A/N: It is now a new year for our characters. The year 2000. Walker, Trivette, and Gage have left for an extended undercover operation in an Arkansas prison via episode "Fight or Die" which has left Sydney and Alex back in Texas to hold down the fort. Meanwhile, it is approximately one week before the events of SOT's episode "Daddy's Girl" and two weeks into the Rangers' undercover operation. Katheryn is left to oversee Thunder Investigations with newbie Kim Sutter. It seems like a perfect time to relax. Right? Think again! Trouble is on its way.

As always, your reviews and encouragement brighten my day. I hope you enjoy story number 22! God bless, 'Kath'

MANIFEST

Chapter One

"Any chance I could convince you to stay?"

Katheryn carefully ran her hand against Carlos' until their two hands were intertwined tightly. Carlos on the other hand was busy watching Kath's eyes meeting his.

"The offer is tempting," Carlos managed to work into the moment as he came closer to Katheryn until their lips met. He backed away and gave her a wink. "You know what they say about absence and fondness and all that stuff."

Kath glared at him. "All I know is that we've been apart a little too much lately."

"I know," Carlos confessed. "But do you realize Trent and I have been putting off this trip for a few years now? If we don't take it now, God knows when we will. And frankly I'm still nervous Trent's gonna get a call right at the last minute like he did last time."

"It's okay," Katheryn pecked a kiss on his cheek and moved to leave, tracing a path to Carlos' kitchen where she had haphazardly left her purse a few hours ago. "I have to get going too I guess. I'm going by Ranger Headquarters in the morning. Alex called earlier saying she needed to ask me something."

Carlos' concerned showed as he followed her. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," Kath nodded quickly, placing her cross-body purse over her head and settling it snuggly on her body with little attention given to the fact that she really didn't know what Alex needed to ask her. She wrapped her arms around Carlos' waist and drew him in. "Now I have a little something you can take with you."

"Oh?" Carlos' eyebrow perked up with spell of mischievous curiosity.

Katheryn issued him a light grin and met his lips with every fulfillment of his expectations as the moment intensified. They parted with passion in their eyes as Katheryn's reluctant steps carried her away from Carlos' apartment quickly. Any slower of a pace and she might have convinced herself to stay for longer than she should have.

Any ounce of discouragement Katheryn was feeling imagining Carlos and Trent cruising down the road to Louisiana that very minute vanished for a short moment as the Tarrant County courthouse came into view. She brought her Stingray to a halt at the street's edge and made a quick path to the entrance, giving a few familiar faces a friendly nod along the way. She was just about to the stairs when Janet Dale the resident mail lady waved her down from the entrance.

"Janet, it's so good to see you," Katheryn greeted with a hug. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you around her in months."

"I had to tend to my grandfather. He passed a few weeks ago."

"Oh," Kath frowned. "I'm so sorry to hear that.'

"It's okay. I'm just happy to be back on the job. It helps take my mind off of the grief I suppose."

"Yes, I think it does help to keep busy when you're missing loved ones…no matter where they are."

Janet nodded and revealed a stack of envelopes secured snuggly by a rubber band in the middle. "Hey would you mind making sure this gets to the Company B office? I'm running a bit late."

"Absolutely!" Katheryn accepted the items gladly. "I won't keep you any longer though. But you have my phone number. We should meet for lunch one of these days."

"I'd love to. See you late?"

"You bet!"

Katheryn gave Janet a quick hug goodbye before bounding up the stairs and meandering to the Company B office, only giving the stack in her arms a brief glance along the way. Once inside Ranger Headquarters, she noticed Alex and Sydney were huddled together at Trivette's desk. They had rather sullen expressions and didn't seem to notice Kath had walked up to them.

"Okay, Walker," Alex spoke into the phone. "Call when you can. I love you. Bye."

"What's up?" Kath queried without allowing a moment of silence after Alex hung up the phone.

"Walker and Gage are still trying to get integrated into the prison at Arkansas for their undercover mission."

"Oh? I didn't know they were leaving."

"They left two weeks ago," Sydney supplemented. "We tried to keep it as quiet as possible."

Katheryn chuckled. "So that means it's just us ladies left to hold down the fort?"

Sydney grinned. "Yep." She nodded towards Kath's hands. "Whatcha got?"

"Oh!" Kath realized she was still holding the mail and gave it to Sydney immediately. "Janet asked me to bring up your mail."

Sydney slipped off the rubber band and began thumbing through the envelopes. "Hmm…this is rather strange."

"What?" Alex asked.

Sydney passed Alex the item in question. "No return address. And no stamp. How did it get mailed to us?"

Katheryn circled the desk to look at the envelope next to Alex. Once Alex handed her the item she asked if she could open it before she ripped it open with Trivette's letter opener and drew out a rather customary piece of paper. As she unfolding it, a loud clang against the floor caused the ladies a slight fright until Kath bent down to pick up and reveal a key. She stood back up and showed the ladies the paper. It was completely blank. This mysterious key was apparently the only contents in the entire letter…or lack of letter that is.

