"Voodoo" By Lorrie

"Would you help me with this?" Sydney asked Gage as she tried for the third time to fasten the clasp to her necklace.

Gage gently pushed her hair aside. "Sure." He fastened the clasp and returned her hair to its original position.

"Thanks." Sydney smiled at him. "I really do appreciate you agreeing to go tonight. I know this isn't really your sort of thing."

Gage smiled. "You're right about that. I'm more boxing or a monster truck show." He laughed.

"Well, a little cultural experience will do you good." She smiled. "Besides, we are still going to the dirt bike races Saturday, aren't we?"

Gage laughed. "You bet."

While Sydney was putting on her lipstick, Gage picked up the tickets from the table near the door. "So what exactly is this modern dance thing all about anyway?" He asked.

"Just what it says Gage. Modern dance. It's sort of like the ballet, only it isn't." She took the tickets from his hand as she passed by him on her way outside.

Gage stood still for a moment as if her words were sinking in. "That really makes a lot of sense." He replied sarcastically.

*******

Leona Croix was on her was to her dressing room. She was in her first year at the Dallas Academy of Fine Arts and this was to be her first on stage performance. She was excited and nervous all at the same time.

She nervously opened the dressing room door and her eyes grew wide with terror at the sight in front of her. Her mirror had been smeared with blood in some sort of ritual symbol and a crude doll likeness of her had been laid on top of the dressing table. As she picked up the doll, she could hear the voice of her father ringing in her ears. His thick Haitian accent heavy on every word. "Leona girl, if you follow through with this foolish idea of yours and leave the Haitian community, you will pay for your betrayal. To your mama and me, you will no longer exist. The rest will be up to the high priestess."

Leona shook off the warning that was ringing in ears and began to clean up the mirror after studying the sign. She knew what it meant. The high priestess of the Haitian community in Dallas had been summoned to put a curse on her. The symbol on the mirror had been that of a stick figure with long hair with a vertical slash drawn through her middle, indicating that soon she would no longer be of this Earth.

She had worked hard during the last year to forget her Haitian roots, at least the ones that abide by the voodoo religion and all of its magical folklore. She would not let anyone ruin tonight for her.

*********

Gage and Sydney took their seats and waited for the performance to begin. "I'm hungry." Gage whispered.

"Shh." Sydney brought her finger to her lips. "We'll get dinner after the performance."

Gage slouched slightly in his chair, still not sure why he had agreed to come. Sure he liked being with Sydney and he felt bad that Alex had to back out on her at the last moment, but a modern dance performance? This was definitely not his idea of a nice evening out. But he and Sydney weren't really dating, not yet anyway. Sure, they liked each other, maybe even loved each other, but to admit that would make their lives way too complicated; especially where work was concerned. So for now, they just enjoyed each other's company as often as they could, which lately had been every weekend they were off and some weeknights too.

Sydney poked him in the ribs as the lights dimmed, signaling that it was about to being. "Sit up." She whispered. Gage reluctantly obliged.

Leona had taken her place behind the curtain. She was alone on stage, but knew that she would be joined by three other dancers during the second arrangement. As the curtain went up, she relaxed. She found that she felt very at ease in front of an audience and her dancing reflected her emotions. On the last note of the first arrangement, she bowed gracefully as the theater erupted in applauds.

Gage yawned unintentionally and was again elbowed by Sydney. "Sorry." He whispered. He tried to pay closer attention to the remainder of the performance and did manage to stay awake.

*******

Leona quickly changed into her street clothes. As she exited the dressing room, she was stopped many times and congratulated on her performance.

"Thank you." She replied, only a hint of her Haitian accent escaping.

The choreographer, Ms. Fields, approached her. "Leona, let's go into the main hall, so the public can meet you." She suggested with a broad smile on her face. "You were absolutely wonderful!"

Gage stretched as he lifted himself to a standing position. "Okay, Shorty. I'm ready for something to eat."

"Alright already!" She said as they moved along with the crowd into the main hall. "Hey wait! There's the featured dancer, Leona Croix, let's meet her!"

"Aww!" Gage whined.

"Come on, it'll only take a minute."

They approached Leona. Sydney met her outstretched hand with her own. "Your dancing was beautiful."

"Thank you." Leona smiled. "Are you a student of dance?"

"I was, a long time ago." Sydney confessed as Gage raised his eyebrows.

"You are a beautiful woman. You have the body of a dancer." She smiled at Sydney. "I'm sorry, I've lost my manners. I am Leona Croix."

"Sydney Cooke and this is Francis Gage." She pointed at Gage who cringed when she gave his first name.

"It's a pleasure meeting you both and thank you for your kind words." She looked at her watch. "I'm sorry to be so rude, but I really must be going." Leona said as she left the main hall and started towards the parking lot.

Gage offered Sydney his arm. "I didn't know that you studied dance."

"Yep. I was offered a full scholarship to the Dallas School of Fine Arts."

"And you turned it down, why?" Gage asked.

"I was torn between that and law enforcement. Someone made the mistake of telling me that I would never make it as a cop because of my size and the rest is history." She smiled.

Gage shook his head, flashing his smile at her. "You just couldn't resist the challenge, right?"

Sydney smiled at him and nodded just as they heard a scream from the other end of the parking lot.

A dark figure was looming over Leona. "Leave this behind and come with me now and nothing further will happen, but Leona girl, I can promise you that if you don't listen to me now, you will wish that you had."

"Mama, take your threats elsewhere. I have denounced the ways in which you and Papa have taught us for so long. I don't believe in magic potions and spells, so I can't be hurt by them any longer. Mama, please try to understand. I don't want to hurt you or Papa, but I must live my own life."

"Your life is back home with us. Leona, you are betrothed. Marcus has waited so long for you. In respect of your wishes, we did not force the marriage when you turned sixteen as most of the betrothals are done. You have been allowed to wait until your eighteenth birthday, but Leona girl, the time is now. You are to wed Marcus. He is angry and has already spoken with Madam Bovine. I fear for your safety here."

Gage and Sydney cautiously approached the two women. "Hey, what's going on here Leona? Are you alright?" Gage asked.

Leona looked at Gage momentarily. "I'm fine. My mama was just leaving." She glared at her mother.

Mrs. Croix looked at the couple. "You have no right to interfere here."

"Ma'am, we're both Texas Rangers and we do have the right to interfere if we feel that there may be trouble." Gage replied.

Mrs. Croix turned without another word and slowly walked away without looking back.

Sydney put her arm around the girl. "Leona, are you sure you're alright? You look a little shaken."

"I'll be fine." Leona began to cry softly. "I have made a terrible mess of things. Perhaps my mama is right, maybe I should return to our home."

"Leona, do you want to leave?" Sydney asked as Gage looked on.

The girl shook her head. "No, not really. I love dancing and I love learning. If I return home now, I will be made to marry Marcus and expected to carry out my wifely duties."

Gage had a puzzled look on his face. "I take it that you don't love this Marcus guy."

"No. My marriage to Marcus was arranged when I was born. He is almost twice my age and we hardly know each other, but he is a tribal leader and it is considered a great honor among our people to be betrothed to him."

A light rain began to fall and Sydney looked up, wincing as they began to get wet. "Leona, Gage and I were about to go get some dinner, would you like to join us?"

"Oh no. I would be imposing."

"Not at all." Gage smiled. Leona returned the smile and followed the two young Rangers back to Gage's car.

*******

Inside the restaurant, after they had placed their orders, Gage, Sydney and Leona began to get to know each other. "So, Leona, I detect a slight accent, where are you from?" Sydney asked.

"Originally Haiti. My family moved to Dallas shortly after I was born, but we live in an all Haitian community, so I have retained a good part of my accent."

"It's beautiful." Sydney remarked bringing a smile to Leona's face.

"So you're family is from Haiti, I hear it's a beautiful place." Gage commented.

"I too have heard this. I have never set foot on my homeland, but have heard many stories from there. It is both a beautiful and mystical place."

"Mystical?" Gage inquired.

Leona smiled. "I have been told many stories of Haiti. Most of the natives practice the voodoo religion and believe in sorcery, spirits and magic, both good and evil."

"How about you, do you believe these stories?" Sydney asked.

Leona shook her head. "No. That is another reason I left home and my mama was bringing me a warning tonight. She said that Marcus has spoken to the high priestess concerning me. Mama fears that Madame Bovine will decide to make me one of the living dead. She didn't say it, but it is a great fear of mama and papa."

