"Danielle," one of the guards Daren said 2 hours later. "Charlotte's here."

Danielle stood up and nodded to him. He guided her down the corridors and in to a visitor's room. With a stab of horror, Danielle wondered if she was going to be separated from her friend by security glass. But soon realised this was not going to be the case. As soon as she entered, Charlotte threw her arms around her.

"I had to come when you called me Dan," she sobbed. "I promise you; I didn't write any letter to Michael and I don't know what it said! I was so upset when you called I had to tell you to your face! I love you to the moon and back, you're like my sister and I would never do that to you! Even if you had said something Michael wouldn't like, I wouldn't have told him! That's between us!"

"I know C," Danielle hugged her friend fiercely back. "I knew straight away. This is Adam's doing and we both know that."

"Now we just need to convince Michael of that," Charlotte said sadly. "I phoned Dr Loomis on the way here. Michael's angry by all accounts."

Danielle nodded. "Yeah, he is. I can kind of understand it though. He's never trusted anyone before, if he does even trust me that is. Of course he's unsure whether it was you or Adam, or if I even said… whatever the letter says."

"You don't know yet?"

"No, Dr Stark said she'd tell us both to our faces."

"Which indeed I shall," came Dr Stark's voice. Danielle and Charlotte both turned. The doctor entered the huge room. "Joanne's here too Danielle," she added.

Danielle nodded and the 2 women sank in to chairs opposite the consultant and guard.

"The police have attended Adam's house and seized his phone and laptop," Dr Stark said. "Looking for evidence."

"Ha," Charlotte and Danielle laughed bitterly in unison. "They won't find anything," Charlotte said. "He's not stupid. He'll have written it on another machine, used someone else's printer or something. They won't find anything on his personal devices."

"Perhaps not, but it might lead them to something. We'll just have to wait and see. Now I have to ask," Dr Stark began. "Please just let me finish. Are you both absolutely sure you want to hear this? Especially you, Danielle."

"Yes," both women said in unison.

"I know you're trying to protect me Dr Stark," Danielle said. "For which I thank you and acknowledge this. But please. I'm not the woman I once was who came through these doors and it won't make me slide back. I'm determined on that. Adam won't make me give in. Not again! Not this time!

"That's my girl," Joanne said.

"Indeed," Dr Stark agreed. "Well ok, just don't say I didn't warn you. We will willingly talk to either of you afterwards if you need it. Understand?"

Both women nodded. Dr Stark sighed and Danielle felt a rush of respect and affection for her. She didn't want to read it any more than Charlotte had written it. She was a damn good professional, but also a damn good woman.

"Ok," Dr Stark said, her tone making it very clear this was the last thing she wanted to read to them. Danielle, Charlotte and Joanne all smiled at her, acknowledging this. Dr Stark took a deep breath. "If you want me to stop, just say so. Ok. So…" She took another breath before beginning to read.

"Dear Mr. Myers,

I write this to you with a heavy heart. The last thing I want to do is betray my close and dear friend, but neither can I stand by and just listen to her talking about you this way. I know you have done nothing but try to help her since she entered Smith's Grove hospital, and she's told you she appreciates it, even that she doesn't know what she'd do without you."

"How the fuck does he know that?" Danielle exploded. "His fucking mole whoever they are! They must've heard me say it!" She looked angry though, not sad. "Motherfucker. God I hope you find out who it is and stop them! Execute them if I have anything to do with it!"

Dr Stark and Joanne both gave a quiet, "hmm," of sympathy, before Dr Stark continued reading.

"I'm afraid Mr. Myers, this is a lie. Danielle doesn't appreciate you at all. She's terrified of you. That is no crime, everyone is including me. But the things she has said to me about you I can't keep to myself. I don't feel right doing so when you're trying to help her like this. She doesn't care about you Mr. Myers. She might say she does, but this is also untrue. In fact, she is just using you if you will to keep herself safe. She knows she's in a dangerous ward and the fact you have noticed her is something she is using to her advantage. She would be happy to see you executed, I promise you. But of course she had to pretend she meant it, the last thing she could afford to do was make you angry. She's scared of angry men given her past and you being angry would be by far the worst for her. She called you a Psychopath, a dangerous killer and a remorseless, evil man. If he's even a man, she added. As I say, my heart is heavy writing this. I love her like my sister, but nor can I stand by and listen to this when you're doing so much for her. She's told me everything you've done and I can't believe she doesn't appreciate you."

