NOTE: All usual disclaimers apply.
"Guardian Angel"
By Lorrie
"Syd, are you OK with this?" Gage called into the other room as Sydney was getting dressed.
"Why wouldn't I be? This should be a piece of cake." She replied.
"I know, but doesn't it feel a little too much like . . ." Gage paused as Sydney came out of the bedroom, dressed in an elegant sequined sheath. He stared and smiled. "Syd."
"What?" She said, slightly embarrassed by his gaze.
"I, you look absolutely radiant."
She smiled. "Thank you." She applied her lipstick, and then turned back to the conversation. "What were you saying about this case feeling too much like something?"
"Um? Oh, I was just wondering if it made you feel a little put on display."
"Being put on display isn't always bad. It just depends on who's doing the watching." She smiled as she patted his chest.
"Believe me, I'll be watching. Especially your back." He added as she walked away.
Gage was still fiddling with his bow tie when Sydney announced that she was ready. "Could you fix this thing for me?" He asked. She gladly adjusted his tie, and then picked up her purse.
"Come on, we're going to be late and we wouldn't want to keep Walker and Trivette waiting."
*****
Walker had decided yesterday to place Gage and Sydney undercover in a prestigious uptown Dallas club. A well-known former debutant had turned up dead in an alley and her family had demanded of the Governor to know who was responsible. The Governor, in turn, had called Walker and asked him to personally oversee the investigation.
At this point, there were at least two prime suspects: the woman's ex- husband and a gentleman she had met at "The Ivy League" on the night of her murder.
Gage and Sydney met Walker and Trivette outside of Ranger headquarters. "Here are the keys to the car Gage. Just be careful with it and remember, we're trying to find out as much as we can about Carly Henderson and why she was killed." Walker gave Gage the keys to a sporty new BMW.
Gage whistled as he rubbed his hand across the car. "This is a real beauty."
"We'll do our best." Sydney replied.
"I'm still not totally convinced that you both shouldn't be wearing wires." Walker added.
"Walker, we'll be fine." Gage replied as he opened the door for Sydney and held her hand while she sat down. He then slipped into the driver's seat and much to Walker's dislike, sped away, squalling tires.
Walker shook his head. Trivette, seeing his partner's despair laughed. "What did you expect Walker? He's young and you just gave him the car of his dreams."
"Yeah, but it's not mine to give." Walker scoffed.
*****
A valet met Gage and Sydney and Gage reluctantly handed him the keys as he offered Sydney his arm. "Be careful with it, would you?" He asked in his snobbiest voice.
"Gage." Sydney scoffed, and then stifled a laugh.
They entered the club and were immediately offered champaign, which they both took. "Will you be alright for a minute? I'll be right back."
"Sure." She replied as Gage walked away, leaving her standing just inside the entrance.
She waved her hand in front of her, not realizing that she was speaking out loud. "This place is very . . ." Sydney paused, looking for the right word.
"Stuffy." A gentleman standing nearby completed her sentence.
"Exactly." She smiled.
"I don't believe we've met. I'm Bret Alexander."
"Cynthia Brandish." Sydney offered her hand, which was immediately met with Bret's lips. "I don't think I've seen you here before."
"Well, I've not been in Dallas very long and a friend invited me to join him tonight, so I accepted."
"Ah, so you're taken then?"
"Well, not exactly. Colby is a friend of the family and he insisted that I get out of the house and begin to live my life again."
"Here, may I get you a drink?" Bret offered her a seat.
"Thank you, that would be nice."
"Another champaign?"
"Yes, please."
Bret was gone for a moment and Sydney was able to make eye contact with Gage to let him know that she was alright. He winked at her, letting her know that he was keeping his eye on her.
When Bret returned, Sydney smiled sweetly at him. "So, you were telling me that your friend suggested you get out of the house and begin to live your life again, whatever happened? If you don't mind my asking."
"Well." She paused.
"I'm sorry. I've offended you by being too forward."
"Oh no, it's not that. It's just, it's difficult to discuss, especially with a stranger."
"I understand." He patted her hand.
Sydney took a drink of her champaign. "My husband left me." She blurted out. "I felt so belittled, so hurt. He found someone else, all the while, letting me think that I was the one making him happy."
"How awful."
"I showed him though. I got the best lawyers money could buy and I got everything. The mansion in Georgia, the ranch here in Dallas and all of his money, along with the cars and all of his other little toys." She laughed.
"My goodness, with all of that, why would you be so down in the dumps?"
"Well, money isn't everything you know. A girl like me needs someone to share all of that with, but lately, I've been afraid to go out with anyone."
"Why is that?" Bret asked.
"Well, just last week, a lady in a situation, not too unlike my own, was found dead in an alley. Carly Henderson, I believe was her name."
"Did you know her?" He asked.
"No, I only read about her in the papers."
Bret too a drink. "Carly Henderson was no lady."
"You knew her?"
"Well enough." Bret's pleasantness turned abruptly to anger. "She was a liar and a cheat and she got what she deserved."
"Mr. Alexander!" Sydney replied in mock astonishment.
"I'm sorry Ms. Brandish. I'm afraid I'll have to excuse myself. Perhaps I'll see you here again tomorrow evening?"
"You can count on it Mr. Alexander." She offered her hand.
He bowed and greeted it with a kiss. "I'll look forward to it."
*****
Gage was working on his own lead. He had met a bartender and had milked her for information most of the night. "Ginger, how about another down here?"
"What's the matter sweetie? Money or woman?"
"Both." Gage replied. "My wife just divorced me and she took most of my money with her."
Ginger smiled. "I hear that one a lot."
"I'll bet you do." He smiled as they talked.
Gage took a drink of the 'Tom Collins' he had ordered and while on one was looking, poured the rest in a nearby plant. "Ginger, how about another?"
"Sweetie, this is your third. Are you driving?"
"What if I am?"
"Well, I would hate to hear that something happened to your pretty face." She passed him another drink. "It can't be all that bad."
