~Chapter4~
~You're only in trouble if you get caught~
CRASH! BANG! I woke up with a start from all the noise outside my apartment door. I opened one eye and rolled over looking at the red numbers on my alarm clock.
4:30 in the freaking am, I thought, is there no god who loves me out there?
"Ugh… Why? Why? Why?" I muttered covering my face with my pillow.
"Yo shell for brains, I'm makin' breakfast and guess what it is. A knuckle sandwich! No one messes with my stereo and escapes without a new face!" I heard Red yell, sounding a little out of breath like he was chasing Mikey… again.
"I was just being a caring bro, dude! I mean I thought that a change in music might make you calmer and less of a hot head. How was I supposed to know that opera would have the complete opposite affect? Maybe I should leave the experiments to Donny." Mike said panting.
Shoom! "HA-," Boosh! "Ya missed-,"Crunch! "Me!" More of Mike's laughing, "Your aim kinda sucks when you're mad Raphie. Maybe you should work on that. I would hate to have to come save you because you're directionally challenged." Mike laughed.
"ARRRGH!" More crashing and breaking sounds followed by Mikes girly screams of fright.
"Ahhhh! OW, OW, OW, OW, OW, OW!"
Like I said before, this had been going on for… the whole time I have been staying here, which has been weeks, WEEKS! It seems to be a normal occurrence in this home, because no one else seemed to notice. But it had to stop because it was driving me insane! I mean even in the freezing winter under a bridge with only newspaper for a blanket I got better sleep. And earplugs aren't an option because I get great sleep but risk having any of the brothers sneak into my room and sit on me, dump me out of bed, scare me, or my personal favorite tickle me. I would rather not let them have the drop on me.
Tossing my blankets aside and getting up throwing on the sweatpants and a sweat shirt that April gave to me as a house warming present, I slammed my shoes on.
These shenanigans are going to stop TODAY!
Opening my door, I stomped out to find Mikey and Red wrestling on the floor. There was shattered glass everywhere and a now smoldering T.V. twenty feet away from the still surviving group of T.V's. I walked up to the two boys, Red on top of Mikey who was trying to keep Red's fists from connecting with his face. Taking Red's head in my right hand I clunked their heads together hard.
"Owww, what in the…" They both said at the same time.
"WHAT THE SHELL IS THE MATTER WITH THE BOTH OF YOU?" I shrieked at them. "LOOK AROUND AT THIS PLACE! IT'S A FRIGGIN' WAR ZONE! ARE YOU GUYS FIVE? HAVE YOU REALIZED THAT YOU ARE CAUSING TROUBLE FOR EVERYONE! DONNATELLO CONSTANTLY HAS TO FIX BROKEN THINGS IN THE WAKE OF YOUR AFTERMATH, LEO IS ALWAYS CLEANING UP AFTER YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE BEING PUNISHED, MASTER SPLINTER IS ALWAYS FINDING NEW WAYS TO PUNISH YOU AND I HAVEN'T HAD A WHOLE EIGHT STRAIGHT PEACFULL GLORIOUS HOURS OF UNDISTURBED SLEEP SINCE I GOT HERE!" I yelled at their bewildered faces, taking a deep breath and heading over to the couch I shouted some more as I took the pillows from the couch and threw them at the two stunned turtles on the floor. "I HAD BROTHERS SO I UNDERSTAND WHATS ITS LIKE TO FEEL THE NEED TO POUND ON SOMEONE, BUT YOU TWO BONEHEADS HAVE BROUGHT IT TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. CONGRADULATIONS!" I said with only one pillow left I ran over to them and started beating on them like there was no tomorrow shouting, "GROW UP! GROW UP! GROW UP! GROW UP! GROW UP!"
Hitting Mike in the face one last time, I dropped the pillow and headed for the door not looking back.
I needed to get out of there and run before I exploded. Getting into the crystal elevator, I tried to slow my breathing, I was practically hyperventilating. Reaching the garage topside, I jumped into the battle shell and grabbed Leo's I-Pod. I shoved the buds in my ears turning the volume all the way up I started to run. I didn't care where I went just as long as I went.
