"Common Grounds" PART ONE

A bit of wind kicked up a pile of dust that sat in the corner of C.D.'s Bar and Grill as the door opened wide and shut swiftly as two or three patrons filed in, shivering under the abnormally cold temperatures of this Texas autumn. Lively country tunes filed the atmosphere, and many guests ate and drank and were having a good time. Among them sat Trent Malloy. Off to himself at a side table he stared…not rudely mind you…just perceptively at the one who had accompanied him for lunch this day. Or at least she said she would. For the look on her face said otherwise. It seemed she was miles and miles away from the little restaurant with her thoughts engaged and her brow furrowed deeply.

Trent continued to look onward at her, stifling a smile of amusement while unsure if he should awaken her from her daydream. He cleared his throat softly and slid down into his seat slightly as if he were attempting to ignore her and relax. He then outstretched his hand upon the table and began to steadily tap his index finger on the hard surface.

The slight tapping noise did stir the girl slightly…but not enough.

Trent sighed and smiled. "Katheryn, I thought you were joining me for lunch."

"What?" the young woman jerked her head quickly to face Trent.

Trent only laughed it off.

"What? What did I say?" she stumbled over her words before she began to realize what had happened. "It's not funny."

Trent attempted to tone down his laughter.

"I was just thinking." She feigned a pout.

"That was quite obvious." Trent snickered, reaching a hand into his coat pocket.

C.D. then emerged from the kitchen, his smile broadening by the minute, with two plates of food. "Well, here we are, folks. Two house specials for two incredibly special people." He grinned as he set the plates down in front of Trent and Katheryn.

"Now, where's Carlos? He seems to always be in here eating me out of house and home." C.D. feigned an aggravated sigh.

Katheryn smiled. "He had to tend to a pressing case. It seems the criminals won't let up for him to have a meal with his friends."

"Oh, darling, he's the best out there, and he's helping to protect the good people of Dallas. We need more officers like that boy. He sure is a good man."

"I second that." Trent chimed in.

"You two enjoy your lunch." C.D. bid the twosome farewell and returned to his post behind the bar a ways off.

"You know," Trent began, "If you'd like, we can go by the Ranger's headquarters later for you to finish filling out your application."

"My application for what?" She glared at Trent. "Has Carlos been talking to you? Besides, there is no application process. It takes position and status in the police force to make the Rangers. I have none of the above."

"You have good defense skills," Trent defended. "I've never seen a student of mine learn faster than you have in the past two months. And after that shooting lesson you had with Carlos, I doubt if I should call you a novice." He paused to take a drink of water.

Katheryn sighed. "I know. I—I just don't know if it's what I should do. I love having the skills. I really do. But it takes dedication to be a Ranger. And…I don't know if I can give it my all. I'm a writer and charity worker."

"You seemed to have handled that undercover job well. Ranger Walker even told me that word of that reached Captain Briscoe. He was impressed by how well a beginner fared. You've got the goods. I'm sure you would excel."

Katheryn nodded. "The trouble is…I think I have enough confidence to say that I could do well. But…I just don't think it's for me." She finally let the words tumble with a sigh before she forked in another bite of food.

"Then I commend you," Trent smiled. "It's not often a person with talent is able to make a decision like that with a clear head."

"Thanks." Katheryn smiled and glanced up at the wall clock. "Oh no!" She called out although she remained calm at the moment.

"What? What is it?" Trent focused on her as she sighed and buried her face in her hands.

"I was supposed to be at the center thirty minutes ago," she managed to say although her voice was slightly muffled by her hands against her face.

Trent reached his hand upward and gently eased her hands from her face. "I'll give you a lift." He smiled, easing her tensed nerves somewhat as the twosome rose and started for the door.

Trent's cell phone vibrated at his side. He stopped midstride and indicated to Katheryn that he had to take the call. "What's up?" The other voice spoke. Katheryn could not detect whom it could be. "Alright. Stay safe, bud. Be careful." And he pressed the phones off button and started forward again. The young woman followed closely, getting into Trent's Stingray Corvette as he opened the passenger door for her.

