Chapter 1: Default Chapter

Disclaimers: I do not own or lay claim to Walker, Texas Ranger or the characters Walker, Gage, Sydney, Trivette or Alex. This was written for entertainment purposes only.

Endless Nights Part 1

Cottage #2, Fort Worth, early evening, July 20th

Gage stepped out of the back door from their cottage and stared along the beach. He slowly closed the screen door trying to be as quiet as possible with the hopes of not disturbing her. His eyes found his partner sitting a little ways down the beach staring off into the horizon. Gage wanted to walk up to her and join her in watching the sunset, but after what had progressed over the past two days, he knew that going near her probably would not be the best of ideas. Instead, he leaned against the wall of the cottage, crossing his arms in front of him, as his thoughts drifted to the previous two days.

Two days prior, Ranger Headquarters, mid morning, July 18th

"You're late," Sydney announced as Gage ran through the Company B door.

"Per usual," Trivette commented from the other side of the room noticing the junior ranger's entrance and hearing Sydney's remark.

"I was stuck in traffic for twenty minutes. Give me a break."

"If you are a half hour late and you were in traffic for twenty minutes, doesn't that mean that had there been absolutely no traffic, you still would have been ten minutes late?" Sydney sarcastically asked.

"Be quiet." Gage said to her as he headed towards the coffee pot.

"There's a cup on your desk." Sydney stated noticing where he was going.

"Thanks."

"Figured since you were late I might as well have your coffee ready for you so you couldn't take anymore time away from your paperwork."

"Are you sure you didn't make me coffee because you feel guilty about standing me up last night?"

It was true. Sydney was in a new relationship with a man she had met at the supermarket named Todd. She thought he was going to be out of town last night and had made plans with Gage. Then Todd showed up and surprised her with an entire evening planned for them. He had not anticipated her making plans with another man.

The truth be told Todd and Gage had never met. Sydney did not want her friendship with Gage to scare him off. Also, Sydney was hiding the fact that she was a ranger from Todd with the hope that he might stick around. She and Todd had a deal, what they did for work during the day was their business. Todd was very secretive as to what he did and this secret they each held made things more interesting for them. It forced them to find things that interested both of them and strayed away from the "what did you do at work today?" conversation. Had Gage and Todd met, it probably would have tipped him off as to the general vicinity of her profession. What other profession would a man and woman be paired other than law enforcement?

Sydney let out a large sigh and said, "I'm really sorry about that. It's just Todd planned this whole evening for us and . . ."

"And Todd is more important, I get it."

"Gage, that's not it. When I called last night I told you that I would tell him I would pass on his offer. It was you who told me to go with him." She adamantly stated and she began to walk towards his desk.

"You know Syd, it's fine. I don't care. Do what you want." Gage said looking down at his paperwork and at the same time avoiding making eye contact with her. The secret that Gage had been hiding ever since Sydney had met Todd was that it hurt him a lot knowing she was with someone that wasn't him. Gage never wanted to talk about Todd and felt that as long as he didn't have to see him, he could hold back on going completely insane. There was something about this Todd character's and Sydney's relationship with him that Gage found very odd. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

From the other side of the room, Trivette had noticed the recent rift in the two junior ranger's relationship. He noticed they bickered much more than they ever did and they hardly joked around with each other anymore. He didn't pry into their social lives but he knew that Sydney was with someone new and could tell Gage was suffering from a broken heart. Sydney had been with a man he also only knew by name for a month or so and that she seemed happy with him.

Walker walked in carrying a file just as Trivette was about to go over and talk to Sydney and Gage about what was going on between them. Instead Walker motioned for the three of them to join him in his office.

When all four where in his office and gathered around Walker's desk he began to tell them about their newest case. "It seems as if we have a real estate problem down in Fort Worth."

"What kind of problem? Can't get a good price on one of those summer homes Alex is trying to get you to take her to?" Trivette joked.

"Not quite. There is this collection of cottages owned by a company called 'Horizon Homes.' There are seven of them at the end of a cul-de-sac and when you step out their backdoors, you are at the beach."

"Sounds nice." Sydney stated.

"Yeah, maybe you and Todd can spend a weekend there." Gage said sarcastically.

Sydney glared at Gage as she shifted all of her weight to one side and crossed her arms in front of her. Both junior rangers broke free from their evil eye staring contest and noticed Walker and Trivette eyeing them. Sydney and Gage immediately apologized and urged Walker to continue.

"Well, 'Horizon Homes' rents these cottages out in week intervals to wealthy clientele. The Fort Worth authorities are convinced that these homes are used for meetings of mob bosses, drug dealer and for prostitution."

"With the beach at the back of the cottages it would make for easy access in and out." Trivette added as Walker nodded.

"Yesterday a woman by the name of Nancy Flemming was found dead downstream from this group of cottages. The medical examiner said that she was shot in the back and then thrown into the river." Walker said. "There is no hard evidence that the people who are staying at the cottages killed Flemming but it is highly likely. The people who own 'Horizon Homes' own other pieces of real estate all over the state but the head of it, Robert Kramer, lives in one of the cottages."

"So what are we going to do, Walker?" Sydney questioned.

"I have already made arrangements for Carolyn and Peter Connors to spend a week starting tomorrow."

"Who are Carolyn and Peter Connors?" Gage asked.

"How are you doing Pete?" Trivette asked as he slapped Gage on the back.

"I bet I'm Carolyn." Sydney said with very little enthusiasm thinking about spending a week living with Gage.

Cottage #2, Fort Worth, July 19th

When Sydney and Gage had arrived the next morning they were met by a man by the name of Paul Hart. He was kind of like a maintenance man for all of the cottages. He had given the pair a key to Cottage #2 and told them if they needed anything, than they should let him know. He was always around. After Sydney and Gage had entered the room and dropped their things, they surveyed their surroundings. One double bed was against one wall, a small kitchen area was in one corner, a bathroom in another. There was evening a small living room like area with a couch, a loveseat and a television. What caught Sydney's attention was the glass door that led right to the beach.

"Beach is pretty, don't you think?" She asked Gage as she stared out the window.

"Yeah, it's nice." He flatly stated. "We should keep a look out. From here we will be able to see every boat or plane that is coming. Since these people are probably trying to be secretive, I'd guess they do things in the middle of the night. Probably isn't much action during the day."

"Yeah." Syd simply stated as she became mesmerized by the water as the soft tide went in and out.

Had things been the way Gage had wanted them, he would have walked up behind her and held her as she enjoyed her view. But things weren't the way he wanted. She was in a relationship with Todd. She wasn't with him. So Gage headed to look out the small window that was next to the door. He noticed a man in a business suit talking to the owner of 'Horizon Homes' and another man. The other man was a well known mobster Tom Chaplin who was known for his prostitution rings and murder. He had been brought in many times but gotten out of it every time because the witness who were set to testify against him suddenly disappeared.

"Hey Syd, you better get over here and see who our new neighbor is."

"Who?" Sydney said as she came towards the window and peeked out.

"Tom Chaplin." Gage firmly stated.

"And Todd." Sydney said as she looked up at Gage with a shocked look painted on her face.

To be continued. . .