"Well, it's that combined with that mess last week."
"What mess?"
"You know." He whispered. "Carly Henderson."
Ginger nodded. "Oh, I know. Poor girl. She left here with Bret Alexander and I really wouldn't put much of anything past him. He's a dangerous man."
"Dangerous, how?"
"Anyway you can think of." She wiped up a few spills on the bar as she and Gage continued to talk. "Rumor has it that he tried to kill his own brother last year, but he got off because of lack of evidence."
"Really?" Gage nodded as he finished the remaining portion of his drink and swayed a little as he stood.
"Sweetie, let me call you a cab. I don't think you need to be driving."
Sydney approached the bar and seeing Gage sway a little stepped forward. "He doesn't live too far from me. Colby, why don't I drive your car and drop you off?" Gage nodded and left a good size tip for Ginger.
"Come back to see me soon, sweetie."
Sydney gave the valet the ticket and the BMW was brought around. Gage got into the passenger side of the car and Sydney slipped under the wheel. "Are you crazy? You're on duty!" She bit into Gage. "You hardly ever drink, why tonight?"
Gage quickly sobered up. "I only drank about one drink. I kept feeding the plant beside of me, but I had to make the bartender think I was drunk, so she'd keep talking to me."
"Why would the bartender want to talk to a drunk?"
"To keep the drunk buying drinks. I learned that when I worked as a bartender in college. The best tips usually come from the drunkest patrons." He smiled.
Sydney shook her head. "So, did you find out anything?"
Gage nodded. "I got a name. Bret Alexander."
"That's the same name I got. I had a drink with him and I slipped Carly's name into the conversation. He became angry when I mention her, wanting to know if I knew her. I told him that I had only read about her in the papers, but I felt sorry for her. He said that I shouldn't because she got exactly what she deserved."
"Ginger told me that a few years back, Bret was suspected of attempting to murder his brother, but got off because of lack of evidence."
"Let's stop by and give Walker what we have." Gage suggested.
"OK, but let's stop by our place and get a change of clothes first. My feet are killing me."
They grabbed a change of clothes and headed to Ranger headquarters where they knew they would find Walker waiting for a progress report.
"So, how'd it go?" Walker asked as they entered.
"We've got one pretty good suspect." Sydney replied.
"Bret Alexander." Gage finished.
Trivette entered the name into his computer. "Bret Alexander. He has a few priors."
Sydney and Gage met Walker behind Trivette's desk and stared at the screen. "Drunk in public; B & E; o-o-o, malicious wounding/attempted murder." Sydney read the charges aloud.
Trivette clicked on the last charge to see the details of the file. "It was thrown out of court, lack of evidence." He answered before anyone had a chance to ask the question.
Sydney yawned, then Gage as if on cue. "Alright, you two, it's about 3:00 a.m. Why don't we call it a night and tomorrow, we'll discuss how we want to about questioning this guy and you can complete your reports." He lightly punched Gage on the shoulder, knowing how much he hated doing his paperwork.
"Thanks Walker." Gage and Sydney turned to leave.
"Um." Walker cleared his throat. "Gage, the keys?"
"Aww, dad." He whined, teasing Walker, then smiled as he tossed him the keys to the BMW.
*****
The following morning Sydney and Gage were up at 7:00 and at their desks by 8:00, working on their reports of the previous evenings events. When they were finished, they met with Walker and Trivette and gave them a full account of their conversation with Ginger, the bartender and Bret Alexander.
"Well, looks like you both hit pay dirt the first night. Let's see how well you do tonight." Walker looked at Gage. "Gage, talk to the bartender again and see if Carly talked with anyone other than Alexander the night of her murder."
"Alright." Gage responded.
Walker then turned to Sydney. "Sydney, meet with Bret again. Try to get him to open up about his relationship with Carly." He paused. "Oh, and I want you both to wear wires this time."
Sydney started to protest, but Walker shook his head and walked away before she hand a chance.
Gage turned to her and smiled. "What's the matter, don't want anyone keeping tabs on you?"
She playfully hit him in the arm. "It's not that. I just don't want Walker and Trivette to feel like they constantly have to baby-sit me. I'm a Ranger in my own right and I wish they would treat me like one."
Gage put his arm around her. "Syd, I'll be wearing a wire too. This has nothing to do with the fact that you're a woman or you needing to prove yourself. Look at the priors we just saw on the screen. Bret Alexander is a dangerous man. He may have killed Carly Henderson. Walker and Trivette are just backing us up. Is that so bad?"
Sydney's mood softened. "How do you always know the right things to say?" She smiled at him and turned back to her paperwork at her desk
*****
Sydney called out to Gage from the living room. "Are you almost ready?"
"Almost." Gage replied, still fidgeting with his tie. "There. How's this look?" He turned to Sydney.
"Umm. Perfect." She kissed him gently. "We'd better get going, Colby."
"Yeah, you're right. We wouldn't want to miss Bret, would we?" He wined at Sydney.
"Plus, we still have to stop by the surveillance van and get wired." Sydney reminded him.
"Let's go." He grabbed the keys to the BMW and escorted Sydney to the passenger side.
*****
"They're late." Walker stated.
"They'll be here. Man, why are you so uptight about this case?" Trivette asked.
"I guess because I'm not in there, but I'm the one that the Governor asked to take care of the investigation."
"You trust Sydney and Gage to handle this though, don't you?"
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have put them on it." Walker looked in his rearview mirror. "Here they come." He saw Sydney and Gage pulling up behind them in the BMW.
Walker and Trivette both got into the back of the van as Sydney and Gage entered. "Alright, let's get you two wired up." Sydney took the wire from Walker and taped it to her skin. Gage was just finishing connecting his wire when Sydney pulled her shirt back down.
"What's the new signal?" Gage asked.
"How about; I don't feel so good? That's easy enough to fit into a conversation." Walker stated. "If either of you get into trouble, just say it and we'll be there."
