Standing just outside of the command tent, Leo crossed his arms over his plastron and studied the high rock wall surrounding Chibiko. If all went well, he would have retaken the city by nightfall.
If not, there was a good possibility he'd be dead.
It wasn't something Leo wanted to dwell on, but it was a fact that had to be faced. There were a lot of lives at stake, not just his, and this plan was the best of those he'd considered.
"All is readied, Leonardo-san," Hideo said upon approaching his commander.
Looking back at the kuma, Leo saw Usagi coming towards him as well.
"Very well, I'll join you momentarily," Leo said quietly.
Hideo bowed his head and backed away, casting a glance at Usagi as he left.
"They wonder why I am not accompanying you," Usagi said as he came to stand next to Leo.
"No, they understand why it is I need for you to be here," Leo corrected him. "They are just unused to seeing us apart."
Usagi wondered if there were any hidden implications in that, and if so, had Leo even thought of them. Their friendship was unusual by any standards and being the more experienced of the two Usagi knew what some would think of it.
"They are also unused to seeing the leader of an army go first into battle," Usagi pointed out. "Some would say it is a rash act."
"Perhaps so," Leo agreed, "but there is no one better suited to this type of mission than a ninja. Hideo and the others have only had a few weeks of training and though they are the best of the lot at stealth, they have nowhere near my skill set."
"Though I fear for your safety, I will not question your decision," Usagi said.
They grasped one another's forearms tightly, eyes locked together. Usagi had held his tongue about his fears because there had been too much to do and he hadn't had the time to dwell on it. Now it all rushed into Usagi's mind; the many things that could go wrong, the enormous odds against Leonardo, and the fact that he would be greatly outnumbered. More importantly, it would be the first time in over six weeks that they would not be together.
That Usagi would not be there to watch Leonardo's back.
Leo read something of Usagi's thoughts from his expression. With a little half smile he said, "Don't worry, Usagi. I'll be careful. This is more my style of fighting anyway. Promise me you'll look out for yourself."
"Of course I will," Usagi said, unable to return the smile. "I will look for you as I come through the gate, Leo. I will want to see for myself that you are safe."
Leo's eyes widened at the intimate diminutive that had slipped from Usagi's mouth. His friend was standing quite close, his breathing slightly irregular as he stared at Leonardo.
Squeezing Usagi's arm in what he hoped was a reassuring manner, Leo said, "I will be looking for you as well, Usagi. I made this journey as much for your companionship as for the adventure. You are my closest friend."
The emphasis on friend wasn't lost on Usagi and he realized how much of a slip of the tongue he had just made. Trying to cover it, he said, "This is true for me as well, brother. Our journey shall not end today."
Usagi's grip on Leo's arm was tight and didn't loosen as he spoke. As much as he wanted to disguise his true feelings with the correct set of words, holding onto Leo for even a precious moment longer was Usagi's most overwhelming desire.
Leo remained fixed in Usagi's unfathomable stare as he sensed an unusual vibe coming from the samurai. It was as though his friend had something he needed to say but was holding back for some reason. His earlier words could be taken as an elder speaking to a youthful relative or as a sign of a deeper affection; the verbal interaction of lovers.
Since Usagi had followed it by referring to Leo as 'brother', the ninja could only interpret the phrasing in the first manner. However, that did not explain Usagi's reluctance to release Leo to his task.
"Let's go," Gen shouted as he climbed the small incline towards the pair.
Startled, Leo and Usagi separated and turned. Gennosuke had a wide grin on his face and a thick piece of grass wedged into the corner of his mouth.
"The wagons are ready and so is your team, Leonardo," Gen said as he came up next to them. "No more standing around; I've a wager going on how long it will take us to get inside that gate."
Usagi found his voice. "At least you are wagering with us this time."
Gen slapped him on the back and laughed. "I have learned the hard way about wagering against these off world kames."
Leo's face settled into an expressionless mask, his mind now completely focused on his mission.
