Part Twenty Six: The Third Squirrel



It was the same day that Seth learned to crawl, that he also disappeared. Rahab panicked and went to call Mike to help her look for him, but before she could do so, Leo appeared at the back door, with a whimpering -and very sandy- Seth on his arm.

"When I saw this little creature rolling down the embankment, I thought it was some sort of new species of armadillo," Leo said straight-faced. "I also can't understand how he got out behind the back wall."

"I can't either," Rahab said quickly. "He was lying on his blanket one minute, and the next, he was gone. Just like that. It really gave me a scare... I didn't know he could move like that."

Leo deposited the struggling infant into Rahab's arms. "Full of surprises, isn't he? You'll have to keep a closer eye on him from now on."

Rahab squinted at him. "You mean, we... will have to-"

Leo shook his head at her as she spoke. "You know how much I like to spend time with him, but I have a lot to do, of late."

"Like what," Rahab snapped, then caught herself. "Ah, sorry, forget I asked."

"It's all right, Rahab. I understand your curiosity, you are an intelligent lady, and little gets by you."

Rahab smiled when she remembered the conversation she'd heard between Leo and Mike, while they talked, thinking she was asleep. "It's kind of strange, you all used to hide so much from me... am I getting better at eavesdropping, or are you deciding to let me in on your projects?"

Leo smiled a little, and shrugged.

Rahab gave him a quizzical look, and then took Seth in for a bath. When she had left the baby safely asleep in his crib, she went out into the garden to relax a while, and watch the sun set behind the low rolling hills of sage. She saw Leo sitting on the low wall of the upper patio, in his usual curious position, hands resting in his lap, palms curling upward. She gazed at his silhouette thoughtfully. He didn't seem anything other than what she first knew- and liked- of him: Quiet, straightforward, and caring. She never saw any indication of the power-lusting conniver that Raphael described of him. He turned his head to look at her, as though reading her thoughts. His face was mostly in deep shadow, except for the outer edge of his cheekbone and eye, that reflected the dying light of the sun, giving him an otherworldly expression. It reminded her of the nightmares. She shuddered.

The next morning, Leo came in, as Rahab was getting breakfast. He hardly returned her polite greeting, and refused her offer to get him anything.

"Rahab, there's something I want to show you," he said in a businesslike manner.

"Right now? I have to-" She gestured at Gaele and Devon, who were busy with their meal, and Seth, who was rolling expertly around his playpen.

Leo glanced at Mike, who immediately lowered his newspaper. "Not to worry, I think Mike can take care of things for a couple of hours."

Mike looked surprised, but said nothing.

"Well... okay, if you don't mind, Mike," Rahab said.

"Mind? Hey, I ONLY work here."

"Mike, it's important," Leo said quietly. He and Mike exchanged looks, then Mike sighed gustily.

"Yeah okay, since you asked so NICELY."

Leo ignored Mike's sarcastic comment. "Rahab, come."

Rahab gave Mike a last look, but all she saw was the front page of the "Variety".

She followed Leo through the garage, and he halted just outside the back door, at the top of a steep, sandy embankment, down which Seth had tumbled the day before. It led to the edge of a shallow ravine, that had once been covered in thick clumps of sagebrush and low mesquite trees, but was cleared when the house was built. They descended into the ravine, and now were just below the high wall of the rear garden, the top of the wall was thirty-odd feet above them, but from the garden side, only eight feet high. She stared at Leo who was squinting up at the wall.

"So, what is it you wanted to show me," Rahab asked.

He lowered his head and gazed at her thoughtfully. "Rahab, can you climb this?"

"Probably, though I'm not sure, I've never tried."

"You'd need some sort of rough or porous surface to use your claws as climbing hooks, wouldn't you?"

"Sure, but I couldn't stick my claws into this, it's solid concrete." She looked at her hands. "Besides, I wouldn't want to take the chance of breaking one off, it would be painful."

"There is a place where you can climb," Leo said. He led her to another part of the wall, all the time staring up at the top edge, until he stopped abruptly, and she nearly bounced off his carapace. He reached out and stroked the surface with his hand, then grabbed hers and placed it under his, against the wall. It felt slightly warmer than the rest of the wall. "Not concrete, wood. It's a beam four inches wide and deep, and the height of the wall. If you ever need to find a way up, that is it."