"We'll be fine, Walker. We'd better get going." Sydney replied.
"I'm ready." Gage responded as they turned to leave.
*****
"Ms. Brandish!" Bret exclaimed as Sydney walked into the club. She and Gage had decided to come in separately, so as not to be viewed as a couple.\
"Mr. Alexander!" Sydney replied, extending her hand to Bret, which he gently took and kissed.
"I wasn't sure you'd show up after my brutish behavior last night." Bret said as he led her to his table.
"How could I not?"
"Drink?"
"Yes, please." Bret retrieved two glasses of champaign.
Gage made his way to the bar once he was certain that Sydney was OK with Bret.
"Hi sweetie." Ginger announced from behind the bar. "Back so soon?"
"Hey Ginger." Gage smiled.
"There's that smile again. You should do that more often, it's a good look for you." She smiled back. "What'll it be tonight? A 'Tom Collins'?"
Gage nodded. "Please."
Trivette smiled as he listened to the conversation coming from Gage's wire. "Gage is in place."
"So is Sydney." Walker replied.
*****
Sydney yawned on purpose. "Am I boring you Ms. Brandish?" Bret asked.
"Not at all and it's Cynthia, please." She smiled. "I didn't sleep well last night."
"Why?" Bret asked.
"I had a nightmare about Carly Henderson. I just couldn't seem to get her off of my mind."
Bret's face turned red.
"I'm sorry, Bret. I've angered you again." She apologized.
"Carly Henderson was married to my half brother, Michael Henderson. She left him last year because of me."
"What happened?"
"It's complicated." He paused. "We had an affair. Michael and I had a terrible fight when he found out. I almost killed him in a rage because of the things he said about Carly. Then I found out they were all true."
"How awful." Sydney fanned herself with her hand in mock shock.
"I'm sorry Cynthia. I didn't mean to shock you. I love my brother, really I do. That's why I broke things off with Carly."
*****
"Ginger, can I have another?" Gage asked.
Ginger brought him another drink, slipping a small packet of powder in while Gage's back was turned. "What's on your mind tonight?" She asked.
"I was still thinking about Carly Henderson."
"Why?"
"I don't know. There's just something intriguing about the whole thing."
"Well, there really wasn't much to her. She was here most every night up until the night she was killed."
"Really? Who did she spend time with?"
"What are you, sweetie, a cop?"
"Do I look like a cop?"
"Oh, I don't know. It might be fun to have you slap the cuffs on me." She smiled and winked at him. "I'll be back in a minute." She went to the other end of the bar, and then returned.
"What time does your shift end, Ginger?" Gage asked.
"In about ten minutes. Why?"
"Would you like to go somewhere less stuffy and get to know each other?"
Ginger smiled. "I'd love to."
"Good. I'll be back in a minute." Gage got up and went to the men's room where he pulled out his cell phone and called Sydney. He felt a little warm, but passed it off as the crowd of people that were in the club.
"Excuse me, Bret. Hello." She answered.
Gage told her that he was taking Ginger out so he could question her further about Carly.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" She asked.
"I'll be fine. So will you. I love you."
"Me too. Take care."
"Important call?" Bret asked.
"Just business."
******
Gage had the car brought around and opened the door for Ginger. He thought as he drove that they needed to stay somewhat close to the country club so as not to get out of range of the wire he was wearing.
"Where to?" He asked Ginger.
"There's a cozy little restaurant a couple of blocks from here. If you like, we could have dinner."
Gage smiled. "Sounds nice."
*****
"Walker, I'm losing Gage. He's taking Ginger to a restaurant a couple of blocks away."
"Stick with him Trivette. Something's not quite adding up here."
"What's wrong?"
"It's just a feeling." Walker replied as he continued to listen to Sydney's conversation with Bret.
*****
"Bret, you said you broke things off with Carly. Do you have any idea who might have wanted to kill her?"
"Besides Michael? Maybe Ginger."
"Who's Ginger?" Sydney held her breath, hoping not to hear what Bret said next.
"She's the bartender here at the club. She and I spent some time together before Carly and I became involved."
"So, she was jealous?"
"I guess you could say that." Bret stared at Sydney. "Who are you really, Cynthia Brandish? Are you a reporter or a cop?"
Sydney realized that her cover had been partially blown and at this point, the focus of the case seemed to have shifted from Bret to either his brother, Michael or Ginger, the bartender and Gage was with Ginger. "Neither." She replied. "I'm a Texas Ranger and Bret, I'd like for you to come with me. I have a few more questions concerning Ginger and Carly."
Walker took to cue from Sydney and met she and Bret outside of "The Ivy League"
"Any word from Gage?" She asked.
"He and Ginger are on their way to a restaurant a couple of blocks away from here. Trivette's moved in closer in case there's trouble.
"Ranger, if Ginger pegs your man as a cop, she'll kill him. She's been in jail before and I know just from some of our conversations, she'd stop at nothing to assure that she doesn't return."
"What was she in jail for?" Sydney asked.
"Drug distribution."
"Did she kill Carly Henderson?" Walker asked.
"I honestly don't know, but she is capable of murder." Bret replied. Sydney's face went white, knowing that Gage was alone with this woman and was unaware of her past.
*****
"Ginger? My head is spinning." Gage closed his eyes tightly for a second, and then pulled the car to the side of the road.
"You make my head spin too, sweetie." She touched his chest as he put the car into park.
"Ginger? Did you put something in my drink?" He slurred and tried to move his left arm, but found that it wouldn't respond.
"Mmm." She ran her fingers through his hair and then kissed his lips. As she ran her hand down his chest, she found the wire. "What's this?" She exclaimed as she ripped the taped wire from his chest, pulling out some chest hair along with it.
"Walker!" Trivette yelled into his cell phone. "Walker! Gage is in trouble!"
"We're on our way!" Walker responded as he followed Trivette's directions.
