"The streets have been a lot quieter lately."
The two of them had driven around for nearly an hour without finding a single murder scene stripped bare by looters or a gang shootout with bullets flying everywhere. Li Jie couldn't help marveling.
"Gotham's really cleaned up this much in just a month?"
"Must be a special situation," Wilson said, pressing his face against the window to look outside. "Penguin took over a big chunk of Falcone's territory, but he's been running into trouble nonstop lately. Sal Maroni's the biggest name in organized crime now, but his influence is nowhere near The Roman's."
"It can't stay this peaceful forever..."
Li Jie stopped the van and stretched in his seat. "But getting a little downtime is still..."
Before he could finish, the vehicle's radio crackled to life.
"...Attention, all units. An explosion has occurred at St. Anthony's Church. Nearby units, proceed immediately to provide assistance!"
"A church?"
Li Jie exchanged a puzzled look with Wilson. "Who'd blow up a place like that? Even if they wanted publicity for their gang... it's not church team-building day today, is it?"
"Could it be..." Wilson's eyes suddenly lit up. "The families of those little boys came looking for them?"
"Huh? Could be!" Li Jie perked up too, immediately starting the engine and flooring the accelerator. "Let's go! We'll miss the show if we're late!"
With its tires screeching, the patrol van rolled over scattered shards of stained glass and skidded to a halt on the rough gravel lot outside St. Anthony's Church.
The expected crowds fleeing in panic and flames towering into the sky were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the space outside the church was eerily empty. Its heavy wooden doors stood wide open like a mouth agape in shock. Inside lay a