"What, the, fuck?"

Adam knew he had to be careful, knew he was speaking to one of if not the most feared crime lord in America, but right then he was furious. This had gone way further than he'd ever intended. Not that he was sorry to hear the dwarf had died, but…

"I don't want murder on my fucking record, Sir," he added, with genuine acknowledgement of Chris Leach's authority. If he was honest, he couldn't believe the crime boss had even agreed to meet with him. Before formatting his phone, Adam had written down the number of the organisation working for him, memorised it, and then swallowed the piece of paper. He'd called it as soon as he'd got himself a cheap non traceable phone and asked to speak to someone face to face. To his surprise, leach himself was here. They were in the very internet café Adam had written and printed the letter from. Adam had assured Leach they were safe. That said, he wouldn't have been surprised if Leach also knew the owners. "Sir, Mr. Leach, why?"

"Oh Adam," Leach drawled, in the tone of voice of an impatient teacher trying to explain to a stubborn child that one plus one equalled 2. "Don't you understand? He was a liability. We bugged him you see, and on your request may I remind you, followed him. There was a bug which was made to look like a boiled sweet in his bag. State of the art powerful, I might add. Their security would not have even seen it."

Leach pulled out a very realistic looking boiled sweet complete with wrapper and held it up so Adam could see it. "Starts recording as soon as we hit a button on one of our phones, each one has its own unique number. Anyway…" He then took out a digital recorder and pressed play.

"But I couldn't do it," 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," said another voice, which could only have been Dr Loomis. "We can take measures to protect you too."

"You can't, 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!"

"You see?" Leach pressed stop. "He was I repeat a liability, Adam. What else would you have had us do?"

"How the fuck did you guys know I was using him anyway? That I'd asked him to do this?"

"Now Adam." Leach now really did look at him as if he were stupid. Adam couldn't stop himself shrinking back in to his seat. Leach could have him killed too on a whim and with a click of his fingers, and Adam wasn't foolish enough to deny this fact. "Come on my friend, this is business. It's nothing personal. But we had to make sure you didn't double cross us in turn. You could just as easily have got cold feet and told the authorities you were having you're…" He paused. "Desired woman watched. We've been listening to your calls ever since you hired us."

Adam wanted to challenge this, but he didn't dare. Chris Leach and Michael Myers were the 2 men who Adam Dawson was truly afraid of and one of those men was sitting just across from him at a dirty café table. He didn't want to die today.

"You could've done the same," he'd said before he could stop himself.

Leach actually laughed. Adam understood the stupidity of his last statement. Leach was a feared crime lord, approaching the cops was not part of his plans.

"How can they possibly pin this on you?" Leach continued, still as if he were talking to a child. "We also know the pigs were at your house today, one of my men was watching the building. We know they have your phone and laptop. You were at your house when they arrived and where this individual was found deceased is about 2 and a half hours away from you. Relax."

"But they could link me by association!" Adam slammed his hand down on the wood. "Jesus man!" He took a breath. "Sir, Mr. Leach, I'm serious. They know I knew this guy, I made his life hell at college, bullied him relentlessly. It won't take a genius or police expert to work that much out! I guarantee he'll have reported it to the cops before now!"

"Well he can't tell them anything now," Leach gave a thin lipped smile. "Can he?"

"I'm already in some serious shit because of so-called domestic abuse, I can't have anything come back to me or I'm down! For life! But I own Danielle fucking Hayward and she seems to have forgotten that, insolent bitch! So I intend to remind her of this! Her and Avery!"

"Then think about it. Perhaps the fact someone has… Uh, passed, will help you in that endeavour. Even if she doesn't know it was definitely you're doing, she might suspect it and knowing someone has died will only make her fear worse."

Adam looked in to the crime lord's cold blue eyes and had to admit he had a point. He took a breath and swallowed. "You promise this murder will not come back on me?" He couldn't stop himself asking the question and knew Leach would mock him for it, but he had to be sure.

"Now why do you need me to tuck you in and give you your teddy? Tell you it was just a nightmare? Adam, you. Weren't. There!"

"His association to me though."

