I don't own the TMNT

A/N: Last chapter I complained about RL issues...man, how naive I was! LOL between a car accident that totaled my Jeep, another car breaking down, (costing a grand to fix) being stranded hours from home for 2 days, computer finally kicking the bucket causing me to lose all my school information and having to start my final project from scratch and a sick daughter, I have a brand new meaning to the phrase 'a bad couple of weeks.' *wipes brow* but luckily, everything is settled and kosher now LOL I hope that you enjoy this chapter, I can tell you that it was surprisingly fun to write! Big thanks to sleepingseeker, btw, who helped me hash out the details long before the shit hit the fan in my RL stuff. So, a salute to her!

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Terror struck me as I stared at the computer screen, my mind working furiously. Something. I had to do something. That evidence, it was damning. And she was in the military, which meant that they had her DNA on file somewhere, so this was a sure ticket to get caught. I couldn't let that happen. The list of options ran before my brain.

I could tell her. But the consequences…she'd be so angry. It was my responsibility to make sure that there was no evidence. My job to support her, to protect her. I failed in that, even worse the evidence implicated her, not me. My heart tightened when I considered that she might make me leave. No longer want this relationship.

Could I do that?

No, I needed her. She was my rock, my stability. She loved me like nobody ever has. She doesn't love me despite what I am, she loves me because of what I am. How could I ask for more? So long as I kept things smooth, I behaved myself and did what I was supposed to do, everything was perfect. It was my own bliss. How could I shatter it?

Okay, so telling her outright was out of the question.

What about just getting rid of the evidence?

That thought gave me pause. Breaking into a police station of all things would be incredibly risky. Likely one of the most dangerous things that I have done, at least because of the risk of exposure. But I had to do it! I couldn't lose her! Not my Sophia!

So it was settled. Once it set into my brain, a sense of calm came over me. I had a plan, at least the beginnings of one.

My hands started moving on their own violition. Exiting the program, I closed the computer. Getting up and grabbing the remote, I changed the channel before switching it off. I looked at the clock. Sophia worked late on Fridays, she wouldn't be home for another 8 hours.

It didn't matter, surely I wouldn't be back before she got home. Pursing my lips, I considered the situation. Thinking always did help me clam down. There was no getting around it.

I could lie to her about where I was. No, I couldn't do that. Shatter our trust? That's not what true lovers did to each other. No, I could tell her. After I destroy the evidence, of course. She won't be angry, not if I fixed my mistake. Or, at least she won't be as angry, right? Yes. That seemed like the best option. Maybe we could go after another target right when I got home, as celebration for fixing it. I had one that she'd appreciate on my list, a serial rapist. She so did love going after those kinds.

Once the apartment was set into perfect order I surveyed my surroundings and took a deep breath. Just doing something while thinking had helped calm me, though I still felt that sense of panic nibbling away at me.

Plan. What I needed was a solid plan. After all, breaking into a police station that big, that extensive wouldn't be easy. Once again I looked at the clock. The best time would be right at the end of shift change, when the cops were looking at the clocks, waiting for their replacements to arrive. It also just so happened that it was when darkness first enveloped the city, right after sunset. That gave me about 4 hours to come up with a solid plan, break, destroy all traces of the evidence which would include computer files, and get out before the new shift arrived, all while remaining undetected. I pursed my lips. Briefly I considered erasing the files from here in a hack before I started…no, that might tip them off. I could do it immediately after…no…then I'd be easier to trace, they'd be looking for me. Damn. It would have to be in the police station itself.

Gritting my teeth I ran a hand over my head. You really did it now, Donnie.

Sitting down my fingers danced over the keys of the computer, pulling up the blueprints and schematics of the station, hoping something would jump out at me. I stared at the designs for minutes. Then half an hour. Then…nearing the hour I saw something that lit a spark in my brain.

Oh, yes. Of course.

I would need tools, of course, but I knew where I could get those. The tools were basic. And to go to the station, see if I could set things up ahead of time. Then the phone, pre-arrange that, keep them busy. The wiring was outdated, it would be easy to manipulate, I had more advanced stuff set up in the Lair. And the schedules. I could find out who was next, make sure that they never made it. Yes. Everything was falling into place.

I could do this.

I just had to use some classic ninja skills, confusion, misdirection and stealth.

