Sidney's Spirit
By Kat Caine
Whoosh!
"Three Points!" Texas Ranger Frances Gage cheered loudly as his wadded up piece of paper landed cleanly in the wastebasket. His partner, Sidney Cooke, Cordell Walker, and James Trivette all looked up from what they were doing. Gage smiled sheepishly and sat back down. "Sorry." He quickly began typing at his computer to hide his embarrassment.
Chuckling, Sidney walked over to him and sat on the edge of his desk. She was about to tease him when she noticed what he had been typing. It read:
To be or not to be that is the question,
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them,
To die; to sleep; no more
"I didn't know you knew Shakespeare, Gage," Sidney said, arching an eyebrow. Gage shrugged.
"I had to learn it in my English class my senior year of high school. It just popped into my head."
"Oh. Were you any good?" she asked. Gage smiled proudly.
"Well... I don't want to brag, but..."
"You sucked."
"Big time." They both laughed and soon became involved in plans for the weekend. She was just getting up when a darkly familiar voice spoke up behind her and she froze.
"I'm looking for a Mr. Cordell Walker?"
Sidney swung around and found herself face to face with a tall, dark-haired man with startling blue eyes. The man smiled pleasantly at her, and she swallowed hard.
"I'm Walker." The man turned away from her to shake hands with Walker who led him away to talk with him privately. Sidney's face drained of its color.
"Hey Sid," Gage started just as she took off towards the bathrooms. "Sidney?"
Sidney leaned against the wall, trying hard to keep down the rest of her lunch.
"Sidney?" a voice from outside the bathroom called. "Is it safe?"
"Yes," she answered weakly. She heard the door open, and footsteps coming closer before Gage's face came into view.
"You okay?" he asked, concern clouding his eyes and filling his voice.
"I'm fine," she said, right before she lost the rest of her lunch. Gage was beside her in a second, holding her hair back and wrapping an arm around her to support her. He helped her up when she was done and led her to the sink where he held her while she bathed her face with cold water. As she dried her face, she smiled weakly up at him.
"Thanks Gage," she said softly and she walked unsteadily to the door. She couldn't make it and Gage, at her elbow, helped her sit in a nearby chair. Gage knelt beside her as she leaned over; head between legs, trying to stop the queasiness that threatened to overtake her.
"Sidney, what's wrong?" Gage asked. Sidney remained silent. "Sid, please?" Sidney slowly sat up, eyes closed.
"It's a long story." Gage's brow furrowed.
"I'm not going anywhere." She sat quietly for a few moments. "Sid..." She sighed deeply and slowly began to speak.
"I was 16 years old when I met him. He was my drama teacher. During high school, drama was my life and he knew it. He spent extra hours with me, training me to be the best, telling me always to work harder, harder than I had ever worked. I thought he was interested in my career, in my love for the show. I was wrong." Gage's eyes blazed as he took in all of this, realizing what she was saying, but keeping quiet, allowing her to continue. "Then one day, I was staying late to work a scene over with him and he locked the doors. I didn't think anything of it until," she paused struggling to control her emotions. Gage took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She took in a shaky breath before she spoke again.
"His hand touched my knee. At first I just swatted him away, not paying much attention to it, I was concentrating on my lines. But when his hands... his hands... I pushed him away and ran for the door, but it was locked and I didn't have the key. I tried to avoid him but it was before my martial arts training and he was able to subdue me and... and..." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke. Gage looked forward, his eyes hard as ice. "His hands were everywhere! I couldn't stop him. He hit me and I was barely conscious when he... raped me. I can still feel his hands." She shuddered repulsively and wrapped her arms protectively around herself as she fought back her tears. "I thought I had blocked it out but when I saw..." She stopped.
Gage watched her, wanting her to go on but not wanting her to force her. He sighed before making up his mind. He used his hand to tilt her chin up to look her in the eyes.
She tore her eyes away, and fell silent. "Please tell me, Sidney."
"His name was Brian Holt." The name didn't ring any bells for Gage.
"What made you remember?" he asked, trying to fill in the blanks. Sidney looked back up at him, the tears gone.
"You know that man out there?" Gage nodded as it sank in.
"That lousy, son-of-a-..." He was up and out of there before Sidney could stop him.
