“Thank you for stepping in, Max. There are a few topics that we need to talk about,” Jack said, opening the door, letting the team leader in and closing it after him so they could finally walk to his desk.

Jack sat on his office chair while the mad one took one of the seats in front of his superior's desk. 

“Of course, boss, what would you like to discuss with me?” Max replied distractedly, with that air of 'Just remember, I’m the best you got!’ that Jack was getting so tired of.

“First of all, we need to talk about you being late today. Can you tell me what happened to you, and why I was not given any prior notice so I can find someone available that can take your place? I had to find a replacement on the fly. Luckily no one got hurt, but an accident was barely avoided because of you not being here.”

“Oh, my cellphone had a small accident, boss, and I couldn’t make the call early in the morning,” the logger lied.

Just at that moment, however, his phone sounded off loudly, as he usually had the ringtones and alerts at full volume to hear it over the sound of the machines that he usually operated. 

Jack raised his eyebrow at his flustered employee. "You were saying?"

“This is not my usual phone, boss. Mine was left at the repair shop, and I got this one temporarily, with no phone numbers,” he explained, now taking the phone out of his pocket and trying to look at the screen for the caller's identity without his boss noticing. 

It was a text message, intended to give him a report of what was happening at Eron’s camp, since ‘his’ girl and the hated ‘pretty boy’ left together. Max was taking the risk of looking because he cared so much more for that report than his boss' words. 

After all, he was “so good" that Jack wouldn't dare kick him out… right?

“You do realize that you live here at the camp, right? So, you could have stopped by my cabin and told me that you needed to be away for a while, instead of just disappearing like that.”

“Of course, Jack wouldn’t buy that stupid lie, make a bit of an effort, Max!” the bully thought, thinking swiftly for a plausible excuse.  

His explanation: “Of course, boss, but it was pretty early, since I had to walk to the village… I didn’t want to wake you up.” 

Max ended the barefaced lie with a smile, trying to look genuinely sincere.

Jack blinked twice in disbelief at the guy who was sitting right in front of him.

“Ok, let’s say I’ll let it pass this time, only because this was the very first time that you were late. BUT make sure you let me know, or at least talk to me the moment you arrive at the camp if you’re coming in late, understood?” Jack commanded firmly, not believing a word of what Max said. 

He even noticed that the phone that the liar had in his hand was his same phone, with even his usual notification tone. But there was plenty more to talk about and he wasn't about to let Max walk away just like that.

Jack's thoughts: “This guy really doesn’t care about anything at all… lying to my face, and thinking I’m stupid? Keep going, man… you’re not THAT GOOD for me to put up with your shit… Just give me a reason, ONE good reason and you won’t even know that you’re already out on your ass!”

“Yes, boss,” Max answered, distractedly and not even looking at Jack since his mind was focused on that message, and he was still holding on to his mobile.

“Ok, next topic... Please explain to me why you put a rock in the sawmill, knowing that it could easily cause the wood to get kicked back and fly off like a rocket.” 

Now Jack looked intently at Max. Of course, he was sure that this man would never admit what he did wrong, probably wouldn’t even believe he made a mistake, or that his actions were incorrect at all. However, being caught red-handed was something that would show in his face, and Jack wanted to see that even more than hearing an excuse, or even a confession.

And there it was.

Max’s eyes opened wide, almost popping out of their sockets. His jaw clenched and his lips pressed tightly shut. His shoulders were pulled back as if avoiding a blow thrown at him.

His whole body screamed “GUILTY” and actions always spoke louder than words.

“What?!” Max said, faking an insulted tone. “I don’t believe you just said that, boss. Before Eron came, you trusted me!”

“Before Eron came, huh? Well, before he arrived, you didn’t act so much like a madman. Now, explain yourself!”

“I didn’t do that! I didn’t put a small rock near the saw of the machine!”

“I see… and how do you know it was small? How do you know where it was placed? I didn't tell you any of those details.”

