A ROSE’S SEVEN THORNS

CHAPTER 11

“Cracking the Brief”

Earlier

Then he spoke loudly in his leader tone, “Dul, set, Bang!”

“Tan!” All seven BTS members said as they raised their right arms and made a gun with their fingers.

Black Brief wouldn't know what hit them.

•••

“Everyone in their positions?” Namjoon said into the mic that was connected to his headset that cuffed around his ear. He was currently sitting in the backseat of a dark blue truck with Suga beside him. The windows were tinted so heavily that they couldn’t be seen.

In the driver’s seat sat Jin, who was switching his gaze between the entrance of Black Brief and the two in the back. Suga sat behind the passenger’s seat and he had his tech stuff out. Namjoon was in the middle glancing at the laptop currently in Suga’s lap.

Namjoon was in the truck doing his job of making sure everything went as planned. This was a rare occasion when he wasn’t actually participating in the job physically. And Suga’s position never required for him to face action, exactly how he preferred it. Jin’s job wasn’t up yet, so he was simply waiting.

“Yup,” J-Hope chirped, his voice crackling through the headset. He was currently two blocks away from the building, far enough to not be caught by their cameras yet close enough to have eyes on it. Like Jin, his job wasn’t needed yet. “I’m all set!”

Suga grimaced at his loud voice. “Yah, don’t be so loud.”

“Sorry, hyung~”

He didn’t respond as he focused his attention back to his laptop. Namjoon looked away from the laptop and turned his attention to the people walking in and out of the building. Then he pressed the mic closer to his mouth as he spoke, “V?”

His response was swift and as upbeat as J-Hope’s. “I’m ready, just waiting for the go, hyung.”

Namjoon nodded although they couldn’t see it. He moved on, “Jamless?”

Instead of complaining at the unwanted nickname, he simply answered, “In position, hyung.”

This was how serious the boys could get when they were focused on a job. They tried to remain serious until it was over. If the mission was blown because one acted up, then they would ruin the entire job and who knows what could happen? BTS simply knew when it was time to be serious.

“Golden?”

“Ready,” The maknae responded swiftly.

“Okay then, let’s go over the plan once more. Act as casual as you can once you’re in and avoid the cameras,” He told them, to which they all made noises of affirmation. “Remember once you get to the 14th floor, where the money is at, you have a minute to collect it and leave.

“Suga-hyung,” Namjoon glanced at his team’s hacker, who gave a nod, “will cut the live camera footage and replace it with the one we took a month ago. When we give you the go is when you move as fast as you can. Understood?”

“Understood,” The maknae line replied, voices intertwined together.

“We have eyes on everything, so we’ll assist you until Suga-hyung cuts the live footage. After that, you all are on your own. We’ll only have our headsets.” He glanced at the watch on his arm and paid close attention to the seconds left. “If we’re ready then, the job is good to go.”

Then he leaned back over to the laptop. “Jamless, you’re up.”

“Got it,” He replied, voice crackling.

As Suga and Namjoon watched the laptop with many camera screens, they focused on one particular screen on the far left. Amongst the random civilians, Jimin appeared. He was wearing dark sunglasses to block his face. He was also dressed in black dress pants and a white dress shirt with a black tie.

Suga spoke then, “Jamless, angle your face lower and about seven centimeters to the right.”

On the screen, he followed his hyung’s instructions. Once he started getting closer and closer to the entrance, Suga told him, “In five seconds, look at your phone and keep looking until you’re fully inside.”

Exactly five seconds passed and Jimin grabbed his phone from his pocket and focused all his attention on it. Thus he was able to appear casual while still avoiding the camera from catching a glimpse of his face. Sure, his face was partially covered but that didn’t mean technology couldn't decode it and track who he is.

Suga was lazy, but he knew his . If he could easily hack and decode things like this, then so could the authorities and professionals. And he was not willing to risk his team member being caught.

“Jamless is in,” Rap Monster informed Jungkook and Taehyung. “Golden, V, your turn.”

“On it,” Jungkook responded and soon he appeared in the same far left screen. He was also dressed like Jimin.

