Blindsided
Chapter Ten
The loud piercing whistle woke Jess up with a start and she nearly knocked the man next to her out of bed. She should have insisted on the outside. Derek Morgan opened his eyes as she crawled over him.
"What the hell was that?"
"That would be Cutler. He's way too lazy to climb the steps and wake me." She pulled her jeans over the long johns she had worn to bed and slid on her boots. "Something's up. Go back to sleep. I'll be back as soon as I can." Jess gave him a quick kiss and headed down stairs. Derek shook his head and got up wondering what could be wrong at…he looked at the clock. Two forty five in the morning.
Cutler was at the door with her gun belt and jacket. She grabbed it.
"Fight on the Corral Ridge Ranch." He got three rifles out of the case and locked it back up. "Cody's saddling the horses."
"Why did you call him?"
"Cause he's number three tonight."
"He should have opted out."
"Not how the Hawkes work. You should know that." He smiled. They headed out the door. "If you want to take point it's all yours baby." She looked at him.
"No way Jimmy I wouldn't want to steal your thunder. You're number one with a bullet tonight." They got to the barn and Cody had the horses saddled and ready.
"Let's try not using the word bullet tonight. I'm still jumpy from the last call up to that God forsaken ranch." Cutler handed Cody and Jess their rifles and they all put them in their holsters on the horses and mounted up.
"Last one up the mountain buys breakfast!" Jess yelled as the doors opened and she took off. Cody shook his head and healed his horse to go.
"That girl is going to be the death of me." He mumbled as he took off after her.
"Just part of the attraction my friend." Cutler smiled and headed off behind Cody.
"That's my sister you're talking about."
"Just stating a fact." Jess was three quarters of the way up the mountain before she slowed down. She stopped a mile from the ranch and let the others catch up.
"Cutler what's the scoop?"
"Hands had a poker game going. Seems someone didn't like loosing. Shot's fired. About a half hour ago."
"Your call boss man." She looked at Cutler.
"Give them a call and tell them we're coming."
"You know damn well we hit the trip wire thirty yards back. They know we're coming." Cody shook his head. "I hate this." Jess took out her radio and pressed the call button.
"Coral Ridge Ranch this is HMR Jess Hawkes. We are one mile out and coming in. Advise on status of the disturbance."
"Unknown Jess. The hands are in the bunk house and no one here has heard a thing in more then ten minutes.
"Can you see anything Rowdy?"
"Just a lot of nothing." Jess looked at her brother.
"Any idea's of wise one?"
"I guess we take the high road." He led his horse to the left and up the trail. They all knew the way to Coral Ridge with their eyes close. "Stay together till we see the bunkhouse. Then Jess you stay in at the tree line and me and Cutler with circle around." They nodded and headed up the hill.
The blackness of the night was nothing to the three Rangers. The Coral Ridge Ranch housed at least twenty hands that worked the horses and cattle that resided on the hundred acre farm. Cody made a trip up about once a month around payday. The hands always fought over who was winning.
"Alright guys, lets do this as quietly as possible." They dismounted their horses and took their rifles out of there holsters. Jess tied the horses to a tree and watches as Cutler and Cody circled around both sides of the bunkhouse. "See anything Jim?"
"Ten hands around the table."
"This is HMR Cody Hawkes. Put down your weapons and come out with your hands up."
"No weapons in here Ranger Hawkes." One man shouted.
"You know the drill Dominic. I also know you all at least one weapon that belongs to you. I want everyone hands on their heads out here. Don't make me count." He heard chairs scraping on the wood floor. "You said ten?"
"Yep. They're coming out." Ten men slowly walked out the door with their hand on their heads. Cody mentally counted them. When the tenth one left Jess came out of the woods.
"Anyone hurt Booker?" Jess asked the foreman.
"Just a little scuffle Ranger Hawkes. Nothing to call you all out on a cold night like this."
"Well you know the boss. Gun goes off we have to come."
"Yeah. Sorry about that."
"Who's gun?" Cody looked at Booker.
"Mine."
"Anyone hurt?"
"No." Cody lowered his rifle.