"The living dead?" Gage asked with a puzzled look. "You mean zombies?" A look of shock coursed across his face.

Leona nodded. "Yes. One of the greatest punishments in the voodoo faith is to be turned into a zombie. It's foolishness, I know, but my mama and papa both believe it to the point that they will now completely turn away from me as if I never existed, so as not to be caught up in Madame Bovine's spells." She laughed nervously. "I know it's foolishness." She repeated in an attempt to convince herself.

After dinner, Gage and Sydney drove Leona back to her car. "Leona, here's my card. My home phone number is on the back. If you need us for anything, please call." Sydney handed Leona the card.

"Thank you Sydney and you too Gage. I have met two wonderful new friends tonight and I am most grateful to you both for watching out for me." She smiled as she got into Gage's car and he drove her back to the theater to pick up her car, where they waited to see that Leona got out of the parking lot safely.

********

As they drove towards Sydney's place, Gage grew quiet, in deep thought.

"What's up?" Sydney asked.

"Um? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about all that stuff Leona was talking about. You know, magic spells, zombies, voodoo; do you believe it's possible?"

Sydney raised her eyebrows. "No. I believe that these people have been taught this stuff all of their lives and that's why they believe in it and it's easier for the high priestess to deceive them since they trust her for guidance."

Gage nodded, his eyes never leaving the road. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"You guess I'm right? Don't tell me you're buying into this stuff."

"No. No, I'm not buying into it. It's just a little intriguing."

Sydney shook her head slightly as she stared at her partner, taking note of his square jawline and his soft blonde hair.

"What?" Gage asked, feeling Sydney's eyes on him.

She smiled. "Nothing."

*******

Leona unlocked the door to her dorm room and flipped on the light. Her hand involuntarily went to her mouth to prevent her from screaming.

Just inside her doorway, there was a circle of blood with a chicken's foot in the center. It was clearly a warning from the high priestess. Leona closed the door and ran back down the hallway to the payphone. She fumbled for her change and pulled Sydney's card from her purse.

As Gage pulled into the parking lot of Sydney's apartment building, her cell phone rang. "Hello." She answered.

"Sydney, it is Leona. We met this evening."

"Yes Leona. Is something wrong?"

"Yes. I have been given a warning from Madame Bovine."

"What kind of a warning?" Sydney asked.

"Please, come to my dorm room and I will show you." Sydney quickly grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from Gage's dashboard and wrote down the address Leona gave her.

"Leona, stay where you are. Gage and I are on our way."

"What's wrong?" Gage asked as Sydney hung up her phone.

"I'm not sure. Leona said she just received a warning from Madame Bovine."

Shortly after Leona's call, Gage and Sydney were bounding up the stairs to the second floor, co-ed dormitory of the Dallas School of Fine Arts. They found Leona sitting in the floor underneath the payphone.

Sydney ran to her. "Leona, are you alright?" She helped the girl to her feet.

Leona nodded. "You must see this. I do not know how anyone could have gotten into my room."

They walked the short distance down the hall to Leona's room. She unlocked the door and when she opened it, the circle of blood and the chicken's foot were gone.

Leona shook her head in disbelief. "This is impossible. It was here when I called you. There was a circle of blood and a chicken's foot in the center of it."

Sydney smiled. "Leona, you're probably just tired and maybe the light from outside was casting a shadow on the floor."

Leona stared at Sydney. "You don't believe me?" She looked down, almost in tears. "I don't blame you." She finally stammered. "I wouldn't believe me either."

Gage knelt down and examined the floor where Leona claimed to have seen the blood. "Hey Syd, look at this." He lifted the edge of the carpet, revealing a red stain in the shape of a circle.

Leona wiped the tears from her face. "So, I'm not going crazy then."

Gage smiled at her. "No Leona, you're not going crazy."

"Leona, why don't we call the police and they can investigate this further. You may need to take out a restraining order on this Madame Bovine."

"It would do no good. Madame Bovine moves as a free spirit. She can go through locked doors; or so it has been told."

"I didn't think you believed all of that stuff." Gage said.

"I don't, not really, but this is not entirely explainable. How did someone get in here to place the warning and how did it clean itself up?"

"Leona, you said it was a warning. How do you know?" Sydney asked.

"The circle represents a cycle of life and the chicken foot always represents danger or impending doom." Leona stated.

"Leona, do you have someone you can stay with tonight?" Gage asked.

"Yes, I have a friend across the hall. I'm sure I can stay there." She replied.

"OK. If you're sure you don't want to call the police, we'll be leaving now. If you need us again, call, OK?" Gage said.

"I'll be right there Gage." Sydney said as she continued to talk to Leona to be certain that she was alright.

As Gage stepped off of the last step, a dark figure approached him from behind, catching him off guard. "What the . . .?" Gage said as he felt a chill in the air and turned to face the shadowy figure.

"Stay out of this." A voice emitted from the hooded head of the figure. "Leona has made her choice and she must be punished for leaving the community."

Gage stared at the figure, trying to determine where the head was inside the folds of the robe. "And who are you to determine her punishment?" He asked.

"I am not of this world. I have powers that are far greater than your imagination. If you and your friend continue to interfere, you will be dealt with."

"Dealt with how?" Gage continued to question.

"Severely," was the only answer he received. The shadowy figure turned to leave.

Gage grabbed for the shoulder of the figure. There seemed to be no solid mass inside of the robe. He continued to grab inward and suddenly the arm of the figure flung him backwards into the brick wall.

As Gage was trying to regain his bearings, Sydney came down the steps. "Gage? What happened?" She asked as she helped him to his feet.

"There was a person or something in a black robe. It warned us to stay out of this. It turned to leave before I was finished talking and when I reached for it's shoulder, there was nothing there." Gage squeezed his eyes shut, a dull ache already beginning at the back of his head.

"Hey, are you sure you're alright?" Sydney asked.

Gage nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just . . . Where did it go anyway?"

Sydney shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. There was no one here when I came down the steps."

Gage shook his head again as they headed for the car, all the while being watched from underneath the steps by the shadowy figure that had assaulted Gage. The figure held out a gloved hand, revealing several strands of blonde hair belonging to Gage. "Sweet dreams, Ranger Gage." An eerie voice said.

*******

Sydney drove as far as her apartment complex. "Do you want me to drive you home?" She asked, as Gage sat, his throbbing head propped in his hand.

"No, that's alright. I feel a little better now." He replied, getting out of the car and going to the driver's side. "Thanks for driving."

Sydney smiled. "What are friends for?" She asked.

He returned her smile and lightly touched her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Goodnight Syd."

"Goodnight Gage. Sweet dreams." She quickly kissed his cheek.

He cranked the car and pulled away, his head still aching.

When he entered his apartment, he went straight to the bathroom for a couple of aspirin and to examine the back of his head. He held a hand mirror up and viewed the injury in the larger bathroom mirror. "Ouch!" He said as he lightly touched the area. It was slightly sticky, but yet there was no blood. "What is that?" He touched the spot again and brought his fingers to his nose, smelling a substance that vaguely reminded him of Chapstick.

He undressed and turned on the shower. After letting the water beat down on his back, he grabbed the shampoo bottle and attempted to wash out whatever the substance was.

*******

Meanwhile, back in the Haitian community, Madam Bovine sat at table. She tied the strands of blonde hair together with a string and placed them on the head of a small doll fashioned from straw. She repeated an old chant and laughed as she finished. "The balm placed on the wall where your head hit will cause you to go into a fitful sleep. Sweet dreams, Ranger Gage." She laughed. "Sweet, horrific dreams for you tonight!"

********

After getting out of the shower, Gage realized just how tired he was. He pulled on a pair of shorts and laid across his bed. He was asleep in minutes, but it was not a restful sleep. He tossed and turned all night, dreaming of the hooded figure, snakes, fire, ritual ceremonies and curses. He woke at 5:00 a.m. in a cold sweat.

"What is wrong with me?" He asked himself as he stared in the mirror.

He woke himself up and moved straight to his in-home gym system. After a short workout, and a shower, his phone rang as he was getting dressed for work. "Hello." He muttered.

"Hey you." Sydney greeted. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I still have a bit of a headache and I didn't sleep to good last night. How about you?"

"Sorry, I slept like a baby." She replied. "Listen, I'd like to check on Leona before going in this morning. Would you like to go with me?"

"Sure, but we had better call Walker and let him know where we'll be." Gage said.

