Chapter 19
Wednesday, November 24, 1999
Chapter 19
The three turtles were brought back in like stringed-up wild beasts. This was not going as planned. The idea of being attacked off-guard had angered and hurt them deeply. They knew this was going to disappoint Splinter, wherever he was. Raphael was the first to come to his senses. Eyes darting around the room, he knew exactly where he was. Only this time, they out of the shadows and directly on spotlight being examined by men in lab coats. A pen light shined down into one of his eyes, making the pupil shrink.

"Aaaay! What the fuck are you trying to do? Blind me?"

"Interesting." The scientist took notes. He passed them to another one whom looked it over, nodding in agreement.

"Two more are coming, you said?"

"That's what I heard. Should we set the trap now?"

"Yes, right away."

"Damn. Leo and Casey are in trouble." Raph glanced to his two brothers. Out like a light. "Shit."

Michaelangelo moaned next to his brother and stirred within his small world of dreams mixed with nightmares. Another scientist moved over to where he laid, utterly fascinated by these movement and began to record more notes of every whim, every twitch he made. Raph blinked and rolled his eyes while watching these easily amused men crowding the three. As they worked on paper with pen, Raph took that opportunity to look around.

Big room, full of noise, full of talking, running around, bumping into one another, binds tied down to wrists and ankles. Chains. Solid, brass chains closed and locked tightly together. Got to move, got to get up. Mike, Don, quit snoozing and wake up! We have to get the fuck out of here, got to find Splinter. Need help but...the Caseman and Leo are coming soon. They'll walk right into a trap, they can't come here now.

"His brain waves are quite active, this one."

"That's because I'm contemplating your death you bastards!" Raph shrilled to the men. They looked to one another, writing more notes down. "Aw, fuck you all and your damn notes!"

Donatello finally opened his eyes wide when he felt a pain in his arm. Glancing down, he saw someone sticking another needle in the same spot that was inserted earlier. He groaned and looked up pitifully to the man, whom saw his expression, but didn't stop the process. Don looked down again.

"No...no, don't-"

"Silence, creature!" The man told him abruptly. He looked to his partner with interest. "It reacts to pain all right. Write it down." Don squeezed his eyes, then clenched his fists. "You've been injected before. You should be used to it by now. Just need a quick blood sample from you. Lark was supposed to handle this job but she seemed to have vanished-"

"No." Another scientist came up, shaking his head. "According to our look-out post, she took off from here with two other women on horseback. They're heading to town right now."

"The look-out. Did they go after-"

"Absolutely. They're hot on their trail."

"Leave them alone!" Donatello jerked his body up as far as it could go. "Grr, do you hear me?! They've done nothing to you! Leave....them.....alone...." His last words were through gritted teeth. The men ignored him and bustled around in an orderly fashion. Don groaned and laid back down, glancing to Raph. "This can't be happening. It just can't."

"It is, bro." A twisted face appeared in front of Raph's, grinning downward and injecting his arm. Raph growled in pain. "It....fucking is."

Michaelangelo finally woke up after feeling a prick on his inner arm. "Owch!" The man smiled to his reaction. "Hey! I am not a pin cushion!"

"No, but you do puncture quite well. Thanks for the sample....dude!" Mike rolled his eyes as the man took the test tube away to a table. "Got all three?" Some men nodded to that answer and showed the little samples proudly. "Then let's begin."

Elsewhere in the facility, a man paces a small room occasionally glancing to something tied to a cold slab of table. He's the one they're looking for. The one they called demented. And he knows it too. This man is a maniac, but a brilliant one. They usually are. They usually use their skills and put them to bad use or in scientific terms, morbid experimentation's. He liked his prize and wanted to test it inside and out. Even if it meant to kill it.

"They call you, Splinter?" Splinter looked up, sighing heavily. "What an interesting name...." The man circled the table, eyeing him closely. "My name is Kelvin but am referred to as the one in charge at this facility. Heard I was a convict? Was a crazy person on the loose? Well, my friend, don't believe everything they tell you. I am a genius and must be respected by all kinds. Even the animals treat me respectfully here. Are we clear on this?" Splinter said nothing. He was too weak to move his lips.

"Good. As my test subject, you will not be harmed. For when you are dead, you will feel nothing." He laughed to his own joke as he turned around to a table full of bizarre instruments. Knives of different shapes and sizes lined in rows upon rows. Splinter closed his eyes as he went into deep slumber, trying to think hard of being in another world, another dimension. He had to find the Turtles. He had to somehow reach out to them. In some dream world, he felt emptiness, but was completely calm.

Somewhere in a big hospital, a child flinched in her bed, twitching a finger or two. No one was in the room to witness this. She was all alone with nothing but the machines humming in the background. Her body was still but her mind was very active.