"Who was on the phone?"

"Carlos." Trent rounded the car in front to the other side. "Seems they've got a serial killer on the loose. Broke out of prison a week ago and swears to avenge his brother's death. Carlos was forced to kill his kid brother a year ago when he opened fire on them in the capturing of this man. He wasn't too happy about it and must have fumed over it while in prison."

Katheryn's brow furrowed with concern. "Will Carlos be all right? That sounds rather dangerous."

Trent put the car in drive and aimed for the H.O.P.E. center as he spoke. "He'll be fine, I'm sure. He's gotten out of many tough scrapes." Trent paused shortly as a memory entered his mind. "Did he ever tell you about the day he conquered his fear of heights?"

Katheryn shook her head. "No, I don't think so." She smiled. "He's afraid of heights?"

"Some," Trent chuckled. "But I sure am glad he decided to fight his fears that day."

"Oh?"

"Yep." Trent focused his eyes on the road. "There was this serial killer that had made it his goal to kill a bunch of cops. Carlos was the last one on his list. After a few thwarted attempts, he almost succeeded by trying a drive-by just as he was about to leave my family's home. Thanks to Ranger Walker, his efforts were ruined again.

"I hopped into his patrol car and we commenced a chase through the metroplex for this guy. He finally stopped at this dank warehouse not far from downtown. He proceeded to climb the many flights of metal stairwell that surrounding the building. This place had many levels and walkways of metal bridges and stairs. It was crazy.

"Carlos tried to chase him along with Ranger Walker and myself, but he couldn't go but a short way before the anxiety hit him. I left him to continue the chase with Walker only to come face to face with the bad guy after Walker was shot in the shoulder.

"We fought on that narrow bridge that was quite high in the air for a little while until we both went over the bridge. The bad guy fell to the ground, but I was left hanging…literally."

Katheryn's eyes were wide with surprise at this point.

"Thankfully, Walker had managed his way there by some divine intervention and was now gripping me by the ankle as I dangled in the air. I still can't believe he was able to hold on for as long as he did. Especially with his shoulder being hurt and all. I tried to convince him to let me go or else we would both go over. He wouldn't hear of it of course. And moments later, I felt another hand grab my leg and start to help me up and back over.

"Before I knew it, the three of us had collapsed onto the bridge and sat there leaning against the metal fence, catching our breath and thanking God for helping us. Granted, Carlos was breathing a little harder than the rest of us." Trent directed a smile Katheryn's way.

She lightly chuckled as the magnitude of the even sunk into her mind. "That—that's incredible."

"Indeed!"

Katheryn relaxed into her seat, baffled by Trent's story. "Really?" Her voice rose slightly.

Trent nodded, a smile following his satisfied return.

"That's amazing," she stated once more, crossing her arms as she tried to picture in her mind everything that Trent had said. Then as more thoughts came in and out of her mind, she bowed her head a bit with a sigh. "Trent?"

"Yeah?" He kept his eyes on the road.

"Are you sure Carlos will be okay?"

"Yes…I am sure." Trent smiled.

"I hope you don't think me too forward…." Katheryn halted her words.

"Of course not."

Katheryn fastened her lips together as she struggled with whether or not to ask the next question that came into her mind. She shifted gears and decided upon the next question that came to her. "Would you be willing to teach me more martial arts?"

Trent looked her way, his eyebrows raised sarcastically. "Katheryn, I'm a karate teacher. Of course I'd be willing to teach you more." He finished with a smile.

Katheryn's awkward smile in return gently relaxed into relief as the H.O.P.E. center began to come into view.
There on the lawn were most of the center's volunteers and Miss Cahill also who were hard at work raking the wayward fall leaves, sweeping the vast veranda, and preparing for some sort of event by the looks of it.

"What's going on here?" Trent inquired, coming to a stop on the curb behind two other cars on the street.

Katheryn smiled and flashed a grin Trent's way. "It's a surprise."

