Obviously happy with the effect of his startling revelation, Torentino continued:

"Yes, I think Wonder Woman was involved too, wasn't she? She has an annoying way of just showing up just at the right time. Or should I say, the wrong time..."

Diana asked tauntingly, "And you think Wonder Woman is stupid enough to fall into your little trap?"

"She has the uncanny ability to know when the two of you are in trouble, so my guess is, that she'll find the little clues I have left just as you did and she'll bust in here trying to save the day. And we will be waiting."

"So everything I found, you left on purpose? What Stephen Hartnell overheard, everything? Was he working for you, too?"

Torentino explained: "No, I didn't need him in my employ. He is just the stupid type that would follow along anyway, without even knowing. I staged the whole conversation he heard knowing that he was already curious about the things going on and that he was snooping around. It was all a matter of catching his attention and leading him to the bait. And it stood to reason after being fired, he would be angry and would go to the authorities with what he knew. And that's exactly what he did."

"Unbelievable! And how were you able to know so much about my plans, that I would even come here to Washington to follow all this up? If it had been left up to my boss, I would still be in LA under around the clock protection." Diana was beginning to understand the how, but wanted to hear it from Torentino's own mouth.

"Oh, that was easy. Besides having you followed, it doesn't hurt to have someone at the IADC in your pocket!"

"Mailer!" Diana exclaimed.

"Yes. I can allow you to know that piece of information for two reasons: you won't be around long enough to be able to share it with anyone and well... Mailer knows too much now, so he won't be around too much longer himself!"

He made a slight face and continued: "And he's much too greedy for my taste! Just look at what he was willing to do for Trevor's job!"

And everything fitted neatly into place. Diana's thoughts went to her phone call with Teresa. She had been worried to death about Teresa getting into trouble about giving her that information. But it was all apart of the charade! She had just been another pawn in the game.

"Well, it seems you have everything worked out, Mr. Torentino."

"I do. Now it's time for me to make some final arrangements. I'll be back later to check on you." He and the other man turned and left the room. The door was again locked.

But he didn't have knowledge of one small detail. Wonder Woman was already here. And Diana had no idea how she was going to pull this one off. She would first have to find a way to untie herself.

Steve, who had starting to come to earlier, had not moved in the last five minutes. His breathing was shallow but even.

She could not believe that she had been duped in such a way. But she was determined that it would not end like this. She looked around the room in hopes of finding something, anything that might help her out of the ropes. If she was able to free herself, then maybe she might be able to catch them by surprise. Torentino had said they would be waiting for Wonder Woman, but what is she showed up a little earlier than they had expected?

Diana's eyes caught on what looked like a piece of sharp metal on the wall between where the crates and pallets were stacked. She got to her feet, walked over and was able to squeeze herself into the niche. There wasn't much light in the little crevice to be able to identify clearly what the object was. It appeared to be a rail or support of some kind that had broken off and it was able shoulder high. She forced her body around and found a foothold on her right side using the slats on the side of the bottom crate and then on the left by stepping up on the open end of one of the pallets. It put her high enough to be able to test the object with her index finger. The metal object cut her finger.

Paying no heed to the fact she was probably bleeding, she began work on sawing through the ropes. With only limited space she had to exert herself twice as hard it seemed to keep steady contact with the sharp edge. After nearly twenty minutes maybe, she felt the ropes loosening and finally they snapped apart.

Diana rubbed her sore wrists and saw the dried blood on her finger. Kneeling down she checked on Steve, who was still asleep. She brushed the back of her hand gently across his cheek and whispered, "Just sleep, Steve." She then looked at her watch. It was after seven in the evening. Surely the store must be closed by now, but there was no way of telling if Torentino or any of the others were still around. She would just have to chance it. Glancing one more time at Steve to make sure...

Wonder Woman paused at the door and listened. She heard nothing. Taking the doorknob firmly in her grip she pulled and with hardly exerting herself was able to yank the whole lock assembly right out of the door.

It was dark just as it had been before when Diana first entered the warehouse, except now there was a faint glow across the way. She was very alert to her surroundings as she proceeded through the darkness toward it. Her eyes adjusted finally and she was able to take her steps with more confidence.

This must be the main part of the warehouse, she thought. There were discarded boxes along one wall, a small lift in the corner and she was obviously headed toward another group of small rooms and probably the door that opened into the deli.

When she reached the room with the light, the door was slightly ajar and she could see a simple table lamp on a desk littered with papers and folders. There was a telephone and a desk pad with calendar. Next to the desk was a file cabinet and other than a chair that was the basic contents of the room. Wonder Woman pushed the door to and entered. The papers on the desk were merely invoices and receipts and the cabinet held little of interest. And it was the same with the other two rooms, one being just a small supply closet and the other completely empty. She could see no light coming from under the door going into the store and it was locked as she assumed it would be.

Knowing she probably had very little time in which to figure something out, she turned to what was most important—getting Steve out of here safely. Going back to the first room, she picked up the telephone and obtained a number through information. When she had dialed the number, she sighed heavily as it rang eight, nine, ten times...

"Hello?" A male voice answered.

Wonder Woman whispered into the phone: "Stephen, this is Diana Prince. This is very important, so listen carefully. I found Steve and we are both being held in the warehouse behind Duvelli's. You were right- there was something going on here. They kidnapped Steve and used you to set the trap to get me here as well. I need your help..."

When Wonder Woman hung up the phone she returned to Steve. Five minutes passed, while she patiently waited, all the while afraid that Torentino might return before she could set things in motion.

It was just about time. She knelt down and scooped Steve up carefully, carrying him to the rear door of the warehouse. Kicking the door opened she brought him out into the brisk evening air.

A car came pulling up the delivery drive without its lights on and stopped just shy of clearing the next building over. When its driver jumped out, he found Diana Prince squatted down beside the huddled figure of Steve Trevor.

"Stephen, please take good care of him. You are clear as to what to do?" Diana said as she helped the young boy lift Steve into the back seat of the car.

"Yes. When will we meet up again, Diana?" Stephen asked her with a look of sincere concern on his face.

"I... don't know Stephen. But it will be soon. Thank you." She smiled at him reassuringly.

Stephen backed slowly out of the driveway and Diana saw his lights go on as she turned to go back into the warehouse. She was relieved that Steve would be well taken care of. Torentino had insinuated by his comments that Stephen Hartnell was stupid, but in her brief conversation with him yesterday... God, was that really only yesterday? Diana knew he was an intelligent boy and that she could trust him to follow her instructions. She'd always had such reliable gut feelings about people. But Mailer... she knew from the moment she laid eyes on him that he was a louse, she just didn't know he'd attempt something like this.

Now all that was left for her to do was wait. Diana thought how ironic it was that Torentino said they would be waiting for Wonder Woman... but it just might be the other way around!