"OK, you call Walker and I'll meet you at your place in 20 minutes."

"Oh, you want Walker to think that I'm the nut when I try to explain what happened last night?"

"Gage, I'm sure you'll do a fine job explaining last nights events." Sydney laughed as she hung up.

Gage hung up and immediately dialed Walker's number at headquarters.

"Walker." Ranger Cordell Walker answered his phone.

"Hey Walker, it's Gage. Listen, Syd and I met this girl last night at the performance and she had a bit of a run-in with . . . well, with . . ."

"Come on Gage, out with it." Walker instructed.

"The girl is Haitian and her parents practice the voodoo religion and there's a guy named Marcus that she's betrothed to, but doesn't want to marry. She left the Haitian community to join the School of Fine Arts and has no intention of going back, but last night her mother confronted her and told her that she feared for her life because Marcus had spoke to Madame Bovine, the high priestess and she planned to put a curse on her. Then there was the circle of blood in her dorm room, the hooded figure that threw me into a brick wall and . . ."

Walker interrupted. "Whoa! Gage, this is a little much to absorb over the phone. Why don't you and Sydney go and check on the girl and you both can tell me about last night when you get here."

Gage nodded. "OK. Talk to you later then."

"What's wrong?" Trivette asked as he noticed the puzzled look on Walker's face as he hung up the phone.

"That was Gage. It appears that he and Sydney met one of the dancers at the Fine Arts School's performance last night, a Haitian girl. It sounds a little complicated, or at least, Gage made it sound complicated. I'll wait and let he and Sydney explain it when they get here."

Trivette shrugged his shoulders. "Does this have anything to do with the Haitian community on the other side of town?"

"I don't know." Walker replied.

*******

Sydney knocked on Leona's door. "Leona." She called out. "Leona, it's Sydney Cooke, are you in there?"

"Maybe she's still with her friend across the hall." Gage suggested.

Sydney shrugged and stepped across the hall, knocking on the door.

"Can I help you?" A girl answered.

"Yes, is Leona here?"

"No, she left for her dorm this morning. She said she needed to take a shower and change before her 10:00 class."

"She's not answering and it's only 8:45." Sydney replied after glancing at her watch.

"Maybe she went for breakfast."

"Do you have a key to her room?" Sydney asked.

The girl hesitated. "Yes, but I promised her I wouldn't let anyone in."

"Miss, we're not just anyone. We're Texas Rangers and after last night, we would really like to know that Leona is alright." Gage said.

"Alright." She retrieved the key and opened the door. There were books and papers strewn all over the floor and someone had drawn symbols all over the white dorm walls. The girl gasped and immediately ran back into her room.

"I'll call it in." Sydney said as Gage began a room-to-room search.

"Leona!" He called out. To their surprise, they heard a muffled response coming from the closet.

Sydney drew her gun for cover as Gage kicked the lock from the door to find Leona sitting on the closet floor, her hands tied behind her and a gag stuffed in her mouth. There were red symbols painted on her arms and face. Large tears ran down her face as Gage lifted her out and gently laid her on the couch.

Sydney holstered her weapon and quickly removed the gag from Leona's mouth. "Leona. Are you alright?" She asked.

"I think so." Leona responded through her tears. "Can you tell us what happened?"

She nodded. "I came home this morning to take a shower and get ready for class. As I was gathering my things for the shower, the room suddenly became very cold and I heard voices."

"What kind of voices?" Gage asked.

"Scary voices. Then I heard Madame Bovine's voice. She said that she would make me one of the undead soon and that I would remain in the Haitian community forever." Leona began to cry softly. "She also gave a warning to me to pass along to you." She looked directly at Gage.

"What kind of a warning."

"She said that your night terrors last night were just the beginning of your nightmare."

Gage was stunned. 'How could Leona have known about my nightmare?' He thought as he stared at Leona in disbelief. "I'm going outside for a minute." He looked at Sydney as he left the room.

The police detectives arrived as Gage was leaving the room. Sydney made sure that Leona was safe and stepped outside to find Gage. "Hey!" She said as she spotted him sitting on a bench. "Are you ok?"

He nodded. "Yeah, why?"

She joined him on the bench. "You didn't tell me you had a nightmare last night." She half-laughed.

"I didn't tell anyone, but she was right." He paused to take in Sydney's reaction. "I had a terrible nightmare last night. It was like a culmination of all of my worst fears. I woke up around 5:00 a.m. in a cold sweat. It took me a while to figure out where I was."

"What did you dream about?"

Gage shook his head. "I don't want to think about it."

Sydney put her hand on her partner's shoulder. "Just remember, I'm here if you want to talk."

"Thanks Syd." He reached for her hand.

Leona came down the steps with one of the officers in tow. "I'm going to stay with Ms. Fields, our dance choreographer for awhile." She announced.

"Are you sure you'll be safe there?" Sydney asked as she and Gage walked towards the steps.

"If I'm not, I have your card." Leona smiled and then took Gage's hand. "I am sorry I got you involved in this. For whatever reason, it seems that Madame Bovine has taken a special interest in you."

"It's an interest I could do without." Gage mumbled.

"Be careful Ranger Gage. I think Madame Bovine wants to make you one of the living dead." She shouted out the window of the police car.

"What?" Gage asked as the police car drove away. "Great, now I have a crazy lady on my hands who wants to make a zombie out of me."

Sydney put her hand on Gage's back. "I didn't think you believed all of that stuff."

"I don't, but Syd, I have to admit, there have been some pretty strange things going on since we met Leona."

******

Gage and Sydney entered Ranger headquarters without a word.

"Hey you two. What's wrong?" Trivette asked, noting the unusual silence between the partners.

"Nothing." Gage mumbled.

"Gage just had a rough night and this morning wasn't too great either." Sydney replied, looking through the papers on her desk.

"What's up buddy?" Trivette asked, walking towards Gage's desk.

"I don't really want to talk about it." Gage replied as Walker came in.

"What did you two run into last night?" Walker asked.

Gage took a deep breath and then he and Sydney began to explain the events that had taken place at the dance performance.

"So, let me get this straight." Trivette started. "You met a Haitian girl whos family still believes in betrothals and has ties with the Voodoo religion. This girl was warned by her mother that her 'husband to be' has spoken to the Voodoo priestess about the situation and you two still got involved?"

"That's about it in a nutshell until we went to Leona's dorm room." Sydney replied.

"What happened at the dorm?" Walker asked.

"Someone left Leona a warning, Haitian style." Sydney started. "She was very frightened when she called. She had found a circle of blood with a chicken foot in the center, she said it was a classic warning of impending danger. But when we got there, the warning was gone."

"Only there were still stains on the underside of the carpet; blood stains." Gage stated.

"There was no one to pin it on though. No witnesses, nothing." Sydney said.

"So, when Leona decided to stay with one of the girls across the hall, Sydney stayed with her while she packed and I went outside to see if there was any possibility of getting into her room through the window. While I was out there, I saw a dark hooded figure standing near the stairway. The figure spoke to me, warning me to stay out of this that Leona had made her choice and now she would have to face the consequences." Gage finished.

"What happened then?" Trivette asked, intrigued.

"It hit me! That thing hit me and knocked me against the brick wall. I hit the back of my head pretty hard, hard enough to give me a headache and then it disappeared."

"Disappeared? Come on Gage, you must have blacked out." Trivette laughed.

"Maybe, but I don't think so. When I got home, my head was still splitting and there was something sticky matted in my hair."

"Probably gum." Sydney said.

"No, it smelled sort of like Chapstick."

"Well, how do you feel now?" Walker asked.

"I'm fine." Gage smiled.

"If you don't have anymore nightmares." Sydney interjected.

"Nightmares?" Trivette asked, turning his attention towards Gage again. Gage glared at Sydney. "What kind of nightmares?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Gage replied, turning his attention towards the printouts on his desk.

As Gage directed his attention to his desk, Sydney, Trivette and Walker also dispersed and returned to their desks. Walker's phone rang as he sat down. "Walker." He answered.

After a brief conversation he approached Gage and Sydney's desks. "What was the name of the girl you met last night?"

"Leona Croix." Sydney answered.

"She's been kidnapped. Ms. Fields, the dance choreographer at the School of Fine Arts was with her when it happened. We've been called in at her request."

Gage and Sydney were on their way out the door in seconds, followed by Walker and Trivette. "You two question Ms. Fields, we'll check out the spot where the abduction took place." Walker instructed as the headed to their perspective vehicles.