"One last thing, Usagi," Leo said quietly. "If you see anything amiss before we release the pigeon, have someone blow the large horn and make sure they do so as loudly as possible. We'll pull back and assess the situation. Once the bird has flown, we'll already be committed to the plan as is."
"We will not fail you," Usagi told him.
With a final nod to both Usagi and Gen, Leo strode towards his small force of men. Two supply wagons had been hitched up and both drivers were part of Leo's team. The rest rode strong horses and were holding the one belonging to Leo.
Climbing into the saddle, Leo glanced over his assemblage. They appeared to be nothing more than a group leaving the encampment to gather necessary supplies; something that occurred on a frequent basis. Leo had no doubt they were being watched by Hebi's people at all times and if he and his men simply rode away there would be cause for alarm. A small caravan such as this would draw little to no notice.
Usagi watched Leonardo ride off with some trepidation. He realized he'd missed an opportunity to tell his friend exactly how he felt about him. Anxiety over the upcoming battle left Usagi wondering if the decision to hold his tongue would become the greatest regret of his life.
Pulling his mind away from such morbid thoughts was difficult. He and Leonardo had faced many dangerous situations together since they first met and Usagi didn't remember ever feeling such dread. Perhaps that was because they'd always faced those dangers together.
Or perhaps, as Usagi now admitted to himself, the fact was that in the past his feelings for Leonardo weren't as strong as they now were. Going into a battle was not the time to admit to the ninja that Usagi's emotions went beyond friendship. It was certainly not the time to tell Leonardo that Usagi desired him.
Such an admission now would not have given Leonardo an appropriate venue or the required time to think about the situation. It would have divided Leonardo's mind between his mission and Usagi's revelation. Such a division of Leonardo's focus could get him killed and that would be Usagi's fault.
Usagi knew that he could not live with that and so he'd kept as much as possible to himself. He hoped that what had slipped out hadn't already been too much.
Right at that moment Usagi knew that if Leonardo died the only honorable thing to do would be to follow him into death.
Usagi heard Gen shouting for him and with difficulty pulled his concentration back to the present. Leonardo had given him the job of saving his life and Usagi meant to do just that.
Raphael's consciousness separated from his corporeal body several minutes behind Donatello's and he subsequently lost track of his brother. It caused him no concern; they were following the same spiritual path and Raph knew he'd eventually catch up to Don.
He was a little surprised however when he felt a hand touch his shoulder and his eyes turned to travel along a sea green arm until they met a pair of startling blue eyes.
"Mikey!" Raph exclaimed. "What are ya' doing here?"
"You guys didn't think you could go on some kind of spiritual adventure without me did you?" Mikey asked with an infectious grin.
"Listen Mikey, this ain't all about fun and games," Raph told him.
"Yeah I know," Mikey said. "You guys are trying to find Leo because you think he's in trouble."
"How did ya' guess?" Raph asked.
"I know you guys think I'm dumb," Mikey said, "but I can figure things out. What was I gonna think seeing both you andDonny meditating in the middle of enough candles to burn down the lair? Besides, the last few nights I've been dreaming about Leo, like, he's calling to me 'cause he needs my help.Weird, huh?"
"Not so weird," Raph said, his spirit self far less reticent than his conscious self. "Me and Donny sorta been getting the same thing."
"Speaking of Donny, where is the genius?" Mikey asked.
"Ya' know him," Raph said. "He and Leo were always better at this meditation jazz.He's up ahead of me somewhere.He went in further and faster than I could and I ain't havin' a lot of luck catchin' up ta him."
"Well come on then," Mikey said, grabbing Raph's arm. "Let's go. No way is the techno geek gonna outrun the two us when we're working together."
Mikey's hand felt good on his arm and Raph let his younger brother lead him. It was hard to deny Mikey's enthusiasm or his boundless energy.
Leo rode ahead of the wagons, his eyes searching the terrain as they travelled. The thought that reinforcements might at some point be sent to aid Hebi's loyalists did not escape him and he knew that his 'supply' caravan would be much too juicy a target for them.
They reached the edge of the woods unmolested and hid both the horses and the wagons as best they could. Taking with them only the equipment necessary to complete their mission, the group doubled back towards Chibiko beneath the canopy provided by the trees.
