She walked into the room quietly, but I still heard her. I turned and she bowed slightly as I faced her. I smiled faintly, returning the gesture. "You have changed," I noted. "It has been too long."
Her eyes closed slowly and she clasped her hands in front of her. She was wearing a short, dark green dress, cut straight across her chest. A gold chain hung around her neck, holding a large diamond. I had given it to her years ago. I traced it with my finger before cupping her chin, raising her eyes to mine. She held her breath. "Where have you been, all these months?"
She swallowed. "You already know that, or you would not have asked to see me."
I studied her carefully. At least she wasn't lying to me. I studied her beautiful face for a moment. "Are you in love?" I finally asked, curious as to how she would respond. "Is that the reason for your absence?"
She did not answer, but her eyes betrayed her. I dropped my hand and we stared at each other for a moment. "You choose to defy me?" I questioned
She cringed. "My defiance means nothing," she shot through clenched teeth. "You have no claim on me."
Faster than she could react, she was on the floor. Her hand rose to the side of her face, hidden by her hair. "You will not disrespect me in my own house," I threatened.
She said nothing for a long time. Finally, she raised her eyes. "What are you going to do?" she challenged. "Kill me?"
I glared at her. Being away for so long had taught her things I didn't want her to know. Disrespect was one of them. "There is something that you are going to do for me."
"Why me?" she demanded, still on the floor.
"Because you are capable. And because you have a responsibility."
MICHAELANGELO:
I watched, absentmindedly twirling my nunchuck with my left hand as I chewed on a nail on my right. The sparring had originally been between Donny and Leo, but Raphael couldn't stand it. Everything Leo could do, he could do better, or so he thought. Not to mention that he was still pissed off about yesterday's confrontation. So now it was the two of them paired against him. And he didn't want to even out the odds. When I offered, he said he'd take me on too. So I leaned back against the wall and watched.
I could tell Leo was being nice. He could kick Raph's ass, and we all knew it. But he wasn't full-force tonight. Maybe he was saving his strength. More likely, he was having mercy on his cocky brother. Every so often, he'd give Raph a dose of humility. We all knew how it worked. It was an unspoken set of rules among us. He'd let Raph push just so far, then he'd push back, and knock him right on his ass.
Donny hooked his bo around Raph's leg as he fought off an attack from Leo and he crashed to the floor. In a fraction of a second, Leo's katana was at his throat, his foot on his chest. They held the stance for a moment before Leonardo backed off. Donny offered Raph a hand, but he stood without taking it. "Pay attention to everything, Raph," Leonardo lectured. "If you had been fully aware, you would've noticed that I was trying to distract you. It's the opponent who appears below your level who will strike hard and..."
"Yeah, yeah, Leo," Raph cut him off. "This is only the five thousandth time I'm hearing this speech. I could recite it along with you."
"Then why do you always make the same mistake?"
Raphael twirled his sais and braced against his back leg, once again ready for combat. Leo glanced at me, offering me an escape from the boredom. I shook my head and waved him on. I was content being bored. In fact, I was rather enjoying it. I wasn't quite sure how I'd wandered in here.
I turned as they began again and walked out of the room, tucking my weapon back into its place on my belt. I pulled the fridge open and stared inside, disinterested. The phone rang and I turned to get it. There were only a handful of people it could be. I guessed April. "Hello?" I asked.
"Mike?" a shaky voice replied. Well, whaddaya know, I was right. But she didn't sound too good.
"April?" I asked. "What's the matter? You alright?"
"I need you guys to get over here. Fast."
APRIL:
I sat huddled on the couch, watching the seconds tick by on the clock. One... two... three... Where were they? The minute hand told me it had been seven minutes since I had hung up the phone. Seven minutes and twenty-three seconds... twenty-four... twenty-five... I breathed deep and looked around the dark room. Shadows danced on the walls as moonlight streamed in through the window. A breeze rustled the curtains. I shivered even though I wasn't cold. The clock continued to tick. Eight minutes... seemed like an eternity.
I heard voices and spun around pleading, praying that they would be familiar. They came from outside the kitchen, drifting in through the window. A moment later, a figure became silhouetted against the moonlight outside. "April?"
I realized I'd been holding my breath and I let it out with a great deal of relief. Their presence was reassuring, and I relaxed, knowing that I was no longer in danger. "I'm here," I answered, laying back on the arm of the couch. It felt so good to breathe.
"Hey, babe, what're you doin' sittin' in the dark?" Michaelangelo's voice called.