"Give it to me." Booker took his gun with two fingers out of its holster like he'd done before. He handed it to Cody. "You can get it back in thirty days." He emptied the chambers and slid the bullets in the pocket of his snow pants. "Alright boys, time for bed. And if I have to come out here on your next payday I'm taking donations for the Children's Home. Do you all understand me?" They all nodded. The hands headed back into the bunk house and the Rangers to their horses. Cody followed Jess and put his hand on her back. "There's some new blood in that bunch. Have Coral send us his roster in the morning so we can run them."
"He hates when we do that Cody." She looked at him.
"Then he should start doing background checks. I'm tired of getting out of a warm bed to deal with these yahoo's."
"Okay. But you're filing the paper work." She keyed her radio. "Rowdy…fax your roster ASAP to HMR headquarters. Cody's orders." She smiled. She didn't like the Coral's much but Cody disliked them more so he could take the blame for making them work.
"Ten four Jess. Have a good night."
"You too Rowdy." Jess looked at Cody. "That was way too easy."
"You think?" He shook his head as he mounted his horse. "We might have to have Matt pay them a visit." They headed down the mountain on the trial that had been there for more years then the Coral Ranch. It was nearly four before they dismounted in the Ranger barn. "Cutler and I will put the horses away why don't you go take a shower and I'll take you guys to breakfast." Jess looked at her brother.
"Cutler lost, not you." She handed her saddle to him.
"I know. But I'm feeling generous today. If Matt's in there ask him to come along. I know Tim's due in soon."
"You're up to something Cody Hawkes." She smiled.
"Maybe I just want to see what's new in my sister's life."
"I talk to you everyday."
"Not the last two days you haven't." Cutler came behind her.
"I think he wants to know about the man in your bed last night." He whispered in her ear.
"CUTLER!" She turned to hit him but he moved to fast.
"He slept in your bed?" Cody crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yes. The key word is slept. By the way in case you missed it there was a big three and two on my cake a few months back."
"What's your point?"
"I'm a big girl Cody. And you're not my dad."
"Does dad know where Agent Morgan spent the night last night?"
"Could be, because he stayed out on the porch till my light went out." She handed the horse blanket to Cutler. More like threw it at him.
"He makes you happy?"
"Dad?"
"No." Cody looked at his sister. She was blushing. He hadn't seen her blush since she was fourteen and he caught her staring at Cutler chopping wood without his shirt on.
"He could. If he didn't live a thousand miles away maybe."
"You could always move back to DC."
"Is that what you want?" Jess looked at her brother.
"If it meant your could have what I have with Sarah, yeah."
"I'll never have anything like that." Cody could see he would only dig himself into a hole if he kept it up. It wouldn't be the first time or the last.
"You will. I promise." He took the saddle off his horse and put it on its rack. "Go on and get ready. We leave in a half hour." Cody turned his back on his sister and swallowed hard. He busied himself till he heard her footsteps walking away and the barn door slam shut.
"Way to piss her off Cody." Cutler watched out the window as she headed to the house. "You would think after twenty years you would learn."
"You never do." Cody shook his head. "You piss her off on a daily basis."
"She expects it from me. Hell why do you think we're not together anymore?"
"Cause you're a womanizing ass?"
"Well there was that. We fought more then we talked. But we always ended up friends. She puts up with me because she wants to. She puts up with you cause she has to my friend." He put the horses in their stalls. "I wish we could of made things work. But she never looked at me the way she looks at him Cody. Don't let her screw that up."
"Thanks Jim. Does she know your still in love with her?"
"I'll always love your sister Cody. But we were never in love. I think she dated me to piss Matt off when he pushed her so hard training her."
"Well she did have a crush on you for almost ten years before that."
"Cutler men have that affect on woman." He laughed. "Just let her play this out herself. If it's meant to be it'll happen."
"I just want her happy and not alone."
"She'll never be alone on this mountain." Cutler patted his friend on the back. "Let's get some breakfast, I am starving."
Jess got dressed in her uniform. Derek had left and gone to the lodge to meet with his team. He left her a note saying so and also good morning. She would have loved to crawl back in bed with him and never get out. Grabbing her boot from the edge of the bed she found Derek's cell phone. Pulling on her boots she slid it into the pocket inside of it. Grabbing her jacked she headed downstairs. Matt was waiting.