Trent held a wary smile as he looked the scene over and began his attempt at deducing the situation sarcastically. "Let's see…My birthday is not for a few months…."

Katheryn sighed and surrendered. "It's a fundraiser for center. We are getting it all set up for Saturday afternoon. We even have a famous singer coming and everything." She beamed the news one last time before emerging from the sports car and breathing a satisfied breath as she stood there overlooking this most treasured place. She turned back to Trent. "Are you coming?"

"I'm afraid not. Got a class in less than an hour. But you have fun."

"I will." Katheryn waved as Trent put the car in reverse and eased back before turning slightly and accelerating forward and past the other cars that were in front of them.

In a brief moment she prayed silently that God would watch over Trent and Carlos. Something told her inside that something dangerous awaited them. And she could not bear the thought of losing her best friends. The commotion around her stirred her reverie as Miss Cahill descended a ladder from securing yet another small banner and caught a glimpse of Katheryn approaching them.

Miss Cahill greeted her with a warm smile. "Thank you so much for getting here as quick as you could. We have so much to do in so little time."

Katheryn cringed slightly, ashamed of her tardiness. "I would have been here sooner. I was having lunch with Trent Malloy and forgot all about the decorating today."

Miss Cahill raised a hand as to say no more should be said regarding the topic. "Nonsense. That is quite alright. Now…I've got a bit of baking inside that has your name written all over it."

Katheryn grinned. "Great! Show me the way."

As they walked, Miss Cahill commended her on a job well done over the past couple of months and praised her work. She also brought up a rather tender subject. "So…I hear you've become quite the fighter these days."

The coolness of the center smoothed over Katheryn's face as if a breeze, causing what heat that rose to her cheeks to dissipate as quickly as it had come. She sighed. "Yes. And I've enjoyed Trent's lessons."

"That's good. You could not have a better teacher than Trent or Walker. They are simply the best. Do you think you'd ever consider a job in law enforcement in the future?"

Katheryn sighed again. "I—I really don't know. You—you're the second person to ask me that today."

"Oh," Miss Cahill chuckled softly. "My apologies."

"Oh, that's quite alright. I suppose it's only a natural response. I mean…I love the skills. I really do. But like I told Trent…I just don't think it's for me."

"I understand." Miss Cahill placed her hand on Katheryn's shoulder to reassure her of her understanding. "Now…I suppose I should let you get to work."

The twosome exchanged fond smiles before Miss Cahill proceeded back outside into the Texas sunshine to supervise the work there.

Katheryn fastened her hair back into a quick ponytail and secured an apron about herself before crossing to the kitchen sink to wash her hands. There next to the sink was a piece of paper outlining what dishes needed to be made for the event.

She mumbled the list aloud as she dried her hands on the towel provided. "Muffins, cake, cookies…." A sigh of surprise crossed her lips. "That's a lot," she whispered. "Best get to work." Katheryn clapped her hands together intently and proceeded to gather her ingredients to begin her rather long afternoon of baking.

The kitchen timer vibrated fiercely upon the kitchen counter about an hour and a half later, causing Katheryn a fright as she prepped the chocolate icing for one of the cakes. Reaching her sleeved arm to wipe at her brow, she blew a puff of air into her face cause a wayward lock of hair or two to sway. But it did no good as it settle back into her eyes. She surrendered with a sigh and put on the oven mitts to retrieve the three round cakes which sat in the hot oven. The intense heat beat upon her face as she opened the door, causing a brief moment of discomfort as she reached for the rather hot pans. The heat stung at her eyes for just a brief moment as she quickly moved the three cakes from their cozy homes to the open air atop the stove.

Katheryn issued a satisfied smile as she set the last one down. "One cake down, one hundred more baked goods to go."

She sighed and set back to work when the side door leading out to the wrap-around veranda eased open gently. A smiling face eased in and beamed a welcome. "Call for reinforcements?"

Katheryn could nearly not contain herself as she let the mixing spoon fall out of her hand and into the icing and ran to embrace Mrs. Katie Malloy as she entered. "Oh, it's so good of you to come! How did you know?"