"He's fucking bluffing!" It was Charlotte's turn to burst out. "He's guessing! Someone's told him Michael's protecting Danielle and he's making this up! Yes Dan you have told me what Michael's done," she squeezed her friend's hand. "I have to say Adam's not stupid, he probably worked out what he didn't get from his fucking spy!"

"I would really like to get to know you Mr. Myers, I would treat you a lot better than Danielle has. I respect and thank you for everything you've done for her and wish I could tell and show you that to your face. I wish you nothing but the best.

Charlotte Avery. X."

Dr Stark placed the paper on the table and there was silence.

"Fucking hell!" Charlotte exclaimed. "He even put a fucking kiss on the end! Jesus Christ! I'd like to get to know you? WTF? Does he think I want to get together with Michael or something? God he's a sick fucker! Not that I'm saying being with Michael is sick," she added quickly. "It's the fact that you really care about him Danielle and he's using it like this, even hinting to Michael I'd like to, "get to know you!"

"I knew what you meant," Danielle assured her friend. It's the, "she'd see you executed," which hurts the most I think. The, "she never appreciated you."

"Well don't let it," Joanne said. "If you do, Adam wins. That's what he wants."

"Well said!" Dr Stark and Charlotte said together.

Danielle sighed. "I know. You think I don't know all that already? But… Shit! What makes him think he has the right to do something like this? He thinks he owns me, but this is taking it to an entirely new level."

"It's because he has to be careful," Charlotte said. "He's got so many conditions on him now thanks to our, your, testimony, and he's running out of options. He's angry and getting desperate. That'll make him careless, he'll make mistakes. I bet you the cops will find something incriminating, however well he's tried to hide it."

"I hope you're right," Danielle said quietly. "God I hope you're right. I want to see him sent down for life. It's him I'd happily see fucking executed! A million times come to that!"

…

Dr Loomis walked back in from the yard and was about to head to his office, when a receptionist called to him. Dr Stark was currently in with Danielle and Charlotte and he was now giving Michael some space. "Sir?"

Dr Loomis turned. "Yes?"

"There's a young man to see you," the receptionist said. "Name's Alex Sparks. He's in the visitor's centre waiting to speak to you."

Dr Loomis raised his eyebrows. He normally preferred to be forewarned of visitors, it wasn't often they just turned up. "Ok, thanks Sally."

Turning, he headed out of the ward and towards the visitor's centre. Visitors had to show ID and submit to a search, so there was plenty of security. Clearly, this guy's details had matched.

When Dr Loomis entered the centre, he immediately saw a young man sitting alone in one of the chairs. He looked… there was no other word for it. Nervous. Uneasy. Afraid? Dr Loomis walked over to him.

"Alex Sparks?"

The young man nodded, but didn't meet the doctor's eyes. "Can I talk to you?" His voice too was quiet, as if he was making a concerted effort not to be heard. "In," he swallowed. Dr Loomis noticed the gesture. He's nervous. "In private, I mean?"

"Yes, of course," Dr Loomis said, leading the man in to one of the offices in the centre specifically for this purpose.

Once the door was closed, Dr Loomis looked at his visitor. The man was now sweating, his forehead was damp. He still couldn't make eye contact with Dr Loomis. "No… no one can hear us, right?"

"No," Dr Loomis assured him. "The door is sound proof. We have total privacy. How can I help you?"

"Sir, Dr Loomis, please just hear me out?"

"Of course. You have the floor."

The man took a deep breath. The expression on his face was of a man walking up to the gallows. He looked terrified, as if he thought Dr Loomis was about to shoot him or something. His Adam's apple visibly moved as he swallowed again once, twice. He practically screamed SCARED! Dr Loomis didn't press him, just waited and after a minute, the man spoke, his voice still very low.

"Sir, Dr Loomis, my name isn't in fact Alex Sparks. I was sent here by… by someone to visit one of your patients. I was to use this name to see them. I was to pass on a message to that patient."

"I see." Dr Loomis said, keeping his voice neutral. He glanced at the man in front of him, then the ID round his neck. If his security had failed him, someone would pay with their job! But even from here the doctor could see they looked very alike. Whoever had sent him in, and Dr Loomis had a very good idea who, had clearly planned this carefully. Just like the letter.

