Mackenzie Boyd’s life remains very much in danger after his plot to deceive John Sugden backfired.

Emmerdale fans breathed a sigh of relief last week after learning that Mack was alive after being attacked by John in the woods.

Held captive by Nate Robinson’s murderer in a creepy underground bunker and desperate to escape, tonight’s episode saw Mack enact his plan for freedom, but John soon caught on to his deception.

The episode began with Mack waking up, chained to a bed and recalling the attack in the woods through flashbacks. He called out for help and panicked when he saw John there, who told him to stop shouting and calm down.

“You tried to kill me,” Mack told John. “Just like you killed Nate.”

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John explained where Mack was being held captive, and when Mack asked what his plan was for him, John said that at some point he’d have to make some “difficult decisions”, leaving Mack fearing for his life.

Mack asked why John didn’t just leave him for dead or kill him, just like he did with Nate, but John denied murdering Nate, claiming it was an accident and telling him his side of the story.

Unloading his guilty conscience, John went on to tell Mack everything, including framing Ella Forster for messing with Chas Dingle’s medication and Jacob Gallagher’s near-death experience at the GP surgery.

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Sensing John’s need for sympathy and understanding, Mack saw an opportunity to get him onside by reassuring him that he had done the right thing with Ella and that the Jacob incident was inevitable.

“I was wrong about you John, Aaron is very, very lucky to have someone like you who loves him as much as you do,” he told him.

Mack added that his marriage to Charity Dingle was over and that there was “nothing keeping him in the village any more”, pleading with John to let him go, and in exchange, he’d disappear to Scotland and keep his secrets.

John left the bunker and later returned to check on Mack’s recovery. Mack asked John if he’d considered letting him go, and John said that he might consider it after his injuries had healed.

Mack then asked John if he was just playing him and John replied that he’d have to just trust him, which left Mack unconvinced. He lashed out, trying and failing to hit John with a piece of wood.

“You were doing so well,” John smirked coldly. Overcome with anger, he then issued a hard truth to Mack: “Your word is meaningless now, and your word was the only thing that was keeping you alive.”

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.

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