Risk It All - Raph X OC

Raphael Undercover

Raphael shut off the industrial grade mower he'd been using on the grounds surrounding the Sidorov mansion. His new gig as a groundskeeper was super low-key and no one has yet to approach him since he began work a few days ago. Sweat trickled under his sunglasses while he scanned the sprawling the front yard, the dense hedges bordering the property and the quiet residential street beyond. Nothing. No overt signs of trouble at all.

He blew out a frustrated breath. Going undercover wasn't Raph's speciality, but what choices did he have? He had to find Leo.

Two and a half long days of staking out former Russian mob boss Dmitry Sidorov in Manhattan, not too far from where Raph and his brother Donny stay. A year ago Sidorov had left Brighton Beach, the Russian mob's unofficial headquarters in the US, after he had barely survived a spray of bullets. Since then he'd been living a quiet life, no longer involved in anything criminal, at least according to what Donny was able to find out about the man via extensive research on his computer. But Raphael's older brother, Leo, had mentioned Sidorov was catching on to Leo's snooping right before he had gone missing. Leo's connection to the former mobster was a mystery and the only lead Raph had, so he'd gone undercover to check out Sidorov.

Thankfully for Raph, Donny had helped him secure this job without any in-person interview or inspection. Donny sent an immaculate resume even the president wouldn't overlook and added fake references that helped secure his spot on his staff. Raphael wouldn't know what to do with his brother Donny. After their father past away 5 years ago, the group separated and began living their own lives as they grew into young adults. Mikey took it the hardest. Moving to Florida and getting a job surprised the brothers, but were honestly happy Mikey was making a living for himself. Then Donny moved out and began working for a terminally-ill Forensic lead for the police department woman who initially was terrified of her new friend, then eventually warmed up at how well-spoken Donny was. Their friendship blossomed over time and now he has access to all the police informants and information that comes through the department. Leo began doing his own vigilantes outside the country and the most recent one that has Raphael searching for him, is why Raphael is pushing a lawn mower into the bed of his curated company, the Green Thumb, pickup. Leo found out something he shouldn't have and hasn't been seen since.

The outfit Raph wears is almost unbearable under the sun, but he couldn't risk being caught by the other staff members and even more so, his employer... Sidorov. He layered all his clothes and covered his hands with baseball size -gloves to hide the distinguishable 3 fingers and a face mask to keep his beak and mouth out of view. His green skin he was able to say was due to a skin condition. Everyone was so busy and his position was so insignificant that it got past the guards. No one notices him, no one will know his motives. Perfect.

Parked next to the front steps was a silver Lexus sedan gleamed in the midday sun. Raphael already taken a good look at its briefcase-carrying owner and memorized the license plate so he could send it to Donny to check up on Sidorov's visitor later.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the hired muscle — Sergei, pacing the length of the tennis courts. Raph had eavesdropped a few times and learned that his recent desire to quit smoking has him on edge... with a gun. That would make him potentially dangerous.

Steering clear of him, Raph retrieved hedge trimmers from the truck. The four-acre estate, with its exotic flower gardens and expansive lawns, required a LOT of upkeep. Raph's back and calves screamed in protest and he grunted in irritation. His lack of sparring and practicing in the dojo was showing. The upside was him being a lawn-maintenance-worker he was able to free roam the property...but no access to the mansion inside. This was a serious problem. If he couldn't wrangle his way inside how could he gain more intel on Sidorov?

Raph spent a wakeful night, considering and rejecting scenarios to gain entry to the place. With Sergei and his gun patrolling the grounds, it was too risky to head inside uninvited. The occupants of the house included Sidorov, his 22 year old daughter, and his elderly housekeeper. Instinctively, Raph knew he would need to befriend the housekeeper to gain entry...but he would need to gain her trust. Ha. Why hello lady, I'm a big ol' green turtle and I need to search ya home to see if my bro has been here. Raph grunted again.

He spotted an opportunity to assist the housekeeper when he noticed her glasses were off her eyes and laying down near the couch. Interestingly enough, the woman was damn near blind without the glasses. Raphael quickly helped her carry a pot into the mudroom and she, to Raph's surprise, offered him a coke for his help. Despite the terrible lighting in the mudroom and the woman's inability to see, Raph was uneasy at being in front of a human. While it was nice to be treated as normal, if she was able to truly see him he would only hear blood-curdling screams. When the phone in the kitchen had rung, she took off to answer it. He decided to take this chance and steal into the main floor office and install a bug that Donny created that would stream any audio to his lab back at home. Raph was tempted to flip through the file folders on Sidorov's desk, but decided that was pushing his luck. He needed all the luck he could get without taking advantage of it.

Before the housekeeper made her way back to the mudroom, Raphael placed her glasses on the table and made a quick exit before she saw him. He walked to the perimeter of the property and began trimming a long row of hedges. A few minutes later, his sense of unease returned...danger. He stopped and looked back at the house. In the distance, a shadow moved under Sidorov's office window. Was it a shrub shifting in the breeze or the trouble his instincts had alerted him to?

Striding across the grass, he wished he was carrying his sais instead of hedge trimmers.