I had to do this.

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Slowly, carefully moving in the shadows, I crept through the parking garage. Luck was in my favor that two of the cops from the next shift lived in the same complex. I flexed my fingers, which were both encased in leather gloves, fingers cut and sewn together, a project that actually took two pairs of gloves to make this one pair, but it was needed to prevent fingerprints. My duffel bag was heavy. In it was several new rolls of duct tape, still wrapped in plastic, heavy duty wire cutters, several homemade smoke bombs, zip ties and of course hydrochloric acid in a secure, specially made bottle.

Holding a nail and hammer, I found the vehicles that I found when I hacked into their information, their vehicles. Quickly, senses alert for any sound out of place, I punched a hole in the fragile side wall of each tire. The air escaped with a violent pssssshhhhhhhh! I felt bad doing this, replacing the tires would be expensive and they were only trying to do their jobs, but it couldn't be helped.

As I made my way to the next car parked in its designated spot, I glanced at my watch. Time was approaching fast. I might have to skip the rest of the cops. But I reduced the chances of at least four of the cops showing up, after I disabled their cars. The others were in areas that would be harder for me to get to anyway.

Shouldering my bag, adjusting the huge trench coat that covered most of my frame, I quickly made my way across the expanse of floor, leaving the volkswagon slowly sinking to the floor on newly flattened tires behind me.

Going out when it was still daylight unnerved me, but there was no helping it. Peeking out of the exit, I saw the coming sunset. Already the receding sun was turning the clouds, laden with pollutant chemicals, pink, purple and red. After a quick look around to make sure no one was looking, I crept forward into the adjacent alley, lifted the manhole cover and slid into the sewer.

Going into the sewer was another risk. The sewer was their domain. There was every chance that I could be spotted, but I didn't know any other way to move about the city unnoticed. They rarely went out of the Lair during the daylight hours anyway. This fact didn't stop me from starting at every sound, however. Every drip, every scrape of a rat skittering away.

I cursed at myself. I was already so keyed up, way too anxious. A good way to make yourself mess up. And I couldn't afford to mess up. Straightening, I shook myself slightly and took a few deep, meditative breaths. Ease up there, Donnie. You can do this. Half the cars of the next shift have been disabled, you've set the charges, arranged the calls, there's nothing else that you could've done in that amount of time. You can do this.

Then why was I doubting myself so much?

Damn. I can't wait until this shit is over with. I have a list of targets waiting. Sophia waiting. I can't let her down.

That thought urged me forward. If I pulled this off flawlessly, there was the chance that she would be more forgiving for my horrible blunder with the evidence.

Luckily I didn't run into any of my family and had time to stash the burdensome trench coat. Nearing the manhole cover that was behind the police station, I slowed and listened. There was some noise, but not much. Likely the cops were getting anxious, watching the clock and looking forward to going home in the next half hour. I hated cutting it so close, but despite all my confidence or lack thereof, I didn't feel comfortable doing the raid in the daylight. As insurance, I had three minor charges set around the police station. With any luck I wouldn't need them.

Pulling out my phone, I took a big breath and pressed the button. At home my computer whirred to life, placing four different 911 calls at different numbers in odd areas of the city, all at least 10 miles away. I mapped the routes of all the cruisers and made sure that each location was at the furthest possible distance in their area. When the operator would pick up, each would hear a different pre-recorded message in a fake voice, reporting a rape, an assault, a potential homicide and a missing child. I pressed a second button. These placed three calls directly to the police station, one in the guise of an idiot asking some pointless question about the laws, another requesting an officer appearance at a school and a third of a hysterical woman speaking japanese. Tie up at least some of the remaining cops, put them either at the front or in their office.

Sure enough, I waited another minute and I could hear police sirens going off, including the spare one at the precinct. In the darkness of the sewer, I smiled. Just like I planned. Turning on my heel, I sprinted down the grimy surface, deeper in the sewer to where the power conduit was placed, just a few hundred yards away. Looking at my watch, I counted the seconds, knowing how fast they would be going in this type of traffic. I needed them as far away as possible, yet not so far that they realized that it was fake. Once the ratio was reached, I reached into my duffle bag and took out the rubber-handled wire cutters. Wrenching open the box, shattering the old lock, I closed the thick blades around the main line powering the block. Sparking, it fizzled for the briefest instant and died.

