Okay, I just got done uploading the second chapter. It seems to be going slower than my normal stories, but I refuse to stop writing it just because of a view counter. And those of you who have bothered to read this mini rant, I thank you. If not I still hope you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 4: Picking The Mark
"Since when did you learn how to code? More importantly is that why it has become even easier to do the old fashion ones?" Ruby asked as she and Yang took a seat outside a cafe. Yang had shown Ruby the main part of the town. Ruby had to fight nearly every single instinct to not start to pickpocket some of the people. To Ruby they were begging to lose the few hundred they kept in their pockets.
Ruby was positive that the only reason Yang took her down the financial district was to test her will power to not start working on her debt. Some of them, Ruby only knew because of seeing them on the news every once in a while. Well whenever she even cared to look at the news.
"I learned about six years ago. Remember when I suggest we go into phishing? I began to learn then. The fact I know how scams work it just made it easier to catch those scum who are in it purely for the money, keeping every cent. It doesn't even click to them that they are scum." Yang almost laughed as Ruby took a drink of the hot chocolate that she demanded.
Ruby's face lit up into one of pure bliss at the chocolaty drink. She didn't care about the look on Yang's face. She got to enjoy her tasty drink as Yang would continue her jealous glare. Or that was how Ruby was interpreting it. "So, besides that this Cinder chick is bat shit crazy, you never did say what was going to happen if you failed. I'm sure Roman has still some pull with madam bat shit crazy." Yang posed the question to start something akin to figuring out what happened in their absence from each other.
"They would harvest my organs to regain some of the money I now owe them. Before that they'll probably stop by to make sure I'm working on getting their money. But they won't kill me until I have it." Ruby started taking a large gulp of air to calm herself. "A dead person can't pay off their debt. And I'm pretty sure whatever favours he had stored up were called with my life. And with the only needing one million a day, who can't make those kinds of payments?" Ruby joked as Yang felt her phone vibrate.
She quickly took it out of her pocket. To glance at the caller I.D. and clicked the reject. "Was that important? Because if you need to go in and continue to twist that knife in my back. I'll understand." Ruby spoke as Yang tossed her a glare.
Slowly Yang extended her middle finger. Ruby feigned a hurt expression as Yang began to laugh at Ruby's expression. "Ruby, I know it would take a lot more to hurt you. Hell it took me sleeping with your now ex, to hurt you. Me giving you the finger should do little more than be a minor annoyance." Yang spoke as she took a small drink from her cup. Enjoying the bitter taste from the coffee.
"So what is this master plan that I can get sixty million fast? Because if it was to tease me with at least a thousand dollars that I could have easily lifted, that cop you live with wont find your corpse. Because if I die from some cruel joke you thought was funny, I'm taking you down with me. That way we can be a family to the end." Ruby asked turning back to look at the people walking by.
Wondering what was going through their minds. Or more specifically, did it occur to them that some were within arm's reach to one of the most infamous modern criminal duos. If literally any one of those people walking by saw them, and knew them, decided to turn them in they would have a pretty penny, and go down in history.
But those thoughts rarely occurred to people at any stage of their life, let alone walking down the street to continue their mundane existence doing their nine to five. The exact same people Ruby would be glad to lighten their wallets, so she can stay whole.
It wasn't out of greed, not like it was overly greedy in the past. With ninety four percent going to charities, she and Yang would never count it as greed. But this returned it to what it was at the core; Survival.
"What do you know about the Schnee Electronics Company?" Yang asked as Ruby just glared at her. "No, Rubes. I mean it seriously. What do you know about the SEC.? More precisely, the CEO Strum Schnee?" Yang continued her questioning.
"He is a legendary douche bag. Worth approximately two trillion dollars. With a net income of four figures every second. There isn't a problem he can't buy his way out of. Which is probably why he is hated amongst the judicial system but he is also the largest financier to it, so they tolerate him." Ruby said looking sceptically at her sister.
"Well, that is what everyone knows." Yang started, pausing just long enough to have another sip of her coffee. "What my point is, he hasn't even lifted a damn finger in about fifteen years. He passed control behind closed doors to his eldest daughter, Winter Schnee, who has since been moved out of her position because of a slight cocaine addiction which landed her in rehab." Yang paused again, letting Ruby digest what was being told to her.
"Yang do you mind getting to your point before I have people cutting off fingers to send you a message, and having my precious organs sold to any bidder. So get to it!" Ruby yelled as Yang rolled her eyes.
"Weiss Schnee, his youngest and most elusive is now in charge. Few people have seen her, even fewer have seen her without an armed escort. She lives in this town, and has hired my firm to beef up all cyber security, which while my branch doesn't specialise in it, that is what we do." Yang spoke as she looked over at Ruby.
"And every day, at exactly one thirty she makes her way down to this cafe, and vanishes from her escort service. She returns to the company headquarters at three thirty. No one knows where she goes. There is just two hours of her day a blank. All they know is she isn't doing any drugs, because no dealer or supplier is dumb enough after what happened to Winter's. Ninety nine to life with no possibilities of parole. Eighteen people got that ruling. No one wants to get sentenced that strict. And we are going to find out what happens in that two hour window and either blackmail her, or scam the money out of her. All depends on what happens during that time." Yang stated sitting back further into her chair as a large black SUV pulled up to the curb.
