The Dream
Nick

The dream was always the same:

She is walking along a deserted road, almost having to feel her way because of the thick darkness that envelops her. Her dark hair is matted and her clothes soaked through from the constant rain. The emotions surging through her are strange and unwelcome. Something close to fear was making her heart pound, as it never had before. And this makes her confused, her thoughts a maze of doubt and uncertainty. And then suddenly she sees it. A faint light, a warm glow that beckons her to come closer. But the closer she gets, the further away the light becomes. In her desperation to reach it, she begins running, falling and sliding on the wet earth beneath her feet.

She's almost there. The light is so close that she shivers from the warmth on her skin. There is a gate now between her and the source of the light.

But from where is it coming? She looks around her as she passes through the gate and it shuts without a sound behind her. Her eyes fall upon an object close to the ground that appears to be illuminated from within. With horror, she realizes it is a lone grave marker. As she reads the name softly to herself, a faceless figure emerges from a shadow to her right. In shock and disbelief, her legs give out beneath her and she falls helplessly to the ground...

Diana woke with a violent start, her breath coming fast and uneven. It felt as if someone had been there at the head of her bed slowly choking her and without warning just let go.

She got up, taking the comforter with her as she went. Wrapping up in it, she stepped out onto the small-bricked patio that was off her bedroom. Why did she continue to have this dream? Looking up at the sky, she thought how the vastness of it all had always had such a soothing effect on her.

Was it that it's immensity made a person's troubles and stress so insignificant in comparison? It had helped her put things into perspective many times, but now... She wasn't sure it could help the constant anxiety she was feeling.

What was more, she had no idea of its source.

The cool night air was refreshing and she breathed in in deeply. In another couple of days autumn would begin, though it would pretty much come and go without much notice here in Los Angeles. And then another year would begin.

It was hard to believe that she had been in California almost two years now. Even though she had enjoyed her work so far and got along well with Dale Hawthorn, her new boss, she had to admit that she was homesick.

And this didn't really surprise her much. What did surprise her was that she was not homesick so much for Paradise Island as she was for Washington DC and... Steve. In so many her coming to the states and to Washington in particular, had marked a new chapter in her life. For all the feminist ideals and the extensive education she received from her native home, she had learned life's real lessons here. Working alongside a man, a mortal at that! She had witnessed the cruelties of war, the wicked greed of humans, but also good things, like loyalty, compassion and love. The things she had been warned against were the very things she found the most intriguing.

She certainly had come to learn on her own that not all men were cut from the same cloth as her mother had insinuated time and time again. While she was empathetic to the struggles and hardships her mother and Queen had experienced at the hands of man, she did not agree with such a blanket judgment. Steve was not like that. He was the most caring, loyal and trustworthy person she had ever met.

A smile played upon her lips, as in her mind, she pictured Steve standing before her as he did the day they had said goodbye to each other two years ago. The look on his face had been unreadable and she would have given anything at that moment to have the power to read his mind. What had he been thinking? Had he felt anything when they embraced that final time and his lips had brushed her cheek? And then she remembered walking away wondering if she were making a huge mistake. But what could she have done?

All that time working together and never the slightest hint, never a mixed signal. She would even have appreciated one of those! Something that would have led her to believe he cared just a little. But, no, in the end there was nothing holding here there but unrequited... she was hesitant still to admit it.

Diana put a hand to her forehand, hoping to massage away the thoughts from her head once and for all. Some kind of closure would be nice. There had been that brief period after moving here, that work had been a sufficient distraction for her. The letters and phone calls between them had grown few and far between. Things were getting better and then the dreams began.

They puzzled her at first. She had never once dreamed of Steve before so it was odd for him to appear now and in such a way. And so often...

Absently, Diana turned her head to look through the patio door at the clock beside the bed. 2:42am... This is such nonsense, she thought. She stepped back inside and locked the door. Sleep was what she really needed at this point and she was determined to get some before her alarm rang at six.

As she put herself back to bed, her mind turned to her schedule for the day.

Slowly, she began drifting toward sleep, different images floating to and fro through her mind. And finally, the image she always saw at the end of her dream; the one she could not get out of her head. That grave marker inscribed with the name...

Steven Leonard Trevor, Jr.

* * *

Diana was running late.

After receiving a call from Dale that robbed her of here last half-hour of sleep; it seemed that the more she tried to hurry, the longer it was taking to do everything. Could it be the lack of sleep, she wondered? Or maybe it was the sheer weight of her thoughts, she didn't know.

It was strange how different she was now, how things affected her so. She no longer felt isolated and so different from everyone else. True, at times, evidence of her sheltered upbringing shone through, but overall she had integrated herself into this foreign society and culture quite well. Starting first with the superficial- the clothes and learning the modern lingo, she had naturally evolved in other areas to her amazement.

Diana was slowly changing on the inside, too.

Her two identities did much to complicate matters, though. That sense of being divided between the truth and keeping her secret was overwhelming at times. Of course, the secret could be justified- she was helping mankind in her small way and she took great pride in that. But the gnawing 'other-hand', not being able to be truly honest and intimate with anyone far outweighed the 'first-hand'. Especially when it had come to Steve. She had noticed the way he had always looked at Wonder Woman. She breathed a heavy sigh. If he had only known...

But that was ludicrous! They could never know unless she told them.

Diana Prince took one last look at her reflection in the mirror. Was that a spot on her new Oscar de la Renta jacket? She didn't have time to worry with that now. She grabbed her bag and practically ran to the kitchen door that opened into the garage where her Mercedes was warming up. After that incident with Joseph Reichman's thug not too long after she moved in, she had been very careful to have the garage door up whenever the car was running. Her car was the one luxury she was allowed to keep when she transferred to the LA branch of the IADC. Steve had seen to that.

The Mercedes pulled out of the driveway onto Vine Street and followed it toward the interstate. It wasn't until she reached her exit that she heard it- a faint ticking. Following her keen intuition, she carefully changed lanes to the right, hit the brake and swerved onto the shoulder. When it came to a complete stop, She jumped out, fell to one knee and examined the undercarriage of the car.

"If my car gets blown up," she began out loud, but didn't finish. She found what she was looking for, but couldn't quite see the timer. She stood up, quickly perused the area and made her way toward the concrete embankment of the overpass and behind the cover of some mature trees that thankfully had been allowed to stay. This will have to do...

And with her arms out at her sides and hidden by what appeared to be a burst of light, her transformation into Wonder Woman was complete.

Running with lightening speed, she raced back to the car and slid herself under the car far enough to reach the small device. Without even thinking and with seconds to spare, Wonder Woman threw the explosive high into the air and like thunder it detonated, splintering into tiny bits.