******

Ms. Fields sat on her couch, sipping a cup of hot tea, a blank stare clouding her eyes.

"Ms. Fields?" Sydney called out as she opened the unlocked door to Ms. Field's home. She received no answer, but saw Ms. Fields sitting on the couch. "Ms. Fields." She called out again as she and Gage stood in front of the petite woman.

Ms. Fields came out of her trance long enough to look up at them. Noticing their badges immediately. "Can I help you?" She said in a quiet voice.

"I'm Ranger Cooke and this is . . ."

"Ranger Gage." Ms. Fields finished her sentence. "I've been expecting you." She lifted her gaze to stare into Gage's eyes.

Gage held a puzzled expression on his face. "Me? Why?"

Ms. Fields retrieved a note from the table beside the couch. "This was left under my door. I found it just after Leona was taken. It's addressed to you."

Gage took the note and opened it. It was written in a scribbled handwriting. 'You have not headed my warnings, therefore you will pay the consequences, just as Leona will.' Gage angrily bawled up the paper and threw it across the room. "I've had about enough of this!" He said angrily as he started out the door.

"Excuse me a moment." Sydney said to Ms. Fields and then she ran after Gage.

Gage leaned against the porch railing, his eyes blazing with anger. "Why me?" He said as Sydney approached.

"I don't know, but I do know that we need to question Ms. Fields and find Leona. Maybe by finding her, we can figure out why Madame Bovine has it in for you." Sydney touched his shoulder. "Do you want me to take her statement?"

"Do you mind?"

Sydney shook her head. "No, I don't mind." She returned to Ms. Fields' living room and asked her about the kidnapping.

"Did you get a good look at the vehicle?"

"Yes. It was a black van. I have the plate number." She handed Sydney a piece of paper.

"Thanks. Did you see who grabbed her?"

Ms. Fields nodded her head. "That's what's so weird about this. It looked like the grim reaper, something straight out a horror movie. A black hooded robe, and no face." She stared straight ahead again.

"Ms. Fields, are you alright? Is there anything I can get for you before I leave?"

She shook her head. "No thank you. I'll be fine. Just, please find Leona."

"We will."

********

Leona woke to find herself inside Madame Bovine's basement. The priestess' face inches away from her own. "Leona Croix, you were warned to come home on your own. You chose not to listen and now you will pay the consequences."

Leona tried to move her arms, but found that they were bound, as well as her feet. She couldn't get away from the priestess. She heard someone enter the room and a man spoke. It was Marcus.

He bowed before Madame Bovine. "Madame Bovine. You requested my presence?"

"Yes Marcus. I have brought your bride back to you. At the end of the week, you will be able to take her as your wife and she will be in your control . . . completely."

"How is this so?" He asked.

"Are you questioning my power?" The priestess asked.

"NO." Marcus waved both hands in front of him. "I wouldn't dare question your power."

The priestess gestured him away. "You may leave. I have work to do with Leona."

Leona cowered in her restraints as Madame Bovine gathered a powdery substance in her hands and blew it into Leona's face. "I will leave you to the power of the mojo now." She turned and went up the steps.

Leona's head began to feel odd. Her lips were going numb and she could hardly think. What had Madame Bovine done to her?

*******

Gage sat in the car, the motor running. He briefly closed his eyes and jumped when Sydney opened the car door.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

Gage shook his head. "It's OK. I guess I nodded off." He put the car into drive and they started out. Silence was hanging heavy in the car, the last thing Gage needed since he was already sleepy and on edge.

Sydney's cell phone rang. "Hello." She answered. "Yes Walker. We took her statement." She paused, listening to Walker's instructions. "Ok, if that's what you want us to do." She hung up.

"What does he want us to do?" Gage asked.

Sydney hesitated.

"What?" Gage asked.

"He wants us to pay a visit to the Haitian community and have a talk with Madame Bovine."

The color immediately drained from Gage's face. "Have a talk with Madame Bovine?" He paused. "Maybe that's not such a bad idea."

Sydney wasn't sure she liked the look in his eyes. He slammed the car into reverse and changed directions, heading straight for the Haitian community.

******

Leona woke hours after Madame Bovine had blown the powdery concoction into her face. Her stomach was cramping and she immediately threw up on herself. She also found that she was now numb all over. Attributing it to the tight ropes that bound her hands and feet, she didn't think too much of it, but soon Madame Bovine descended the steps to check on Leona's progress.

"So, Leona girl, how are you feeling?" She laughed when she saw the vomit all over the front of Leona's shirt. "You are probably quite numb by now. The spirits of the dead are taking over your body. Soon, you will find it hard to breath and you will be completely unable to move, but you will see and hear all."

"No." Leona mumbled.

"You will be dead, Leona girl, dead to everyone around you. Once you have spent two or three days in this state, I will give you something to allow you to regain the use of your limbs. The spirits will listen to Madame Bovine! Once you have regained the use of your body, you will be given to Marcus to be married, as you should have been earlier." Madame Bovine left the room again.

********

Gage pulled into an old, run down part of Dallas, a part most people had forgotten about long ago. This was the Haitian community and Gage and Sydney were about to enter a world they would never forget.

They crossed the street and stopped a man on the street. "Where can we find Madame Bovine?" Gage asked.

"A wise man would not call on the high priestess without an invitation." He replied.

"I never was much of a wise man." Gage responded, angrily. "Now, where can we find Madame Bovine?"

The man pointed down the street. "The large blue house with the white shutters."

Gage backed off and he and Sydney started towards the house. As they got closer, a chilling wind began to blow. "What the . . .?" Sydney asked. "It's the middle of summer and it's 103 degrees. Where did that cold wind come from?"

Gage shook his head. "Just another of the weird things that have happened since we met Leona." His eyes never strayed from the blue house.

They stepped onto the porch and the front door of the house opened mysteriously. The Rangers pulled their weapons and entered the parlor cautiously, facing the staircase.

"You dare to enter the home of the High Priestess without being invited in?" Madame Bovine spoke from behind them, startling both Rangers. They turned, their guns pointed at her.

Her eyes were cold and stared directly at Sydney and Gage. They both holstered their weapons. "We . . . your door was ajar. We weren't sure if someone had broken in." Sydney attempted to explain.

"No one would "break in" to my home. No one would dare to do that." She fumed. "No one until the two of you!"

"Madame Bovine. We need to talk to you about the disappearance of Leona Croix." Gage began.

"Disappearance? So, you believe that people can disappear?" She taunted.

"Someone kidnapped her." Sydney explained.

"And why does this concern me?" Madame Bovine asked.

"Look, Madame Bovine, you'll understand if we don't believe you. I mean, you left Leona that warning in her dorm room and I feel certain that you had something to do with the dark figure that threw me into the wall too." Gage rubbed the back of his head as he spoke.

"So, you are now blaming your troubles on me? I think you have this all wrong. I help people."

"Are you 'helping' Marcus right now by bringing Leona back to him?" Sydney asked.

Madame Bovine's face grew red with anger. She stretched her arms upward, fingers extended. She mumbled a few words, her face glaring at the ceiling and then she turned to Gage and Sydney and in a booming voice announced: "I want you both to leave my home. NOW!" As she spoke the skies darkened and her words were punctuated by thunder and streaks of lightening as a summer shower quickly followed.

Sydney looked at Gage who had suddenly turned very pale. "We'll leave, but we will be back, with a warrant." Sydney said as she pushed Gage towards the door. On their way out, Madame Bovine's cockatoo made a dive towards Sydney and grabbed a small section of her hair, pulling it from her head as she and Gage shut the door, thankful to be out of the house.

When they reached their car, the skies had returned to a brilliant blue. Gage looked towards the heavens. "What the . . .?"

Sydney tried to open the car door, but it wouldn't budge, neither would Gage's. Come on Gage, unlock the doors."

"They're not locked Syd." He pulled hard on the door handle and suddenly it gave sending him backwards, landing him on his butt.

Inside her house, Madame Bovine held up another small doll and retrieved the strands of Sydney's hair from the cockatoo and wiped the balm from his claws. "Very good, Sampson. Very good." She laughed.

******

"Shouldn't Gage and Sydney be back by now?" Trivette asked Walker as they studied Leona's case.

Walker looked at the clock. "Yep."

Then, as if on cue, Gage and Sydney entered the office, still a little shaken. "Hey Walker, Trivette." Sydney announced as Gage went straight to the water cooler without a word.

