The Journey Home
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.
Rated: T for some graphic scenes and possible mild swearing.
Author's note: This story is my sequel to A Question of Honour. I suggest you read that story before this one. Ramica.
Chapter One: A place of refuge
The Black garbed being pushed closer into her space, and she couldn't help but pull back a little, though the chains on her made it impossible to retreat further. "You will tell us what we wish to know Mrs. Jones" he intoned his voice calm, but slightly clipped, "Or you will suffer the consequences." his hand reached out caressing the bulge of her belly and nodded his head ever so slightly, to let her know that the threat was not meaningless.
" I don't know where they went to." she protested trying to kick out with a leg.
He sidled easily to one side and turned to face her " I don't believe you. You have been friends with them for far too long. We need to complete our trophy collection." He gestured to a wall behind him, "You will tell us what we wish to know or you will join them."
She raised her head and screamed.
I woke with a scream, shaking and crying in fear, my body drenched in a cold sweat and the bedding tangled around me. I could feel my heart beating triple time against my chest, I reached to turn on the bedside lamp, suddenly frightened of the shadows and darkness that filled the room. The light's soft glow, and a frantic search, quickly banished the thought of intruders in the bedroom. But it did nothing to ease the lingering fear of the nightmare.
It was a nightmare that was all too true, though I did my best to disassociate from it, even in my dreams. A little over two years ago my world had fallen apart, I lost my friends, my husband, all of what I called family in one night. I shivered and pulled the blankets closer about me. I recalled a fateful night when the phone rang and how something that simple had turned my world upside down.
Casey reached for it and I heard only a few quick words on this end, he hung up the receiver "April the boys ran into trouble. Raph says he's after Karai and needs help."
"Casey don't go please." I begged, though it wasn't like me to beg for anything, I just felt something was horribly wrong.
"If I don't go and somethin' happens to one of the guys you'll blame me for it" He grunted, "Look, we won't be long and someone has to keep an eye on the hot head." Casey grabbed his gear, "See ya later. Don't worry."
He went out that door and never came back. Don't worry? How could I not? I worried enough to phone the others and warn them, worried enough that I couldn't go to sleep, I paced our apartment until I was sure I had worn a clear path right through the thin carpet, I then made a cup of tea as all the anxiety was causing me to get a headache and nausea. Don and Mike came. Don spoke quickly frantically, he was frightened and that was something I didn't understand because while I had seen them all scared individually from time to time, I had never seen them this frightened, this full of regret and despair as on that night. He told me they were leaving getting out of town.
"What about Casey?" I demanded.
Don paused, his head bowed, "I'm sorry April he didn't make it." There was such sadness and hesitancy in his voice, I knew it hurt him to speak of it, to tell me. "We have to go."
It didn't register on me then that I had seen no sign of Leo and Raph, no there was only two of them and both of them looked like they had been trapped in some pit of hell. My own mind was swimming then with the thought of having lost Casey, I could hardly comprehend that they were cutting ties with me, that I would never hear or see them again. I went to the lair a few days later looking for answers, for something, anything and it had been abandoned.
There was the worn battered furniture, with holes and stuffing poking through, the dojo only had a few spare weapons, there was no food in the cupboard, no medical supplies. Don's tools and computer were missing along with special mementos that I knew they would never leave behind. Even though I knew they were gone I kept going back hoping some day they may return.
I lived day to day in a numb almost automaton way, I got up I ate, though I wasn't hungry and I slept when it grew too late. It was a matter of going through the motions. I cried so much, lost in my own despair and grief.
Then one night while sleeping in my bedroom, I was captured by the Foot they were looking for the rest of the turtle family. "We need to complete our trophy collection." Those words echoed in my mind, and even now they churned my stomach for I could not drive away the vision I had taken in at those words.
Another soldier clicked on a light at mention of the trophy collection and I looked up and saw the wall, and it's gruesome display. Leo's body, minus his head, hung on a wall his blood stained katana pinning his own body up there, and his bandanna soaked in dried blood, hanging loose and down. Beside him was Raphael's corpse, done in the same fashion, pinned by his own weapons his bandanna down. It was then I realized, that Casey had not been the only one to die that night. Then I realized the haunted panic of Don and Mike on that hurried visit in my home.
