There was no time for idle chatter. After Vito called the police to tell them about the bomb threat to the hospital, he headed straight for the building himself. He had a few minutes before the hospital would be made aware of the threat and locked down. In that time, any of Carver's goons wouldn't be expecting any trouble, and he could take them out before they knew what hit them.

The hospital was only a few streets down from Little Ireland, and Vito was there in record time. He burst into the front entrance, ignoring the receptionist who tried in vain to welcome him and ask who he was there to see. He charged through the foyer and into the narrower halls, deep into the bowels of the building.

At such a late hour, there was hardly anyone out and about. All the patients were in their rooms, and Vito didn't disturb them. He knew Carver's men wouldn't be in there. They would be in the nearly finished new wing, planting the bomb that would destroy the hospital and kill dozens of innocent children.

Vito knew he'd found what he was looking for when he came across a pile of bricks outside a door leading into a dark room. He pulled on the handle and the door swung open with no resistance. In the darkness, he could still make out a strip of black marking tape across the door's latch, preventing the door from locking. He crept in through the door, his keen hearing already searching for any signs of intrusion.

There was a soft scuffle, and he froze. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he spied a pile of boards reaching halfway to the ceiling. Plainly, the men were hiding behind it. Vito stepped closer to the pile and a man burst out from behind it. He ran at Vito, who dodged his attack and smacked him sideways easily. A second man followed the first, carrying a pipe. Vito caught the pipe and twisted it from theman's hands. He swung the pipe like a baseball bat and caught the man upside the head. As the second man fell, the first got back to his feet and came around for another charge. Vito simply held the pipe out in front of him and the man nearly impaled himself in the stomach on its blunt end. The air rushed from his lungs and he crumpled again. From the corner of his eye, Vito saw a third man trying to run deeper into the unfinished wing so he could escape. Vito picked up a brick from the floor and flung it at the fleeing man. The brick hit the back of his head and he fell forward. Vito kicked the first man in the face to ensure he didn't get back up. Only after he had accomplished all this did the hospital's alarms start going off. It was good to know his comrades were so speedy.

Another, softer ring joined the clanging alarms. Vito followed the noise to a phone set into the wall of the room. It was just barely installed, and wires still dangled from its plastic case. He picked the phone up, already anticipating what he would hear.

"Is everything ready?" Carver's voice came through the phone. "What's going on? You're overdue."

"Sorry, they've checked out," Vito breathed into the phone. In the silence that followed, he could hear Carver's rage.

"You're too late. It's already done," Carver said after he regained his voice.

"I have an entire bomb squad on the way. We'll find your little surprise before the sun comes up," Vito said.

"Then what's stopping me from killing your daughter now?" Carver asked, and Vito's blood boiled.

"Because you know what I'll do to you if you do," he said. Carver laughed like he didn't have a care in the world.

"You think you've stopped me? You can't comprehend how far I am ahead of you. You haven't even slowed me down, and if you keep trying, it's Christy that will pay," he said. Vito heard someone struggling in the background, and then a clunk, as if the phone had lurched.

"Daddy! I'm in-" Christy's voice came faintly through the line. Then there was a yelp and another thunk.

"You're a dead man already," Vito growled.

"So is she, if you don't stay out of my way," Carver said. There was a click as he hung up.

Carver thought he knew everything, but Vito wasn't as stupid as he looked. Christy was brave to try to help him, but it wasn't necessary. He knew exactly where she was before she said a word.