Throughout the woods were signs that attempts had been made to keep the trees and undergrowth trimmed, probably to prevent an armed force from approaching the city wall unseen. The efforts were not overly successful due in part to the rich soil and also because the trenches that had been dug to carry wastewater away from the city provided moisture for the plant life.
Leo guessed that the sewers here were much like those at home; excess rain water flowed down drains and passed through the grate and into the wooded area as well. Most likely some sort of basin had been built around the foot of the mountain to capture run off from downpours and that too would be directed out of the city through the main drainage ditch.
The idea behind that engineering would be to allow fresh water to keep the system flushed and relatively clean. Otherwise, the smell would filter out into the city and become an unbearable nuisance to live with.
With any luck, those periodic overflows would have eroded the stone that the grate was embedded in and make it a more malleable surface to manipulate.
Along the way Leo noticed that someone had planted fruit bearing trees. The way his men eyed the fruit led him to think that the current bounty was harvestable and quite probably delicious.
Another worry entered his mind; surely some resident would remember this readily available food source and attempt to find a way to reach it. Having been cut-off from supplies for over a week and having to feed Hebi's men, the citizens were no doubt rationing their food. Since Leo could not count on anyone they might meet being friendly, he began to move even more cautiously than before.
When the group was nearly at their destination, Leo lifted his hand and everyone froze. Staring intently towards their goal, Leo tried to determine how much cover they would have once they were up against the wall. Unable to tell from his current vantage point, Leo decided to investigate on his own.
Sweeping his hand down, palm flat, Leo silently ordered his men to drop to the ground and stay put. Without looking back, Leo moved forward, soon blending into the dappled shadows and becoming invisible.
The pungent aroma of waste assailed his senses even before Leo saw the main drainage ditch. Wide and deep, it tilted downward away from the high stone wall that surrounded the city, carrying the effluent to the multitude of channels cut into the woods.
Leo saw immediately that the trees had been trimmed so that their canopy would not obstruct the view from above. Fortunately, the maintenance of the area had been lax; while the branches had not grown back to offer him cover, other undergrowth plants had sprung up.
The bushes and tall grasses that reached for the sunlight in this area were fed by the abundant water coming from the ditch. They easily provided the hiding places he needed to not only approach the grate but to also work there without being seen.
Satisfied with the setup, Leo made his way back to where his men waited. He was pleased to note how well they remembered their training; none had moved and they made no noise of any kind.
Leo signaled for them to follow him and proceeded to lead them to the grate, no less cautious this second time than he'd been on the first occasion.
His men immediately started to work, each knowing exactly what needed to be done. As two of them anchored one end of the come-along to a sturdy tree trunk, another gingerly handed the glass bottle containing the home made acid cocktail to Leo.
Leo took a few minutes to carefully examine both the metal bars of the grate and the stone into which they were embedded. As he'd hoped, there were signs of obvious erosion in the stone walls of the entry tunnel. Instead of a smooth, solid finish, the stone was pockmarked with lesions.
Using a thumbnail, Leo scraped at the stone and was happy when some of it flaked off rather easily. Uncapping the bottle, Leo carefully poured acid onto the stone, right where each of the four bars were seated.
Moving to the other side, he repeated the process, using a touch less acid. The bars were a bit thicker than he'd anticipated and he hoped he wouldn't have to use the remainder of the acid to remove them. If they ran into a similar obstacle further in they would have no way of silently extracting it.
Now they waited. Leo could feel his men's tension as they watched the little puffs of smoke coming off the stone. Rigidly poised for the next phase of the plan, they were all extremely vigilante, their vulnerability abundantly clear to each of them.
When an appropriate amount of time seemed to have passed, Leo leaned in close to study the acid's progress. The stone bubbled and ran where the acid had touched it; the corrosive nature of the liquid still working its way through the porous material.
Bending down, Leo picked up a heavy rock and chipped at the stone wall as quietly as possible. A good sized chunk crumbled and fell off, making Leo smile.
