From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 539

Chapter 539: Assets and Liabilities

The mercenary team had eventually brought the speedboat to a secluded stretch of shoreline, far from the prying eyes of the harbor police. At the port, it was clear that even more meticulous preparations had been made. A nondescript white minibus was idling near the docks, flanked by two black SUVs. Several men in tactical gear stood guard, their eyes scanning the perimeter with rhythmic precision.

"Man, are those real guns they have on them?" Darno asked in a low whisper as the group walked past the SUVs. He couldn’t help but stare at the hardware strapped to the men’s chests. "They look a lot more dangerous than just a standard private security team. Those aren’t exactly mall cop pistols."

As the group continued to escort them toward the waiting minibus, the mercenaries didn’t let their guard down for a second. They boarded the vehicle along with Max and his team, maintaining a perimeter even inside the cramped interior.

"They aren’t real. They just shoot out high-velocity rubber bullets," the man sitting across from them replied. He was presumably the captain of the group, given how the others deferred to him for orders and coordination.

Whenever the mercenaries addressed him, they only referred to him as ’Cap.’ They said nothing else regarding his name or rank, and the rest of the unit spoke to each other in a series of alphanumeric code names. It was a level of operational security that made it difficult for Darno or Stephen to keep track of who was who.

"You need a very special license to operate these in this district and prove that their use is warranted for specific high-risk situations," Cap answered, tapping the receiver of his rifle. "But don’t let the ’rubber’ part fool you. They’ll still crack a rib or put a hole in a lung if you’re close enough. And we are quite efficient in using real lead when we are sent on tasks or take jobs outside of the country where the laws are a bit more... flexible."

Darno didn’t question anything else after that. The look in Cap’s eyes suggested the mercenaries were almost ready to test their rubber boots by shooting at him just to prove the point. Although Darno was intensely curious about whether his new, magically dense body would even feel the effect of a rubber projectile, he didn’t want to go through the unnecessary pain to find out.

’Wait a second... that just made me think!’ Darno realized, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. ’If I’m following this Vow to the letter, can I never go up against someone using a gun? Since I can never avoid an attack, just like I couldn’t move that table earlier, does that mean I have to just stand there and take it? My body might be getting tougher, but it can’t stop a bullet from piercing my heart, can it?’

Darno wondered if he continued to push the limits of his Vow, would his bones and skin eventually become dense enough to act as organic armor? Maybe it would get to the point where he could even block bullets using his hard skull, or by raising his forearms to shield his vital organs. It was a terrifying gamble, but in this world of superhumans, it was the only way to stay relevant.

"I doubt this particular mission is one that allows for that license of yours to be used legally, right?" Stephen asked, leaning back against the seat as the minibus pulled away from the coast.

"Well, sometimes the payment for the job warrants the fine we’ll have to pay if we get found out," Cap answered with a shrug. "We factor the legal fees into the contract. Max pays well enough that we can afford to bribe a few inspectors."

’We need our own medical wing,’ Max thought as he watched the nurses take Stephen’s vitals. ’With the way people are taking these Vows, there are going to be injuries that ordinary doctors won’t understand. We need staff we can trust to keep things on the down-low.’

’That reminds me of the other issues I have. Who would have thought that living in a rich family would bring so many logistical problems?’ Max mused, looking out the window as the city lights blurred past.

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