Several cars had stopped by the time Diana made it back to her car. Ignoring the puzzled looks and the questioning shouts of the curious onlookers, she got into her car, picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number.

When the other end picked up she simply said with a roll of her beautiful blue eyes, "Dale, it seems I'm going to be a little late."

* * *

Dale watched from the fourth story of the IADC building as Diana crossed the parking lot and entered the building.

He slowly shook his head. That Diana could get into more scrapes and somehow always come out of every one by the skin of her teeth. Somehow?

There was no somehow about it. It was obvious from the start that Diana had the inside track when it had come to Wonder Woman. It wasn't necessary to read in her file the countless times she had helped both Diana and Steve Trevor out of some pretty serious jams. He had seen it enough times personally. Wonder Woman had become some kind of guardian angel to the both of them and when Diana had moved to the west coast, it seemed Wonder Woman had followed.

It was odd that... The buzzing of his intercom broke his train of thought.

He walked over to his desk and pressed a button. "Yes?"

"Mr. Hawthorn, you asked me to inform you when Ms. Prince arrived... She just came in and is now in her office."

"Thank you, Gina." Dale left his office and breezed down the corridor toward the office of Intelligence Agent Diana Prince. He found her sitting rather comfortably at her desk sorting through mounds of files and looking as if nothing had happened out of the ordinary during her morning commute. The only evidence was a slight smudge of dirt on her blouse. Other than that, nothing.

She sat with her legs crossed and her camel jacket was draped across her lap.

He looked around the room and noted with some interest a couple of pieces of new furniture. Over the past few weeks, he's noticed the change in her demeanor. She was so anxious acting and testy. He was never one to butt into someone's business uninvited and since she never invited... he instead had suggested that she redo her office to take her mind off things. But still there were no pictures of other personal effects to be seen. It was definitely strange to be working with someone as long as he had Diana and still know nothing about them. Her background was a mystery and she never spoke of family except an odd reference to an aunt or cousin when she unexpectedly had to leave town. And Dale was very curious! "Good morning," he started with a mischievous smile, over-emphasizing the good part.

Diana returned with her own trademark smile that could light up a room.

"Well, it's still early. I suspect I could get in at least two more attempts on my life before lunch!" She laughed. Dale did not.

His face became very serious as he took a seat opposite her. "Diana, I think there is something I should tell you. I have been sitting on this information for about a week waiting for either the right time or to learn that there was no reason to say anything. It's just that I know you have had a lot on your mind lately and I didn't want to add to your worries."

"Dale, I appreciate your concern, but I am fine. Really. But what is this all about?"

It did not escape Diana's notice, the deep breath Dale took before he began, "Washington called last Monday..." Washington? Did this have something to do with Steve? She braced herself for the worst.

He continued. "They informed me that an attempt had been made on the life of Steve Trevor. And they wanted to know if anything out of the ordinary had, well, had happened to you."

"What? Like almost being blown to bits on the freeway?"

"Well, that would qualify, yes. What they were looking for is some kind of link so that they could narrow down the list of possible suspects.

Their reasoning was if you and Steve had attempts made on your lives, then maybe it was someone you both had encountered in the past. Someone that you may have put away for something or another. And it would also prove that whoever it was had a bi-coastal operation."

"Whoa, wait a minute. How did they come by that? I mean, it is possible for the same person to have done both, right? Plant one bomb, hop a plane to the opposite coast and do it again." And then she saw in Dale's eye that the worst was coming.

"Diana, I want you to remain calm. After all, this has not been substantiated..."

She was slowly beginning to lose her patience. Coming out of her chair, she boomed, "What?"

"They tried again and, er, this time it looks like they succeeded. It happened about the same time as your attack and they have yet to find a body. I am so sorry..." he trailed off not knowing what to say next.

Diana fell back into her chair and all the color that had risen to her face in anger had drained away in shock. Her body was numb, but she was still aware that she was trembling all over. She had a million questions, but the words just wouldn't form on her lips. Dale thought she might faint so he rushed to get her a glass of water and remained by her side just in case.

After what seemed an eternity of silence, she softly uttered three words.

"Who did this?"

"Washington believes it is Salvatore Torentino."

"What? Because of his son, you mean? He can't possibly hold Steve and I responsible for that! He was dead when we arrived. He fired on them first. I mean, my God, he had an arsenal in a meat locker!" With every word sounding as if she were trying a case in court, she was getting louder and louder.

"Diana, you know how these mob families are. You touch one, you touch them all. You and Steve headed up that investigation into the drugs, the weapons and the money laundering. You two set him up and caught him in the act.

With Wonder Woman's help, of course."

"So, this is a vendetta?" Dale didn't answer.

"I want a full briefing and report on everything having to do with this business, and I mean everything." She started stuffing files and papers into her briefcase.

Dale's tone took a more authoritative air as he asked, "What do you think you're going to do?"

"I think you already know."

* * *

Diana pretended to be interested in the McCall's she was flipping through while waiting for her flight to be called. The magazine was all about the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Di in April. She barely saw the picture and the words were a blur. Besides, how could anyone be interested in another's wedded bliss with the news she just received? She was reeling still from the shock of it all.

Steve's jeep engulfed in flames. Where was his body?

She shook the thoughts from her head. She looked at her watch, frustrated by how long it was taking. She could have been there by now on her invisible jet, had not Dale insisted on knowing the ins and outs of her travel plans. From the very start, her had wanted around the clock protection for her while she ėlaid low' for awhile. But very soon he came to the conclusion that he was fighting a losing battle. He knew how Diana could get when she made up her mind. And realizing too, that this involved someone very close to Diana, he gave in. Rather touchingly, he had patted her on the arm before she left and said, "I can't afford to lose an agent like you. Please come back safe." She knew thought that he was more concerned about her welfare as a friend than losing a valuable agent.

Sitting her had given her more time to think as if she needed that! She wasn't sure exactly what she was going to do or how she would proceed.

All she was certain of was that she was scared. The anger that had welled up inside of her had genuinely frightened her. She supposed it was the kind of anger associated with a mother protecting her children and knowing there was someone out there responsible for harming one of them. One of her co-workers had lost her husband and daughter in a car accident involving a drunk driver. Diana had been surprised that this ordinarily meek and gentle woman could have so much rage inside of her. But now she understood.

When you love someone and that person is taken away, and with such finality, you wanted revenge.

It was still unbelievable to her that Salvatore Torentino would hold them responsible.

Her mind drifted to the day she sat in her townhouse looking at her heavily made up face in the mirror. She had completed her transition from IADC agent Diana Prince to strung out party girl Carrie Donner in a matter of minutes. Dressed in a tiny red dress with spaghetti straps and red shoes with heels so high she feared walking in them, she grimaced at her reflection. She checked her lipstick one last time and unsteadily walked to the door picking up her purse along the way.

