Disclaimer: I'm trying to set the stage, here, so bear with me! I do not own any TMNT's or the Pentagon, though my taxes would say otherwise about the latter! I know that the Pentagon has a gymnasium. Yet whether or not it has an observation room is another matter all together. From here on out, I haven't a clue how the Army Special Forces work or operate, either. I probably should have invented a less high profile operation but I love facts and details, so… Still, I just might change Shari's old affiliation to something made up just so I don't' have to worry about 'getting it right'!
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Chapter 2 - Followed
As soon as Shari realized that Don recognized her, she mentally backtracked to the few times she had seen him at the Pentagon. Because of his uniqueness, it wasn't hard to notice when he would visit. Though Shari's work did involve Don as far as utilizing his inventions, she flew too far below the radar as far as he was concerned. Whenever she was in Washington, what she did there was undercover work. It gave credibility to her public life, diverting any unwarranted attention from her more clandestine profession. Where she worked at the Pentagon was unrelated to whatever dealings Don Tello had in government, anyway. How he was able to recognize her now was a mystery.
"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Mr. Tello!" she exclaimed lightly. Yes, she would definitely have to maintain her secretarial image, even though some back peddling would be in order. For one thing, it would have to be explained how she was able to throw his brother just a moment ago.
"Ah," Don replied, "I see. Well, I saw you one time at the Pentagon. It must have been about five or six years ago. You were General Tallen's secretary, I believe."
Shari sighed inwardly in relief, "Yes, I did work for him for a time. But I don't remember being introduced to you."
"We weren't." Don said in response. "But I wanted to see the gymnasium there at the time. You were working out, if I recall correctly."
Shari felt just a little uncomfortable right about then. Yes, she did work out in the gym at the Pentagon, but it wasn't one's normal workout routine. It consisted of about six difficult katas that she routinely used to keep herself sharp while working a desk job. Yet, they were not her usual method of keeping in shape. Going one on five against her fellow soldiers with hand-to-hand combat was her favorite way to maintain her edge. However, at the Pentagon it would have drawn too much attention. Though many secretaries there often engaged in martial arts, they did so as a hobby and not because of their profession. Still, it helped to keep Shari from standing out too much. Some of Shari's fellow typists were soldiers, as well, but they weren't in the same capacity as she.
"How did you know that I was Tallen's secretary, then?" she asked him.
"I asked the soldier who was with me." Don replied evenly, smiling.
"I find that rather intrusive. After all, I was on my break." She declared indignantly with her hands on her hips. She noticed that Raph was now smirking.
Don smiled and said, "I tried not to be, Ms. Brentwood. I watched through the observation room. However I do have to say that I was impressed with your 'break' at the time." Cocking his head to one side he added, "Might explain why you so were so efficiently able to throw my brother just a moment ago!" He seemed all too amused, which did not rest well with Shari. "For a secretary, you seemed rather talented with the 'arts."
"Hmm…yeah, well maybe I am. Still…" glancing at Raph and dripping with sarcasm she offered, "I am sorry I tossed ya!" Raph's smirk died away as he narrowed his eyes at her, catching her intent. Shari smiled and then looked back at Don, "Being out here alone kicked up my defenses a little." She explained somewhat contritely.
Well, there was her explanation, but she was miffed he had figured it out. She watched the two who now seem to be assessing her. It did not make her too comfortable, either, considering how she was dressed and the fact that it was obvious Don's brother had become even less amused with her.
"Well, I would like to get on with my run, if that's all right with you?" Shari stated. She waited this time. She rather hated the idea of being blocked yet there wasn't any way she would give Don's brother another opportunity to do so!
"Oh, most certainly, Ms. Brentwood." Don entreated, but then he noticed just in front of him the broken CD player lying on the ground. He bent down and scooped up the broken electronics and, handing it to Shari, asked, "Might I replace your damaged goods?"
Shari took it from him and shook her head, "No need to. I'll just be going!" and with that she made a deliberate attempt to pass them. In order to get to the pathway, she had to go in between the two of them. It only made it that much more urgent to pick up the pace as she set out for home. It was now very clear to Shari that her run would have to wait another day. Most importantly, she would stick to her southerly route from now on! There would be no more exploring, especially north along the Croton River!
