own school.

Grinning like they’d just won the lottery.

”Would you look at that,” Kira sneered, barely able to contain her laughter. ”Who would’ve guessed one stupid little move would come back around and bite you?”

She leaned forward, enjoying every second.

”We were only after one of you,” she said. ”But lucky us, we managed to bag all three in one go.”

There they were, the same three girls they’d run into in the hallway. The ones who had a grudge after watching Max talk to them. The jealousy had been obvious then, but no one expected this.

Now it was clear.

They were the ones behind everything.

Cindy turned to make a break for it, but froze.

Three more figures had just appeared, flanking the Seaton girls. They wore different school uniforms, none from around here, and their presence was instantly unsettling.

Their outfits were disheveled, sleeves rolled sloppily, bandages and scuffed-up faces giving them the look of kids who didn’t just get into fights... but looked for them.

”If you scream or try to run,” one of the Seaton girls said coldly, ”we’ll make sure you regret it.”

Kira, Nightly, and Susan stood up in unison, stepping aside just enough to reveal a nearby glass room.

It was usually meant for kids’ parties, long single table that could fit thirty little chairs, a cheap projector mounted to one end of the wall. The walls were glass so parents could keep watch from the outside.

The kind of room meant for laughter.

Not this.

The girls were shoved forward, forced inside, the rest of the group following close behind. The three unfamiliar guys came too, stepping in silently like they’d done this before. The moment they were all in, someone yanked the blinds down, sealing them off from outside view.

Kira turned toward Abby, her voice low and venomous.

”Slapping me that day?” she sneered. ”That’s going to be the biggest mistake of your life.”

The tension in the room was suffocating. Cindy, Abby, and Sheri were backed into a corner, trapped, outnumbered, unsure what was about to happen next.

But outside, just a few feet away, not everyone was ignoring it.

At a table across the main area of the bowling alley, two men sat sipping coffee. Older. Calm. Watching the entire scene unfold.

One of them reached for his phone, dialed quickly, and held it to his ear.

”We’d like to make a report,” he said, eyes still locked on the now-closed blinds.

****

Meanwhile, Max had wrapped up his school day and was already heading toward the Billion Gym.

If there was one thing he needed to stay sharp, it was maintaining his physical edge. Lately, during fights, especially against those other school punks, he could feel it. That spark. That power.

He was getting back to his old self. Little by little.

If Max could just reach his old self, fully, then situations like the one with Snide wouldn’t even be a challenge. He wouldn’t have hesitated. Wouldn’t have second-guessed anything.

But deep down, he knew even that wasn’t enough. For what he really wanted to do, he’d have to go beyond that. Past his former peak. Past whatever limits he used to have.

As he walked toward the Billion Gym, focused and determined, his phone buzzed.

He glanced at the screen.

The name on it made him stop immediately.

A call he couldn’t ignore.

He answered, already bracing himself. ”What’s up? If you’re calling me instead of the other way around... I’m guessing something’s wrong.”

”Yes, sir,” Aron replied, his voice steady but serious. ”Our security team filed a report. It appears that Abby, along with a few others, has been taken, against their will.”

Max stopped dead in his tracks.

His voice dropped. ”You mean... kidnapped?”