RESEARCH ( barry berkman.. ) ✔

o33. exchange rate..

"What if it doesn't work?"

Fear is used to control. Whether it is a mass fear consumption through the cable, or a personal matter which would require mailing bullets or blowing up rental centers with a sprinkle of prepared dynamite, ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, fear is what gets the pawns moving ahead, one step at a time, obediently towards death. Now why would we turn the most basic of instincts which helped in the survival of the human race into the reason we would one day go extinct?

It's for the same reason our basic needs have been monetized and even asking for help comes with a bill to pay. Profit.

There was no profit for Batir in keeping this fight going, just as he had only to lose by letting Adelaide go with plain betrayal behind his back, as it turned out from the pictures clearly sent by Hank. The explosion was definitely planned by the people they meddled with and Barry knew they had to take the speed up a notch with the plan him and Addie have crafted.

"It will," he reassured her, about to pull in the parking lot they settled the exchange to take place. Hank was still secured in their trunk. Though the car had been previously parked rather close to the explosion, it was not been affected save from a little shake and a good slow cook inside from the added warmth. Hank complained for sure, still gagged, when Barry checked on him, but considering he was feisty, there was no need to indulge in further conversation.

Barry could be quite the cold person, when the situations he was dragged into demanded it or if the drainage of his emotions dried off with the sting of anger. There was clarity in controlled fury though, he realized. Seeing Adelaide in danger, seeing the place where his friends were supposed to be in on fire... though nobody got hurt yet, it activated the warzone tucked into his brain, enclosed by barriers; a demon on leash, at last.

On his right, however, Adelaide has already let a strain of fear seed into her heart. It was easy to tell, at least for him, when the terrifying thoughts clouded her judgement and trust. She agreed with him that if the bomb was indeed the Chechens doing, they had to act a bit faster, but now, some doubts made Barry slow the drive and attempt having her enter the confident zone once more. 

"Let's go through this variant of the plan again," he urged Adelaide to speak it out.

"We settled an exchange," Addie blurted out mechanically. Something about an explosive attack did not sit right with her. Surely, there have been bad things happening to them: kidnapping in broad daylight, night shootings, stalkers during the day. Her gut feeling did not disagree with Barry's that this was the doing of their current border enemies and allies, but it also added the worry of not really remembering them as such violent individuals.

Taking Hank for example... he was a Chechen with emotions, with compassion, who though gullible and easy to manipulate, did usually mean the best. From Barry's stories of how Goran behaved before he had to kill him, none of the Chechens really had the disposition to be truly cruel or bluntly violent. Before he got them lessons at Hank's demand, none of them even knew how to shoot straight. All of a sudden, thinking they would personally bomb a possibly populated rental space seemed a bit exaggerate, even from a mafia organization from a dangerous background.

"Addie?" Barry insisted after she has been quiet for a bit too long. He was parking now. They got there first. "We can't do this if you're not here with me 100%."

"Right," Adelaide blinked herself out of her thoughts, but really, nothing changed. Her shoulders were tensed, her jaw was clenched and she was holding on tightly with her hands on the material of her shirt. "We give over Hank. Tell them this is the end of our bargain, that we've done...," gradually, her voice got tinier. "I'm sorry, Barry, but I really don't think we should be doing this right now."