Finally an update...sorry that it took so long. I was having serious brain to computer issues. I'm still not sure about how it turned out. My next update should be up this week...*fingers crossed*

Chapter 3: Time is short

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Raph had just finished unwrapping a candy bar when his phone started to vibrate across the coffee table.

"See," he said as he popped the bite-sized piece of chocolate in his mouth.

"That should be Leo looking for Mikey."

He picked his cell up and flipped it open. "Hello."

"Happy Halloween."

Raph's faced paled as soon as he heard the voice on the phone. He jumped to his feet and couldn't stop the steady stream of obscenities that came out of his mouth.

Everyone's attention was on Raph now. Splinter opened his mouth to reprimand his hot tempered son, but Raph's next statement stopped him.

"Where is our brother? You betta answer me ya nut job!"

"What's going on?" Don was across the room and next to Raph in two strides. "Who is that?"

Raph pushed the speaker button and Hun's voice filled the room.

"No, freak! You better be quiet and listen to me…if you want to find your brother alive!"

Hun's laughter filled the room. "Now that I have your attention…I'm sure everyone is listening.

"It's on speaker," Raph ground out through clenched teeth.

"Good. Now tell your tech geek that he shouldn't bother to trace this…blue boy isn't even here."

"Where is he," Raph repeated.

"Now that's the Halloween surprise," Hun taunted.

"We ain't playin' your game, jerk!" Raph's voice raised with each word.

"Aww, but you can't win if you don't play the game."

"He's lying!" Mikey shouted.

"Ok, you can waste your time tracking me…your brother's time is limited. Go to the alley on seventh street between North and East apartments. Be there in fifteen minutes. I will call to see if you got my gift."

The line went dead.

"It's a trap," April said. "You will be walking right into an ambush."

"We will have to risk it," Don said as he fumbled with is cell phone. He had Leo's tracker on, but he knew it wouldn't do any good.

Raph shoved his sai in his belt and stalked to he door. Don was right behind him, his weapon and bag in hand. "We'll take the battleshell, it will be faster. There is no way we can get to seventh street in fifteen minutes."

"A'right, let's go. We are wastin' time." Raph was already out in the hall.

Casey gave Aprils hand a squeeze and ran out the door behind his friend, followed by Mikey.

Don bowed to Master Splinter. "We'll call," was all he said and he was out the door too.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Don was relieved that Halloween was over for the night, and there were no trick or treaters on the streets. He pushed the battleshell over the speed limit to make it to the alley on time. They pulled up to the curb and when the street was clear, they quietly made their way into to the alley. Casey stayed at the entrance and kept watch for them.

Nerves were strung tight as they slowly made their way to the back of the alley. Each looking for an ambush.

Mikey was the first to see Leo's swords propped up against the dumpster and a Halloween bag beside of them.

Raph picked up the swords and Mikey grabbed the bag.

"What's in it?" Raph asked.

"A black box," Mikey said and handed the device to Don. "And some kind of Halloween decoration. A coffin." He sat the shoebox sized casket on the ground.

Raph's phone started to ring. He ripped it from his belt and flipped it open.

"What?" Raph hissed into the phone. He was in no mood to play whatever sick game Hun had planned.

"Did you get my gift?"

"I'm tired of this run around! Where is Leo?" Raph yelled.

"Aww, you're not going to say thank you?"

Don grabbed the phone from him. "What does this mean?"

"You're the smart one…figure it out."

Don handed the phone back to Raph. He crouched down beside the small coffin and pushed the red button on the top. Everyone jumped when a spring loaded skeleton shot out, followed by a looped laugh track.

"That's so not funny!" Mikey said as he clutched his chest. "What's that supposed to mean? Is he at a haunted house or something?"

"Yeah, or something." Hun's laughter could be heard over the toy's laugh.

Don nervously chew his lip as he studied it. It was a simple Halloween decoration, sold at most stores. But this skeleton wore a blue mask and had a note taped to the front.

R.I.P.

6 ft. deep

Don read the note to himself and then aloud.

"Donny?" Mikey's voice was barely a whisper.

"Rest in Peace, six feet deep," he repeated. His faced paled and his mouth became dry. He couldn't say it.

He wouldn't say it.

"Oh God…"

Don grabbed the phone again. His hands shook and he could barely push the words past the lump in his throat.