Trivette was afraid to wait any longer for Walker to meet him. Without the wire, he had no idea what was going on inside of the car. He ran towards the spot where the BMW sat and watched in horror as the car exploded.
*****
Walker, Sydney and Bret were approaching the street where Trivette had asked them to meet him when the explosion rocked the street, setting off car alarms for the entire block. "Gage." Sydney whispered, her eyes wide with terror.
Walker parked the van, jumped out and ran to the flaming car. He put his arms in front of his face, trying to block out the tremendous heat coming from the burning vehicle that once was a sporty BMW. With the heat preventing him from getting anywhere close to the car, he could only pray that Gage wasn't inside.
*****
"Come on!" Ginger pushed Gage towards a dark blue Mustang sitting on the corner. "Get in!" She demanded.
Gage was just conscious enough to maneuver himself into the passenger side of the car. He laid his head on the headrest and soon passed out.
"Who are you? You must be a cop. Only a cop would wear a wire." Once inside the car, she took out two packets of white powder, forced them into Gage's mouth, and then chased it down with a partial can of beer that she had just opened, then wiped the remaining powder from his mouth, sat back in the driver's seat and took a deep breath.
"Sorry about that, sweetie. You seemed like a real nice guy, but I'm not going back to jail." She slammed the car into gear and sped away towards a remote area of Dallas. Once in the barren parking lot, she opened the passenger side door and pulled Gage out, knowing that he would die from the overdose she had given him before anyone would find him. "No one's even looking for you sweetie. They think you blew up in the pretty little BMW." She smiled and kissed Gage once more time before speeding away.
Gage's head rolled slightly from side to side as he tried to fight the effects of the drugs that were bombarding his body. "Syd?" He spoke to a figure that was leaning over him. "You're not Syd. Who are you?"
The figure was dressed in a flowing white robe and didn't speak, but seemed to help Gage to his feet. "I must be delirious." He said aloud. The figure continued to lead him across the parking lot, then down a sidewalk until they came to a payphone, which appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. "I don't have any change." Gage mumbled. He looked down and there laid the correct change for the phone at his feet. He picked it up and dialed Sydney's cell number; being the only one he could remember at the time.
"Hello."
"Syd." He slurred.
"Gage! Gage, where are you?"
"Don't know. Trace the call." He dropped the phone as the figure lead him to a pile of junk, containing a couple of old sofa pillows. He lie back on the pillows and quickly fell unconscious.
Sydney immediately had a trace put on the call and they were able to pinpoint the location of the payphone. Walker called for the EMT's to meet them at the address they'd been given then he, Trivette and Sydney raced towards the abandoned parking lot and quickly located Gage.
"Gage!" Sydney screamed as she knelt beside of him and felt for a pulse. "He's alive." She shouted back to Walker and Trivette who quickly joined her.
Gage began to stir. "Where is she?"
"Where's who?"
"My angel?"
"Who, Ginger?" Trivette asked.
"No. My angel. There was someone here. Someone helped me up and led me to the payphone. They never spoke and I didn't see her face, but . . ."
"Gage, buddy, you must have been hallucinating." Trivette replied.
Gage nodded. "Maybe, but it seemed so real." His voice trailed off to a whisper.
*****
While the EMT's were loading Gage into the back of the ambulance, Walker stepped over to the payphone to place the receiver back on the hook. When he did, he noticed something rather miraculous. "Hey guys, comer here." He called to Sydney and Trivette.
"What is it?" Trivette asked.
"Look at this." Goosebumps covered Sydney and Trivette's arms as they saw what Walker had noticed. The payphone that Gage had called them from was disconnected. The main line had been severed at the base of the phone booth. This phone was dead.
*****
"You two go ahead with Gage. I'll meet up with you later. I'm going back to 'The Ivy League'. He first arranged transportation for Bret Alexander to his home, then set off for the club, hoping to find Ginger there.
He came through the entrance and asked one of the gentlemen at the door if Ginger was there.
Noticing his badge, the man replied: "She just quit. I believe she's clearing out her locker in the back, Ranger."
"Thank you." Walker replied then entered the locker room and found Ginger sitting on the bench.
"Ginger?"
"Who wants to know?"
"I'm Ranger Walker. You're under arrest for the attempted murder of Ranger Gage." He then read her her rights as he slapped handcuffs around her wrists.
*****
The following morning at the hospital, Walker was elated to find Gage doing so well after having his stomach pumped the night before.
"I want to know how you could have possibly called Sydney from that phone." Trivettte started after Walker finished explaining to Gage that the phone was disconnected.
"I don't know, but it was the only phone around." He sat in disbelief, then stared at Sydney who was smiling at him.
"I don't care how it worked, I'm just thankful that it worked." Sydney said quietly. "When we saw the car engulfed in flames, I just knew that I had lost you. My heart just sank." She wiped a tear from her eye, not wanting to cry in front of Walker and Trivette, but not really having a choice.
Gage took her hand and smiled. "I'll be fine Syd. Just give me a couple of days to get my head straightened out."
"Seriously Gage, if we hadn't found you when we did, the doctor said you wouldn't have had much of a chance." Trivette said with a concerned look.
"I know." Gage replied solemnly. "Did you arrest Ginger?"
Walker nodded. "Yes. I caught up with her last night at the club after we found you and arrested her for attempted murder. She confessed to Carly Henderson's murder this morning."
"You're kidding? How did you get her to confess?" Sydney asked.
"I was very persuasive." Walker replied. The other three Rangers knew not to press him for any further details; there would be none.
*****
After Walker and Trivette had left, Sydney cuddled up with Gage in his hospital bed. "I love you."
"I love you too, Syd." He kissed the top of her head. "When are they letting me out of here?"
"As soon as your tox screen comes back within normal levels."
"Oh."
"Are you still dizzy?" She asked.
"Yeah, a little. I'm more tired than anything."
"Then let's just lay here and rest." She laid her head on Gage's chest and listened to the rhythmic beating of his heart until they both fell asleep.