"We, take a day to feel things out, spend the bulk that is left to weave the webs, building up her trust in us. Towards the end, snap the trap shut, get the money and you can hand it over. Sixty million is nothing to her family's company, hell they probably eat more than that in caviar or some shit." Yang spoke as two large men wearing suits stood on either side of the door, as a third one walked up and opened the door.
Out stepped a small white haired woman. She was wearing a powder blue formal dress, with a white bolero and off centre ponytail. By all respects she doesn't appear to be anything more than the daughter of Strum Schnee. And the only proof she was running the company was because she hired Yang's to protect it, which was more than enough for Ruby to go on.
A scar went down her left eye. Yang was positive there was a story behind that, but right now her priority was getting the eight figure sum for Ruby's safety. It may seem like a lot. In fact it was a lot to most people, but to the Schnee empire, a dynasty that controls around seventy percent of the world's electronics, it was nothing. They paid more for their winter houses.
'Hmmm she is pretty cute. If she wasn't the single most twisted thing since her father, I'd probably consider her do-able.' Yang thought as the group walked into the small cafe. Yang and Ruby quickly finished their drinks. Yang placed a note on the table as a tip and began to walk towards the back of the building.
They stayed close to the corner, just out of sight. They didn't need to wait long before they saw someone walking out of the back door. They could see parts of the unmistakable white mane being pushed into a hood, as it was being pulled over her head.
"Hmph I wonder where she put that stupid dress." Yang questioned quietly. It was a good question, or at least that was what the sisterly duo thought.
Weiss walked out, wearing some blue jeans and a white hoodie. She even took off her old blue high heels, and replaced them with blue converse shoes. To the untrained eye, she would appear nothing more than a cafe worker clocking off.
But to the sister duo, it was their mark trying to become a normal person. Trying to become incognito. Not wanting the notoriety of being the daughter, and unofficial CEO of the single largest company in the modern world. A real life Henry the fifth.
"Five bucks says she is going to some kinky whore house." Ruby joked. Yang just looked at her half heartily. "Are you really in the place to bet, when you need to make eight figures? Because I don't think so. Especially because there isn't a single kinky whore house in this town. Believe me, it is as vanilla as it gets." Yang stated as they began to follow the Heiress.
"It isn't like I can get any further into debt if it is a single figure when it comes to you, whereas five dollars would make a nice dent in the sixty million when I have a nice round zero dollars towards it right now." Ruby quipped back as they began to walk slowly, just fast enough to not lose her from their line of sight, but slow enough as to not catch up to her.
"Doesn't matter Rubes. The house always wins. In this case the house being me. I know this city inside and out. You know next to nothing. So I'm not taking the bet. Get over it." Yang tossed back, not caring about the glare from Ruby.
"A book store. Aren't you glad I didn't make the bet? She comes to a book store. A very nice one, I might add. It has a lot of rarities." Yang stated as she slapped Ruby on the back.
Ruby winced at the pain. She wasn't sure if it was from her beating a few days prior, or from Yang forgetting how strong she was. "Ah! Yang! I'm pretty sure if my ribs weren't broken that didn't help them." Ruby angrily yelled as they stood just outside the window, to observe Weiss closer, without alerting her to their presence.
They path they took to get to the bookshop was an odd one. They took about every back road and alleyway to get there. It would have shaved off an additional twenty minutes if they took a more direct route, but they blonde and red duo could understand why the back roads where needed.
Yang could only guess that the whole reason behind it was Papa Schnee, would kill to know exactly where she goes off to.
"Besides I doubt this is where she goes every day. Honestly I love books... like a lot, but I can't see myself spending an entire two hours a day at a bookshop, one she could probably buy out with the change she keeps in her wallet. So paint me a bit sceptical." Ruby spoke as she took a seat on the wall just next to where Yang was standing.
"Well, we can start doing this daily. Give about a week, if she comes here even four days that would be more than enough to start setting the trap. In the meantime you will be doing something you've never needed to do." Yang spoke as she turned around to look at Ruby. "Get a legal job. Or attempt to at least. Hell thankfully I have enough holiday time saved up, and they owe me about three months. I'll take two and we can start to get this crap sorted." Yang spoke as she looked over at Weiss browsing the collections, a small smile graced her lips. Not like the ones she saw from news reports.
This one seemed genuine. Not like she needed to put on the charade of being emotionless. 'It is almost like there is a person under that cold mask.' Yang thought as she took a seat next to Ruby.
Ruby pulled out a deck of cards from her pocket and cracked the seal. She took the pieces of cardboard from their prison and began to fan them. "Well, we have a while. Game of 'Go Fish', 'Poker' or 'War'?"
"Go Fish is childish, Poker is no fun without any stakes. But War is fun. Let's play." Yang stated turning to her sister as she shuffled the deck. Ruby passed the deck to Yang, as was custom for them, due to both of their skills doing various false cuts. Yang shuffled it quickly and began to break the deck.
Author's Note:
And we now have plot, with a somewhat fluffy ending. I also have no idea if 'War' is the card game's name, but it was the name I was taught when I was a child. And Yang's points about the card games at the end are my own. Seriously, who plays poker without any stakes? (I have an answer for that, two or more broke people. –A)