It was a valley. A wide, green valley full of flowers and butterflies. The grass felt cool to her bare feet. The sun was shining down on her golden curls, radiating a gleam from it's silkiness. It was such a beautiful sight, she felt like dancing. Dance and twirl and practice her little cartwheels upon crushed flowers from where her hands and feet stepped on them.

Shadow smiled when she saw someone in the distance. Someone sitting quite still and unmoving. She skipped closer to him. He smiled as she approached him. Taking her hands, she sat down across from him. She looked to his long hands, frowning.

"Oh, your hands. Why are you so cold?"

His voice was in a whisper as he talked but she listened to every word.

"Shadow darling, remember these words I have spoken. Your family is waiting for you to return, remember you are strong and must fight it from within. Remember at your age, it is not your time to leave us. Please, understand that without you, the world will mourn in tears and sorrow. Remember your mother, your father, your uncles. And remember me. We all love you and we want you to come back. Come back to us.

"I will. I will try." Shadow squeezed his hands. "But why are you so cold? Are you ill?"

"Yes." His whispers were fading. "The danger is still among us. I must fight it to stay alive. I will not give up this war. You must promise me you will not give up either."

"I promise. I love you Granpa Spinter." Shadow felt a kiss on her forehead and smiled.

Kate reached town first with Lark following her. The people paused to watch the two horses heading for the medical center. Lark looked all over for a vet hospital while April glanced around for a regular hospital. The three girls were tired and hungry and perhaps needing to find a place to change their clothes. April felt incredibly dirty wearing the same outfit from the day before.

"Kate, I must go see Shadow. I must know if she's all right."

"I know, April. I understand. Lark?" Lark circled around, nodding. "I'm taking April to the hospital to visit her little girl. I'll meet you at the vet's office and then we must take these horses home. They're in need of much rest."

"We all need rest." April sighed. "But, I can't sleep until Shadow, my husband and the guys are all safe and back at home."

Kate frowned. "It must be hard for you, April. To worry about the ones you love."

"I go through this kind of thing everyday. I feel like I'm related to a bunch of cops."

"In a way, you are, April. They're cops of their own rules. And your husband is a very big tough, guy."

April laughed sadly. "Lucky me." Kate dropped April off at the front of the hospital where she ran in down a long, busy hall way. The nurse snapped to attention when April reached the front desk, all out of breath. "Excuse me, excuse me hello!!" The woman nodded, staring wide-eyed. "Hi, um, a little girl was brought in here this morning. Can you tell me where she was taken?"

"What is your name?"

"Uh...April O'Neil Jones. Please, I have to see her right away."

The nurse reached down and picked up a clipboard, handing it to her. "Mrs. Jones, someone brought her in but neglected to sign some papers. Can you please fill out this form for us-"

April snatched it and slammed it on the desk. "Look, I will sign any goddamn thing you want! Just get me in to see my little girl! NOW!"

Lark found a veterinary hospital and halted Garette by the back door instead of the front. Walking in, she alerted the first nurse she spotted that it was urgent to see a doctor right away to treat Jemina and all her newborns. The nurse took the cage and the two women got the cats seen by one of the top staff doctors of the building. They asked her questions, exchanged views and the people of the building were quite impressed by Lark's knowledge of such things. Lark nodded silently.

"I'm in school right now but if you have any openings, I am looking for part-time." Lark hinted. "Um, I have to go but...I will come back to see how the cats are doing."

"We'll have these cats checked out right away. Just leave us your name and number and we will call you if anything comes up. About the job, dear...." The nurse looked to the doctor, whom had a small smile to his face. "We'll think about it."

Lark knew her old job was no longer considered a legal one and needed something to pay her bills as she went to school. It sounded like positive news but it didn't mean she'd be showing up at 9 a.m. Monday morning. These things took time, days, lots of training with hard tests. She hoped she could get in. It was a profession she really wanted to fulfill. Walking outside, she found someone standing by Garette. Someone she had never seen before. The man grinned as she got closer.

"What are you doing by my horse?"

"Waiting for you." Lark went to speak but felt a sharp blow to the head from behind, knocking her unconscious. The man watched her drop into the arms of his friend. "Waiting to take you back to work. The boss has some questions for you." The two took her away on their own horse, leaving Garette to shake his head and stand alone. Back out to the front, the horses started a quick pace, bumping into a shocked passerby. Also on a horse.

"Lark?! Lark! Oh, my God! Nooooo!" Kate caught the men riding off with one of them holding Lark at the saddle. "Hey!" They kept going but that didn't stop her. "Help! Somebody!" Kate kicked Augustus's sides and started to chase them down without thinking they'd be armed. "Laaaark!" Through the streets, people watched two male riders galloping off with one female rider following them. Kate looked left to right to the people that stared at them. "Help me!!!! Somebody, please! Call the police! Call the police!" Getting closer to them, Kate reached down to her saddle pack and picked up her water-filled canteen, chucking it at one of the men. It knocked one in the back, throwing him off balance and from his horse. His friend, still holding Lark, paused to look to him, then glared to Kate.