The city was just starting to wake up, shop keepers opening their stores and taxi's idling while the drivers bought coffee and ate doughnuts. I ran clear to central park and found a bench that was overlooking a duck pond. Things were starting to get lighter as the sun rose, and I was feeling a little guilty. They might be really mad at me, I criss-crossed my legs on the bench and threw my arms over the back.
Watching the sun rise feeling the warmth on my face I sighed. Whatever. I'm surprised that this hasn't stopped before I even met the turtles. Frankly, I think it's a bit pathetic that Mikey feels the need to prank Red two or three times a day just to get interaction with him. And Red needs to grow up and start acting like a big brother.
"Gees I hate stupid men!" I said aggravated. They have to be like twenty and they are still acting like pre-teen adolescence.
I felt a hand on my shoulder, "Hey." It was an unfamiliar voice, and the hand on my shoulder wasn't all that friendly, squeezing painfully. I shot off the bench and whipped around, Leo's I-pod dropping to the ground.
It was a purple dragon goon; he smiled at me and yelled back over his shoulder, "I told you it was her! It's the chick that kicked Hun! Grab her and take her back, I'm sure we'll get some kinda reward." Turning around to face me he said with a leer, "Hun's been looking forward to seeing you again missy," He said inching closer to me.
"Ummm, I don't think so." I said turning to run. I ran right into one of them, and he smelled like he hadn't bathed in weeks. "Ugh, haven't you ever heard of a shower, a bath, or maybe even changing your clothes every once in a while stinky?" I said looking up at him.
He had dark skin and dreadlocks twisting every which way. He looked down at me from behind yellow glasses and smiled, revealing several gold-capped teeth. He grabbed onto my biceps while a black hood was shoved over my head roughly.
I was then thrown over Stinky's shoulder, (I knew it was him because I could smell him through the thick cloth) I tried kicking and screaming but he punched me hard in the stomach knocking the breath out of me. "Umf." I coughed trying not to throw up. (My head was in the bag still, so throwing up would end badly.) I was tossed into what I assumed was a van, because I hit a metal wall and floor and I heard the sliding side door slam shut and an engine start up.
I am so screwed, the guys have no idea where I am and are probably so mad at me they won't come looking for me for hours and they won't know where to start looking. By then Hun will have skinned me, played with my guts and just for fun, ground my bones to make his bread. There will be nothing left to look for! No! No! I have to stay positive! They will know something is up and come looking for me. In the mean time I have to be calm and focused if I'm going to stay alive. Trying to calm myself I took five deep slow breaths, and then the car stopped. My adrenaline spiked and the door opened causing my heart to jump back into my throat, so much for calm.
Two arms picked me up by my waist and I reacted without thinking. I lashed out kicking in the direction the arms were coming from. I made contact with a nose and I heard a sickening crunch.
"Ahhh!" Someone wailed, the hands released me, and I took off the sack covering my face. The guy that I had just curb-stomped was on the ground writhing in pain and the door was left unprotected.
I bolted from my sitting position not giving another moment to chance. I saw a fence to my left, leading to a street; I darted towards the fence and only got a couple of feet when something slammed into the side of my head.
I saw white lights as I hit the ground, pain shooting across my temple and into my jaw. Rolling over I saw the guy I had laid out previously standing over me glaring with a two by four in one had and the other covering his bloody face. Moaning I rolled over and cradled my head. Everything was going black.
Guys, find me fast…
"Ugh, my head…" I said, my voice hoarse.
Trying to move and stretch my body to do a mental check of myself, I found that I had been strung up by my wrists that had been tied together, and I couldn't touch the floor. I was in a dark room with natural light streaming in from above my head at an angle; it almost looked like a basement or something close to it.
"This is bad Chucky, really bad." I said softly looking around at the four plain, empty, unfeeling concrete walls that surrounded me. My wrists, shoulders and arms ached like I had been hanging there for hours, which was good, because it gave more time for the guys to find me… alive.
"Ok I need to get my head in the game; I need a plan of how to get out of here." I said talking myself through. "First I need to get down." I looked up and saw a simple sailor's knot that some yahoo had used to tie me up.
Psh, amateurs.
