There was absolute silence in the room. Everyone just stared at the Justice Minister as if they were dreaming.
Stephen blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Well, damn. Never thought I'd live to see the day." Thomas let out a laugh.
Odin rubbed his chin. "So, what's the plan? We sit down with him like we're negotiating with a foreign power?"
The Justice Minister nodded. "If that's what it takes." She exhaled, glancing at the documents in front of her. "Like it or not, Bellini holds power in ways we don't. If this idiot candidate wins and actually tries to 'clean up the city' with brute force, we'll be dealing with a war on two fronts, against the criminals and against public unrest. And if that happens…"
Stephen sighed, shaking his head. "Then we're fucked."
"But this is high risk," Stephen said, his tone more serious than before. "We joke about him, but let's not forget, our agents have died because of him."
