ALAC

Around the end of our shift, a few hours after my father had called me, Gage, Sydney and I went down to the range to do some target practice.

"So what did your father want, Alec?" Gage asked as we picked up our ear plugs and goggles.

I looked down as I pulled back the slide of my Walther to make sure it was clean and the pin was clear before I answered. "Aw he wants me to come home before we start this assignment." I said and snapped the slider forward.

"Gage said he sounded like a nice man." Sydney said, smiling as she picked up her weapon and they stepped into the range where Walker and Jimmy already were.

I snorted in amusement. "Yeah, they all are." I said as I passed them.

Gage frowned at him in puzzlement. "What do you mean 'they all are'?" He asked.

I looked at him and paused a moment to formulate my answer. "Exactly how it sounds. Like I told you before, I was adopted by the tribe and raised by the entire tribe. All of the members were my mothers, father's grandparents, brothers and sisters. Though it did cause some concern with social services when they learned I was actually living on my own but not really. The tribal members checked on me everyday, brought me meals, made sure I did my homework and kept my place clean.

Social services thought for sure I was being neglected until they watched my routine for a week and realized I was anything but neglected and left me alone. When I graduated from high school, I enlisted in the Army and made the rank of lieutenant. When I got back I was messed up and the tribe helped me out, got my head straight so that I could go on to join the Texas police force.

I know it may sound like a messed up way to grow up, but The Cheyenne was like one big family to me and I wouldn't trade them for anything." I said with feeling then put my goggles on and starting to put in my ear plugs.

"But I heard when you're not on a case, you're putting all the resources at your disposal to finding your family." Sydney said in confusion.

I froze with one ear piece almost in.

I closed my eyes. "Though I do love my adopted family with all my heart, I admit, I long to find out where I came from and why they abandoned me." I said quietly then put my plugs in. Sydney said nothing more and we all stepped into our slots.

We clipped on our paper targets and slid them to the right range and loaded our weapons. When we got the green light we took aim and fired round after round at the target. When our magazines were empty we secured our weapons and drew our targets in to see how we'd done then stepped out from our slots.

Gage and Sydney were studying their targets. Gage had only one round outside the target zone in the chest and a round outside the head while Sydney's was a little more erratic with a few more rounds than Gage outside the target.

Gage cocked a smile at Alec "Read em and weep Alec. I won this round Syd." He said glancing over at her.

"Just this one, Gage. I won the last three." Sydney said with a smirk.

Gage laughed then his smile vanished when I held up mine and he saw the entire circle in the head had been cut away and a line of holes in the chest target. The two stared at me as I looked from Gage's to mine.

"What do you do? Sleep with that thing?" Gage asked, incredulously.

"Sometimes it all depends on the situation" I said only half kidding.

Gage cocked a smiled at me then pulled out a new target and clipped it in place. "Well, let this Ranger show you how it's done." He said. Sydney rolled her eyes at that declaration.

They watched as he sent the target half way down the range and waited for the green light. When he got it, he drew his side arm in a flash and fired a single round at the target. Then he holstered it and brought the target back and right in the center of the head target of the crossing lines was a hole where the bullet hit.

He turned and smiled at Alec "Not bad huh!" He said proudly, looking from me to Walker and Jimmy who had joined us.

I just nodded and smiled, stepping forward to take a turn. "Not bad. Now step aside, Gage." I said and he moved behind me.

I pressed the button on the side and the target shot back all the way to the end of the range and Gage had to lean forward and squint to see it. I then drew my pistol loaded it and snapped the slider forward, took aim with one hand under the magazine. After taking a second to aim, I fired half my clip down the range then holstered it and pressed the button again.

The target shot forward and I stood in front of it until it was almost back then I stepped aside for them to see. They frowned when all there was was the same hole.

All but Walker froned in puzzlement at the target. I patted Gage's upper arm. "Keep practicing." I said then walked away, humming a tune to myself.

Gage

"Why you missed," I snapped, at Alec as he walked away.

"No he didn't," Walker said, and I frowned at him.

I turned and looked at him. "Why do you say that do you see any other bullet holes?" I demanded.

Chuckling he patted my shoulder. "Look closer," he said then walked away.

Frowning I watched him go a little ways then turned back to look closer at the target. "You gotta be kidding me," I muttered, when i saw the irregular ridges around my shot.

Alec

A couple of hours later, I was packing some of my stuff while Angela sat on my bed watching me.

"Are you really leaving Mr. Ryan?" She asked sadly.

I smiled warmly at her and nodded. "Yeah, afraid so. I gotta go home to get ready for this assignment and when we get back we need to finish fixing up my ranch house down the road. Just the kitchen and living room needs to be done. Now your father, mother, aunt, and uncles are going to be gone a week and Kelly is in charge, Ok?" I said questioningly as I picked up my bag and slung it over my shoulder.

She nodded solemnly that she understood but was still unhappy.

To distract her, I asked a different question. "Your father tells me that you guys go to the Cherokee Reservation regularly. Do you already have a Cherokee name?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I'm called Bright Water. What's your Cheyenne name?" She asked.

I smiled. "Nanóse'hame" I said.

She looked at me frowning. "What does that mean?" She asked as she climbed off the bed.

I placed a hand on her upper back. "It means Mountain Lion or Cougar." I said just as a knock came at my door.

