Chapter 4

The Foot's Agenda

Jennifer awoke on the cold, hard concrete floor, feeling stiff and sore. Her head felt heavy and her eyes complained on the light when she opened them. Sitting up, she waited for her eyes to adjust, but when they did, she wished that she hadn't opened them in the first place.

She was in a rather small room with an iron-bar door. Panic started to build up as she realized that she was being held as a prisoner, but what really scared her, was what she saw on the other side of the bars. A large room with many large torture machines, both of medieval and more modern form, dozens of blades, whips, tongs, batons, tasers and more hung on the walls. The worst part was that it looked like the equipment had seen use, and not too long ago.

Trying to find a way to escape, Jennifer found two other prisoners in the cell, laying unconscious further in, and these two, she recognized.

"Mom! Dad!"

Falling to her knees by her parents, she wasted no time checking for a pulse and if they still drew breath. Relieved that they were alive and seemingly unharmed, Jennifer was able to calm down a bit. She gently shook her parents, trying to wake them.

"Mom, Dad, please, wake up."

"Uh… Jennifer? What's happening?" Richard asked as he woke up. Erica wasn't far behind.

"W-where are we?" she asked.

"I-I don't know. But we need to find a way out of here." said Jennifer.

"I wouldn't even bother with that, if I were you." said a man's voice from somewhere outside the cell. Shortly after, a tall Japanese man in red and black robes walked into view. He was accompanied by two men in black and grey ninja uniforms.

"That cell was originally built to house captives more powerful than any of you." the man continued.

"Who are you?! And why are we imprisoned?!" Richard demanded.

"I am Izo Arashi, leader of the Foot in our master's absence."

Jennifer paled when she heard the name, she had been told of this man before, and of all the horrible things he and his ilk had done. Her brother had been on the receiving end of Arashi's malice more than once.

"As to why you are here, our organisation has certain enemies that have been a thorn in our side for many years. Not long ago, they acquired allies, one of which has certain qualities that we desire for our own men. This individual is Raymond Ottosen, your son."

Richard and Erica weren't sure if they had misheard what Arashi said, but there was no mistaking it, he had said his name.

"What are you talking about?! Raymond died two years ago! He was murdered!" Erica almost screamed.

"On the contrary, my dear, your son is very much alive, despite our best efforts to change that." said Arashi, mumbling the last part.

"How is that possible?" said Richard.

"I do not know, but I believe that your daughter might."

Erica and Richard looked at Jennifer, who turned away as she couldn't face them, the discomfort in her stomach made her sick as it grew.

"It's not true, is it? Jennifer?" her mother asked.

Jennifer bit her lip and a few tears formed in her eyes.

"It's true..." she said weakly. "Raymond is alive..."

"W-what? He lives? And you knew? Why didn't you tell us?!" said Erica, tears forming in her eyes as well.

"He asked me not to. He has changed, Mom."

"Yes, changed into a monster." Arashi interjected.

"No, he's no monster! The only monster is you!" Jennifer yelled. "He told me of what you've done, to him and his friends!"

"Hmph. As much as I would like to see where this conversation leads, I have other plans." said Arashi. He then motioned to his two ninja. "Bring the girl."

"What?! No!" Richard exclaimed.

The two ninja unlocked the door and entered the cell, one staying in the opening, while the other walked towards the family, while they tried to back away to no avail.

"Get away! Don't you dare lay a finger on her!" Richard tried to block the ninja's way, but he was simply shoved aside, hitting the wall hard. Erica got the same treatment, and the ninja took a strong grip around Jennifer's wrists and dragged her out of the cell, despite her struggling and trying to fight back.

"No! Please stop! Mom! Dad!" she screamed.

"Let go of our daughter!" Erica yelled.

Richard got back on his feet and lunged at the ninja, only to have the one in the doorway step between and jab a taser in Richard's chest. He cried out in shock and pain before collapsing on the floor.

"Richard!"

"Dad, no!"

Erica stumbled to her feet and hurried to her husband's side. When she got to him, the ninja had exited the cell and locked it. Erica could do nothing but sit her injured husband as Arashi and the ninja left with Jennifer, still screaming and trying to free herself.

"Why?" Erica sobbed as tears fell. "Why is this happening?"