"Based on this then I'm going to assume you are not going to tell me your real name. May I ask which patient you were supposed to visit?"

"Danielle Hayward," the man almost whispered. Dr Loomis felt his anger rise. So he'd been right.

"I see." He said again. "What were you supposed to say? What is this message?"

"I…" the young man turned away, unable to look at Dr Loomis now. He didn't speak, but picked up a piece of paper and wrote on it, handing it to Dr Loomis once he was done.

WATCH YOUR BACK. ADAM WANTS YOU. YOU ARE HIS AND NOTHING WILL CHANGE THAT. NO MATTER WHO TRIES TO PROTECT YOU, EVEN MICHAEL MYERS WON'T SUCCEED!

Dr Loomis read the message and nodded. The young man was sweating profusely now and was deathly pale. He almost looked like Michael's infamous mask.

"But I couldn't do it," he was speaking faster now, as if desperate to get his words out now that part was over. "I can't trick a blind woman Sir; I don't have the conscience to do it. If… If they knew I was here now talking to you, warning you, it'd… It'd be well, bad."

"Which I acknowledge and know what this must've taken you," Dr Loomis said, his voice gentle now. "We can take measures to protect you too."

"You can't," the guy looked close to panic now. "I have to get back and tell them I've passed the message on. If I don't…"

"Am I to assume then it wasn't Adam? But someone higher up the criminal chain?"

"I… I can't say!"

Dr Loomis took from that that he was probably right. Adam had probably ordered him to do it, but he had to report to a very dangerous higher up. Whoever was controlling the person watching Danielle, perhaps? Dr Loomis flashed back to Chancer and his so-called iPod. He was seriously considering asking the techs to have another look at it, whatever they or Chancer might say. His alarm bells were still ringing, and loudly.

…

An hour later, Dr Loomis was once again in his office about to go and see Michael again, when the news flashed up on his TV screen. He looked up and felt a chill in his stomach.

Unknown male found deceased at side of highway, the headline said. If anyone knows this male's name, please contact the local police immediately. He was found deceased half an hour ago, badly beaten and with severe head trauma. It was a very nasty attack and we believe the male would've suffered a lot of pain in the minutes before his death. We are putting this out this quickly because we need to identify this male as a matter of urgency.

Dr Loomis felt a wrench in his heart. He knew what'd happened without having to think too hard. This was murder. Planned, meditated, murder. And he knew why it'd happened. Because the man currently on his screen, was the very same one who'd stood in front of him terrified, just an hour before. He'd died for his actions and warning. No wonder he'd been so afraid. Dr Loomis bowed his head.

"Rest in peace stranger," he said softly before leaving his office. "And thank you. Your brave actions and warning will not be in vain. You have my word."

…

From where Charlotte Avery was standing, there was only one way to resolve the shit Adam had tried to stir. She had to speak to Michael herself. She would wait as long as Dr Loomis asked if she had to, but by God she was going to do it before leaving. Hatred and anger consumed her for Adam which had nothing to do with the hell he'd put her through. Compared to what he was doing to Danielle now, hers had been child's play. The son of a bitch was the one who was pure evil, maybe even more so than Myers. Danielle had cracked some of Michael's shell, while she didn't think anyone would change Adam. She agreed with Danielle. The death penalty was too good for him.

They were now sitting in the staff canteen with Joanne, sipping hot tea and eating breakfast. Danielle still looked pale and wasn't eating much.

"Come on," Charlotte prodded her. "You need to eat something, Danielle."

"I can't," her friend's face lacked most of its usual colour. "What if this is it? The end? If Michael truly believes I said that stuff, then… My suicide will have just been a dress rehearsal."

"We won't let it happen," Joanne said fiercely. "Not a chance."

"This woman talks sense," Charlotte said. "So listen. We'll make Adam fucking admit it to Michael's face if we have to!"

"Ha, he might not live long enough to do it."

"Well good. Precisely what I was thinking. But seriously Dan, don't worry. We'll make sure he somehow finds out the truth."

"Maybe I should've told him I love him sooner. Before…"

"Danielle!" Charlotte and Joanne said together.

"You can't do that," Charlotte said firmly. "The what if or I wish games. They won't do you any good and you'll just drive yourself mad."

