"Atlas, what are you doing?" Theo questioned in his mind, but knew better than to say anything out loud.
He watched as Atlas stopped to grab a chair he placed in front of the man.
"Hello Mr Charles." Atlas sat down.
"Take that away from me please. Take that away from me," Charles cried, his body shaking uncontrollably.
"What? This?" Atlas looked at the gun. "You're scared of guns? We live in a carry state. Anyone can own a gun." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Please. I have a family. I have kids. Please," Charles pleaded, shutting his eyes tightly.
"Oh you do now? So why do the documents say your wife is actually your ex-wife and you're faulting when it comes to child support? I mean it's not like you don't have the money to pay. Haven't you heard the saying that a man that can't take care of his family is worse than an infidel?" He placed the gun on his lap, and reclined into his seat.
Theo's thumping heart began to subside. He finally understood what Atlas was doing. So much so, he was even beginning to enjoy himself.
"What do you want from me? You already took back your land. Please let me go. I can't die." His lips quivered, as he continued to plead with his eyes closed.
Atlas chortled. "I didn't think you could be this humble, Mr Charles. For a moment back there, you were acting really tough. Anyway, let's move ahead to why I asked for your filthy presence. Does the name Aveline Parker ring a bell?"
Charles' heart skipped a beat, as his eyes flew open.
"I have nothing to do with Aveline's disappearance. It was you who took her with you the last time you came around. I swear to you sir! I swear I have nothing to do with it. I haven't seen her since then!"
Atlas threw his back in laughter. He laughed so hard, his entire body shook.
"Come on bro, he looks like he's going to pass out," Theo chuckled.
"The bastard thinks I'm talking about Aveline's disappearance. Whatever that is," the laughter completely left his body, as he turned straight-faced again. "Listen carefully, you pussy. I have detailed evidence of you paying Aveline less than your other staff, even though she works twice as hard, even to the point of covering everyone's shift. There's also more of you fixing a higher interest on the loans you barely approve for her. Lastly, and the most aggravating of them all, you have the nerve to deny her the benefits of a staff because she won't sleep with your grimey ass?"
Charles went completely pale-faced. Even Theo's eyes widened on hearing the latter part.
"I–"
"Shut the fuck up! Are you pretending not to know Aveline and I will be getting married soon?"
"I swear I—"
Atlas picked up the gun from his lap, and Charles choked.
"Bro, maybe he doesn't know. He looks like he's telling the truth," Theo quickly intervened. Trying to stop Atlas from going too far.
"Mr Charles, do you not know that Aveline and I will be getting married soon?" He asked again, ignoring Theo.
"I know!" He screamed through clanking teeth.
"Fuck," Theo muttered under his breath.
"And what were your plans? To go to the media with a fabricated story of how Aveline is really just a whore who sells her body for money? Conveniently erase the fact that you've screwed her over again and again, because she won't sleep with you?"
Charles began to shake his head negatively. "I swear to you sir, Aveline isn't the kind of girl you think she is. Behind all that beauty, and kind eyes, there's a very—"
Atlas cracked the gun, and Charles went silent.
Slowly, he rose to his feet, and moved behind Charles. Crouching a little, he placed the gun in his left ear.
The moment Charles felt the cold metal of the gun pressing against his ear, his body erupted.
"Jesus Christ!" Theo threw his face to the side, not exactly excited to see a grown man piss himself.
"You really want me to believe the foul words of a predator who pisses himself?" Atlas laughed, and brought his mouth to his other ear. "Let's end this bullshit once and for all. Does Aveline owe you, Mr Charles?"
"No," he squealed.
"Do you owe her?"
"Y-yes," he stuttered.
"How much do you owe her?" He continued.
"Eve-everything."
"No," Atlas straightened up, and withdrew the gun from his ear. "Not everything. I'm not as heartless as you are. Just what you owe her. Like all of her payments you conveniently cut off. The interests you doubled. Also compensation for your harassment. All of which by my calculations should be around twenty thousand dollars. Right, Mr Charles?"
He nodded immediately, as two tears squeezed out of his eyes.
"Excellent! Aveline has a new account. You can just send it there right now."
"Ho-w?" Charles asked, his voice hollow and croaky.
Atlas pushed his hand into Charles' pocket, and pulled out his phone.
"Open please," he ordered.
With shaky fingers, Charles did as he was told.
"Thank you," he smiled, and began to scroll. "Here we go," he said, as he dialed a number.
"Hello?" A female voice answered on the first ring.
"Is this Mrs Heather?" Atlas asked.
"Of course it is. Is everything okay, Mr Charles?"
"Mr Charles wants to transfer some money to two different accounts. Can his account transfer about forty thousand dollars?"
The other end of the line went silent for a while.
"She thinks it's a fraud call," Theo said.
"Yep. That's why Mr Charles is going to be talking to her. Right, Mr Charles?"
He bobbed his head, ready to do whatever it took to live.
"Mrs Heather," he said into the phone, as Atlas drew closer to him.
"Mr Charles, is everything okay? Do you need me to report fraud?"
"Oh no. Not at all. The money is for staff," he said.
"And family, Mr Charles," Atlas added.
"And family," he quickly added.
"Okay, if you insist. Send the account details then."
"Al—" Atlas ended the call before he could further speak.
"That would be twenty thousand dollars for your ex-wife and children, and twenty for Aveline. It's not even up to fifty thousand dollars. Judging from what I've seen in your account, you can handle it. You should be happy. Are you happy, Mr Charles?"
He nodded enthusiastically.
"Are you happy, Mr Charles?" he dragged the words dangerously through his teeth.
Charles looked up, wondering what he wasn't doing correctly.
"Use your words," Theo said.
"I am. I'm very happy."
"Then smile. After all, you're doing the right thing," Atlas said as he typed into the phone.
Charles, enduring the humiliation, forced his sore face to crack a smile.
"You look like a clown, I'm sorry," Theo burst into a fit of laughter.
"That was fast," Atlas chuckled. "Your ex-wife will be calling you soon. Be nice to her, okay?"
"Yes sir."
"And this goes without saying, twenty thousand dollars doesn't cover the future. If you refuse to take care of your kids henceforth, you're going to be in big trouble. We wouldn't want that, would we?"
"No," he shook his head negatively.
"Do you know Aveline?"
"Uhmmm—"
"Do you know Aveline?" he asked again.
"No sir?" Charles' voice quivered.
"Good boy." Ares further humiliated him by petting his head like a dog, before tossing his phone at him.
"Bro, I think he has gotten the message." Theo couldn't hide the laughter in his voice.
Atlas only shrugged, as he returned the gun back into his pockets.
"Take care Mr Charles!" He waved behind him, whistling away.
Theo hurried to catch up with him. "That was crazy, Atlas. You haven't done something this insane in a while. Bloody hell!"
Atlas was about to respond when his phone rang.
He scoffed, as he answered. "What?"
"You were right, sir. Your mum called about Aveline Parker," the voice on the other end of the call said.
Atlas inhaled sharply. "Did you give her all the information we have?"
"Not yet. It will be done tomorrow morning."
"And her profile online? Is it set?"
"Yes sir."
"Good." He ended the call, and turned to Theo.
"What now?" Theo asked.
"Mother dearest" he replied, and sighed.