"Ha, ha! Check out the balls on this one!"
With a howling laugh, Captain Banders shattered the unspoken tension clouding the head officer's thoughts.
"Remember, this visit ain't for an investigation!" Banders gladly barked. "So you won't have to follow your annoying scripts, Mocke. You said you liked the kid, so why not pick his brain a bit?
"After all…"
Banders suddenly leaned forward with a whisper and a not-so-subtle wink.
"If you're trying to catch an outlaw, it might help to get an outlaw's perspective."
"Banders, stop–"
"Sound's pretty logical to me."
Ayse casually interrupted the officer's shout. His elbow dug into the armrest while propping up his head. Unnerved, Ayse locked eyes with the head officer yet again.
In response, Mock squinted and lightly coughed into a loose fist.
"Ayse… are you claiming that you and your brothers are outlaws?"
