CHAPTER TEN
Steve's head was spinning from the story Leo had just told him. It was unreal, all the good stuff happened way before he was born!
" And now you think my dad is the new leader of the Foot?" Steve was saying to the turtles, " that's…stupid. Dad never keeps secrets from us!"
" Perhaps you don't know your father as well as you thought you did," Don answered. He did not trust this kid.
Steve glared angrily at Don, then shifted his gaze to Leo, " I hope you don't think I have something to do with the Clan as well!"
" Of course not Steve, you are only eighteen." Leo reminded him, " Now that we have some idea of where Tim might be, the question is, what to do next?"
" What does the Foot want with Tim?" Raph wondered, " maybe the new leader kidnapped him to lure us to them."
" Possibly." Leo agreed, " Why would Troy have a vendetta against us?"
" Dad is not the leader," Steve snapped, " go and ask him!"
" Okay, okay, so he's not the leader. But he is involved with my son's kidnapping." Leo argued.
" You should go home Steve and let us figure it out," Mike suggested more gently.
" No," Steve objected, " Tim is my best friend and I'm gonna help!"
" You could get yourself into trouble," Don pointed out.
" I don't care." Steve said, " I have four former ninjas to protect me and one of them is a cop. I'm safe." He paused, " Maybe I can ask Dad about the Foot. He'll have to come clean about it if he doesn't want Mom to know."
" You're going to blackmail him?" Raph asked and Steve nodded.
" I'll show him the bandanna and ask him about it."
" Are you sure?" Leo asked him.
" Dad won't hurt me." Steve was convinced.
" We'll be staking out your house to see what he does once you've confronted him about it. Then if he does take you to the Foot hideout, we will follow you." Leo decided.
Steve nodded. He felt confident about this, he had protection. But a new thought occurred to him-how far would his father go to keep his Foot Clan a secret?
* * *
Raph had the idea of Steve wearing a wire so they could listen in. They had made a quick stop at Raph's police station and equipped Steve with the wires, worn under Steve's shirt and jacket.
" Remember, just act natural." Raph reminded him.
Leo's car was big enough to fit all four turtles plus one teenager. Leah wanted to call Steve's mother to explain but Steve vetoed the idea. His mother would only worry then get angry at his father for keeping such a secret from her and from his own family. Leo drove them to Steve's house and parked the Jeep a few meters from the house.
Troy was in the kitchen and Steve was relived his mother wasn't around. " Hi dad," Steve greeted him.
" Hi Son," Troy paused, " Where've you been?"
" For a walk," Steve replied, " dad…can I show you something?" he decided to right to the point and get it over with. He felt nervous and wiped his sweating palms on his jeans.
" Sure son," Troy filled a glass with orange juice and looked at his son expectantly.
Troy's face went pale as his son held up his red Foot bandanna. " Where did you find that?" he demanded him.
" In the office."
" You were snooping?" Troy felt enraged as he snatched the bandanna of his son.
" No, it was just lying on the floor. You must have dropped it." Steve watched as his father's face turned from white to red as anger started to build.
" And…I know what you wear it for." Steve added boldly.
" Enlighten me," Troy stared at his son.
" You are involved with the Foot Clan."
" And who told you this?"
" It doesn't matter. You're involved and you know where Tim is!" Steve burst out and his father glared furiously at him. Before Steve could even grasp what was happening, his father's fist lashed out, knocking his son to the floor.
Troy nudged him with his foot-Steve had been knocked unconscious.
I have to do something with him; Troy thought as he picked up his son, he knows about me.
I have to dispose of him, son or no son!
Steve's head was spinning from the story Leo had just told him. It was unreal, all the good stuff happened way before he was born!
" And now you think my dad is the new leader of the Foot?" Steve was saying to the turtles, " that's…stupid. Dad never keeps secrets from us!"
" Perhaps you don't know your father as well as you thought you did," Don answered. He did not trust this kid.
Steve glared angrily at Don, then shifted his gaze to Leo, " I hope you don't think I have something to do with the Clan as well!"
" Of course not Steve, you are only eighteen." Leo reminded him, " Now that we have some idea of where Tim might be, the question is, what to do next?"
" What does the Foot want with Tim?" Raph wondered, " maybe the new leader kidnapped him to lure us to them."
" Possibly." Leo agreed, " Why would Troy have a vendetta against us?"
" Dad is not the leader," Steve snapped, " go and ask him!"
" Okay, okay, so he's not the leader. But he is involved with my son's kidnapping." Leo argued.
" You should go home Steve and let us figure it out," Mike suggested more gently.
" No," Steve objected, " Tim is my best friend and I'm gonna help!"
" You could get yourself into trouble," Don pointed out.
" I don't care." Steve said, " I have four former ninjas to protect me and one of them is a cop. I'm safe." He paused, " Maybe I can ask Dad about the Foot. He'll have to come clean about it if he doesn't want Mom to know."
" You're going to blackmail him?" Raph asked and Steve nodded.
" I'll show him the bandanna and ask him about it."
" Are you sure?" Leo asked him.
" Dad won't hurt me." Steve was convinced.
" We'll be staking out your house to see what he does once you've confronted him about it. Then if he does take you to the Foot hideout, we will follow you." Leo decided.
Steve nodded. He felt confident about this, he had protection. But a new thought occurred to him-how far would his father go to keep his Foot Clan a secret?
* * *
Raph had the idea of Steve wearing a wire so they could listen in. They had made a quick stop at Raph's police station and equipped Steve with the wires, worn under Steve's shirt and jacket.
" Remember, just act natural." Raph reminded him.
Leo's car was big enough to fit all four turtles plus one teenager. Leah wanted to call Steve's mother to explain but Steve vetoed the idea. His mother would only worry then get angry at his father for keeping such a secret from her and from his own family. Leo drove them to Steve's house and parked the Jeep a few meters from the house.
Troy was in the kitchen and Steve was relived his mother wasn't around. " Hi dad," Steve greeted him.
" Hi Son," Troy paused, " Where've you been?"
" For a walk," Steve replied, " dad…can I show you something?" he decided to right to the point and get it over with. He felt nervous and wiped his sweating palms on his jeans.
" Sure son," Troy filled a glass with orange juice and looked at his son expectantly.
Troy's face went pale as his son held up his red Foot bandanna. " Where did you find that?" he demanded him.
" In the office."
" You were snooping?" Troy felt enraged as he snatched the bandanna of his son.
" No, it was just lying on the floor. You must have dropped it." Steve watched as his father's face turned from white to red as anger started to build.
" And…I know what you wear it for." Steve added boldly.
" Enlighten me," Troy stared at his son.
" You are involved with the Foot Clan."
" And who told you this?"
" It doesn't matter. You're involved and you know where Tim is!" Steve burst out and his father glared furiously at him. Before Steve could even grasp what was happening, his father's fist lashed out, knocking his son to the floor.
Troy nudged him with his foot-Steve had been knocked unconscious.
I have to do something with him; Troy thought as he picked up his son, he knows about me.
I have to dispose of him, son or no son!