"Gage!" Sidney followed him out just to see him take a swing at an unsuspecting Holt. Gage's reward was the sound of bones breaking and Holt fell back, clutching his gushing nose. He sat on the floor, his eyes blazing at Gage who was now being held back by Walker and Trivette.
"You bastard! How could you do that to a sixteen year old girl?" Gage lunged at him again, Walker and Trivette just barely keeping a hold on him. Gage's voice was barely more than a growl as he glared at Holt. His struggling stopped when he saw Sidney's face. He yanked himself from their grip and stalked away.
Trivette helped Brian Holt up, handing him a towel that a frightened receptionist had gotten for him. Holt held it to his nose, his face taut with anger. He shook his free hand at Walker as he shouted curses at Gage's back before Walker was able to quiet him. The man headed for the door but stopped to say one last thing.
"Tell that man that he had better have a damn good lawyer, because I am filing a suit against him that will make him wish he never set eyes on Brian Holt!" He rushed out, still clutching his nose.
Gage paced the confines of the interrogation room. His eyes were narrowed, and his fists were clenched tightly at his sides. His mind kept going over and over what Sidney had told him. All it did was anger him more and it took all his power to keep from putting his fist through the glass.
The door opened behind him but he didn't bother to turn, knowing whom it was. He heard the door shut and the soft scrapping of a chair against tile. He waited for him to speak. Walker was silent.
The silence soon got to him and he swung around, slamming his hand down on the table.
"Bastard!" Walker didn't flinch, just waited for him to continue. "I mean, what kind of person takes advantage of young girls? How could he do that to her?" He collapsed in a chair, his head in his hands. "How could he do that to Sidney?" Walker gripped Gage's shoulder comfortingly.
There was silence in the room for a few moments.
"Why aren't you saying any thing?" Gage let out, pushing himself roughly from the table, knocking his chair down. "Don't you care? He raped her for Christ's sake!" Walker sat, stunned, at his words.
"What?" Gage ignored him as he paced around the room. "Gage, sit down." Nothing.
"Sit down!" He ordered. Gage paused in his pacing and looked at Walker, his eyes hard. He quietly picked up his chair and sat down.
"Now tell me, what is this about Sidney and Brian Holt?"
Gage didn't answer, his face slightly flushed as he realized his breach of trust to his partner. He hung his head, not looking Walker in the eye. He didn't hear the door open.
"He raped me, Walker." Gage's head shot up and his eyes met Sidney's. He heard the forced professionalism in her voice and wanted to pull her into his arms and soothe it away. He didn't dare, though. There was no mistaking the betrayal in her eyes. "And I made the mistake of telling Gage."
Gage sat on his couch; a beer bottle tucked in his hand. His apartment was dark; the only sound is the low, monotone hum of the air conditioner.
He was dressed in nothing but old, battered sweats. His hair was mussed and he smelled of two-day-old beer and sweat.
He was asleep.
His dreams were filled with un-disquisable horrors. They were bleak and shrouded with darkness. He couldn't tell where the darkness ended and the shadows began.
One shadow stood out among the rest. It was, at first, darker than the others; but it grew lighter and more detailed as the dream went on. The blurriness disappeared, revealing the pale, accusing face of his partner.
"Sidney!"
"You hurt me, Gage."
"No! I would never hurt you!"
"You betrayed me..."
"I didn't mean to!"
"Gage..."
"NO!"
He awoke in a dead sweat, the force of it taking his breath away.
He was instantly sober.
"Sidney."
He shook his head to clear the cobwebs and slowly made his way to the bathroom.
His first objective was a cold shower and as the biting teeth of the icy water took the edge off his heated skin, he tried not to think of the mess he was in.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The persistent person outside her door pulled Sidney out of her restless sleep. Groaning, she flung out an arm to turn the clock towards her: 2:23 AM. She slowly forced herself out of bed and grabbed her robe. She mumbled obscenities to herself as she tied her robe.
"Coming!"
She swung open the door. Gage's face appeared before her. Then it disappeared as she slammed the door as quickly as she had opened it.
"Come on, Sid! I need to talk to you." Sidney swallowed against the lump in her throat as she stared at the closed door. Gage's tortured voice seeped through as he continued to beg; something he rarely did. "Sidney, please. I'm sorry, Sid. Please believe me. I would never, ever do anything to hurt you. I swear it, Sidney. I swear it from the bottom of my heart. Please let me in."