I sat up again and looked over the back of the couch. "There's no power," I told them, standing up. "It went out about an hour ago."
"That would explain the gas and electric crews outside," Raph mumbled.
"We overheard them say something about the power having been cut," Donatello added, looking down at the half-burned candle, resting on its side on the counter.
"Are you okay?" Leo asked as I approached him.
I felt like a child who was comforted by her father's presence in her dark, scary room. The monster under the bed was powerless while he was there. I threw my arms around Leo's neck and felt tears sting my eyes. I was fine... now. I was no longer in any danger. But I was lucky. Kat was not so lucky.
Leo hugged me back, reassuring me as if I were his little sister. "What happened?" he asked gently. Funny how the roles had changed over the years.
I pulled away and crossed my arms over my chest. Mikey's hand brushed my face, wiping tears away. The relief was overwhelming. They were so calm, so reassuring. "I had a friend over," I started. "I don't know really why they took her and not me. She doesn't seem like the type to..."
"Who's they?" Raphael interrupted, leaning back against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Foot soldiers," I answered quietly.
There was a collective groan. "What did they want?" Donatello asked, walking over to the living room window. Glass littered the carpet.
I shook my head. "I'm not sure. But they took a friend of mine. A friend from work."
"Who?" Leonardo asked, brushing his fingers along the hardened pool of wax from the candle that had been on the kitchen table.
"She's an assistant producer. Her name is Katarina."
Leo nodded slowly. "Katarina," he repeated.
There was a tense silence. Mike walked over to the sink, inspecting the broken-out window they'd just come through. "Did they say anything?" he prodded.
"I..." I stammered. "I don't know. I mean, there was just so much confusion."
"Give any clue as to why they took her and not you?" Raph demanded, his eyes steady and cold on mine. A chill ran down my spine as I studied him. Had I not known him for so long, Raphael would really scare me. There was something dark and inherintly dangerous about him. Particularly since Splinter had died, he'd become more violent and bitter than he'd ever been. His presence alone was intimidating; he didn't have to say a word.
"One of them said something about how she was the one, not me," I choked. "But I don't know why. He wasn't talking to me."
"So you could call us, probably," Leo mumbled, turning his attention away from the fallen candle. "They're baiting a trap."
Donatello returned, holding an envelope with a tear in it. "This was stuck to the wall," he informed, dropping a razor-sharp throwing star on the counter. They all huddled around the note and I walked around them.
"That's gross," Mike observed as the paper was unfolded.
"Is that blood?" I asked, suddenly sick to my stomach.
"Could be," Donatello answered.
"He certainly has a flair for the dramatic, doesn't he?" Raphael mumbled.
"April, do you have a match?" Leo asked, picking up the candle he'd been inspecting. "It's too dark to read."
I quickly found a lighter and returned to the huddled group. "It's in Japanese," Donatello observed, over Leo's shoulder.
"What's it say?" I asked. It sure looked like it was written in blood.
"They have her at the shipping docks," he mumbled. "Pier 14. Warns us not to make them harm her, because they don't want to."
"Who's they?" I questioned.
"It's signed Kiara."
"Who's Kiara?"
"Hell if I know."
"Was there a woman with them?"
I stared back at three sets of eyes. Leo was still engrossed in the letter. "I don't know. There could've been. It was dark, you know? I didn't see one, but it's not impossible."
"Kiara," Leonardo whispered again, seemingly deep in thought.
Raph nodded. "Well, let's go."
I tensed, wondering if they were just going to leave me here. Leo folded the note and Donny took it. "I don't think they'll be back, April," Donatello assured me. "But if you want, we can drop you off back at our place on the way."
I considered that. Their lair was not "on the way" to the waterfront. It was about a mile in the opposite direction. They had to get to Katarina, and as much as I wanted to retreat to the safety they offered, I knew I couldn't. Besides, he was right. They wouldn't be back. Somehow, that didn't stop a chill from running through me at the thought of sitting alone in my dark living room until they got the power back on.
"I'll take her," Leo offered, seemingly reading my thoughts. "You guys can go on ahead. I'll catch up to you."
It was decided without my having to say anything. They discussed their route so that Leonardo could follow them, and he helped me over the broken glass and out the window.
LEONARDO:
"You're quiet," April observed.
I nodded slowly, staring down at the ground. "Something wrong?" she asked. "I mean, besides the obvious."