Suddenly it made sense why they had left, but it still hurt having them sever our friendship so suddenly.
"The Foot has preserved their corpses, by using ancient techniques known to the Foot Clan, it is in many ways similar to mummify the ancient Egyptian the body remains preserved for a long time without, seeming to decay in any way." The Foot soldier informed her, "Perhaps we can show you how we do it first hand."
"I don't know where they are, they left. I haven't seen or heard from them since." I protested through my tears, suddenly frightened of what they might do to me, longing to be anywhere but here. Wishing that Don had taken me with them.
The Foot eventually released me, but there was times I knew I was being shadowed as if they were waiting for me to slip up somewhere. As if waiting for me to lead them to the turtles who had gone out of all of our lives, as if they had never really existed.
I pushed my bedding back pulling on the robe, that had fallen on the floor during my fitful dreams, and went towards the kitchen. I paused momentarily outside the other bedroom listening for any sound out of the ordinary, then softly opened the door to check on her. I was extremely nervous about my daughter, especially feared what might happen to her during the night, for I knew the Foot might one day come for her. Casey Dawn lay in her toddler bed, a mass of curly brown hair around her round cherubic face with the strong determined chin. I smiled, thankful that she was here, and sleeping peacefully enough.
I took a few steps down the hall and entered the tiny kitchen nook area, preparing what I needed for a cup of coffee. I wished that I could have gone with Don and Mike, instead I felt abandoned and lost without them, I found my thoughts often straying upon where they might have gone to, what they might be doing now, or if they were even alive. I felt a part of me was missing, and while I loved my, almost, two year old daughter she didn't do enough to fill the hole that was left in my heart and soul.
My life had changed drastically for the worst, and I wished there was some way to get the balance I knew I once had.
XXX
The mail had arrived the usual bunch of bills and a plain envelope with my address, and no sender address, the postmark stamp on it was from Zion Utah. "Don or Mike!" I prayed as I ripped open the envelope taking out the folded sheets within. Before I could unfold them I heard Casey whining in the living room " Mama mama " she chanted.
I went to see what she wanted, "What is it Casey?"
"Hungry momma" Casey held a musical toy in her hand and she bashed it down listening to the notes, clapping and cheering, "Yeah!"
"You have your father's destructive streak" I muttered softly, then shook my head "Want an apple Casey?"
"No cookie." she replied bobbing her head quickly.
"Apple or banana" I offered giving her a choice of what I was willing to let her have.
"Nanna" she relented.
"Okay come sit at the table" I offered her my hand but she raced past me for her chair. Once I had her settled with her fruit I returned to the letter, unfolding the paper, the writing seemed very messy, and I had to turn to the last page to see Mike's signature, he used to have such neat writing, but it was not what it once had been, still I smiled and clutched the paper tighter in my hands as if afraid it would disappear.
Dear April,
I sure miss you, and wonder how you are doing? I mean last I saw you, you were pregnant. I don't know if you had a boy or girl or any of that stuff.
Kinda hard to believe we were so close and now we don't see each other, or even admit the other is alive. I've been writing this when Don is busy elsewhere I don't want him knowing because he feels we shouldn't involve you in our life any more, but I always considered you family and felt we needed one another to heal, to get better to...I don't know survive the worst. Maybe because we had seen each other through so many difficult times before.
I'm sure by now you know what the worst is. I hope you don't hate us and have forgiven us for just leaving you like that. At the time it seemed like a good thing to do. What can I tell you?
Well in case you don't know we lost Raph and Leo the same night you lost Casey. Karai had killed Leo and that set the Foot to well, celebrating their victory over us. Raph of course, typically, needed his revenge he wanted to restore honour, but in his rage for the Foot he got Casey involved. Raph and Karai killed one another that night. Don wanted to leave town before the Foot started scouring the sewers to take us down too and well you know the rest.
Oh by the way, I hope you can manage to translate my writing it has gotten rather sloppy I know. I lost some of my eye sight. Things look fuzzy and blurry for me but that's all right, I manage to get by simply relying on my other senses. Luckily we were trained to hone all of our senses and I have found it easy to use my other senses more, hardly notice much difference really.
