Thief's Theme: A Love Story

Ji and Sharia sit across from each other in the interrogation room, silent as Sharia stares him down, trying to figure out how to get him to talk. ‘Let’s try the basics first.’ She thinks to herself.

“OK Merc, tell me, how’d you steal the wonders?” She asks, looking him in the eye for any trace of trickery as he answers. Ji shrugs.

“Like I told the last guy, I just did.” He answers.

“I’m going to need more than that Merc.” She says, trying to coax the answer out of him.

“Look, it’s a really basic and simple thing. I stole them how I’d steal anything else. I located them and I took them. Simple as.” He explains with a sincere tone. She narrows her eyes.

“I don’t believe you.” She says. He shrugs.

“I know that you wouldn’t, that’s why I answered the way I did. Any more questions?” He asks.

“Same ones as before.” She says, causing him to sigh in annoyance.

“Well that sucks. I already answered these before, and answering them again is just boring. How about I ask some questions of my own?” He inquires. Sharia scrutinizes him, looking for any kind of ulterior motive. She doesn’t find one.

“Sure Merc. If it makes you talk, you can ask anything you want.” She relents.

“Alright then. So Shar…how’ve you been? Anything interesting happen in your life, besides me?” He asks. The basic simplicity of his question causes her to sigh.

“I’ve been good J—Merc. And no, you’re pretty much dominating my life as it is.” She states.

“Good to know.” He responds with a toothy grin, liking that he was dominating her life so much.

“Now, answer my question. Where did you put the Seven Wonders?” She probes.

“And like I said before, I put them in my secret storage place.” He repeats.

“OK, where’s your secret storage place located? How do we reach it?” She asks? Ji shrugs.

“You don’t really. I couldn’t really tell you where it is, I’d have to show you. I can do that right now if you’ll let me.” He replies with a wide smile. Sharia stops and thinks about it hard. Knowing where his secret place was would help, but if it’s just her and him, she can’t really recover the wonders.

“Not now.” She begins. “After the interrogation.”

“I don’t know officer, I might not be up to it after the interrogation.” He stops, leans forward and looks her in the eyes, staring deep into her soul. “I’m not going to say it’s a one-time offer, but it’s rare. So choose wisely Shar.” He advises with a sagely tone. She thinks on it again, her heart telling her to go as it’s something she REALLY wants to see, the secret lair of the world’s greatest thief. It’d provide so much insight on how to truly stop him and find the things that he takes. Then again, if he was willing to show her, then it likely wouldn’t affect him much at all. Even more, she couldn’t guarantee—No, she knew for a fact that he wouldn’t allow himself to be brought right back to the interrogation room afterwards and she didn’t feel like going through the effort of catching him again.

“I’ll pass.” She speaks with finality. Ji shrugs.

“Alright, it’s your choice.” He says. “A bad choice, but ultimately yours to make. Now, my turn to ask a question.” Sharia nods, giving him permission.

“Go ahead.” This causes him to grin, almost making her wish she hadn’t said that.

“You been working out?” He suddenly asks, as if they were having casual conversation. This confuses her.

“What? No! No more than usual at least.” She answers truthfully. Ji shrugs off her answer.

“Hey, I couldn’t tell. I was thinking you must be working out because…well you look good Shar. Anyone ever tell you that?” This causes her to blush, though she does gather her composure.

“Now’s not the time Merc.” She says, brushing off the compliment. This doesn’t stop him from talking.

“Hey you want to go get dinner?” He starts. “I think we’re overdue for some hanging out time.” He speaks almost absentmindedly. Sharia rolls her eyes at his statement and takes a deep breath before steeling her eyes over and slamming her hand hard on the table.

“Enough games, Merc. What’s it going to take to get the wonders back?” She questions intensely. Ji stares her down before answering.

“Just ask.” He says with a shrug. This throws Sharia throw a loop. All this hard work, all of this locking him up and going through interrogation and they just had to ask? No, it couldn’t be this simple.

“What? All we had to do was ask?” She voices her disbelief. Ji shakes his head.

“No, all you had to do was ask. Ask, and you shall receive.” He informs her. She looks at him with a raised brow before an idea comes to her head.

“I suppose I can’t ask for you to stay locked up and not escape?” He shrugs again.

“You can, but I probably won’t give you that. Anything else, but not that.” He answers truthfully. ‘Damn, it was worth a shot.’ She thinks, though she’s sure that deep down inside she’d want him to truly be locked up forever. It just didn’t sit right with her. Then again she knows he’d be alright and just steal anything he needed and bring the necessities to his cell, so she probably shouldn’t be worried. Getting off of that train of thought, she turns back to the issue at hand, getting the Wonders back.

“Fine. The Wonders, put them back.” She demands in a harsh tone. Ji smiles and snaps his fingers.

“I wouldn’t call that asking exactly, but it’ll do. Your wish is my command.” He says. Sharia looks at him wearily as if expecting him to do something else.

“You don’t expect me to believe…” She trails off, not finishing her statement. Ji nods to answer her question.

“I do actually.” She sighs and leaves the room to make a quick call to the chief to see if somehow Ji had actually put the Wonders back. It didn’t make sense, but nothing around him did anymore.