I hesitated. I hadn't told anyone about Madonna and Kat. But I knew that my girlfriend's roommate was the same girl who'd been kidnapped tonight. I'd talked to Kat enough to know where she worked, and it had been a strange coincidence that she happened to produce at Channel 3, the same station where April worked. I couldn't forget that. And I doubted that there were two Katarinas at Channel 3.
"Katarina," I mumbled. "Did you say she was a producer?"
April glanced at me. "Assistant producer, yes. Why do you ask?"
I shook my head silently. It was her. I knew for sure now. "Do you know her?" April prodded.
Now I was in a position where I had to make a choice. Lie, or tell the truth. There was no other answer to a yes or no question. I knew I could probably dance around it, but that wouldn't accomplish anything. She'd realize I was avoiding it, and would bring the conversation full-circle. April wasn't stupid.
Coincidence. God, I hoped it was coincidence. It had to be. No one knew about my relationship with Madonna. I didn't want to think that someone had found out. The results of that could be tragic. Especially if they didn't know what they were looking for. With Madonna on vacation, a case of mistaken identity could prove fatal.
"Leo?"
I felt April's hand on my shoulder and snapped back into reality. "Yeah," I answered. "I know her."
"Why didn't you say something?" she questioned. "What's the big secret?"
He sighed. "April, don't take this the wrong way but... you wouldn't understand. And I don't have the time to explain it right now."
She said nothing and I glanced over at her. "Don't say anything to the guys about this," I pleaded.
"I won't," she assured me. "But I don't know why. Since when have you started keeping secrets?"
I forced a smile. It seemed Raph wasn't the only one who expected my life to be an open book. "Just trust me."
We walked in silence as I concentrated on the ground passing under my feet. "Leonardo..." I felt April's hand on my arm again and turned to her, stopping. "I know my way to the lair," she mumbled. "You should go with your brothers."
I glanced around at the darkness. It wasn't like April had never been down to our place before. But it was easy to get lost down here. "Are you sure?" I asked, skeptically.
She nodded. "I've only been there about two hundred times, Leo," she smiled weakly.
I studied her for a moment before nodding. "Okay. If you get lost, get to the surface and we'll come find you."
"I won't get lost," she assured me. "Good luck, Leo."
I bowed slightly. "Thank you."
RAPHAEL:
"You sure about this?" I questioned, looking out at the stillness surrounding pier 14.
"It's what the letter said," Leonardo sighed. "That's all I'm sure of."
"It's too quiet," Donatello mumbled.
A figure moved against the moonlit backdrop. "Hey, look," Mike pointed. It was a foot soldier, dressed in a black dogi.
"Well, looks like we have the right place," Don sighed. "So what now?"
Leo stared as the figure walked into building resembling a warehouse. "I say we go kick some ass and get the hell out of here with the girl," I recommended to him. "But you'll probably suggest moving in quietly."
He hesitated. "No, Raph, for once I agree with you. But I don't think it would be wise to use the front door."
"Think there's a skylight?" Mike questioned.
"There's windows up near the top," Don pointed out. "Problem is getting to them."
"We don't know how many there are," Leo reminded us. "It would be best if we could make them come to us first. We're on their turf and god only knows what's inside that building."
I drew my sais. "Let's get this party started, huh?"
Leo shot me a look and I smiled back. It was so easy to push his buttons. I just couldn't help it sometimes.
As it turned out, we didn't have to do anything to gain attention. As we approached the building, another foot soldier came out of the door and saw us. He was all the attention we needed. In a minute, we were surrounded. I gripped my weapons tightly, itching for a fight. I hadn't caused any serious bodily harm to a foot soldier in months. Not that I reveled in the idea of killing them. The excitement of it was based on the fact that they were trying to kill me.
"Where's the girl?" Leo demanded. "Let her go and you'll all walk away."
I was pretty sure he didn't expect them to surrender. But hey, he had to offer, right? The reply came in the form of a blow, and immediately, we were under attack.
Half of the soldiers were armed with nunchucks. Mike would be thrilled. Some of them had claws coming out of the backs of their hands, not unlike Shredder's choice of costume. I raised my sai to catch on the chain of one of the nunchucks that came at me and twisted it out of the hand of my opponent. I flicked the sai and the weapon tangled around it fell to the ground. Then, spinning the sai in my other fist, I used the blunted handle to hit the bridge of his nose. I heard the crack, and felt it, and the man dropped to his knees.
The next second, there were two men swinging at me. I dropped at the last second, not having time to think my attack through, and swept my leg across the ground, expecting to just make them jump back and give me some room to think. Instead, it knocked them both off their feet. Pathetic.