Almost of it's own accord, her hand reached for the doorknob and Gage's face again appeared. His eyes were bright with unshed tears. His normally tan complexion was pale. Tears formed in Sidney's eyes as she looked at him.
She reached for him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He buried his face in her neck as she held him close, each comforting the other.
"I'm so sorry, Sidney."
"I know, Gage."
Gage pulled away, cupping her face in his hands and looking her straight in the eye. "I never meant to hurt you. It's just when I heard what that man did you, I wanted to rip his heart out and force it down his throat."
Sidney smiled through her tears. "It's okay, Gage. I understand."
"You don't understand, Sid." He took in a ragged breath. "I love you."
Brian Holt sat behind his desk, a formidable aura surrounding him. A scowl was sketched permanently on his face.
When he spoke, the man standing before him forced down a shudder that threatened to creep up his spine.
"I want them."
"Yes sir." He turned to leave.
"Oh, Carter..."
"Yes sir?"
"I want them alive."
"Yes sir." The man sighed quietly in relief as he stepped outside, and the door shut firmly behind him.
Holt turned his icy gaze to the papers on his desk. The smiling faces of Sidney Cooke and Frances Gage stared up at him. He subconsciously reached for his nose.
"You're time is coming, Rangers. It's coming very soon."
Sidney stepped back from Gage, her brow furrowed at his words.
"Gage.. you?... I." She stared up at him, her eyes showing her shock. "You love me?"
"With all my heart."
"You... love me?" A smile brightened her face, and she threw herself into his arms. Gage stepped back to balance himself as he held her tight, loving the feel of her in his arms.
After a while she threw her head back to look him straight in the eye. Impulsively, she leaned in and kissed the tip of his nose. "I love you."
Gage grinned and squeezed her tighter, glad to finally have her in his arms.
In the darkness of night, two prone figures slithered out of the shadows and made their way to one of the six cars parked near the silent building. They quickly broke into it. The smaller figure maneuvered into it while the larger one blocked what was going on from view of any spying eyes. Then, as quickly and as silently as they had come, they slipped back into the shadows and disappeared.
Sidney sighed deeply and cuddled closer to Gage, her chin resting comfortably on his chest. Her eyes opened, revealing sparkling brown eyes, and she smiled lazily at him.
"Good morning."
A wave of happiness flooded through him as he brushed a stray lock of soft hair off her face. He pulled her closer, breathing in the sweet scent of her.
All of a sudden, Sidney's eyes widened, and she scrambled quickly off the sofa, accidently hitting Gage's stomach with her elbow. The air went out of him and he instinctively rolled away, only to end up in a pile of arms and legs on the floor.
Gage looked down at Sidney who was laughing uncontrollably at him. He narrowed his eyes in mock indignation.
"You think that's funny?"
Sidney paused between giggles to gaze demurely up at him.
"Very." She chuckled again and maneuvered out from beneath him to head towards her bedroom. "We're late."
Gage groaned and rolled over onto his back, his hands clasped behind his head. "Do I have to go?"
Sidney turned at the door and rolled her dark eyes at him. "You've already missed enough days. Your paperwork is starting to overflow onto my desk."
"Then one more day won't hurt."
Sidney stuck her head out and grinned wickedly.
"Wanna bet?"
Gage gave a playful growl as he pounced on her, pulling her to the ground and tickling her mercilessly.
As they headed out the door, Sidney searched for her keys. Her brow furrowed as she scanned the contents of her purse. She looked up when she heard a door slam to see Gage sitting contently in the driver's seat of her car, her keys dangling enticingly from his fingers. She shook her head at him.
"Frances."
Gage smiled innocently and unlocked the passenger door. She slid inside and playfully punched his shoulder. He winked at her and started the engine. It coughed a few times before falling into silence. He kept trying, but the engine would grumble and die each time.
As Gage wrestled with the engine, under the driver's seat, a small mechanical box had released a clear, odorless gas that was slowly spreading throughout the car.
He swore under his breath and reached for the door handle to check under the hood. His arms refused to work. His mind felt clouded, and he sank back against the seat. He forced his head to look at Sidney.
Beside him, Sidney was slouched against the door, her body still.
