Disclaimer: This was written for the soul purpose of our entertainment. I lay no claim on Walker Texas Ranger or any of its characters.
"The Love of Children"
Janis Boisclair
jboisclair@rogers.com
Chapter 1
Family
Not So Early Morning Sydney and Gage's
"Mom, Dad are we going to school today?" Piper's hand shook her mother's shoulder as she spoke.
"Of course you are going to school Honey," Syd yawned, "Why?"
"Cause its all ready seven forty and nobody is up," Piper stated.
Suddenly her daughter's words registered and Syd's eyes flew open, "Piper go wake up your brother and sister and get dressed," her mother shouted sitting straight up in bed.
"Okay Mom," Piper returned taking off out the door the same time as her mother turned to her father to give him a hard poke followed up by yelling, "Francis get up."
"What? What is it?" he exclaimed coming to attention very disoriented and trying to wake up.
"Did you shut off the alarm this morning?" his wife questioned as she pulled on her clothes.
"Why what time is it?" he asked throwing back the covers and heading for the shower.
"Time we were almost leaving," Syd replied taking off out the bedroom door to make sure Piper and Chris were dressed as well as see to breakfast.
The three Gage children were all ready at the breakfast table. They had cereal out in the bowls and were pouring the milk on as Syd came in the kitchen. "Thanks guys," Syd told them reaching into the fridge for the juice and lunches.
"Welcome Mom," Chris spoke for them.
"Where's Daddy?" Cat asked.
"Right here," Gage replied appearing in the doorway.
"Chris, Piper are you about ready?" Syd asked.
"Yep," Chris answered.
"All set Mom," Piper chimed in as both children grabbed lunches and knapsacks.
Addressing Gage Syd told him, "I'll take these two to school you get Cat to the HOPE center."
"All right Honey," Gage agreed grabbing her for a kiss.
"Gage we haven't time," Syd rebelled pulling away to give Cat a peck on the top of the head.
"Bye Mommy," Cat called as, "Bye Dad," echoed from Piper and Chris.
Syd, Piper and Chris trooped out the door leaving Gage and Cat sitting there.
"We taking the day off Daddy?" Cat giggled at her father.
"Afraid not Honey," Gage smiled at his youngest daughter. "We need to get you washed up and get going."
In a few short minutes Gage had her ready to go and was getting her in her car seat. She was singing to him and he was joining in. Even at this early age Gage realized Cat had a beautiful voice like her mother. Father and daughter were both so preoccupied that neither of them noticed that two men sitting in a utility van were watching them.
The one man pulled his phone and began to dial. "We have him in our sites," the one spoke on the phone. "His wife left with the two older kids and he has the youngest with him. You got it boss." He ended the conversation and nodded at the one driving who pulled out to follow Gage and Cat.
Gage smiled broadly as he eyed Cat in the rear view mirror. He loved all three of his children equally, Chris was like watching himself grow up his same dreams and desires he lived again with his son. Chris looked like Gage possessing his sweet sensitive side and his sense of fair play.
Piper, she resembled her mother almost perfectly except for his blue eyes. If there was trouble to be getting into more then likely it would be father and daughter finding it, yet at the same time she commanded that take charge attitude of his wife's.
Then there was Cat, the baby; she was special in that Gage's remembrances of his mother could so clearly be seen in what she did and how she did them. Her blonde hair had a hint of red like his mother's hair had and the smile that lit her face when he was close that was his mother's too. Except for her beautiful voice she was her grandmother in almost every way. He smiled to himself looking up in the mirror once more this time catching sight of the red van at the same time.
"Daddy can we stop for donuts?" Cat was asking thinking about those bit size morsels she so often talked her father into spoiling her meals with. Gage was only half listening to her request as he watched the van behind them. "Daddy," came her plea once more as he sped up the car the van following suit.
"Just a second Cat," Gage shot back checking traffic and the mirror once again.
"Daddy you drove by," Cat cried watching the sign for the coffee shop whiz past her window in total amazement that he hadn't pulled in.
The van by this time was moving up along side of them, the man in the passenger seat training a gun on the backseat where Cat sat in her car seat. He motioned for Gage to turn into a side street spraying bullets into the side of the car to emphasize the point. With Cat in her car seat Gage had very little choice but to do what they wanted.
Once on the side street a second car moved into position cutting them off forcing Gage to a stop in the first driveway.
"Out of the car Ranger," the man in the second car commanded gun aimed.
"Cat don't say a word," he cautioned his daughter opening the door and catching the terrified look in her little eyes.
Quickly he was relieved of his gun while one of them shouted, "Get the kid."
"I'll get her," Gage cried out moving to open the back door the gunman not interfering glad to let him look after the child. Undoing the restraining seatbelt he easily lifted her from her seat feeling her little arms tighten around his neck a small whimper escaping her. "Shh it's okay," her father's voice whispered trying to reassure and calm her.
"Both of you in the van and on the floor," they were ordered the guns still trained on them.