As they watched the woman jog rather quickly down the path, Don made a comment to his brother, "Raph, I thought I'd never see the day when a woman would catch you unprepared like that!"
"Certainly wasn't expecting it. Totally caught me off guard." Raph said defensively. "Won't happen again, you can be sure!"
Then Don turned to Raph and said, "I'd like to know where she lives. When you report back, you can fill me in on what the two of you were talking about before I interrupted!"
Raph nodded and then watched as the woman rounded onto Old Post Rd. That was when he took off, careful to keep to the bushes and in among the shadows. Croton-on-Hudson might have been where he lived years ago when he first married Rahab, but just the same, his family was still considered an oddity. No matter where they planted themselves, they would always be that. It was just something that they had all learned to tolerate. However, to be caught going stealth inside city limits would not be good for their reputation. Consequently, Raph kept to the shadows and bushes as much as possible.
Shari grumbled to herself, not the least bit happy with the confrontation with Don Tello. "Of all PEOPLE!" she chided herself. "The moment I saw them back there on that patio, I should have hightailed it out of there. Stupid!" she continued her personal assault.
Then, a familiar tingling nipped at the back of her neck, the feeling that she was being followed. Shari never ignored such warnings, not in her private life and certainly not out in the field. She had this gut feeling that Don Tello would not allow her to leave his company that easily, not without a tail, anyway. Since he hadn't even known she was living here – and obsessive as she heard he was about being aware of friend or foe, – it made sense to find out where she lived. Well, she would certainly teach them a thing or two!
Instead taking Old Post Rd to get home, Shari turned left at the first street, which was Morningside Dr. She ambled along at a leisurely pace, mindful of the person some fifty yards behind her. Shari feigned ignorance, wanting her follower to assume she wasn't aware of him. She jogged easily over the pavement as Morningside bore left just a little, continuing to follow the street as it took her through a residential area. She transitioned onto Lexington, next, which put her in a northwesterly direction. That street connected to Park Ave, which turned out to be a rather short block of more privately owned homes. Turning left onto Cleveland, which was the next thoroughfare, Shari could still sense the person behind her. It was starting to irritate her just a little.
"Why can't he just give it up and go back home? I'm not a threat to them." She mused to herself.
She took Cleveland to where it intersected with Whelan Ave. She then noticed more traffic off to her left. Certain of whom it was that was following her, Shari knew that he probably didn't want to be seen. Smiling inwardly, she made for the busier and more populated road. There was a traffic circle up ahead and it seemed quite congested for the moment. She had always thought such intersections were the most dangerous things to try to get through. It was like playing Russian roulette with your car. Traffic in the circle was not obligated to slow down for those trying to join the roundabout. After all, if one was lucky enough to get 'in', you rode it until you found the street you needed to get onto! Courtesy was not mandatory. It was primarily every driver for him self!
As she came up to the main thoroughfare, which was Benedict Blvd, Shari felt a lingering hesitation from behind her.
"Good. You better have second thoughts!" she chuckled triumphantly.
Turning right onto the street, she jogged south, on down to the end just before the freeway. It was a good run of about six hundred meters. By the time she arrived at her destination, she was starting to get a winded.
"I really need to stretch my runs instead of acting like I'm retired!" she complained under her breath. "I'm way too young to be sucking wind like this!" she panted.
As soon as she arrived at S. Riverside Ave, Shari turned right and followed it along with the flow of traffic. The rush of cars drowned out her footsteps as she jogged along, making it difficult for her to hear any one else that might be behind her. Before too long she came to a park that angled off to her right along Bungalow Rd. She thought about taking a hike through it and maybe slipping in among the bushes there. She would really like to know who it was following her. She wanted to get home, though. She knew that there was a street further along that ran northeast and intersected with Old Post Rd. Yet she was confident that whoever it was that had been following her was now on his way back home. Shari decided to make for Maple St. She was certain who it was as she thought about it. The timing and the coincidence was just to close together for it to be any one other than Raph – Don's brother.
