Page 73 of Unraveling Connections

Atlas nods as we make our way back into the barn and grab the things that we need to fix the loose boards.

“Everything looked good to me, we still need to check the generator.” Atlas replies, answering my question.

“I had it serviced not that long ago, so it should be good, but I still need to check it. I can’t risk it going down and us not being able to get up here for whatever reason,” I say.

“We’d find a way to fix it, we always do, but I understand what you mean,” Atlas replies.

We decide to fix each section together, and while we are doing one side, I ask, “So, how are you dealing with Liam being involved?”

Atlas doesn’t say anything for a moment as he shoots nails into the boards, securing them back down. I don’t push it, and I don’t ask again; I just wait. He is either going to answer me or not, and whichever he chooses to do is fine with me.

“I don’t know,” he replies eventually, “some of the shit that he’s said is twisting the way that I’m remembering shit,and I don’t know if that’s because I had it wrong or if he’s manipulating me again.”

I sigh, “I know exactly what you mean. We thought that Liam had done all of this horrific shit, and while he has done some things, the worst of it was actually done by Blake, using Liam's name or manipulating him.”

“Exactly,” Atlas replies, “but even if he was being controlled by Blake, he surely can’t have been when I was a kid, and he watched and allowed Blake to do that shit to me, and the things he said, some of it definitely wouldn’t win him any father of the year awards.”

I nod, “I remember, and no, they definitely wouldn’t, but there’s a big difference between a fucking shit father and a criminal mastermind that’s responsible for trafficking kids and all sorts of horrific things that we thought he did.”

“And that is why I am confused. He did run it all before, but when did it switch over to Blake’s involvement? When did he stop running shit?”

“The only way that you’re going to know is by asking him,” I reply, even though I know that he probably doesn’t want to hear it.

Atlas sighs, “Even if I do that, which, let’s face it, is unlikely, I’m not going to believe anything that he tells me anyway.”

“I know, man,” I say with sympathy, “you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

“Yeah,” he replies.

There is not much else he can say on the subject, I get it I do, and I wish that there was something that I could say to him that would help, but I really don’t think there is.

We lapse into silence as we continue to secure the building and then move to the generator, the only conversation between us is about the checks that we have to do and whether it is working or not.

We are both jarred out of our peaceful silence as Atlas’s phone rings, and I glance at him curiously.

He shrugs as he puts down the things that he was holding so he can grab his phone out of his pocket, “It’s probably just Trick, we’ve been gone a while and I bet Rafe’s made lunch.”

My stomach chooses that moment to growl loudly, and I smirk, “I could eat.”

His laughter cuts short as he looks down at the screen, “It’s Liam.”

“Answer it, but put it on speaker phone; I’ll record the conversation using my phone,” I say seriously.

He nods and waits for me to set my phone up before he presses the answer button, “Liam.”

“Atlas,” Liam greets and there is no mistaking the warmth in his tone, it confuses me so I can only imagine what it is doing to Atlas.

“What do you want?” Atlas asks when Liam doesn’t seem to say anything else.

Liam sighs but answers his question, “As promised, I have been digging around Hunt, trying to lock him down and figure out what he is doing. I am still working on getting a meeting with him, and as soon as I do, I will let you and Ric know, and you guys can do what you want with it.”

“Ric?” I can’t help but question, even though I probably shouldn't.

“Sorry, Alaric, Ric is a nickname I used to have for him,” Liam replies, his voice once again warming.

“So, you have no real information, and this call was pretty fucking pointless?” Atlas asks, completely ignoring what Liam has said.

“No, actually, I’m calling because although I don’t have a meeting set up yet, I have heard from a source that I trust, that Hunt is trying to work out Shadow's identity.”

---