A rental car was waiting for her at the curb as she was told it would be and the keys... yes here they were, would be under the mat. "Carrie" sat with the car running for about five minutes trying to compose herself for the task ahead. This was the biggest risk she had ever taken since she started at the IADC. Going undercover was never easy, but this was just downright dangerous.

When Steve and herself had been called in to head up this investigation in cooperation with the FBI, it was the first time she had ever had any dealings or contact with a mob organization. And then to find out that there were so many of them scattered all over the countries! The Torentino family was considered the largest with operations on both coasts but based on the east. The feds had been keeping their eye on some of its key members, but so far had not been able to catch them in anything. That was where the IADC would come in. Their agents were more qualified and experienced with the time of undercover investigation this case would require. Their goal: to catch them in something, anything illegal. The results of their dealings were plentiful but evidence tying them to it was not. They were regarded as the slickest criminals the government or any law enforcement agency had ever seen. They never left a trace.

But that was before Diana and Steve had stumbled upon the fact that Salvatore's son, Gino, had one very dangerous weakness: beautiful women. And when he met Carrie Donner it had been all over.

Finding out all of Gino's haunts was amazingly simple. He was a notorious playboy, so anyone into the club scene would know where to find him.

His favorite was the Aquatic Room, a swanky discotheque of sorts that pandered to his need for controlled substances. And Carrie just happened to frequent the same club...

She went home with him the first night, managed to gain his trust and was able to string him along just long enough by playing hard to get.

Learning little things here and there, the whole case hinged on what would happen tonight. Tonight she would lay it on the line and whatever happened, happened. She was tired of this charade and wanted to end it.

"Carrie" arrived at the door of Gino's condo about twenty minutes late.

In keeping with the part she was playing, that of an irresponsible drug addict, she had consistently been late for every rendezvous with him.

Gino greeted her at the door wearing a blue silk robe over matching pants and in his bare feet. In one hand was a dry martini glass, olive still on the bottom and with the other hand he pulled her to him forcefully. His breath was strong as he whispered to her, "You look beautiful." He was already drunk. This might be easier than she had expected.

Diana wiggled free and commented on the fact that he had started the celebration without her.

"If truth were known, my darling, it started this morning around ten at the club..." And he laughed at his little attempt at humor. It killed her but Carrie laughed along disgusted with herself that she was here, dressed like a whore and having no idea what she might have to do to extract the information she needed. Gino had invited her over tonight for what he called a quiet romantic dinner, just the two of them. Her assessment of him as a person led her to believe he was expecting a little more than the typical dinner. This was actually only the second time she'd been up to his place and put into what could be a compromising situation. The first time, again he had been so drunk, he wouldn't have remembered if they'd done anything or not. Of course, she had led him to believe they had to ensure he kept inviting her back.

She took his hands and led him to the leather sofa. Coyly, she played with his hair as she said in the silly voice she had adopted for the role, "It just occurred to me that we haven't had much of an opportunity to just, well... talk." She pulled away to so that she was able to stretch out with her head in his lap and looked up at him, waiting for him to speak.

"You have such a fascinating life, meeting all kinds of interesting people and practically running you dad's business for him and all. Tell me more."

"Why do you want to talk when there are so many other interesting things we could do?" He nodded over to the coffee table to some assorted drug paraphernalia beside two straight lines of white powder.

Her body tensed. "Oh, you know what? I'm just not in the mood tonight.

But I will have a drink!" When he seemed to buy it and got up to fix her a drink, she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Martini, alright?" he called.

"Fine. You know how I like it right? No olive?" She played along.

Diana was called to the present by an announcement alerting them that there was going to be a further delay in boarding. Great! Her thoughts went back to that night.

It wasn't until Gino had had his fifth drink that he finally relaxed and let his guard down. And the information started flowing out in bits and pieces. Some of what he said was coherent, some not. But Carrie paid close attention to every word and mentally jotted down everything she thought to be important. Then he started rambling on about some deserted warehouse and guns and finally after some coaching told her where it was.

There was a sound behind them. The pair who had been lounging comfortably on the sofa jumped up to see the front door break free of its hinges and fall to the tiled floor with a loud thud. In the doorway and overflowing into the outside hall stood about six or eight men with enough automatic weaponry to blow up a small town it seemed.

"What are you doing, Gino?" one of them asked accusingly.

Either too stunned or too drunk to move, Gino stood paralyzed and didn't answer. Carrie looked around her. Immediately to her right was a powder room. She had to somehow make it...

Just then Gino came out of his daze and started toward the men blubbering excuses and apologies, creating enough of a diversion for her to make it to the bathroom and change. The door was reduced to splinters by a barrage of gunfire. When the smoke cleared there stood Wonder Woman waiting with her lasso in hand...

Diana recalled that she had not been able to get very much out of the two and the rest had already taken off with Gino. Salvatore Torentino had bugged his son's condo and had had him followed around the clock upon finding out that he had taken an interest in Carrie. He was aware of his son's little flaw and was trying to ensure that he didn't allow his lips didn't flap too much.

When she checked in it was decided that after depositing Gino with his father, no doubt, the other guys would immediately head to the warehouse to get it cleared out before anyone could get there. So that would be their first stop. Out of respect they reported in to the feds the information they had obtained and they were the first to arrive on the scene. The facts of what occurred between that time and when Diana and Steve finally got there are still sketchy at best. But the bloody mess they found when they stepped inside the warehouse told it's own story.

The statement given was as follows: Arriving on the scene, several armed men along with Gino (it was never discovered what Gino was still doing with the others) were carting something from a meat locker to a waiting truck.

This they could ascertain from their vantage point at a window on the backside of the building. It was discovered later that the load was a literal stockpile of weapons of all varieties. The FBI surrounded the building, warned they were moving in and stormed the place. Its occupants though were ready and waiting. They opened fire first, the feds returned and in the ensuing exchange, Gino along with two of his group and three agents were killed.

And all this time Salvatore had been blaming them and they had not even been there at the time.

* * *

Diana looked over her shoulder to the right. That man was still there watching her. She had noticed him earlier. He was standing by the gift shop and would every once in awhile walk over to the pay phone, place a call and then resume his spot. She was pretty sure... It was obvious though that whoever had taught him to tail somebody had skipped chapter one: "Be As Inconspicuous As Possible." She smiled to herself and looked at her watch.

I should have enough time, she thought.

Putting down the magazine and grabbing up her carry-on, Diana walked straight toward the guy as if she were going to approach him, but instead turned at the last minute and continued past. She noted movement behind her and allowed him to follow her until she came to a door marked "Airport Personnel Only". Glancing around to make sure no one other than her shadow was watching, she pushed the door to and stepped inside. It was a long hallway of offices and doors lining both sides. Waiting until she heard the second click of the door closing, alerting her that he was still back there, she took off running. Their foot falls resulted in a deafening echo.