"Sid..." he managed to croak out, before his head began to spin. He let it fall weakly back. His eyes refused to stay open, and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Darkness.
There was a faint sound, a clanking, from far away. He tried to escape it, but the more he tried, the closer and louder it became. Trailing it was the sharp sense of pain, and with that, full awareness. As his head cleared, the clanking became perceptible.
It was the sound of chains smashing against each other. It was followed by several soft moans.
He forced leaden eyes open, and blinked away the blurriness.
The room was about the size of a master bedroom. There were no windows, the only light from a single lightbulb that hung from the ceiling. A large bed was up against the far wall. Sidney wrists and ankles were chained to the metal bars at the head and foot of the bed. She was struggling against them, but her efforts were prooving futile.
"Sidney..." he rasped out, unable to go her because he was chained to the wall, his wrists bruised from where had had dug into them while he had been unconscious.
At the sound of her name, Sidney's head swung to him, eyes wide with a mixture of fear and anger.
"You okay?"
"No worse than usual." Sidney's attempt to lighten the mood fell flat. "Are you okay?"
Gage sagged against the wall, his head throbbing. "I've been better."
The clicking of a lock warned them seconds before the door opened. Two men stepped in, both armed, their faces set behind dark sunglasses. They placed themselves on either side of the door as another man, with ice cold blue eyes, stepped inside.
Gage's eyes narrowed angrily, and he shifted his gaze to Sidney, whose soft lips were lifted in a snarl. Brian Holt smiled, his eyes terrifyingly cool.
"Nice to see you again, Miss Cooke. And looking as good as ever, I see." His eyes traveled hungrily over the length of her body. Sidney shuddered visibly, trying to control the queasiness that settled over her every time she saw this man.
Gage lurched forward, trying desperately to rip off his chains so that he could rip off Holt's head.
Brian's head swiveled towards him and, without warning, Brian's fist smashed into Gage's nose, breaking the bone and splittling his upper lip. He sagged against his chains, blood streaming from his wounds.
"Bastard." The voiced hissed from behind him. He swung around, leering, and sauntered over to her. He ran his hand slowly up her leg, over her stomach, and paused for a second to squeeze her breast before gripping her chin tightly between his fingers. "Do you want to see how much of a bastard I really am?" He let her go and turned to one of his men. Nodding his head at him, the man grinned and moved to Gage.
"Stand up," he ordered. Gage glowered at him. "Stand up." Using the butt of the gun, he slammed it into Gage's stomach. He grunted in pain, his face contorting with the effort to hold it in, but he didn't stand up. The man hit him again, harder this time.
Sidney watched silently but her eyes showed the hatred and anquish that she felt. She ground her teeth together. Her eyes connected with his, showing him the love she felt for him, and begging him to stand up. She saw the defiant glint in his eyes and knew he never would.
Holt saw the eye contact and hated it. Anger swelled in him. He tore the gun from the man's hands and hit Gage across the face with it, knocking him out cold. With an icy gleam, he gave the gun back and left, his men following him.
Sidney closed her eyes against the image in front of her and swallowed hard. She would not disgrace Gage by showing her fear.
"Any word?" District Attorney Alex Cahill-Walker asked, carefully maneuvering around her husband's desk. Walker shook his head, his face grim. After a few moments of thoughtful silence, he turned to Trivette,
"Trivette, how soon can you get a full bio on Brian Holt?"
"Only a few moments. Why?"
Walker had kept silent about the outburst in the interrogation room, thinking it best for Sidney to tell her story when ready but now, it was the only clue to what had happened to two of his best rangers.
He motioned them closer, than proceeded to tell them the story that Sidney had told him. Alex's eyes widened in horror at this, and Trivette's gaze hardened in anger.
"I don't blame Gage for hitting him." Walker nodded as Trivette began to type at his computer. After a few well placed taps on the keyboard, he had a full dossier of Holt. "This man's dangerous, Walker. Many of the people he has been in contact with have a habit of showing up either dead or missing."
"Do we have a current address?"
"Nothing yet, but I'm sure I can find something." He turned back to the computer, his mind completely focused on it. Walker glanced at his wife.
"Do you think we have enough for a warrant?" Alex smiled apologetically.
"I really don't know. Sidney's story will help, but I won't know for sure until I've talked to the judge."
"Thanks." He kissed her softly before turning back to Trivette, his face set.