"I don't get it." Rahab said, looking at Leo in puzzlement. "Why would I ever have to climb this wall?"

"You may never need to climb this wall, Rahab. But if anyone ever had to, this would be the spot." Leo's grey eyes seemed nearly white in the strong reflected light of the whitewashed wall, as he gave her a long, intense look.

"I think I know what you mean." Rahab said. "This is where you have to... watch this wall."

Leo's face softened in a pleased expression. "You are a sharp one," he said. "Come." He strode down to the bottom of the ravine. She jumped down behind him and they slowly followed the dry stream bed as it meandered downhill, and angled away from the house. Rahab had to watch carefully where she placed her feet, so as not to turn her ankle or lose her balance. At a certain point, Leo stopped and faced her. "Look at the house," he said, pointing. She did so, and could see the house sitting above its terraced gardens, and the windows of the atrium that reflected the sunlight.

"Nice view," Rahab said. "So what?"

Leo gave her a blank look. "It may not be exciting, but nothing can approach the house without being seen. No one can move quickly among these rocks, yet none of these are large enough to hide behind. A little forethought in the landscape design."

He started to turn to continue down the ravine.

"Who designed this part," Rahab asked.

He stopped and faced her again. "Donatello."

"Who else, right? It's his house."

They walked on, until they reached the lip of the canyon that marked the boundary of the property. Rahab leaned against the chain link fence and peered over the edge of the cliff.

"There's no way up here, is there?"

"There is, but it isn't easy," Leo replied. "It's enough to deter all but the most skilled of climbers, if they choose to ignore the posted warning signs below. Not to mention having to climb this fence, and the one at the bottom. It's pretty obvious that anyone found wandering around out here would be deliberately trespassing."

"What would you do if you did find somebody?"

Leo shrugged. "It depends. But most likely they'd be picked up by the authorities and carted off to jail. Don isn't lenient with intruders... and neither am I."

"Leo... what if-" She paused, trying to sort out the right words. "What if there's a repeat of what happened in Croton... here?"

"That can't happen, here. The topography is not the same."

"But Leo, those people came right into the house-"

"I know. It was easy for the enemy to come up there, because they had the river, the cover of the trees... they came from every direction except the front gate. It's quite an old joke to approach from the back. How can one ninja fool another?"

"By doing the obvious," Rahab said. "Just like the leopard who casually walks among the grazing herd and does not create as much of a disturbance."

Leo stared at her. "Your arrows of insight frighten me, sometimes," he said in mild amusement. "That is the very thing that makes the art of ninjitsu successful, other than the old 'strike hard and fade away' scheme... the art of being obvious to the enemy, and while their guard is down, attacking and quickly defeating them. Now that..." he held up a forefinger. "That is truly an accomplishment."

"Attacking?" Rahab looked up from the sage she twirled between her fingers. "I thought you guys were 'defense only'."

Leo's shoulders sagged. "Aoh, Rahab... I thought you were on top of it." He sighed, and gazed out over the broad expanse of the canyon. "The leopard..." he said thoughtfully, "...only attacks to eat. She never spends more energy than she needs to. To survive, she must do the most damage she can to her prey to render it powerless, with the least effort, in order to conserve her strength." He edged closer to her, and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Especially when times are tough, and she has cubs to feed."

"I take it you're letting me in on something," Rahab said, watching his face.

"Perhaps," Leo answered quietly, then gave her a slow smile. "But this was meant to reassure you that it won't be anything like what happened in Croton."

"Or in Osaka?"

Leo pressed his lips together firmly at the mention of Osaka. "I hope not. I have only Mike to help me now..." he glanced up at her. "Not that we're expecting anyone, but I just want to practice caution."

"Caution," Rahab echoed. "That's your middle name... most of the time."

"I make my mistakes, Rahab."

"I realize that."

"Good. Let's go back to the house."