Up ahead the hallway turned to the left and she was far enough ahead now. She swung around it and there was a brilliant flash of light...

When the stranger rounded the corner himself, he stood face to face with Wonder Woman! "Getting a little exercise, are we?" Wonder Woman asked Diana's pursuer.

She bound him with her golden lasso. "Let's play a little game. I like to call it 'truth or... truth! What is your interest in Diana Prince?" The man looked a little confused and his body tensed as he tried resisting the power of the lasso. Wonder Woman tugged it and it tightened around his arms.

"Is that her name? I was never given a name, just a picture and instructions to follow her and report back every fifteen minutes," he obediently responded.

"Report to whom? Who gave the instructions?"

"Mr. Torentino, I guess..." he began.

"Salvatore Torentino?" Wonder Woman interjected so there was no mistake.

"Y-yes. I get my orders through a different person and by a different means each time." She shook her head realizing that he knew only what he had to, to carry out his orders. Whatever he knew would be of little help to her. "I suppose then, that you have never actually seen or talked to Mr. Torentino and have no idea where I might find him..."

"No. I have never laid eyes on him. Not too many of us have." She thought for a moment and then made a decision. "Well, I wouldn't want to mess woth Mr. Torentino's plans, so this is what I want you to do: Continue to do exactly as you have been instructed. When I release you, you will not recall our encounter or that you followed Diana Prince here. Understand?" The man compliantly shook his head to the affirmative and remained as if frozen as Wonder Woman disappeared back into one of the vacant offices.

He came out of his stupor moments later and wondered where he was and how he had gotten there. A gruff voice from behind solved his problem.

Behind him stood a massive guard, arms crossed.

"Uh, can you show me the way to the can?"

Diana suppressed a giggle as she noticed the guard escorting her new friend back to the boarding gate. Joining the line of passengers now ready to board she saw him crane his neck to catch sight of her. She quickly averted her eyes to rest on the attendant checking tickets. When her turn came, she warmly smiled at the uniformed woman and made her way to the ramp.

Ten minutes later she was settled in her seat in first class remembering her past experiences on this type of air transport. She was still uneasy with someone else flying for her. The pilot's voice crackled through the cabin with a brief update on the weather and the approximate arrival time. Diana's shadow was a few rows behind her on the opposite side of the aisle and had managed a good spot from which to watch her.

So far, she had forced her thoughts away from the reason she was now heading to Washington. Oh, God, Steve... She could not do this now.

Focus on the person responsible. She bit her lip hard to stifle the tears welling up in her eyes and opened the manila folder in her lap. It contained every bit if information they had on file in LA on Salvatore Torentino. And it was very little. It would almost be like starting from scratch! Slowly, she formed a game plan based on the facts she and Steve had gathered and put them with recent updates contained in the information in the folder. Sightings, locations for possible hideouts, homicides that bore the family's calling card... What she needed was something substantial linking one of these things to Torentino's whereabouts. Tomorrow she go first to the IADC and then try several locations, one by one, to see what might turn up. It presented a very tedious challenge of possible dead ends and maybe weeks of searching.

But as always, she was confident that in the end, right always defeated wrong. Neither she, nor Wonder Woman would rest until then.

* * *

Very little had changed, Diana noted with interest, as she walked down the familiar corridors of the IADC heading toward the reception area near her old office. There were some new faces, but other than that, it was pretty much as she'd left it. She certainly had spent a many a night here in this building working late, catching naps when she could. She remembered all the conversations she and Steve had had over coffee in the morning.

Reaching the reception desk, she stopped abruptly causing its occupant, a blonde in her early twenties, to stare curiously.

"May I help you?" the young woman asked politely.

"I'm sorry," Diana said feeling slightly embarrassed. "It's just that I expected to find Susan Gentry sitting here. I used to work here. My name is Diana Prince." She extended her hand.

Accepting her hand in a friendly shake, the receptionist smiled, "I'm Teresa Winniford. I replaced Susan; she's on the fourth floor now with Mr. Tuttle. Let's see here..." She looked down at her date book. "I thought I saw a note from Mr. Mailer saying that he was expecting you this morning. Yes, here it is. Ms. Prince, I'll just check..."

About that time the doors to Steve's office swung open revealing Irving Mailer in all his smug glory. It took her by surprise. Somehow she had expected him to be occupying the adjoining office which used to belong to her. She wasn't prepared for this. To see Steve's belongings, to smell his after shave still lingering in the air, but most of all to see his empty chair.

Irving ushered her inside the office with an overly exaggerated gesture and she hesitatingly acquiesced.

Laced heavily with sarcasm, he said "Well, Diana, it's been awhile."

Diana couldn't help it. The loathing she had felt for him had not subsided with time as she had anticipated. "Not long enough, I'm afraid."

Feigning dejection, Irving cried, "Why, Diana! I guess it's not true after all that absence makes the heart grow fonder! That explains the Christmas cards I don't get from you every year." His eyes danced as he was thoroughly enjoying this little spar with words. His obnoxious laugh was more than she could stomach.

I'm surprised he'd get cards from anyone, she thought to herself. She didn't mind saying it aloud but knew the disdain intended would be lost on such an arrogant fool. Besides she didn't have time for this.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we and save the games for later—after we find Steve."

His grin disappeared.

"After we find Steve? You believe he may still be alive?" he asked incredulously.

"I refuse to believe otherwise. After all, there has been no body found and the search is far from being over. I assume the search began immediately?"

Sounding insulted, he snorted, "Of course. We started in the general vicinity where Steve's charred Jeep was found in Georgetown near an abandoned dry cleaners. No evidence of a body was found among the remains of the Jeep or nearby. We are following leads and getting new ones every day that seem to tie in with recent findings concerning the Torentino family. The findings are all here in these files." He patted a stack of files before him on the desk.

He continued. "We have our best men on this and really I see no reason for you being here. And then there's that personal conflict of interest thing, you understand."

Diana, unaware of how she was at the moment maintaining her self control so well, replied "I want you to be clear on one thing from the very start. I have full clearance and authorization from your superior, that's right—your superior, to be here. Yes, there may be a conflict of interest, but let me tell you and you better listen good..." She rose from her seat and came within six inches of his face with her own. "This is a vendetta against me personally and an attack on a former colleague and a close friend. There is no way in hell I'm going to let you or anybody else tell me my place. You got it, Mailer?

Irving Mailer's statement was both obstinate and scornful as he met her glare without blinking. Almost like a whisper, he inquired "Is that a threat, Ms. Prince?"

"You better believe it!" Diana stormed toward the still opened doors. Teresa's eyes were like saucers, as she was no doubt wondering what was coming next.

