Lucinda ran out of the garage room after hearing the screams. "What's happened?" she asked. Leo told her and then he had to comfort her as well. "Oh God, Angie!" she exclaimed as she went over to her friend.
Leo called Midtown South with the news. He put the letter into a baggie and put it on the desk. He went back over to the others.
"Angie? Angie I need you to focus here for a minute," Leo asked as he shook her by the shoulders. "Someone brought that letter here. Rollie has cameras on the entrances, right?"
Angie looked up at him, not hearing him clearly at first. Leo repeated the question. Angie's sobs quieted, as she understood what he was saying. Slowly, and with help from Mangela and Lucinda, she stood up and walked over to the computer. "Blue?" she called to Rollie's trusted electronic pet. "Window one camera. Playback security tapes!"
Bluey barked and played the security feed from the night. They watched the monitor as they saw the image of one man come to the door not long after Mangela had arrived.
Angie zoomed in on the image of the man to get a clearer view. She lightened the picture and reduced the graininess of it to get a better likeness.
"That's Delveccio's personal guard." Leo exclaimed. "He must have escaped the dragnet we had in Boston. My guess is he escaped with the driver. Rollie should have a video of the driver from the surveillance tapes we made when we were shadowing Delveccio's place," Leo surmised and turned his attention to Angie. "Can you send pictures of both men to Midtown? They will need the images for every bus stop, airport, roadblock, train, and subway station."
Angie nodded her understanding. Her body still shook with tiny tremors, fear she was trying very hard to suppress. Angie sniffled back tears as she searched for the image of the driver on the surveillance tapes. Once she found it she sent it off to Captain Van Duren.
Afterwards, Angie held her head in her hands as her elbows rested on the computer table as she contemplated all the terrible outcomes that were possible with this latest development. Angie jumped suddenly as she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"You need to rest," Mangela told her.
Angie shot Mangela an incredulous look. "Rest? How can I possibly? I can't...I can't, not with Rollie—" Angie stopped as the tears came anew.
Mangela knelt in front of Angie and took her hands in his. "I don't feel Rollie's loss. I feel that he is still with us. Rollie needs you to believe it too. You and I can't give up on him. Not now, not when he is counting on us." Mangela stared into Angie's eyes, almost pleading with her. "And you can't help Rollie by being exhausted. I told you, he needs to be found but we have until the day's end," Mangela reminded her but Angie didn't understand how her resting would help. "You need to be strong for Rollie the way that he was for you and the only way you can do that is if you rest. It's the only way." Mangela squeezed Angie's hands. "Can you do that Angela? Can you gather your strength for Rollie?"
Angie looked up at him with heavy eyes. She felt like he was willing her to sleep. She had been able to fight it before, her body tired but her mind racing. But now, she couldn't. "I'll rest. For Rollie," she promised.
Mangela smiled softly and then he and Lucinda took Angie upstairs. Angie entered the bedroom and immediately went to Rollie's dresser. She pulled out a dark blue pullover sweater of Rollie's and put it on. She was engulfed by the long sleeves, which her fingers curled up in and still so ice cold despite her best efforts to warm up. As Angie lay down on the bed she asked Mangela to stay with her. Lucinda said she would be downstairs if they needed anything.
"Do you think Rollie is going to be okay?" Angie whispered to Mangela as sleep waited impatiently for her.
"I believe it. You need to believe it too." Mangela smiled warmly as he patted her hand.
Angie curled up into a ball on her side. "Would you stay with me until I fall asleep?"
"I wasn't going anywhere," Mangela replied as he took the chair by the window. He sat there watching Angie and glanced outside into the city. Somewhere his Rollie boy was out there and in dire straights. Mangela lit his pipe as the smoke danced around his head. "Get some rest my little bunny," he ordered her softly. Then, Mangela began to sing softly, a song in his language.
The song had a soothing effect on Angie and it wasn't long before she fell asleep, dreaming of birds flying, warm tropical winds in her hair, sunshine and blue skies as far as the eye could see. There was a beach with sand so warm it invited you to lay on it. Angie smiled as she dreamt of Rollie. Angie spotted a figure far off in the distance. It was coming closer. It was Rollie and she could see him walking towards her at the edge of the water. His pant legs were rolled up and he was barefoot. The waves lapped at his feet. Rollie came towards her slowly. Finally, he stood over her as she lounged on the warm sand. He pulled her up to him and into a deep hug, his arms engulfing her. Angie felt so safe and warm in his arms. Rollie started swaying back and forth with her, turning with her in his arms. At first it was wonderful, like a dance. But then, they started turning and turning, faster and faster. They were spinning and spinning and it was getting dark and cold Suddenly Angie wasn't in Rollie's arms anymore. She was someplace cold and dark and damp. Angie called for Rollie but she couldn't see or hear him. It was sooo cold. Angie was terrified. She felt trapped. Angie started thrashing and screaming in her bed.
