Chapter Text
Mark tapped his foot on the ground impatiently, his finger mimicking the motion as it taped on the steering wheel.
They were behind schedule. He glanced at his phone again, his bank account pulled up. It hadn't changed since the last time he checked.
It was supposed to triple at 9pm.
It was already 10.
He shared a look with Jaebeom who looked just as annoyed. Jackson and Bambam were all running behind schedule.
" Guys, we have a small problem ." Jackson's voice sounded over their earpieces, sounding a bit more frantic then he should. "The account had already be wiped"
Mark raised a brow, sharing another look with Jaebeom in confusion. There was no way the account had been cleared. They hadn't cleared it yet.
"He does know that if that money doesn't hit our account then those photos are going to be released." Blackmail was the only surefire way to ensure the CEO transferred all of the money from his overseas account into theirs. He was a public figure with a clean image. The public would revolt if photos went out that he was a cheater, and gay. "You told him that, right?"
" He knows ." Bambam grunted, the cries of a begging man sounded in the background. " Stop crying you piece if shit. You wouldn't even be in this if you weren't a cheater."
"He doesn't know where it went." Jackson sighed. "Can Yugyeom see the transactions if I send him the account number?"
Mark looked back to Yugyeom in the back seat. His laptop was on, the light causing the screen to reflect in his glasses.
"Tell me."
Mark felt a flash of irritation as Jackson read off the numbers. This was supposed to be an easier job. Bambam had seduced the man, and Mark had promptly blackmailed him for his illegal money in his offshore account.
This wasn't the first time they had done this, and it wouldn't be the last, so who the hell got to him before them?
"Jacks, are you sure it's completely empty?" Jaebeom groaned, rubbing a hand over his face to mask his annoyance.
"You think I don't know what an empty account looks like?" Jackson sounded just as annoyed by the situation, but he was the jokester of the group. This wouldn't be the first time he played a prank at an inappropriate time.
"It's not like you've never played this type of prank before." Jeabeom scoffed, pulling off his seatbelt and opening the door. He pulled his blunt from his pocket. "Tell that fucker to shut up."
"Shut the fuck up!" Bambam yelled, the other end of the line instantly going silent. This con was a complete waste of time if they earned nothing in the end. Bambam had wasted his Saturday, and Sunday nights getting to know the cheater who was probably groveling at his feet. He was probably the most upset. "How much cash do you have in your pocket?"
Mark would have laughed if the situation wasn't so shitty. Of course Bambam would rob the man if he couldn't get the money from the account.
"Can you track the account the money was transferred to?" Anything to earn money from this con was better than nothing. He turned to Yugyeom to make sure he heard the question.
"Fucker only has $10 in his pockets." Jackson barked a laugh. He was lightening the mood without even meaning to. "Man is wearing an Armani suit with no money. Nunu, if you want, you can use that to buy an ice cream cone-"
"Fuck you."
Mark chuckled, his mood getting slightly better as his boys bantered back and forth.
"The account was wiped 5 minutes before he logged on." Yugyeom informed, his fingers typing away on his computer. "Hopefully I can get a name attached to the account that the money was transferred to."
Mark sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Whoever stole the money first had thrown a wrench in their plans. They donated the majority of their earnings to good causes, they needed money that wouldn't be traced.
"Alright boys. Knock him out and put him somewhere safe. We're done with him."
Bambam and Jackson cursed. Hopefully they will be able to find the culprit so that they could steal the money back.
"Is Brownie doing the search?"
" Brownie can't find shit." Yugyeom grumbled. "The name is an obvious fake, and I can't hack the account to transfer it out."
Mark sighed, glancing at Jaebeom as he slid back into the car. He slid down into the chair, completely relaxed.
" Can we get drunk tonight? I need to wipe the memory of that asshole from my mind." Bambam asked.
"Only if you use that $10." Jaebeom teased in response. His mood always changed drastically when he smoked. It was the reason he always smoked when he was highly irritated, annoyed, or nervous.
" Fuck you all."
"Be careful. The security cameras are only going to be down for the next 15 minutes." Yugyeom tilted his head, confused as he looked at the screen. "There's a man wearing all black and a cap standing at the entrance of our hangout."
Mark raised a brow. Their hangout was in a secluded part of town. Someone other than the crew being there was never a coincidence.
"Hustle boys." Mark barked out the order. He started the car and drove to the front of the building for the pickup.
Yugyeom slid over to the window seat, allowing Bambam and Jackson to slide in easily. Mark drove off before the door was closed.
"He's still there?" Mark asked, driving as fast as he could without risk of being stopped by the cops. The last thing they needed was police attention.
"He's still there." Yugyeom confirmed. He shifted the computer so Bambam could look at the screen. "He looks like he's waiting for us."
Mark pulled up to their hangout, parking in his usual spot. He looked between Jaebeom and Jackson, weighing his options. He could see the guy standing by the front, leaning against the wall. He seemed to be unconcerned.
"Stay here."
Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the car. The guy glanced up to him but didn't move. Mark closed their distance.
He stood, squaring his stance, his hands in his pockets as he took note of the man standing in front of him. Dark hair, dark eyes, all black, and a cap pulled so low he almost had trouble seeing his pale skin. A cigarette hung from his lips, through it was removed as he was approached.
"Who the hell are you?" Mark asked. Normally he would have had more couth, but this guy was in his territory and he had no right to be.
"I didn't know all of you would go. I thought for sure someone would be home to keep me company." The figure smiled, pulling something small out of his jacket pocket. "I'm the one who cleared the account."
He lifted the small black book, presumably an account information.