Mrs. Malloy gave her a sarcastic grin. "Trent called from the karate school and told me about your fundraiser."

Katheryn's lips pursed together as the answer was made evident in her mind. She smiled to herself. "I should have known."

Just then two more faces appeared led by their older brother Tommy. Tandy surrounded Katheryn, looked up at her, and grinned. "Can I help?"

Katheryn bent down to look the little girl in the eyes with a sincere smile. "Of course you can help." And she gently touched the girl's nose as the twosome giggled.

Mrs. Malloy smiled broadly and directed the little girl to the sink to help her wash up. "Up we go!" She hoisted Tandy into her arms and held her little frame over the kitchen sink from her to reach the soap and water.

Tommy and little Ty made their ways across the kitchen to where the cakes were cooling on the stove.

Mrs. Malloy never turned her head from helping Tandy as she issued a soft reprimand. "Uh-uh, you two."

Tommy's eyes sank in disappointment as he sighed. "Just a little taste, Katheryn?"

Katheryn firmly shook her head with her lips tightened together as she ambled towards the two boys. She looked Tommy straight in the eyes. "Nope." She smiled. "But you can help me make some cookies for the bake sale. The sooner all the baking is done, the sooner I may be convinced to spare some of this sweet goodness for a few needy persons."

Mrs. Malloy laughed softly at the exchange as she set Tandy down and handed the towel to her. The little girl took it and dried her hands like a pro before handing it back to her mother as she giggled. "You are funny." She glared at Tommy.

"Hehehe." Tommy issued a sarcastic breathy laugh.

Tandy marched over to Katheryn and stood at attention. "Ready to help!"

Katheryn grinned an approval. "Alright. First, we need to get our dry ingredients mixed for the muffin batter. Can you measure six cups of flour for me, Tandy?"
"Of course!" The little girl exclaimed and then creased her forehead as if she were confused. "Where's the flour?" Tandy stretched to look around each mixing bowl and ingredient that remained.

A snicker emanated from the corner of the room.

Mrs. Malloy turned off the sink faucet as she finished washing her own hands and looked towards the sound. In no time at all, she knew what was going on. "Thomas Malloy, you give me that flour right now."

Tommy turned around to show the item he held and then crossed penitently over to his little sister, outstretching his hand with the bag of flour in it.

Tandy glared at him with narrowed eyes and pursed lips. "That was mean, Tommy. And you didn't even say you're sorry." She took the bag from her brother and struggled to place the heavy item on the counter before her.

Tommy by near reflex almost jumped in to help for fear the white powder would cascade and cover the floor. But it was safe. He sighed…relieved…before turning back to Tandy. "I'm sorry. I really am. Can you ever forgive me?"

The little girl went about her measuring without turning back to her brother. "I suppose."

Tommy smiled.

"Doesn't mean I'll let Miss Katheryn give you any cake though."

Tommy frowned.

Tandy giggled under her breath where it was barely detectable. Katheryn caught a glimpse of the girl's smile and stifled one herself.

Miss Cahill then appeared, two baseballs and two bats in hand. "Hey, guys. The kids just arrived from school and are getting ready to have a ball game. You two care to join in and keep an eye on things?"

Tommy and Ty smiled broadly and were relieved for the opportunity to escape kitchen duty as they followed closely behind Miss Cahill.

"So," Mrs. Malloy cut in, crossing beside Katheryn on her other side to aid in the preparation of the muffin batter, "I hear you've been working a lot with Trent lately, Katheryn. How do you like it?"

Katheryn's smile evened out as she spoke. "Oh, I enjoy it greatly." She measured the salt then baking powder before stirring the dry mixture together well. "Trent's a good teacher."

"That he is." Trent's proud mother beamed with pride. "I'm so glad Trent found his calling. I know he loved the military. But I think he loves helping people personally even more. Even though my husband passed, it opened a journey for Trent I don't think even he saw coming. But he likes it."

