Broken Circuits (VeeMark)

Chapter Twenty

(Since the last chapter was a horrible cliff-hanger (sorry!) I decided to upload the next chapter already. Hopefully everyone likes this chapter more 😊)

"It's not Mark."

The words slipped out of Vee like a reflex, effectively silencing the other executives as they watched him with curious eyes. They were angry and wanted to punish those responsible for betraying them, for betraying the company, and, in this case, that was Mark. There was evidence. So, why was Vee so certain that it wasn't Mark? Was there something to those rumours that there was something more than colleagues and even more than friends going on between those two?

"Vee," Bar murmured, trying to sound gentle but failing as his fury bled through into his tone and made it harsh, "They have proof. A lot of proof."

"No."

"Vee! They eventually traced the hacking back to Mark's computer, they found his fingerprints on one of the bugs, and they have CCTV footage of him taking another one of the bugs home."

"No."

"Vee. Enough," Bar snapped, beyond irritated with his friend for not believing that Mark had deceived them when they had all the evidence for it, "Even you thought he was a spy when you first met."

Vee swallowed and sat back, not saying anything more. He felt kind of dizzy, his brain desperately trying to process this revelation. The conversation between the other executives flowed over him, buzzing in his ears, but he was unable to follow along. He felt like he was drowning, like he was underwater and struggling to reach the surface, with the voices in the room contorted. Then there was one thought he held onto like a lifeline: it wasn't Mark. Vee loved Mark. He trusted Mark. It couldn't be him.

It wasn't Mark.

The world snapped back into place and Vee was, once again, on solid ground. He remembered random parts of the conversation that he had missed, a few specific words that had somehow been consolidated into his memory. Words like corporate espionage and arrest. With his heart in his throat and adrenaline flooding his body, Vee knew he couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let Mark be arrested.

With a surreptitious glance around, Vee made sure no one was looking at him and they weren't. No, Vee was being very obviously ignored. It was like the others were unconsciously, and perhaps even consciously, punishing Vee for not realising Mark was a spy since he seemed to be so close with him. But that was good. Then they wouldn't notice him taking out his phone.

Vee quickly typed out his message, his eyes furtively darting from under the table where he was holding his phone to the executives sitting around him and back. He couldn't quite believe he was doing this but found he couldn't do anything else. He had to protect Mark. There he paused, his finger hovering over the send button, as he tried to gather his courage and conviction. Vee knew that Bar wouldn't make such an accusation lightly, especially not one levied at Mark, and doubt began to creep in like dark smoke through the slightest cracks in a solid brick wall. Then a memory appeared in his mind's eye, completely unbidden. It was Mark. Just Mark, and he was smiling. And Vee hit that button.

Vee: "Mark. This is important. Do exactly as I say and don't ask questions. Take whatever evidence you have found and head down to the garage. Avoid the security cameras as much as possible. The cameras in the east stairwell are broken so use those stairs. Hide by my car and wait for me. Don't let anyone delay or stop you. I will be there soon, I love you."

Vee trusted Mark. If there was another way to protect him, if he could somehow convince the executives to wait, to look for other evidence, to trust him, then Vee would have done it in a second. But there wasn't. The executives were furious and wanted someone to hurt; they would not take the time to listen to any arguments in favour of Mark's innocence, rational or no. Even Bar, Vee's closest friend, was blinded by his rage. This desperate need for what they saw as justice, but was more like vengeance, was mistakenly aimed at Mark when their ire should be focused on Kade. It was Kade who had sent the spy in and used the information the spy had stolen.

When his hands began to tremble, Vee took a deep breath and reinforced his own belief. Mark was not the spy. He couldn't be. Vee had to protect him. The words ran over and over again in his head, settling his nerves and steadying his hands once again. Yes, Mark was not the spy. Then a traitorous wayward thought broke free from somewhere deep inside Vee's mind: does it matter? Even if Mark was the spy... Vee wasn't sure he would have done anything differently. Guilt stabbed Vee like a knife twisting in his heart as he realised that if Mark was the spy then he was betraying not only his company, his colleagues, but also his oldest friend, Bar.

But Mark wasn't the spy.

It was the last time Vee needed to mentally repeat that phrase. The feeling of trust in Mark had become almost solid, coalescing into something integral to Vee, something instinctive. Vee would trust Mark no matter what.

Vee was now waiting for the meeting to end with his hand in his pocket, clutching his car keys. He wanted Mark, needed to see him safe.

Fortunately, Mark had noticed the sense of urgency in Vee's text and, despite his impulse to ask questions since it was all very odd, he had begun to follow Vee's orders. He packed up his things before tugging the portable hard drive out of his work computer, hoping that most of the data from his work computer had transferred to his personal hard drive. Then, after shoving that into his bag too, Mark headed out of the Product Development department and, instead of going to the elevators like he usually did, Mark walked towards the east stairwell. Just like Vee had told him to do.

Sadly, Mark's luck ran out just a few meters from the doors to the east stairwell. A pair of security personnel came from the opposite direction and one of them recognised him just after they had passed him by, calling out.

"Hey, you! Stop!"

It was instinct that had Mark running before the shouted words were completely out. He had no idea what was going on, but he trusted Vee. And Vee had told him to hide.

Mark was around the corner before the security personnel could react, but they quickly followed. By the time they came into the hallway where Mark had disappeared, he was already in the stairwell and, instead of running, he was jumping up and then sliding down the banister until he reached the next landing. He repeated this process again and again, racing by floor after floor. It was faster but much more terrifying than running.

Mark only stopped moving when he reached Vee's car, crouching between the back of the car and the wall of the garage to hide. The cold of the concrete behind him seeped into his skin even through his clothes, seeming to add to the racing fear that was chilling him to the core of his being.

"Mark! Mark, please be here."

The words were hushed but clearly worried and Mark would have recognised that voice anywhere. Dizzying relief hit him. He couldn't contain his happiness at Vee's comforting presence and shot up from hiding place, launching himself into Vee's arms.

"It's okay, it's okay," Vee repeated soothingly, hugging Mark tightly as he shook in his arms.

Vee wanted to stay there, to hold Mark until he calmed down, but he knew the longer they waited to leave, the higher the chance they would be discovered, so he gently pushed Mark into the backseat before climbing into the front by himself. As he began to drive out, Vee reached his arm back to give Mark's hand a quick squeeze.

"Okay, Mark. You're going to have to duck down and hide on the floor for a while. There are security cameras by the exit."

The soft rustling sounds coming from behind his seat told him that Mark was complying with his command.

As the car drove out from the darkness of the garage and into the bright sunlight, Vee whispered to Mark with reassuring confidence.

"It will be okay. I'll keep you safe, Mark. I love you."