RAZGOVOR

Joss Carter: "John... One of these days, I'm just gonna shoot you."

She's not the kind to shoot-first,-ask-questions-later, so as long as he doesn't move when she sees him, it'll be alright. Not that people who are the "shoot-first,-ask-later" type ever stopped him from coming out of nowhere while they're looking somewhere else, but in those cases he generally sticks with doing it when he actually wants them rattled.

Joss Carter: "No. But if I do, you'll be my first call."

He really hopes so. Joss doesn't even have the excuse that she usually does things on her own like John does, because that's not her and they both know it – or, at least, John hopes she hasn't forgotten. Just because she's not working with Lionel as a detective anymore doesn't mean she's on her own, now. John is there, Harold too, Lionel, of course, and even Shaw might show up for help without a second thought if Joss asks – they got on well enough, when they worked on Ian Murphy's number.

Sameen Shaw: "What kind of a weird-ass kid uses countersurveillance tactics?"

John can concur, that's certainly not something kids her age are supposed to know. Maybe rich kids from paranoid families who have to worry about being held for ransom, but not the little immigrant girl living in a bad neighborhood. Those, generally, are more street-smart, but definitely not countersurveillance-smart. Weird.

Harold Finch: "Don't worry, I've got us up on a private line."

Yeah, that's probably not going to work. Shaw, just like John, isn't afraid to put trackers on or to bug her coworkers. You know, just in case... And especially as Shaw hasn't yet reached the point where John is, which allows him to trust Finch enough not to doubt his motives – and John still has his own surveillance on the Library and he also plays a regular game of where-can-I-put-trackers-on-Harold-without-him-noticing, so. He's not saying that Shaw can definitely hear them right now... But it's more than likely.

Sameen Shaw: "Fine with me, I hate kids."

John knew it, she could hear them...

John Reese: "Hold your position. I'm on my way."

It'll be easier to extract the girl with the both of them protecting her, so they need to regroup. Given Shaw's general disposition towards... well, people in general, John doesn't think she's been sent on many protection missions. It doesn't mean she's not qualified – she probably is – but she might have more difficulty handling the girl herself, more so than the enemies needing to be dealt with. John isn't quite an expert either... But he has handled protection details before, and they'd better regroup. Easier to protect someone when you can watch out for more than one point of view.

John Reese: "Bear found blood, Shaw. A lot of it. And he seems to think it's yours."

He knows the drill – the lies, the "I'm fine" – the fact that for all her insistence that she doesn't care, Shaw will want to continue. And John can't pretend he wouldn't, too, but if she's losing all her blood or mobility in her limbs, she won't be able to finish the mission. He's not against wounded soldiers on the field – he wouldn't want to be hypocritical – but there's a point where it's just dangerous for everyone involved.

John Reese: "Finch, I know who has the girl."

It's been a while since they had to deal with HR – since Cal Beecher's death, John believes. It's possible that they stumbled upon some of the organization's schemes while working numbers, but they certainly didn't cross paths in person. Joss was the one dealing with that – and she'd said she didn't want their help for now. That being said, John and Finch still keep an eye on her investigation – the Russians, HR... That's ingredients for trouble.

John Reese: "Nitroglycerin. It's highly unstable. The slightest shock could set it off. Drop it, and it'll blow your knees off. I'd hold steady if I were you."

Carter probably knows he's bluffing. Probably. John can be really, really convincing when he calmly threaten people. Considering she's not protesting, she has to know he's bluffing. That, or she's changed a lot.

Joss Carter: "Are we really gonna leave him like that?"

The guy can deal with a little fear. And John always likes the idea of the pure horror he'll feel when the fake nitroglycerine will fall down and... not explode. Always deserved and comical. Especially the part where the thug will realize he's been duped. Maybe it'll get him to reconsider a few things – like, the benefits and disadvantages of working for a mob, the fact that someday he might end up in this very situation again, but with real nitroglycerine and a real threat on his life.

Patrick Simmons: "Not a total loss. It's about time you and I had a little talk."

Oh, look. A fist fight in John's near future. Nothing new, then.

John Reese: "Armies fall... one soldier at a time."

It's not always the most efficient way... But it doesn't mean it's not worth it. Simmons is far from being a meaningless pawn in all this – he is one of those who survived the first purge, who managed to reconstruct HR after Donnelly's raids. He may not be the head, but taking him out would still benefit everyone – one less resource for the true boss to use. On top of that, Simmons is proving to be more than adequate at hand-to-hand fighting, which is always a problem when you're on the other side of it. Yes, Simmons might believe in his organization's future even without him, but it doesn't change the fact that taking him out would be a blow for the enemy – and whether it'll be John doing it right now, or Joss doing it herself later on, someone will. Someone has to.