Protectively holding Cat Gage obliged taking a seat on the floor still holding tight to Cat who hid her face in his neck.
"What do you want?" Gage demanded to know.
"You to shut up," he was told the gun being waved in his face again. He fell silent as the van sped away from where they had been stopped.
Headquarters.
Syd came rushing into the office just as Sumner did Trivette was waiting for them. "Where's Gage?" he asked.
"He should be right behind me. We had a late start this morning. He went to drop Cat off while I went to school with Chris and Piper," Syd informed them looking at the door thinking Cat had probably wanted donuts.
They all grabbed coffees waiting for Gage to appear and when he didn't Syd went to her desk to call him. After four rings and no answer Syd dialled the HOPE Center.
"Hey Kim," Syd greeted the girl who answered.
"Ranger Cooke what can I do for you?"
"Has my husband been there with Cat yet?" Syd asked.
"Not so far," the girl replied. "I was thinking maybe you weren't coming today but Erica said she hadn't heard differently," Kim informed her.
Gage should have been there by now even if he had stopped for on the way to please Cat she thought to herself before saying, "He should be there any minute can you have him call me when he arrives?"
"Will do," Kim cheerfully told her.
Hanging up the phone Syd sat unmoving in thought wondering where the two of them had gotten to.
"Syd is he on the way?" Summer questioned.
"Um… he hasn't made it to the HOPE Center yet," she informed him and Trivette.
"Lets give him a few minutes more before I start laying out this case," Trivette told them beginning to wonder like Syd what had happened to Gage.
"Before anything more could be said Sydney's phone rang. "There he is now with some lame excuse," Syd commented picking up the phone ready to scold her husband. "Cooke," she answered. She stood listening for a moment before saying, "Abandoned?"
Both Sumner and Trivette looked over to where she sat waiting for her to put down the phone and tell them what was going on.
"We'll be right there," she told the other end of the line standing at the same time hanging up the phone.
"Sydney what's going on?" Trivette questioned.
"DPD found Gage's car neither him or Cat were there… it was left blocking a driveway the doors open. The elderly gentleman who lives there called the police to have it removed," she recited turning to the senior ranger. "Jimmy the side of the car… is riddled with bullet holes," Syd could hardly get the words out.
"Let's go," Trivette said without hesitation barking orders as they walked. "Sumner get Walker on the line let him know what's happening." Matt had his phone out and dialling before Trivette finished.
At Gage's Car
A small crowd had gathered with about a dozen parole officers and detectives as Trivette pulled to a stop. Syd swung open the car door to race to Gage's car to see things for herself. Surveying the bullet holes she began checking for blood thankful to find none.
"Any witnesses?" she was all ready asking Trivette as he joined her, Walker pulling up.
"Nobody saw a thing," he told her repeating the detective's words. Syd stood not moving afraid to think what may have happened to her husband and small daughter. With the track record of arrests they both held the only conceivable answer at the moment was it had to be someone out to hurt her and Gage anyway they could.
"Sumner take Sydney back to the office and start hitting the files," Trivette was assigning. Syd had her phone out and was calling the school.
"Yes Ranger Cooke just one moment until we check," the voice on the phone was saying.
All three rangers stood watching Syd waiting for the answer that Piper and Chris were safe.
"Yes Ranger Cooke both children are in class where they are suppose to be."
"Thank you," Syd replied shaking her head yes gripping the phone tighter to hide the fact of how much her hand was shaking in fear for her kids. Then looking at her bosses added, "Anything, any little thing I want to know."
"Like always," Trivette answered his hand dropping to her shoulder gently squeezing it.
Where Cat and Gage are…
Cat stayed huddled in her father's lap as he sat on the floor of the van. In her mind it seemed like they drove forever and with each minute that passed her and Daddy were getting further away from Mommy, Chris and Piper.
The van finally came to a stop, the doors slid open and Gage was ordered out of the vehicle at gunpoint to be ushered into a huge mansion.
"Upstairs," Gage was prodded the barrel of the gun pressed deep between his shoulder blades. He clutched tighter to Cat still not knowing why they had been brought here.
They were led up to the third floor of the house to a door that opened into a turret like room. "Inside," Gage was prodded again with the gun making him comply. Once they were inside the door was slammed closed and the key could be heard turning in the lock making escape impossible.
"Daddy I want to go home I don't like those men," Cat cried almost the instant they were alone.
"Shh… I know Honey we just can't go yet. I'm sure Mommy is looking for us now," Gage tried to appease the child.
"I want Mommy," Cat cried next even though it was her father she went to for the crisis that arose in her life.
"Yeah I want Mommy too but we are just going to have to make the best of things until we get to see Mommy again. Okay?" Gage was trying to comfort Cat as best as he could as well as try and figure out what was going on as well. He walked with her to the window of their prison and looked to the grounds below. He could tell he was in one of the older parts of Dallas in a very posh residential estate. The grounds were well kept, as was the huge old house indicating that the house was owned by old Dallas money.