By Kat Caine
Whoosh!
"Three Points!" Texas Ranger Frances Gage cheered loudly as his wadded up piece of paper landed cleanly in the wastebasket. His partner, Sidney Cooke, Cordell Walker, and James Trivette all looked up from what they were doing. Gage smiled sheepishly and sat back down. "Sorry." He quickly began typing at his computer to hide his embarrassment.
Chuckling, Sidney walked over to him and sat on the edge of his desk. She was about to tease him when she noticed what he had been typing. It read:
To be or not to be that is the question,
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them,
To die; to sleep; no more
"I didn't know you knew Shakespeare, Gage," Sidney said, arching an eyebrow. Gage shrugged.
"I had to learn it in my English class my senior year of high school. It just popped into my head."
"Oh. Were you any good?" she asked. Gage smiled proudly.
"Well... I don't want to brag, but..."
"You sucked."
"Big time." They both laughed and soon became involved in plans for the weekend. She was just getting up when a darkly familiar voice spoke up behind her and she froze.
"I'm looking for a Mr. Cordell Walker?"
Sidney swung around and found herself face to face with a tall, dark-haired man with startling blue eyes. The man smiled pleasantly at her, and she swallowed hard.
"I'm Walker." The man turned away from her to shake hands with Walker who led him away to talk with him privately. Sidney's face drained of its color.
"Hey Sid," Gage started just as she took off towards the bathrooms. "Sidney?"
Sidney leaned against the wall, trying hard to keep down the rest of her lunch.
"Sidney?" a voice from outside the bathroom called. "Is it safe?"
"Yes," she answered weakly. She heard the door open, and footsteps coming closer before Gage's face came into view.
"You okay?" he asked, concern clouding his eyes and filling his voice.
"I'm fine," she said, right before she lost the rest of her lunch. Gage was beside her in a second, holding her hair back and wrapping an arm around her to support her. He helped her up when she was done and led her to the sink where he held her while she bathed her face with cold water. As she dried her face, she smiled weakly up at him.
"Thanks Gage," she said softly and she walked unsteadily to the door. She couldn't make it and Gage, at her elbow, helped her sit in a nearby chair. Gage knelt beside her as she leaned over; head between legs, trying to stop the queasiness that threatened to overtake her.
"Sidney, what's wrong?" Gage asked. Sidney remained silent. "Sid, please?" Sidney slowly sat up, eyes closed.
"It's a long story." Gage's brow furrowed.
"I'm not going anywhere." She sat quietly for a few moments. "Sid..." She sighed deeply and slowly began to speak.
"I was 16 years old when I met him. He was my drama teacher. During high school, drama was my life and he knew it. He spent extra hours with me, training me to be the best, telling me always to work harder, harder than I had ever worked. I thought he was interested in my career, in my love for the show. I was wrong." Gage's eyes blazed as he took in all of this, realizing what she was saying, but keeping quiet, allowing her to continue. "Then one day, I was staying late to work a scene over with him and he locked the doors. I didn't think anything of it until," she paused struggling to control her emotions. Gage took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She took in a shaky breath before she spoke again.
"His hand touched my knee. At first I just swatted him away, not paying much attention to it, I was concentrating on my lines. But when his hands... his hands... I pushed him away and ran for the door, but it was locked and I didn't have the key. I tried to avoid him but it was before my martial arts training and he was able to subdue me and... and..." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke. Gage looked forward, his eyes hard as ice. "His hands were everywhere! I couldn't stop him. He hit me and I was barely conscious when he... raped me. I can still feel his hands." She shuddered repulsively and wrapped her arms protectively around herself as she fought back her tears. "I thought I had blocked it out but when I saw..." She stopped.
Gage watched her, wanting her to go on but not wanting her to force her. He sighed before making up his mind. He used his hand to tilt her chin up to look her in the eyes.
She tore her eyes away, and fell silent. "Please tell me, Sidney."
"His name was Brian Holt." The name didn't ring any bells for Gage.
"What made you remember?" he asked, trying to fill in the blanks. Sidney looked back up at him, the tears gone.
"You know that man out there?" Gage nodded as it sank in.
"That lousy, son-of-a-..." He was up and out of there before Sidney could stop him.