"For fuck's sake!" Leach snapped now and Adam physically recoiled. Damn this guy scared him. "Stop being such a fucking cry baby! What's done is done! If you don't like the way we handled your… business for you, take it up with us after we terminate your contract! I am far too busy to listen to you wet your pants in fear! Contrary to what you may think or believe, I can't perform miracles to keep you safe from the cops for life! If all you intend to do in this meeting is cry like a baby…" Leach made as if to stand. "Then you'll excuse me but I'm busy."

Adam felt a jolt of panic. He couldn't lose their work now. Not when he was this close to getting his hands on Danielle and Charlotte. "Sir, please Mr. Leach, I'm sorry. I just don't want to be behind bars for the rest of my life."

Adam knew Leach was one of the most feared men in the whole of the States. The authorities could never pin any of the dirty work itself on the man. Leach stayed in the shadows, pulling the strings, causing his puppets to dance to his tune. He was a leader, not a worker. When someone died, the authorities were sure Leach had authorised it, but was never found anywhere near the knife handle or gun trigger. Adam knew enough to know Chris Leach dabbled in everything. Drugs, prostitutes, firearms, knives, the works. He'd heard rumours even the police were afraid of him. That cold stare was just as bad as Myers's in its way. You saw it, you were probably either dead or your house was going to be burgled, you would be raped, robbed. If Leach had his eyes on you, you'd better run for the hills. Adam was very close to doing that very thing himself right now.

Leach slowly sat down again, his cold gaze never leaving Adam's face once. "I don't have time for this," he looked at his gleaming platinum Rolex. "If you're not finished, make it quick. I have places to be."

"I… I know," Adam stammered. "So I thank you for even meeting with me Sir. I didn't expect you yourself, I thought you'd send one of your… Henchman instead."

"I considered it," Leached lounged back in his seat. "But you do provide us with valuable and profitable business Adam, so I decided it couldn't hurt me to spend a little of my precious time hearing what you've got to say. Perhaps if I'd known then how weak you actually are, I might not have agreed to us taking your business."

Adam felt a twinge of anger, but quickly stifled it. Chris Leach was not someone who you shouted at and lived to tell about it afterwards. At the very least he'd get very badly beaten and that's if he was lucky.

"Anyway," Leach made a show of holding up his expensive Rolex again. It probably cost more than Adam's house. "Anything else Adam?"

"Will you still watch her for me? With your man on the inside?"

"Well," Leach said. "I think you know the answer to that. Depends if you keep paying. But we won't if you don't stop crying about the… Unfortunate incident today. We decided he had to die as part of doing business for you and we made that decision without your permission. Sorry if you throw your toys out of the pram as a result."

"But won't that cost me extra?" Adam blurted out and immediately wished he hadn't. If anything, it would just encourage the gang boss to do just that and charge him more. Sure enough, Leach appeared to be considering the question. Adam cursed himself. This had already cost him several thousand dollars of the money he'd saved, money his father had given him when he went to prison, and asking this would only make it worse.

"You get this one for free," Leach said after a moment. "He was a fucking small dwarf anyway. Who'll miss him? You'd have to crouch down to even see him! So no, not this time. But I will warn you now, if we have to conduct any further… Eliminations on your behalf, we'll have to charge you for the privilege."

"Of course," Adam said quickly. "I totally understand Mr. Leach Sir."

Adam couldn't hide his relief the crime lord had decided not to terminate his contract, for now at least. For a horrible moment there, he'd feared that'd been about to happen. For the first time in his life, Adam got a glimpse of how women must feel when they called him Sir and feared him. The power Leach had over him was exactly how they must feel. But this didn't soften him at all. That was just fine with him. It was a woman's place after all to be controlled by men. But he had to admit the feeling of helplessness wasn't something he wanted to feel again, not after experiencing it in this meeting for himself. Having to suck up to Leach out of fear of his very name, losing his organisations work and if he wasn't careful, his own life. The very fact Leach had constantly and casually addressed him as "Adam" when Adam wouldn't have dared call the other man Chris, only demonstrated the huge power gap between them. Adam might be the client, but he was at the bottom of this particular chain and Leach was making damn sure he knew as much.

"Mr. Leach," Adam said quietly. He wasn't sure what made him ask this question, but he had to know. "Would you ever want to meet Michael Myers?"

Leach appeared to be seriously considering the question. "Hmm," he said slowly. "You know Adam, if I could only persuade him not to kill me, or any of mine unless I asked him to, he would be a very valuable, great asset and weapon indeed."

