FOOLS

Chapter 1

The door gave out an ear-churning creak. Rusted metal scraping against the dirt-covered floor and uneven pavement. Papers scattered every which way, plastering the desk while decorating the path that led up to it. The light flickers on and off while the bulb was swinging back and forth.

Someone was just here, they left in a hurry. Those were the observations Namjoon made. His feet moved rapidly and clumsily to the table. The crunch of the papers below his shoes were like gunshots and they echoed that he was too late. The papers on the table all had the same message.

"Fuck," Namjoon yelled into the vacant space, his hand gripping the stack. Fool, it read. The word became something that haunts Namjoon ever since he started on this case a few years back. No matter what he did, he was always one step behind the mastermind of the operation. Sweats burning his body, he lets go of the papers and walks out of the room. The crime team will be coming shortly to go through the place to see if they can find any evidence or DNA. Useless, Namjoon thought, Adelfós never leaves anything behind.

Outside, his team planted themselves around the perimeter of the building. It was the last place they thought of searching, considering it was stalked in the middle of bustling Seoul. But the safest place to sell illegal drugs would be right under the police's nose. Namjoon should have known, he should have acted before the tip came in. All around him, he hears camera flashes and police dogs barking wildly. It gave him a headache.

His head stirred as a team member approached. It was Hoseok, his partner and a deadly sniper. Based on his hooded eyes, Namjoon could tell it was bad news. "They took everything from this building," Hoseok explained. "They're probably moving to another facility as we speak. No surveillance cam has caught any movement. There are no traces of them left."

Namjoon ran a hand through his hair, it gave him a distraction from the throbbing guilt and failure feeling weighing him down. His hand dropped on Hoseok's shoulder. "Good work. Let's wrap it up and move back to HQ," he told him. The other nodded and began rounding up the other team members. Seeing him commanding the room diligently, Namjoon felt lacking as a leader.

Five years on this case and Namjoon was no closer to finding out the identity of the mafia leader. The only clue he had ever received was Adelfós, it was signed on all the papers left behind. Namjoon never could figure out what it meant, except that it was the nickname the mafia leader uses. Black Pandora has been running the country's biggest cartel. Their transactions range from local gangs to international political personals.

Namjoon's team was the only group that knew about this. The Korean government has demanded that this be kept a secret from everyone, to avoid any commotions and to try and save face in front of other nations' leaders. Pointless, Namjoon thought again. This fear only feeds into the ego of Black Pandora, which then grows its operations.

The stress was getting to him, but he felt his team members, including his best unit, looking directly at him, and up to him. He couldn't let them down. Outside, the crew had begun packing up equipment, the dogs went back into their seats. This was a routine for them, the ominous mood and disappointment. Unbeknownst to then, every one of their movements were being monitored by someone that was miles away in a safe hideout. The figure laughed, shoulder shaking with exuberant joy. "Fool," he said, then turned off the TV to get ready for his next move.

The chief of police greeted Namjoon outside. The night was deep upon them, moonlight paving the steps. The stubby man adjusted his glasses, then placed his hands on his hips. "I'm sorry, sir." Namjoon lowered his head and bowed.

"Don't be, son. You've done all that you could tonight." he sighed. He was as frustrated with this case as Namjoon was. The government had been on their backs about finishing this. They only care about the political side, they can't begin to imagine the effort it takes to investigate something like this. "Go on and talk to the team. Then go home, you need to rest."

As much as he hated disappointed the chief, it was worse when it came to his own team. The five guys had stayed by his side for years, relinquishing all their trust to him but only for him to let them down. He could hear Yoongi in his head, teasing him as he always does after an operation, "I should have been the leader instead."

They sat in their designated seats, shoulders lined up against the back of the chair. They talked amongst each other, faces drained of any emotion. Even from the distance, Namjoon could clearly make out the dark circles encapsulating their eyes. He checked himself in the window before going inside. A small smile formed, not out of genuine happiness, but he needed to be strong in front of the team. They all turned once the door clicked shut.

"I've said it before, I should have been leader." Yoongi spoke up, he leaned back into the chair lazily.

"Hyung, you're too busy with your couch to do what Namjoon hyung does." Jimin pointed out, he gave a little chuckle that calmed Namjoon.

"Listen, everyone," Namjoon began, "Tonight didn't go as planned but I want to thank each and every one of you for your hard work. On Monday, we'll start over with the investigation again and I'll need your best effort and focus. That's all for tonight, please go home and get some rest."

"Hyung, you're going home too right?" Taehyung asked. "You're not just gonna sit in your office and work all night like you always do, right?" Namjoon blushed a bit, he hadn't expected to be called out, or that anyone would notice him sitting in his office late at night.

"Go home, Joon. You also deserve a break." Seokjin nodded. Then one by one, they began dragging Namjoon out of the meeting room and down to his car. They stood still and watched as he drove away. Hoseok threatened that if Namjoon comes back to his office, he would shoot his computer. Under the moonlight and dusty clouds, Namjoon thought about what Adelfós was thinking about. And similarly, the hidden shadow watching Namjoon's car questioned the same thing.