~ Things are heating up, not boiling yet, but we'll get to that point soon, I promise. :o)
Raphael returned to the lair a few hours later with nothing. No note, no foot soldiers, not even a purse-snatcher to take his aggression out on. This evening would be the third night Michelangelo was gone and the second night for Nancy. Raphael went inside the practice room, and started working his anger out on the dummy they used for practice.
Leonardo saw Raphael go in and he knew what was going on. They would have to find a new dummy soon. Raphael hated to wait. When it came to conflicts, he likes to get it over and done with. In this case Leonardo didn't blame him. He was worried and wanted both Michelangelo and Nancy home safe.
A cracking noise and a curse from the practice room confirmed what Leonardo thought would happen. Raphael stormed out of there back up to the surface again. Donatello came in from the lab and asked what happened.
"Raph broke another dummy and left." Leonardo simply said.
"Oh," Donatello stepped next to Leonardo. "When do you think we'll hear something? I'm going crazy in there. I just keep picking up a tool, and then I put it down. Then I do it over again."
"Soon I hope," Leonardo said. "Otherwise Raph is going to blow."
Nancy looked up when Shredder walked back in, dressed in his armor. She was sitting as close to Michelangelo as she could get, holding his hand.
"Get away from that freak," Shredder yelled at Nancy.
"No, you're the freak," Nancy yelled back at him. Foot soldiers followed Shredder in. He unlocked Nancy's cage and they flooded in to grab her. Nancy tried to fight them off but there were too many. They tied her up and brought her to Shredder. Holding Nancy, Shredder turned to Michelangelo.
"Okay mutant," Shredder said. If you don't want Nancy to get hurt yet, do not fight me." Michelangelo shoulders slumped. The foot unlocked Michelangelo's cage and he walked out. "Now, I'll show you what happens when I get angry."
Raphael returned to the lair, yelling for his brothers, paper in hand. Leonardo came out of the practice room and Donatello from his lab. They surrounded Raphael as he read the note out loud.
"I have both Nancy and the turtle," the note started. "We are in warehouse 2130B. Come and try to rescue them only if you dare."
"It's got to be a trap," Leonardo said. "But I'm going."
"Oh yeah," Raphael said, "I'm with you."
"Let's go," Donatello joined.
Inside the warehouse, everything was dark. Some light filtered in form windows but not enough to really show anything. The three turtles made their way through, until they ran up against a chain link fence.
"What the hell is a chain link fence, doing in a warehouse?" Raphael asked.
"I don't know," Leonardo said. "Let's see if we can find an opening." They all walked around and found the fence went from one wall to the other. There was no opening anywhere, and they couldn't tell how high it went, it was too dark.
"Okay, do we have to call out to him," Raphael said, looking around.
"Don't you dare, Raph," Leonardo glared at him. Lights flooded on illuminating the entire warehouse. The turtles could see their brother was tied up to a post on the other side, and Nancy was in shackles in the middle of the room. It looked like she was wrapped in a sheet.
"How very brave of you," Shredder said. "You've come to witness, my daughters punishment."
The turtles went up to the gate, tugging and trying to find a way to get through. No matter what they did though, the chain fence held up. Shredder ordered some foot soldiers to go take the sheet off of Nancy. She was facing the turtles, Michelangelo was off to the side, about two feet away from the fence. The only thing Nancy was wearing was her underwear. Her bra, clothes, everything else was stripped off of her. Now they could see the bruise on Nancy's cheek as well.
Shredder walked behind Nancy, and the turtle's eyes got wide. When Nancy heard the crack of a whip, she knew why, and closed her eyes.