"The incident the other night." Jack looked calm and collected, but inside his chest his heart was pounding in concern.

"Yes... I know Ray was your student but we can't let him go. More of his past has been brought to my attention. If not for the reason of him being in the treasury last night and the night before, that will keep him from trying to become a guard or most anything now." The commander sat down and motioned for Jack and Sam to do the same, having a feeling that this conversation could go on for quite some time. Sam waits for Jack to move first, not trusting herself to do things the right way.

Jack sat obediently. "But sir, I don't believe anyone but me and my other students know why they were there."

"Ok. If you feel you must tell me, then go ahead." The commander says. Sam sits too, trying to steady her nerves. She was here at this point just to be moral support.

"Ray was returning what was stolen. But they dropped their bag in a rush because the triggered traps were attacking too quickly for them to remove the treasure and put it back. They only went back for their antidote for the darts that hit them."

"How do you know this?" The commander asks Jack. He didn't believe Jack, even with Jack being an honest man. He didn't understand how Jack would know. He could just be making something up to free Ray.

"Because, I helped Ray return the treasure." He said, inside tightening to be punished as well.

The commander sits back in his chair and nods slowly.
Sam reaches over and gently gives Jack's hand a comforting squeeze.
"Well, you were helping him do the right thing." The commander sighs. "I'm not so sure I want to let him go still... If we let him go, who is to say he won't revert back to what he was doing before - and not returning things. And taking a life is irreversible."

"Sir, with all due respect, I do not believe in rumors of past." He said, thumb gingerly brushing Sams' hand as a thank you.

The commander looks at Jack, debating on what to do. Letting Ray go or keeping him. Which was the right thing to do?
There was a knock at the door and the commander puts the conversation with Jack and Sam on pause. He gets up and opens the door to find a guard there, looking extremely nervous.
"Sir, the prisoners have escaped." The guard manages to squeak.
"What?" The commander couldn't believe it. "How many?"
"All of them? We caught one again, though." The guard relays the information. The commander runs a hand through his hair as he processes this information.
"Well? What are we waiting for? Let's ask where the prisoners went off to and who let them escape." The commander says.