"Gage!" Sidney followed him out just to see him take a swing at an unsuspecting Holt. Gage's reward was the sound of bones breaking and Holt fell back, clutching his gushing nose. He sat on the floor, his eyes blazing at Gage who was now being held back by Walker and Trivette.
"You bastard! How could you do that to a sixteen year old girl?" Gage lunged at him again, Walker and Trivette just barely keeping a hold on him. Gage's voice was barely more than a growl as he glared at Holt. His struggling stopped when he saw Sidney's face. He yanked himself from their grip and stalked away.
Trivette helped Brian Holt up, handing him a towel that a frightened receptionist had gotten for him. Holt held it to his nose, his face taut with anger. He shook his free hand at Walker as he shouted curses at Gage's back before Walker was able to quiet him. The man headed for the door but stopped to say one last thing.
"Tell that man that he had better have a damn good lawyer, because I am filing a suit against him that will make him wish he never set eyes on Brian Holt!" He rushed out, still clutching his nose.
Gage paced the confines of the interrogation room. His eyes were narrowed, and his fists were clenched tightly at his sides. His mind kept going over and over what Sidney had told him. All it did was anger him more and it took all his power to keep from putting his fist through the glass.
The door opened behind him but he didn't bother to turn, knowing whom it was. He heard the door shut and the soft scrapping of a chair against tile. He waited for him to speak. Walker was silent.
The silence soon got to him and he swung around, slamming his hand down on the table.
"Bastard!" Walker didn't flinch, just waited for him to continue. "I mean, what kind of person takes advantage of young girls? How could he do that to her?" He collapsed in a chair, his head in his hands. "How could he do that to Sidney?" Walker gripped Gage's shoulder comfortingly.
There was silence in the room for a few moments.
"Why aren't you saying any thing?" Gage let out, pushing himself roughly from the table, knocking his chair down. "Don't you care? He raped her for Christ's sake!" Walker sat, stunned, at his words.
"What?" Gage ignored him as he paced around the room. "Gage, sit down." Nothing.
"Sit down!" He ordered. Gage paused in his pacing and looked at Walker, his eyes hard. He quietly picked up his chair and sat down.
"Now tell me, what is this about Sidney and Brian Holt?"
Gage didn't answer, his face slightly flushed as he realized his breach of trust to his partner. He hung his head, not looking Walker in the eye. He didn't hear the door open.
"He raped me, Walker." Gage's head shot up and his eyes met Sidney's. He heard the forced professionalism in her voice and wanted to pull her into his arms and soothe it away. He didn't dare, though. There was no mistaking the betrayal in her eyes. "And I made the mistake of telling Gage."
Gage sat on his couch; a beer bottle tucked in his hand. His apartment was dark; the only sound is the low, monotone hum of the air conditioner.
He was dressed in nothing but old, battered sweats. His hair was mussed and he smelled of two-day-old beer and sweat.
He was asleep.
His dreams were filled with un-disquisable horrors. They were bleak and shrouded with darkness. He couldn't tell where the darkness ended and the shadows began.
One shadow stood out among the rest. It was, at first, darker than the others; but it grew lighter and more detailed as the dream went on. The blurriness disappeared, revealing the pale, accusing face of his partner.
"Sidney!"
"You hurt me, Gage."
"No! I would never hurt you!"
"You betrayed me..."
"I didn't mean to!"
"Gage..."
"NO!"
He awoke in a dead sweat, the force of it taking his breath away.
He was instantly sober.
"Sidney."
He shook his head to clear the cobwebs and slowly made his way to the bathroom.
His first objective was a cold shower and as the biting teeth of the icy water took the edge off his heated skin, he tried not to think of the mess he was in.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The persistent person outside her door pulled Sidney out of her restless sleep. Groaning, she flung out an arm to turn the clock towards her: 2:23 AM. She slowly forced herself out of bed and grabbed her robe. She mumbled obscenities to herself as she tied her robe.
"Coming!"
She swung open the door. Gage's face appeared before her. Then it disappeared as she slammed the door as quickly as she had opened it.
"Come on, Sid! I need to talk to you." Sidney swallowed against the lump in her throat as she stared at the closed door. Gage's tortured voice seeped through as he continued to beg; something he rarely did. "Sidney, please. I'm sorry, Sid. Please believe me. I would never, ever do anything to hurt you. I swear it, Sidney. I swear it from the bottom of my heart. Please let me in."