"Damn, bitch!" He turned to keep going with Kate right on his tail.

Within minutes, a sheriff's car soon spun out of nowhere and drove down after the remaining man on horseback. As a last resort, he finally spun around and pulled out a gun and began shooting at the cop car and Kate. More spectators on the streets stood still watching, thinking it was some kind of western show going on. The cop's passenger quickly called back-up on his radio while the horses started to go crazy from the gun shot noises. She knew she was too close and had no time to react. The man took one bullet aimed right at Kate and fired direct hit, the blow knocking her backwards off of Augustus. More cop cars pulled out everywhere, surrounding the two riders. Bob, still holding his walkie talkie, came galloping over with Jesse following behind. The people looked up to see them approach the area.

"Got the back-up call. Search those men and interrogate them!" Bob smiled to Jesse. "God, I love this job."

In the distance in the woods, the scene was watched through miniature binoculars. A groan was heard from the bushes.

"Damn it.....Yeah, it's me. The police are out there. We can't get the women now. Too many people will see us."

"Are they dead?"

"One girl took off, the second one is...." He watched the police rounding up their men. "Lark. She was knocked out but is still alive."

"Wasn't there a third?"

"Yes, but she got shot. She's...." He pulled out the binoculars, watching again. "she's.....yeah, she's gone. I'd considered her no longer a threat."

"Hmm. Keep a close watch on them anyway. They are all a threat to us."

The sounds of commotion reached inner parts buildings close by. The medical staff, waiting patients from the waiting room, and April still holding the clipboard ran out to see the action. A stream of squad cars circled around with the men being hand-cuffed and taken away. April was pushed back but she fought her way toward the scene. Pausing, she saw Lark on the ground, her hand covered in blood from an open wound on her head.

"April....."

"Lark! My god, what the hell happened?"

"Some guys grabbed me and tried to take me away. I think they were from the lab...ow..."

"Okay, okay, calm down, Lark. Are you all right? Can you move?"

"April....please, I'm fine.....it's Kate...." Lark pointed over to Kate whom was surrounded by cops and paramedics. "April, she's been shot."

April gasped and stood up to run over to her friend. It didn't look good. From what she saw before being pulled away, Kate was placed on a stretcher, motionless and bleeding profusely from her upper left chest. An oxygen mask was fitted over her face as the team each read out the heart rate, blood pressure, and other important things of what should drop or raise over seconds. The paramedics took Lark as well for questioning and to be examined. April was at her side, sobbing and panicking all over. Bob glanced up and saw April being ushered into the paramedics van.

"Hey...Jesse. It's that woman again. The one from the woods. That is her, isn't it? When did she get out here?"

"I don't know." Jesse shrugged and finished cuffing one of the men on the ground, not looking up.

"Hang on, Jesse. I'll be right back." Bob stood up and started to walk fast down the few blocks.

The drive wasn't far at all. Being close to the hospital, Kate was brought in to the emergency entrance then placed on a gurney, soon wheeled down to the emergency room. Lark was brought in by wheelchair and sent to a smaller room. April, left to wait in the hall, paused and stared at the rooms. Not only was Shadow's life in jeopardy, so was Kate's and maybe Lark's as well. Standing there alone, the shock finally hit her. Her insides exploded with heavy sobs and moans. Not too long after, a few officers entered the halls for questioning witnesses and filing out reports. Didn't they have any respect for the people whom were sick or upset? No, they wanted answers. April tearfully glanced up and squinted to one of them.

"Have we met?"

"Afternoon, Ma'am. Name's Bob Candis and I do believe I've seen you before. I just saw you out there with one of the women whom have been shot. Now, if you don't mind I need to ask you a few questions if you can."

April sat a good long ten minutes, telling him what she knew.

"Can you just repeat that for the record, if you will?"

April rolled her eyes. "I came to town with two other girls from the woods. One of those men on horseback tried to kidnap my friend and take her back to that warehouse where Kelvin Harris is dwelling as we speak."

"Now, are you sure that it really is him?" Bob looked up from his notes. "You realize he's still on the loose-"

"Yes! I'm telling you it's him! I've been there. I saw him myself. Harris is running some sort of weird operation with hired scientists and army rejects. But my family also is-"

"So what you're saying is that small organization out there is a hoax? Because we have reports saying it's a legal compound-"

"They want you to believe that it's legal-" April groaned, getting angry. "Look, my husband is heading there....ohhh! Or, he's probably already there now! My whole family is in danger and you're sitting here on your ass having a pep talk! You have to go help them!"

"All right, just calm down, ma'am. We just need the facts. That's all."

