WTR: Letting Go: Chapter 4
A/N: This is the last chapter to be edited from the original. Everything after this is new. I hope you enjoy and don't forget to post a review. If you read the original, let me know what you think of the changes! Some of them were done because of comments made. Thanks!
Two days after CD had been to visit, Trivette rode Amigo onto the main reservation road and was met in front of the general store by the Sheriff.
"What's goin' on?" he asked.
"Ranger Headquarters called for you. Said they need you back there as soon as possible."
"Great. Just great. They probably want me to take down Tang Swift, the biggest crime boss in Dallas. Alone. They know half of this partnership is missing. How do they expect me to go back so soon and work as if nothing's changed? Half of the amazing team is gone."
"James Trivette, do not speak so! For it is not true," a new voice spoke up.
Trivette turned in his saddle to see who had spoken, though he'd already recognized the voice.
"White Eagle," he nodded in greeting to the older Cherokee.
"Come, I have spoken to them and you do not need to go back right away. There is still work to do."
The Ranger turned Amigo around and followed White Eagle away from the more populated part of the reservation. White Eagle stopped and Amigo stopped with him.
"Give me the reigns."
"What?"
"There's no need to be worried, Trivette. Just give me the reigns."
"Who said I was afraid? I'm not afraid."
He handed them over.
"Good. Then this shouldn't be that bad. Feet out of stirrups and arms up in the air spread out."
"What is this?" Trivette asked when White Eagle took the bridle off the horse.
"You came to me. Don't ask such questions." Trivette nodded. "It's about trust. Trust in yourself, trust in the animal, and trust with others you work with. You have a dangerous job and you will be working with new people after what happened. Chances are they may be a little green to the job. But you will have to put your trust in them time and time again as they will have to do with you. First you must learn to trust yourself and the animal you ride."
White Eagle had already moved to Amigo's rear end and now the Native American slapped the horse's rump. Amigo whinnied and jumped into action, galloping away.
"Go, fly with the wind," White Eagle said as they left his side.
Two seconds later Trivette was on the ground while the horse galloped in a circle back to White Eagle.
"Are you ok?"
Trivette rolled to his feet.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I have a dangerous job, remember? I'm used to this."
"Good. Let's do it again."
"What? Again?"
The Native only shook his head and helped Trivette back into the saddle. This time Trivette stayed on for a few minutes before losing his balance and crashing back to the ground.
"I know you know how to ride, Trivette. Remeber, trust in yourself first, then Amigo. This is about balance in all things, including your trust."
Trivette got back on and as White Eagle smacked Amigo's rump he was thinking Squeeze with knees, keep balance, I can do this. I know I can. Amigo took off at a gallop and he stayed on. Up ahead a log loomed. Piece of cake. I can do this. I can do this. The horse geared up for the jump. Go for it Amigo. We can do this. And together they soared over the log.
"Whoa," he said, letting up on the pressure of his knees.
Amigo slowed to a walk and turned back to face the log again at the new pressure on his left side. Trivette's arms were still outstretched as he urged the horse into a gallop. Within seconds they'd flown over the log for a second time and had come to a complete stop in front of White Eagle.
"That was good Trivette."
The Ranger was grinning from ear to ear.
"You still have work to do, but you're getting there. Now, go call Ranger Headquarters and tell them you'll be there first thing Monday morning."
✢
"You'll be training two new recruits," Trivette heard the Captain of Company B saying over the phone. "They'll be here Monday morning."
"Why me? Surely there's someone who's more qualified, who's been a Ranger longer than I have."
"Because you're the best Ranger we've got."
Right, because I was trained and partnered with the best Ranger you think I'm not the best since he's gone. You want to test me, perhaps. Remembering White Eagle's words, however, he kept his mouth shut and didn't voice his thoughts.
He sighed, "I'll be there."
✢
Sunday night Sargent James Trivette of the Texas Rangers walked into his old apartment. It was dark inside and he didn't bother to turn on the lights. Emotions overflowed his heart. The last time he'd been here was the night Walker and Alex had died at Ranger Headquarters. Closing the door behind him he locked it and slumped down onto his couch.
He'd learned a lot out at the Cherokee Reservation, things that had seemed like they would make things better. But nothing could that quickly. It would take time, work, effort. He knew this, but coming back home he wasn't sure he wanted to even try. This place reminded him of so much it nearly broke his heart and for a moment he wondered how he was still living after everything that had happened. Walker was dead because of a broken heart. Why couldn't the same thing have happened to him? But there was a reason for everything. That's what White Eagle would have said. Thus, there was a reason he was still alive as much as he didn't want to believe it.
Slumped on the couch in the dark his eyes drooped closed. He'd begun to feel relaxed out at the Reservation until he'd gotten the call about the two new Rangers he was supposed to train. And now that he was back that feeling of relaxation was disappearing even faster than a speeding bullet. He wished there was a way he could skip work in the morning but it wasn't in him to do it. Much as he wanted to.
Slowly he began to fall asleep, even if it wasn't as sound as he'd want.
Trivette's cell phone rang as he and Walker headed back to Ranger Headquarters from their quick lunch at CD's Bar and Grill.