THE END
"Guardian Angel"
By Lorrie
"Syd, are you OK with this?" Gage called into the other room as Sydney was getting dressed.
"Why wouldn't I be? This should be a piece of cake." She replied.
"I know, but doesn't it feel a little too much like . . ." Gage paused as Sydney came out of the bedroom, dressed in an elegant sequined sheath. He stared and smiled. "Syd."
"What?" She said, slightly embarrassed by his gaze.
"I, you look absolutely radiant."
She smiled. "Thank you." She applied her lipstick, and then turned back to the conversation. "What were you saying about this case feeling too much like something?"
"Um? Oh, I was just wondering if it made you feel a little put on display."
"Being put on display isn't always bad. It just depends on who's doing the watching." She smiled as she patted his chest.
"Believe me, I'll be watching. Especially your back." He added as she walked away.
Gage was still fiddling with his bow tie when Sydney announced that she was ready. "Could you fix this thing for me?" He asked. She gladly adjusted his tie, and then picked up her purse.
"Come on, we're going to be late and we wouldn't want to keep Walker and Trivette waiting."
*****
Walker had decided yesterday to place Gage and Sydney undercover in a prestigious uptown Dallas club. A well-known former debutant had turned up dead in an alley and her family had demanded of the Governor to know who was responsible. The Governor, in turn, had called Walker and asked him to personally oversee the investigation.
At this point, there were at least two prime suspects: the woman's ex- husband and a gentleman she had met at "The Ivy League" on the night of her murder.
Gage and Sydney met Walker and Trivette outside of Ranger headquarters. "Here are the keys to the car Gage. Just be careful with it and remember, we're trying to find out as much as we can about Carly Henderson and why she was killed." Walker gave Gage the keys to a sporty new BMW.
Gage whistled as he rubbed his hand across the car. "This is a real beauty."
"We'll do our best." Sydney replied.
"I'm still not totally convinced that you both shouldn't be wearing wires." Walker added.
"Walker, we'll be fine." Gage replied as he opened the door for Sydney and held her hand while she sat down. He then slipped into the driver's seat and much to Walker's dislike, sped away, squalling tires.
Walker shook his head. Trivette, seeing his partner's despair laughed. "What did you expect Walker? He's young and you just gave him the car of his dreams."
"Yeah, but it's not mine to give." Walker scoffed.
*****
A valet met Gage and Sydney and Gage reluctantly handed him the keys as he offered Sydney his arm. "Be careful with it, would you?" He asked in his snobbiest voice.
"Gage." Sydney scoffed, and then stifled a laugh.
They entered the club and were immediately offered champaign, which they both took. "Will you be alright for a minute? I'll be right back."
"Sure." She replied as Gage walked away, leaving her standing just inside the entrance.
She waved her hand in front of her, not realizing that she was speaking out loud. "This place is very . . ." Sydney paused, looking for the right word.
"Stuffy." A gentleman standing nearby completed her sentence.
"Exactly." She smiled.
"I don't believe we've met. I'm Bret Alexander."
"Cynthia Brandish." Sydney offered her hand, which was immediately met with Bret's lips. "I don't think I've seen you here before."
"Well, I've not been in Dallas very long and a friend invited me to join him tonight, so I accepted."
"Ah, so you're taken then?"
"Well, not exactly. Colby is a friend of the family and he insisted that I get out of the house and begin to live my life again."
"Here, may I get you a drink?" Bret offered her a seat.
"Thank you, that would be nice."
"Another champaign?"
"Yes, please."
Bret was gone for a moment and Sydney was able to make eye contact with Gage to let him know that she was alright. He winked at her, letting her know that he was keeping his eye on her.
When Bret returned, Sydney smiled sweetly at him. "So, you were telling me that your friend suggested you get out of the house and begin to live your life again, whatever happened? If you don't mind my asking."
"Well." She paused.
"I'm sorry. I've offended you by being too forward."
"Oh no, it's not that. It's just, it's difficult to discuss, especially with a stranger."
"I understand." He patted her hand.
Sydney took a drink of her champaign. "My husband left me." She blurted out. "I felt so belittled, so hurt. He found someone else, all the while, letting me think that I was the one making him happy."
"How awful."
"I showed him though. I got the best lawyers money could buy and I got everything. The mansion in Georgia, the ranch here in Dallas and all of his money, along with the cars and all of his other little toys." She laughed.
"My goodness, with all of that, why would you be so down in the dumps?"
"Well, money isn't everything you know. A girl like me needs someone to share all of that with, but lately, I've been afraid to go out with anyone."
"Why is that?" Bret asked.
"Well, just last week, a lady in a situation, not too unlike my own, was found dead in an alley. Carly Henderson, I believe was her name."
"Did you know her?" He asked.
"No, I only read about her in the papers."
Bret too a drink. "Carly Henderson was no lady."
"You knew her?"
"Well enough." Bret's pleasantness turned abruptly to anger. "She was a liar and a cheat and she got what she deserved."
"Mr. Alexander!" Sydney replied in mock astonishment.
"I'm sorry Ms. Brandish. I'm afraid I'll have to excuse myself. Perhaps I'll see you here again tomorrow evening?"
"You can count on it Mr. Alexander." She offered her hand.
He bowed and greeted it with a kiss. "I'll look forward to it."
*****
Gage was working on his own lead. He had met a bartender and had milked her for information most of the night. "Ginger, how about another down here?"
"What's the matter sweetie? Money or woman?"
"Both." Gage replied. "My wife just divorced me and she took most of my money with her."
Ginger smiled. "I hear that one a lot."
"I'll bet you do." He smiled as they talked.
Gage took a drink of the 'Tom Collins' he had ordered and while on one was looking, poured the rest in a nearby plant. "Ginger, how about another?"
"Sweetie, this is your third. Are you driving?"
"What if I am?"
"Well, I would hate to hear that something happened to your pretty face." She passed him another drink. "It can't be all that bad."