If I could get enough slack I could get it undone in a snap. I'm so glad I had brothers that liked to tie me up when I was little, otherwise I would've been so screwed.
Grabbing a hold of the rope above the knot with my hands I pulled my legs up to my chest.
"Now comes the hard part," I grunted.
Pushing my legs up towards the ceiling so that my body was parallel with the rope, my wrists screamed in protest but I kept going. I wrapped my legs around the rope so that there was no pressure on my wrists at all. I could now easily undo the knot, pulling and sliding the rope till the knot was undone. I smiled grabbing the end of the rope I unwound my legs keeping a hold of the rope letting my body drop right side up again I hung there for a couple of seconds. And then I let go of the rope, misjudging the distance I dropped to the floor with a thud.
"Not the most graceful landing ever, but it'll do." Hissing just a little as I got up, "My butt is going to be so sore tomorrow though," I told myself, my tender cheek.
My world swirled wildly and my head pulsed with all the blood in it. Abruptly I felt nauseous and had to lean on the wall for support, "Whoa… Head-rush…" I closed my eyes breathed evenly; I was already starting to feel better.
I looked up at the rope, "It's a good thing I'm so light otherwise that would have been sooooo much harder." I said marveling at my genius and skill.
I looked around, only one door in and out and no windows, "How does that saying go again? You're only in trouble if you get caught? Well I think this qualifies as caught, meaning I'm in trouble."
Turning my back to the door surveying my surroundings better now that I was down, gently probing my face with my fingers I found a tender spot and seethed. That over-grown muscle-bound mutton-head made me bleed! And probably with a colorful bruise to match that gash. Ch! Numskull…
"Aren't you a clever little monkey…" A deep man voice said.
Stiffening, I slowly turned around to see who I really didn't want to see… Hun… But you know even though I was scared out of my mind and I probably wasn't going to live past the next ten minutes I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me terrified. No friggin' way in hell.
"Oh Claude," I said heaving a slight "I'm disappointed" sigh, "I really thought we were past all of this. I'm sure we both said and did some things that we regret the last time we met. But really, abductions? Aren't you a little too smart for that?" I said softly like I was a disappointed parent talking to a disobedient child. "How about this: you let me leave right now, and I'll overlook this whole head smashing and kidnapping me thing, and let you keep your handsome mug the way it is." I said leaning against the back wall, and crossing my arms.
No dice, all he did was laugh that cruel chest rumbling chuckle and stare at me. "Do you really think that I will let you walk out of here alive? No, first I'm going to break you, make you tell me where the turtles are, and then for my own entertainment I'm going to kill you." He said advancing, with a very evil smile on his face.
I raised an eyebrow, so that's why he hasn't just killed me yet. He wants me to tell him where the guys are, and I'm pretty sure it's not to share a cup of morning tea. No way, if he thinks he can beat it out of me, he is off his rocker. Plus, he doesn't know I have had any contact with them since the last time he saw them with me. For all he knows they took me to a hospital and that's the last I saw of them. All right, let's see what I can do to mess with his head just a little. Four years of high school drama don't fail me now!
"Turtles? What turtles?" I innocently asked, wide-eyed. "You know if you want a pet I'm sure we could look up some pet stores for you to go check out, or even order you one online since this is the age of technology. But really if you were this desperate for a companion all you had to do was ask." I said shrugging my shoulders and smiling a very guiltless smile.
His smile disappeared and his face turned to stone, "Don't play dumb with me midget, you know what I'm talking about, they protected you, so you must know them." He moved forward with threatening bulky lumber. "WHERE ARE THEY?" He demanded, punching the wall right by my face trying to intimidate me.
I ruffled just a little at the midget comment, but I let it go. I needed to stay cool and focused if this was going to work. Furrowing my eyebrows, I put my hand on my chin, "Hmmm… Protected me? Oh… You mean those frog things that kidnapped me from my home when you so rudely intruded with your not so bright groupie's might I add?" I said nonchalantly. I patted his shoulder like a concerned parent, "Honey-bear, I think it's time for you to find some new friends."