"She's right." Lark stepped out of the room with a bandage around her head. The nurse stood by, ushering her to go back to the room.

Bob stared at her. "Lark Hanson! What on earth are you doing here?"

April looked to Bob, "You know her?" then to Lark. "You know this guy, Lark?"

"We've met before on occassion." The pleasure of it didn't sound like she enjoyed it. "I just came to tell you my position out there. I was a worker at that place, sir. Harris was my boss and he's got big plans to destroy half the countryside. Those are your facts."

Bob stood up, staring at Lark. "Now, hold on, darling! That's going a bit too far with one man, here! You....you must be joking! You're talking delirium here!" Bob looked down to April. "Well, tell me I'm right? Harris wouldn't take others lives if it included his own!"

"Bob." April stood also. "If you know what's best, you will go stop this mad man. And save our lives."

Leonardo, Casey and Jack reached the warehouse at approximately 1 p.m. in the afternoon. From the outside, the area was empty of any activity. Casey wished they could alert the police about this corrupted place but with Leo and his brothers there, they would assume them as part of the test subjects and take them away as well. Leo glanced around everywhere, all over the wide spaces of the trees, the bushes, the grounds. It was too quiet for his liking. He knew a trap had to be set for them. Casey started to move closer but was pulled back abruptly by Leo.

"What?!"

"Shhh!"

"Leo, we can't just sit here all damn day!"

"Don't you see it?" Casey shook his head. "Exactly. It's a trap. This is far too easy for us. If we get any closer, they'll get us. There has to be some other way to get in without causing too much exposure."

Casey snorted. "How about the air ventilation?" He chuckled, then looked to Leo whom stared at him. "That was a joke."

"No, that's a damn good plan."

The three scuttled along the tall bushes up and around to the south side of the warehouse. The perimeter was crawling of men with guns resting across their chests. Leo groaned to the sight. He was thinking very hard at how to get past them without making themselves seen. Thoughts played on like strategy.

"I have a better plan. But we can also keep the old one." Jack suddenly said and before Leo could pull him back, he started to casually walk up to the group of guards that blocked the ventilation grate. He reached the men and saluted them in a kind gesture. "At ease boys, I was wondering if you can help me? See, I've lost my way and need to get to town but don't know which direction to go."

The guards started to talk to him and left their posts to show him a trail to take to town. Leo watched them leave. Casey grinned happily.

"Well, there you go, Leeeeeo."

"That was the easy part, Casey. Dealing with what's inside is going to be the hard part."

"Dealing with what's inside is going to be the hard part....nyah nyah." Leonardo crept off as Casey made a funny face while mimicking what he said. Leo looked back as Casey straightened up with a smile. "Ahem! After you, Mr. Leader sir!" Leonardo turned away just as Casey glared to him cross-eyed with his tongue hanging out.

Leonardo pulled the grate off with some effort and looked in with squinted eyes. It was cold, dark, cramped, and smelled like dirt. "Ugh! Um, okay, the front door is out of the question. If this is one way in, we gotta take it." Casey mouthed every sentence with eyes rolling around. "Stay close. It's very dirty in here so you'd better keep your tongue inside your mouth." Casey stopped and his eyes widened as Leo turned to look at him. "I know you too well to take my words seriously."

"Hey, I'm being serious! You're just talking like a know-it-all."

"For your information, I don't know it all. Only what I see and hear. And think."

"Well, then you're acting like a know-it-all."

"Casey." His tone was getting irritated. "I'm not going to argue with you. Let's get going. We're wasting valuable time."

"But, what about Jack? He's still out there."

"We can't wait for Jack. He'll have to stay out there or find another way in. Now, come on." Leonardo entered the small space, crawling on all fours. He groaned as he felt his warm clothes starting to make him hot and feel sweaty. "Man.....this is very cramped. But, it's better than nothing. It's pretty big; you'll be able to fit in here as well."

Casey crouched down and looked in. "Yeah, I'll fit, but I'll be staring at your ass the whole way-"

"Casey!"

"All right, all right! Sheesh, whatta grouch!" Casey crawled in after Leo and heard the sound of footsteps coming close from behind. With a gasp he rushed forward, bumping his head into his backside, making Leo grunt angrily. "Ow, damn it! Move up! The jerks are coming back, they'll see us!"

"Close the grate, then!" Leo hissed further down. "Hurry!"

The men were walking back, talking to themselves.

"What did he want?"

"Wanted directions to town. Got lost or something."

"Did that grate move?" The four looked over. The grate was already back up as it was before.

"Shit, man! Don't spook us like that!"

"I'm serious! I saw it move!"

"It was probably some little critter that got in there."

Casey, closer to the grate, heard this talk and looked to Leo whom was looking to him with a single finger on his lips. Casey was not in the mood to sit quietly in a small enclosure as they were currently in. "Leo....I'm going to have guards up my ass if you don't keep moving."