All three ladies were caught in their silence, unable to make heads or tails of this strange occurrence. Since none of them believed in coincidence, they agreed they had a bit of investigating to do.

Katheryn was completely out of breath as she raced out of headquarters, down the stairs, and burst out and down the concrete stairs nearly to the edge of the street hoping by some miracle she had not missed Janet before she left. But it was no use. The postal worker was long gone on her route. Besides, whoever was behind this little prank probably had not bothered to fill Janet in on their little plan.

Returning to the Ranger's office, Katheryn reached for the cup of water Sydney offered and took a long, satisfying sip. "We could really use Trivette's computer skills right about now to figure out what kind of key that is."

Alex smiled mischievously. "Hey, you're not too bad yourself."

Katheryn scoffed. "I'm good, but I'm not THAT good. But…Trivette isn't the only one around here with that kind of skill."

"Oh?" Sydney urged. "Who?"

"Kim Sutter is amazing. I'm sure she would love to help us out. And she's probably bored out of her mind just sitting around the office taking phone calls and staring at the empty room."

"Yeah, you're right," Alex agreed. "I've heard about her skills. She is a wonderful asset to those boys."

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Katheryn beamed and started for the door and through behind her shoulder, "Finally! A case for us girls to solve on our own!"

If only Kath could have seen the smiling faces trailing behind her, she may have been a little too proud for her own good.

Kim's eyes were narrowed about as narrow as they could possibly get, her nose crinkled up in such an intense way that the others secretly wondered how the spunky investigator in training could deduce much of anything from the tiny object.

"Yep. Nope. Uh-huh."

"What? What do you see?" Katheryn hurried over to Kim's side and also began her own squinting adventure.

But Kim had snatched away the item in a scurry over to her computer, pecking hard away at the keys until she yelled across the room that she had found something. By the time she had settled down, Sydney and Alex had joined Kath around Kim's desk, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"This is the key!"

Kath held back a laugh long enough to exchange a look with the others. "Um, Kim, I think we all figured that out. Is that all you could figure out?"

"No, silly! This is THE key."

"What key? What do you mean?" Sydney asked urgently.

"Well I have a slight thing for antiques and have been shopping at a few flea markets over the past few weekends. And I heard a rumor going around about a rare set of keys that belonged to a Huntsville warden back in the 1800s. They've never been able to find the keys. But they say they're very valuable."

Katheryn raised a brow in question. "But what makes you so sure this is one of those keys?"

"The number engraved on it," Kim pointed out. "It matches the number from this other key from this news article I found where a lady sold hers for thousands of dollars!"

"The same number?" Alex posed. "Wouldn't that make one or the other a fake?"

"Nope! I did some research. Each key had the same long number. Another shorter number on the reverse was its individual identification."

Katheryn took a moment to analyze the article Kim and found and then their own key. Kim was right. It was nearly identical. And the numbers were in sync.

"But what does this mean?" Sydney asked legitimately. "Why would someone mail the Rangers a very valuable key for no reason and with no return address or note?"

"Good question," Kim sunk into her thoughts on that note.

It seemed odd that someone would prank a law enforcement establishment. Still, if something was amiss, they had to figure it out. Even if it was simply a harmless accident.

Katheryn was busy pacing the loft in thought several minutes later when she suddenly felt a presence nearby. Alex was standing at the head of the stairs having returned from getting a few caffeinated drinks for them all from downstairs. It was going to be a steady morning of investigating if they were going to solve the mystery.

Alex took a step closer to Katheryn and offered a gentle touch on her arm. "Katheryn, I didn't get a chance to talk to you this morning because of the mystery letter."

"Oh! Yeah. I almost forgot. Is everything okay? Is Walker okay?"

"Yes, dear," Alex grinned. "It's nothing to worry about. I simply wanted to ask you something. And since you're preparing for a wedding of your own, I will totally understand if you have to say no. But…I was wondering if you'd like to be one of my bridesmaids. You've been like a long lost little sister to me the past couple of years. And I'd be honored to have you stand up with me."

"Oh, I'd love to!" Katheryn wrapped Alex in her arms. "I'd love to," she echoed. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Great!" Alex beamed. "Then it's settled. But tell me. Have you and Carlos made any plans?"

Katheryn shook her head. "I think we both would rather elope."

"Please don't let Walker hear you say that. You'll give him ideas."

The two women laughed.

"Say the word, Kath, and I'd love to go dress shopping with you. Maybe we could all help."

"I'd love that," Kath confessed with a heavy exhale. "I'd really love it if you guys would do that. It might actually be fun." There was a heavy hesitation on her final words. "But let's solve one difficult case at a time here. Shall we?"