Disclaimer: This was written for the soul purpose of my entertainment. I lay no claim on Walker Texas Ranger or any of its characters.

"Gentleman's Club"

By: Janis Boisclair

jboisclair@rogers.com

Chapter 1

"Just who do you think you are Francis Gage?" Sydney Cooke angrily yelled at her partner as he just as angrily slammed the door to integration room B closed behind them.

"Your partner, your friend, the guy who is telling you that you aren't taking this assignment," Gage shot back at her just as loudly. Taking her by the shoulder he swung her around to face him his hands tightly holding onto her arms.

"Get your hands off me," her voice had become low and menacing as she glared at her partner.

He didn't let up he held tighter then ever to her as she struggled to get his hands off her. Breaking free she struck out striking him hard across the face in her anger. Grabbing her arm he twisted it behind her pulling her back up against his chest. Moving his free arm around her he held her as she fought harder against him.

"Sydney you aren't taking this assignment. I saw your face when you saw her body laying in the morgue, you are just to close to this," Gage insisted.

"You just don't know Gage, I have to do this and you or nobody else is going to stop me," she fiercely told him. "I'll do it with or without your help Gage. I'll do it with or without the Texas Rangers. I'll do it on my own if I have to, I'll find out what why she was there, I'll find out what happened I owe her that Gage, I owe her.

"Can we talk about this reasonably Syd?" Gage asked his grip still tight on his partner, her body still taunt against his. He knew her mind was going over what had happened to bring them to this just like his was.

Two Days Prior

 "Hello," Syd gasped she was just leaving for work and had run back to pick up the receiver. "Tammy where are you? I'm just on my way out can we get together for dinner. I can hardly wait we have so much catching up to do. Just come here and we'll decide where to go. I can hardly wait." Grabbing her keys she had hurried out the door and off to work.

"Hey Syd," her partner had greeted her as she came running in the door and to her desk. "You do realize I'm on time today which would make you the late one," he teased.

"Nothing you can say today Francis is going to upset me," she had challenged back.

"So what has put you in such a good mood Ranger Cooke?" Gage asked.

"My best friend and roommate from college is joining me for dinner tonight and we have lots to talk about," Syd smiled as she informed Gage.

"Gee Syd I don't know if I can get another ticket to the hotrod show at this late date," Gage began saying.

"Oh Gage I forgot all about it, I'm sorry I…"

"I'll take a raincheck Syd," he laughed at her frustration. "We can go Sunday afternoon is it a date?"

"A date Gage?" It was her turn to tease watching his face become red.

Clearing his throat he replied, "Yeah Syd a date."

"All right," she smiled as she answered him. He had gone back to some paper work that he all ready had spread on his desk while her eyes had remained a few more moments on him.

~~~~~

Syd had snuck out early so she would be ready and waiting when Tammy arrived. By six forty-five she was sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine ready and raring to go. By seven forty-five she was pouring her second glass of wine and becoming worried. By eight forty-five she dialled the phone to hear her partner's voice.

 "Looks like I've been stood up," she told him.

"Want me to come over Syd?" he asked hearing the disappointment in her voice.

"No it's all right I just wanted to tell you I guess I should have gone to the car show with you," she replied about ready to hang up.

"Syd?"

"Yeah Gage?"

"We'll track her down tomorrow."

"Thanks Gage I appreciate it," she told him before saying goodnight and hanging up.

~~~~~

The partners were both in early the next morning. Syd had called Tammy's hotel and her cell phone numerous times both last night and this morning not getting an answer either place.

"She wasn't admitted to either Methodist or Memorial hospitals," Gage reported hanging up his phone. "No Jane Does either."

"I just don't understand this, it's like she just disappeared, but if she wanted to disappear why call me of all people first?"

They didn't have time to speculate Walker and Trivette had just come into the office with Alex. Walker was holding a file, which he was looking at while Alex and Trivette seemed to be filling in the details that the file didn't reveal.

"Sydney, Gage can you join us?" Walker asked as he passed by the two of them. Both got up and followed over to Walker's desk.

"We are looking into Jack Swanson," Walker announced as Trivette handed each of them a file to familiarize themselves with. "He runs a couple of high stake illegal gambling houses in Houston. Everything from gambling to prostitution to drugs goes on behind the closed doors." Walker continued. "As of late there have been a few problems at one of the clubs, a customer dead, one of the girls dead another one missing."

Gage's phone rang and he excused himself to answer it.

"And it seems Mr. Swanson is fixing to move into Dallas," Trivette added. "He opened up for business a month ago."

"Syd the call is for you," he told her rejoining the group. "It the coroner's office."

Walking to her partner's desk she picked up the phone as the rest watched waiting to find out what the call was about. Her face was expressionless yet Gage couldn't help have a bad feeling about this call. She hung up and walked back over to the group.