Leonardo started to move on, glancing back to him. "That's not as bad as the thought of having you up my ass, Casey! You think I'm enjoying this any more than you? Think about all the crap that's happened to us and compare it to this. This is nothing. Already the house was raided by wolves, we've been hunted down by forest rangers and soldiers in the woods, Shadow is lying unconscious in the hospital, I've been shot at, my brothers and sensei could be in trouble, we're entering a warehouse run by crazy people-"

"Wait. Hold it. Stop. Back up." Casey interrupted with a hand waving. Leo glanced to him and started to back track. "No, I mean back up on what you said about Shadow. What about her lying unconscious in the hospital? What the hell are you talking about?"

Leonardo sighed, moving forward at a turn in the crawlspace. He gave him a sad look. "Oh, Casey. You were bound to find out sooner or later, but, with everything that's happened so far, I haven't found the right time to tell you about that." Casey went to yell but Leo went on. "But with you being her father, it was wrong of me not to tell you right away. You have every damn right to know and should have not been kept in the dark for this long."

"Damn straight, Leo." Was all he could muster since he was still shock of hearing his daughter was hospitalized. "So, what the hell happened?"

Leo looked over to an exit in the floor, leading down to one of the rooms. "It's a long story. Long and difficult to explain." He paused, feeling a lump in his throat. Casey watched him closely as he looked away and downward. "Uhm, I found a way in. Let's get out of here, Casey and I promise I'll tell you everything that happened. Okay?"

"Um, yeah. Fine. Good idea." Casey mumbled. Then looked up again. "Besides, I can't take you seriously when I'm staring down at your rear." Leo went to say something but Casey continued. "Forget that uh, bad joke. Uh, sorry. I mean, you can tell me when we're not in a tight spot."

"Casey." Leo's voice brightened. "Do you know what you just said?"

"That you can tell me what happened when we're not in a tight spot?"

Leo shook his head. "No. You said you were sorry. To me."

"No, I didn't." He said quickly, looking around as if hoping no one else heard him besides the dust bunnies.

"Yes, you did. You said you were sorry. Uh, not for what I intended you to be sorry about but, you actually apologized to me."

"Uh, right. So I did." Casey said, feeling hot under the collar. "Just don't tell anyone I told you that or I'll beat ya to a pulp. Got it?"

Leo smiled. "Got it."

The phone rang three times and was picked up by a young man.

"Hello? Yes, this is he." He swallowed and looked around, feeling himself getting choked up as the words were passed through the line into his ear. The voice had no feeling within it's tone. All professional, no emotion. A woman entered the room, staring at him with concern. "All right. I'll be right there." He put the phone down, gripping the handle for a moment.

"Tom?"

"Nicole. I need to go to town. It's Kate. She's been an accident."

"Oh, god. Do you want me to-"

"No, I'll go." Tom went to grab his jacket and keys. "Stay here with Andy. I'll call you to let you know if anything comes up."

Tom got into his Ford truck and sped off down the dirt road. It was his little sister, his only sister that he fought with, made up with and after all these years, grew up with. Kate was his life, his one reason for sticking around for so long. The two loved horses more than anything in the world and when both were old enough, were given each a horse for Christmas. Although both married, they decided to stay together and live among a ranch community of others whom shared the same love of horses. Kate married Jack, Tom married Nicole and for the longest time, life was good. A short time later, Jack was considered dead, Kate went into a deep depression, talking less and smoking more. Tom felt it was the cigarettes that would take her soul, not something like being-

"Shot. My baby sister. It's impossible. This can't be happening."

Tom glanced into the rear view mirror, seeing the tears streaking his face. He wiped them away, continuing to drive on. Music might help take his mind off of it as he drove. He reached down to flip on the radio, hoping to hear some good tunes.

The room was starting to spin around and around. Donatello felt himself becoming extremely nauseous after he was injected with some unknown serum in his defected arm. He glanced down to see the area pulsating and oozing with some sort of liquid. This worried Raphael whom sat the closest to him to see the arm reacting strangely.

"If tentacles start coming out of your arm, we're in big trouble."

"Doubtful, Raph." Don said in a sickly tone. "And please don't make my stomach feel any queasier than it already is."

"What? All I said was if tentacles-"

"And that's all I needed to hear. Now, please. Shut up."

"Raph, stop." Michaelangelo spoke up to his left. "I feel a little sick myself."

"Help!" Raph lurched up. "Get me away from these two before they puke on me!"

"Silence! All of you!" A man entered the room. It was him. Don gasped in his spot, trying to look away. He approached his side and gazed down. "We meet again, turtle. Only this time, you're awake to face your adversary."

"I already know who you are, Harris. But do your slaves know?" Some scientists turned around, looking to Harris, then to Don as he continued. "Perhaps you neglected to tell them the real truth? You'd be surprised at how they'd react to knowing-"

"I said silence!"