When they reached the rear wall of the hacienda, Leo held a hand out to stop Rahab from going ahead of him. "Wait, there's something else I want to show you."

"What, a booby trap?" Rahab giggled nervously.

Leo gave her a look that stopped her mirth. "Don't joke about these things, Rahab." He pointed at the sandy path that ran along the base of the wall. "Now, there is a place where you can walk, but since there's no reason for you to come down here-"

"Unless one of the kids-"

"I was getting to that. Since Seth nearly found this path, I decided it would be best to disengage the traps during the day, and only set them after the little ones are in bed. That will require extra attention, but I don't want to take any chances."

"So... you DO have traps down here. "

"That's what I said."

"Okay, so what happens if you step in one?"

"Rahab, look at me," Leo said, ignoring her question. She cocked her head at him. "No, Rahab. LOOK at me. I want your full attention. No undercurrants."

"Okay, you have my full attention," Rahab said, flustered.

"What we discussed today is to be kept entirely to yourself. Understand? You didn't see it, you didn't hear it. Whoever else knows about this learned about it from me and only me, and there is no need to discuss it, even if you know that they know it. Is that clear?"

"Yes!" Rahab felt annoyed at Leo's tone. "We went for a walk. We didn't see anything-"

Leo was shaking his head as she spoke.

"Okay, okay, we didn't do anything." She looked at him again. "Um, not we, I, didn't do anything. I didn't-"

"Good enough," Leo said, and sighed. "We can go this way now, but I would not recommend wandering around here after dark. Is that clear?"

"No problem," Rahab muttered.



That night, Rahab couldn't sleep, the images of dark shapes climbing up the wall kept invading her dreams, causing her to wake up with a start. She got up and put on her robe, and padded down the hall, nervously looking over her shoulder. She knocked gently on the guestroom door where Mike was staying.

"Whoozat," Mike's sleepy voice answered.

"Mike? It's Rahab. Sorry to disturb you... but I need to talk to you."

There was a long silence, then the bedroom door opened. Mike's face appeared in the muted light of the hallway. He was wearing a red and black checked flannel bathrobe. "S'goin' on?"

"Is it okay if I come in? I just wanted to talk, I mean..."

"Sure, sure, c'mon in," Mike said, waving off her apology, and stepping aside for her to enter. He switched on a lamp by his tousled bed, and sat on the edge of it. "Pull up a seat."

She sat in the easy chair near the bed. "Mike, I really appreciate this. You've been so good to me lately."

"Lately?" Mike's eyebrow twitched.

"Well, you've always have been good to me, considering the circumstances..." Rahab said. She pulled her robe closer about her, as the anxiety came back. "Mike, I don't want to hide it from you any longer..."

"Hide what?"

"Something isn't right. I feel as though something terrible is going to happen."

"What?"

"Like... the world is going to come to an end."

Mike snorted and grinned at her. "What makes you think of something like that?"

"I don't think it, I feel it."

Mike shifted forward, and intently looked at her in sympathy. "Rahab, it might have to do with that little walk you went on with Leo, huh?"

"I did not do anything with Leo," Rahab said quickly.

Mike snickered quietly. "Yeah, okay, so you didn't. That convinces me that you did go on a little nature walk, though."

Rahab didn't answer, she had noticed the black sleeveless leather jacket with the leering goat, slung over the back of another chair by the closet. The goat seemed to be laughing at her.

"I hate that jacket," she said.

"You're not the only one, Gaele said it scares Devon. He won't have anything to do with me, when I'm wearing it."

"I can't say I blame him!" Rahab declared. "But doesn't it scare Gaele?"

"Are you kidding? Nothing scares her. She laughs at horror flicks, and everything."

"Maybe because she's seen the worst..."

"Huh?"

"Remember Croton?"

"Oh, yeah..." Mike scratched thoughtfully at his chin. "She still gets nightmares from that, only she doesn't really remember what happened. Once I sat down and explained it to her, and she started talking about it, the nightmares ended."

"Explained what to her?"

"About us... brothers. Our past, and that sometimes we have to be careful-"

"You told her you are ninja?" Rahab stood up.