"Let me out!" Angie sat bolt upright as she screamed. "ROLLIE!"
Mangela was by Angie's side in a moment. He shook her gently as Lucinda and Leo ran into the room.
"What did you see?" Mangela asked Angie. Leo and Lucinda just shook their heads, figuring Angie just had a nightmare.
"Rollie...I saw Rollie," Angie cried wide-eyed. "He's sooo cold and it's so dark." Angie stood up and paced the room wringing her hands, her brow furrowed. "There's something else...something I can't quite remember— the PDA! I need Mira to bring me all the pieces they found," she exclaimed as she looked at Leo. "Leo please!"
"All right, all right." Leo got on the phone right away to Mira. He told her not to ask questions but that Angie had a hunch about something. Mira said she would be there in 10 minutes.
Angie didn't quite know where she was getting this feeling from but she knew that if her feeling was right...there was a chance they could find Rollie soon!
"You did good little bunny," Mangela smiled.
Angie looked at him quizzically not understanding what he was referring to. She didn't understand what happened but the feelings she was experiencing were very strong.
"You gave your strength to our Rollie boy, the way that he did for you." Mangela laughed as she looked at him as if he had two heads. "Maybe someday you'll understand...or maybe not. Just know this; Rollie has a fighting chance now." He squeezed her hand.
Angie squeezed Mangela's hand too. She felt more hope now than at any point during this whole ordeal. Still, she didn't know what he was referring to. "Thank you Mangela. I know we're going to find Rollie. I just know it!" She declared as she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
Angie ran down the stairs with renewed sense of purpose when Lucinda called up that Mira and Francis had arrived. Mangela followed her down the stairs. Mira smiled her greeting to Mangela.
Angie took the bag and cleared the lounge table. She emptied all the contents onto the table. "Is this everything that was found?" she asked Mira.
"Everything." Mira assured her.
Angie looked over the contents of busted parts. She picked up the smallest pieces and examined them deliberately as the others eyed her with curiosity.
"It's not here," Angie declared after a few moments, a smile broadening her face. "Rollie has the tracker on him. C'mon, we have to search for him!" Angie declared again as she grabbed her jacket. She paused a moment and turned, reaching for Rollie's leather jacket that was draped over the couch. "C'mon! What are you waiting for?" Angie demanded as she noticed nobody had moved.
"Angie what is this about? We've searched for Rollie all over the city. You've searched for him— where are we supposed to go?" Leo questioned her.
"He's not in the city." Angie searched her mind unsure of how she knew that. "His car was found off the Jersey turnpike right? It wasn't just a diversion. Don't ask me how I know." She cut Leo off, aware of how crazy this sounded. "Look, we've searched everywhere else. He isn't going to be in Delveccio's known territory—"
Mira came over and joined them as she just off the phone. "That was Sapien. The kidnappers were picked up at Newark airport. They had disguises on and fake ID's. They were trying to catch a charter flight to Florida, but they still aren't cooperating."
"See Leo!" Angie screeched. "Newark. Jersey turnpike. Rollie's in New Jersey." She slapped her forehead as if to say Ôduh!' "I'm going if no one else is!" Angie declared angrily.
"Okay, okay," Leo agreed. "But Jersey's a pretty big state—"
"But the mob guys have a few favorite dumping grounds. We can start there," Mira interrupted. She caught Angie's flinch at the use of 'dumping grounds'. "Sorry Angie."
"Yeah, I remember," Leo searched his memory. "All right. Let's get all available Jersey personnel on this. Mira, you coordinate with the Jersey police. Angie, I'll drive. Let's go."
"Wait!" Lucinda called as she grabbed her jacket. "I'm coming too!"
Mangela climbed into the van as well. Leo drove as Angie sat at the annex computer and started activating the GPS tracking system. Lucinda and Mangela sat nearby.
They drove around for hours, down the interstate, around city streets and along rural roads. Helicopters flew overhead. Angie was getting nothing. No signal. Darkness was just beginning to set in. Angie felt the hope she had felt earlier start to vanish along with the gray skies darkened when ominous clouds rolled in. Mangela placed a strong hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him. She leaned back against him and started to cry.
"I was so sure...the feeling was so strong back at the loft. But now—" Angie broke off in sobs.