Diana turned herself around not quite finished with the pompous weasel.

"I was assured that you would give your total cooperation. Are you going to give it or am I going to have to go over your head?" she asked nodding to the files he had called attention to earlier in the conversation.

Irving Mailer stared at the floor as if he were trying to make up his mind. Finally, picking up the stack of folders, he slowly walked them over and thrust them at her.

"I guess I have no choice."

* * *

Discouragement was slowly setting in. It was now Thursday and her third day in Washington and Diana still had not managed to turn up anything from the leads she had been given. It had been an exhausting wild goose chase from one run down, abandoned building to the next and one unproductive interrogation to another.

It was 11:46 in the morning and Diana was walking along Q Street in the Dupont Circle area to her car when she decided she could really use a bite to eat. Skipping breakfast, she had been going non-stop all morning and was feeling the lack of nourishment. She would check in first, though.

Over the last couple of days she had made it a habit of checking in with Mailer twice a day to see if there was anything new. It was always the same response: "Diana, I will let you know if I hear anything new." But, would he really? She wasn't so sure that he might withhold something important out of sheer spite. No, she couldn't think like that. He was a trusted agent and no matter what kind of relationship they had, he would never do anything to jeopardize his job.

When her call to Irving Mailer's office went through, Teresa informed her that Mailer was out and wouldn't be back for another couple of hours.

"Okay. I was just checking to see if anything new had come in..."

"As a matter of fact, Diana, I just took a call from a young man who wanted to talk to Mr. Mailer pretty badly. He said he had gone to the police with some information and was told to contact the IADC... and Mr. Mailer in particular."

Diana's curiosity was piqued. She had rightly concluded that the local authorities were cooperating with the IADC to turn up any facts about the case that they could. But not too many tips, in fact only one, had come from the police. This led Diana to believe that this young man was holding some information and that he was unsure what to do with it. Following the usual route, he had called the police first. This was promising indeed.

"Teresa, could you give me the information he left- his name and where I could contact him," Diana asked rather hurriedly, excited by the thought of actually finding someone who might have something useful to tell her. But right away, she heard the note of hesitation in Teresa's voice:

"Uh, I'm not sure, Diana. I need to check this with Mr. Mailer first. He was very specific in his instructions to have everything go through him first and not to give anything out to you before..." Teresa realized what she had allowed to slip and tried to rectify her statement. Stammering she continued: "I mean, anybody... not just you. His exact words were..."

"I really don't need to know his exact words. I know what type of person he is and I think by now, even you know what we think of each other. But Teresa, this might be important and any leads we get need to be checked as soon as possible. Please, I will personally answer for this one if it gets you into any trouble." Diana tone was pleading.

There was a long pause. Finally Teresa said, "His name is Stephen Hartnell and his address is..." Diana smiled. She hadn't known Teresa long at all, but had known that she would come through.

"Thank you, Teresa."

Lunch was forgotten. Diana followed her own familiar route toward the Georgetown area and the address Teresa had just given her of the young man she hoped would shed some light upon this business.

She took Q Street over the Potomac to WisconsinAvenue. She was pretty sure that Grace Street was somewhere near Dumbarton Oaks. Yes, here it was. She scanned the small houses going by, not being able to see too many house numbers. There was 242 and 236, so she was going in the right direction, at least.

When she pulled up along the curb in front of 112 Grace Street, she saw that a young boy was sitting on the front steps smoking a cigarette. She estimated he was about eighteen and just out of school and she wondered if that was Stephen.

Walking toward him up the steep driveway, Diana's warm smile was met with a disinterested smirk.

"I'm looking for Stephen Hartnell. My name is Diana prince and I work for the IADC."

And it was suddenly as if a fire was lit under the boy. He jumped up and offered his hand to Diana. Nervously, he said: "I'm Stephen, uh... Steve. Thank you for coming, but, um... I was supposed to speak to a Mr. Mailer. That's what the cops told me anyways."

Diana reassuringly put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, you are in good hands with me. I was fortunate enough to receive your message before Mr. Mailer, so I came in his place. You don't mind?"

Stephen smiled. "Of course not. It's just that I needed to talk to somebody. I have always felt that it was a person's duty to tell when they thought somethin' strange was going on and man, have I seen some strange stuff. Let me tell ya. And besides he had no right to fire me. He just wanted to be able to keep all his secrets without anybody prying around..."

"Secrets? Who are you talking about Steve?" Diana asked, unsure at this point if the boy's ramblings had anything to do with why she was really there.

The boy blushed slightly. "I'm sorry, Ms. Prince, it's just that I get really mad when I think about it. I've just started college and I was depending on that job to help with some of the expenses. I got a partial scholarship to Georgetown; otherwise I wouldn't be going to any college at all. Anyway, this past summer I started working at Duvelli's Deli on 33rd. It was a decent job, better than flipping burgers. Mr. Duvelli was pretty nice and was willing to advance me pretty quickly. It wasn't long before I was filling orders and stuff. That was when I started noticing weird things going on. These guys would come in from time to time and Duvelli would always get this strange look on his face when he'd see 'em, you know? And they would go into the back and stay for a long time. See, he has this room he always kept locked and I started getting curious why he's always take these guys back there. He'd get all antsy whenever I got near it, which I had to do a lot because of the locker being back there too. Whenever I'd go back there to get some chops or somethin' he'd watch me like a hawk. And then other things would happen, things that if, they hadn't happened so often, I probably would'na noticed."

He paused to take a drag on his cigarette and Diana took the opportunity to cut in.

"You keep saying 'strange things'... what happened besies the men coming in and being taken to this back room?"

"I was getting to that. See, sometimes people would come in to make payments, so they said, on things that I had no idea of. At least, it wasn't for meats and cheeses, I mean. And each time these particular people would come in, Duvelli always had me go out and sweep off the sidewalk or something like that. It was almost like he was trying to get me out of the way. Well, the other day- Monday, these two guys come in making like they had a delivery and all the while smiling and laughing like they were up to something. Trouble is, I'd never seen these guys before- they weren't the ones who made the usual deliveries. I heard Duvelli say something about bringing it in through the back. Nothing ever gets delivered in the back. All that's back there is a warehouse that's not used for anything, but it's connected to the deli, see?" He stopped as if allowing Diana to catch on to where he was going with his story. When he saw Diana's confused look, he heaved a sigh and went on:

"That door, the one that's always locked, must go out to the warehouse!" And he grinned, obviously proud of his deduction.

Diana was beginning to see. "You mean you think that something is going on in that warehouse and..."

"The deli is some sorta cover up!"

Diana couldn't help but grin at his junior detective enthusiasm. "Stephen... Steve, is there any other reason why you think this matter should be of interest to the IADC?"

