Chapter 8

I'd laid out on the couch for over an hour, letting my body rest. It hadn't worked itself this hard in years, none of the turtles had ever been allowed to train me so roughly. "Wanna play a video game?" Mikey asked, peering down at me. "Too tired." I groaned, already feeling the ache in my legs that I knew was going to be awful tomorrow.It was amazing. "Raph work you that hard, huh?" He asked grinning."I think my head is still spinning." "One time he hit me so hard I threw up." Mikey sympathized. I must have looked shocked because Raph felt the need to correct him."It was an accident." "Sure it was." Leo said picking my feet up and sitting down before resting them across his lap. "What?" Leo asked, giving Raph a look when he noticed the tenseness in his brother's shoulders. "Just wishing it'd been you on the other end of that kick." Leo rolled his eyes and turned on the TV, flipping through channels until a familiar picture flew across the screen."Wait!" I said slamming into a sitting position. "Go back!" He looked at me confused but flipped back through the channels slowly.There it was, Casey's picture along with twelve others. A news reporter saying their names one after the other."What the fuck?" Raph said shoving off the wall.'Thirteen Americans are still missing after their ferry was attacked by local mercenaries. Two were able to escape, but the rest were taken as captives. The militia claims they have no involvement but their insignia is clearly visible in this footage one of the escaping parties managed to capture.' The footage played, and I covered my mouth in shock. There was my uncle, being shoved through muddy knee-deep water with his co-workers. A gun at his back. I sprang up and ran for my purse."Miya!" Leo said going after me. I snatched my cell phone from it and dialed his number. "Pick up, pick up." I whispered.Hey, this is Casey-I hung up and redialed."I told him this was gonna happen! His company doesn't give a shit about them, they just want the artifacts no matter what shithole they get sent to!" Raph boomed from the living room. Hey, this is Casey, leave me-"Fuck!" I yelled hanging up. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my throat. "He'll be okay, Casey can hold his own." Leo said putting his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize he was bulletproof!" Leo's eyes softened and he gave my shoulder a squeeze."Can't you guys go after him?" I asked trying not to panic. "That's impossible, he's across the world." Donnie said sounding forlorn. "Then I'm going, I can get on a plane-""The hell you are!" Raph said shoving Leo out of the way."What are you gonna do, ask them nicely to give him back?" "I'm not just going to sit around here and do nothing." I said grasping the lever for the hidden door. "Yes, you are." He snapped yanking me away from it. "He's right, the best thing we can do right now is wait for the police to go in and get them." Donnie tried."The police? You guys never wait for the police!" "She's right, we don't." Mikey chimed in.His brothers shot him a look that told him to shut up and he shrugged."You can't even throw a decent punch, let alone take on a group of armed men." Raph reminded me."Alright." I said yanking my arm away. "Alright.""We'll keep an eye on the news. They're not going to just kill them. They'll want a ransom, and then the police will be able to get them out." Leo assured me. I ate dinner with the turtles that night but found I could only pick at my food. "Do you want to stay here tonight?" Donnie asked softly, noticing I was off in my own world."No, no, I'll be fine." He didn't look convinced."You could stay in my room." Mikey said giving me a smile."I'm just gonna go home. I could use some alone time to process all this." ::;

I zipped up the duffel bag I'd packed and slung it over my shoulder along with my carry-on. Raph was right, I couldn't fight anyone but I sure as hell could go and force the police to act. One of the captured family members hanging around would definitely get the ball rolling. "Going somewhere?" I jumped at the voice and noticed Raphael leaning against the front door. "Is this going to be a habit of yours? Popping up and harassing me?" "Would you rather we all have come and watched you be stupid?" "Anyone but you." He shrugged as if he didn't care. "You're not leaving, so I'd just go to bed if I were you." I fumed and tampered down the part of me that wanted to stomp my foot like an angry child at his annoying newfound protectiveness. I knew I couldn't make it past him, not with him blocking the door. I dropped my bags to the ground and stomped back to my room, slamming the door behind me. I could go out the window, but I couldn't carry my stuff down with me fast enough before Raph would notice. I'd have to wait him out, he had to fall asleep eventually.

::;

The timer on my phone went off letting me know it was four in the morning. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and crept out of bed. When I cracked my door, Raphael was on the couch, sprawled out with his leg thrown up over the back.I tiptoed past him and picked up my bags that sat next to it and tried my best not to rustle the zippers. It was still dark, and I tried to avoid knocking into the side table as I passed it. My breath hitched when I stepped on that damned squeaky spot on the floor.He was up, I heard it. I whirled around and threw my backpack at him as hard as I could as he lunged for me over the back of the couch. Clutching my duffel bag I darted for the door, it really was a futile attempt but I tried anyway. He grabbed me and threw me up against the wall beside the door, making the keys rattle on the hanger."Can you not be yourself for five minutes?" His voice was still sleepy, almost an entire octave lower than it usually was, and it rumbled in his chest angrily as he spoke. "You can't babysit me forever." I said, breathing hard.He held me by the front of my sweater and I had to stand on my tiptoes at the height he had me pinned. "Do you think Casey wants you chasing after him? Putting yourself in danger? Think for once." He said shaking me a little.He was right, but I couldn't just do nothing. To wait for the news that he'd been executed. "I can go to the police. Make them go get him." "Make them? That's your plan? To go beg them to go in and rescue him?" He asked.It sounded pathetic when he said it out loud."Some of it." I defended. "You're not going anywhere. If I have to stay on this couch every night until Casey comes back." "If." I snapped. "If he comes back." "If you think Casey would let them take him away from us, you don't know him very well." Then I remembered, it wasn't just me who needed him. Raph did to, I could hear the desperation in his voice. "I'm sorry." I said feeling like I'd somehow betrayed my uncle by saying that out loud. "Do me a favor and just..stay. I told Casey I'd keep an eye on you, so if you could make it a little easier for me, I'd appreciate it." I let out a disgruntled huff and he set me down. I sighed and went to the couch, plopping down on it and rubbing my eyes."I'm not agreeing to letting you follow me around." I said when Raph sat on the other end and leaned his head back against the cushions."I'd be surprised if you did."