"Easy... it's okay. I explained it in terms a six year old could understand, and she took it very well. She said she wants to be one when she grows up." His grin faded when he saw the look on her face.

"You know I don't approve of that!"

"Rahab..."

"Mike, what did you tell her?"

"I told her we have to know how to defend ourselves from people who might want to hurt us. I had to explain it, Rahab, she's already experienced a fight first hand, and relived it in her dreams. I HAD to explain, so she'd get a handle on it."

"What else did you tell her?"

"Nothing more... she asks a question, and I answer it as simply as I can."

Rahab shook her head slowly. "She's learning things so quickly now..."

"Yeah, next thing I know she'll be asking me about sex."

"Mike!"

He stared at her, pretending to be sober. "Facts of life, Rahab. We can't pretend it isn't there."

Rahab slumped in her chair. "No, we can't." She shivered in her robe.

"Hey, are you cold? Maybe you should get back into your bed." Mike yawned.

"I can't sleep," Rahab said.

"Oh."

They were silent a while. Then Mike stirred. "Anything else you want to discuss? I'm starting to fall asleep, here. Had a long day with those kids..."

Rahab got up. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up like that."

"Don't worry about it," Mike said, tossing his head at her apology. "I don't mind helping you out."

"You really don't?"

"No, Rahab!" Mike stood up to face her. "How many times do I have to tell you, I don't mind. Those kids mean a lot to me, even Devon... even Seth. I know I complain, but it's done in jest, you know?"

Rahab covered her mouth to stifle her cry, but the effort was futile. She tried to apologize, but in the end raised her hands in a gesture of helplessness, and folded back into the chair, and sobbed hysterically into her lap. After a moment she felt Mike's hand smooth her hair in a gesture of reassurance.

"It's all right, let it go," she heard him say close by.

She reached for him, and grasped his neck, resting her forehead on his firm shoulder. She stayed that way a long time, as the months of stress and frustration melted away with her tears.

When she recovered, he stood and took hold of her hands to help her up. She wiped her eyes with her knuckles and looked up at him, and saw him grinning at her. "You're gonna be all right," he said. "Come on, let's go back to bed. I'll walk you down to your room-"

Rahab shook her head. "No."

"Rahab-"

"I-I can't, Mike, I told you..." Rahab took a deep breath, and let it out slowly to try to ease the knot of fear in her middle.

"Rahab, there's nothing-"

"I don't want... to sleep alone," Rahab almost whimpered.

Mike's brow knitted in puzzlement. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm tired of being alone, trying to cope by myself, tired of sitting around, waiting, waiting, waiting for Raph to come home, when I already know he isn't."

"But you don't know that for certain-"

"He's not coming home, Mike. He told Leo in New York, and he told me,in so many words. He can't handle the melodrama any more, with the kids, and Seth..." Rahab was crying again. "He LEFT me!"

She heard Mike swear softly under his breath, as she struggled to bring her sobs under control. She looked up to see him kneeling at her level, looking intently into her face. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I should told you, only you were wound up enough as it is. It's just that... I know how hard Raph was struggling with this, I know it wasn't easy for him."

"It's not easy for me, either." Rahab sighed a shuddering sigh, and rubbed her eyes. "It's not easy hanging onto that stupid tree branch, when everybody else has dropped off."

Mike sighed in return. "I've been doing that for years, Rahab. Hanging onto that damn tree branch, being the third squirrel."

Rahab laughed a little, in spite of herself. "You know about that, uh?"

Mike nodded slowly. "Oh, yeah. Can't help but know it."

"I see," she said, and tucked her feet up under her robe. She turned sideways in the chair and pressed her cheek into the cushion of the chair back, and closed her eyes. After long moments, she opened them and looked at Mike. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at her thoughtfully. At length he got up, and came over to her chair.

"C'mere," he said softly, and picked her up, and carried her to the bed, and tucked her under the covers. He then turned to sit in the chair.

"Where are you going," Rahab said, starting to get out of bed.

"Hey, get back in there," Mike protested, gently pushing her down.

"Only if you get in with me."

Mike looked around, as though to find reinforcement. "Look, Rahab, I don't think that would be a very good idea at this time," he said, gazing at her again. "You're upset, I'm overtired..."