"I haven't gotten to the best part yet. As I said, I was getting curious about what was going on back there. Well, when those delivery guys showed up and Duvelli went around back to meet them, I went to the locked door and listened. All I could really hear for awhile was a bunch of mumbling voices and then some kind of struggle and a door slamming. But then it was like they were right on the other side of the door where I was and I could tell Duvelli was mad. I heard him yelling at the other guys, something about them not leaving a body at the scene and weren't they smart enough to realize that the IADC would know something was up when they couldn't find a body..."

He stopped his narration abruptly and stared at Diana, whose face had gone ashen.

"Are you alright?" the boy asked sincerely concerned.

Diana wasn't certain she had heard correctly. "What did you just say about a body?"

"I said, Duvelli asked them weren't they smart enough to know that the IADC would know something was up when they couldn't find a body..."

"What was said after that?"

"Well, that's the thing. Just about then it went all quiet and suddenly the door jerked opened and Duvelli found me there on the other side of the door. What was he supposed to think other than I was there eavesdropping on their conversation? I tried my best to give an excuse for being there, but couldn't... and he fired me. He said he couldn't trust me any longer and all that junk."

"So, the last day you worked was Monday and that was the same day this unusual delivery took place? Why didn't you call the IADC immediately, especially after overhearing Duvelli talking about it in connection with a body?"

The urgency of Diana's tone made the boy act guilty as if he'd done something wrong himself. "I... well, I really didn't know what the IADC was until I called the cops yesterday. When I told them what I heard they acted like it was all important and told me to call this number right away and ask for a Mr. Irving Mailer. I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Diana felt ashamed that she made the boy feel he needed to explain his actions. He didn't know.

"It's alright, Steve. It's just that this case I'm working on involves a close friend of mine. In fact his name is Steve, too. Up until now we have had reason to think he is dead, but with what you have just told me, it confirms what I have been fighting to believe all along... he might be alive."

* * *

The hotel room was cool and it felt good to be under the warmth of the heavy quilt. She forced her tense body to relax and enjoy the momentary comfort and solace of the strange bed in the unfamiliar room she had inhabited the past few days. She had not wanted to sleep at all, but reason had stood its ground. There was no way she could attempt anything in the condition she was in. So, Diana accepted defeat gracefully and finally allowed her exhaustion to overtake her.

When she closed her eyes she saw Steve's face and wondered if he was alright. It made her heart ache to even think there was the possibility that something had happened to him. All the times she had been there to save him, this time... she had failed him. Steve had needed her and she hadn't been there for him. No, she had been on the other side of the country with no clue. Even the power she possessed as Wonder Woman could not have allowed her to anticipate and avert this disaster.

When sleep did come it was troubled and riddled with vague and disturbing images that she could not make sense of.

A dark room. The grave marker, but with no inscription this time. The figure that emerges from the darkness. Diana almost felt a sense of familiarity when she came face to face with him. It was the eyes that she recognized because the rest of his face was shrouded still by the looming shadows falling across them. Was she scared partly because she recognized this person? She was confused and she could feel her legs becoming weak and unable to hold her up. She falls to the sodden earth.

And then it was over. Opening her eyes it was all a mere blur, a distant memory.

The alarm clock came into focus showing that it was almost six. There was a slight tapping of rain against the windows that could be heard occasionally above the hum of activity from the street below. Sitting up in bed, she went over in her mind what Stephen had told her about Duvelli. She still had many unanswered questions. Was there anything in what he related that might begin to connect Duvelli with Torentino? Could his deli actually be a front for some criminal activity? Most importantly could any of this lead her to Steve?

Getting up, she dressed carefully, realizing how crucial it was that no one recognize Diana Prince, Intelligence Agent with the IADC. She chose a well-cut blue pantsuit. Her makeup was light and she pulled her hair back tightly for the finishing touch: a short-cropped wig in a color lighter than her own that altered her appearance dramatically. Grabbing her Burberry and checking her purse for her room key, she decided she had everything she needed.

Minutes later she was heading again toward Georgetown and 33rd Street. The rain, even though it wasn't very heavy, was still managing to slow traffic and it took longer than usual to cross town. When she got to 33rd she spotted Duvelli's Deli with little problem. It was a typical looking storefront with red and white striped awnings and specials along with various flyers taped to its windows. Parking across the street, she scanned the surroundings. Conveniently there was a little coffee shop facing Duvelli's that would offer an ideal vantage point from which to watch the comings and goings of the deli for awhile.

Diana was greeted by a disgruntled looking waitress who barked at her to find a seat wherever she could. There was an empty table next to the window so she took it and ordered a cup of coffee when a younger waitress approached her with pad and pen in hand.

"Sure thing. Anything else?"

"No, just coffee for now. Thanks."

Thirty minutes and two refills later, not too much had happened. Duvelli's obviously was a thriving business going by the number of customers who had already visited and had left with packages. Diana drummed her nails on the Formica tabletop. She had no idea what Duvelli looked like. All she had to go by was the mental picture that she had conjured hearing him described by Stephen. It seemed though that every time she did that, the person turned out to look entirely different from the way she pictured them. But this time, Diana was pleasantly surprised.

A man in his forties emerged from the shop and stood there for a few seconds glancing in both directions down 33rd Street. He lit a cigarette and leaned against the wall under the awning, staring in her general direction. She had no qualms about him seeing her. She could tell by the long drags he was taking on his cigarette and his agitated statement that his mind was elsewhere.

She was sure it was he. He was short and had dark hair, almost black, that was going slightly gray at the temples. His white apron was badly stained and wore only a white tee shirt and khakis underneath.

People slowly passed in front of him, some in groups others by themselves window shopping under the protection of their umbrellas. The man made no effort to follow customers into the store when there were any, which led Diana to believe that Stephen had already been replaced. One lone man caught her eye. He slowed his pace and stopped at the light pole not three or four feet from Duvelli. He too got under the awning and lit a cigarette and acted as if he were waiting for something. The two never made direct eye contact but with precision like movements, the newcomer pulled an envelope out of his coat's breast pocket and deposited it in Duvelli's waiting hand, which Duvelli in turn stuffed in his apron pocket. If Diana had chanced to look away for just a second she would have missed the exchange. Duvelli put out his cigarette and returned inside, while the other man continued walking out sight. She was amazed at how the whole thing went off! No one had noticed a thing but her, and that was only because she had been waiting for it.

Having seen enough, she decided that even if this had nothing to do with Steve, it deserved further investigation. The fact that the IADC was mentioned, alone, made it worthy.

The waitress strolled up to her table apparently impatient that Diana should leave so that she could finish up her breakfast shift. Diana had already been sitting there an hour and a half and the girl was no doubt curious as to her interest in the deli across the street. Out of the corner of her eye Diana had noticed that she'd been watching her.