Sprinting back, I peeked the manhole cover up to find the entire block shrouded in darkness, including the street lights and the outer cameras. "One." I whispered. Slipping out, I sprinted across the parking lot. I had exactly 5 seconds before the police station's backup generator kicked on, which in turn would turn on the interior and exterior cameras. "Two," I reached the door. Only three more seconds. Lock pick already in hand, I worked at the door furiously. "Three." The first lock gave away. Now only the deadbolt. But it was old, and it unlatched for me, allowing me to slip in. The hallway cameras glared at me, but luckily no one was in the back hallway. Sprinting, praying that no one would show up, I made my way down the hallway. "Four." I turned, knowing exactly where I was going, having studied the blueprints and floor plan. So I saw the utility room just as the last second was used up. "Five." I darted in just as the lights, this time a little dimmer, flicked on.

Just to find someone else in the room.

She was a heavyset woman, her breasts and belly hanging over each other, and was bent over the generator tucked behind the water heater. For the longest millisecond of my life we just stared at each other, her mouth opened in shock and my own brain racing for a solution. Then I exploded into motion. Only one thing to do.

She screamed as I struck her, my fist plowing into her chest between her breasts, knocking the breath out of her, effectively cutting the scream short. I caught her as she toppled backwards, winding my arm around her neck and tightening. Eyes bulging, she gaped like a fish, clawing at my arms with ridiculously long fake nails. She was obviously an office worker, she didn't even think of grabbing for her gun, which I gingerly slipped out of the holster before she thought of it. A whimper emitted from her lips as a slight froth formed from her effort to breathe, but I held fast. I couldn't let her warn anybody. Then, after a tiny shudder, her body went limp.

Slowly I released her and checked her pulse. Still alive, I had held her just long enough for her to pass out from lack of oxygen to her brain. Yanking off her handcuffs, I cuffed her to the thick pipe that pumped the cold water. Taking out a thick handkerchief that she had in her pocket, I stuffed it in her mouth. Then with some duct tape I brought with me, a brand new one still wrapped in plastic so it didn't have any evidence from home sticking to the side, I taped her mouth closed. Then for good measure I secured her legs.

For a moment I stared at her. I had planned for this, but truly had never decided what to do. The options were obvious: live or die.

But would they truly believe her? A giant mutant turtle came in and attacked her?

Really, the best option would be to just kill her.

Then why didn't you do it when you were choking her?

Sophia wouldn't have doubted herself like this. She wouldn't have stopped. She wouldn't have killed her. Better safe than sorry.

Than why did the idea feel so repulsive?

Deliberately I looked away from her and took the wire cutters out of my bag once more. Setting them over the cord for the generator, I severed all connections, cutting each cord into at least three pieces. Immediately, with an audible moan, the thing died and the lights once again flickered out. I heard some cries of protest from down the hall.

Stuffing the cutters back in my bag, I peeked through the tall window in the door. No movement in sight. Gingerly I opened the door and, after checking that the coast was clear, slipped out of the room into the hallway. Slipping my hand inside my bag, I fingered one of the two smoke bombs that I had managed to concoct before coming here. If I was smart I would've managed to use one on the cop in the utility room but there was no helping it now. I didn't know that there would be anybody in there.

I did know, however, that the evidence room was constantly manned.

First, of course, there were the computers to contend with. From my hacking, I knew exactly which ones held information on the evidence, not yet fully processed. They were both in the main area, where all the cops and detectives desks were.

Body held low, I peeked through the narrow door window. Two lonely cops were gesturing angrily to each other, likely protesting losing their work through their dead computers.

My fingers gripped tightly around my smoke bomb. This one needed to count. I had to save the other one for the evidence room.

Leaning against the wall, I took a deep breath. Then, before I could think otherwise, I yanked open the door just enough to toss it into the room. After clinking against the floor a few times, it exploded in a huge plume of white smoke. The two officers in the room immediately protested loudly, stepping forward to find their way through it, bumping roughly against their desks in the process. They weren't used to working without seeing.

I was.

Slipping in, I yanked out some zip ties. Senses straining, I could detect their location. Not holding anything back, I collided bodily with one of them, striking him from behind. He fell to the ground heavily, the blow knocking the wind from his lungs. I used the opportunity to snatch his arms and thrust them at the small of his back, enclosing a zip tie around them before he could get his bearings.