I opened it. Walker stood there and Angela quickly attached herself to her father's leg. He and I chuckled.

"So Walker, did you pack those things we talked about before we left work?" I asked him as we turned and walk toward the stairs, Angela still holding her father's leg.

He nodded when we reached the stairs and Angela let him go at last. "Yes I did. They are in the bed of your truck and we got a few hours before the others show up." He said.

I paused when I saw the photo I noticed the first day I was here. I walked over to it with Walker not far behind me.

It was an old western style photo of a Texas Ranger in a buckskin jacket.

I glanced at Walker questioningly. "You know, I saw this the first day I showed up here and I've been meaning to ask you if this is the original photo of Ranger Hayes Cooper?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes, it is and how do you know Hayes Cooper?" He asked me.

I chuckled. "It was stories of him and another Ranger that inspired me to go into the Rangers after I got out of the Army." I said.

"I think I know what Ranger you're talking about" He said and went to a nearby table, opened a drawer and pulled out a framed picture.

He handed it to me, I looked at it and smiled. It was a photo of a clean-shaven face with long dark hair wearing a black hat and a black buckskin overcoat with one knee bent and turned slightly to the side with a spur on his heel. His ranger badge was pinned on his chest and in one hand he held a Winchester, in another, a Colt Peacemaker with another holstered on his hip.

"I should have known you'd have a picture of Jesse McCloud." I said, carrying it over to the picture of Hayes Cooper's, holding them side by side.

"Besides Hayes Cooper, he was one of the toughest Rangers of his day and, like you, he was a man searching for what he never had." Walker said, giving me a sidelong look.

"What?" I asked.

Walker smiled and looked at the photo. "Like you, he was abandoned, his true identity unknown and raised by another. That is until he met Hayes Cooper while he was still a sheriff. Do you know the story?" He asked looking at me.

I shook my head and he leaned against the wall. "Well, McCloud was hot on the trail of two desperados that had robbed a bank in Fort Worth. For a couple of weeks, he had chased them all the way to Cooper's county…" He began the tale.

I listened raptly to the tale of Jesse McCloud and Hayes Cooper. When he finished, I was amazed at the story and the conclusion. He put the photo of Jesse away and we walked outside to the trucks and car we'd be taking along.

I nearly stopped in my tracks when my eyes fell on Kelly. At her side was a little boy about five or six of age in cowboy boots, blue jeans, button up shirt, and a black cowboy hat. The boy also had black hair and slightly redish skin. His smiling face looked up at Kelly then turned to look right at him before turning around and looking at Kelly's car.

From the SUV came a tall man with shoulder length black hair and chiseled sharp facial features. He was wearing a denim jacket and jeans over a plaid button up shirt over bulging muscles. He moved close to Kelly and gave her a peck on the cheek before turning to the boy.

I swallowed my shock and kept my face pleasant as Walker and I stepped down the porch steps. We walked up to the trucks and loaded our stuff, turning to Gage and Syd as they walked up and put their stuff in my truck bed.

"Hey man" Gage said with a clap on my shoulder. I nodded at him then leaned against the truck and watched Walker, Sydney and Alex greet Jimmy and Erika as they arrived. I turned my eyes away from them to stare at Kelly again.

I felt Gage's eyes on me. He followed my gaze. "You knew her before you met at headquarters, hmm?" He asked me.

"Yeah, we used to go out back when we were on DPS and I was ready to marry her before I made the Rangers and was transferred to Company C. We both applied for the Rangers but there was only one slot and I got it. I had to move if I wanted the job but she was promised the top of the list. Leaving her was the hardest thing I ever had to do and I still love her just as much." I said heavily, bowing my head at my loss.

He didn't say anything, then we noticed Angela coming down the stairs then walking toward us, a look of misery on her face. I bent down to look her in the eye. "What's wrong?" I asked, softly.

She looked down at her feet and I smiled gently, cupping her chin with my palm and lifting her face to look at me. "Angela we got quite close these past few weeks you can tell me" I said.

She tried her best to put on a smile. "I just wish I was going with you." She said wistfully.

"Well maybe you can make sure we have everything." I said and handed her a clipboard. She smiled happily.

I turned back to the bed of my truck and one by one she checked off each item and when we were finished, I rubbed my chin. I looked at Gage who cocked a smile.

"I still feel like were missing something but what can it be… oh I know." I said then scooped Angela up and placed her in the bed of my Truck.

"Now we're ready" I said and she stared at mine and Gage's smiling face.

"Wha… What? She stammered and I nodded.

She burst out laughing and wrapped her arms around my neck. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I'll go get my stuff." She said and hopped out of my truck.

"Already taken care of... it's in the cab." I said jabbing my thumb.

She hugged me again then darted over to Walker and Alex and I followed her with my eyes smiling.

I looked at Gage "I told you it would work" I said.

Gage smiled. "Yeah, you're right but you got me thinking maybe when we get back maybe you, me, and Syd can go a few rounds in the ring." He said eyeing me speculatively.

I arched my eyebrows. "You think you guys can take me?" I asked.

"We'll just have to see won't we. How bout it?" Gage asked, extending his hand.

I took it. "Why not, I could use the exercise." I said.

He laughed as we shook hands. "I could say the same." He said.

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