"Meet Kelvin Harris everyone! Yes, the one and the same convicted murderer wanted in dozens of states nationwide. Last seen roaming the countryside of Noho's own back roads of-" Donatello felt an extremely hard punch to his jaw, sending blood to trickle down his mouth. "Aaah, shit! Not good...."

"Hey!" Raph and Mike yelped at the same time.

Harris leaned closer to his face. Don felt him clench his fingers around his neck. "I said, silence, or I'll choke the very life out of your freakish body!"

"Yeah, go right ahead. Why hold out now?" Don growled back. Harris paused and looked to see some men watching him. "But last I heard, your so-called job here was saving helpless creatures, not harming them. Or was that a lie as well?"

"Stop that, mutant!"

"Stop what? You can't get out of this one, Harris. You've just proven to your staff that you're the devil in disguise. Admit defeat. Turn yourself in."

"Don, now, I'm going to tell you to shut up." Raph calmly mumbled.

"Why is that Raph?"

"Damned creatures that you are!" Harris erupted, rounding on them. "How dare you threaten me! YOU are in no position to give me or my staff orders!

"Hey, I didn't say anything!" Mike spoke up defensively.

"Who's side are you on?" Don's brow lowered to his brother.

"The side that will hopefully get us out of here-"

"Shut up!" Harris screamed. "Ohhhh, I have never met such annoying things in all my life!" He turned to someone. "I'll make it acceptable of testing the new instruments on these three bothersome freaks. Get your crew together and prepare them for the dissection room!"

"Can we start to panic now?" Mike whispered.

"I've gone beyond panicking, bro." A man holding a gas mask reached the table. Raphael glanced up to him as he placed it over his nose. "I'm at the point of having a few insanely and rather volatile screams of pure terror. Oh, fuck....." His eyes closed tightly as he drifted into deep sleep.

Michaelangelo gasped to see his brother pass out before his eyes. He then looked up to see a second mask being put over his face next. "Ulp! Will I get a toy after I'm done?" An assistant standing by turned away with a smirk.

"They are quite humorous, aren't they?"

"Mm, hmm." The man holding the mask nodded. "Too bad we won't see their comedy act later on." So dry on the humor! So, pompous!

Donatello watched the pleasure on Harris's face of doing the honor's of placing his knock-out gas mask on.

"You won't get away with this, Harris. I swear to it, you won't....

Harris smiled and watched as he slowly drifted off into his deep sleep. "Again with the orders. Such a strong one, you are. Because you volunteered so richly, I'll see to it you're the first to be ripped apart. Freak."

Casey had a slight remembrance of how the layout of the place went. He didn't remember when being brought in but certainly did when making a new exit out. From the vent above, he and Leonardo dropped down into a cold, empty room stacked full of boxes and dust. Leo yelped when his foot crunched through and opened one of the boxes. He quickly somersaulted onto the ground and rolled to the side before the stack came tumbling down on him. Casey gritted his teeth as he helped him to stand.

"Do you think you could be anymore noisy than you already are?" Leo, having his ego bruised by falling to the floor, didn't answer to that. Heading out to leave, Casey paused and turned back around to the broken box. "Hey, wait a minute, Leo. I think you found something."

"What?" The two walked back over to the fallen boxes and examined it. Within the taller boxes were stacks upon stacks of home-made explosives of all sorts. Dynamite, firecrackers, poppers, minature bombs, and any type of 'blow up' toy one could imagine were all stuffed neatly within. "Damn, I don't like the look of this."

"Starting a little early for the Fourth of July, isn't he?" Casey observed.

Leo shook his head. "I doubt these will be used for a patriotic holiday."

"Ya mean this guy doesn't support the old red, white, and blue?"

"No, Casey. I think he only supports red, the color of blood that will be shed from both humans and animals if these things are set off. We'd better be careful around here. Having all these explosions lying around makes this place highly unstable."

"In other words?"

"One strike of a match or any flame igniting will turn this whole building into nothing but a pile of splinters." Hmm, Splinter. Finding his sensei and brothers in this mad house worried him more by the minute. Leo pushed the box into the farthest corner, heading for the exit. "Let's get going and find the others."

The team search outside for the alien and wolf man came to a close. With the extra security returned, the interior compounds have become a chore to walk around in. Scientists as well as guards roamed freely among the halls. More so of scientists whom weren't ready for any surprises. Leonardo looked left to right before creeping out into the dark hall. It was a small and narrow path for the two, making them walk single file against the shadowy walls. In passing many of the rooms, one stopped and caught their eye.