"Trivette."
"Hi, Jimmy, it's me Alex. Is Walker there?"
"Yeah, you wanna talk to him?"
"You're on your way back here right?"
"Yup."
"Just tell him I'm waiting to talk to him at his desk. We've got a lead on the case."
"Sure thing, Alex."
From across the line Trivette heard several gun shots and Alex screamed.
"Alex! What's going on?!"
But there was no response as the phone went dead.
"Alex!"
Walker looked at his partner. "What happened?"
"I don't know. She's sitting at your desk, waiting to talk to you. And I just heard gun shots! Alex screamed and the line went dead. But she's at headquarters..."
The Ranger woke with a start, sweat beaded on his forehead. That phone call had been the last time he'd talked to Alex before she'd died. And he hadn't even known Walker had proposed to her. Trivette rolled over on the couch, too tired to consider his bed in the other room. He grumbled and blinked his eyes as he rolled back again in an attempt to get comfortable.
✢
Trivette walked into Ranger Headquarters to find Walker's desk emptied out. Someone else's family pictures and knickknacks sat on top and it unnerved him. Walker had been their best Ranger. They could have left it. It could have been a shrine. But no. Walker wouldn't go for that. And besides, if they'd done that for all the Rangers in the hall of fame he would be left sitting out in the hall on the floor, the pay phone his only means of communication.
Two people he'd never met stood in front of his own desk, not three feet from Walker's. One was a woman with long black hair. She was wearing black cowboy boots, dark jeans and a red button down shirt. The other was a man who had short dirty blond hair. He was wearing brown cowboy boots, pale jeans only a little darker than Trivette's, and a pale button down shirt. They were both sporting Ranger badges, pinned to their shirts. They had to be his new charges.
He pasted a smile onto his face and approached them with an outstretched arm.
"Sydney Cooke and Francis Gage?"
They booth nodded and shook his hand.
"Well, it's nice to finally meet you."
"Same here," Sydney said.
"So, have you been briefed on our first case?" he asked them, eager to get down to business and get off the personal track most beginning conversations usually went.
"Not really. All we were told was we were going after Tang Swift," said Gage.
"Do you know why?"
"Wasn't mentioned. Captain said we'd here it all from you."
Trivette sighed and sat down behind his desk, putting his head in his hands for a moment before looking up at the new Rangers.
"Which one of you got that desk there?" Trivette pointed toward Walker's desk.
Sydney raised her hand, "That would be me, Sir."
"Yeah, I'm on your other side," Gage pointed to a nearly empty desk behind Trivette's computer monitor. Sydney elbowed Gage in the ribs. He added "Sir" to the end of his statement, in a half cough, as if he hadn't meant to forget it.
"Don't call me Sir. I hate that. I'm not the top cheese here. That's the Captain. Trivette will work just fine." He looked at Sydney. "What do you know about the Ranger who had that desk before you?"
"Ummmm...I'm sorry...but nothing."
"That was my partner's desk until a few weeks ago when he died saving his fiance's life. She was a good friend of mine too. They both died that day."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I wish I'd known."
"Yeah, me too. I'm sorry."
"It was Tang Swift's idea," Trivette continued as if they hadn't said anything. "Take over Ranger Headquarters and kill the ADA to get back at his worst enemy, my partner Cordell Walker. I've been trying to get over it since then. When the Captain called me to say I would be working with you I didn't want to come back. I still don't want to be here. But my life must carry on and I won't let it leave me behind. I'll do my best for you guys but I want you to know I can't promise anything."
"That's understandable."
Gage nodded.
"What I can promise, however, is that we're going to bring down Tang Swift. No one takes out my partner, another good Ranger, and the ADA and gets away with it."
"We promise to do our best," Gage said.
"Good. That's what I want to hear.
Seconds later CD walked in and marched over to Trivette's desk.
"There you are Jimmy! I've been looking all over for you. You've kept these two waiting for hours!"
"It's ok," Sydney did her best to calm the older man down. "And it wasn't hours, Ranger Parker."
"CD! How many times have I told you to call me CD?! And at least it felt like hours." CD sighed. "Jimmy, Amigo is back out at the ranch. I'll be there to help you move in when you get off work, ok?"
"Sure, Big Dog."
"You got this situation all under control here?" CD looked from Gage and Sydney back to Trivette.
"Yes, we're fine," Trivette said a little icily.
CD left and Sydney gave Gage a wide eyed look.
"Now look," Trivette said. "When I say we're going after Tang Swift, I mean, we're going after Tang Swift. I don't want to stop at some middleman along the way, or even his top seller. I want Tang Swift. Do you hear me?"
"Loud and clear."
"Good. Now, he's an arms dealer so I suggest we start at the bottom. Find out who we've got in prison who's related to him. Find out what and who they know. We'll start taking down each business one by one until he's pissed enough to come after us. Then we'll get him."
"You got it."
Sydney and Gage went to their respective desks to start the search. Trivette looked at his watch and got up.
"Can you guys handle this without me for a bit? There's someone I need to see."
"Yeah sure, no problem."
"Call me when you get something solid."