Immediately he began to yell, screaming at his comrade that he was being attacked.

Shit.

Heaving myself off him, I narrowly avoided the other cop, who, in his haste to reach him, ended up tripping over him completely.

This was too easy.

Naturally I was on him in an instant, yanking his hands behind his back, zip tie enclosed around his wrists before he could comprehend what was happening.

Of course he began to yell too.

Crap, this wasn't going as smoothly as I planned.

Yanking out a length of tape, I taped the mouth shut of one, then the other. Then for good measure I covered their eyes.

Leaving them on the floor, their voices muffled and their bodies writhing, I quickly yanked out the bottle of hydrochloric acid in my bag. I needed to do this quick. Surely their cries had alerted someone. Opening the cap, holding the bottle as far away from my face as I could, I poured the corrosive liquid completely over the monitor and PC of the desk of the detective working on the case. The acid went to work quickly, causing the plastic to bubble, emitting toxic fumes as it literally ate away at everything.

Stepping over the tied-up detectives, I yanked open the door of the lieutenant, who I knew was out meeting with the mayor, updating him on the situation. Tipping the bottle, shielding my mouth with the other forearm, I poured the liquid over her PC and monitor as well.

Screwing the cap back onto the bottle, I turned around just in time to see three more policemen enter the area. Cursing to myself, I ducked under the window of the office, holding the bag close to my chest.

Flashlights in one hand, 9mm guns pointed in the other, they quickly surveyed the area. After ensuring that the officers on the floor were unhurt, the first two officers stepped over them to continue scanning the area, leaving the third to painfully release them. I flinched as I saw the light glare through the window of the office, illuminating the wall opposite me.

They were going to find me. For sure they were going to find me. This was a stupid idea.

Then again, I did have my backup plan.

Taking a deep breath, I once again took out my phone and pressed the 5 digit code that I had pre-programmed into it. Just as the cop nearest me approached the threshold of the office, the small charge that I had put at the front entrance went off, startling everyone. I hadn't had enough explosive to do any real damage, it was just loud and looked messy. But it had the desired effect. Immediately everyone ran towards the sound.

Everyone save the cop and the two bound detectives that he had just freed.

They got to their feet, cursing and spitting their anger and frustration. Then one detective looked at the melting computer at his desk. "FUCK!" He screamed. Angrily he slammed his fist down on the table, glaring at the computer like it was its fault. Then suddenly he whipped around, glaring about the room.

For an instant I thought that he had spotted me peeking from the corner of the leutenant's window. Then his eyes traveled over mine and I took a breath. I looked at my watch. I had planned to be out of here in five minutes. That time had come and gone. How had it passed so quickly? Sophia would be home soon. There was no way I'd be home in time. Gritting my teeth, I pressed my head against the wall, pressing my feet against the cold tile.

"You're here, aren't you?" The man growled. I knew him. I had hacked into his files often enough. He was the main detective investigating this case. Marshall. Way too dedicated for my taste.

Stepping over his comrade, who the cop was just now halfway through releasing, he kicked a desk. "You're here, right? The Vigilante Butcher? Why the fuck else would you go after my computer and no one else's? I suspected that you had computer skills, nobody would listen, though. Leutenant thought that-" with that he snapped his head in the direction of the office.

Shit shit shit shit SHIT!

He knew the only two people with the evidence on file in thier hard drive. Sure enough, his footfalls marched deliberately towards the office. Towards me.

Three more steps, and he was going to see me.

The only question was, I thought, as I slid my knife out of its sheathe, how deep was I willing to take this?

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A/N: So...what do you think? *giggles* Enough action for you? I can tell you right now that I used literary license on him cutting off the power. I have no clue how you would do that, but I saw that in a movie so...yeah. However, you CAN destroy a hard drive with hydrochloric acid, and a supreme computer whiz CAN do that phone-call thing like I described, so those parts are real. Pleas write a review and let me know what you think!

P.S. I do have a new fic out, featuring Mike called My Camouflage is Orange. If you like, please check it out!

P.P.S. Stealthystories is now hosting a horror fic competition, hosted by The NerdFighter. If your interested, please let her or me know and we can answer any questions you may have! We'd like to get it done by Halloween! :D