"What, like, who sent us? Fuck, we got debts to pay, man, they ain't always the kind you can pay in cash, capiche? Fuckers know that if you cross the smugglers bad enough you're gonna have a bad fucking time."

Do they have enough restraints for all of them?

Yeah, he can tie them all up with their own handcuffs and zip ties and nylon rope and such. They're remarkably determined to try and get all three out; Nobody cuts and runs. They even stop fighting after a while when it's obvious it's pointless.

"We will discuss this in the morning," he informs them once he's got them all secure.

And then it is back to bed with him.

Yeah no they're totally gonna try to slip the bonds once they think he's asleep again.

He remains a very light sleeper.

Well, it will be dawn eventually, even if it's painful on all sides.

He parks in the entrance of the church to pray.

He is going to feed and water these people, ask them what the fuck when he has Comprehend Languages on, and then most likely let them go. He will probably at some point re-read the treatment of prisoners section in the handbook but he is pretty confident he remembers those parts, he had more chances to study it in the course of his fortress duties.

They are pretty adamant that snitches get stitches and if he's not, like, implying that he'll kill them for not talking 'someone we're very afraid of, possibly connected to the smugglers, told us to kidnap you' is the story.

He's actually pretty sure it is allowed by his religion to execute them if they cannot come to any superior agreement, though when this question comes up he will consult the manual and a few key passages of the Acts to be sure.

Okay but that's an act right. Surely nobody is actually Like This. It is admittedly a more scary sort of behavior than just tying them up.

What, uh, what exactly does he want to know, anyway?

Well, he wants to know if, should he let them go, they will continue to perpetrate banditry. The default outcome here is that he executes the lot of them for banditry, or maybe waits for someone to come by with context on whether there is any local law applicable to the situation that he ought to care about and then probably still executes them for banditry, but he is open to figuring out something better by everyone's lights than that, especially since they seem in danger of the Abyss.

Okay so he IS insane and going to kill them for trying to attack him, good to know. Nice performance on that intimidation check. What does he WANT.

He really thought he was clear but perhaps the poor English is doing him a disservice. "I want to be able to release you without subjecting anyone to banditry. I would not do any banditry, and I would not have it done by way of my inaction."

"I think you really overestimate the number of options we have at this point, head. We don't owe the Sevens money, we owe face. Blood. We try to just - walk out on it, quit the gang? Well, I'd prefer the mace, it'd be quicker. I guess this might really be the end of the line, fuck."

"Very well, in that case I would say you ought set about repenting in your heart best as you can to make your time before the Judge easier; I am not in a great hurry."

"Welp. Three of us together, 'till the end, like we said. Jane, Mike-"

"Yeah. God. Fuck this city, man... You could'a got away maybe, last night."

"All or none. Promise is a promise."

"Fucking... I'd rather you lived, you ass. Just-"

"Yeah. I get it. We never should have talked to Cheng. We should've realized it was all downhill from there. 'Favors', peh."

"Too fucking late now. Has been for a while. The whole damn state is just circling the drain."

"...Hey, Conan the Barbarian, you mind sending a message to someone?"

"That is not my name. I would need to know more about the message and the someone; I am not interested in enabling better coordination of banditry."

"Old Lady Parch- Just- That Mike is sorry, and she was right."

"...We really should have just fucking run into the desert. Hey. I can tell you something important but you gotta promise to kill us clean, not let the Sevens get us alive."

"I would not kill you not-clean anyway."

"That's not a promise not to let the Sevens get us alive."

"I do not know these people, or their power, or how quick they will come. If you wish me to kill you before I talk to my ally from the healing place I can do this but a promise is a very heavy thing."

"Fucking hell."

"What are you-"

"This- This is all I got left, man. Last card in the deck and it's a two. May God have mercy on our souls, and fuck the Sevens. The Lucky Seven gang has- I overheard a meeting I wasn't supposed to. They've been offered three million dollars, military grade weapons, and some kind of nebulous but important sounding 'favor', to kidnap you and send you to Russia. I'm pretty sure we three unlucky fuckers are just the cannon fodder to gather more information about what it'll take."

"I will not be useful kidnapped. Is there a way for people to know this instead of only to know that I say it?"

"...Maybe let one of the early attempts get you and be manifestly unhelpful? A reputation takes time. Anyone can say shit and your healing thing is way too hot for people to pass up."

"You really don't think like an operator, man. That much is obvious from five fuckin' minutes."

"If you give - conditions to sell out and say that you'll poison pill any attempt to coerce you, or maybe that you have obligations and codes to follow and just threatening to hurt you will do jack and shit- That's at least speaking the same language as corpos and gangers, respectively."