Chapter 13 - Dalton Finally Talks
Rick Dalton survived.
Barely.
His jaw was fractured.
Two ribs broken.
One shoulder dislocated.
Whoever attacked him knew exactly how to hurt without killing.
Jack understood that kind of precision.
Rick woke thirty-six hours later under police guard.
He asked for Jack.
Laura refused at first.
Rick insisted.
"He'll talk if I'm there," Jack said.
"He may be trying to manipulate you."
"He definitely is."
"Then why?"
"Because manipulative people still reveal things."
Laura allowed it.
Jack entered the hospital room.
Rick looked smaller.
Pain does that to arrogant men.
He tried smiling.
"Sergeant."
"Rick."
"You finally came."
"You asked."
Rick swallowed.
"Did Hannah survive?"
Jack stared.
"You know she did."
"I wanted to hear you say it."
"She's recovering."
Rick closed his eyes.
"Good."
Jack was surprised.
"You care?"
Rick laughed painfully.
"No."
There he was.
"What happened at Forge?"
Rick's expression changed.
"Atlas."
"Who is Atlas?"
"You don't know?"
"No."
Rick almost seemed disappointed.
"All these years."
"Explain."
Rick looked toward the guard.
Jack signaled Laura through the window.
The guard moved several feet away.
Rick lowered his voice.
"When I got discharged, I thought my life was over."
"Because you nearly killed Anthony."
"He was weak."
Jack's expression hardened.
Rick smiled.
"Still judging."
"Still making excuses."
Rick stared at the ceiling.
"A man found me."
"Victor Mercer?"
"No."
"Atlas?"
"I never saw his real face."
Jack frowned.
"Masks?"
"Not literally. Intermediaries."
"What did he offer?"
"Work."
"Doing what?"
"Training security teams."
"Using my methods."
"Eventually."
Jack leaned closer.
"How did you get them?"
Rick looked at him.
"Someone inside your program copied everything."
Jack felt cold.
"Who?"
Rick smiled.
"You'll hate this."
"Try me."
"Anthony."
Jack looked toward the glass.
Anthony was not there.
Rick continued.
"He sold copies."
Jack's face hardened.
"Why?"
"Money. Anger. Maybe because he blamed you too."
"For saving his life?"
"For humiliating him."
Jack remembered the young recruit.
Shame.
Fear.
Perhaps he had never understood what Anthony carried afterward.
"What did Atlas do with the system?"
Rick smiled weakly.
"He turned it into something beautiful."
Jack's disgust showed.
"People became predictable."
"Nobody is predictable."
"Under enough pressure?"
Rick looked toward him.
"Everybody is."
Jack thought of Hannah.
Rick continued.
"Fear. Isolation. Controlled humiliation. Reward. Punishment. Hope."
Jack stood.
"You used it on women."
"Not originally."
"But you did."
Rick looked away.
"Mercer wanted money."
"And you wanted revenge."
Rick looked back.
"Yes."
No apology.
Jack almost respected the honesty more than excuses.
"Why Hannah?"
"Because she was yours."
"Anything else?"
Rick smiled.
"She was stronger than Dustin expected."
Jack felt pride despite the circumstances.
"Why the red list?"
"Liabilities."
"Rachel Dunn?"
Rick's smile vanished.
"I didn't kill her."
"Did Cole?"
"I don't know."
"Did you order it?"
"No."
"Was her crash an accident?"
Rick looked afraid.
"I don't know."
Jack noticed.
"You think Atlas did it."
"Atlas cleans problems."
"So why are you alive?"
Rick turned toward the window.
"Maybe I'm not a problem."
"Then why beat you?"
"A warning."
"To whom?"
Rick looked back.
"You."
Jack frowned.
"Why?"
"Because you're following the wrong trail."
"What's the right one?"
Rick laughed softly.
"The day you testified against me in 1993, Atlas already knew your name."
Jack became still.
"How?"
Rick whispered:
"Because Atlas was in the room."
Jack remembered the hearing.
Three officers.
Legal counsel.
Administrative staff.
Witnesses.
Observers.
One civilian consultant.
He saw a face in memory.
Older man.
Wire-rimmed glasses.
Never introduced.
"Who?"
Rick closed his eyes.
"Ask Anthony."
Jack leaned closer.
"Why?"
"Because Anthony met him first."
Jack's voice became hard.
"Where is Anthony?"
Rick opened his eyes.
And smiled.
"You really don't know?"
Jack stared.
May you like
Rick whispered:
"He disappeared this morning."
