From Bullets To Billions

Chapter 216: Desperate Measures

The incident had happened on the route from school to the gym.

It was a busy street—open to everyone. Max and his friends weren’t the only ones walking that day. Students were scattered along the pathways, others strolled across the opposite side of the road like Joe had, and some were even headed toward the Bloodline Gym, just like them.

But none of them walked with Max.

Not like Jay and Joe did.

The others kept their distance. Because Max wasn’t just another student—he was the head of the Bloodline Group. And with that came a presence most didn’t dare get too close to.

That distance, that separation... was the very reason Jay had been the only one hit.

The only one close enough to push Max out of the way.

And now, with the sirens faded and the street slowly returning to normal, news of the hit-and-run was spreading fast.

It didn’t take long.

Within minutes, students were messaging, posting, and sharing every detail they could find.

[There was a hit-and-run not too far from school. One of the students got hurt.]

[Wait—seriously? Who was it?]

[Jay Woods.]

[Jay?! That big guy?? I would’ve thought if a car hit him, it’d be the car that got wrecked.]

[Now’s not the time for jokes. He’s seriously hurt. They rushed him off in an ambulance.]

[Damn. Was it an accident?]

[People who were there say it looked like the car sped up. Like it was done on purpose. Then it just drove off.]

[You think this has something to do with that group Max is building? Maybe that’s why Jay got hit.]

Rumors began to swirl like wildfire.

And across the city, two girls were also hearing the whispers firsthand.

Abby and Cindy were walking home together when Cindy turned to her with wide eyes, phone in hand.

”Abby, did you hear?!” she said, barely able to get the words out. ”There was a hit-and-run near school. And... and it hit Jay!”

Abby stopped walking.

Her heart skipped.

”Jay?” she gasped. ”Oh no... crap. No. No, no, no...”

Her hands started to shake as she looked around, as if there was something—anything—she could do. But there wasn’t.

They were helpless.

And that helplessness? It burned worse than the fear.

Meanwhile, Max and Joe had taken the first taxi they could find. They hadn’t been able to follow the ambulance—there weren’t any drivers nearby when it happened, so they’d had to order one through the app.

But Max had a good guess where Jay had been taken.

It was an emergency. There wouldn’t have been time to go far. They would’ve brought him to the nearest trauma-equipped hospital.

Still, it wasn’t the blood outside Max was thinking about.

It was the blood inside—the unseen injuries. Internal bleeding. Brain trauma.

Those were the real killers.

When the taxi finally pulled up outside the hospital, both Max and Joe burst out of the car and rushed straight through the sliding glass doors. They didn’t stop until they reached the reception desk.

A nurse looked up from her station, startled at the urgency in their faces.

”Hi—” Max said, barely catching his breath. ”Was there a patient that just came in? A hit-and-run victim? He’s one of our classmates. We just want to know his status.”

Joe stood beside him, silent but tense, hands still stained with dried blood.

Both of them waited—hearts pounding—for an answer.

Knowing that they weren’t immediate family, Max figured it was unlikely they’d be allowed to see Jay—unless the injuries were already declared non-life-threatening.

The nurse at the front desk gave them a small, sympathetic nod.

”The patient you’re asking about... I believe he was wearing the same uniform as you two,” she said. ”I can’t say much, but he’s currently in the ER—undergoing treatment.”

Just hearing those words was enough to make both of them freeze for a moment.

The hospital was packed. People shuffled in and out behind them, moaning, asking questions, arguing with staff. The air smelled of antiseptic and desperation. Max and Joe had to step aside, making room for a line forming behind them.

”ER...” Joe muttered, rubbing his hands together. ”That’s the emergency department, right? Doesn’t that mean it’s serious?”

”I don’t know,” Max replied. He moved toward a chair to sit, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Instead, he paced back and forth across the polished linoleum floor of the waiting room, his shoes squeaking faintly every other step. Joe sat nearby, bouncing his knees up and down so fast it looked like he was trying to launch himself from the chair.

Jay... you saved my life. Not once—but twice, Max thought, clenching his fists tight. You big idiot. You’ve got to get through this. You have to get up. I’ll give you anything—whatever it is you want. Just don’t die. I’ve lost enough people. I don’t want to lose you too.

There was no update. No nurse returning. No light flashing on above a door. They couldn’t even see down the hall, and none of the doctors passed close enough to overhear. The silence only made everything feel worse—like they were trapped in a bubble of anxiety with no air to breathe.

Max’s mind was spiraling. He hated this feeling. This helplessness. This not knowing.

That was when the front doors slid open again with a rush of cool air—and in walked a man in a sharp black suit, the kind tailored with too much precision to be casual.

Aron.

He spotted Max instantly and jogged over.

”Are you hurt?” Aron asked quickly, looking him over. ”Your clothes—they’re torn and ruined—”

”I’m not the one who’s hurt!” Max snapped, brushing his hand aside. ”It’s Jay!”

”Right. You told me on the phone,” Aron said, calming down. ”I just had to check on you first. But... they’re here.”

Almost on cue, a group of professionals in white coats and blue scrubs entered the hospital—fast, focused, and clearly important. They didn’t wear the exact uniforms as the hospital’s regular staff. These were private. Specialists.

And they moved like they had done this a hundred times before.

”I gathered the best medical team I could find,” Aron said. ”They’ll do everything they can for Jay. I also called the hospital director in advance. They’re fully informed. This team will coordinate directly with them, pass on every bit of data, and ensure that no corners are cut.”

The moment the new team arrived, the energy in the building shifted. Hospital staff made room. Some of the doctors even bowed slightly or stepped aside out of respect. Clearly, they were high-ranking in the medical world—or backed by people who were.

Joe’s jaw dropped.

He’d seen Max and Aron pull off some wild things before—but this? This was insane. This wasn’t just wealth... this was power. The kind that made an entire hospital bend around one person.

Max, meanwhile, looked like he had been holding himself together with duct tape and willpower alone.

As the pressure began to lift, his body finally betrayed him. His knees buckled slightly, and he caught himself—grabbing onto Aron’s sleeve to steady himself.

His voice cracked.

”Please, Aron... do whatever it takes,” Max whispered. ”Use the money. Use your connections. Use everything the Stern family has to save Jay.”

Aron gave a solemn nod. ”We will.”

And that was the first time Joe had ever heard it said out loud.

The Stern family.

He blinked, the weight of the moment hitting him like a cold wind.

”The Stern family...?” Joe mumbled, barely able to believe it.