"How'd you sleep?"
"You'll be getting a duty roster from Coral Ridge Ranch sometime today. Cody wants you to run them. He got a bad vibe from some of the new hands up there."
"Cody's gut is usually right. I'll do that as soon as we get back." He opened the door. "Other then the early wake up call how was your night?" He smiled.
"Same old stuff, different day." Matt followed her to the truck and opened the door for her.
"Good. I'm glad." She got in and Cody was already in the back seat.
"Cutler get left in the barn?" She looked at him.
"He's off so he's taking his own car."
"Why do I have this sinking feeling I'm in for a lecture?" Matt got behind the wheel.
"Not from us. If you want to take a strange man up to your room and spend the night your old enough to make that choice. But just remember that that building is a working police station. And the walls are really thin." Matt tried to hide his smile.
"In case Cutler hasn't shared it with you, I'm not that nosey." Both her brothers made a face.
"OVERSHARING!" They both yelled.
"You asked for it boys. You want to probe inside my love life you'll get nothing but the truth from me. And Cutler….and…."
"Okay, point taken." Matt pulled into a parking place a little ways form the diner. "Just be careful Jess. It's been a long time since…."
"I know. For both of us. I may be a bit out of practice but I promise I'm taking it slow." She looked at her brothers. How would she ever get along without them? "Don't worry, I can do this. It's like riding a horse." They got out and headed into the diner.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
An hour later Cutler said his good byes and headed home. The three Hawkes siblings walked slowly down the street sipping their mother's best coffee. Laughing about something Matt said Jess turned to say something and saw him fall to the ground. Dropping her coffee she kneeled down just as Cody fell at her feet. Before she could let out a call for help her world went back and she fell covering Matt.
Tim Hart looked at his watch. It was six thirty. It wasn't like one of the Hawkes to be late for a shift let alone all three. And over a half an hour to boot. He tried all three's cell phones and paged them twice.. Not wanting to alarm Jesse yet he dialed Cutlers cell phone.
"There better be blood Hart." He answered the phone.
"Are Matt and the others with you?"
"No." Jim grabbed his shirt away from the blond in his bed. "I left them like a half hour ago maybe more. They were walking to Matt's truck."
"They didn't get back here yet and I can't raise them on the radio or their cells." Tim took a deep breath. "Should I call Jesse?"
"Let me head back to Jackie's. I'll call you when I know something. Call in the rest of the team."
"Okay. Cutler….hurry." Tim hung up the phone and pressed eight buttons on the switch board. Jesse would see the Rangers coming up the hill. It wouldn't belong and he would be here too. Tim hoped Cutler found them before that happened.
Jim Cutler looked at the three cups lying on the ground. If he hadn't seen the Hawkes leave the restaurant with them he wouldn't have known who they belong to. Matt's truck sat a few yards away. He bent down and touched the wet spot on the sidewalk. His fingers came back red. Swallowing hard he dialed the lodge and asked for Agent Rossi.
"Rossi here."
"Agent Rossi this Ranger Cutler. I have a little situation that may take you and your agents to figure out."
"What can I help you with Ranger?"
"The Hawke brothers and Jess are missing."
"Missing?"
"I left them about an hour ago on the street in front of their mom's diner and when they didn't make it back to work I came by and checked on them. Matt's truck is here. There's blood on the sidewalk."
"Does Jesse know?"
"He will as soon as the eight Rangers off duty get to the station."
"Hang tight there Cutler. Call in your CSI team and we'll be there as soon as we can." Rossi hung up and turned to see Morgan behind him.
"Something wrong Rossi?"
"Yeah. Jess and the boys have gone missing."
"All three of them?" Morgan swallowed hard.
"It looks that way." Morgan reached for his phone off his hip but it wasn't there.
"Damn. My phone fell off my belt. We need Garcia to trace their phones. Maybe one of them will have theirs on." Rossi handed Derek his phone and gathered the rest of the team and headed to the diner where the Hawkes were last seen.
Thanks to all who are reading this and I would love some feed back. As always I own nothing and love to wrap my imagination around them and take them on the ride I believe they should take. 12/6/08 CMW