All The Queen's Men (Fantasy Heights) by Meg Silver Page A

came in and out of that cabin for the next couple of hours. Warnous stayed relatively calm through multiple questionings and visits. Yet as predicted, once he was alone, he started to panic. She watched him take out a cellphone he wasn’t supposed to have, and dial a number.
    She immediately picked up her phone to let Thomas know. She texted: Cell use.
    Warnous’s call must have gone to voicemail. He said aloud, “What the hell did you do with Steph? Does this mean the deal is off? Call me. And someone damn well better bring me what I need, or else.”
    He looked at his phone and thumbed the hang-up button while Amanda raised her brows at the receiver. If only she knew who he’d called.
    Warnous spent the next four hours pacing. Impatient. Fidgety. Looking unsteady. Clutching his phone, muttering curses. Half a dozen times he lifted his phone again and started to dial, then stopped himself.
    Finally, when it was well after midnight and Amanda could barely keep her eyes open anymore, Warnous turned toward the front door. Someone had entered the cabin. “It’s about friggin’ time,” he said. “What’s goin’ on?”
    Amanda fired off a second text to Thomas: Visitor .
    Two people stepped into the room. Both were right beneath the camera with their backs to it. The first she recognized instantly: Marla. The second, a sizable dark-headed man, didn’t show enough of himself for her to get a good look.
    Marla tossed her purse onto the sofa. “Oh, like you don’t know. What did you do? Hire someone to kidnap Steph?”
    “Sure. Whatever. I’m not an idiot, you know. Isn’t it a coincidence how Steph should conveniently get kidnapped so you don’t have to deliver on your half of the bargain?”
    “I told you,” Marla argued. “We can’t get to Gail while she’s locked up. Soon as they let her loose, we’ll deliver on our end. But in the meantime, I can tell you one thing—we did not take Steph.”
    “Then who did? ’Cuz it sure as hell wasn’t me.”
    Marla put her hands on her hips and turned to look at her silent companion. He still hadn’t moved, and Amanda still couldn’t see who he was.
    Warnous took a step toward Marla. “Did you bring it?”
    “Is that all you care about?”
    Warnous didn’t answer, but a moment later, Marla pulled something from her purse.
    Amanda leaned forward in her chair. If she wasn’t mistaken, Marla had just been caught on camera with one of those little black syringe cases.
    Amanda scooted even closer once Warnous snatched the case from Marla’s hand. He set it on a coffee table and snapped the case open. The monitor didn’t display high enough resolution for her to see whether there were two syringes inside, but the contents were clear enough when Warnous removed a syringe. He clamped it between his teeth while he ripped open a swab packet, and then stood to drop his pants. He swiped at his thigh, and injected himself with whatever was in the syringe.
    All the while, Marla and her mystery guest stood by watching.
    Warnous tossed the syringe back into the case and pulled his pants back up. He was still trying to fasten his belt when he keeled over sideways, narrowly missing the sharp corner of the coffee table.
    Neither Marla nor her companion moved.
    The man, in an unfamiliar voice said, “Jeez. What did you put in that syringe?”
    “Not what he was expecting. But it’ll keep him nice and pliant for a couple hours. Get him into the boat. There’s less than five minutes before security patrols the shoreline again.”
    Amanda picked up her phone once more. Hands shaking, she sent Thomas a third text: 911. Warnous drugged. They have boat.
    The man said, “Grab your stuff, and I’ll grab him. We need to be long gone by the time Bishop finds out he’s missing.”
    Marla clicked her tongue. “Why is everyone so afraid of Thomas?”
    “You heard what Nicole said about his military and FBI record.”
    “Yeah, well, Nicole also said Thomas was going back to the