"You buried him," he harshly whispered.

"Ding, ding…we have a winner!"

"What!" Raph roared.

"Is he…," Mikey didn't want to finish the sentence. He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed this was a dream.

"Oh, don't worry. He's still alive…for now. It's been about thirty minutes. So I'd say he has an hour…maybe a little more."

Mikey choked back a sob. His brother was buried alive…he didn't have much time.

"The other present is a communication device. Just push the button and you can talk to him. It's on a timer and you will only have thirty minutes. Once it starts, you can't stop it. So decide which part of his death you want to be there for, because you won't find him."

"Where is he?" Don yelled into the phone.

Hun's laughter was all he heard before the line went dead.

"What's goin' on?" Casey asked as his friends quickly exited the alley and climbed back into the battleshell.

Panic crawled up his spine when he saw the shocked expressions on their faces. No one looked like they would be able to drive, so Casey went to the driver's side and slid behind the wheel.

"Do you know where Leo is?" Casey was almost afraid to ask…or afraid to know the answer. He couldn't be sure.

"We don't know," Raph's voice was barely audible. He stared at the communicator in his hand. The only life line to their brother.

"Hun said…" his voice broke. He took a deep breath and released it through gritted teeth. "Hun said that he was buried…alive."

"What?" Casey nearly ran a red light. He slammed the brakes and barely heard the horn from another vehicle blare as it sped by him.

"What do we do?" He turned to his friend.

"We have to narrow down where they could have took him," Don spoke up from the back. He had his laptop out and a map of the city on the screen. "It would have to be an old cemetery. Some place they know no one would go..or that wouldn't have a security system."

"Who says that they even took him to a cemetery," Raph replied. "He could be anywhere!"

"Then we need to activate the communicator…call Leo. He may be able to give us some kind of idea of where to search."

Raph nodded and then carefully pushed the button on the device. He silently prayed that it wasn't a trick. That he would hear his brother's voice on the other end.

The object lit up and a clock appeared on the screen, counting down thirty minutes. Raph nervously licked his lips before he spoke.

"Leo?"

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

The sounds of dirt being shoveled onto the casket had stopped. The only thing that Leo could hear was his own ragged breathing. What little air he had was stale and musky. He swallowed thickly behind the gag, trying to will the nausea away. He tried not to think about the dead body crushed under him, but the man's bones cut into him each time he shifted.

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to slow his breathing…conserve what air he had. But his heart still raced along with his mind. He turned his head slightly and could barely make out the little black box at his head. The flashlight that Hun threw into the casket was nearly dead. Soon the casket will be completely dark. Dark and silent.

He heard a click and the communicator sent an eerie red glow through the casket. Numbers appeared and quickly started to count down. Leo's heart pounded with a new fear. Was this a bomb?

Leo unconsciously tried to move away from the device, even though he knew there was no place to go. But after a few seconds the silence of the grave was broken and Leo's eyes widened at the sound of his brother's voice.

"Leo?"

Relief flooded through him. He tried to say his brother's name, but the gag stopped him. Nothing but a muffled groan escaped.

"Leonardo? Are you a'right? Can you hear me?"

Leo made a louder noise to let Raph know that he could hear him.

"Leo? Oh God…Don, I think he is gagged. I can't understand him."

Leo could hear Raph curse under his breath and then shuffling.

"Leo?" Don's voice this time. "Don't try to talk, you'll only use up your air. Just..just make one noise for yes and two for no, ok?"

Tears pricked Leo's eyes as he let out one small groan to tell him that he understood.

"Hun said that you are in a casket..buried,"

One muffled groan.

"Do you know where?"

Two noises this time.

He could hear a shaky sigh come from his brother.

"Do you know if you are at a cemetery? D-Did he bury you in a cemetery?"

Leo's heart squeezed painfully at the fear in his Don's voice. He swallowed thickly and said yes behind the gag. He could at least tell them that much.

"Ok…ok," Don's voice trailed off.

More shuffling and it was Mikey's voice this time.

"Leo, bro.." His voice cracked. "Don is looking on his computer now, we-we are going to check the cemeteries. We'll find you, ok?"

"Mmmhmm…" Leo managed, a single tear trailed down his cheek.

He closed his eyes and listen to the sound of Mikey's voice. They were looking for him….his brothers were coming.