Onward to victory. Uh... or so I hope. Still doesn't look good does it? *runs off and hides* Don't hurt me! Oh and thanks for the reviews. :D
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Chapter 18
April clicked her headset, listening to the strange static that came across the line. She plugged her other ear and listened.
"You may have escaped the park, but you won't escape this warehouse."
She stifled as gasp as she heard Keith's voice and Rai gasping for breath. Then silence. No... she thought. She turned off her headset and hurried on, biting her lip. It wouldn't be good for Keith to hear her rapid breathing. With Rai caught she was the only one here that could help the others. She had to find them. Then she would get out and go back for Raph and Casey. They would know what to do. At least Raph would.
April practically ran down the next few hallways and pulled up short almost turning the corner and colliding into a Foot ninja. She slowly eased herself backwards and slipped into an empty supply closet. Footsteps echoed then faded. There had to be a way down that hall. There were only two doors down that hall that she could see in her brief glimpse. And a whole lot of ninjas. This is where they had to be holding the guys. But how to get in? She couldn't fight her way in. She wasn't that good.
She looked up trying to figure out what to do and spied an exhaust cover. It was perfect. She quickly stacked some boxes and buckets and climbed up to the cover. It was a little shaky, but would do. Hopefully. She loosened the screws with a hair pin and pulled the cover free, placing it on a shelf. She wiggled herself up into the vent, careful not to knock her makeshift ladder over and sighed once she was fully up. She so hoped no one opened the door to the closet anytime soon. That would be horrible.
April crawled through the vent and stopped when it came to a T. Which way? The foot ninjas were to the right of the closet. If she went that way she would go right over them. Perfect. She turned right and quietly crawled on, smiling as she made it past where she thought the hoard of ninjas where. She came to another opening and stopped, peering down and nearly gasping. Mikey, Don, and Splinter were down there. And they were hurt. But she also saw Raph and Casey!
No! Now there was no one to help her get the others out.
Leo...
No! April shook her head. He'd only get himself killed. She was glad that they hadn't told him where they were going. He would've come in a heart beat.
She looked closer at Mikey. He was turned away from the others, but his faced seemed shiney. Like tears had been running down his face. Her heart ached. What had happened to make him so upset?
Raph and Casey slowly sat up, twisting and turning against the bonds that held their hands. They each groaned and growled.
"My son are you alright?" Splinter asked.
Raph nodded, grunting. "Yeah. What about you Case?"
"Just fine," Casey muttered. "That went better than expected," he said sarcastically.
"Yeah well hopefully Rai has some fireworks up his sleeve," Raph said darkly.
"Where is he?" Don asked.
Doors swooshed open.
"Right here." Keith walked in, dragging Rai in and across the floor by the scruff of his neck with the help of another ninja. Rai's hands were bound tightly behind him. They dropped him near Don and Raph. The ninja smirked and left. Keith smiled amused. "Well looks like the gangs all here. Well mostly. Like I told some of you earlier, I'll take care of the red head soon. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go tell Shredder." He turned, but stopped and sneered at them. "Oh wait. I excuse myself. Not the other way around. Toodles."
April fumed up in the vent at Keith. What a backstabbing traitor!
"You do that!" Raph yelled. "We'll be gone before he gets here!"
"I doubt it." Keith laughed as he strode from the room, the door slamming shut behind him.
The room seemed to settle into a tense and fragile quiet.
"Is he ok?" Casey asked finally breaking the quiet. All of them seemed to be staring at Rai. He had been their last hope of getting out of here.
Rai's chest rose and fell. He lay still as the silence stretched.
"He looks fine," Don said.
Raph nudged Rai. "Wake up."
Rai let out a pained wheeze.
Mikey stared and nearly jumped alarmed. "Raph?!"
"I just nudged him," Raph threw back.
"My sons, quiet down," Splinter said sternly.
April had had enough. She had to get them at least untied before Keith returned with the Shredder. She fumbled with the screws holding the cover on, but they were stuck tight. Her nail broke as she tried using that to unscrew them.
"Why would he gasp like that?" Mikey asked.
"My guess is his air way was cut off," Don said. "It's the only reason I can think of."
"Will he recover from that?" Casey asked.
"Oh yeah. Depending on how bad it was he might not be able to talk." Don pulled at his bonds.
Raph yanked at his, neither of them succeeding.
April got an idea. She reached again for her bobby pin and stuck it into the screw. She turned, but it still held tight. She tugged harder. It broke in half from the force of her tugging.
Splinter's ear twitched.
"Do you hear something?" Don asked.
Splinter nodded toward the ceiling. "Up there."
April got another bobby pin and tugged at the screws, working quickly. This time they pulled loose. She pried the cover off and jumped down, thankfully landing on her feet.
The others stared at her wide-eyed.
"Rai brought you here?" Don gasped.
April nodded. "I couldn't let you guys stay here. And he needed back up."
"It was part of the plan," Raph said.
"Though three more of us getting caught wasn't," Casey muttered.
April rushed over to Don and quickly untied him.
Don grasped at his shoulder, but turned to help Splinter.
April turned to untie Casey and Mikey, while Don did Raph and Rai.
Rai groaned, the sound painful to those who heard it.
April winced, hoping he would wake up soon. She couldn't bare to hear his painful groans. She finished untying Mikey and turned him to her, fixing the sling so it was in front of him. "What's wrong?" she asked indicating his mostly dried tears.
Mikey opened his mouth, but then closed it, eyes beginning to water.
"Rai careful," Don said.
April turned to see him sitting up.
"I'm ok," Rai rasped and winced. He rubbed his neck. "Keith tried to strangle me," he rasped angrily.
"Enough," Don said. "No talking or your throat won't heal."
Rai scowled, but didn't say anything more.
Raph noticed Mikey and stared at him. "What's wrong Mikey?"
"It's going to be ok Mikey," April tried.
Mikey shook his head. "No it's not. Leo's dead. It's never going to be ok!"
Casey and April stared at him.
Don's and Splinter's eyes looked downcast.
Raph stood and paced angrily. "Those no good Foot! Leo..."
The door swished open, revealing Shredder's outline. He stepped into the room with a cackle.
Raph stood in front of April. "Hide," he whispered.
She nodded and darted behind some boxes. Oh poor Mikey, she thought to herself. Thinking his older brother was dead when he was safe and sound back at the apartment.
Shredder stepped further into the room, clasping his hands together and cracking his knuckles. "It's time we began this."