Chapter Nineteen: Preparation

At the time when everyone down below was talking about Leonardo, that very individual had already abandoned the Lair to find his own space where he could do his own thing and avoid the judgement. It would also mean avoiding any confrontation with his father, the best thing all round. He knew that they would all make him feel ashamed, crazy even, but none of that was true. Yes he was changing, he could feel a new energy pulsing within him; at first it had scared him, made him feel vulnerable, stupid, but now he decided to embrace it. Everything in life happened for a reason and therefore this new beginning must have reason enough even if he couldn't see it yet.

The girl had clouded his mind, her sweet scent making any rational thought impossible. Now he was away from her he could see that, she was too much of a distraction. There was no denying though that he wanted her - every fibre of his being longed to touch her soft skin again. But she would be sorted another day, another time, though he did feel assured that she wouldn't be get easy ride up until that point. His new friend would see to that, and right now it was looking like he was his only friend.

The turtle with the black-rims in his eyes. The one who had been full of mocking, full of torture, who was now a useful guide and perhaps the only one who would show him the way. A better way.

Leonardo admired his new surroundings and took a breath.

Well done. You're free.

Above ground Casey Jones was sitting with Detective Launder looking at the lab results from tests made on site and from the victims of the last killings. It had been clear from visiting Fallon's place that the man had more than a bit of an obsession with Leeanne and he had done a good job in hiding it. Profilers reckoned it was a classic case of a man who had hidden behind the job and then snapped. It was also clear that the attack on residents from Leeanne's block was done by a different killer - they were messy, frenzied almost where as the killer of the young women had a calm almost centred approach. They could tick Fallon off, job done - now they had to find this other individual.

"Not human" announced Launder. Casey didn't know whether this was a question or a statement so he raised his eyebrows and looked at his boss. "We know that Bebop and Rocksteady are in our care and your boys wouldn't do this so..."

"We have another mutant on the loose" finished Casey quietly. And this guy was brutal. The girls were violently raped and their necks broken. Then they were tossed away like garbage. There was however, no noise, only a few muffles had been heard at a couple of addresses and items in the homes had not been damaged. Every single time though the letters TCRI were written on the mirror - usually with the girl's own blood.

Was this a clue? An indication as to where this monster was hiding or where he'd been created? Or was it just a merry dance, a mockery? One thing was for certain they would have to return to TCRI and do some further work whether Sacks liked it or not.

"They have to be up to something at TCRI, that place is way beyond dodgy" Casey stood up "The way those guys went for Leeanne"

"That reminds me" Launder moved his chair closer to the monitor and clicked "Did they happen to look the same as this?"

The screen jumped then freeze framed on a guy in a suit holding a thin weapon behind his coat "Came in from the witness that was mentioned, she claimed to seen this individual shooting that Fallon guy"

"That's him! One of the quad-tuplets or whatever, where...?" exclaimed Casey, then he remembered "Damn. I was supposed to meet with her wasn't I? Sorry."

"Luckily she came in herself - we have all the details including where she was at the time and it all seems to match up - uniform did a scout on her and she's clean, so to speak...For one of the homeless crew; most aren't so, how shall I put it, community minded"

Casey understood.

"So, with all this I take it we will be paying TCRI another visit? It won't please Mr Sacks, that I can assure you. He wasn't exactly welcoming last time I popped in on

"Well Casey, this time you won't be alone and I shall get authority from the Chief - that way, he will have nowhere to hide and I'm darn if I'm going to listen to him moaning about warrants. Hey, we will bring his ass down town if we have to"

"How to make my day in just one sentence" replied Casey, grinning.

Sacks realised how good it was to have someone on the 'inside' watching out for you. And it just so happened that having such a person in the NYPD was especially useful. When Officer Jones had turned up with his little warrant Sacks couldn't deny it had got under his skin. Jones was like a fly buzzing about, just like O'Neil, and both of them deserved a decent squashing from a large rolled up paper. Detective Launder though wouldn't be so easy to remove - with his twenty odd years experience this guy would be more like a thorn in the side - digging in, sharply.

After Jones had gone and then the disaster with Miss Miller, Sacks decided who better to get up close and personal with but with the cops themselves. Oh, they said they were all 'loyal to the cause' but Sacks knew there would always be one or two who would take a bribe, do something for a bit of extra cash - all it took was a bit of record searching and then bingo, his luck was in. And it was a good job too because according to his new contact there was an eagerness to return and, as he put it: dig a little deeper. And he knew why. This second batch of killings, the victims all female, had a direct link to TCRI because Mr Killer had painted the letters right next to the dead bodies. He re-watched the Q&A with the Chief of Police and there was Miss O'Neil in the thick of it putting him right on the spot. He gripped his pen tightly upon seeing her, feeling the pressure of it's resistance against his palm. Though this information had not been made public 'officially' it was obvious she knew - it seemed her and Officer Jones were close after all.

His new ally had agreed not only to keep him in the loop with all the investigation material but he had also readily agreed to tail Jones - who better to do that then a cop? It was all for a fee of course. Just to see where Jones frequented after his shift and during free time - and if it was underground...

"So we're agreed?" Donatello looked around the group.

"I think it is for the best my son" replied Splinter seriously "I would never usually go to such lengths but we have to find out what has affected Leonardo before it gets any worse. Though you have had no ill affects my dear it is obviously not the case for my eldest so we must get him contained as soon as possible"

"He ain't gonna like it" muttered Raphael

"He might throw us all around!" added Michelangelo "My face is too handsome to get smashed up"

"Hold on" interjected Donatello "I will have to build something which will block those sorts of 'powers'"

Leeanne could feel her stomach churning, her mouth was so dry, words were forming in her head but she could not say them.

You had killed people - that's what Sacks said - that's what the chemical did to you - it made you into a Monster the same way it is doing to Leonardo.

"You are the experiment" "Look what you did"... She could see Sacks in her mind, looming over her; a ridiculously imposing figure.

"But I'm okay now"

Everyone looked at her. Damn. She had said it aloud. Her face flushed pink.

"Sorry. It's just I am okay so if I had the same exposure why is that the case? I mean, it was intended for me so...?"

"It's back to the screwdriver theory again" said Donatello "Everyone must react differently"

Others have died.

"Man I love MY theory" began Michelangelo proudly as he folded his arms across his chest and beamed at everyone "It's so cool"

"It's not bad little bro'...not bad at all" Donatello patted his younger brother on the shoulder warmly "As soon as I can get Leo contained then I can begin tests, it would be easier if he were to just comply but, well, we know he won't"

And so it was agreed. Donatello would build a containment unit for his older brother and then they'd get him inside.

Leeanne watched them all scatter apart from the brains of the bunch who wanted to get started right away. Splinter, it would seem, would head towards his eldest son's room. Maybe it was guilt that drove him to check thought Leeanne to herself, but whatever it was she knew already that Leo wasn't there. Instead he was 'out there' 'somewhere' once again looking to quench that thirst, that desire.

And it was then she also knew: more girls would die tonight.