“Well... because... of the type of... accident it caused, of course! I didn’t do anything, and if you had proof, we wouldn’t just be talking about it, so there!” Max finished, pouting severely, close to throwing a tantrum like a spoiled five-year-old.

Jack sat back in his chair and let out a long sigh. 

“Let’s say you didn’t. I will still hold you accountable for what happened today. Had you not been late and without notifying me that something happened to you, all of this wouldn’t have happened. You’re not going to be paid today, and your pay will go to the person that covered for you.”

“The new guy!”

“The new guy. Yes. And his name is Eron.”

Max stood up, hitting Jack's table with his fist as he yelled, “So you have a new favorite now, huh? Well, I wonder if you noticed the supernatural speed that he used to get to you before the wood could hit you. Or maybe you liked to have him on top of you and that's why you're giving him my pay!”

Jack was instantly on his feet as well, his volume also rising. “What the hell are you saying? This is too much! Lying, disrespecting me, then blaming anything and everything on someone else when it's YOUR MISTAKE, Max! Damn it, you’re going from bad to worse, and you know what? I have NO FUCKING REASON to put up with your ASSHOLE attitude. You’re suspended for today. Leave now, before I fire you!”

Max was about to scream out a number of “reasons” for saying what he just said, but seeing that, for some reason that he really didn’t understand, Jack was pissed off more than usual. He bit his lip, literally, turned around and left in a huff. He even had the guts to bang the door as he exited the office. Well, that didn't matter to him.

After all, he had a few things to do now, and those were more important to him at this point…

Meanwhile, Jack was left in shock inside his office and he slowly sat down while trying to compose himself. He just couldn't believe what had just happened.

“What the hell is happening with this guy? I knew he was not completely sane to begin with, but he’s going further than I could have imagined! I’ll have to keep an eye on him… and damn, Eron, thanks for saving me. But why did you have to fall precisely on top of me? At least you weren’t… well… Damn, why would people think that I might like him?” Jack thought as soon as he had gotten control of his temper. "I guess I really do need a girlfriend…"

Truth was that he had been too worried about getting clues and news of his sister’s whereabouts, that he never noticed the ladies’ interest in him. Add to that, no matter how innocent his actions and talks with Eron were, the reasons why the newbie joked so much about him wanting something else seemed to paint his intentions in a different light. 

It didn't help that his friendship with Diwana - which was not in any way the kind of interest that all the other men in lumberyard had for her - seemed to have tagged him as ‘swinging both ways.' and even worse, it could also be thought of as ‘swinging the other way’ or 'going the other way'...  

Then the accident that placed both guys, who had brotherly connected so well and so soon, putting them in a spot... 

Oh. The. Gossip!

Meanwhile, from his boss' office in the lumber camp, Max continued to speedily walk away, checking the message that was sent to him, with all the details that the spy could get from where he was.

His thoughts: “So, My Di is entertaining THAT guy… Hmmm, she’s playing that game again... trying to show me that she’s not interested in me when she clearly has been in love with me since the first time we met. Of course, she would do that to get me jealous. I would know... I've played that game too. I’ll have to do something about this, but for now… let’s continue with my plan.”

After an hour or two, the mad one was sitting with his ‘team’ in the lumber camp, telling them how Eron ‘stole’ his money, and how Jack was now on the pretty boy’s side.

“I’m telling you, be careful of that city boy charmer! At this rate, he will take all of what’s ours, our money, our jobs, our women! Or maybe even our boss,” he stated with conviction, producing a few laughs from all the others.

However, they were starting to take the bully's words seriously, and it showed in their faces.

“But then, what can we do, team leader? He’s out and about enjoying his day off, and your lady’s company… how do we make him pay you back?” asked one of his underlings.

Then, Mad Max laughed, a terrible imitation of a villain’s laugh from a horror movie, but effectively letting everybody around him know that he had undeniably lost it.

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. There’s something that I did already, and he will find out soon enough,” Max finally said with a smirk.