"All the more reason for you to get in."

"Rahab..." Mike sat weakly on the edge of the bed. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"You are married to Raphael."

"Barely!"

"You are still married, just the same."

"I'm going to divorce him for abandonment," she burst out. Mike prevented her from getting up. "I am, I'm going to do it! First thing in the morning."

"All right then, but I think you'd better get a good night's rest. Okay?"

"I can't SLEEP," Rahab hissed.

"I can get you something-"

"I don't want any stupid tea!"

"Please, Rahab. Just try to sleep. I'll be here in this chair, I'll watch you. Okay?" Mike pulled the chair up next to the bed.

"You don't want me any more, do you?"

"What gives you that idea?"

"You won't even sleep with me? All we're gonna do is sleep-"

Mike sat back in the chair. "You know just as well as I do that once I get in bed with you, we're not gonna 'just sleep'! As long as I stay in this chair, and you stay in that damn bed, we'll be just FINE."

Rahab stared at him, as he stared at her. "You're getting mad at me, I can tell." she said, low.

"I'm not mad at you, Rahab. Just a bit agitated."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Mike said, settling back in the recliner.

Rahab grasped one of his feet as it came within her reach, and when he didn't protest, she sighed and relaxed. Her anxiety melted at the reassuring contact, and she finally slept.

"You still want to go through with this, uh?" Mike said at breakfast the next morning.

Rahab held her mug of tea close to her, as though to draw comfort from it. "Yes," she said tonelessly, and took a sip.

Mike got up and looked out the tall kitchen window, at the kids chasing each other around the play yard, while their sitter watched.

"Well, at least it won't bother Gaele much, that's for sure. It's no loss to her, and Devon's not old enough to know the difference."

"Right," Rahab said. "That's why I have to start now, and get it over with."

"Well, there's a little problem, Rahab. You have to contact Raph first... tell him what you're going to do, before you do it. How are you going to go about it?"

"Don has voice mail. I can contact him, and it's quite likely he's in contact with Raphael."

"Maybe." Mike turned away from the window, and leaned back against the counter, to face her. "Then again, even Don doesn't know where he is, at times. Thing is, if Raphael doesn't want to be found, NOBODY can find him."

"Oh, great," Rahab muttered, as she set her cup down sharply. "I didn't even think of that." She chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. "Well, it doesn't matter. I'll call Don anyway, and leave him a message, and then I'll call an attorney to get the facts." She looked up at Mike. "You know any good ones?"

"I can't help you on this, Rahab..."

"Why not?"

Mike raised his hands. "He's my brother, Rahab. I have to stay neutral. That is, I have to keep my butt out of your divorce, or there's gonna be a major problem."

"As if Raphael will even care."

"Believe me, he will. And I'm gonna be the first one he's gonna jump on." He squinted a little. "Huh, maybe not... he might blame Leo first, but then he'll be all over me next, like a wet washrag."

"You can't do anything about how he's going to react, Mike." Rahab said, gathering the dishes up from the table.

"No," Mike sidestepped to get out of her way. "But I'm not about to do anything to aggravate him, either."

Rahab set the dishes in the sink, and rinsed her hands. She stopped, and watched the children. Devon was sitting at the top of the slide, looking openmouthed at the sitter as she spoke to him. Rahab felt a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry," she said quietly to the window. "But I can't take this merry go round anymore. He got off first, just remember that."

"What?"

She turned part way toward Mike. "Nothing."

She noticed he was sitting at the kitchen table, pencil in hand, looking through the phone book. He found something and circled it, and looked up at her. "I did not find this for you, okay?"

"Whatever it is, thank you," Rahab said. She walked over to the table.

Mike suddenly got up and walked out. "I'll be outside," he said.

Rahab looked at the circle in the White Page listing and saw the name of an attorney. A Beverly Hills number, a woman's name. "Friend of yours, Mike?" Rahab picked up the phone. This is it, she thought as someone answered at the other end. This is the beginning of a new era in my life... or the beginnning of the end... whatever.

Next section... Rahab 27

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