Whatwas happening?
She turned around and put her back to the wall, shiveringuncontrollably.
A man sat a few yards away, his back against the tire of a battered brown van; there was some sort of pack next to him. He was blurry, and she couldn’t make out his features.
She tried to swallow, but her throat felt as if it was full of sand. Blinking several times, she looked around the space and tried to find reality. They were in some metal building, maybe a warehouse, a garage? The walls were damaged and the cement cracked, but the wind was kept outside. “Where am I?” she croaked. None of this was making sense.
He tilted his head.
Her heart started to beat faster. Finally. She lowered her head and stared at him until the blurriness disappeared. She recognized him. He was familiar. She knew him?
He just watched her.
Her mouth formed the words before her brain caughtup. “Fletcher.”
“Yes.” No real expression lived on his face, but a hint of something glowed in his eyes. Curiosity?“Hello, Gemma.”
Gemma. Yes, that was right. Her mind finally cleared. Then fear began to creep inside her, way too slowly. “What did you give me?” She was definitely drugged.
“A bit of chloroform. It might’ve been too much,” he allowed.
Trudy. Oh God, Trudy. Gemma tried to stand, but her legs were rubber. “My daughter. What did you do?”
His smile showed that dimple he didn’t deserve to have. “Yes, well. The only way I could get you alone, to throw Jethro off his game, was to cause a panic. She seemed to be the only tool I could use. I do apologize for that.” There was not an ounce of sincerity in his tone.
Tears hung at Gemma’s lashes and she wiped them away, her movements slow and clumsy. “You drugged my child just to get to me?” He had to have had at least an idea of where she’d been staying so he’d known which emergency facility to wait at. “What didyou give her?”
He shrugged. “Ricin. It’s surprisingly easy to obtain if you know where to look. I put a small amount—a very small amount—into some caramels I made and then added them to the goodie bags for this week.” His tongue clicked, sounding creepy in the echoing space of the metal building. “The daycare woman is very organized and already had them lined up in her office. Slipping in one more treat was no problem.”
Gemma’s stomach revolted. She gagged.
Fletcher lifted his hand. “Don’t vomit. Please. It grosses me out.”
She stared at him, stunned. He looked like a normal guy. A good-looking one. “You attempted to kill a bunch of toddlers?” Not in a million years would she have thought anybody could be that sick.
“No. I put a minuscule amount in one candy. They’ll all become ill, but hopefully nobody will die.” He flicked the thought away with one unconcerned hand.
Fire slid through her veins, slowly awakening her nerves. “Hopefully?” she spat. “They’re children. One of them could have a deadly reaction.” Trudy was still in trouble. “You’re fucking evil, asshole.” She tried to scramble to her feet again and fell over. “Call the hospital right now and tell them what to do.”
Fletcher shrugged. “There’s no cure for ricin poisoning. Either they’ll be okayor they won’t.”
Her mind reeled and her entire body ached for her baby. Trudy had to be all right. “I am going to kill you.”
Fletcher scoffed.“That’s cute.”
Her ears felt too hot for her head. “How did you even know that Trudy would get the treat?” The guy almostseemed psychic.
He rolled his neck. “I hadn’t realized you’d keep her out of daycare, but things worked out anyway.” The man actuallysounded proud.
“You’re an ass,” she muttered, trying to make the room stop spinning. “What about the hospital? How did you know whichone I’d pick?”
“I knew from which direction you’d come and chose the best located hospital.” He shrugged. “If I was wrong, I would’ve moved on to another hospital to find you because your daughter will be there for at least a night or two. Ifshe survives.”
Gemma’s stomach lurched. “You are so going to die. Painfully.” If she could only get to a weapon.
He sighed. “After everything I’ve done for you, I’d expect a modicum of appreciation at the very least.”
Her chin dropped. Why wouldn’t her legs work? How long did chloroform take to leave a body? “Appreciation? Are you nuts?” There had to be a weapon somewhere in that van.