"What's up with you two? What did you find at Madame Bovine's?" Trivette smiled as he stared at Gage.

"That she's as crazy as a loon." He replied after downing a cup of water.

"Did she say anything that gets us closer to Leona?" Walker asked, hopefully.

Sydney shook her head. "No. She became quite upset when we started asking questions and she forced us out of the house."

"Forced you out? How?" Trivette asked, full of curiosity.

"Her cockatoo attacked Sydney and then there was the weird cloud burst and the car doors not opening." Gage spurted out.

"Whoa Gage! Slow down, buddy!" Trivette laughed and then looked at Sydney. "You were attacked by a cockatoo?"

Sydney nodded. "It flew at me when we were leaving and snatched a good bit of my hair."

"Do we have anything on Madame Bovine?" Walker asked, sticking with the subject at hand.

"No, nothing concrete. But, do you think Alex could get us a warrant based on the threats?" Gage asked.

"Maybe. I'll talk to her." He turned his attention towards Sydney. "So, the cockatoo got some of your hair, eh? Hey Trivette, isn't human hair used in voodoo curses?"

"Um, oh yeah. Hair or nail clippings get the priest or priestess' curse closer to the victim."

"Oh come on guys. That's enough!" Sydney said.

*******

After their shift, Sydney turned to Gage. "Are you about ready to go?"

"Yep. That was my last report. Do you want to grab a bite of dinner?" He asked.

"Not tonight. I think I'm just going to go home, take a long, hot bath and watch a movie."

Gage shrugged his shoulders. "Ok. I'll pick you up tomorrow around 2:00 for the dirt bike races, alright?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you at 2:00."

*****

Trivette sat at his computer at home and began to research the voodoo religion.

He ran across a page of particular interest. "Zombies?! Right, we're supposed to believe this?" He continued to read and found that the potion used to create the 'undead' included parts of the pufferfish, which contain a highly toxic neuroinhibitor.

He then started to research tetrodotoxin, the toxin found in pufferfish and it's reaction on humans. "Lip and tongue paralysis, followed by facial and extremity paralysis and numbness, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain (possibly severe), motor dysfunction with weakness, hypoventilation, and speech difficulties.

A rapid ascending paralysis occurs over 4-24 hours. Extremity paralysis precedes bulbar paralysis, which is followed by respiratory muscle paralysis.

Finally, cardiac dysfunction with hypotension, (drop in blood-pressure) coma and seizures. Death can occur within 4-6 hours at this point." He sat back in his chair and let out a long whistle. "Man, this is nasty stuff!"

*********

Sydney ran her bath and relaxed in the candlelit bathroom among the bubbles with a glass of wine. After a long soak, she wrapped her wet hair in a towel and donned her robe as she stepped out of the tub.

After the last sip of wine, she laid across her bed and stared at the picture of she and Gage that sat on her nightstand. A smile crept across her face as she thought about the day the picture was taken and soon, she drifted off to sleep.

********

Across town, in the blue house with the white shutters, Madame Bovine was sitting at a table with two straw dolls; one with blonde hair and the other with black. She continued to mumble an ancient curse and then she placed the blonde headed doll into a metal case near 'Delilah', her pet python.

She then picked up the black-headed doll and placed it into a metal box which she then held over an open flame; not close enough to burn the doll, but enough to heat the metal case.

"Tonight, you will both dream, Rangers; horrific dreams about watching each other die and being unable to do anything about it!" She roared with laughter. Moments later, she laid a heavy piece of metal on the chest area of each doll.

*********

Gage began to toss fitfully.

He was in an alley, trying to pin down a thug and as he turned to fire, a huge python crossed his path. Gage found himself unable to move as the python came straight towards him, wrapping itself around and around his body and squeezing.

Sydney too had fallen into a deep sleep and soon found herself inside a burning warehouse with Gage.

They had responded to a distress call inside of an abandoned warehouse. The structure was already aflame with they arrived. As they entered, the thick, black smoke filled the air so densely that they could hardly see their hands in front of their face, let alone find the exit. The intense heat from the flames was beginning to scorch their throats as they tried to breath.

A cold sweat was already beginning to form on Sydney's brow as the dream continued.

"Gage, we've got to get out of here!" She screamed.

"I know Syd. I know. Is there anyone else in here?"

"I don't see how anyone could have survived this." She replied.

The exit seemed to be a few feet in front of them, but as they got closer to it, it seemed to move further away! "Gage, we're never going to make it!"

Sydney began to cough uncontrollably in her sleep. The dream continued:

As the two Rangers moved closer to the exit, a large metal shelving unit crashed down on top of them. Gage turned to Sydney, as best as he could and gasping for air, called out to her? "Syd? Syd, can you hear me?"

She turned her head towards him, slightly. "I'm here." Then a horrible realization hit here. "Gage, we're going to die. We're going to burn to death." She screamed as the flames erupted all around them.

Sydney tossed back and forth in the bed, twisting the comforter she was laying on. "No! No!" She called out.

*******

Gage too, tossed back and forth in his bed.

The snake started to squeeze tightly around his waist and chest. It was getting difficult to breath.

He heard Sydney scream out in pain. "Gage, get it off of me!" Then he saw her against a dumpster, another huge python was wrapped around her, squeezing the life from her body.

"Syd!" He called out, realizing he was too late. He then felt his own ribs begin to crack as the python holding him constricted again.

*******

Madame Bovine trotted down the steps to check on Leona's progress. She marveled at her own handiwork when she saw that the girl could not move a muscle. She checked for a pulse and to the untrained, there would have appeared to have been none, but Madame Bovine knew that the drugs and toxins she had placed in the powdery potion were doing their job.

"Hello Leona. I know you can hear me." She laughed. "Now the fun begins. I am calling a special ceremony in the square tonight and you will be the center of attention. You are going to be my example Leona, girl. No young person will ever consider leaving the Haitian community or my power ever again when they see what I've done to you!" She left the room and returned upstairs.

Madame Bovine was right, Leona could hear every word she said and as long as she was in front of her, she could see her too, but she was trapped, trapped inside of her own body and couldn't move a muscle. It was even a strain to breath.

Moments later, Madame Bovine returned with two men. "Stay behind the partition until I have placed her in her burial clothes." Madame Bovine quickly worked while she spoke to the men. "You will remove her from the table and place her in the coffin." She instructed. "Then wrap the belts around her waist and ankles so she doesn't fall forward when she is placed upright during the ceremony. Once you are finished, nail the top in place." She paused a moment. "You can come in now. Do you understand the instructions?"

"Yes ma'am." The men replied and went to work, placing Leona in the pine box, crossing her arms over her chest in a typical burial position.

Leona was acutely aware of being dressed in burial garments and being placed into the coffin. She wanted to scream when the men began to drive the nails into the coffin, but her voice and her muscles would not cooperate. Madame Bovine had succeeded in making her one of the 'undead'.

*******

The people had started to gather in the square, waiting for the grand entrance of Madame Bovine and were anxious to see why she had called this last minute 'celebration'.

They didn't have to wait long. A cloud of smoke filled the staging area and when it started to clear, the form of Madame Bovine was in the midst, her face covered with white paint, her eyes darkened and her hair held by small bones and beads. "My children!" She began, her arms extended towards the crowd. "I have gathered you here to witness the extraction of the spirits of the dead from our own beloved little sister, Leona Croix." The two men brought the coffin on stage, still sealed.

Inside, Leona could hear the cheers of the crowd and Madame Bovine's booming voice, commanding the people. Drums began to beat as Leona felt herself being lifted up and stood on end.

"Inside this coffin, lies our little sister, Leona Croix, who was taken several days ago by the spirits of the dead!" Madame Bovine bellowed. "The great one, Papa Legba has spoken to me and has given me instruction on how to defeat these spirits and reclaim our little sister!" Her voice was flawless, punctuating the right words at the right time to get the most from the crowd.

As the drums continued to beat, Madame Bovine turned to the two men. "Remove the top of the coffin." Leona could hear the squeaking of the nails being taken out of the wood. The noise recoiled in her brain, but she could make no reaction against it. Soon the top of the coffin had been removed and Leona could feel the terror in the people witnessing this event.

As Madame Bovine spoke in an ancient Haitian dialect, a single tear escaped from Leona's eye. "See, our little sister is still in this body! She has been taken by the spirits of the dead and now, with the blessing of Papa Legba, she will be brought back to us!"

