CHAPTER SEVEN
" It's nearly ten fifteen," Leah told her husband, " I've called Steve's mother, apparently he left around nine fifty."
Leo frowned, " I knew that if we let him breech his punishment, he'd take advantage of it. He's probably around town with Steve."
" Steve isn't with Tim, I already checked," Leah said, " Should we go out to look for him?"
" Steve's house is only a block away, he couldn't have gotten far. You stay here in case he rings and Zach and I will go." Leo decided.
" Be careful." Leah warned him worriedly.
" Honey, I'm a former ninja remember? We'll be fine. I'm more worried about Tim."
Zach put his coat on, scarf and hat. He wasn't too worried yet. Tim was probably out with his other friends; it was too early to get worried.
Leo gave his wife a kiss before he and his son left the house. They walked down the street towards Steve's house, keeping an eye out for Tim.
" I'm going to kill him," Leo muttered, " for making his mother worry."
Zach hesitated, " Tim really might be in trouble dad." He pointed out, " I mean he could have gotten into a fight and is lying unconscious somewhere."
His father didn't answer but he was frowning, " Does Tim ever use that alleyway as a short cut?" he asked, pointing at the alley up ahead.
" Not usually." Zach answered.
" Let's go look," Leo surged forward, for some reason he had a strange feeling about that alleyway and it was not good.
" Tim?" Leo called out once he was in the alleyway, " Are you in here?" he listened for a reply, there was none.
" I bought a flashlight," Zach said and held up a mini flashlight that could easily fit into a pocket. He switched it on and Leo gave him a quick smile.
" At least one of us is thinking clearly, thanks."
" No problem dad," Zach aimed the light towards the end of the alleyway and all they could see was a fence. Leo was disappointed but Zach aimed his flashlight at the ground.
" What's that?" Leo asked suddenly, ' it looks like a wallet." He ran over to pick it up and opened it.
The ID told him it belonged to Tim. His heart sank, Tim never loses things, he was quite careful keeping his wallet on him at all times. He might be a troubled teenager, but Tim was never forgetful or lost things.
" It's Tim's," Leo said in a tight voice, " He's in trouble Zachary, big trouble."
" What do we do now?" Zach asked his father.
Leo had no idea.
* * *
Where am I? Tim's head was hurting as he opened his eyes. He found himself tied up to a bed like a prisoner.
This is not good, he thought as he tried to speak but couldn't. His mouth was gagged by duct tape.
He tried to remember what happened to him, but his mind was a total blank. He door to the room opened and a shadow fell across him.
" Well, well, I see that you are awake."
" Who are you?" Tim asked the stranger.
Dinah moved closer to the bed, " never mind who I am. What's your name young man?"
" Why should I tell you?" Tim snapped.
Dinah paused and stroked her long, jet-black hair. Her dark eyes narrowed at the boy, " Tell me your name." She repeated.
" Timothy Cooper. What am I doing here?"
" My men bought you here because you have some very important information that I must know about."
" I do?"
" Yes, I understand your father is a mutant turtle, is he not?"
Tim hesitated. Despite being angry with his father, he would never put his father's life in danger. Leo was forever telling him living topside with the humans would always be risky because some humans might not like the idea.
" Yes…" he said, " but what has that got to do with me?"
" Plenty…if you tell me where your family lives, I'll let you go."
Tim struggled in his bonds, " I'll never tell. I'm not about to put my family at risk." He told her.
Dinah stared hard at the boy; he was quite determined to protect his family.
" Well, if you are not willing to help me, that I will have to make you tell." Dinah said her face expressionless.
" How? By tickling me?" Tim replied sarcastically.
" By torture. Pure physical torture. You'll be in so much pain I guarantee that you will never be the same again once I've finished with you."
" It's nearly ten fifteen," Leah told her husband, " I've called Steve's mother, apparently he left around nine fifty."
Leo frowned, " I knew that if we let him breech his punishment, he'd take advantage of it. He's probably around town with Steve."
" Steve isn't with Tim, I already checked," Leah said, " Should we go out to look for him?"
" Steve's house is only a block away, he couldn't have gotten far. You stay here in case he rings and Zach and I will go." Leo decided.
" Be careful." Leah warned him worriedly.
" Honey, I'm a former ninja remember? We'll be fine. I'm more worried about Tim."
Zach put his coat on, scarf and hat. He wasn't too worried yet. Tim was probably out with his other friends; it was too early to get worried.
Leo gave his wife a kiss before he and his son left the house. They walked down the street towards Steve's house, keeping an eye out for Tim.
" I'm going to kill him," Leo muttered, " for making his mother worry."
Zach hesitated, " Tim really might be in trouble dad." He pointed out, " I mean he could have gotten into a fight and is lying unconscious somewhere."
His father didn't answer but he was frowning, " Does Tim ever use that alleyway as a short cut?" he asked, pointing at the alley up ahead.
" Not usually." Zach answered.
" Let's go look," Leo surged forward, for some reason he had a strange feeling about that alleyway and it was not good.
" Tim?" Leo called out once he was in the alleyway, " Are you in here?" he listened for a reply, there was none.
" I bought a flashlight," Zach said and held up a mini flashlight that could easily fit into a pocket. He switched it on and Leo gave him a quick smile.
" At least one of us is thinking clearly, thanks."
" No problem dad," Zach aimed the light towards the end of the alleyway and all they could see was a fence. Leo was disappointed but Zach aimed his flashlight at the ground.
" What's that?" Leo asked suddenly, ' it looks like a wallet." He ran over to pick it up and opened it.
The ID told him it belonged to Tim. His heart sank, Tim never loses things, he was quite careful keeping his wallet on him at all times. He might be a troubled teenager, but Tim was never forgetful or lost things.
" It's Tim's," Leo said in a tight voice, " He's in trouble Zachary, big trouble."
" What do we do now?" Zach asked his father.
Leo had no idea.
* * *
Where am I? Tim's head was hurting as he opened his eyes. He found himself tied up to a bed like a prisoner.
This is not good, he thought as he tried to speak but couldn't. His mouth was gagged by duct tape.
He tried to remember what happened to him, but his mind was a total blank. He door to the room opened and a shadow fell across him.
" Well, well, I see that you are awake."
" Who are you?" Tim asked the stranger.
Dinah moved closer to the bed, " never mind who I am. What's your name young man?"
" Why should I tell you?" Tim snapped.
Dinah paused and stroked her long, jet-black hair. Her dark eyes narrowed at the boy, " Tell me your name." She repeated.
" Timothy Cooper. What am I doing here?"
" My men bought you here because you have some very important information that I must know about."
" I do?"
" Yes, I understand your father is a mutant turtle, is he not?"
Tim hesitated. Despite being angry with his father, he would never put his father's life in danger. Leo was forever telling him living topside with the humans would always be risky because some humans might not like the idea.
" Yes…" he said, " but what has that got to do with me?"
" Plenty…if you tell me where your family lives, I'll let you go."
Tim struggled in his bonds, " I'll never tell. I'm not about to put my family at risk." He told her.
Dinah stared hard at the boy; he was quite determined to protect his family.
" Well, if you are not willing to help me, that I will have to make you tell." Dinah said her face expressionless.
" How? By tickling me?" Tim replied sarcastically.
" By torture. Pure physical torture. You'll be in so much pain I guarantee that you will never be the same again once I've finished with you."