About a few seconds later, V appeared in the far right screen. Dress pants and a dress shirt with a tie, the three looked professional and blended in with the surrounding crowd, who were all dressed in work attire. V was also the only one with a bag.

V and Jungkook had entered the scene at the same time, but from different sides of the building to avoid being tied together. They couldn’t show up all at the same time and risk the cameras pinpointing the three men, who entered the building shortly before it was robbed.

Jungkook was the first to enter the building and instead of following Jimin’s way of blocking the camera. He held the door open for an older man and angled his body in a bow, hiding his face. Seeing an opportunity, Jungkook continued to hold the door for V.

V bowed his thanks, to which Jungkook returned. Then they both entered, V way further ahead than Jungkook. Because of this, he made it to the elevator first and pressed the button.

As the numbers on top of the elevator doors became lower and lower, Jungkook finally reached it as well. He stood a good bit away from V as they both waited for the doors to open. Another random man came to wait and stood in between the two.

The doors suddenly opened and two people came out. Taehyung was the first to enter, followed by the man and Jungkook. They each pressed their respective floor numbers and the doors began to close.

“Ah, hold the elevator please!” A voice said.

V glanced at Jungkook, who met his eyes.

The man moved forward and pressed the button to keep the doors open. The doors opened wide once more and Jimin came in sheepishly. He bowed at the man and thanked him.

Finally, the doors shut and the elevator began to move up. On the fifth floor, the man got off and at the eighth, Jimin did. Taehyung and Jungkook continued their elevator ride to the fourteenth floor.

As Jimin entered the hallway, he politely bowed at some people passing by. Then he continued to walk casually and glanced behind to see the people disappear into an office. After that, he glanced at the camera above in the right corner, his glasses blocking his eyes.

He didn’t stop walking until he reached the blind spot of the camera. Then he slipped a gun out of his shirt and aimed. He shot quickly and a black paintball splattered on the camera, completely covering it.

He put the gun back into his shirt and quickly entered the stairway. He needed to get to the fourteenth floor as soon as possible.

•••

A security guard checked the screens before he stopped on one particular black screen – the main camera on the eighth floor. He focused his attention on it and made it bigger. He tried to get it working again, but nothing was happening. The screen simply stayed black.

It was strange. The systems said everything was fine, but he couldn’t see anything. He sighed loudly. Since his other coworkers went for lunch, he was the only one in the area. This meant he had to check it out.

He groaned before standing. Luckily, he was on the eighth floor so he didn’t have to go that far. So he exited the office, just missing the elevator’s camera flash black.

•••

As Jimin got rid of the camera on the eighth floor, Jungkook and Taehyung rode together in the elevator. They stood on opposite sides and avoided each other basically. A polite smile once or twice, but nothing too strange.

When they passed the tenth floor, their leader’s voice flowed through their headsets. “We’re stopping the live footage of the cameras…now.” The elevator became pitch black for a second before the lights turned back on. As this happened, Suga switched the footage.

Then the elevator jolted as it stopped suddenly.

Rap Monster spoke again, “Your elevator is down and so are the cameras. We don’t have eyes on you anymore. Tell us when the minute begins. Good luck boys.”

Jungkook and V didn’t respond as the younger of the two ducked down. V tossed his legs over Jungkook’s shoulders before saying, “Ready.” Then the maknae stood.

At this height, V was able to reach the ceiling of the elevator and he pushed it hard a few times. The third push made a popping noise, indicating that he got through the ceiling. He pushed again and moved it to the side, allowing them access.

V quickly climbed and disappeared into the shaft. Once his hyung was fully gone, Jungkook crouched very low and pushed himself off the ground. He was able to grab onto the top and pull himself up with ease.

As he did this, V shot the grappling hook gun and tugged on it tight, making sure it was sturdy enough. Then he began setting up the harnesses for them. Swiftly, he was able to connect it to himself and before he started moving, he handed one to Jungkook.

All too soon, they reached the fourteenth floor’s door and were able to pry it open. V entered first and held it for Jungkook, who followed swiftly. They disconnected their harnesses and cut the grappling hook line.