Madame Bovine touched Leona's shoulder. "Leona! Leona, I know you can hear me." She cupped Leona's chin and stared into her eyes and then stuffed two small leafs into her mouth. Leona coughed slightly, her mouth and throat immediately responding to the bay leaves. "Let our sister go!" Madame Bovine shouted.

There were gasps heard throughout the crowd and the drums began to beat louder while the crowd chanted. "Let our sister go! Let our sister go!" In an effort to drive out the 'spirits'.

This went on for hours. Madame Bovine moved Leona's arms and legs up and down to work the toxin out of her system, but to the crowds, it was an obvious effort to command the spirits to leave Leona's body.

Near dawn, Leona was taken out of the coffin and Madame Bovine walked her up and down the stage. "Marcus! Come here!" She called out.

Marcus hesitantly came forward. "Put your arm around your bride and continue to walk her up and down the stage area. This will let the spirits know that she has a man to take care of her and they will leave!"

Marcus obediently took Leona in his arms and walked her while Madame Bovine continued to command the spirits to leave.

As the sun was beginning to rise, Madame Bovine stopped Marcus and took Leona into her arms. "Leona! Speak!"

Leona moved her mouth, but the words did not come immediately. "Leona! Thank Papa Legba for giving me the power to release you from the spirits of the dead!"

Leona mouthed again and this time, her voice was heard. "Thank you Papa Legba." Leona then collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

The astonished crowd began clapping and dancing wildly, praising Papa Legba and Madame Bovine. "Marcus, take your bride home." She instructed. Marcus gently lifted Leona and took her to his home.

As Madame Bovine left the square and returned to her house, she took the two straw dolls from the freezer. She held the blonde one for awhile before putting it down. "Today, Ranger Gage, you will pay the consequences for your interference. No mortal man stands in Madame Bovine's face and talks the way you talked to me! No man!"

*******

Sydney woke around 6:00 a.m. and found herself freezing. "What's going on in here?" She got up, wrapped the comforter around her and trotted to the thermostat. It read 70 degrees. "It can't be 70 degrees in here. It feels more like 30." She shivered as she went to the bathroom and turned on the shower.

*******

Gage also woke around 6:00 a.m., freezing. He, too checked his thermostat and found it to be 70 degrees. "There's no way." He pushed the thermostat up to 75, hoping to warm up and then made his way to the shower.

As he was getting out of the shower, the phone rang. "Hello." He answered quietly.

"Gage! Are you alright?" Sydney asked, the nightmare from last night still weighing heavy on her mind.

"Syd? I'm fine. What about you?"

"I'm fine." She smiled. "I had an awful dream last night. I . . . You . . . I mean, we . . ."

"We died." He finished.

"Yes. How did you know?" She asked.

"I dreamed we died too. It was awful. A python wrapped around each of us and squeezed us to death."

"No! We burned to death in a warehouse fire."

"Geez, I really wish we could just find Leona and be finished with this voodoo stuff." Gage exclaimed, rubbing his head in his hands.

"You don't really think Madame Bovine had anything to do with this, do you?"

"How else would you explain it? I mean, I never have thought too much about black magic, voodoo, whatever you want to call it, but ever since we heard about Madame Bovine, things have been pretty strange around here. Just like this morning, my apartment was freezing when I woke up. I thought maybe I had left the air on all night, but I checked the thermostat and it registered 70 degrees."

Sydney's mouth dropped. This was too much of a coincidence. "My apartment was freezing this morning too. I had to take a long, hot shower to warm up."

"Me too." Gage confessed.

The two Rangers talked for a few minutes longer, making small talk. "Well, I guess I'd better let you go. I want to go to the gym this morning and work out. I'll see you around 2:00, OK?"

"OK. Bye."

*******

"Marcus!" Madame Bovine shouted from outside Marcus' house. He immediately came to the door.

"Yes, Madame Bovine." He replied humbly.

"I have a job for you to do."

"What is it?"

"Come with me." Marcus obediently followed Madame Bovine back into her house and down into the basement. "I trust that Leona is proving to be a good wife."

He nodded. "Oh yes, Madame Bovine. She does whatever I tell her to do and she never talks back." He smiled.

"And as long as you give her one teaspoon, daily, of the potion I gave to you, she will always do as you say without question or hesitation."

Marcus smiled. "Thank you again, Madame Bovine for bringing Leona back to me."

She didn't respond, but took a measured amount of the same powdery potion she had used on Leona, placed it in a bag and gave the bag to Marcus. "Find the two Rangers that were here yesterday and blow this into the face of the young man."

"Just the man?" Marcus asked.

"The woman's will is still too strong. I don't think it will work on her yet, but the man, it will definitely work on the man."

"How will he be brought back here for the ceremony?"

"He will come to me for answers." Madame Bovine smiled and thought to herself. 'Unless he dies first.'

*******

While Marcus was gone, Leona pulled herself into the bathroom and forced herself to throw up. She drank two glasses of milk to coat her stomach and then sneaked out of the house.

"I know he's poisoning me." She thought. "I have to get out of here and get some help."

She continued to dart behind trees and bushes, afraid that if anyone saw her, they would return her to Marcus, or worse, Madame Bovine. Twenty minutes after she left Marcus' house, she was outside of the Haitian community and on her way into the City of Dallas.

Leona stopped at a payphone and tried Sydney's number, but couldn't get an answer. She then dialed the number to the Texas Rangers.

"Trivette." Jimmy answered.

"I must speak with Ranger Cooke or Ranger Gage, it is of most urgency!" She said excitedly.

"There're not in right now. Is this Leona?" Trivette asked, picking up on the Haitian accent.

"Yes, I am Leona Croix!"

"Leona, where are you? Are you alright?"

"Ranger Trivette. I need help. I have escaped Madame Bovine and Marcus, but I fear that they are going to try to hurt Ranger Gage because of his interference." She paused and gasped for air.

"Leona, where are you? I'll come and get you."

"I think I have been poisoned. I need help."

"Where are you?"

Leona finally gave Trivette the address on the street signs above her head. "Please hurry!"

"I'm about ten minutes away. I'll be right there!" Trivette hung up and started out the door. Walker met him in the hallway.

"Where are you off to?" He asked.

"I just got a call from Leona Croix. She thinks she's been poisoned and she also thinks that Madame Bovine may try to get to Gage."

Walker started down the hall with Trivette. Ten minutes later, they found Leona sitting next to the phone booth. "Leona!" Trivette called out as he tried to wake her.

Walker dialed 9-1-1 and turned to Trivette when he hung up. "Paramedics are on their way!"

Leona was rushed to Methodist Hospital where she was immediately placed on a ventilator to regulate her breathing.

Walker met her doctor as she was stepping out of ICU. "Doctor, I'm Ranger Walker and this is Ranger Trivette. We brought the young girl in. Can you tell us what's wrong with her?"

"She's been poisoned. We found traces of tetrodotoxin in her system. It's a highly toxic neuroinhibitor found in pufferfish. Do you know if she's been eating any pufferfish recently?" The doctor asked.

"She's part of the Haitian community here in Dallas, doctor." Trivette started to explain. "Tetrodotoxin is used in some voodoo potions. The most common being the spell of the undead."

"Ranger, you're not making much sense." The doctor stared at him.

"Doctor, are you at all familiar with the voodoo religion?"

"No. I'm afraid not."

"Then you may want to research it a little on the web before you diagnose this girl. We know for a fact that the Voodoo Priestess, Madame Bovine, had this girl kidnapped so she could invoke a spell on her and return her to the man she was betrothed to when she was born."

"Do you know how third world this all sounds?" The doctor inquired.

"Yes. I do. These people came from Haiti, a third world country who's population is largely made up of believers in the voodoo religion."

The doctor considered what Trivette had told her. "I'll do a little research and get back to you. In the meantime, the girl is resting comfortably now that her breathing is being regulated."

"Thank you doctor." Walker replied, staring at Trivette.

********

Gage pulled into the parking lot of Sydney's apartment complex a little before 2:00 and knocked on her door.

"You're early." She said as she answered the door, but she was already dressed and waiting for him.

"Sorry." He smiled. "You look great!"

"Yeah right. I'm dressed in jeans and a tank top and my hair is pulled back into a ponytail. You would choose now to say that I look great, wouldn't you?" She smiled.

"Well, you do." He kissed her on the cheek.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

"Let me get a glass of water first and then I'll be ready to go."