Jennifer was dragged a long way through hallways and an elevator by the two ninja as they followed their master. She tried and tried to break their grip, but every time she did, they punched her. Her entire upper body was almost covered in bruises, but she didn't give up, she continued to try with every ounce of strength she had.

Finally, they came to a stop as they entered a room that looked like something from a sci-fi horror novel. Lots of computers and other lab equipment were spread out across the room. Despite that it seemed like they had arrived at their destination, the two ninja didn't even loosen their grip on Jennifer's arms, and she didn't stop trying to break free.

"Are you ready, doctor?" Arashi called out among the half-dozen or so people that were working in the lab. One man looked up from his work-desk and walked over to Arashi.

"Indeed I am, master." the man said. Now within view, Jennifer recognized him, it was the delivery man that showed up at her apartment the other day. As he turned towards Jennifer, she cringed of fear and disgust at the sight of the hideous scared left side of his face. His evil smirk only made him look even more monstrous. Even though Jennifer was terrified of the man alone, she didn't even need to guess who he was.

"Arden!" she exclaimed in horror. Arden chuckled in response.

"I am pleased that you know of me, girl, though it is a shame for you that you didn't realize it when we first met."

"Tyroth told me about you, all of you!"

"We figured as much." said Arashi. "Then I suppose there is no need to dally. Doctor, if you would be so kind."

"It would be my pleasure, master." Arden said with a grin. With syringes attached to his right hand?, he approached Jennifer, who desperately tried to get away, but the ninja held her firmly in place. She clenched her teeth as the evil doctor inserted one of the syringes into her arm and injected her with some of the content. Once done, Arden pulled out the needle and took a few steps back.

Jennifer never had time to wonder why, as merely seconds after, intense pain shot through her arm and out into the rest of her body. She screamed so tears fell from her eyes, she had never felt such pain before, it was as if she was being electrocuted while someone poured boiling oil over her. She thought that she was going to be torn to pieces from the inside and out. She fell to the floor as her legs wouldn't support her, and the ninja made no effort to hold on to her any more, she wasn't going anywhere.

As she lay on the floor, she lost all sense of time from the pain. It felt like the torture had gone on for hours, if not days, when in reality, it had only been just under a minute.

Finally, the pain started to fade.

"My Torture serum, I believe that you know what it does." Arden said sarcastically.

Still barely able to move, Jennifer glared at the doctor with tear-filled eyes. How could he be so pleased with what he does? But no matter what they did to her, she wouldn't tell them anything. Her brother never gave in and neither would she.

"Y-you won't get anything from me." she said weakly.

"Defiant, just like your brother." said Arashi. "However, we do not intend to extract information from you, if you even have any of use to us. No, that was just a taste of what will happen to your parents if you don't cooperate."

"Leave them alone, you motherfucker! They have nothing to do with any of this!"

Arashi didn't pay any attention to Jennifer, instead he reached into one of the robe's pockets and pulled out a cellphone that he tossed at the girl, hitting her on the head.

"Your phone." he said. "We haven't even bothered to check it, since you probably don't have the number to the dragon on it."

"What makes you think that he even has a phone?"

"The turtles have given both him and that gecko whore of his some of theirs. My ninja have relieved them of them when we captured them in the past."

"Now call him." said Arden.

"If you think that you'll be able to trace the call, you're gravely mistaken."

"We anticipated that Donatello had taken precautions, but that's not what we're after." said Arashi. "We want to lure the dragon here and capture him again, and his family is the bait."

"I will never help you!" Jennifer snarled.

"How quickly you forget, my dear. It was not long ago that I demonstrated what will happen to your parents if you refuse to cooperate." said Arden, flexing his fingers with the syringes. "And that's not the only serum I have, there are several more at my disposal, not to mention an entire dungeon."

"As you can see, you are in no position to oppose us. Now, make the call, or could you honestly live with the consequences?" said Arashi.

New tears formed in Jennifer's eyes, not from pain but from sadness and anger. She had to make the call and she knew it. What other choice did she have?

"Devil take you all!" she said as she picked up her phone and dialed her brother's number.

'Please, forgive me, Ray-Ray…' she thought as the call got connected.

Yeah, they went there, forcing Jennifer to make the blackmail call. How fiendish!

But just what will they say to Tyroth once they reach him, and what more do they have planned?

Find out next time!