Next he grabbed the metal bar and tugged, but it still seemed to be solidly seated. Dropping the rock, he used both hands and pulled hard, satisfied at feeling the bar shift slightly under his palms.
Turning, he nodded to his men and then stepped aside as Kai secured the heavy rope around one of the bars. When it was in place he lifted his hand and the man holding the ratchet lever began to winch the rope.
Each movement on the lever pulled the rope a couple of inches and it quickly became taut.
"Slowly," Leo hissed in warning.
He was afraid that too hard of a pull would either break the rope or cause the metal bar to loudly pop out of the wall and be heard by guards patrolling the parapet above them.
As the rope pulled on one end of the bar, Leo and Kai jumped over to the other side and together began tugging at the bar to loosen the opposite end.
Little by little the bar began to move. Another of the men came forward to help pull at it while the rest remained on watch. More stone crumbled from the wall and then a large piece broke off, tumbling into the water below. A low shriek echoed from metal scraping stone and then the winched end pulled away from the wall.
The weakened stone on the other end couldn't hold the weight of the bar and it tipped downwards, hanging loose across the opening. Jubilant, Kai quickly worked the rope off of the bar and attached it to the next one.
It took another twenty minutes to pry all four of the bars loose enough for the group of seven men to slide past the open end and into the sewer tunnel. Standing to one side as he attempted to avoid stepping in the foul smelling sludge at the center of the tunnel, Leo took a moment to simply listen.
Ahead of them was darkness, the afternoon sunlight unable to penetrate very far under the city wall. The only sound Leo heard was the trickle of water; noises from the city were not audible at this point in the tunnel.
Holding up two fingers, Leo waited as his men lit two candles, cupping their hands around the flames as the group moved inward. From his intense study of the maps, Leo had a fairly good idea of where they needed to go.
By Leo's estimation, his group had traveled a half mile into the sewers when they came upon a large wooden door mounted in the rock wall to their left. Ahead of them, the tunnel stretched into the blackness.
Pressing the side of his head to the door, Leo listened for any type of sound but heard nothing. Reaching down, he curved his fingers around the door handle and tried opening the door, but it proved to be locked from the other side.
Kneeling, Leo ran his eyes along the edge of the ill fitted frame and spotted a section of the metal bar that held the door shut.
"Acid," Leo whispered, holding out a hand.
There was only a small amount of the liquid remaining and Leo hoped it would be enough. Standing, he indicated to his men that they should back up and then with careful precision, Leo tossed the acid through the small opening and onto the metal bar.
Setting the empty bottle aside, Leo watched the smoke puff out from the area he'd just saturated. He could feel the uneasiness coming off of his men; it made the darkness of the tunnel seem heavier and more oppressive. Leo glanced around at them, giving each a reassuring smile to help ease their anxiety, and then turned back to stare at the door.
He knew from past experience approximately how long it would take the acid to eat through the metal. Taking into account that this metal had not been forged with the more modern methods used on his world, Leo finally deemed it safe to try and force the door open.
Grasping the handle tightly, Leo pulled hard. He felt a slight give but the door still wouldn't budge. Then Hideo moved in behind him and caught hold of the handle as well, his heavier muscles more than doubling the pressure on the metal bar.
The sound of the bar snapping loose seemed loud in the tunnel and Leo froze. With every sense alert, he listened for sounds of someone coming to investigate but no one did. Looking back at Hideo, Leo nodded once and together they eased the door open.
Looking through the door, Leo saw that it led into a very small alcove, only about four feet across. A foot to the left was a rock wall, but to the right the alcove opened into a larger room.
The alcove was only six feet in length before the wall ended. Not much room to maneuver in. Certainly not enough room for all of them to go in at once.
Leo lifted a palm at his men and then lowered two fingers as he pointed towards himself. When they nodded their understanding, Leo crept through the doorway and padded across silently the two steps it took to reach the rock wall.
Flattening himself there, he waited a long moment and then turned so his shoulder brushed the rock as he slid towards the wall's end. He was partway there when he heard the low murmur of voices and since they didn't sound as though they were aware of an intrusion, he kept going.