"I can tell," Katheryn smiled.

Mrs. Malloy winked Katheryn's way. "And he's still single."

Katheryn nearly blushed and refused to let it show as she covered the statement with a soft chuckle. "I can't see why."

"Oh, Trent just wanted to focus on the more important things in life. He had opportunities in high school. But he set his mind on greater things."

"That's the best way."

"Indeed!" Mrs. Malloy smiled.

"You know," Katheryn took a lick of the icing and nodded her approval before continuing. "I was an only child growing up. And I don't mind it one bit at all. But after getting to know Trent, he almost seems like a brother to me. And I like that…very much."

"That's good." Mrs. Malloy chuckled. "Oh, you wouldn't believe how many times Carlos has tried to get him to go out with a young lady he knew. Trent's just not that kind of young man. And I'm glad. I'm glad you're in our lives now too." Mrs. Malloy showed Katheryn a sincere smile.

"Thanks." Katheryn smiled in return, unable to truly express how much the Malloy family had and would always meant to her.

##

"What we need is a sure plan." Detective Carlos Sandoval sat on the corner of Ranger Trivette's desks, facing Ranger Walker as they worked to devise a solid way to take down the serial killer that had been plaguing Dallas for months now. "Gutierrez is smart. Too smart, in fact. One wrong move on our part and it could cost us."

Ranger Walker sighed. "Yeah, you're right." Walker took a sip of coffee and then returned it to the coaster on his desk. "Do you feel up to some undercover work again, Carlos?"

Carlos nodded. "Sure. Always ready. What do you got?"

"Well…There's a small organization of drug cartels that is headed up by Gutierrez's uncle."

Trivette eased from behind his desk, reading from a file. "Yup. He's been on the most-wanted listed for three years now. No police force has been able to get hold of him yet."

"Where does that leave me?" Carlos raised an eyebrow. "Serial killers work alone. How could I get anywhere close to him through a relative?"

"Well," Ranger Walker sighed. "Rumor has it that Gutierrez's uncle smuggles illegal weapons from his supply in Mexico as strictly business."

"And if our snitch is right," Trivette continued the thought, "Gutierrez comes out of hiding about once a month to get his guns and ammo from his good uncle."

Carlos nodded in understanding. "So you want to take both of them out at one time when Gutierrez shows himself."

"Not quite. Gutierrez won't be that easy to get."

"So?" the Detective crossed his arms as he listened.

"So we need you, Carlos, to go undercover and try to get close to his uncle. See if you can find out what Gutierrez's next move may be."

"Gotcha." Carlos stood erect off of Trivette's desk. "So what's my cover?"

Trivette handed Carlos a file. Carlos read over the writing listed inside. "My, my. Looks like I'm one bad hombre. Says here I did seven years at Huntsville for theft and false bookkeeping before escaping with my partner and heading across the border. According to this, I am a former arms dealer looking to help cook the books for an unfortunate gun runner. Nice." Sandoval stated the latter with a flat note of sarcasm. He lifted his eyes above the paper. "You should have added attempted murder and racketeering to make the page even prettier."

Trivette slapped Sandoval on the back with a smile. "No problem there. I'm sure we'll book you on that charge before the next week is out."

Sandoval's breathy and apprehensive chuckle faded into shady confidence. "So…Who's my partner?"

"Well, good afternoon, everyone." A voice neared Carlos from behind. "You called, Walker?"

"Yep, I sure did, Trent." Walker smiled and glanced at Carlos. "To answer your question…."

The Detective raised a hand, nodding. "I think I understand."

"Understand what?" Trent smiled.

Trivette filled in Trent on the details of the case and the assignment to come.

"Well, what do you know?" Trent smiled. "When do we get started?"

"Right now." Trivette stood and led the way. "We gotta get you both suited up."

"Suited up?" Sandoval creased his forehead in confusion as he followed behind.

"Yep!" Trivette grinned as he exited the room. "For the gala."

Trent and Carlos exchanged confused glances as they slowly made their way out of the Ranger Headquarters office.