Almost of it's own accord, her hand reached for the doorknob and Gage's face again appeared. His eyes were bright with unshed tears. His normally tan complexion was pale. Tears formed in Sidney's eyes as she looked at him.
She reached for him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He buried his face in her neck as she held him close, each comforting the other.
"I'm so sorry, Sidney."
"I know, Gage."
Gage pulled away, cupping her face in his hands and looking her straight in the eye. "I never meant to hurt you. It's just when I heard what that man did you, I wanted to rip his heart out and force it down his throat."
Sidney smiled through her tears. "It's okay, Gage. I understand."
"You don't understand, Sid." He took in a ragged breath. "I love you."
Brian Holt sat behind his desk, a formidable aura surrounding him. A scowl was sketched permanently on his face.
When he spoke, the man standing before him forced down a shudder that threatened to creep up his spine.
"I want them."
"Yes sir." He turned to leave.
"Oh, Carter..."
"Yes sir?"
"I want them alive."
"Yes sir." The man sighed quietly in relief as he stepped outside, and the door shut firmly behind him.
Holt turned his icy gaze to the papers on his desk. The smiling faces of Sidney Cooke and Frances Gage stared up at him. He subconsciously reached for his nose.
"You're time is coming, Rangers. It's coming very soon."
Sidney stepped back from Gage, her brow furrowed at his words.
"Gage.. you?... I." She stared up at him, her eyes showing her shock. "You love me?"
"With all my heart."
"You... love me?" A smile brightened her face, and she threw herself into his arms. Gage stepped back to balance himself as he held her tight, loving the feel of her in his arms.
After a while she threw her head back to look him straight in the eye. Impulsively, she leaned in and kissed the tip of his nose. "I love you."
Gage grinned and squeezed her tighter, glad to finally have her in his arms.
In the darkness of night, two prone figures slithered out of the shadows and made their way to one of the six cars parked near the silent building. They quickly broke into it. The smaller figure maneuvered into it while the larger one blocked what was going on from view of any spying eyes. Then, as quickly and as silently as they had come, they slipped back into the shadows and disappeared.
Sidney sighed deeply and cuddled closer to Gage, her chin resting comfortably on his chest. Her eyes opened, revealing sparkling brown eyes, and she smiled lazily at him.
"Good morning."
A wave of happiness flooded through him as he brushed a stray lock of soft hair off her face. He pulled her closer, breathing in the sweet scent of her.
All of a sudden, Sidney's eyes widened, and she scrambled quickly off the sofa, accidently hitting Gage's stomach with her elbow. The air went out of him and he instinctively rolled away, only to end up in a pile of arms and legs on the floor.
Gage looked down at Sidney who was laughing uncontrollably at him. He narrowed his eyes in mock indignation.
"You think that's funny?"
Sidney paused between giggles to gaze demurely up at him.
"Very." She chuckled again and maneuvered out from beneath him to head towards her bedroom. "We're late."
Gage groaned and rolled over onto his back, his hands clasped behind his head. "Do I have to go?"
Sidney turned at the door and rolled her dark eyes at him. "You've already missed enough days. Your paperwork is starting to overflow onto my desk."
"Then one more day won't hurt."
Sidney stuck her head out and grinned wickedly.
"Wanna bet?"
Gage gave a playful growl as he pounced on her, pulling her to the ground and tickling her mercilessly.
As they headed out the door, Sidney searched for her keys. Her brow furrowed as she scanned the contents of her purse. She looked up when she heard a door slam to see Gage sitting contently in the driver's seat of her car, her keys dangling enticingly from his fingers. She shook her head at him.
"Frances."
Gage smiled innocently and unlocked the passenger door. She slid inside and playfully punched his shoulder. He winked at her and started the engine. It coughed a few times before falling into silence. He kept trying, but the engine would grumble and die each time.
As Gage wrestled with the engine, under the driver's seat, a small mechanical box had released a clear, odorless gas that was slowly spreading throughout the car.
He swore under his breath and reached for the door handle to check under the hood. His arms refused to work. His mind felt clouded, and he sank back against the seat. He forced his head to look at Sidney.
Beside him, Sidney was slouched against the door, her body still.
"Sid..." he managed to croak out, before his head began to spin. He let it fall weakly back. His eyes refused to stay open, and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Darkness.
