Jack nodded. Although his knee felt reasonably well, he was now sick with fear.

24

By a little after eight, it was finally dark enough to suit Angelo for the quick ride over to the marina. That morning after they made the snatch, they'd driven south to a parking garage where Franco was known. With ease, they'd transferred a terrified Laurie from the white van to the blue one. At that point, Richie and Freddie had driven the white one back to Queens, where it disappeared into the motor pool.

Meanwhile, Angelo and Franco had driven the blue van with Laurie in it out to New Jersey, where they'd found a run-down motel of questionable morals with rooms rentable by the hour. What was most significant to Angelo was that the entrance to the units was up and around the back of the grubby office. Angelo had wanted privacy for escorting Laurie inside, and he had had it in spades. At that time of the morning, the motel had all but been deserted.

Richie and Freddie had returned just before noon, bringing with them takeout from Johnny's and a couple six-packs. The four men then had spent the early afternoon playing cards, eating subs, and generally enjoying themselves.

It had been after the card game that Angelo had finally attended to Laurie. After getting her to promise not to make a scene, he'd removed the duct tape from across her mouth and allowed her to spit out the gag. He'd then asked if she were thirsty, and when she'd admitted she was, he held a glass he'd prepared for her. Laurie had taken it despite its taste, and from then on, she'd been easy to take care of. Angelo had spiked the drink with one of his small, white date-rape pills. Later in the afternoon, they'd added another to make the switch from the van to the boat a piece of cake.

"Okay, come on, baby doll," Angelo said, as he shook Laurie's shoulder. "We're going for a nice little boat ride."

Without any trouble, they got Laurie from the motel room into the van. With two of the Rohypnol tablets on board, they didn't even need to rely on the duct tape, yet they elected to leave it on. With Angelo driving and Franco sitting shotgun in the van, and Richie and Freddie in Richie's car, the group made their way to the waterfront. Once there, they headed directly to the marina. All was going well until the pier itself came into view. At that point, they noted something they'd not seen the previous nights: another car.

Angelo braked and stopped the van. Richie pulled directly behind Angelo.

"Can you make out the make of the car?" Angelo asked.

Franco leaned forward so that his nose was practically touching the windshield. "It's hard to say, but if I had to, I'd say it was a Cadillac. A black Cadillac."

Sitting back, Franco looked at Angelo. "Did Vinnie say he was coming?"

"Not to me he didn't. You think it's Vinnie's?"

Franco shrugged. "It could be."

Angelo put the van back in gear and slowly drove forward. He didn't like surprises, and he knew Franco didn't, either. When they were fifty to sixty feet away, Angelo stopped again. This time, both men strained to see forward. "I think it is Vinnie's," Angelo said.

Franco got out. And as he closed on the car, he could see it was Vinnie's. Franco walked around to the driver's-side window and knocked. Because of the tinting, he couldn't see in. But then, looking out the pier, he could see why. A light from one of the lower gallery's portholes was casting a dim, flickering beam across the water.

Walking back to the van, Franco approached on the driver's side. Angelo lowered the window. "It's okay" Franco said. "It's the boss. He's already out on the boat."

"I wonder how come," Angelo said. He wasn't sure he wanted to share the upcoming experience with the whole city.

"Beats me."

They parked, got Laurie out of the van, took the duct tape off her ankles, and walked her out the pier. Reminiscent of the snatch that morning, they had to hoist her practically off her feet, but not because she was resisting.

"I think you might have overdone the date-rape drug," Franco said. Being nearly comatose, Laurie seemed to weigh a surprising amount considering her trim figure.

"Hello, men!" Vinnie called to them when they drew near. He had been standing in the shadows of the afterdeck, but now he walked out more into the open. Ice could be heard clinking in his old-fashioned glass. "I hope you don't mind me dropping by I realized I didn't want to miss the fun. And I see you men have already got the quick-set and the other gear."

"We got it yesterday," Angelo said, "and got it on board today."

"Good work," Vinnie said calmly. "I also brought someone else with me." He gestured back into the shadows. Reluctantly, Michael Calabrese stepped forward with a weak smile. "I got to thinking," Vinnie explained, putting an arm around Michael's shoulders. "Mikey here seems to come up with all this work for you guys and for me but never gets his hands dirty. You know what I'm saying? It's just prudent business practice to have him participate. If push ever came to shove, he couldn't throw up his hands and say he didn't know what was going down when these nice people disappear.

"Angelo, I know this is mostly your show, but I didn't think you would mind sharing. Is that too much to ask?"

Angelo held his tongue as he and Franco maneuvered Laurie across the gangplank onto the yacht.

"I didn't hear your response," Vinnie said.

"It's okay," Angelo murmured, as he and Franco helped Laurie across the open afterdeck.

"There you go, Mikey!" Vinnie said, thumping Michael on the back. "Your fears are over. Angelo's glad to have you on board, so let's party."

While Franco and Angelo were below, putting the deeply sleeping Laurie in one of the staterooms, Richie and Freddie manned the mooring lines. Vinnie happily climbed to the bridge, and with his scotch at his side, he started the twin diesels and eased the boat from its slip. As they motored out into the middle of the river, Vinnie called down for someone to put on one of his Frank Sinatra CDs. A few minutes later, Hoboken's favorite son was crooning away and massaging everyone's mental state.

It was a pleasant night. There was little wind and the water was calm. A scimitar moon was just peeking over the jagged, twinkling skyline of the city. To the north was the lighted George Washington Bridge with the Martha Washington level demurely beneath. To the south in the middle distance was their approximate destination: the illuminated Statue of Liberty. Within ten minutes, all worries, concerns, or irritation were blown away by the soft breeze and the loud but lulling sound of the engines. Everyone was either on the bridge or sitting on the gunwales in the stern, except for Laurie, who was sleeping off her unexpected medication, and Angelo, who was apparently beginning the preparation for the real reason they were all there.

Ten minutes later, Angelo appeared and asked Franco to help him move Laurie up to the afterdeck. "You are right. We overdid the date-rape pill. She won't wake up."

Franco followed Angelo below, and Richie went as well, in case they needed more help. A few minutes later, the group appeared, carrying both Laurie and the five-gallon bucket into which her feet were sticking. Freddie jumped out of a folding chair so they could sit her down.

The group gathered around. Even Vinnie came down after putting the boat on autopilot. While Freddie ducked below for some rope to keep Laurie upright, Vinnie stuck his hand into the bucket to feel the consistency of the cement.

"Impressive," Vinnie said, looking down into the bucket. Laurie's feet were buried up to mid-calf. "It's almost dry."