"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."
"It only takes a half-hour," Angelo said. "It's actually called hydrophilic cement. The guy at the Home Depot recommended it."
Vinnie looked at Angelo and joked, "You didn't tell him what you were going to do with it, did you?"
Everyone had a good laugh.
"The problem is, she's passed out," Angelo said, changing the subject. "I wanted her to suffer. Instead, she looks like she's enjoying herself."
"Try to wake her," Vinnie offered. "Maybe the fresh air will help."
Angelo patted Laurie's cheek with the flat of his hand, but there was no response. He tried it harder. Still no response.
Vinnie looked across at Richie. "Head up to the bridge and drive this brute of a boat. We shouldn't leave it on autopilot. We don't want to take a chance of hitting anything."
Richie reluctantly climbed the ship's ladder. He didn't want to miss the fun.
"You and me are just going to have to take what we get," Vinnie said to Angelo. Then, to the group, he added, "Let's all have another drink and toast to Angelo's vengeance!"
As the boat bore down on the Statue of Liberty, the festivities hit high gear. A second Frank Sinatra CD had been put into the player, and when "My Way" came on, everyone sang. A few minutes later, when they got to the world-famous landmark, Vinnie yelled up to Richie to head out toward the Verrazano Bridge.