"Yes I know," Danielle lowered her head in to her hands. "But shit! Adam's probably really got what he wants this time."

"I don't think so," Charlotte growled. "Over my dead fucking body!"

"Well said" Joanne nodded. Charlotte pushed the plate of food back to her friend.

"Eat, Danielle. I'll force feed you if it comes to it."

"With me restraining you," Joanne threatened. Danielle knew they weren't joking. She picked up her fork and tried to do as she was told.

…

"Someone must've followed him here!" Dr Stark stared at Dr Loomis in horror. "There's no other explanation."

The 2 doctors were standing in his office looking at the video footage of Dr Loomis's recent and now dead visitor. They were trying to identify him but they both knew it was an impossible task. For a start, they had no real name to go on. Just the fake one he'd given. Alex Sparks.

"You can see how terrified he is," Dr Stark continued. "I'm surprised he's not screaming."

Dr Loomis sighed. "I know. I tried to make him stay, said we'd help him any way we could, I could see how scared he was, he wasn't here of his own free will. He was under duress. But he wasn't a prisoner, I couldn't keep him here unless I had a reason to believe he was a danger to himself or someone else."

"Spare me the medical stuff," Dr Stark snapped. "I'm a doctor to, in case you've forgotten! You can't get in much more danger than he's dead half an hour after leaving can you? He couldn't have done this to himself! I logged in to our side of the police database and saw the pics! They're…" She swallowed. "Horrific, Sam. His head…" She stopped herself. "Well, it's bad. I'm guessing he was hit with something like a hammer. Nothing else would've caused injuries like that."

"I knew he was afraid of something, but I never suspected this…"

"Then maybe you should have! This was murder, Sam! Stone, cold, murder! If he was as scared as he looks," she jolted her head at the video screen. "Then surely your alarm bells rang?"

Dr Loomis held up his hands. "Gemma, I agree. I should've done things differently. But I never dreamed of murder. How do you think I feel? I feel like I'm partially to blame for this because I didn't act on my gut instincts."

Dr Stark softened slightly and looked at him properly. "No Sam," she said quietly. "You're not a murderer. Whoever killed him is to blame, not you. You're right. How were you to know? He'd just walked in to our reception."

Dr Loomis shook his head. "No. When he wrote me that message to Danielle from Adam, I should've acted. I knew then who we were dealing with. Adam may not have murder on his record, but we both know he'd have killed Danielle if given the chance. The machete, remember?"

Dr Stark nodded darkly. "All too well I'm sorry to say. But do you really think Adam did this? With all his conditions? Plus you called the police didn't you? They went to his house? Also, Adam lives nowhere near here."

Dr Loomis glared at the screen. "No, I don't think it was Adam himself, but I do think he got someone to follow our visitor. Somehow they knew he'd warned me instead of just passing on the threat to Danielle like he was told to do and then get out."

"But how?" Dr Stark asked. "Some kind of recording bug? Surely our security would've picked that up?"

"I'd like to say yes, but you know how sophisticated the higher up criminal gangs are. They can probably produce bugs we'd never even think of, never mind see. I suggest we show the picture to Charlotte," Dr Loomis said after a moment's pause. "If anyone will know him she might."

"Good thinking," Dr Stark nodded. "But I also think one of us should go and speak to Michael, tell him what's happened. I strongly believe this and the letter are linked, just as you do."

Dr Loomis considered for a second then slowly nodded to his colleague. "Ok. I will. I'm his doctor and I need to… Uh, assess his state of mind before anyone else sees and talks to him, or gets too close."

Dr Stark nodded but made no comment, she didn't need to. They both understood what Dr Loomis meant. "Ok, I'll go and see Charlotte, show her this photograph. Meet you back here?"

"Ask Charlotte if she'll come back here. We'll show her in privacy. Ask Joanne to take Danielle for some air or something. Show her the photo and I'll meet you back here as soon as Michael and I are done. Ok?"

Dr Stark said nothing, just left the room. Although Sam Dr Loomis was trying to remain professional, detached from the case, his own anger was building. Danielle Hayward didn't deserve any of this and now a man had died while in his own way trying to protect her. Adam Dawson knew no bounds and Dr Loomis would be privately happy when the son of a bitch was down for life.