“Hello Chief?” She asks, making sure she got him.

“Sharia! My best girl! I heard about how you found Merc for us, again. And I just want to thank you for everything—“

“Thanks Chief, but that’s not what I’m calling about.” She says, cutting him off.

“Oh, right. Of course. What is it that you need?” She hesitates, not wanting to sound completely insane, but there was no way to say this otherwise so…

“Well I spoke with Merc and he says he put the Wonders back.” She informs the chief.

“While in his cell?” Questions the chief, surprised.

“In the interrogation room, yes. I know it sounds crazy, but can you check to see if they’re in fact back in place?”

“…yeah sure. Give me a second.” He says as he puts her on hold. Sharia takes this time to look back at Ji who had a confident grin on his face. ‘He better not be messing with me.’ She thinks as she waits. ‘This will be really embarrassing if he is.’ Another ten seconds of silence and the chief comes back.

“Well…uh…I don’t know how to say this but…the Wonders are back. Looks like Merc told the truth…somehow.” Sharia’s mouth involuntarily transforms itself into a smile.

“Thank you chief, that’s all I needed to know.” She says.

“No problem.” He responds as they end the call. Sharia then takes a few moments to compose herself and wipe the smile off of her face. She couldn’t afford to go back in the room like that. Not against Ji. She needed to be all business and no play, and bring back her serious attitude. She does just that as she walks back in the room with a stern look, slamming her hands on the table as she confronts Ji about what just happened.

“I don’t know how you did it, or what you’re doing, but I will find out.” She warns him. He just grins back at her. Damn, he was unshakeable. “Besides that though, thank you.” She says as her expression softens. It immediately hardens again as she continues. “Now, back to your cell and try to remain there. At least until I’ve left for a good while at least. We don’t need them getting ideas.” She commands. Ji fake salutes her.

“Aye aye captain. I’ll make sure to come find you for dinner when I’m out.”

“You’re too much.” She grunts under her breath in frustration as she beelines it out of the prison. A day later, Ji escapes, returning the games, TV, laptop, and computer that he took.

A day after that, Sharia finds herself walking around town trying to think of how to stop Ji or ‘Merc’ for good. He’s her friend yes, but he’s also on the wrong side of the law.

“You can stop me by having dinner with me.” He says, interrupting her thoughts. She turns around when she hears his voice, cuffs ready for the arrest.

“You!” She exclaims as she actually tries to arrest him on the spot.

“I can see you’re not up to it right now.” He says as he disappears from sight, causing her to double take and look around for his possible escape route. ‘What did he just do?’ She wonders. She manages to shake it off and return home, her little trip for air and thinking on how to take Ji down was done. No way she can go back when he’s bound to just interrupt her like that. When she gets home, a surprise is waiting for her: a table set with food.

“Oh god, they’re going to make me an accomplice after seeing this.” She states aloud, holding her head in her hands, looking stressed over the situation.

“Relax.” Ji says, lifting her face by her chin, looking her in the eyes. “Eat.” She blushes at both the contact and their proximity and gently pushes his hand off of her chin. She looks down at the food and realizes that she’ll be in trouble whether she eats it or not.

“Might as well.” She breathes out with a shrug as she digs in to the food.

“That’s the spirit!” He exclaims as he too sits down with her and begins feasting. The two eat together, talking as they do. Ji waits for her to eat a few dishes before he starts asking questions.

“So, mi’ lady, is everything up to par and to your liking.” She looks up from her meal and nods slowly.

“Yeah, except for the part where it’s stolen. You know I hate stealing.” She reminds him once more.

“I do, you’ve told me over and over again. And yet here we are: the world’s greatest thief and someone who hates stealing, good friends, hanging out and having dinner.”

“And being cuffed.” She says as she cuffs him to the table stealthily, looking at him with a smile that says ‘Gotcha!’ He merely raises an eyebrow and beckons her to look down. She does and she sees that somehow the cuff is off. When did he?

“Nice try, but not today.” He starts. “At least wait until my next masterpiece.” He says as he waves his hand over the table as if presenting something. “Dessert?” He inquires. She goes to say no, trying to decline anymore stolen food, but as she looks down she notices that various desserts have appeared on the table. “I got your favorites, from bakeries all around the world.” This causes her heart to flutter somewhat.

“F-for me?” She questions rhetorically, stuttering as she does due to the excitement and unexpectedness of the situation.

“Of course. A special gesture for a special woman.” He says silkily. She blushes at the compliment and instead chooses to look down and keep eating rather than respond. Ji shakes his head in wonderment as he too begins eating, making sure to pick the desserts she wasn’t eyeing at the moment. Another five minutes and both are done, allowing Sharia to finally look up from the table and say her piece.

“I may not like what you do Ji, but the thought is still…thank you.” She says sincerely. He grins in response.

“Any time, anything, anywhere.” He says with a wink as he disappears before her eyes, taking the dirty dishes and any evidence of their meal with him. Sharia sighs now that it’s over, but can’t help but to smile at his antics and at his words. He may be a thief, but he was still not only her friend, but a good person at heart.