 "They have a body at the morgue, a hooker with no ID. The only thing she had was a scrap of paper with my name and phone number on it. They want me to come down and see if I can put a name with the face," she explained.

"Go ahead Sydney," Walker told her as he looked at Gage telling him to go with her.

"Wait up Syd," Gage called after her as she hurried down the hall.

Sydney turned to wait to see what he wanted. "What is it Gage?"

"Walker thought you might like some company," he replied not revealing he had thought he should come too.

"Suit yourself," she had said turning to head down the hall as Gage fell in step with her. She hated to admit it even to herself but she was glad to have him beside her.

~~~~~

While Gage backed the car out Syd once again pulled out her phone and dialled Tammy's cell number. There was still nothing but her voice mail message that was completely filled with messages from Syd.

"Any idea why she was in Dallas?" Gage asked glancing over to his partner.

"Business I assume," Syd absently said, "She's a lawyer with Barnes, Talbot, Cathcart and associates. We really didn't go into anything I guess we figured we'd catch up on it last night."

Gage nodded his head to one side raising his eyebrows slightly knowing what she had meant.

"I want you to meet her Gage," Sydney had suddenly said. For some reason it had become important that he meet Tammy. For some reason it had become important that Tammy approved of him. It was like the time Sydney had met John Knight Tammy's soon to be x-husband. Syd had never approved of John even though that is what Tammy had hoped. She had wanted to like him but in the end she had tolerated him for Tammy's sake.

"I'd like to meet her," Gage replied snapping Syd back into the present. He had parked the car and was opening the door, she followed suit coming around to the front of the car where he waited for her. They walked in together going straight to the desk, identifying themselves they waited for Dr. Janet Munro to come from behind the doors to escort them to view the body.

"Rangers," Munro said walking over to them offering her hand. "I'm glad you could come so quickly," she continued as they walked with her down the corridor. "This was a fairly easy one except for who she is. There is evidence of sexual intercourse with approximately four partners last night. Some one must have got a little rough with the sex, which is evident from the lacerations on the face and torso. Death was caused by strangulation with a silk scarf that was found still tied around her neck when she was brought in. She wore this locket," Munro paused to hand it to Syd for her inspection, she didn't recognize it, "That is where we found the piece of paper with your name and phone number on it, inside the locket. I remembered you from a couple of other cases and called your office hoping that it would pan out that you would be the right Sydney Cooke."

Opening the door they entered the exam area all was quiet. They had stopped in front of a large refrigeration unit waiting for Dr. Munro to open the door to one of the compartments and roll the body out for them to view. An overwhelming sense of dread suddenly came over Syd, a feeling she had never experienced before. She could feel her knees becoming weak as the doctor reached for the handle of the door and pulled it open. Her hand was trembling and she involuntarily reached out and grabbed on to Gage's hand.

"Syd?" Gage had looked down at her trying to understand what was wrong it wasn't like her to take his hand for any reason and certainly not to just view a dead body. Her only response was to grasp tighter to him.

The table had been rolled out in front of them and Dr. Munro lifted back the sheet. Tammy Cathcart's battered body lay stretched out before them, stretched out before Syd.

"Oh God Gage no," Sydney had cried letting go of him, backing away from the table.

Gage had turned to face her she had become as deathly pale as the deceased teetering unsteadily on her feet. Standing between her and the body his arms went a round her as she crumpled against him and he softly questioned, "Tammy?"

She shook her head yes. They could hear the cold steal being rolled back into the cooling unit and the door closing. Gage turned her guiding her back out into the hallway holding her until she could get her bearings once again.

"Ranger Cooke are you all right?" Dr. Munro asked.

Pulling back from her partner she attempted to be all business again. "Yes I wasn't expecting to see an old friend…" she stopped her eyes closed, she could feel Gage's arm around her his hand gently squeezing her shoulder as she struggled to regain her composer.

"Her name is Tammy Cathcart out of Houston. She is a partner with the law firm Barnes, Talbot, Cathcart and associates," Syd continued. "Who is the officer in charge of this case?"

"Let me get the chart," Munro said going back through the doors that led to her office.

"I'm all right Gage," she stated moving away from him to lean against the wall

He stood in front of her and lifted her chin with his finger to look in her face. "Then you are doing better then I would be if I was you. I'm sorry Sydney I know you were close."

"Not close enough or maybe I could have stopped this…" She didn't have time to say more Dr. Munro was back.

"Detective Lou Brandon," Munro told them.

Gage thanked her and he and Sydney left.

~~~~~

Her partner stuck close to her for the rest of the day, worried about her, wanting to help her to find the answers so she could put some closure on things. He sat with her quietly in the car watching her stare silently out the windshield.

"I'd better call Walker," she finally said matter-of-factly pulling her phone and dialing.

"Walker," Gage could hear their boss' voice on the line as Syd sat there mutely lost in thought. Taking the phone from her hand he spoke to him, "Yeah Walker Syd recognized the body, she was a personal friend and not a hooker.  We're on our way back to headquarters," Gage told him hanging up the phone.