I immediately somersaulted away as another attack came. Rolling to my feet, I roundhouse kicked, careful to avoid the nunchucks. The kick connected and the man stumbled back into two others who where fast approaching. That knocked them off balance enough to allow me to sweep them off their feet.
I stepped back, not even breathing hard yet. I felt an allied presence nearby and afforded a glance at Michaelangelo. As I had guessed, he was in his element, expertly maneuvering around the weapons.
A fist came at me and I raised my sai, catching his wrist between the prongs and snapping the bones with a simple, well-directed twist of the weapon. I kicked at another one of the men with with the nunchucks and somersaulted away from slashing claws. Fortunately, these two didn't look like they knew what they were doing. Or who they were dealing with. They appeared to be enjoying themselves, shadow boxing with their toys attached to their hands.
I dropped down, hooked my leg around theirs, and pulled them to the ground. I was on my feet again just in time to turn my face away from another set of claws, raising my sai defensively. The claws caught on the metal prong and I twisted it back, forcing the man to his knees. I was very much aware that he was one of the last men still standing. He wasn't standing for long. My knee connected with his face and he fell back, either unconscious or feigning it. It didn't matter to me, as long as he wasn't getting back up.
KATARINA:
I closed my eyes slowly, waiting. I knew he would come, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could wait like this. I was cold and tired and I had to use the bathroom. Not that I had much of a choice about that waiting part. I couldn't get out of these bonds no matter how hard I struggled. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a black shadow move against the background of darkness. There were hundreds of them in the room, waiting for a signal.
I breathed deep and rested my head on the cold metal behind me. I was so tired. I felt drugged. Yes, I was drugged. I remembered now. Drugs to make me weak, delusional. I had to embrace that victim mentality, according to the murmers of my captors. Now, I wasn't fighting, wasn't struggling. Maybe it was because I knew he'd come for me. Or maybe because I'd given up hope.
RAPHAEL:
I looked around. My three brothers were the only ones still standing among dozens of bloody, unconscious bodies. They were all out for the count. I replaced my sais back in my belt and followed wordlessly as we walked into the building. I guess I'd been expecting more foot soldiers. But there were none. There was only a teenage girl tied by her wrists to a tractor. "Katarina," Leo mumbled. I glanced at him and saw him staring at her. I raised an eye ridge at his fascination, then turned to look around the rest of the room. It was quiet.
The girl was slumped on the ground, her head turned to the side and her shoulder-length black hair covering her face. She wore black jeans and a baggy blue T-shirt and her wrists were rubbed raw where the ropes had cut into her. She looked up as Mike approached, but didn't seem surprised or relieved. She just watched as he tried to untie the ropes. She was probably drugged.
"Leo," Mike called for help.
Leonardo gave one last look around the empty room and walked over to them, unsheathing his katana. He sliced through the rope easily, careful not to knick her skin. Then Mike helped her to her feet. "You okay?" he asked.
Katarina and Leo locked stares, but neither of them said anything. I was immediately aware that this was not the first time they had met. The way they looked at each other, it was as if they were friends who'd never expected to cross paths again. But they didn't want anyone to know, so they just stared at each other and silently communicated their pleasure. Interesting. I'd have to drill Leo on that later.
"We should get out of here," Don mumbled. "No telling if they've got reinforcements hiding somewhere."
I suddenly realized that it was over. We had the girl in hand, and no one was challenging us. That was way too easy. Something about it didn't feel right. "Where's Kiara?" I asked the girl.
"Who?" she choked.
"Was there a woman with them?"
She thought for a moment. "Yes, there was."
"Where is she?"
She shook her head. "I don't know."
I exchanged glances with Leo. "I don't like this," I informed him, inspecting Katarina. Something about her didn't ring true. "It's too easy. Like they want us to take her."
"Take me where?" she asked, suddenly sounding afraid. She began to cry. "I just want to go home," she sobbed.
"No harm in that," Don mumbled.
"I don't like it," I repeated.
Mike shot me a dirty look. "What do you want us to do, Raph, leave her here?"
"Sure, Mike, let's just tie her back up and forget we ever came, huh?" I shot back at him, sarcastically.
"It's not safe," Leo mumbled.
For a moment, I thought he was agreeing with me. Then I realized what he meant. "Oh, no," I protested. "Leo..."
"Raph, don't," he replied. "Let's just get out of here first and then decide where we're going to go."