After shoving the things into V’s bag, they glanced at each other. Jungkook checked the watch on his wrist and told V the time. They had thirty seconds before their minute would start.

Quickly, they rushed down the hall where the stairs were located. It was also where the room holding the money was at. They’d meet up with Jimin before entering and taking the money.

As they approached a corner, the two slowed before stopping completely. Jungkook looked around the corner stealthily and saw two security guards. They were lazily standing there with their backs against the wall.

Jungkook looked at V and held up two fingers. When he looked back, he caught sight of Jimin in the tiny window of the door that led to the stairway. He was wearing a black face mask that covered most of his face. The guards weren’t paying attention and Jimin nodded, silently saying that he was ready.

The maknae nodded at his hyung then glanced at his watch. He held up his hand before opening and closing it two times while displaying all five fingers.

Ten seconds until the minute.

Jimin nodded again before he disappeared.

Jungkook turned back to V, who had put his own face mask on along with gloves, and took the face mask and gloves in his outstretched hand. He quickly put them on and looked at his watch. They had five seconds and it was moving fast.

At the last two seconds, Jungkook murmured into his mic. “We’re going in.”

Time start.

As the new minute started, Jungkook and V turned the corner and walked swiftly. The guards were not very good at their jobs because they didn’t notice the two right away. Once they did, they immediately straightened.

“Hey, what’s your business here?” One asked strictly.

When neither of them answered and only continued to walk closer, the guards reached for their guns. Then everything happened so fast.

Jungkook quickly ran to the nearest one and kicked the gun out of his hand before ing his palm upwards at the guard’s face.

A loud crack was heard and the guard groaned as he held his nose. Realizing the situation, he forgot about his now broken nose and went to attack Jungkook. He tried reaching for him, but Jungkook was simply too fast.

Fifteen seconds.

He dodged and spun around just as the security guard was slowly straightening. Before he could fully stand, Jungkook roughly threw his elbow back and it hit the man in his face. It hit him so hard that he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Just as Jungkook stood, a gun was pointed in his and V’s direction. The other security guard moved forward and held his gun up. He was frightened by the tone of his voice. “D-Don’t move! Hands up!”

Jungkook and V raised their hands.

The guard opened his mouth when he was suddenly kicked in the head. The blow was so hard that his eyes rolled back and he knocked out, joining the other guard on the floor.

As Taehyung and Jungkook put down their hands, they saw Jimin. He was bent over after he caught himself from the kick he delivered to the guard. Jimin nodded at them.

V crouched down and pulled the access card to the room from one of the guard’s belt. As he put it against the card reader, they were all rewarded with a low buzz. The door unlocked and he pushed it open. He and Jungkook entered and immediately went to the large safe where the money was located.

Jimin stayed outside and held his gun out, keeping an eye out until they could take off. It wasn’t a real gun, but it looked like it and who would come close enough to check it?

Twenty-five seconds.

“Suga-hyung,” V said he as stood in front of the safe. “Work your magic.”

A couple of seconds passed before Suga’s usual dull voice sounded through their ears. “Abracadabra.”

Jungkook and V watched as the digital code entered itself on the safe and it unlocked with a loud click. As soon as it opened, V started fishing through his bag of supplies. When he found what he was looking for, he tossed Jungkook a tiny compressed bag.

The maknae quickly undid it and began pulling stacks of money out. He swiftly loaded all of it into the large bag. As he did this, V made his way to the window. Once there, he pulled out another supply from his bag. It was a window cutter.

He cut the glass as swiftly as he could. Just as he was pulling the large square piece of glass away, Jungkook appeared with the large bag of money. He gritted his teeth as he held it over his shoulder. It was heavy.

V moved the glass away and then packed up his supply bag. As he did this, Jungkook looked out the window and tossed the bag of money out. Then they exited the room and met with Jimin before heading to the stairway.

Thirty-five seconds.

As they quickly moved down the stairs, Jungkook spoke into the mic. “Hobi-hyung, you’re up. The money is in the air.”

J-Hope’s voice cra