The day had been extremely long for both partners. They had found out from Detective Brandon that Tammy had been found naked in a dumpster behind a run down hotel, her clothes tossed in with her. The curious thing was that the hotel was just two blocks from The Lazy Jakes, Jack Swanson's place. More then one witness was sure that they had seen Tammy at the bar.

Syd had put a call into Tammy's office trying to get a handle on why she was in Dallas. All Dana Talbot could tell her was that she thought it had to do John and the divorce.

Finally around six o'clock Walker told Gage to see that Sydney got home.

"Walker I'm fine I want to get to the bottom of this," she had protested.

"That is what we all want Sydney but right now you need to get some rest and that's an order," Walker told her.

"Fine I'll go home," she said grabbing her jacket and stomping out the door.

"Gage go with her," Walker said. It wasn't necessary he was all ready a step behind her.

"I don't need to go home and I don't need a babysitter," Syd was protesting as the elevator doors opened to the parking garage.

"Syd please just let me take you home and make sure you are settled for night. Maybe I can get you a little dinner keep you company for awhile."

"Babysit me," she stormed, "Gage I've got my car here and I'm driving it home." With that she took off across the parking lot to car and got in behind the wheel.

"Syd come on wait up," Gage was calling her as she started her car. She paid no attention she put it into reverse and gave it the gas narrowly missing him. "Syd," he called racing to his car to go after her.

It took him only a minute to pull into the street but she was gone disappeared from sight. Gage took off towards her apartment pulling his phone dialing at the same time. She had her phone turned off. Her car was nowhere in sight when he pulled into the lot at her building. Running up the stairs to her door he banged loudly calling out to her but to no avail she just wasn't there.

Gage spent the next couple of hours driving around going every place that he could think that she might be. Finally he headed to his place to regroup and start making phone calls. As he pulled up to his building he found her sitting on his front steps. Stopping the car he ran to where she sat, the tears were streaming down her face, she was cold and shivers racked her body.

"Gage," she cried, "I need you."

With his arm around her he walked inside with her sitting her down beside him. She leaned against him the tears of pain and sorrow for her friend falling endlessly. Gage drew her closer pulling the blanket from the back of the couch around her. He rubbed his hands over her arms and back warming her whispering, "Shh Syd, shh Honey."

"She…she…she's gone," Sydney got out between sobs, "Oh Gage she's really gone."

"I know Baby," he comforted her letting the tears fall until she was exhausted and slept against him. Gently picking her up in his arms he carried her to his bed and lay her there tucking the comforter around her. Letting his lips brush against her forehead he whispered, "Sleep well Syd."

Sometime in the early hours Sydney woke. It took a few minutes to realize where she was and why she was there. Pulling the comforter around her she walked to the living room where her partner lay sleeping on the couch. The television was still playing quietly and she could see his features in the dim light it gave off. Kneeling beside him she let her fingers play gently over his cheek her thumb across his lips.

"Umm," he mumbled in his sleep as she lay down on top of him letting her head rest on his chest. Her eyes closed again this time finding a peaceful slumber in her partner's arms. Gage woke the next morning to find her still there.

~~~~~

Sydney and Gage entered headquarters together the next morning. Gage had driven her home to shower and change before they had come in. Walker motioned them to his desk where Trivette all ready stood.

"We've found something interesting in regards to your friend Sydney," Walker began as Trivette took over.

"As you know we are investigating Jack Swanson it seems that Tammy Cathcart's name has come up on the list of investors in his new club."

"That's impossible," Syd cried grabbing the file that Trivette was holding out to her and began to read. She saw the name but couldn't believe it. "This has to be a mistake, Tammy would never put money into anything like this."

Gage took the file from her hand and began reading it over as Syd faced the two senior rangers.

"I'm afraid there's more," Walker continued, "it seems she was at The Lazy Jakes last night, quite a few people can place her there."

Walker paused trying to read Syd's reaction but she gave no clues instead she stood silently listening to everything they had to tell her. The next part of the story was going to be hard for Sydney to hear Walker all ready knew that. She had to be told so he started again.

"Sydney Tammy wasn't exactly dressed in what you would expect a lawyer to be wearing."

Gage looked up at his boss and then his partner as the words hung in the air.

"She was dressed as a working girl," he informed Syd.

"That's why when I got the call from the coroner they said they had a hooker for me to ID," Syd evenly spoke her voice void of emotion.

"We need to get someone in that club to find out what is going on. Someone who can catch Jack Swanson's interest," Walker was saying just as Gage cut in.

"This assignment is out of the question for Syd."

All three rangers stared at Gage but the look he got from Sydney is what cut deep.

"Excuse us Walker my partner and I need to settle something," Sydney had said walking out ahead of Gage.

~~~~~

All that played through their minds as they stood there now in the heat of an argument.