"That it has. Too long."

Barnaby inhaled deeply. Held it there for a moment. Felt the sting of cold within his lungs. And then exhaled, his breath visible in the chilly night air.

He could lie. Could bluff all he wanted with a pleasant smile on his face. He could decieve Felix easily, if he so desired. But he didn't. There was just something about the probable end of the world that stamped out the urge to conceal. What was the point of lying?

After all, he still cared for Felix Gallagher. The ROCKET admin saved his life, once. Trust like that didn't fade with time.

"I've been better, I'll admit." His cobalt eyes flitted upward, looking for a meteoroid that wasn't there yet. The smoke obscured the night sky, anyway. There weren't even any stars to wish on.

"I'm worried about what's to come." Unconsciously, Barnaby's grip tightened on the briefcase containing the counterfeit money. "What about you?"

Silently, thoughts of August Gallagher came to mind.

Felix Gallagher
mission: CURRENCY COZENAGE
outfit check

☉

"True." Why dwell on the inevitable? At least there were distractions to keep his mind occupied in the meantime.

"Until then, I suppose we have to focus on the here and now." The briefcase felt heavy in Barnaby's hand as he spoke. "How do you want to do this?"

This being the exchange. Who would take point, who would be backup in case something went south, etc.

Felix Gallagher
mission: CURRENCY COZENAGE
outfit check

☉

"Sounds good to me."

Barnaby had confidence in Felix's ability to keep them alive. The man was a soldier, after all. He'd honed his skills for years for this exact purpose.

"Let's get going, then." Barnaby said, stepping off the curb of the sidewalk and heading toward the looming warehouse in front of them. The drop had been arranged to happen within this vacant property. It was pitch black save for the flickering lampposts overhead; even those faded as the entrance to the warehouse came into view.

Barnaby didn't immediately enter. Instead, he looked through a nearby window. The inside was barely illuminated, but some details could be made out.

"Are those your buyers?" He asked Felix, wanting confirmation before they began the exchange.

Felix Gallagher
mission: CURRENCY COZENAGE
outfit check

☉

While Felix leaned overhead, Barnaby took a moment of his own to assess the men through the window. There were four of them; some illuminated by the glow of cigarettes, some stone-faced and staunchly watching the warehouse entrance. ROCKET was expected, after all, and they were approaching the allotted meeting time.

His grip tightening on the handle of the briefcase, Barnaby's eyes flicked back to meet the admin's - an acknowledging look - before he strode toward the entry door.

The scraping of rusted metal announced their entrance. All four men within stiffened, but soon relaxed when they noticed they outnumbered their ROCKET business partners. Hubris on their part.

"Let's keep this brief," Barnaby began, his voice level and unthreatening. There was no reason to be; Felix was all the threat he needed. "We're here to exchange the agreed upon goods. You go first,"

A finger tapped the outside of the briefcase. "And if everything looks fine, you'll get the money."

Unnoticed by Barnaby, one of the gang members slipped his hand into his pocket.

Felix Gallagher
mission: CURRENCY COZENAGE
outfit check

☉

Based on the way the lot stiffened and exchanged wary glances, their plans had obviously been silently altered by Felix Gallagher's presence. Thankfully, they handed over their duffle bag without further incident.

As instructed, Barnaby inspected the contents of the bag for anything suspicious or lacking from their deal. Surprisingly, it all seemed to be in order.

"Everything checks out." He assured, tossing their payment over to one of the goons. He floundered over the briefcase and fumbled to take hold of it, barely keeping it from hitting the ground. One of their own then checked to see if the money was good. A solemn nod conveyed that it was.

"A pleasure doing business with you. We'll be in touch with any future exchanges."

Barnaby turned to Felix, smiling faintly. He'd been the reason their deal went off flawlessly.

"Let's head out."

Felix Gallagher
mission: CURRENCY COZENAGE
outfit check

☉