"Oh, my God." Leo said in a growl with gritted teeth. Casey came around from the back to stare inside, feeling he made the mistake of doing so. Hanging on the walls, resting on the tables, and lined against the back of the room were rows upon rows of dead animals. Wolves, small critters, domestics such as cats and dogs all littered this fairly large, and very foul-smelling, room. Leo felt they should check if any were still alive but the sight and smell prevented them from entering. His stomach was churning from it all and he stepped away, covering his mouth. "Uhhhh....Casey." Leo gasped, looking to see he was nowhere in sight. "Casey?" Casey came back from around the corner, wiping his mouth.

"If I had lunch, I would have just lost it."

"We...uh, we've got to keep moving on. You okay?" Leo reached his side, placing a hand up to his shoulder. Casey nodded. "Come on, let's go."

Splinter was left alone in the small room with some scientists watching overhead. He heard other men talking from the adjoining rooms, machinery sounds going off, footsteps coming and leaving. All in his keen hearing, he sensed something else was close. A someone here to help. He closed his eyes and shut out all the noises except for one. The strain was very hard for his weakened state but he knew had to do it. He had to speak what he saw and felt deep within his subconscious.

His lips trembled out: "Leonardo."

"What the-" Leonardo perked up. It felt as though a rush or gust of wind went through him. Casey paused to see him bend over and cradling his head.

"Leo? What the hell is it? Something bad?"

"No....I hear him. He's here. Very close by....." Leo shook his head, suddenly feeling pain. "Sensei's been hurt. I can feel it now. I can feel him trying to...but can't...." Leo started to run at a quick pace now, leaving Casey to follow with questions and confusion. "This way, it has to be."

The two ran down another corridor making a sharp right. Leo paused and fell into a shadow as a soldier walked past him. Casey remained around the corner until the soldier past. He looked to him, frowning. "F.U.C....Fuc?"

"Casey, this way!" Leo hissed to him. Casey shrugged and kept moving. He never heard of such a name before. The letters, F.U.C., was written on the breast pocket of the soldier. The rooms were becoming a blur to Leo's eyes but he kept going further down until he stopped abruptly, Casey almost toppling over his short body. "There! In here!" Leo hugged the wall and with sword drawn, entered the room quickly. "Graah!" A small fight broke out between turtle and man. Casey followed in, side-kicking two approaching scientists. It ended as quickly before it started for the heroes. "Master?" Leonardo approached a corner table and gazed down to his sensei, strapped with leather binds, his eyes closed tight. "Master!"

"Leo....nardo...." Splinter opened his eyes, looking up to his beloved student. "I was so worried about you. Thank goodness you are all right."

"I was more worried for you, master. Hold tight, let me get these straps off of you."

"Leonardo" Leo glanced up, then continued working the binds. "....I must explain.....this place....is run by.....Harris...he is here....."

"Harris? Who's that?" Leo looked to Casey whom shrugged. "Come on, sensei. We've got to get you out of here and find the others."

"I'll find them. Stay with him, Leo. Catch you later." Casey treaded off down the halls as Leo started to loosen the straps, shaking his head.

"Who is this Harris person, sensei?"

"Leonardo, think back for a moment...." Splinter looked down to flex his sore wrists and ankles once the straps were removed. It felt good to move them around freely. "...think to the news we saw of that convict.....It is the same convict that escaped from prison....is here..." He swallowed.

Leo looked to him with a gasp. "Convict? You mean Kelvin Harris?!" Splinter nodded, his eyes rolling up. "Oh, man, we're worse off than I thought. We can't leave with him still running around free." Splinter shook his head next, knowing they were in for a big war. Leo sighed, looking to him. "Master, I must tell you we've discovered something else. This whole area is not safe. Casey and I found boxes loaded with dynamite. Either he plans to start an early Fourth of July or he wants to wipe out this entire countryside!"

"I am afraid, with the mind of a demented and dangerous convict, he will choose the latter, Leonardo." Splinter sat up with a groan. "Come, let us find where Casey went, find your brothers, and stop this mad man once and for all."

The pencil is the most safest and, if the patients were awake, ticklish part of the whole experiment. All three turtles were in deep sleep as the scientists drew with a white marker dotted lines on the sections to start cutting with the knives. Their skin was too thick for a pencil to make a mark and a blue color would be too hard to see with their dark green complexion.

"Such odd creatures, I'd hate to see them die over this." The same assistant, whom found Mikey funny earlier, was in charge of cutting him open.

"You're not supposed to get attached!" The man next to the assistant pointed with a knife. "Now, start cutting."

"I don't think so, pal." The man turned just as Casey threw a very hard right hook square in the jaw. The scientist fell over with his feet up in the air. Casey went around to attack the others in ballistic mode, finding them to be too easy to waste his energy on. He glanced to the sleeping turtles on the tables. "Come, on guys! Wake up! Nap time's over!" Casey threw another punch to a prepared scientist, ducking the blow. He lifted a foot to kick Casey in the leg. Easily blocked with an added kick to send him down.