Adam nodded. This was true. He sincerely hoped his letter had undone any chance Danielle might have had of being protected by the masked killer. In as few words as possible so as not to test the crime lord's patience any further, he told leach what he had done. He wasn't exactly sure why he was telling him this, did he unconsciously want a little of the criminal boss's praise?

"Very inventive," Leach said when Adam was done. Adam knew that was all he was going to get.

"I want to try and stop him protecting her," Adam said. "He scares me, Mr. Leach."

Adam knew the other man would never admit it, but was sure Leach was scared of Myers too. But even if he'd said he wasn't, Adam wouldn't have believed him.

…

Samuel Loomis stepped out in to the exercise yard once more, and approached Michael. He was still standing perfectly still, attached to his concrete block.

"Michael?" Dr Loomis softly called the killer's name and immediately their eyes met and locked. "I need to talk to you," Dr Loomis continued. "Please will you come with me?"

Of course no response, but neither did the killer resist when the guards released him from his block and escorted him inside still in chains. Dr Loomis led them in to one of the therapy rooms, but he didn't open the security glass door for Michael to be taken through.

"Uh, Sir…" one of the guards began. "Shouldn't…"

"This is my session," Dr Loomis said briskly. "My decision, I can take it from here thank you gentlemen."

The guards stared at him incredulously, but their job was security, not the patient's welfare. So they unchained Michael in silence. Dr Loomis was the expert and their boss. "Does he have a fucking death wish?" One muttered as they reached the door. "Crazy, suicidal. You wouldn't catch me alone with Myers without chains."

Dr Loomis pointedly pressed the button to close the door, blocking the guards off. Internally though, he understood the guards concern and respected them for trying to do their jobs. But he had a panic button if needed and given previous interactions with Michael, didn't think it would be.

"Please will you take a seat?" Dr Loomis asked his patient. No orders here, they were equals in this room. Dr Loomis knew that was the only way to get through to Michael. Slowly, the silent killer did so. The doctor stepped over to the other side of the desk so they were opposite each other, not breaking eye contact.

"Michael, I need to tell you something. A rather… unfortunate event occurred today which all of us agree, or at least are sure Adam Dawson was behind." Dr Loomis was sure he saw Michael tense at the sound of Dawson's name. He nodded to the other man. "I know. That's why I needed to tell you. I think you deserve to know given… current events. Earlier this afternoon, a man entered the visitor's reception asking to see me. He gave me the name of Alex Sparks, later giving me strong reason to believe this wasn't in fact his real name, though he didn't confirm this. He wrote me this. Dr Loomis handed Michael the piece of paper the now deceased man had written him.

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!

"You see?" The doctor said softly. "Even Michael Myers won't succeed! Why would Adam have said that unless he'd made a conscious effort to ensure this was indeed the case. His man was too scared even to say it and had to write it! Danielle is really upset and desperate for you to believe her. She didn't say any of this to Charlotte or indeed to anyone else. For her part, Charlotte wants you to believe she didn't write it and is just as troubled by today's events. As I have told you previously, Danielle really cares about you Michael. She wants to show you that."

The killer raised a cold eyebrow. Dr Loomis gave him a small smile. "Now I can't tell you how, that's for her to do. But will you give her that chance, Michael? That's a decision only you can make. No one else can do so for you. You need to decide if you will let yourself trust her, or if you really, truly believe she would've betrayed you this way after all you've both been through since she got here. Not only that, but whether you honestly believe Charlotte actually wrote that. She'd never hurt Danielle, and by association you. She knows how much Danielle cares about you and wouldn't do anything to endanger that. She's actually here right now, Michael. Charlotte. She wants to speak with you. The question is, will you let her? She was so upset when Danielle told her about the letter, she got straight in to her car and drove the almost 3 hours from her house to here. Now if that doesn't tell you she didn't write it, nothing will. No one's that good an actor, Michael. She was in floods of tears to me on the phone earlier. She was begging me to let her speak with you. My question to you now is, will you let her? Will you let yourself love, Michael? Believe this was indeed an act of evil, calculated malice designed to do exactly what you're letting it do? Will you show Danielle she's wrong and by doing so, help her fight back?"