Chapter Fourteen: Safe & sound?
Leeanne watched Officer Jones on the phone. Every now and then he would glance over and put up a finger as if signalling that he wouldn't be long. She found herself wondering why he wanted to help her in the first place. She was just an ordinary girl; but then her situation was anything but ordinary and there was no doubt that her head was well and truly muddled, she had seen far too many strange things to ever see life in the way she did before.
She hoped to God that these friends of his wouldn't be too into deep and meaningful and wouldn't ask too many questions. Jones's girlfriend was the reporter, April O'Neil, that glamouress woman she'd seen on television a few times. She was supposed to be meeting them. Leeanne had her suspicions that it was probably to make her feel a little more at ease because all the other friends were male.
He actually hadn't told her a great deal about them other than that, they were also a family and they lived a little out of the City.
"I'd trust them with my life" he assured her "You will be super safe"
She wondered what it was she would be safe from: TCRI? Aliens? A madman? All three?
As her eyes were drawn through the swell people, they chose to land on a man in a dark suit who was standing exactly in her eyeline, something about him made her skin creep. Nothing out of the ordinary there except suddenly there were then two of them, then four, then eight. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. They were now moving closer, a formation of four by four like some sort of suited army - left right left right left... She let her hand drift to the catch on the seatbelt and released it. As they got nearer she realised she knew these men were from TCRI; it was just like the one who had been with Sacks that day and the one who had been with Fallon only this time there were eight of them and they looked intent on getting to her within the next few seconds.
Opening the car door she dropped her weight behind it onto her heels just as the front row of men pulled out something from under their jackets, something that looked awfully like a weapon.
"Casey!" For a cop he seemed oblivious to what was happening only seeming to react when the gun was pointing directly at him. He snatched his own out of the back of his trousers, threw himself out of the way before throwing the phone into the car.
"Get in!" he ordered, sliding himself across to the drivers side and starting the ignition.
"I don't think there's time"
The suited opponents were getting ever closer: "Halt. You have property which does not belong to you. Release it and you shall not be harmed" The front one on the right raised up his weapon and fired. Instead of bullets they looked more like darts. Were these things trying to drug her?
"For gawd's sake Lee, MOVE!" He was reaching over.
"This is property which does not belong" A strong force hit her from the back and pulled her upwards "You will comply"
"I will not" She kicked out a leg making a connection with what she hoped was a shin and more importantly a bone; but whatever this being was it would not be moved by any action from her. It passed her down the line of suits - the last one locking arms across her as the first put the gun up on her neck: "You will comply" and it pulled the trigger. The stinging sensation lasted seconds before she was overwhelmed by darkness and went limp.
The first thing Donatello noticed was the weaponry and then the men. One was holding the girl bridal style whilst two others were dragging Casey from the car.
"Oh boy oh boy" It was daylight, he couldn't leave the safety of the truck but luckily for him this little baby was decked out with a few helpful little tricks "And so let's get rid of those for a start" He hit a large black button in the front console; as predicted and reliably tested the weapons the men were holding disintegrated in their hands. Suit men looked confused for all of two minutes before they re-focussed their attention on Donatello's truck. He had to get Casey and Leeanne out of there and fast.
"It appears the property has help" announced one man
"Take her back to the vehicle, we will destroy this 'help'"
Their distraction gave Casey enough time to scramble to his feet and realising that all weapons were now dust he drew his fist back and laid one on the man nearest him whilst using a boot to topple the other. All his hockey gear was at home - not a particularly useful place for it to be right at this moment. He made a beeline for the truck and Donatello let him in.
"Hey buddy, you know what to do" He slid seat behind the purple banded turtle
"Oh I'm locked on her already" Donatello moved the truck forward, taking out two of the suits in the process "Who the hell are these goons?"
"They work at TCRI - what I didn't know at the time of meeting one of them that Sacks was into employing identical octuplets" The suited men remained lain flat "Looks like at least half the family is taking a nap so there's progress"
The large grabber shot forward from the roof of the truck and snatched Leeanne clean away "Gotcha!" exclaimed Donatello "Now how long before you reckon he realises?" The man stopped moving and looked at his empty arms.