After he downed a glass of water, they quickly descended the steps and got intohis car. They never saw the set of eyes watching them from across the road. Marcus' eyes.

They could hear the dirt bikes engines zipping around already. "Did we miss the start?" Sydney asked.

Gage shook his head as he retrieved the tickets from the dash. "Nah. They're just practicing."

Marcus knew that he had to reach Gage before he entered the track or he would have to wait until the race was over for another chance. He hopped from his car, with the bag of powder in his hand. As he came closer to Gage, he emptied the content of the bag into his hand. "Excuse me." He said as he intentionally bumped into Gage and Sydney.

"Hey, watch it." Gage said as he looked at Marcus.

"So sorry." Marcus replied and as he spoke, he held his hand close to his mouth and blew the powder into Gage's face.

Gage blinked several times, trying to force the powder from his eyes. "Where did he go Syd?"

Sydney led Gage to a nearby picnic table and helped him sit down. "He's long gone. Are you OK?"

Gage's vision was beginning to return to normal. He rubbed a little more of the powder from his eyes. "Yeah. I'll be fine. Who was that anyway?"

"I don't know. I've never seen him before." Sydney replied. "Are you sure your OK? We could just go back to my place."

"Not on your life. I went to the dance thing with you and you promised to come to the dirt bike races with me." He started.

Sydney held both hands up. "Ok, Ok, you're right. If you're sure you're OK, let's go in and find our seats."

*******

Marcus returned to Madame Bovine's house. "I have done that which you asked me to do." He said.

"Good." Madame Bovine smiled. "Very good, Marcus."

*******

Towards the end of the day, as the last heat of the race was being run, Gage's head began to throb. He reached for his forehead.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Sydney asked.

"I don't know. All of a sudden, my head feels like it's splitting in two and my mouth feels numb." He mumbled and then closed his eyes tightly.

"Come on. Let's beat the crowd out." She put her arm around him and led him to the car, where she helped him into the passenger seat. "Let me have your keys."

He reached for his pocket, but couldn't seem to get his hand where it needed to be. "They're in my pocket Syd. You get them."

Sydney reached into his pocket and grabbed the keys. As she pulled out onto the road, Gage leaned against the door heavily.

"Gage, come on stay with me!" She called out to him.

"Just get me home, OK?" He said weakly.

******

"Do you think there's anything to what Leona was saying about Madame Bovine going after Gage?" Trivette asked.

"I don't know." Walker shook his head. "Why would she take the chance? I mean Gage doesn't believe in black magic, spells and potions, so why would she waste her time on him?"

"He doesn't have to believe in voodoo for Madame Bovine to poison him with tetrodotoxin." He stared at Walker.

"How does this stuff work again?" Walker asked.

"It's derived from Pufferfish, actually, the fish is quite a delicacy in Japan, but it has to be prepared by specially trained chefs so the toxins aren't passed on in the entrée.

The poison itself starts with lip and tongue paralysis, then the face and extremities become paralyzed and numb, then nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain (possibly severe), motor dysfunction, weakness, hypoventilation, and speech difficulties.

If memory serves me, the paralysis occurs over a 4-24 hour period, starting with the extremities and then the respiratory system.

Finally, there are heart malfunctions, hypotension, coma and seizures. Walker, this stuff can kill you if you're not treated."

"So, why isn't Leona dead?" Walker asked.

"My guess is Madame Bovine gave her something to counteract the toxin."

"But if she gets this stuff to Gage, she won't counteract it." Walker realized.

"Right." He stared ahead for a moment. "Walker, where were Gage and Sydney going today?"

"The dirt bike races, I think. Why don't you see if you can get one of them on their cell."

*******

Gage leaned on Sydney for support as they made it up to his apartment. She opened the door and helped him to the couch.

He immediately drew his legs into his chest as his stomach cramped. "Syd." He said weakly. "I don't feel so good."

"I can see that." She replied as she retrieved the trash can from the bathroom just in time for him to throw up in it. She then held a glass of water for him to drink and helped him to lay back down on the couch.

Just as he laid down, Sydney's cell phone began to ring. "Hello." She answered.

"Sydney, it's Trivette. Is Gage with you?"

"Yes."

"Put him on."

"Jimmy I can't. He's really sick right now. I don't know whether it was the heat, or something he ate or what, but he's doubled over and throwing up."

"Sydney, he's been poisoned! Call 9-1-1 and get him to Methodist, now!"

Sydney hung up and immediately called Emergency Services. As she hung up, Gage called out to her in an unusually quiet voice.

"Syd." It was almost a hoarse whisper. "I can't breathe." He gasped for air.

"Hang on Gage. The paramedics are on their way. Trivette thinks you've been poisoned."

"The powder stuff." He strained.

"Shh. You're right, it probably was the powdery stuff that guy threw in your face."

Gage gasped sharply for another breath. "Can't - - - hold - - on."

"You have to! You're not going to die on me Gage! I won't let you!"

"Can't - - move." He tried to move his arms and then his legs, but found that nothing was working.

He took one more strained breath and his eyes rolled back.

"GAGE!" Sydney screamed as she checked for a pulse. There was none, at least not a detectible one.

"I'm here Syd." Gage thought, but his mouth wouldn't cooperate.

He could hear Sydney sobbing as he felt a tremendous pressure on his chest and then felt Sydney blow air into his mouth.

"I won't give up on you Gage!" She said between breaths. "I won't let you die, not like this." She then resumed CPR.

"I'm right here Syd. I can feel pressure on my chest and I can hear you." He wanted to scream, but he was trapped inside his body. His motionless and apparently dead body. "Is this the afterlife?" He thought.

*******

The paramedics burst through the Emergency Room doors of Methodist Hospital, one EMS technician still performing CPR on Gage.

"What have you got?" A nurse asked.

"Texas Ranger, has every indication of a heart attack, but this guy's in excellent condition. Could be poison."

The nurse nodded. "Call upstairs Joan and ask for Dr. Allen. This guy has the same symptoms as the girl that was brought in earlier."

Dr. Allen wasted no time in getting down to the ER. "Where's the Ranger?" He asked. He quickly performed and examination on Gage and sent him up to ICU. I want him on a ventilator now and draw six vials of blood. We've got to get to the bottom of this quickly or we may lose them both."

Sydney was shaking as she sat in the waiting room of the ER, staring down at the floor and reliving moments she had shared with her partner, the most recent being today at the dirt bike races. Her thought were interrupted as Walker and Trivette approached.

"Hey, how is he?" Trivette asked.

Sydney shook her head. "I don't know. They haven't told me anything yet."'

Walker put his arm around her. "Let's see if we can find out anything." He left the waiting area as Trivette sat down beside of Sydney. Walker stopped at the nurse's station. "Excuse me. I'm Ranger Walker and one of my men was brought in earlier as a possible poisoning victim. I was wondering if you could give me an update."

"Name?" The nurse replied without looking up.

"Francis Gage."

"Gage, Gage, Gage, oh they took him up to ICU twenty minutes ago."

"Thanks." Walker muttered and went back to the waiting area to find Sydney and Trivette.

"Did you find out anything?" Trivette asked.

"They took him upstairs to ICU about twenty minutes ago."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Sydney asked.

"I don't know. But let's get up there now and see how he's doing."

As the three Rangers got off of the elevator, Dr Allen was coming out of ICU. "Dr. Allen." Walker called out. "One of my men was brought in earlier . . ."

"Ranger Gage?"

"Yes."

"He's resting comfortably right now. He's unconscious and I have him on a ventilator. We've done about all we can do for now." She then turned her attention to Trivette. "Ranger Trivette, it appears that you were correct, it is tetrodotoxin; in both Ms. Croix and Ranger Gage." She smiled. "And thanks to you, I think that they're both going to make it. It's going to take awhile for them to recover, but if they make it through the next 24 hours, they should be looking at a complete recovery."

"The next 24 hours?" Sydney asked.

Dr. Allen nodded. "Ranger Gage can't breathe on his own right now. The toxin attacks the nerves first, then the respiratory system, then the heart and finally, if untreated, the victim would go into a coma and die. But Ranger Gage's chances of recovery look very good. You got him here in time and luckily the staff downstairs knew that it wasn't a heart attack."

"Can I see him?" She asked.

Dr. Allen smiled. "Sure. Talk to him too. Reassure him."

"He can hear me?" Sydney asked.