Reaching the edge of the wall he stopped to take a nice, deep breath. He could see light flickering from inside the room and hear some sort of desultory conversation. The voices sounded bored, but Leo couldn't make out any words, so he couldn't tell how many occupants were inside.
Holding his breath so that no sound would give him away, Leo peered cautiously around the corner.
To the left he could see that a large space had been carved out as a sort of maintenance area. A round table occupied a corner and just beyond that a set of stone steps curved upwards, with only the first few of them visible below a rocky outcropping.
Seated on the steps was a fat Tanuki munching on a piece of fruit. A yari leaned against the wall next to him and a large horn sat on the step just beside his right hand.
At the table were four other men, each from a different clan. Three of them appeared to be playing some sort of game without any apparent enthusiasm. The fourth, an Inu, had his arms crossed in front of him on the table and his head was cradled on them.
The first three men were each heavily armed but the fourth was not. Leo assumed the Inu was a resident of the city and probably the caretaker for the sewer system.
Soundlessly, Leo slid back to the door where his men waited and stepped into the tunnel with them.
"There are five men in the room just beyond the wall," Leo explained in a whisper. "All but one carry weapons; I believe that one might be their captive. Assume nothing, but we should avoid killing him if he makes no move against us. The space is too small for us all to engage in a fight with these men, so I'll take Hideo into the room with me."
Looking at Hideo directly, Leo continued, "The man on the stairs is mine; he has to be silenced before he can sound an alarm. Past the wall and fifteen paces to the left is where you'll find the other men. Go straight for them and make every strike count. Stay away from the wall; don't get cornered. I should be with you in seconds, but don't look around for me."
"I remember what you've taught me," Hideo said.
Leo rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly before removing it. Looking at Kai, Leo said, "Come into the alcove after we enter the room but don't bunch together. Count to twenty slowly and then follow us. Be prepared to fight if we haven't managed to subdue these men."
Kai nodded, understanding that the only way Leonardo and Hideo would not have finished off four men would be if they were both dead. He was pretty sure his blade would not be tasting blood just yet.
Leo drew one of his katanas before entering the alcove so that the rasp against its sheath would not be heard. Hideo did likewise, sliding his heavier nodachi from his back.
Hideo glided in behind Leo as they both entered the alcove. Holding up one hand, Leo checked around the corner again and saw that none of the men had moved. Slowly lowering one finger at a time, Leo darted forward as his last finger came down.
Leo moved so quickly that the men inside the room didn't register his presence until he was nearly at the staircase. Then the Tanuki who was on the stairs swept up the horn and leaped to his feet, attempting to grab his weapon while lifting the horn to his mouth.
Before he had it even halfway there, Leo threw a bo-shuriken with unerring accuracy, the bladed tip sinking into the Tanuki's throat. Eyes wide, the man dropped the horn and clutched at his neck before falling forward and rolling lifeless to the bottom of the stairs.
Spinning around, Leo caught the edge of a sword with his katana, shoving the attacker's blade aside. From the corner of his eye he could see Hideo battling one of the guards while the man who'd had his head down stood pressed into a corner, his hands up over his ears.
A trail of blood led away from the table and as Leo traded blows with his opponent, he saw the last guard retrieving a naginata from amongst a set of them leaning against the wall. One arm dangled, bloody and useless thanks to an early blow from Hideo's sword, but the guard lifted the naginata in the other.
As the guard swayed dizzily and started towards Hideo's exposed back, Leo ducked beneath his attacker's sword and rolled towards Hideo. Yanking his other katana from its sheath, Leo came up on one knee and swept his blade out across the legs of their already half dead enemy.
With a high pitched scream, the guard dropped the naginata and collapsed, his legs nearly severed from his body. Leo flipped forward onto his shoulder and came back to his feet in time to meet a headlong rush from his own adversary.
When the man's blade came down at his head, Leo smacked it aside and sliced sideways through the man's upper body. The guard did no more than gurgle before falling dead.