"Angie don't give up, " Lucinda whispered quietly to her friend. "You and Rollie have been through so much. You gave me so much hope back at the loft...for a moment I thought you were crazy. I wondered why you wanted the broken PDA and then...and then you found it. Or rather, you didn't find it but then you started getting everybody all riled up anyway. It's like somehow you know where Rollie is. Honey, please don't give up hope. Not now." Lucinda stroked Angie's hair.
Suddenly, there was a blip on the computer screen. No one else noticed it but Angie immediately jumped in her seat, barely hearing the beep of the signal. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed through tears. "I'm getting something." Angie started typing away on her computer trying to get the signal clearer and to better home in on it.
"Leo, turn off at the next exit!" Angie shouted excitedly. "Head towards the Meadowlands...."
"Got it," Leo shouted back. He picked up the PDA and informed Mira and Francis of their moves. "Anything?" Leo called back.
There was a long pause. "Keep going about ten miles...the signal is faint." Angie breathed heavily. Oh God, please let us be in time. "There's a park or something...." Angie punched up a map of New Jersey on her computer screen. Soon, she was looking at the map on her screen. "We're looking for a large wooded area...Leo...the signal is coming from somewhere in...what looks like...Kearny Marsh...."
"Francis? Get all available units over to Kearney Marsh, " Leo called on the PDA. "And get the helicopter there with the searchlights," he said as he looked up at the darkened sky. "Francis? Get an ambulance over there too, just in case...." Leo whispered quietly on the PDA.
Francis responded over the radio. "Got it, Leo.
After a few more moments Angie called for Leo to pull off the road. "The signals coming about a couple thousand feet in there." She pointed to the wooded area. "But there's no road in. We can't take the van and I can't get an exact location." Angie cried out in frustration. "Damn it!"
"It's okay," Leo assured her. "We'll go on foot. Can you get the PDA to track?" He asked as he pulled the van to a stop off the road. Flashing lights of approaching police cars reflected off the van and the wet pavement. The rain that had started earlier was now a steady downpour.
"Yeah," Angie exclaimed as she grabbed the PDA and made some adjustments. She put Rollie's jacket on over hers. "Okay. It's tracking." She climbed out of the van followed by Mangela, Lucinda, and Leo.
"Fan out!" Leo called to the assembled search party. He waved his hands for some of the officers to go in one direction and for the others to go in the other direction. The searchers formed a line that stretched a half a mile long. They started walking into the woods.
Angie led the way with the PDA in her hands. She walked a couple feet. "It's getting stronger." She smiled. "This way."
They walked on and on. It was incredibly dark and slippery in the woods. Angie's eyes were so intent on the screen that she didn't see the stump ahead of her and she went flying splat onto the ground. The PDA flew out of her hand.
"No!" Angie cried. She searched for the PDA on her hands and knees with Lucinda providing light from the flashlight. Suddenly, Angie heard a loud crunch and turned to see one of the officers had stepped on the PDA. Angie ran over and picked up the broken piece of equipment. "It's broken...there's...there's nothing coming in," she whimpered.
"It's okay Angie," Leo tried to assure her. "The signal was coming from in here. A couple of thousand feet, you said? We'll find him." He squeezed her shoulder.
The search party continued on with the searchlights from the helicopter providing much needed light. Twenty minutes later they could hear the search dogs barking as someone ahead of them shouted out "over here!"
Everyone ran over. Leo was the first to make it there, followed by Francis. Mira ran up ahead too. There was a mound of earth that had recently been disturbed. They were lucky to have found it with the steady rain that was washing away some of the dirt.
Angie started to make her way up to the crowd when Mira came back and held her arm.
"Let them do their work Angie." Mira's face held worry.
"Oh God! What is it? Is it Rollie?" Angie struggled with them. Mangela put his arms around her.
They called for shovels but Leo didn't wait. He started digging at the dirt with his hands. Francis joined him. Soon, the others started digging with their hands as well. Finally, some shovels arrived and they continued with those. It wasn't long; however, until they hit something hard. Again, they attacked the grave with their hands.
"It's a coffin," Leo muttered. "C'mon pal, you better be all right. You hear me Rollie? You better be all right!" he muttered angrily as he moved the dirt off.
Finally the coffin was clear. It was a plain pine box. "Help me get this thing off," Leo called as he reached down to open the lid, fearing what he might find.
"Mira, keep Angie away from here." Francis radioed Mira.
"I'm trying," came Mira's terse reply.
The lid was opened.
Leo gasped.
Inside was the body of his best friend, Rollie Tyler.