Journey's end

Ch 12. Making a Stand

Jeffrey looked down at Leo with excitement building in his eyes. He licked his lips again and was about to take off the bindings when he stopped and stared at Leo suspiciously. "Not just yet." He told him with uncertainty. "I have some things I need to take care of first."

Leo looked at Jeffrey with concern. "Wh..what things?"

Jeffrey smiled at Leo. "I have a surprise for you that isn't ready yet." He told him. "You wait here, I'll get things together and we'll have a beautiful ceremony." He stood up, grabbed his lantern and walked quickly toward the stairs. "Just you and I." He smiled at him. "You'll love it."

"Jeffrey wait…please." Leo called to him before he reached the stairs. "H...how long will you be?"

"Not sure." Jeffrey said cocking his head to one side as he looked back at him. "Why?"

"You know I'm not feeling all that well and I…I'm really hungry." He insisted. "Can you make me something to eat before you go off to do whatever it is your going to do?" He asked hopefully, trying hard to sound sincere.

Jeffrey searched Leo's face for a few moments then nodded. "I'll be right back." He told him. He was just about to turn and walk up the stairs when he stopped and made his way over to where the little cup laid broken on the floor. "I'll get you a fresh cup of tea too." He told him walking back up the stairs. A few minutes later, Jeffrey came back with a small salad, dinner roll and another cup of tea. "I'll be back as soon as I'm done." He stroke Leo's bruised cheek and again kissed him deeply.

Leo returned the kiss and then looked at him with intense eyes. "Hurry back." He whispered. As soon as Jeffrey was out of sight, Leo quickly wiped the taste of him on the sleeve of his t-shirt in disgust and rubbed his leg where Jeffrey's hand touched him.

Leo listened to Jeffrey's footsteps walking up the stairs, he heard the door open and shut and he was once again shrouded in darkness. Leo listened to the footsteps above him and, like before, he heard them slowly disappear away from where he sat. Taking out the little flashlight, Leo looked down at the tray Jeffrey had placed in front of him. He surveyed the contents contemplating what he could possibly use to help him get out of these shackles and his little prison. "Hmmmm, salad and a roll." Leo picked at them grimly. "Can't use any of the food to help." He mused. "Plate, bowl. No, they're plastic and that won't do much good." He looked at his utensils. "Fork and knife. They're also plastic so they won't cut me out of these cuffs but they might make a decent weapon." He picked up the cup. 'Ceramic, broken might help but can't cut these shackles, again it might make a decent weapon.' He shrugged his shoulders and put it to the side. 'If Jeffrey's up there and I break it, he may hear and come see what's going on.' He surmised. 'I'll leave it alone for now.'

Leo looked at the small packet of salad dressing and little tubes of oils Jeffrey had given him to use on the salad. He looked back at his shackles. Jeffrey had kept them loose enough so they would not chafe Leo's skin but it was still snug enough that it was difficult for him to get his hand through the hole and the chain in between the cuffs were long enough so he could move his hands enough to assist in doing whatever he needed to do.

He looked back at the dressings and oils; 'maybe,' he thought and picked up the dressing packet first and then the oils. He began lubing his left wrist and hand till his skin was dripping. He twisted and flexed his hand for several long minutes. He grunted and squirmed his wrist causing his hand to scrape and bleed while he forced it out of the shackle. But with determination and patience, he finally freed his left hand of the cuff. Exhausted from his effort, he decided to leave his other hand with the cuff on. Deciding to leave everything behind, he grabbed the small flashlight and slowly make his way up the stairs.

He placed his hand on the door knob and slowly turned it, he felt his heart pound hard against his chest as he slowly opened the door. He remembered Jeffrey was also a trained martial artist and he could be just as stealthy, so he had to be on his guard. He knew Jeffrey could still be there. He peeked out and saw the door opened up into a small closet where at the other side was another doorway that led into a darkened room. Leo stepped cautiously into the room and played the light around til he found a light switch. He turned it on and gasped at the scene that laid before his eyes.

In front of him was a desk with papers scattered about the top of it and two large candelabras on either side of the desk with several unlit candles. On the wall above the desk was collage of pictures of him in several different scenes. Some with him at the cemetery. Or walking down the street. Some with the Hamato's home or in Raph's truck. Leo scanned the area and noticed the candles had been used more then once as the wicks were very low and wax had dripped everywhere on the floor. Curious, Leo walked closer and played his eyes over all he was seeing. His eyes narrowed and he swallowed hard at the amount of photos that laid on the desk. But these photos showed Leo with his family and friends. Raph, his brothers, his Sensei and his classes. But what Leo found horrifying was some of the photos that had Raph in it showed Raph's head being very meticulously cut out and replaced by Jeffrey's head.

Leo moved the photos around and picked one up. The picture he stared at it made his eyes open wide in horror. This particular photo was aimed at thier room and even with the sheer curtain drawn, he could very clearly see him and Raph making love. But like the others, Raph's head had been replaced with Jeffrey's. Leo dropped the photo on the desk and started to back away from the little shrine. Fear working it's way up his body as the reality of the situation set in. He had to get out of here and he had to get out fast!

As he turned to go, his eyes fell on a little trashcan in the corner of the room. Something sparkled inside and Leo moved closer. The can was filled with the cut photos of Raph but on top, barely covered was Leo's ring. Anxiously, he bent down, picked it up and placed it back on his finger. His eyes roamed over the wall one last time. A shiver ran up his spine and he turned to run out the room. But just as he was about to step past the door, he bumped right into Jeffrey.

"Do you like it?" Jeffrey asked. Leo held back a scream and began backing up into the room and up against the desk. "I worked long and hard on it." Jeffrey walked toward him, his eyes searching his face with a strange and expecting look about him. "All for you." He told him smiling. His hand reached out to touch his face and Leo flinched his head back away from him.

Jeffrey's forehead creased with suspicion at Leo's unexpected reaction. He eyes roamed over Leo's body and a look of anger rose within them when they fell on Leo's hand and the ring that once again adorned his finger. "I knew I couldn't trust you." He said, his voice slowly raising in anguish. "Damn you, I knew you were just playing me again." His face twisted in an anger and he quickly grabbed his left wrist and scowled at him. "Take it off!" He yelled furiously while violently shaking Leo by his hand. "Take it off right now!"

"NO!" Leo yelled pushing him back. He had placed the iron cuff that had bound his left wrist into his right hand and threw his right arm straight out, smashing his hand against Jeffrey's mouth hard. Jeffrey screamed in pain as he fell to the floor, clutching his mouth and spitting out blood. He turned to see Leo running out the room and scrambled to get up and chase after him.

Leo made his way out the room and upon shutting the door, he noticed a latch with a lock that hung from it. He quickly place the lock through the latch and clicked it in place. 'That won't hold him for long but hopefully long enough to get me out of here.' He thought. He turned away from the door to find himself in a living room of a very dimly lit log cabin. He looked up at the wall and felt sickened by the amount of stuffed animal heads that leered down at him. 'I feel like I'm in a scene from a horror film.' He thought to himself. He looked around the room and saw a door that he prayed would lead him out of this hellish place.

"LEONARDO!" Jeffrey's voice called out from behind him as he banged loudly against the bedroom door, shaking it back and forth in an attempt to force it open. Leo ran toward the door and flung it opened. He ran outside and saw nothing but woods and the darkening sky above him. But he couldn't let that stop him, he ran toward the woods and away from the small cabin and the angry voice screaming for him to come back.