He had a big, stupid, oafy version of "I'm not amused" take over his face. He gritted his teeth and said, "Where are they? I won't ask you again."
"Hun, I hate to say this, but you saw them the last time that I did. They took me to the hospital and left me there…" I wrinkled my nose, "You also could use a tick-tack right about now." I said patting his shoulder again and then I slid under his arm that was still extended punching the wall.
"ENOUGH!" He roared turning around he opened his already extended arm and swiftly back-handed me to the ground. "YOU LIE! Protecting them will only make your death more painful and drawn out. Tell me where they are now and I might kill you fast." He said looming over me his mountainous body casting a shadow over my sprawled body.
This is when things started to go downhill; I had seen enough movies to know after the interrogator gets mad, the prisoner doesn't last very long.
I have to think this through carefully, and give it just the right touch or he will never believe me, and we're all dead.
Standing up putting a little shake in my legs, turning around I used my watering eyes caused by him hitting my nose to my advantage. "I can't tell you what I don't know, "I said hugging myself.
He balled his fists, "WHERE ARE THEY?" he bellowed. He punched me in the stomach and threw me against the wall.
"I DON'T KNOW!" I screamed at him sinking to hands and knees, sniffling a little for effect I looked down at the floor. "You're wasting your time trying to get information I don't have. I don't like pain, so don't you think I would have told you where they were if I knew by now?" I looked him straight in the eye, "And if you think I am getting hurt to protect them you really are dumber than you look. I'm not that loyal."
He drew in a sharp angry breath and then kicked me in the face. I fell to the floor, and I heard the door slam.
It worked.
I rolled to my side and put my face in my hands and cried. I didn't care if anyone heard me. I was scared, alone, and probably going to die sometime soon, so I was going to cry if I wanted. I lay on the cold slightly damp floor and sobbed until I had cried myself out. I was hurting and exhausted.
Just a few hours ago I was complaining about a little noise. I'm so stupid… guys please find me soon. And then I drifted off to sleep.
Waking up to someone touching my face softly, "Chloe, can you hear me?" He sounded oddly like Leonardo.
I tried opening my eyes but they were swollen shut, either from crying or all the blows to my face… or both. I moved my arm, and I touched his hand on my face. Three fingers.
It IS Leonardo.
I shook my head up and down signifying that I could hear him loud and clear.
"Good, you're awake. Don't worry, everything is going to be ok. We are going to get you out of here." He said picking me up princess-style.
I attempted a smile with my swollen face. "Yeah, ok. Let's go home, this isn't my kinda joint. The service here is terrible." I croaked making him laugh. We were moving now and every step hurt, but I didn't care.
"You're one hard lady to find dudette. Next time, write a note or something if you're going to have a wild party with a bunch of high school rejects in the middle of nowhere." I heard Mikey say somewhere off to my right.
"Yes mother…" I said smiling. "Hey do me a favor, and kick the shell out of Hun for me would ya?"
"Taken care of Chloe," Donny said with a slight smile in his voice. "We held a little… impromptu interrogation with Hun while Leo looked for you. We didn't exactly kick his shell… but I'm pretty sure he hates us more than ever."
And then I felt Leonardo shake like he was holding in laughter. "What did we find out?" He said sounding serious.
"Everything… Raph enjoyed it a little too much I think. He suggested we play a game of ninja Polo kick thug Marco." Don said chuckling.
I smiled at that thought, suddenly feeling much better about my situation. "Poor Hun… Red is a force to be reckoned with." I said a little disappointed I missed it.
"Ya betta believe it! Sad tha' ya missed it?" I heard a raspy voice with a Brooklyn accent joke.
"Not so much you, I'm just sad I didn't get to kick him one more time, if you know what I mean…" I said trailing off with a smile.
"If I know Hun, he'll be back. And when that happens you'll get your chance. So until then—" I cut Leo off;
"If you're thinking about telling me patients is a virtue… Don't,"
"I wasn't thinking about telling you that." He paused, "Even though it's true."
I laughed and then realized it was a bad idea, "Ugh don't make me laugh guys… It hurts." I said wincing. "Let's go home… Please?"
"OK."
"For sure."
"Duh!"
"Absa-lutely."