"Raph…short for …what?" She asked herself. "Ralph? Raphael?"
She thought about his name as she trudged up Riverside Ave. She had to smile to herself thinking back to his expression when she threw him to the ground. He definitely looked surprised and not the least bit happy. Shari chuckled in amusement. "Well, served him right for sneaking up on me. Maybe next time he'll be more cautious!"
Finally, she slowed down the pace just a little to catch her second wind. She knew that when she finally did get back to her apartment, a long shower was her next goal. That and maybe lunch, as well. She was famished! However, she kept her 'proximity alarm' on high alert just in case Raph managed to track her again. That is if indeed it was Raph. Who else would it be? Though never assuming anything until proven out, Shari was pretty convinced that it was Don's brother.
Soon she reached Maple St. It afforded plenty of traffic and people, a perfect street if there ever was one in case her tail had figured out where she was heading. As she came to Old Post Rd, she turned left in a northwesterly direction, thankful to be back on the street that would take her home. She trudged along, glad that she was nearing the end of her run, which had turned out to be longer in length and time than she had planned on. She was past the burn in her lungs, thankfully, grabbing that precious second wind somewhere along S. Riverside Ave. Whoever it was that had been tailing her seemed to have given up, which was just as well. Shari did not feel like trying to lose him all over again.
Catching sight of her apartment complex, she slowed down to a walk. She felt refreshed despite the marathon run. "I definitely have to start back with the old routine!" she lamented to herself. "Never know when I'm goin' ta get myself tailed again!" She laughed a little and realized that for some odd reason she rather enjoyed the 'chase' and intrigue. It had been a little while since she had such excitement.
Rounding the corner of the apartments and heading into the complex, Shari took her usual route to hers. It was just a little past noon and the sun was high overhead. Between the location of the apartments and the trees that lined the way, she walked along in the shade. It felt good, too, as it was becoming more apparent that the day was turning into a warm one.
"Yes, it's definitely going to be hot today!" she mused.
Then she thought about some of the want ads she had read earlier. Shari realized that at the time she read them, she had been frustrated with retirement in general. She realized that her mood had colored her attitude regarding many of the job openings. Now after a good hard run, she was in a better frame of mind. "Maybe some of them weren't so bad." Shari thought to herself. "I'll take another look; maybe something will jump out at me!"
No sooner had she thought that than something triggered her senses again.
"What the…" she complained under her breath. "How did he find me?'
Deciding that it would be fruitless to attempt another diversion, Shari decided to just flip it off and head for her apartment. She was tired and getting cranky, not at all in the mood for games. Whoever it was that followed her here pretty much figured it out that this was where she lived anyway. It was a done deal all the way around.
"Fine, so 'you' know where I live!" she said half out loud and just a little bit sarcastically. "Give the guy a prize! Hope it made yer day!" Seething, she made a beeline for her steps, skipping up effortlessly and acting as natural as she could. She keyed the lock and then turned the handle to her door. Slipping inside her apartment, she closed the door quickly, resting her back up against it as she took measured breathes. Then Shari moved slowly over to where she could look out the sheer curtained living room window.
It was a large window, overlooking the grass area in front of her apartment. She was well back from it so that her image would not be easily discernable. She watched with trained eagle-sharp eyes. The trees alongside the buildings across the way provided shadows. They would be a perfect spot to set up and wait. The bright noonday sun would blind anyone happening to look there. Right now, such lighting did not hinder Shari since she was inside. She waited and she watched. Then, ever so subtly, she saw him.
"Yep, the one I flipped earlier." She seethed, letting fly a few well-chosen colorful metaphors that seemed to roll too easily off her tongue. "Son of a .…." she muttered under her breath. She watched and grated her teeth as he saluted her military style from across the expanse of lawn before taking off. Raph slipped in among the shadows, disappearing around the bend and out of sight.
It was perfectly obvious that he had seen her.
It was also perfectly clear that Don Tello would now know where she lived.
"Great, just great!" she complained, "All I want is peace and quite and now this! Why in the world would he have me followed in the first place?"