"Well, it's that combined with that mess last week."
"What mess?"
"You know." He whispered. "Carly Henderson."
Ginger nodded. "Oh, I know. Poor girl. She left here with Bret Alexander and I really wouldn't put much of anything past him. He's a dangerous man."
"Dangerous, how?"
"Anyway you can think of." She wiped up a few spills on the bar as she and Gage continued to talk. "Rumor has it that he tried to kill his own brother last year, but he got off because of lack of evidence."
"Really?" Gage nodded as he finished the remaining portion of his drink and swayed a little as he stood.
"Sweetie, let me call you a cab. I don't think you need to be driving."
Sydney approached the bar and seeing Gage sway a little stepped forward. "He doesn't live too far from me. Colby, why don't I drive your car and drop you off?" Gage nodded and left a good size tip for Ginger.
"Come back to see me soon, sweetie."
Sydney gave the valet the ticket and the BMW was brought around. Gage got into the passenger side of the car and Sydney slipped under the wheel. "Are you crazy? You're on duty!" She bit into Gage. "You hardly ever drink, why tonight?"
Gage quickly sobered up. "I only drank about one drink. I kept feeding the plant beside of me, but I had to make the bartender think I was drunk, so she'd keep talking to me."
"Why would the bartender want to talk to a drunk?"
"To keep the drunk buying drinks. I learned that when I worked as a bartender in college. The best tips usually come from the drunkest patrons." He smiled.
Sydney shook her head. "So, did you find out anything?"
Gage nodded. "I got a name. Bret Alexander."
"That's the same name I got. I had a drink with him and I slipped Carly's name into the conversation. He became angry when I mention her, wanting to know if I knew her. I told him that I had only read about her in the papers, but I felt sorry for her. He said that I shouldn't because she got exactly what she deserved."
"Ginger told me that a few years back, Bret was suspected of attempting to murder his brother, but got off because of lack of evidence."
"Let's stop by and give Walker what we have." Gage suggested.
"OK, but let's stop by our place and get a change of clothes first. My feet are killing me."
They grabbed a change of clothes and headed to Ranger headquarters where they knew they would find Walker waiting for a progress report.
"So, how'd it go?" Walker asked as they entered.
"We've got one pretty good suspect." Sydney replied.
"Bret Alexander." Gage finished.
Trivette entered the name into his computer. "Bret Alexander. He has a few priors."
Sydney and Gage met Walker behind Trivette's desk and stared at the screen. "Drunk in public; B & E; o-o-o, malicious wounding/attempted murder." Sydney read the charges aloud.
Trivette clicked on the last charge to see the details of the file. "It was thrown out of court, lack of evidence." He answered before anyone had a chance to ask the question.
Sydney yawned, then Gage as if on cue. "Alright, you two, it's about 3:00 a.m. Why don't we call it a night and tomorrow, we'll discuss how we want to about questioning this guy and you can complete your reports." He lightly punched Gage on the shoulder, knowing how much he hated doing his paperwork.
"Thanks Walker." Gage and Sydney turned to leave.
"Um." Walker cleared his throat. "Gage, the keys?"
"Aww, dad." He whined, teasing Walker, then smiled as he tossed him the keys to the BMW.
*****
The following morning Sydney and Gage were up at 7:00 and at their desks by 8:00, working on their reports of the previous evenings events. When they were finished, they met with Walker and Trivette and gave them a full account of their conversation with Ginger, the bartender and Bret Alexander.
"Well, looks like you both hit pay dirt the first night. Let's see how well you do tonight." Walker looked at Gage. "Gage, talk to the bartender again and see if Carly talked with anyone other than Alexander the night of her murder."
"Alright." Gage responded.
Walker then turned to Sydney. "Sydney, meet with Bret again. Try to get him to open up about his relationship with Carly." He paused. "Oh, and I want you both to wear wires this time."
Sydney started to protest, but Walker shook his head and walked away before she hand a chance.
Gage turned to her and smiled. "What's the matter, don't want anyone keeping tabs on you?"
She playfully hit him in the arm. "It's not that. I just don't want Walker and Trivette to feel like they constantly have to baby-sit me. I'm a Ranger in my own right and I wish they would treat me like one."
Gage put his arm around her. "Syd, I'll be wearing a wire too. This has nothing to do with the fact that you're a woman or you needing to prove yourself. Look at the priors we just saw on the screen. Bret Alexander is a dangerous man. He may have killed Carly Henderson. Walker and Trivette are just backing us up. Is that so bad?"
Sydney's mood softened. "How do you always know the right things to say?" She smiled at him and turned back to her paperwork at her desk
*****
Sydney called out to Gage from the living room. "Are you almost ready?"
"Almost." Gage replied, still fidgeting with his tie. "There. How's this look?" He turned to Sydney.
"Umm. Perfect." She kissed him gently. "We'd better get going, Colby."
"Yeah, you're right. We wouldn't want to miss Bret, would we?" He wined at Sydney.
"Plus, we still have to stop by the surveillance van and get wired." Sydney reminded him.
"Let's go." He grabbed the keys to the BMW and escorted Sydney to the passenger side.
*****
"They're late." Walker stated.
"They'll be here. Man, why are you so uptight about this case?" Trivette asked.
"I guess because I'm not in there, but I'm the one that the Governor asked to take care of the investigation."
"You trust Sydney and Gage to handle this though, don't you?"
"If I didn't, I wouldn't have put them on it." Walker looked in his rearview mirror. "Here they come." He saw Sydney and Gage pulling up behind them in the BMW.
Walker and Trivette both got into the back of the van as Sydney and Gage entered. "Alright, let's get you two wired up." Sydney took the wire from Walker and taped it to her skin. Gage was just finishing connecting his wire when Sydney pulled her shirt back down.
"What's the new signal?" Gage asked.
"How about; I don't feel so good? That's easy enough to fit into a conversation." Walker stated. "If either of you get into trouble, just say it and we'll be there."
