MALICIOUS INTENT

Chapter Two

Adam rammed the poisonous letter deep into his locker, burying it out of sight - but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get it out of his mind. Bitter echoes haunted him everywhere he went. He dreaded meeting Stella again. For most of the afternoon, he hid behind the trio of computer screens, afraid to catch anyone's eye. Fortunately, Stella's search was a complex one, and he lost himself in an online maze of connecting pathways and devious dead ends. When at last he raised his head, dazed and blinking, he found that his strategy had failed.

The woman stood right behind him. And now there was no escape.

He cleared his throat nervously. "Hey, Stella. Um... Nearly done. Sorry it took so long..."

"Don't apologise, Adam. I can see how hard you've been working." She glared at him with friendly disapproval. "You know, you really shouldn't strain your eyes like that. Health and safety demands that you take a break now and then. I should know - it's my job."

Queen B stalks the corridors...

Adam flinched. "I lost track of time," he muttered. "Sorry."

"Of course you did. I know that, Adam. It happens to us all. Just take better care of yourself - okay?" Stella favoured him with a generous smile. "You do know how much you're valued here, don't you?"

"So valued that they gave me my notice." the lab rat grumbled, before he could stop himself. Now it was Stella's turn to flinch.

"Please don't feel that way. It was never about your job performance. The person who wrote that letter was simply looking at names on paper. We need you. You know that, right?"

He gave in. Anything to end this conversation. "Sure, Stella. And I'll take a break, if that's what you want me to do."

Rising from his seat, Adam tried to brush past her but the woman held out her hand and grabbed his arm. "What's wrong?" she asked him, full of concern.

Sugary words and easy smiles...

"I'm fine," he gasped, as he wrenched away and darted from the room.

Stella was speechless. Staring across the corridor, she saw that Mac's face was puzzled too. Clearly, he had witnessed the altercation. He beckoned her into his office.

"What's going on?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Beats me. One minute, we're fine. The next, he can barely look me in the eye."

"He does seem a little jumpy." Catching himself, Mac smiled. "More than usual, I mean. Leave it to me. I'll have a word with him."

Stella tried to imagine how that conversation might go. "Try not to make it feel like an interrogation," she warned. "You know what effect you have on him."

Mac's innocent expression was just a little too careful. "Stella, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't." She shook her head. "Sometimes, Mac Taylor, you can be a very wicked man..."

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When Adam came back from the locker room, with the front of his tangled hair suspiciously damp and his blue eyes darting from side to side, he found Mac waiting for him in the doorway of his office. "Adam? A word..."

"Wh..what? I mean, okay, boss. But... now?"

"Yes, now." Mac tried to keep his expression under control. It was far too easy to be impatient with Adam sometimes - even easier to dismiss him completely, or laugh at his antics without taking time to read the underlying cause. Standing in front of him, he could feel the man's tension, radiating outwards. It was contagious. Mac sighed. "Come in. Sit down."

Obediently, the lab rat shuffled into the room. He looked around him, uncertain which chair to choose. Was this a dressing-down for some forgotten or unnoticed crime? If so, then that would mean the upright seat in front of the boss's desk. Or was it a friendly chat, man-to-man? Unlikely, but not impossible. Adam gazed at the couch with longing, hoping for the best.

Mac nodded patiently.

Relieved, the lab rat perched on the very edge, watching his boss pace back and forth. "What is it?" he asked, unable to wait any longer. "What did I do?"

"What makes you think you're in trouble?" Shaking his head, Mac sat down beside him. Adam might be overly talkative, but he was also adept at hiding things, if he really wanted to. This conversation was going to be tricky. "Adam, I'm worried about you. So is Stella."

And there it was. The wary expression that slid into place whenever Adam didn't want to share. Now Mac knew for certain that something was wrong.

"Oh - ah, thanks. But I'm okay. Just tired, I guess."

Predictable. Mac dug in his heels. He could be stubborn too.

"You ran out on her, Adam. And earlier on, you burst out of the AV lab as if your ass was on fire."

"You saw that?" Adam cringed. Denial was going to be harder than he thought. Maybe I should just tell him... But the very idea of showing that venomous letter to another person filled him with revulsion. And what if Mac told Stella? Adam pictured her face, and knew that he simply couldn't be the cause of such distress. Better to pretend it never happened. He tightened his resolve, and his blue eyes widened.

"Bathroom break," he offered, hopefully. "Too much caffeine, boss. You know how that goes... I'm sorry if you guys got the wrong idea. I'll apologise to Stella if you like."

"No need." Mac frowned at him. "Adam - are you sure?"

"Pretty sure," grinned the lab rat, full of false humour. "I promise I'll try to cut down."

Damn. The man was good. Mac took a breath, readying himself for another assault. But he never got the chance. At that very moment, a loud cry rang out, followed by a crash, and both men leapt up, startled.

It was Stella.

They ran down the hall to the office she shared with Lindsay. Quite a crowd had gathered already, anonymous lab techs in white coats, milling together like a flock of sheep. Mac pushed past them. Adam hung back, and peered through the window.

"I'm fine." Stella gave a giddy laugh as her curly head rose up from behind her desk. It was painfully clear what had happened. The seat of her chair had come away from the base and dropped her abruptly onto the floor.

"You banged your head," Mac said quietly, lifting his hand and touching a gentle thumb to the angry mark across her temple. Stella winced.

"I'm sure it looks worse than it is," she told him blithely, trying to scramble to her feet. Mac stopped her, with a stern look on his face.

"Wait for a moment," he said. "Better safe than sorry."

Truth be told, Stella was feeling dizzy, so she bowed her head in submission and stayed where she was. Waving the crowd away, Mac noticed Adam, still hovering in the background. His face was white.

"She's fine," he told the man. "Don't worry. Fetch the first aid kit."

"Yes, boss." Adam spoke automatically. He couldn't bring himself to move away. A single phrase was echoing in his head, and it terrified him.

Pride comes before a fall...

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A/N: Enormous thanks to CAT217 and Myriad13 for their encouragement. First and last chapters always make me so nervous! Next update on Tuesday.