Wonder Woman crouched low behind the cover of the forklift, waiting. She had already decided that she was going to allow herself briefly the enjoyment of watching the opening scene of what would be the final act in this little production Torentino had staged.

When suddenly the door clicked and opened from the deli, flooding the corning of the room with light, she drew in her breath sharply.

Good! she thought. She had been hoping they would come through this way. It would definitely have been less dramatic had they come through the back way!

Two men, she had never seen before emerged followed by Salvatore Torentino. Instead of going directly to the room where Dina and Steve had been held prisoner, as she had expected, they turned to go into the small office she had inspected earlier. Their voices trailed through the air reaching her ears in only indistinct words and phrases. Soon Torentino came out with one of his companions, flipping his ring of keys back and forth on his left index finger. They talked animatedly as their walk toward the room, without the slightest clue of what they were going to find once they got there. Torentino found the key and unlocked the door. His smug look suddenly turned to one of pure rage when he finally grasped what must have happened.

"They're gone," he shouted pushing his way past the other man out into the warehouse. He peered around in the semi-darkness. "Go get Ron and find them," he ordered.

That's my cue, thought Wonder Woman. It's time for Mr. Torentino to take his final bow!

Wonder Woman came from behind the forklift and bent at the knees. In one fluid motion and with little effort she jumped through the air, crossing the distance between herself and her adversary. She landed gracefully before Torentino with her hands on her hips in a gesture that unmistakably confrontational. Before Torentino had time to react, his companion out of habit, reached into his coat and pulled his gun. The assault of bullets bounced off Wonder Woman's feminum bracelets alternately until his gun clicked.

Torentino berated the man's impulsive actions. "You fool! You know that gun is useless against her!"

Wonder Woman agreed. "And if you are smart enough to know that, then you must also realize the game's up, Mr. Torentino... Men!" she called.

A horde of uniformed men carrying shields and guns burst through the rear door swarming in to encircle them. A spotlight went on, shining from the alley through the few windows behind them, casting strange and elongated shapes across the walls and cement floor.

After the deafening sound of the mob subsided Torentino calmly surveyed the sea of faces. From his overall demeanor it was obvious to Wonder Woman that he wasn't about to surrender this way. Sure enough, he reached behind him under his suit coat and rushed the group, firing the small handgun he produced as he did. Bullets ricocheted off shields and for a moment there was total confusion. But all at once it ended. Torentino hadn't made it far. He grabbed at his chest and stomach, doubled over and collapsed onto the hard concrete.

The madness quickly resumed with people running here and there, shouting orders and slowly exiting the building with the other two more than compliant captives.

But Wonder Woman remained frozen where she stood. A pang of grief shot through her chest as she gazed down at the crumpled body of Salvatore Torentino, just as Diana had, at the lifeless body of his son just a short time ago...

The events of the previous evening were all a blur in Diana's mind as she stood over Steve's hospital bed with Stephen Hartnell at her side. They were best forgotten anyway since the most important thing was that they had all gotten through the nightmare and it was over.

Steve had suffered a few fractured ribs and the doctor had at first been concerned over the trauma he'd sustained to the head. Later though it turned out that it wasn't as bad as originally thought and Steve was going to pull through just fine. He was strong, Diana knew, but she still hadn't felt completely at ease until this morning when his eyes had opened and he had spoken her name. And then instantly, he was back to his old self it seemed. He had a million questions about what had happened and how she was and how Wonder Woman had once again saved the day.

The last thing Steve remembered really was leaving his condo and being attacked. It was apparent that the few times he had regained consciousness, Torentino's men had injected him with something to put him back out. So Diana had to fill in the gaps the best she could with what she had pieced together along the way. Being taken to the warehouse, his Jeep being blown up, and all the clues left to lure herself and Wonder Woman into Torentino's trap. And finally how Irving Mailer had been helping Torentino out with information.

"So Torentino manage to remain so elusive all this time by being right under our noses! Amazing! What better way to go about operating a criminal organization- right out in the open under the guise of an everyday citizen running your average neighborhood business! He was obviously very smart but a madman, though; driven to this by the extreme loss he had suffered. Planning all this for years! Can you imagine? But Mailer... I just don't understand it. I never liked him but I respected him as a colleague. I just wish I could be the one to personally eject him from my office wearing handcuffs!" Steve commented bitterly.

The three had continued talking and laughing when the news came from George Kenshaw at the IADC that they had been able to round everyone up. All it took was for the news to get out that Torentino had been shot and that two of his men had been apprehended and the rest started falling like dominoes. Even Mailer. It seems he hadn't shown up for work this morning so they had had to hunt him down. With a little help from a very obliging Teresa they were able to pinpoint his possible whereabouts and tracked him to Dulles where they arrested him on the spot.

And now it was over.

Dale Hawthorn had called when he heard the news, grateful that everyone was safe and that Steve was alive. He asked, though, if Diana could make it home as soon as possible. There was a pressing matter that needed their combined attention. He had already checked the schedules and availability and she could catch the next flight to Los Angeles. So Diana was to leave in just a couple of hours and she was trying hard to savor the remaining time she had and maybe put into perspective her feelings in the meantime. All the things she had wanted to say, and now, presented with the opportunity...

It's funny, she was presently thinking, that sometimes you wait an eternity for the right time and circumstance. And when it finally comes, with all the anticipation and nervousness- it's so easy to let pass by. Somehow the words just stick in your throat.

Diana was contemplating all of this when she realized both men were staring at her.

"What? Did I miss something?" She laughed, somewhat embarrassed.

"No, Diana, I was just commenting that we have been sitting here for awhile now talking and you are apparently a thousand miles away! Don't tell me you are already thinking about getting back to LA and to work?" Steve flashed one of his boyish grins.

"Hardly!" Diana exclaimed. "I should be thinking about the vacation I so desperately need after this week!"...