"We'll be fine, Walker. We'd better get going." Sydney replied.
"I'm ready." Gage responded as they turned to leave.
*****
"Ms. Brandish!" Bret exclaimed as Sydney walked into the club. She and Gage had decided to come in separately, so as not to be viewed as a couple.\
"Mr. Alexander!" Sydney replied, extending her hand to Bret, which he gently took and kissed.
"I wasn't sure you'd show up after my brutish behavior last night." Bret said as he led her to his table.
"How could I not?"
"Drink?"
"Yes, please." Bret retrieved two glasses of champaign.
Gage made his way to the bar once he was certain that Sydney was OK with Bret.
"Hi sweetie." Ginger announced from behind the bar. "Back so soon?"
"Hey Ginger." Gage smiled.
"There's that smile again. You should do that more often, it's a good look for you." She smiled back. "What'll it be tonight? A 'Tom Collins'?"
Gage nodded. "Please."
Trivette smiled as he listened to the conversation coming from Gage's wire. "Gage is in place."
"So is Sydney." Walker replied.
*****
Sydney yawned on purpose. "Am I boring you Ms. Brandish?" Bret asked.
"Not at all and it's Cynthia, please." She smiled. "I didn't sleep well last night."
"Why?" Bret asked.
"I had a nightmare about Carly Henderson. I just couldn't seem to get her off of my mind."
Bret's face turned red.
"I'm sorry, Bret. I've angered you again." She apologized.
"Carly Henderson was married to my half brother, Michael Henderson. She left him last year because of me."
"What happened?"
"It's complicated." He paused. "We had an affair. Michael and I had a terrible fight when he found out. I almost killed him in a rage because of the things he said about Carly. Then I found out they were all true."
"How awful." Sydney fanned herself with her hand in mock shock.
"I'm sorry Cynthia. I didn't mean to shock you. I love my brother, really I do. That's why I broke things off with Carly."
*****
"Ginger, can I have another?" Gage asked.
Ginger brought him another drink, slipping a small packet of powder in while Gage's back was turned. "What's on your mind tonight?" She asked.
"I was still thinking about Carly Henderson."
"Why?"
"I don't know. There's just something intriguing about the whole thing."
"Well, there really wasn't much to her. She was here most every night up until the night she was killed."
"Really? Who did she spend time with?"
"What are you, sweetie, a cop?"
"Do I look like a cop?"
"Oh, I don't know. It might be fun to have you slap the cuffs on me." She smiled and winked at him. "I'll be back in a minute." She went to the other end of the bar, and then returned.
"What time does your shift end, Ginger?" Gage asked.
"In about ten minutes. Why?"
"Would you like to go somewhere less stuffy and get to know each other?"
Ginger smiled. "I'd love to."
"Good. I'll be back in a minute." Gage got up and went to the men's room where he pulled out his cell phone and called Sydney. He felt a little warm, but passed it off as the crowd of people that were in the club.
"Excuse me, Bret. Hello." She answered.
Gage told her that he was taking Ginger out so he could question her further about Carly.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" She asked.
"I'll be fine. So will you. I love you."
"Me too. Take care."
"Important call?" Bret asked.
"Just business."
******
Gage had the car brought around and opened the door for Ginger. He thought as he drove that they needed to stay somewhat close to the country club so as not to get out of range of the wire he was wearing.
"Where to?" He asked Ginger.
"There's a cozy little restaurant a couple of blocks from here. If you like, we could have dinner."
Gage smiled. "Sounds nice."
*****
"Walker, I'm losing Gage. He's taking Ginger to a restaurant a couple of blocks away."
"Stick with him Trivette. Something's not quite adding up here."
"What's wrong?"
"It's just a feeling." Walker replied as he continued to listen to Sydney's conversation with Bret.
*****
"Bret, you said you broke things off with Carly. Do you have any idea who might have wanted to kill her?"
"Besides Michael? Maybe Ginger."
"Who's Ginger?" Sydney held her breath, hoping not to hear what Bret said next.
"She's the bartender here at the club. She and I spent some time together before Carly and I became involved."
"So, she was jealous?"
"I guess you could say that." Bret stared at Sydney. "Who are you really, Cynthia Brandish? Are you a reporter or a cop?"
Sydney realized that her cover had been partially blown and at this point, the focus of the case seemed to have shifted from Bret to either his brother, Michael or Ginger, the bartender and Gage was with Ginger. "Neither." She replied. "I'm a Texas Ranger and Bret, I'd like for you to come with me. I have a few more questions concerning Ginger and Carly."
Walker took to cue from Sydney and met she and Bret outside of "The Ivy League"
"Any word from Gage?" She asked.
"He and Ginger are on their way to a restaurant a couple of blocks away from here. Trivette's moved in closer in case there's trouble.
"Ranger, if Ginger pegs your man as a cop, she'll kill him. She's been in jail before and I know just from some of our conversations, she'd stop at nothing to assure that she doesn't return."
"What was she in jail for?" Sydney asked.
"Drug distribution."
"Did she kill Carly Henderson?" Walker asked.
"I honestly don't know, but she is capable of murder." Bret replied. Sydney's face went white, knowing that Gage was alone with this woman and was unaware of her past.
*****
"Ginger? My head is spinning." Gage closed his eyes tightly for a second, and then pulled the car to the side of the road.
"You make my head spin too, sweetie." She touched his chest as he put the car into park.
"Ginger? Did you put something in my drink?" He slurred and tried to move his left arm, but found that it wouldn't respond.
"Mmm." She ran her fingers through his hair and then kissed his lips. As she ran her hand down his chest, she found the wire. "What's this?" She exclaimed as she ripped the taped wire from his chest, pulling out some chest hair along with it.
"Walker!" Trivette yelled into his cell phone. "Walker! Gage is in trouble!"
"We're on our way!" Walker responded as he followed Trivette's directions.