We went to Zion, live near the National Park, there is lots of bush for Don and I to hide in and no one has stumbled on us yet, food is readily available, I know hunting isn't allowed in National Parks but no one is going miss a few fish or rabbits. We have to look out for cougars, and tourists there are a few around here. More tourists then cougars I think, and actually I prefer the cougars to the tourists. The squirrels are kinda fun to watch too. Leo would have liked it here, and Raph would have been bored out of his skull.
According to Don Zion is Hebrew and means refuge or sanctuary, I guess that is why he decided on settling here. Sanctuary sounded awful nice about then and it was something we both desperately needed. I liked the sounds of it. And it has been a good place to heal.
I can't say that I miss the big city, because I don't. Oh there are some things I wished I had, but I am glad to leave the constant battles behind, though Don and I still spar a bit. Try to keep in shape just in case.
I wanted to write this let you know we are still alive and we still miss you, but more then that I needed...I need to let you know that I'm worried about Don.
Don doesn't think that I know what he does, but I do. I might be partially blind but I'm not stupid. I know Don has been hurting himself. I don't think he is at peace with his choice to be here. Last time he did it, it was real bad. I'm worried that next time he will manage to leave me alone, and that scares me April. I know he feels seppuku is the honourable way, and maybe he hasn't forgiven himself for some things. I don't know a part of me believes that you might be able to help him.
Course you may have decided your life is better off without us in it. Maybe you won't even get this. I know I shouldn't be unloading all of this on you, especially after all this time, but I don't know where to turn, or who to talk to.
I look after Don best I can, you can count on it.I will drop this in a mailbox next time Don and I get near civilization.
Love you,
Mike.
I felt tears stream down my face and swallowed back a sob. Mike partially blind and Don, I couldn't believe Don would do that to himself. I glanced up and saw that Casey had smashed and flattened most of her banana on the table top and I made a tsking noise "Casey you know better" I scolded slightly.
She glanced up at me with an innocent wide eyed look, a pout came to her full lips, " Okay mommy?"
I laid the letter down on the table and sniffed, "Yeah, I'm okay hon. Let's get you cleaned up."
I did my best to ignore the letter, after all I couldn't respond to it, there was no return address, and yet when I put Casey down for her nap I found myself reading over the letter again. These guys were my family, I wanted Casey to know them, not just through stories. I wanted to see Don and Mike again. While I realized Mike's letter was to get in touch with me to let me know they were all right, but it also spoke of pressing concerns and worries. Especially the fact Don seemed to be shouldering the guilt for what had happened to Leo and Raph. Mike who had always needed people would of course be frightened at being left in a world where he was all alone, and the fact he couldn't see as well as he used to could hinder him further.
The plan that was formulating in the back of my mind seemed crazy, it didn't make sense for me to give up everything and go out to Utah just to try and track the turtles down, and yet that idea refused to leave. It kept whispering at me, nagging. I wanted to do this, I wanted to find them, as if that by finding them, my world would be right. That the shattered bits of my past could be renewed. I turned to my computer and opened the e-mail. I had a feeling that Don would have changed his e-mail but what about Mike?
I had tried to e-mail them both, numerous times, before but it was always returned. Perhaps this time. I sent a quick message and it was returned as always. I had to face it I would not be able to track down two ninja in a large park, they knew how to hide it was what they had been trained to do. I may as well continue living here in New York, working from home, through my computer, and caring for Casey. I didn't like to leave her alone, not even to go to a movie, more because I was afraid of the Foot.
'Why should you be afraid why not leave? What do you have here? My mind whispered to me. I chewed my bottom lip if I was going to do this, then I'd have to be careful to insure I wasn't tracked or followed.
XXX
Suddenly my nightmares seemed to decrease, and instead was placed by dreams of moving away starting fresh, making new friends and more importantly finding old ones. I had lived the last few years in fear, and I was tired from the constant state of alertness, I needed a break. I needed hope. I needed a place of refuge to renew my strength and spirit. Zion means refuge or sanctuary I recalled the words from Mike's letter and I smiled.
That was it my mind was made up. I would go there for a couple of weeks see what I could find and go from there. I would see about getting a trade in on my car but I'd do it out of town, so if there was any tracking device on it. It wouldn't reveal where I was. Course I knew I could easily be tracked through any license plate but it might slow any one following me down. Not that I thought the Foot were really watching me that much any more after all this time, but I had learned to be cautious and to take nothing for granted.
TBC