Hey guys, I'm so sorry about this. I really wanted to get this chapter posted early, but it seemed like the whole world was against me. So I'm going to try and get the next chapter posted early, and hopefully things won't be so against me this time. Please forgive me (JillieBean073)
Donatello put his t-phone back in his belt.
"Yep, Raph snuck out," he sighed, trying not to let his frustration spill out into his tone. Donnie had spent the whole day figuring out a plan to efficiently and affectively execute the search for Leonardo. And it involved Raphael.
"Yeah, that sounds like Raph," Mikey chuckled nervously.
"I just wish he would have waited for us to go with him!" Donnie said, exasperated, "I had a whole search plan plotted out to cover eight miles in diameter, using the warehouse fire as the mid point."
"Eight miles?" Mikey gulped.
Donatello nodded in response.
"I calculated how far Leo could have wandered from the origin of the fire, taking into consideration the possibility of him having an injury, and, of course, I understand that different injuries affect traveling speed, as well as how critical they are."
Donnie could start to see Mikey's eyes begin to glaze over and he knew that he was losing him.
He sighed.
"Long story short, the average was from eight to nine miles. In a radial search, however, that's a lot of ground to cover in one night. But I figured that between the three of us we could handle it. Especially if Casey and April pitch in."
"Uh," Mikey raised a hand tentatively, "You mean the two of us, right?"
"Yeah," Donnie answered, letting out another frustrated sigh, "Now, with just the two of us left, we'll have to split the search area in half. Here," Donatello reached into his satchel and pulled out the roll of paper. He then handed it to Mikey.
"I plotted out the whole search area and marked it on this map, so don't lose it. I'll search the eastern half, and you search the western. Got it?"
Mikey nodded, taking the paper.
"But, won't you be needing a map?" he asked.
Donnie shook his head.
"I shouldn't. But just in case I do, I have a miniature copy," he said, patting the leather satchel at his side, "Now, this is how I strategized the search pattern. You basically start on the outside perimeter and work your way back to the warehouse. If you find either April, Casey, or Raph, get them to help you with your half. Once we've searched the surface, we'll meet at the warehouse ruins to organize a thorough search through the sewers. Okay?"
Mikey gulped, his baby blue eyes wide with fear and anxiety. Donnie couldn't blame him. He felt the same way.
After all, Leo's very life could be on the line right now. And it was up to them to find him before it was too late.
Donnie put a hand on Mikey's shoulder encouragingly.
"Don't worry," he said gently, "We'll find him. Now, do you understand what I'm telling you to do?"
Mikey nodded, much to Donatello's relief. The sooner they could begin the search, the better the chances were of successfully locating Leonardo.
"Good. Any questions?"
"Yeah. How do I know where I need to start searching?" Mikey asked.
"I put an 'X' on the map to mark where you should start," Donnie answered, and Mikey instantly began to unroll the chart, inspecting the marks grids and points that Donnie had marked.
After a few seconds of intense analysis, Mikey's face brightened excitedly.
"Found it!" he exclaimed.
"Great!" Donnie encouraged, "Then let's not waste any more time. Every second spent here could've been used in our search."
"Got it!" Mikey shouted, bolting with amazing speed out of the lair, and turning left.
"Mikey!" Donnie called his blur of a brother, running after him, "Mikey! You're going the wrong way!"
Michelangelo stopped dead in his tracks, whirling back around to face Donatello.
"What? I am?"
"Yes!" Donnie cried, exasperated, then pointed sharply in the opposite direction Mikey had been heading, "West is that way!"
"Oh, sorry!" Mikey yelped, rushing off in the correct direction.
"Just look at the map and you'll be fine!" Donnie called after him, but his little brother was already long gone.
"Please look at the map?" he pleaded quietly, knowing full well that Mikey probably wouldn't.
Donnie's heart sank.
Mkey meant well, but he wasn't necessarily known to put his full attention into the task at hand.
Donatello sighed before heading off towards his own starting point.
Unless one of them found Raph, the genius turtle doubted that this 'coordinated' search party would be a success.
The horrible image of the burned out skeleton of a warehouse kept popping into his head, making him shudder. A suffocating sense of death hovered over him like a hungry vulture, and he suddenly felt sick.
He forced down the churning in his stomach and tried to concentrate only on what needed to be done.
Okay, I know what I'm doing. I know where I'm going. I can do this. He encouraged himself.
Hurrying through the dark, cold sewers, his steps were confident and his eyes locked on where he needed to go. His demeanor portraying an intense focus on what he needed to do.
But deep down, Donatello had never been more terrified. What if his plan didn't work? What if they never found Leo? Or worse, what if they did?
An image of Leonardo's stiff, cold body laying abandoned in an alley, burnt almost beyond recognition from the fire. His once clear blue eyes glazed over, staring lifelessly into nothingness, unblinking.
Donnie shook his head, horrified by the image his mind had so easily provided for him.
He suddenly hated his scientifically grounded thinking. Why couldn't his brain be more like Mikey's? Completely oblivious to scientific plausibility, friend to the unrealistic. Surely a thought process like that would hold more hope.
Tears sprang into his firm eyes, softening them, and he felt bitter towards himself for it. This was no time to cry.
Poor Donnie, he's trying so hard to look on the bright side. I'm sorry for another cliffhanger!! But please trust me when I say Leo's coming back in very soon!
Please comment and tell me what you think! I literally had a dream last night that I suddenly had 70 some new comments.. At first I didn't believe it, then I started reading them and I was thoroughly overjoyed! The only downside was that my alarm clock went off. / And don't think your comments won't matter, they're just as powerful to a writer as the story is to the reader, and I cherish every one of them. (: So please comment!