"Where did the property go?" The one alongside him seemed none the wiser.
"Let's go get April" instructed Casey seriously.
"Already on it" Casey got up, checked Leeanne and then waited by the door. Donatello already had a scanner doing it's job; checking her vitals "She's good, just a little dose of something to put her to sleep, nothing scary"
"That was more strange than scary" The door slid open and April hopped up.
"A door to door pick up, thanks D.." She planted a kiss on Casey's mouth before pulling back and clocking Leeanne "Oh..what happened here? She take a look and faint like I did?"
"Nope" replied Donatello "Not yet" He moved the truck into the traffic.
"We got jumped by some screwy guys in suits" began Casey as he flexed his knuckles "Who all shop at the same clothes store"
"And don't forget wear the same face" He turned the corner and headed into an alleyway "We'll take a little detour from here, just in case"
Donatello pulled a handle to the right and punched in a five figure code "I have to do this now, we have too much interferance, meant some of our secret doors weren't so secret"
"Hey well at least the cops know about you, saves from all those Monster call outs right?"
"I know. I was told they had a few hundred. Some ninja's aren't we? But, don't use the M word, you know how it upsets Mikey, and he's already volatile"
April smiled "No worries. I just hope this girl knows what she's in for"
Leonardo wasn't aware anything would be changing that day until a new scent stung his nostrils. Like a number of aquatic species he had certain senses that were more heightened than others and this smelt like the most inviting thing ever. He froze mid-kata and inhaled. Oh now that was good.
"You have to set her here" Michelangelo's jubilant voice rang out through the lair.
"Mikey, she is not a toy to be played with" scolded Donatello
"Or some sort of statue you can stare at" chuckled Raphael "Though errr, should she be that still? You sure she didn't catch a glimpse of you?"
"I told you, drugs"
"Creepy guys and drugs" reaffirmed Casey "I hope got some photos of those wierdos"
"I covered everything" replied Donatello "And now if you don't mind I am going to settle her out of the way" He turned and nearly slammed straight into Leonardo who had apparently approached in full stealth mode. His eyes fell on the female in his brother's grasp. It was her who smelt so enticing "Sorry brother didn't see you there"
Leonardo didn't answer, he was too busy taking in not only what his nostrils told him but what he could quite clearly see. Soft pale skin, even softer pale hair, so soft, so familiar..
"Excuse us" Donatello bobbed round him.
After a few strides expanded the distance between them and all Leo could hear was the excited chatter from Michelangelo he followed him to the lab "Hardly a safe place" he stood in the doorway.
"Didn't think you cared. After all, wasn't it you who told me to keep her out of your way"
That was before.
Leonardo couldn't help but take another deep breath. That scent. So musky, so femimine. It was reaching places that nothing ever should. As Donatello turned his back, the eldest reached forward to gently touch her face. His attention leaving her lips to follow the line down to her generous bust. A twinge in his tail let him know he liked what he saw.
"I just think a lab is hardly contrusive to comfort that's all but" He paused and looked at her "I'll leave you to it" He didn't want to. He wanted to collect her up and take her to his room.
"Interested now are we?" Raphael was eyeing his brother from the other side of the room.
Leonardo walked over to him "No" he replied firmly "Why would I be?"
He knew that Raphael knew exactly why he would be. Was his larger sibling detecting her scent like he could? Donatello didn't seem overly aware.
"Enjoy theorizing to yourself. I'm having a shower"
Raphael muttered something under his breath but for Leo he had more important things to do.
The bathroom gave him a certain peace and space but no matter how quiet he became he could not recall why he knew this girl or how. He gripped the sides of the sink and took a deep breath. The cracking noise took him by surprise as did the broken bits of pottery which came away in his hands.
"I am in control" he hissed "I am!"
'Are you?' The voice was as clear as if it were his own.
He moved away from the sink and started the shower. As the steam filled the room he could feel his muscles un-knot, and once stripped and under the water he relaxed further still.
That was better. That was so much better. Just breathe Leo, just breathe.