Turning, Leo saw that Hideo had finished off the last guard. Kai and the rest of Leo's squad burst into the room, weapons drawn, but one look told them they were not needed.
Leo quickly jerked his head back towards the man in the corner. The Inu still had his hands over his ears and he began to tremble uncontrollably when he saw Leo looking at him.
"Please don't kill me," he begged in a shaky voice. "I'm not one of them. I am unarmed."
"Lord Noriyuki sent us to liberate this city," Leo told him quietly, sheathing his swords. "If you are not a part of Hebi's treachery then help us. What is at the top of those stairs?"
"A door that gives out on the city square," the Inu answered. "On either side are rows of shops. They are usually quite busy, but there are few citizens out now. All of us live in fear of what has been happening and in the last week the danger has only grown."
"Where is the main gate in relation to that door?" Leo asked.
"Perhaps a hundred yards," the Inu told him. "It is to the left just beyond the primary center of the square. The gate is heavily guarded."
"Is that upper door locked?" Leo watched the man carefully, still not completely trusting him.
"Yes, but the key is on a ring in that man's belt," the Inu said, pointing towards the dead Tanuki at the foot of the stairs. "I have not been allowed to leave here since Hebi's men took over. If you are going to do anything, you must hurry. The guards are changed at intervals and you have only twenty minutes before the next group arrives."
Kai was already pulling the key ring from the Tanuki's belt and Leo signaled one of his other men forward.
"Tie him," Leo said before turning back to the Inu. "You will have to be bound; I apologize for the discomfort, but we cannot take any chances. If the replacement guards arrive, they will not know you've aided us. Should we achieve our goal, you will not see any more of Hebi's men and we will send someone back to free you."
The Inu licked his lips and then nodded. Given the choice of seated or lying flat, he chose the ground since none of them knew how long he would have to remain there.
Leo accepted the key from Kai and began his ascent. His squad did not crowd him, remaining several steps down in order that Leo have room to move if necessary. At the top of the staircase was another heavy, wooden door. A small hole had been drilled into it at eyelevel and Leo peered through it, but the view was limited.
Other than a few citizens moving between merchant's stalls, there was no other signs of life. Leo did not see anyone who appeared to belong to Hebi's loyalists nearby and decided they needed to move.
Inserting the key in the lock, he twisted it back with an audible click.
On the other side of the door, a guard snapped to attention at the sound. Stationed there as a secondary measure, he listened for the special code knock that would tell him that whoever was exiting was another of Hebi's guards.
When he didn't hear the knock, he pulled his katana, turning sideways so that he would have a clear view of the first neck that came through the door.
Raph and Mikey had been following a gravel path, their minds creating a simple garden setting to lead them on their quest. Before long, wisps of fog began to drift around them and after travelling a bit further, they found they could see nothing but whiteness all around.
Then Raph spotted a hint of vivid purple ahead of them and urged Mikey to go faster. Sure enough, standing a little ways further on was Donatello. He was turned away from them, completely unmoving, his eyes focused forward and his arms hanging at his sides.
"Way ta go Brainiac," Raph called out good-naturedly. "Ya' couldn't wait for us?"
Instead of acknowledging Raph's presence or questioning Mikey's, Don lifted a hand and said, "Shh!"
"What the shell?" Raph asked, coming to an abrupt halt and looking around in alarm.
Mikey shook his head and pointed at Don, who hadn't moved from his position.
"I can see Leo," Don said in a voice so low they had to strain to hear him.
Both Raph and Mikey stared into the heavy fog, following the direction Don's eyes had taken, but neither could see anything other than a thick, white wall.
"We don't see anything, Donny," Raph said as he started to move forward.
Suddenly Don shifted; his body stiffening as though preparing for an attack. "I have to stop him!" Don yelled and plunged forward into the mist, disappearing from view.
Raph bellowed, "Donny!"
As Raph lunged after his brother, he felt Mikey catch hold of his hand, running at full tilt alongside him. The mist parted around them, showing them glimpses of the path and the garden, but absolutely nothing else.
Donatello was gone.
TBC….