There was a faint sound, a clanking, from far away. He tried to escape it, but the more he tried, the closer and louder it became. Trailing it was the sharp sense of pain, and with that, full awareness. As his head cleared, the clanking became perceptible.
It was the sound of chains smashing against each other. It was followed by several soft moans.
He forced leaden eyes open, and blinked away the blurriness.
The room was about the size of a master bedroom. There were no windows, the only light from a single lightbulb that hung from the ceiling. A large bed was up against the far wall. Sidney wrists and ankles were chained to the metal bars at the head and foot of the bed. She was struggling against them, but her efforts were prooving futile.
"Sidney..." he rasped out, unable to go her because he was chained to the wall, his wrists bruised from where had had dug into them while he had been unconscious.
At the sound of her name, Sidney's head swung to him, eyes wide with a mixture of fear and anger.
"You okay?"
"No worse than usual." Sidney's attempt to lighten the mood fell flat. "Are you okay?"
Gage sagged against the wall, his head throbbing. "I've been better."
The clicking of a lock warned them seconds before the door opened. Two men stepped in, both armed, their faces set behind dark sunglasses. They placed themselves on either side of the door as another man, with ice cold blue eyes, stepped inside.
Gage's eyes narrowed angrily, and he shifted his gaze to Sidney, whose soft lips were lifted in a snarl. Brian Holt smiled, his eyes terrifyingly cool.
"Nice to see you again, Miss Cooke. And looking as good as ever, I see." His eyes traveled hungrily over the length of her body. Sidney shuddered visibly, trying to control the queasiness that settled over her every time she saw this man.
Gage lurched forward, trying desperately to rip off his chains so that he could rip off Holt's head.
Brian's head swiveled towards him and, without warning, Brian's fist smashed into Gage's nose, breaking the bone and splittling his upper lip. He sagged against his chains, blood streaming from his wounds.
"Bastard." The voiced hissed from behind him. He swung around, leering, and sauntered over to her. He ran his hand slowly up her leg, over her stomach, and paused for a second to squeeze her breast before gripping her chin tightly between his fingers. "Do you want to see how much of a bastard I really am?" He let her go and turned to one of his men. Nodding his head at him, the man grinned and moved to Gage.
"Stand up," he ordered. Gage glowered at him. "Stand up." Using the butt of the gun, he slammed it into Gage's stomach. He grunted in pain, his face contorting with the effort to hold it in, but he didn't stand up. The man hit him again, harder this time.
Sidney watched silently but her eyes showed the hatred and anquish that she felt. She ground her teeth together. Her eyes connected with his, showing him the love she felt for him, and begging him to stand up. She saw the defiant glint in his eyes and knew he never would.
Holt saw the eye contact and hated it. Anger swelled in him. He tore the gun from the man's hands and hit Gage across the face with it, knocking him out cold. With an icy gleam, he gave the gun back and left, his men following him.
Sidney closed her eyes against the image in front of her and swallowed hard. She would not disgrace Gage by showing her fear.
"Any word?" District Attorney Alex Cahill-Walker asked, carefully maneuvering around her husband's desk. Walker shook his head, his face grim. After a few moments of thoughtful silence, he turned to Trivette,
"Trivette, how soon can you get a full bio on Brian Holt?"
"Only a few moments. Why?"
Walker had kept silent about the outburst in the interrogation room, thinking it best for Sidney to tell her story when ready but now, it was the only clue to what had happened to two of his best rangers.
He motioned them closer, than proceeded to tell them the story that Sidney had told him. Alex's eyes widened in horror at this, and Trivette's gaze hardened in anger.
"I don't blame Gage for hitting him." Walker nodded as Trivette began to type at his computer. After a few well placed taps on the keyboard, he had a full dossier of Holt. "This man's dangerous, Walker. Many of the people he has been in contact with have a habit of showing up either dead or missing."
"Do we have a current address?"
"Nothing yet, but I'm sure I can find something." He turned back to the computer, his mind completely focused on it. Walker glanced at his wife.
"Do you think we have enough for a warrant?" Alex smiled apologetically.
"I really don't know. Sidney's story will help, but I won't know for sure until I've talked to the judge."
"Thanks." He kissed her softly before turning back to Trivette, his face set.