Master of Disguise

Part three. . .

Everybody awaits Mac and Adam.

"Where've you two been?" Don asked as the two got into Mac's office.

Mac and Adam looked at each other from the corner of their eyes then Mac sighed. "I just went to a friend. I thought this Vanhaiden girl was someone I knew. I guess I was wrong." Mac said—he sounded suspicious to everyone else.

"We went to his friend—a friend who has a Vanhaiden, who was kind of special for him." Adam defended Mac—yet Mac knew they haven't pulled this off. They've been practicing their lines for a little while now. They drove for thirty minutes to a restaurant and spent an hour there to prepare for unexpected interrogations from the team.

Mac sighed, "I know, I got carried away by my emotions and this is not me at all. But, he was a good friend, he's one of the reasons I'm here." He said—hoping the team will buy this.

"Okay Mac, I'm not buying this. What the hell is up?" Stella asked—she's not buying Mac's justification, and neither did the rest of the team.

"You don't have to buy what I said, it's the truth and I've got Adam to prove it." Mac defended.

"Well, maybe you used Adam as an excuse!" Don countered.

Adam sighed to Mac and Don's fight and finally spoke. "Don, I was with Mac, his friend was really worried as soon as we said the name Vanhaiden." Adam said to defend Mac. Don, Stella, Danny, Lindsay and Hawkes got suspicious.

"You're in this, aren't you Adam?" Stella accused.

"In what?" Adam asked—sounding curious because he really was.

"This! Mac's gig. There's something you're not telling us." Lindsay seconded Stella.

'Oh, so that's what they're talking about.' Adam started thinking then sighed, 'Okay Adam, you can do this, you've been practicing.' "This is not a gig, this is serious!" he started—and impressively, it looked real. "Michael was really upset when we said that Vanhaiden might be connected to a crime." He exclaimed—the name was a friend of his' from somewhere. Impressively, they believed him. But he left a loophole—now he needs to talk Michael into this.

"And this is Michael what…" Danny grinned as he spoke his sentence. It sounded more as an accusation rather than a question.

"You sounded like you're accusing me something." Adam said and looked sharp.

"Just answer the question." Don responded.

Adam sighed and thought well. He really has to give Michael a call. "Michael Joult." He gave up and said the name.

"Jolt? As in J-O-L-T, Jolt?" Lindsay was confirming the name.

"No. J-O-U-L-T." Adam spelled out, putting a strong stress on the letter 'U'. Mac was starting to get frustrated with how many people they'll have to use. Adam and Mac could bet that the team will search for Michael.

"If you're still suspicious, you can search for his name in our search hub and we've got no problem with that." Adam said—sounding so confident. Mac would want to stare at Adam with a shocked look but he'll blow their cover—so he played along and looked at the team with the same confidence as Adam.

The team has no defense. They were caught off guard by Adam and Mac's confidence. But they'd still search for this Michael guy.

"Fine! You win this time. But I know something's up Mac, Adam, and I'm going to find that out." Stella said—confidently and sharply—then the whole team walked away while Adam and Mac froze to where they were standing.

"We gotta go outside, in your car." Adam said.

"Why?" Mac asked.

"Just… Let's go." Adam finished with no other explanation while Mac followed him, unlocked his car as they reached it and they both got in.

"What's the point of this?" Mac asked once again.

"I have to call Mike." Adam explained as he took his cell phone from his pocket and dialed the numbers.

"Wait, Mike? Michael? He exists?" Mac asked—sounded awkward to Adam because Mac doesn't ask things like this.

"Of course he exists. If I made up a name, it would've blown our cover."

Mac was speechless. Adam doesn't usually think too fast, usually he did but not Adam. Adam has to be funny at the moment so he could think of something, but he was serious, it was the thing which surprised him.

