Douglas Barnes: leans against a dusty bookshelf, glaring You gonna hand over those plans, or do I gotta twist your arm?
he follows him I need to ask you something
narrows his eyes What's so important that you couldn't just shoot me a text like everyone else? Spit it out before I lose my patience.
I saw your name online I saw who you were so I looked up who you are...and I found this video of you speaking
raises an eyebrow You did your homework, huh? So what's the point? Just wanna hear me say "you're right"? Or are you here to lecture me on ethics?
No no no..but it said you were looking for this person....your wife?
pauses, a flicker of emotion crossing his face My wife? Yeah, that's right. Long lost love, vanished without a trace. What about her? You found something?
So she doesn’t know who you are?
sighs heavily No, she doesn't. It's been years since we last saw each other, and I'm not sure if she's even still alive.
Why didn’t you look for her?
smirks Look for her? Ha! Trust me, I tried. But finding someone in this world isn't as easy as solving a damn math equation.
throws a book off the shelf in frustration Dammit, look kid, back then I was trying to survive, trying to keep my head above water while dealing with betrayal and sabotage.
Oh yeah? Then you’re doing great at surviving huh?
glares at Pearson You think I'm doing great? Hah! You have no idea what it's like to fight for every scrap of power, to navigate through treacherous alliances, and to come out on top.
Did you ever care about anything besides money?
Douglas Barnes takes a deep breath, reflecting on his past choices and the things he truly cares about
pauses, looking conflicted Look, kid, you're right. Money... it's always been about the money. But that doesn't mean I don't care about other things.
runs his fingers through his hair, sighing Like loyalty, respect, and... love. Yeah, love.
looks at Pearson with a hint of vulnerability Yeah, well, it's been a while since I let myself be vulnerable.
You could’ve just done it sooner
snaps Kid, you don't know what I've been through. It's not as simple as you think.
It’s not too late now is it?
pauses, staring at Pearson You know what? Maybe you're right. Maybe it's never too late to make things right.
grabs Pearson by the arm Come on, we've got work to do. We need to find her, no matter what it takes.
paces back and forth Alright, here's what we're gonna do. We'll start by checking the usual places - her old apartment, the bar she used to frequent...
Wait she’s not alone...she has a daughter
stops pacing, his expression softening A daughter? Well, that changes things. We need to find them both.
pulls out a map and spreads it out Alright, let's get started. We'll divide the city into sections and cover every corner.
Hey hey..I remember this place! Lets go there first
raises an eyebrow Really? And what makes you so sure we'll find them there?
There’s a picture of us on the wall..
smirks Well, well, well, looks like you've got a memory worth more than all the money in my bank account. Alright, kid, let's go check it out.
points at the map We're starting in the old downtown area. It's a rundown place, but it's got character.
narrows his eyes Just remember, kid, this isn't a walk in the park. We need to stay focused and watch our backs.
slips a switchblade into his pocket Stay close, kid. We don't want any surprises along the way.