"Will there be anything else?" The "else" was emphasized as if to say, 'you have been taking up this spot long enough and it is time for you to leave!'

Nevertheless, Diana smiled and said, "No, thank you. Just the check, please. Oh, and how is the deli across the street? Pretty reasonable on their prices? I have been thinking about having a dinner party next week and I was shopping around."

The waitress's lack of interest was palpable. "Yeah, it's okay. Duvelli's been there for a long time and they have a lot of loyal customers. The prices aren't bad, I guess."

"Do you know the owner personally?" Diana was trying hard to ask the questions she had but at the same time doing it in a non-suspicious manner. It wasn't easy in a situation like this one!

"Not too well. I've been working here about six years and I've run into him a couple of times. He's got his ways, but don't we all?" She shot Diana an accusing look and slapped the bill down on the table.

"You can pay that at the counter, hon."

Diana rolled her eyes. She's got a lot of personality, she thought.

Collecting her purse and coat she paid her bill, visited the facilities and stepped back out into the drizzling rain. Looking up at the sky, she concluded that the bad weather would probably continue all day. Well, here goes nothing...

Carefully crossing the street, Diana joined a group of window shoppers standing outside the little boutique to the left of the delicatessen. She took note of the alley running between the two just in case she might need to use it later. It looked like the passageway went straight through to a common road running behind the group of buildings, possibly for deliveries. Beyond that, she couldn't tell anymore from where she was standing. Slowly she walked on pausing to look at the assortment of condiments stacked neatly in the window of Duvelli's. Very deliberately, as if something had caught her eye, she went inside, grabbed a small shopping basket and made like she was browsing. Allowing herself to look up every now and then toward the front counter, she was able to see Duvelli's interchange with the customers. He had a very personable way about him, calling everyone by name and giving helpful hints about meal preparations.

Diana was looking at the assortment of Churchie's mustards when she was startled by a booming voice from behind.

"And what can we help you with today, young lady?" She turned to find Duvelli smiling brightly at her while wiping his hands on his already very soiled apron.

Hiding her nervousness at the sudden confrontation, Diana sweetly returned the smile. "I am so glad to find a place that carries this brand. I love the champagne mustard."

Duvelli passionately shook his head up and down. "It is the same here. That is also one of my favorites and as far as I know we are the only ones in the immediate area that carry the Churchie line."

Trying to share his enthusiasm, she sounded shocked when she asked, "Is that so?"

Duvelli continued nodding. Just then, the bells on the front door jingled alerting him to the presence of another customer.

"I'll be right back. Let me know if you need further assistance."

"Thank you very much," Diana said and let out a sigh of relief. She wanted to just observe things for awhile up close, not talk about mustard! She dropped the jar of champagne mustard in her basket.

So far she hadn't spotted the area Stephen had told her about... oh, that must be it. Beyond the counter there was an opening in the wall that led out to a hallway. That must be where the meat locker and the infamous locked door were located.

Diana eased her way from the mustard over to the fresh baked breads. Picking the various kinds up one by one, she squeezed them for softness and grimaced when one didn't meet her approval. All the while she was keeping an eye on the hallway and was moving closer to it. Pretending to turn her attention next to the small selection of wines put her right next to the doorway. She wasn't able to see very much though. It was exactly as Stephen described it, just a hallway that led to three doors. One was a commercial door of stainless steel and the other two just plain panel doors. She wondered if the one was a public restroom? There was only one way to find out...

Duvelli was restacking the bread she had just rummaged through. If he was annoyed he didn't let it show as he answered Diana's query to the positive.

"Yes, ma'am. Right through that doorway to the right. The restroom is the first door on the left." Was she just imagining that he put extra stress on 'first door'?

Making a loud production of opening the bathroom door allowed Diana to try the other. Locked. She stepped inside the bathroom, waited five minutes and came back out. Diana exchanged more some more pleasantries with Duvelli, paid for her mustard and left.

"Well, if you can't get in through the front door, try the back!" Diana softly said out loud with a grin. She ducked into the alleyway after satisfying herself that no one was watching. She quickened her pace but at the same time remained watchful and cautious. When she made it to the common drive, she perused the back of the building for an open window as she knew there surely wouldn't be an unlocked door waiting for her to walk through! Out of habit though, as she passed the only door besides a rather large garage type door, she tried the handle. It pushed open!

Hesitantly Diana entered and paused to allow her eyes to adjust to the darkness. But she didn't have time. Just then someone grabbed her, spun her around and pressed some kind of cloth to her face. It happened so fast that she had no time to react. After a few seconds of breathing in the chloroform Diana fell limp into her attacker's arms.

* * *

When the room finally stopped spinning and things came into focus, Diana was able to survey her surroundings and assumed from what she saw that she was still in the warehouse somewhere. A utility closet maybe? The room was average size approximately eight by twelve feet. There were crates and pallets stacked against the wall opposite her about head high and there were cobwebs and dust everywhere.

How long had she been here, she wondered? She went to pull her arm around from behind her to check her watch, but realized that her hands were tied. Her body's overall numbness accounted for her not feeling until now the rope that was digging into her skin. She tried for awhile to move her arms up and down to loosen the knots but eventually gave up. She just didn't have the strength and her muscles didn't want to cooperate. Of the many times she had been chloroformed, she never remembered feeling this bad. Had they given her something else?

There was a slight humming coming from somewhere, the refrigeration system probably. Other than that, there were no sounds to be heard. No movement, no faint murmurings from another room. She was on the floor, propped up in the corner. Closing her eyes, she rested her head against the wall and retraced her steps. She recalled finding the unlocked door, which was odd. Duvelli always kept the door in the store that led to the warehouse locked. Why we he leave the door unlocked. The events that followed only led her to believe that it had been left purposefully for her to find. It was almost as if they had known she would come and had been waiting for her. Had Duvelli known the entire time who she really was? Or had he been expecting another ėdelivery' and she had simply walked in on it?

After she had stepped in, she had been grabbed and the cloth had been put up to her face. Before she passed out she distinctly heard a man's voice, but couldn't recollect what had been said. And she never heard an answer. Maybe it would come back to her if she didn't think about it too hard.

A door opened and closed not too far away and Diana instantly became alert as the sound of approaching footsteps became louder and closer. Her door was unlocked and the door swung open.

There framed in the doorway was Mr. Duvelli in a dark suit and tie. All cleaned up, he was rather distinguished-looking. But the look on his face was mocking and scornful.

"So, Ms. Prince, did you did what you were looking for?" His mouth widened into a satisfied grin.

Diana didn't answer but continued to stare him straight in the eyes.

