Disclaimer: Noticed I hadn't done this in a while, but you did read the first chapter right?
"But you can't. You're not that man anymore."
But he was and he could. He hadn't stopped killing when he'd put down his guns, or even when he'd joined this crazy team; he had moved dealing death to Plan Double-z, but if it came to some asshole's life against the client or his team? Maybe if they didn't need him he'd put principles ahead of survival, but they did need him, which made the possibility of being him and doing that part of his job. And Atherton had earned it before.
He trusted Nate, who knew better ways to make it hurt, but if he had to be...
From The Big Bang Job