"Who are you?" Mark asked again, taking a step closer to get a clearer look. It was no use. "And why are you here?"
"Names Jinyoung, and I'm here because I want to join your crew."
Mark blinked, reaching up to lower his own cap to mask his confusion. Someone wanted to join their crew? Impossible. No one other than the 6 on their team agreed with their beliefs. They didn't steal to get rich, they stole for those in need.
'Jinyoung' wasn't the first one that wanted to join, and he wouldn't be the first to leave once he learned they split half of the profit amongst 6, and donated the rest.
"We're not taking applications."
"So I've been told." Jinyoung took a drag of his cigarette before tossing it on the ground and smashing it with his foot. "But I think getting the money before you even got here is proof enough that I'm good enough for an interview."
"He's spunky." Jackson said.
"And has a talent." Bambam grumbled.
Mark raised a brow. He was right. Jinyoung was able to clear the account by himself. It raised a red flag despite how impressive it was. Those who worked alone often clashed with teams.
"How?"
"The wife." Jinyoung shrugged, taking a breath of his cigarette. "She was more than willing to share all of her husband's dirty secrets after a few nights of complaining. She's convinced that her husband is cheating."
The wife. They had considered going after the wife but they weren't sure she knew the husband's dirty laundry. It was risky to go after a woman not involved.
"I met her by chance at a bar. She was drunkenly saying how horrible her husband was, and how their house was brought with dirty money.
So the woman had loose lips. Go figure.
Mark eyes him again, scanning his frame as he took in his appearance. There was no denying that he was good, but there was still risks involved in dealing with someone they didn't know.
"How did you find this place?"
"My referral told me." Jinyoung rocked on his feet. "Choi Youngjae."
The otter was a close companion to the team that worked with them from time to time. He was a hacker who rivaled Yugyeom in skill, and he was considered a close friend.
Was Jinyoung the guy Youngjae talked about last time they were together? He had drunkenly spoken about a skilled con artist that could crack any safe.
"Last name?"
"Park."
"Got it." Yugyeom spoke in his ear. "Park Jinyoung. Korean, 20, and a trust fund baby. His parents died when he was 12 and he was left with millions. He’s lived by himself since the age of 15. After moving out his file goes cold. No jobs listed. No addresses. No social media accounts. Nothing. It's like he hasn't existed for the last 5 years."
There were a lot of questions popping into his mind, questions he would find the answers to, but the most important question was why. Why the hell was a trust fund baby off the grid, and why was he trying to join them?
They robbed the rich, not befriended them.
"I don't trust him." Jaebeom sneered.
None of them really trusted the wealthy. At some point in their lives, they had all been screwed over by someone who had power because of the amount in their bank accounts.
"Maybe he'll share his wealth." Bambam sounded optimistic.
" You would assume that, you dumbass." Jackson scoffed.
" Youngjae referred him. We trust Youngjae." Yugyeom added his input .
Yeah, they did trust Youngjae. They trusted him more than most.
"Why would a trust fund baby want to join us?"
Jinyoung tilted his head, the first emotion other than comfort crossing his face. He shifted uncomfortably. His trust fund was a touchy subject.
"For the thrill, obviously." Jinyoung shrugged one shoulder, tossing the bag over to Mark's feet. "And because I know heists need funding."
"Not such a dumbass now, am I?" Bambam taunted.
"Mark, it's your call. I think it's important to note that he's skilled enough to pull this off. I like him." Yugyeom said.
"Me too ." Bambam was probably tired of putting money into their jobs. That, and he was probably tired of being the main one for the cons.
He and Jaebeom were the main two conning their victims.
Jinyoung was skilled enough to step into the role.
"And with him more money would go to charities." Jackson huffed out.
"It's up to you. I trust your judgment."
Jaebeom would always trust his judgment, despite his reservations about a person.
Mark reached a hand out, expecting the account book to be placed into his hand. Jinyoung did so without hesitation. "You should meet the team."
Jinyoung beamed, looking pleased with himself as Mark motioned for the others to get out of the car.
"Youngjae said you should call him, by the way." Jinyoung said, bouncing on his feet as he took his cap off. "He said something about joining officially."
Mark glanced at the other male, finally taking in his face. He was attractive beyond the point of reality. He was an attention attractor. Jinyoung would definitely be able to help Bambam and Jaebeom.
"Welcome to the family."
"Pleasure to be here."
+++++
"And that's how the 7 became a team?" The detective asked, arms crossed over her chest as her partner wrote down notes.
"Yup, that's how the 7 of us became 1 big, happy family."
"And you were the second to last one to join this- uh- family."
"Yup." Jinyoung's sparked as he thought about the memories made with his chosen family. "The second to last of the family. They were my family and I don't know what I would have done if they had turned me away."
"But why?" The male who was writing lifted his gaze, his pen stopping. "Why would you, a kid with more money than he could possibly need, join a gang of thieves, and why did the gang even form in the first place?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I don't know you well enough to share trade secrets." Jinyoung made a show to wag his fingers as though chastising a small child who wanted something they were already told they couldn't have. "Wine and dine me first before you get the goods."
"Damn it." The man huffed, banging his hand against the flat surface between them. "It's not like you'll ever need those 'trade secrets' anymore. Do you really think your 'family' is going to bust you out of here? A high security prison?"
Jinyoung frowned, his eyes glistening and his shoulder slumping. He looked up at the clock, focusing on the time to gather his emotions. This feeling was familiar. It was the same feeling he felt when thinking about his parents.
"Be careful detective. You keep talking to me like that and I'll take my trade secrets with me to the grave." He sniffled his tears, looking the male detective straight in the eyes. "Same way my family did."