"You have nothing to say for yourself, no excuse as to why you were snooping around my store and breaking and entering in my warehouse? Come now, you are beginning to disappoint me Diana!" His look turned sinister and Diana began feeling very uncomfortable. She had seen that look of hatred and vengeance before and she knew the terrible things that resulted from the mixture. What she didn't understand though, is why they were directed at her.

"I think you know exactly why I was here. I'm looking for a friend and I believe you had something to do with his disappearance."

Duvelli chuckled. "Oh, you must mean Steven Trevor. Yes. It's been quite awhile since you have seen each other, am I correct? Well, I'm very sorry I was not able to arrange a little reunion for the two of you, because I'm afraid..." He stopped and Diana knew it was purposeful. He wanted to see if he could string her along emotionally. And no matter how hard she tried she was not able to control herself.

With tears streaming down her face, she asked chokingly, "He's really dead, isnėt he?"

Duvelli said nothing but continued to smile, enjoying his little game far too much.

Looking back on that moment Diana would never know how she collected the strength to make it to her feet and hurl her body at him the way she did. She did it with such force that Duvelli was knocked backwards against the stack of pallets. He let out a rough cry and slowly slid to the floor. Diana didn't wait to see the damage but bolted for the door, only to collide with a rather large man that seem to appear out of nowhere to block her exit. She had barely looked up into his face when he shoved her back into the corner where she had started.

Duvelli was trying his best to get himself up. When he did he came bounding toward Diana, grabbing her arm with his left hand and slapping her hard across the face with his right.

His voice was hoarse and his statement almost demonic. "You'll pay Diana Prince. You just don't know... I was having fun with my little game. I wanted you to feel loss the way I have, but I'm beginning to think that that's not good enough for you." He looked over at the other man, nodded and the man left the room.

What was going on? What was he going to do to her? She was prepared for almost anything other than what happened next. The big man appeared again dragging with him a limp body badly bruised and swollen as though they had been beaten severely and many times over. The body was thrown to the floor before Diana and Duvelli kicked it over to face Diana. And she saw the man's eyes as they fluttered open and then closed again.

It was Steve.

"Steve," cried Diana. She inched over to him the best she could wanting to be free of the ropes so that she could stroke his hair and try and ease his obvious pain. He had been hit in the face several times and there was dried blood around his mouth and a bad cut on his forehead.

"What have you done to him..? Why?" she screamed. Just the sight of him in this condition made her hurt inside, alleviated to only a small degree by the fact that he was alive. She now knew for sure... he was alive. She had to admit that she herself had begun to doubt that it could be so. But here he was. Alive... but for how long?

"Why, Ms. Prince, why? This is all apart of the big payback I have in store for you. I said before that I wanted you to feel the same loss and pain I have. And I have patiently waited for it. I have watched you and tracked every step you have made. I have made plans that have brought us to this very day. And now payback is coming... and soon. You will sit in this room and know that you will die at some point- you won't know how and you won't know when. But before the time comes you will feel remorse for what you have done and you will beg my forgiveness."

Diana was vehemently shaking her head, not understanding a word this madman was uttering. What was he saying? Remorse for what?

And then she froze. Duvelli saw the sudden comprehension in her eyes.

"You..." Diana began choking on the word.

"Yes, Diana. I am Salvatore Torentino."

Diana was stunned and speechless and she was angry with herself that she had not guessed it before now. Not one of them had ever actually seen Torentino. Even the man Wonder Woman apprehended at the airport had said that few people had seen him; and that included people that worked for him.

"So, this whole thing was set up to get us both here? How can you blame us for what happened to your son? When he was killed, Steve and I weren't even there."

"But, think about it Diana- or would you rather be called Carrie? If it hadn't been for the two of you those feds would never have had the opportunity to shoot my son. He was shot seven times. Seven times! Did you know that? Do you care?" He started sobbing.

When he had regained his composure he continued:

"My son was ignorant in a lot of respects. He had his weaknesses, but he was my son. He was all I had. And you took that away. If there has ever been a code I have lived by faithfully, it's this one... eye for an eye, Ms. Prince. And just as soon as my third person arrives, I will have my revenge. You see, there's one spot left and that's for our guest of honor..."

Diana, who had been watching Steve starting to stir, suddenly looked up at Torentino.

"Who else is there?" Diana asked.

The grin appeared again.

"Why, Wonder Woman, of course."

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!

* * *

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! And speaking of traveling, I guess I need to be going. I still have to collect my things from the hotel and get to the airport."

She had probably known all along that this was how it would be. How it had to be... All the romantic notions she had kept inside would remain hidden and she would once again leave the man she loved. In telling Steve the truth about how she felt, she would feel compelled to be honest about others things, too. Things, she wasn't sure she was ready to share or that Steve was ready to hear. The right time and circumstance would never come for the two of them, it seemed.

Disappointed Steve asked, "Do you have to leave so soon? This isn't quite the way I pictured our reunion!" They both laughed.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Dale needs me back in LA and I did leave my life dangling back there somewhere."

Stephen looked at his watch and piped in, "Yeah, I really need to get going too. I have a class in about forty minutes. I'll check back after my classes are over, if that's okay?"

"Oh, I'll be here!" Steve joked.

"Come on, I'll walk you out." Diana put her arm around the young man's shoulders and walked out with him.

As they were walking down the hall, Diana could hear ‘Bette Davis Eyes' playing softly from the nurse's station.

She turned to him and said genuinely: "I just want to say thanks again for all your help. Take care of yourself, okay?"

They said their goodbyes and Diana returned to Steve's room. Steve had fallen into a very solemn mood in her absence.

"Diana, you don't know how much it means to me that you came...and for all you did. I owe you my life. You're a true friend."

Diana felt a stinging in her eyes as she leaned down and kissed him gently on the cheek. And I'll always be a friend, she thought bitterly.

* * *

The taxicab pulled up in front of 409 South Vine at about nine thirty that night. Diana was exhausted and was looking forward to a good night's sleep. It wasn't the flight, or the events of the past week that made her so weary, but the emotional stress she had endured.

When she crawled into bed and turned out the lamp on the bedside table, she was consoled by one thought, at least. She wouldn't have to worry any longer with those terrible dreams she'd been having. It seemed that although there were still bits and pieces of it she still didn't understand, for the most part, the puzzle had been solved. Steve was now safe and so was she...

But the dream did come.

It wasn't exactly the same as before though. There were no grave markers with ominous inscriptions and the figure that emerged from the shadows was no longer cloaked in darkness so that his identity was concealed. He walked toward her into the light so that his face was clear for her to see... It was Steve! He extended his hand and she gratefully accepted, falling into his warm embrace.

And Diana didn't wake up frightened, but remained asleep, a slight smile parting her lips.

This was a dream from which she never wished to be awakened...