Dr. Allen nodded. "I think so. We did a CAT scan and the brain function is still there, it's just unable to travel through the nervous system normally."

Sydney opened the doors of the ICU and quietly went to Gage's bedside. "Hey you." She whispered.

"Hey Syd." Gage thought. "I sure wish I could talk to you, but this tube thing in my throat . . .well, you get the picture."

The ventilator was rhythmically pumping air into Gage's lungs as Sydney gently stroked his hair. "Dr. Allen said she thinks you can hear me. I sure hope so." She paused. "I need you to come back to me Gage. I need to talk to you. There are so many things I need to say and I'm so afraid that I'm not going to have that chance." She choked back her tears and swallowed.

"You see, I love you. I have for quite awhile now and I guess that's why things seem a little awkward between us sometimes. I mean, if I love you, but you don't feel the same way, then what's that going to do to our partnership? And if you do feel the same way, where does that leave our partnership? God Gage, I can't lose you." She cried softly on his arm.

"I hear you Syd. I feel the same way. I love you too!" He wanted to say, but instead a tear rolled down the side of his face.

Sydney gently wiped the tear away. "So, you can hear me eh? Now, I guess I just have to wait until you can talk to me too."

*******

"Come on Sydney, you need to get some rest." Trivette coaxed.

"No. I'm not leaving him." Sydney stated firmly. "I want to be here when he wakes up."

"Sydney, just because he comes through the 24 hour period alright, doesn't mean he's going to just wake up then." Walker explained.

"I know, but I want to be here when he wakes up."

Walker nodded, knowing that her mind was already made up and nothing would get her to budge from that spot.

"Ok, but we'll be back at first light."

"I'll be here."

********

Back in the Haitian community, Marcus returned home to find Leona gone. "Leona!" He called out. There was no answer. He ran to Madame Bovine's home and explained to her what he had found.

"Marcus, there are other spirits at work here. They must have released her from my spell."

"I think your magic is not as strong as you claim Madame Bovine. I think that you are losing your powers because the gods are angry with you. You have spent much time on this Texas Ranger just because you do not like the fact that he is a man with power. I will present my situation to the tribal leaders in a closed meeting tonight and we will see if you, Madame Bovine, are to remain in this Haitian community or if you will be shipped back to Haiti."

"Who do you think you are, little man, to pass judgment on me? I am the high priestess and I demand an apology from you now!"

"You will get no apology from me. You brought back Leona to me and then allowed her to be taken again. For this I will never follow you again." Marcus turned to leave.

"Marcus, don't you dare walk away from me! Marcus!"

*******

The following morning, Dr. Allen first took Leona off of the ventilator and then Gage. Both were able to breath on their own and within a few minutes, Leona opened her eyes.

"Where am I?" She asked hoarsely.

"Methodist Hospital." The nurse replied, cheerfully. "You were poisoned."

"Where is Ranger Gage and Ranger Cooke?" She asked.

"Ranger Gage is resting comfortably and Ranger Cooke is just outside. I'll get her."

Soon Sydney was at Leona's bedside. "Leona, what happened? Ms. Fields said that you were kidnapped right in front of her." Sydney hugged the still frightened girl.

"Madame Bovine had some of the men from the community take me. They brought me to her house and she tied my wrists and ankles together and then blew a powder into my face. I became one Sydney! I became one of the living dead!"

"Leona, you were poisoned. So was Gage." Sydney explained.

"Did she put him in a coffin too?" Leona asked.

"What?" Sydney replied, in disbelief.

"Madame Bovine had me placed inside a coffin and then had the lid put on. She then had me taken to the ceremony in the square and presented me as one of the undead. She then brought me back with another potion and gave me to Marcus. Oh Ranger Cooke, Marcus made me do such horrible things!"

"Shh." She held Leona close and rocked her back and forth until she once again fell asleep.

After gently lying Leona back against the pillow, she sat by Gage's bedside and once again stroked his hair. "Gage?" She called out softly.

"Syd?" He replied in a whisper.

Sydney smiled. "I'm here." She took his hand.

Gage slowly opened his eyes." I heard you. Last night when you were talking to me. I could hear everything you were saying."

"Sort of like the last time you were in the hospital uh?" Gage remembered what she was talking about. She had confessed some of her feelings to him just after he had his ear surgery and she thought he was still asleep.

"I heard every word Syd." He swallowed.

"How do you feel?" She changed the subject.

"I don't." He mumbled and closed his eyes again.

As soon as Gage was asleep, Sydney left the ICU in search of Walker and Trivette. "What's up Sydney?" Walker asked.

Sydney proceeded to tell Walker and Trivette everything that Leona had told her.

"Let's get a warrant for Madame Bovine for two counts of attempted murder." Walker said as he and Trivette started down the hallway.

"I'm coming with you." Sydney said.

*******

After the tribal council meeting, Marcus and three other members of the council approached Madame Bovine's house. "Madame Bovine!" Marcus yelled.

She stood on her porch, arms crossed, a stern look on her face. "You dare to summon me?" She asked.

"We do not wish you to be here any longer. It is time for you to leave!" Marcus yelled.

"I am the High Priestess! I will not leave!"

"Then you will pay the consequences!" Marcus yelled as torches were thrown into the window of Madame Bovine's home.

"I am protected by Papa Legba! I will not leave!" She surveyed the burning house and sat down in a rocking chair on the porch, convinced that her gods would not let her die in the inferno.

*******

"What happened here?" Walker asked as he Trivette and Sydney pulled up to the charred remains of Madame Bovine's house.

Trivette shook his head. They approached the Fire Marshall. "What happened here?"

"Not sure yet, but we have a DB on the porch. Female, approximately 60."

"Madame Bovine?" Trivette asked.

"Probably. We'll know for sure after we run the DNA. Oh, there's also a dead bird and python inside."

"Thanks." Walker replied. "Let's go talk to a few of the people in the community." Walker suggested to Trivette as Sydney stared at the house.

The more people they questioned, they less they were able to find out, until they reached Marcus' house.

"What do you want?" He asked as he opened the door. Upon recognizing Sydneyfrom the dirt bike races, he started to run. She was faster and had him on the ground in an instant. "I was only following Madame Bovine's instructions!" He screamed as Sydney cuffed him.

"Who is this?" Walker asked.

"The man who poisoned Gage." Sydney replied through gritted teeth.

"What's your name?" Trivette asked. He got no response.

*******

Marcus was taken back to Ranger headquarters where between Walker, Trivette and Sydney they were able to extract the whole story from him, resulting in a few more arrests related to Leona's kidnapping.

"So, we have Leona's kidnappers. The person who poisoned her is presumed dead and we have the man that poisoned Gage." Trivette summed up the day.

"Speaking of Gage, I'm going back to the hospital now, OK?" Sydney announced.

"Sure Sydney. Give him our best. I'll be by sometime tomorrow."

Trivette smiled at her. "Me too."

******

Gage had been moved to a private room and was sitting on the edge of the bed, by himself, when Sydney came in.

"Wow!" She exclaimed at seeing him in an upright position. "You must be feeling a lot better today."

He smiled at her. "I am. See!" He moved both of his arms at the same time. "Now, if only my legs would cooperate."

"Give it some time, Ranger Gage." Dr. Allen announced as she entered the room. She headed directly to the bed and helped Gage recline. "I have some news that I think will make you happy though."

Gage and Sydney both looked at her quizzically.

"If you have someone who can stay with you around the clock, I'll let you go home tomorrow." She announced.

Gage's smiled quickly faded, knowing that there was no one. His sister was out of town and he couldn't ask Sydney, not yet.

"You don't want to go home?" The doctor asked.

"Oh, it's not that. I do want to go home, but . . ."

"But he just hates to leave this hospital food behind in favor of my cooking." Sydney finished.

Gage stared at her, not sure of what she was suggesting for a moment.

Dr. Allen smiled. "Good. I'll have the paperwork ready for you in the morning."

After Dr. Allen left, Gage looked at Sydney. "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, I still can't walk and I . . ."

"Yes, I'm sure. I'll call Walker and get things taken care of at work."

Gage started again to protest and thought better of it. "Thanks Syd. If you're sure." He said awkwardly.

"You're welcome. And I'm very sure. I . . ." She paused wanting so badly to tell him that she loved him and would do anything in the world for him. "I'd better get going." She finally said.

A smile crept across Gage's face as she left his room. "I love you too Syd." He called out.

She opened the door a crack and smiled at him.

THE END