CHAPTER TWO

A couple of nights later, Raph and Mike went to one of their pub hangouts The Red Door. Raph ordered a couple of beers and the brothers sat at a table near the window. Raph took a long swallow of his beer and sighed, " This sure beats sitting in the den with Leo,"
" He's acting even more bossier than usual," Mike commented, " I wonder what's up with him?"
" Maybe he got a scolding from Splinter," Raph said sarcastically and Mike chuckled. Even calm, collected Mile was losing some of his patience with Leo these days.
Raph took another drink from his mug when he suddenly spat it out, spraying it onto the table. Mike recoiled, " Gross Raph, so mature of you." He used a couple of napkins and wiped up the mess.
" He's here," Raph choked out.
" Who? Leo? Don't tell me he followed us here. He really needs to get a life," Mike craned his neck. A guy with short brown hair and brown eyes had walked in though the door. He looked tough wearing black jeans and a black t-shirt.
" Who's that?"
" he fits the description Naomi gave me," Raph said, " I'm going to find out what his name is," he started to get up, but Mike grabbed his arm.
" There are lots of guys in New York that has brown hair and brown eyes. You can't go pouncing on everyone of them," Mike protested but Raph shrugged him off.
" Just watch me," Raph stormed up to the guy who was ordering a drink from the bartender. He tapped Matthew Garland on the shoulder. " Excuse me," Raph began, " You're name wouldn't happen to be Matthew Garland would it?"
Garland turned around, " Who wants to know?" he demanded, narrowing his brown eyes at him. Raph noticed they were the exact same height.
Raph kept his eyes lowered so Garland couldn't see his face, " A friend," he said slowly.
" I'm Matthew Garland, who are you?"
" Let's go outside," Raph suggested as his hand slipped inside his coat and fingered his sai.
" Sure, okay," Garland shrugged and they headed outside. Mike was watching Raph from the table. " Uh oh," he muttered when Raph and the man disappeared. This could only mean trouble. He got up and followed them.
Raph lead Garland into an alley behind the pub. Once they were alone, Raph shoved the guy against the brick wall of the pub.
" What's the big idea?" Garland complained rubbing his shoulder, " Who the hell are you?"
" You don't remember me?" Raph withdrew his sai, " I'm hurt,"
" Whoever you are…don't hurt me," Garland whimpered.
" Oh please, drop this wimpy guy act," Raph commanded him, " You sure weren't like this when you attacked her the other night."
Garland paled, " You're…him," he whispered, " The one who ruined my plans."
" Sorry about that," Raph said, " I have this annoying habit of saving girls who are being attacked by scum like you."
" She has to be destroyed," Garland told him, " She's a danger to human lives,"
" Oh please," Raph scoffed, " What is she the Terminator or something? I'm not buying it," he lunged for Garland but the man surprised him by kicking Raph in the stomach. Raph grunted out and dropped his sai.
" You think you're so tough don't you?" Garland taunted him, " I'm not wasting my time with you." He started to head back inside, but was knocked over to the ground, jarring his knee. He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the mysterious figure. When he did, his eyes widened. He was staring into the face of a turtle wearing a red bandanna.
" It's a little late for Halloween isn't it?" Garland demanded.
Raph's eyes went wide. He let out a frustrated growl before whirling and disappearing around the corner. Confused, Garland got to his feet and shook his head. Obviously the guy was wearing some kind of costume so Garland wouldn't see his real face. Garland was on two missions now-one to kill the girl and that…turtle.

" Raph, you didn't go and do anything stupid did you?" Mike asked Raph. Mike had met Raph outside the pub. Raph was steaming, his eyes clouded over in anger.
" He knows," Raph hissed.
" Knows what?"
" Knows what I am," Raph stormed off and Mike ran to catch up with him.
" Back up the train Raph…what do you mean knows what you are?"
Raph quickly told him what happened.
" Why couldn't you have just left him alone?" Mike demanded him.
" Naomi is in danger because of that creep," Raph snapped.
" How can you be sure? We could be in danger from Naomi," Mike retorted.
" Naomi was the one who nearly got killed, not Garland," Raph reminded him, " There must be something about her Garland doesn't like. To me, she's completely normal."
" Looks can be deceiving," Mike intoned as they found a manhole nearby.
" Whose side are you on anyway? Mine or his?"

* * *
" There are two of them?" Naomi watched the two trench coat-clad men as they hurried down the street, " Maybe Sarah is right-they could be the Secret Agents or undercover cops."
Determined to find out who they were, Naomi followed them from a safe distance. She watched in disbelief as they headed for a manhole cover in the street and one of them lifted the cover aside. They live in the underground? She wondered as they disappeared through the hole. Then they moved the cover back into place.
Naomi ran towards the manhole cover and tried to lift it, but it was too heavy. She paused, gathered her strength and lifted the cover off with two hands. She knelt down and peered through the dark abyss.
You do some crazy things Waters…but this takes the cake! She scolded herself and started to climb down the flimsy, steel ladder. Her feet landed in water and she winced, trying not to think of what might be swimming down there.
Now or never…Naomi followed the tunnel and it turned sharply to the left, then to the right. It was never-ending.
Suddenly, her foot got caught on something and she tripped, falling flat on her face, into the mud. She coughed and spluttered, trying to get her foot free from the rope. Then she heard a creaking noise above her. Naomi looked up in horror; a large metal pipe was loose from the ceiling and was about to crash down onto her.
She frantically tried to untangle the rope from her ankle, but it was hopeless. The more she struggled, the more tangled it became.
" Oh God," she moaned, closing her eyes as the pipe fell from the ceiling and blackness swamped her.