A tray resting near the tables had a large, perfectly measured out container of water. Possibly for when the scalpels got too bloody, they'd dip them in there to clean them off. Casey snatched the water up and threw it on the three, hitting them all at once.

"Get up, now! I need help!"

Michaelangelo sputtered and opened his eyes, blinking to Casey. "Aaaack! You cursed brat! Look what you've done! I'm melting! Melting! Oh, what a world, what a world-"

"Aah, shut up, Mike!" Casey flipped a guy over, sending him painfully to the ground. "Don, Raph! Up and at 'em!"

"I'm up, I'm....where the fuck am I?" Raph looked from side to side, seeing Mike sitting up, wiping the water from his eyes.

"We're in hell, remember?" Don responded, clenching his left fist and looking down to his arm. "Damn, that doesn't look good." Both him and Raphael sat up next, wiping their eyes and stepping down, more like falling off, the tables. They walked wearily around, still dazed from the loss of blood but happy to see they were still in one piece. "Hey, Casey."

"Donny!" Casey waved after slam dunking the last scientist. "Nice to see you alive and ticking."

"Same here." Don smiled weakly. "Nice to see you're not a wolf anymore."

"That won't last." He mumbled, glancing to the faded bite. "You know how it goes." Don nodded.

"We'll think of something to do before every full moon." Mike suggested, almost slumping to the ground hadn't Raph been standing there to catch him.

"Whoa, watch out, Mike." Raph said, holding him back up. He almost felt as if he were about to collapse. "Damn, we look like road maps, don't we?"

All three looked down, seeing white dotted lines drawn all over their bodies. Casey snickered. "Lucky thing I got here in time, or we'd need to get body bags to carry you out." He snickered a little more then stopped, seeing they weren't amused. In fact, they weren't even looking at him. "What?" Turning around his eyes widened.

"Leo!" The brothers exclaimed with relieved smiles. Leo returned a small smile. Casey turned around, smirking.

"Oh, yeah. I brought him too." He joked. Leo entered with Splinter's arm around his shoulder. "Leo, Is he all right?"

"Ehh, he's stable but we need to get him home as soon as we can." Leo mumbled and Casey walked over lifting Splinter under his arm on the other side. "We'll all be taking a good breath once we get out safely. Don, where was he last?"

"Who?" Casey looked over to Leo across from Splinter.

"Harris!" Leo exclaimed quietly so that he wouldn't deafen his sensei's ear. "Kelvin Harris is running this whole operation."

"And he must be stopped." Don added. Leo nodded to him.

Casey raised a finger. "Wait who is-"

"How are we going to stop him?" Mike asked.

"Well, he's more vulnerable by himself." Raph said.

"Wait a second-"

"So, then we should try to catch him off guard." Mike suggested.

"But-"

Don pointed out. "Yes, Mike. He was out in the main hall last, I'm sure we'll find them there."

"I-"

"Right!"

"Stop!" The Turtles and Splinter looked to Casey. "I have no idea who're talking about! Who the hell IS this Kelvin Harris?"

"I am Kelvin Harris." All six looked up to the door entryway. The man himself stood in the front with swarms of soldiers in the background. All armed.

Raphael glared to him. "So, much for plan A."

Donatello groaned and shook his head. "We're in big trouble now."

Jack got half way down the trail and stopped to look back, hoping Leo and Casey got in without being seen.

"Jack!" Jack turned to see his old friend trotting over on horseback. "Jack! Man, where have you been?"

"Robert, I've got news for you-"

"And I've got news for you! There's been a shooting in town! All units were at the scene. Holy Jesus, man, that alien creature was right all along!" Jack frowned as Bob dismounted, pointing behind him. "Guess who's coming to dinner?" A large army of officers on horseback were coming up the way. "I questioned a woman in town and she said that warehouse the alien mentioned is where Harris is! Jack, we found our man!"

"But, Robert, his family is in that-"

Don't give me that family bull! If I'm certain, the alien was heading that way and is probably there right now. Led us right to him!"

"Robert please, let's get some things straight. One, he's not an alien. And two...." Jack sighed. "He wasn't lying about his family. We were on our way to rescue them from that warehouse. I mean, my friend you met earlier, Casey Jones, his wife is in there-"

"Casey...Jones? You mean April O'Neil Jones? No, she's not there. There was an April O'Neil Jones in town at the hospital. Not too many have that same name!" Bob grinned. "Besides, I talked to her myself after the shooting. That alien would use any excuse to get away from us."

"No, I seriously doubt that." Jack groaned. "That alien...I mean that green guy is good. He wants to save his family-"

"Oh, enough!" Bob signaled behind him. "Move out! To the warehouse!" The horses and boots trampled along the grounds past Jack and Bob, heading down the way Jack came from. Bob turned to him with a big grin. "This is it, Jack. It's show time!"

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