"What happened to his parents?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"No."

Vassily thought for a moment, then shookhis head slowly. "Anna, some things a man is allowed to keep private. IfAlex wanted to tell you, he would have. You'll have to let him tell you thatstory himself. Now, why don't you fetch some kindling for the stove and I'llcook these fish."

Anna stepped off the veranda. She lookedback at him as she brushed a strand of hair from her face.

"Vassily."

"What?"

"I like you. I like you verymuch."

Vassily smiled before she turned away.Then he stood up and went inside. At the window he hesitated and saw her disappearinto the woods. Then he went into the kitchen to gut the fish.

An hour later Lombardi saw the sign onthe road, TRESPASSERS KEEP OUT!, and turned the Packard onto the snow-covereddirt track.

Fifty yards further along they saw thelake in the distance. Lombardi pulled in and Vince and Braun were alreadyclimbing out as he switched off the engine.

Braun nodded down toward the cabin andlooked at Lombardi. "That's it?"

"That's it. Uncle fucking Tom'scabin. Ready when you are.

Vince handed out the weapons, andLombardi checked that he had the knife in his waistband, then said, "OK,let's get this fucking thing over with. And Vince, try not to sound like a'fucking bear coming through the woods, understand?" Braun said, "I'lltake the back, way, you two take the front. And be careful."

Vassily saw the two men come out of thewoods as he stood at the kitchen window.

They were fifty yards away and onecarried a shotgun and the other a carbine as they moved toward the front of thecabin. He put down the gutting knife and wiped his hands before picking up theWinchester rifle.

He stepped out onto the veranda and saidto the men, "Didn't you see the sign? You're on private property. Turnaround and go back the way you came."

The fatter of the two strangers appearedto be in charge, the one with the thin mustache. The younger man beside him wasnervously fingering his carbine.

The fat man smiled and went to movecloser. "Hey, take it easy. We got lost. Maybe you can help us."Vassily raised the Winchester and said, "No closer, or I'll help you tothe cemetery. I said you're on private property." The fat mail saidboldly, "Put down the rifle, old man. That way you won't get hurt."

Vassily hesitated. "Who are you andwhat do you want?"

"Just a friendly talk with thewoman. Where is she?"

Vassily turned pale and cocked theWinchester's hammer with his thumb. "You step any closer, fat man, andI'll kill you."

"This is none of your business. Justbring out the woman and no one gets hurt. We just want to talk with her."

"Is that why you come here withguns?"

The fat man stepped closer.

Vassily aimed the Winchester. "Dropyour weapons-now. Or I kill you."

"Fuck you," said Lombardi.

The shotgun in his hands came up andexploded and the shot hit Vassily in the right shoulder and he was flung backagainst the wall. As he fell back onto the veranda the men were already movingtoward him, and when he grabbed for the Winchester one of them kicked it awayand he saw the flash of the blade as the fat mail knelt over him. "Tooslow, old man. Where's the woman'? Don't fuck with me. Where is she, or I cutyour fucking heart out, you red-faced hick."

Halfway through the woods Anna heard thegunshot and her heart skipped.

As she turned she saw the man off to herright and froze. He held a shotgun in his hands and at first she thought he wasa hunter, but the shot had come from the direction of the cabin and when shesaw the look on the man's face she knew something wasn't right.

The man raised the weapon at her andgrinned. He had a livid red scar on his face.

"Stay where you are."

Anna halted, and as she looked at theman, confused, he came toward her and she saw the grin widen.

"Nice and easy now. We're going tomove back the way you came."

Her first instinct was to turn and run,but when she went to move the man came after her and grabbed her savagely bythe hair. As she was spun around she lashed out with her foot. She kicked theman in the knee and he crumpled, dropping the shotgun, but when she tried tograb the weapon the man yanked her hair painfully hard and pulled her up.

"You little bitch!"

He struck her hard across the face, againand again, so hard she thought her jaw had broken, and then his fist struck herin the back of the neck and all she remembered after that was darkness.

The small harbor in the broad inlet sixtymiles south of Boston known as Buzzards Bay was deserted. The man who walkedacross to the waterside hangar with Massey and Stanski was tall and thin, with sadeyes and a permanent six o'clock shadow. He had a dour face that suggested hefound life an unpleasant experience, and his movements were heavy andunhurried.

"You know, it's really quiteirregular, Mr. Stanski, especially in this weather. There ain't no cloud butthat damned wind's pretty near sharp enough to skin a dog."

"I appreciate that, Abe."

"What's the big rush that you (yotto get up to the lake?"

"An emergency."

Abe Barton looked out doubtfully at thesea and scratched his jaw.

"Well, I ain't too keen about takingoff in those waves and coming back in darkness, but I guess on account of it'san emergency I can oblige. I wouldn't do it normally, mind."

It had taken Stanski and Massey almostthree hours to drive north to the bay and the tension on both their facesshowed, The harbor town had no more than a dozen wooden houses built around itand the hangar was at the far end of the sea wall. There was a skid ramp forlaunching the flying boat into the water. The hangar doors were closed.

The flying boat worked out of the baytaking hunting and fishing parties up to northern New England in season, andAbe Barton was the pilot, mechanic and caretaker. He unlocked the padlock tothe hangar and rolled back the doors, to reveal a bulbous-nosed Seebeesingle-engine flying boat inside. A tarpaulin covered the nose and Bartonpulled it away.

He rubbed his stubby jaw. "She'llneed to be refueled. There's just enough in the tanks to warm her up."

"How long will that take?"

Ten minutes should do it. There's fuel inthe storeroom back up at the house." Stanski said impatiently, "ThenI suggest we get moving, We'll leave the car here."

Barton sighed and crossed to the door.There were a Couple of small two-wheel upright trolleys by the handle bar forcarryin- the fuel barrels and he dragged one out morosely, When he had goneStanski said to Massey, "It's going to be dark in an hour. Landing on thelake in daylight is difficult enough if the water swell's bad. In near-darknessit's pretty near impossible."

Massey looked over at the flying boat."You're sure Barton can fly this damned thing?"

"Judge for yourself. He knows thelake area pretty well."

Stanski nodded to another trolley in thecorner. "We'd better give him a hand with the fuel or we'll be here allday."

Five minutes later they all came back,Barton dragging his trolley like a condemned man. Massey and Stanski quicklyhelped him load the fuel with the manual pump.

When they had finally winched the Seebeeinto the water, Barton climbed into the cockpit and started the Franklinengine. It throbbed into life first time.

Anna came awake with a throbbingheadache.

She was lying on her back on the floor.Vassily was beside her, tied in a chair.