Standing there and irritated with herself, Shari felt violated. She never allowed herself to be 'one-upped' like that. Her reputation for eluding people was solid. However, she had never gone up against something like this. She was used to dealing with humans, not mutant turtles, though! Maybe there was something to learn here, one more skill to develop and hone. Still, her failure wasn't going to keep her from her next task. Shrugging it off, Shari headed for her bathroom.
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She felt better after her shower. Toweling herself off, she turned her radio on and hummed along to a familiar song. She dried her hair and thought about her run earlier. She had to admire Raph's tenacity; though she felt he could have put it to better use. Trailing her only made her mad and that wasn't a good thing. Yet considering how she just flipped him a while ago, maybe she was due. She could accept that, but if it had been up to her, a simple sparring match would have been better. A visit to the Tello estate would definitely be in order after today. At the very least, to assure the family that she wasn't a threat to them.
She quickly went into her bedroom and dressed, feeling famished now that it was nearly one in the afternoon. Refreshed and not nearly as upset as she was an hour earlier, she decided to grab a bite to eat. Heading for the kitchen, she stopped dead in her tracks. Sitting on her kitchen table was a box, wrapped in plain white paper and tied with red ribbon. An envelope sat upright against it with her name neatly written on the front. She looked around furtively and then quickly checked her front door. It was locked, just as she had left it. Checking the windows, she found them to be secured as well.
"So how in hell did that get in here?" she asked herself as she walked back to the kitchen.
Taking the envelope and lifting up the flap, she slipped the card out. Opening it, she knew immediately who had written the card.
"Don Tello! How did he get in here and how dare he break into my home!"
Slapping the card down, she ripped the ribbon from the box and tore the paper off in a huff. Shari did not tolerate well anyone breaking into her place. Regardless of what was inside, she made up her mind that she would definitely be paying someone a visit.
As she took the top of the box off, she saw immediately a brand new portable CD player sitting neatly inside, along with an equally new Mozart CD.
In fact, it was the same composition ruined earlier when she threw Raph.
"Probably called my address in as soon as he knew where I lived." She mused as she sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. Then, as she looked inside the box again out of curiosity, she saw an additional note.
"Hmm…wonder what this is?" she grumbled. "Maybe it's an apology for breaking and entering?"
Opening the single folded paper, she read its message. Shaking her head and smiling she knew in that moment that Don Tello would definitely be seeing her again. He had in fact invited her to dinner that evening.
If he only realized how she was going to use that invitation, he might not have been so gracious! "We'll just see how cocky he is once I'm through with him!"
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LADY VENOM2: Yeah, I re-do all the time. In fact, I've augmented the first chapter of Just Outside My Window yesterday! Had a friend who wanted to read just one chapter so I was just going to send a copy via E-mail. When I read it before doing that, though, I found too many areas that needed improvement. My writing has changed a bit since that first chapter! Anyway, thanks for your kind comments re: this one! As for Raph's temper, this is set in the Gabriella universe but before she comes onto the scene. There is about a 10-year gap or so where nothing is mentioned in the Rahab series. Precedes Gaele and Seth. If you read Wendy Peabody's Rahab, you'll know that Raph was left in Japan, but he didn't necessarily stay there! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Be blessed.
VESTQUEX: Goodness, what were you on? LOL Love your enthusiasm. Thanks! Yeah, I lost a lot of reviews when I took it off to re-do it. I wanted the author alerts to get triggered again but forgot that I lose the comments and stats when I did that. Oh well… I had about 4 comments overall. Keeps me going, of course. I haven't a clue where this is going to go, but I want action this time. My biggest problem though is getting there while I wade through setting the characters up. That's my biggest hurdle with every story I write. I'm obsessive re: details and so I take too much time with the personalities and such. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Be blessed!
ACE 1413: Thanks for posting your second review on this. I really appreciate it, too! Yeah, I'm gong to be as surprised as anyone reading this how things will develop. I need to figure out how this will end, too. Once I have that determined, the rest should pan out well enough. I hope, anyway! Thanks – again – for reading and reviewing! Be blessed.