Trivette was afraid to wait any longer for Walker to meet him. Without the wire, he had no idea what was going on inside of the car. He ran towards the spot where the BMW sat and watched in horror as the car exploded.
*****
Walker, Sydney and Bret were approaching the street where Trivette had asked them to meet him when the explosion rocked the street, setting off car alarms for the entire block. "Gage." Sydney whispered, her eyes wide with terror.
Walker parked the van, jumped out and ran to the flaming car. He put his arms in front of his face, trying to block out the tremendous heat coming from the burning vehicle that once was a sporty BMW. With the heat preventing him from getting anywhere close to the car, he could only pray that Gage wasn't inside.
*****
"Come on!" Ginger pushed Gage towards a dark blue Mustang sitting on the corner. "Get in!" She demanded.
Gage was just conscious enough to maneuver himself into the passenger side of the car. He laid his head on the headrest and soon passed out.
"Who are you? You must be a cop. Only a cop would wear a wire." Once inside the car, she took out two packets of white powder, forced them into Gage's mouth, and then chased it down with a partial can of beer that she had just opened, then wiped the remaining powder from his mouth, sat back in the driver's seat and took a deep breath.
"Sorry about that, sweetie. You seemed like a real nice guy, but I'm not going back to jail." She slammed the car into gear and sped away towards a remote area of Dallas. Once in the barren parking lot, she opened the passenger side door and pulled Gage out, knowing that he would die from the overdose she had given him before anyone would find him. "No one's even looking for you sweetie. They think you blew up in the pretty little BMW." She smiled and kissed Gage once more time before speeding away.
Gage's head rolled slightly from side to side as he tried to fight the effects of the drugs that were bombarding his body. "Syd?" He spoke to a figure that was leaning over him. "You're not Syd. Who are you?"
The figure was dressed in a flowing white robe and didn't speak, but seemed to help Gage to his feet. "I must be delirious." He said aloud. The figure continued to lead him across the parking lot, then down a sidewalk until they came to a payphone, which appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. "I don't have any change." Gage mumbled. He looked down and there laid the correct change for the phone at his feet. He picked it up and dialed Sydney's cell number; being the only one he could remember at the time.
"Hello."
"Syd." He slurred.
"Gage! Gage, where are you?"
"Don't know. Trace the call." He dropped the phone as the figure lead him to a pile of junk, containing a couple of old sofa pillows. He lie back on the pillows and quickly fell unconscious.
Sydney immediately had a trace put on the call and they were able to pinpoint the location of the payphone. Walker called for the EMT's to meet them at the address they'd been given then he, Trivette and Sydney raced towards the abandoned parking lot and quickly located Gage.
"Gage!" Sydney screamed as she knelt beside of him and felt for a pulse. "He's alive." She shouted back to Walker and Trivette who quickly joined her.
Gage began to stir. "Where is she?"
"Where's who?"
"My angel?"
"Who, Ginger?" Trivette asked.
"No. My angel. There was someone here. Someone helped me up and led me to the payphone. They never spoke and I didn't see her face, but . . ."
"Gage, buddy, you must have been hallucinating." Trivette replied.
Gage nodded. "Maybe, but it seemed so real." His voice trailed off to a whisper.
*****
While the EMT's were loading Gage into the back of the ambulance, Walker stepped over to the payphone to place the receiver back on the hook. When he did, he noticed something rather miraculous. "Hey guys, comer here." He called to Sydney and Trivette.
"What is it?" Trivette asked.
"Look at this." Goosebumps covered Sydney and Trivette's arms as they saw what Walker had noticed. The payphone that Gage had called them from was disconnected. The main line had been severed at the base of the phone booth. This phone was dead.
*****
"You two go ahead with Gage. I'll meet up with you later. I'm going back to 'The Ivy League'. He first arranged transportation for Bret Alexander to his home, then set off for the club, hoping to find Ginger there.
He came through the entrance and asked one of the gentlemen at the door if Ginger was there.
Noticing his badge, the man replied: "She just quit. I believe she's clearing out her locker in the back, Ranger."
"Thank you." Walker replied then entered the locker room and found Ginger sitting on the bench.
"Ginger?"
"Who wants to know?"
"I'm Ranger Walker. You're under arrest for the attempted murder of Ranger Gage." He then read her her rights as he slapped handcuffs around her wrists.
*****
The following morning at the hospital, Walker was elated to find Gage doing so well after having his stomach pumped the night before.
"I want to know how you could have possibly called Sydney from that phone." Trivettte started after Walker finished explaining to Gage that the phone was disconnected.
"I don't know, but it was the only phone around." He sat in disbelief, then stared at Sydney who was smiling at him.
"I don't care how it worked, I'm just thankful that it worked." Sydney said quietly. "When we saw the car engulfed in flames, I just knew that I had lost you. My heart just sank." She wiped a tear from her eye, not wanting to cry in front of Walker and Trivette, but not really having a choice.
Gage took her hand and smiled. "I'll be fine Syd. Just give me a couple of days to get my head straightened out."
"Seriously Gage, if we hadn't found you when we did, the doctor said you wouldn't have had much of a chance." Trivette said with a concerned look.
"I know." Gage replied solemnly. "Did you arrest Ginger?"
Walker nodded. "Yes. I caught up with her last night at the club after we found you and arrested her for attempted murder. She confessed to Carly Henderson's murder this morning."
"You're kidding? How did you get her to confess?" Sydney asked.
"I was very persuasive." Walker replied. The other three Rangers knew not to press him for any further details; there would be none.
*****
After Walker and Trivette had left, Sydney cuddled up with Gage in his hospital bed. "I love you."
"I love you too, Syd." He kissed the top of her head. "When are they letting me out of here?"
"As soon as your tox screen comes back within normal levels."
"Oh."
"Are you still dizzy?" She asked.
"Yeah, a little. I'm more tired than anything."
"Then let's just lay here and rest." She laid her head on Gage's chest and listened to the rhythmic beating of his heart until they both fell asleep.
THE END