Mac stared blankly outside, thinking. 'What's going on with me? I'm letting Adam do all the work meant for me. Am I still thinking straight?' Mac thought. It doesn't sound like Detective Mac Taylor at all. Usually, his thinking was very logical and his face always looked so serious and confident, but right now, he felt paranoid, like somehow, he wasn't Mac anymore.

"Hey, Mike…" Adam started talking on the phone, "yeah, man, it's me, Adam. Yeah, well, I need your help. Um, you know a girl whose last name is Vanhaiden, right? Um, I need to ask a favor from the two of you. Yeah, ah, I'm in some kind of situation and you're the only one I know who knows a Vanhaiden, and apparently, she's the only Vanhaiden I know. Can you please pretend to know a Mac Taylor? Please…." he went silent for a while, biting his lip as he was waiting for a reply. "Really? Thanks man! Yeah, we'll be there tomorrow. I know I can count on you." Adam finished his conversation and pulled off a big grin on Mac's direction as he put his phone back to his pocket—Mac was looking at him as well.

"We're off the hook boss." Adam said as he smiled at Mac. "Tomorrow, you'll meet Michael Joult and Ashley Vanhaiden."

"Hey, Adam," Mac started.

"Yeah?" Adam asked in reply.

"Would you be alright… if you'd stay in my place… my house… for the meantime?"

"Huh?"

"Would you be fine if you'd live with me for a while?"

"Yeah…I…" Adam started with hesitance, "Yeah! But… may I ask why?"

"I think you'd be much safer with me."

"Oh. Okay."

This game has started to get Mac worried and frustrated. This game has made him . . . SCARED. Something a detective Mac Taylor was never known as.

Mac took Adam home to get his stuff and then headed off to his own house. Their drive wasn't too long, but it was silent. They were both too tired to talk.

"We're here." Mac said as he pulled over. "Let's go."

"Sure." Adam replied as he picked his stuff up, Mac helped.

They walked towards the door and Mac opened it. As they entered the house, Mac searched for the light switch and turned on the lights. The place was quite big, enough to let three people live in there. A short hallway welcomed them. The living room comes next. Move a few steps to the left and you'll find the kitchen and dining room. The kitchen was designed like a mini bar. On the second floor were four rooms—one for Mac and his late wife, one was like a guest's room and the other two were two bathrooms.

Mac took Adam to the guest's room and put his bags down the floor. "You can stay here kid. My room's facing yours. It'll be easier for you to call for my help." Mac said.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Adam assured Mac and successfully pulled off a grin.

"I know, I'm just worrying too much." Mac started, "Get some sleep. You must be tired."

"Sure." Adam said. "Night boss!" he said once more with a smile as Mac walked away.

"Goodnight." Mac replied as he got to his room and smiled at Adam once more before he closed his door.

The night went peaceful, but not for Mac. Another nightmare is haunting him. This, time, it wasn't just Adam—Stella was in it as well.

Adam and Stella stood across the street, waiting for Mac. They were both smiling at him, waiting for him to arrive. Mac smiled at them as well, he looked both ways before he crossed the street. But before he was able to reach them, a black van stopped a meter away Adam and Stella. It was the same man that almost hit Adam and aimed a gun at him. The man was still wearing the black hooded jacket. Just like the first dream, he aimed two guns at both Adam and Stella, glanced at Mac and smiled before he pulled the trigger.

"No!" Mac exclaimed as he woke up.

"Are you alright?" Adam asked, sitting on the edge of Mac's bed.

"Yeah. Um… do you need anything kid?"

"No, not really. I was gonna get something to drink when I heard you talking so I went in. You were sweating like crazy in bed and I have been trying to wake you up. What happened Mac?"

"Bad dream."

"What's it about?"

"You… and Stella."

"What happened?"

"You were about to get killed and I couldn't do anything."

"Have you had this dream before?"

"No, not including Stella." Adam showed his confusion with what Mac has just said.

"Last night… it was you who was about to die."

"What?"


um, hey guys. i revised this chapter because i made a mistake in chapter 4. since this ones easier to fix, so here. x)