The room they had been imprisoned in was what seemed to be a nursery. It was setup for what looked like a very pampered little rich girl. Every toy imaginable was in that room from dolls and dollhouses to jump ropes and tricycles. In the middle was a pink and white canopy bed fit for any princess with white and pink organdies draping down to the floor. It would have been a dream come true for any little girl except for the fact they were being kept prisoner there.
Sitting down on one of the little chairs at the child size table Gage once again hugged Cat tight to him before lessening his grip allowing his daughter to look at things. She held tight to his neck almost in a strangle hold the fear holding fast to her. Picking up one of the books Gage read the title aloud and Cat turned slightly to see the cover. Together they opened the book as Gage began to read.
Even though Cat began to relax to the steady sound of Gage's voice telling the book's tale he stayed alert still not knowing why they had been brought there.
Half way through the story they heard the key in the lock, both turned their heads towards the door to see one of the men from earlier standing there his gun once again trained on them. A woman dressed in a black and white servants uniform stood beside him carrying a silver tray. She walked over to where Gage and Cat were sitting and placed the tray in the center of the table.
"Make sure the little one eats," the woman spoke to Gage turning on her heel to exit.
"Wait why are we here?" Gage demanded to know.
"Where else would you be but home," the woman answered spinning around to face him. "After what you did to Miss Crystal you should be hung. Taking her child from her…"
"Enough you silly old woman," the guard warned. The woman immediately shut up running from the room. The guard held his gun on Cat and Gage the door closing behind him as he left the room.
"Who is Miss Crystal Daddy?" Cat asked, "And what did you do to make her mad?"
Gage's eyes hadn't left the door, who Miss Crystal was and what he had done to her was just as much a mystery to him as Cat.
"Daddy can you open this?" His daughter's voice bringing his attention back to her. She held a juice drink and straw up for him to open it for her.
Headquarters
Walker and Trivette entered the office together both going over to where Syd and Sumner sat going over old case files.
"Any Luck?" Trivette asked approaching the desk.
"Nothing, nothing is popping up at all," Syd replied the frustration evident in her voice.
"No prison releases, no threats," Sumner added.
"How bout you?" Syd anxiously asked.
"One partial print on the door handle that they are running," Trivette answered.
"Sydney," Walker addressed her. "I realize you were late and in a hurry when you left this morning but was there anything at all that you thought out of place or odd this morning?"
"I don't know Walker…" her voice fading out as worry and fear crowded in on her.
"Just think back to when you last saw Cat and Gage then go forward from there."
Sydney thought a minute Piper and Chris had trooped out ahead of her while Gage had grabbed her for a kiss. She had pulled away from him chiding him they were late. "Why do I do that?" she asked aloud.
"Do what?" Trivette asked of her.
"Nothing important just something I do when Gage annoys me," she responded wishing she could put her arms around him and say she was sorry. Syd trained her mind back on the task at hand, she had kissed Cat on the top of the head, said goodbye and followed the other two out.
Piper and Chris were standing in the driveway arguing over whose turn it was to sit in the front seat. Her answer had been that they both get in the back. Piper had been about to argue with her mother but Chris had touched her shoulder and she had climbed in the back with him.
A red utility van had been parked in the neighbour's driveway and almost backed into her as she had hurried down the street. She had slammed on the breaks to avoid hitting it. Watching out the rear view mirror she had seen them head down the street in the opposite direction pulling up to the curb almost across from their house. She had gone on to school getting the children there just as the bell rang.
The Home of Lillian May
Lillian May stood in the hallway listening to Crystal's nanny as she delivered the food to Cat and Gage. She caught a glimpse of the little girl with her blonde hair deciding she looked more like her father then her mother. She could tell how much the child loved her father one of her grandson Rick's low life friends. He had lost his life because of this man and some misplaced loyalty he had for Francis Gage. Ricky had thought a lot of Gage she thought to herself not understanding how they could have formed a friendship. "If you had only known what he was really like. If you had only known how he was going to hurt your cousin and steal little Cat from us," she spitefully murmured.
From her small suite of rooms down the hall Rita Mason stood at the door that was open a crack watching and listening to what was going on. Her eyes focused on Lillian May the hateful old matriarch of the family wondering who's life she was trying to destroy now. She had been up to something ever since Crystal had come home, the prodigal returning home she sneered to herself just as Lillian May turned heading back down the hall. Quickly closing the door she moved to the bed to sit down grabbing up a magazine just in time before the door swung wide admitting the old woman to the room.
"Rita you will stay away from the nursery if you know what is good for you," she ordered as Rita looked up from her magazine.
"Why who have you got locked up down there?" Rita questioned.
Lillian smiled to herself bidding her time until this stupid woman wasn't needed anymore. She was going to be just as dead as the ranger was going to be when he wasn't needed any more either. "You remember your place," Lillian snapped, "You remember if you weren't the mother of Rick's son you would be expendable."
"How could I forget you remind me every day," Rita spat back not even bothering to try and mask her hate for the old woman.
"Your time is coming," Lillian smiled a cold calculating smile as she turned leaving Rita staring after her.