The following story is based on the characters of the TV Series "Walker, Texas Ranger". The characters belong to CBS Productions, Top Kick Productions, etc., but the story is mine. ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. (No copyright infringement is intended.)
"No Greater Loss"
by Lorrie
"I'll catch up with you later Gage. I'm picking up Alex and Angela for lunch and then we're going shopping for Angela's christening gown."
"OK Syd. What time will you be back?"
"Before dinner, why?" Sydney smiled. She knew he wanted to spend time with her as much as she wanted to be with him. They had been quietly seeing each other for several months now.
"I was just wondering if you had dinner plans? If not, maybe we could go out and grab a bite."
"Sounds good. I'll see you at your place around 7:00, OK?"
"OK. Have fun."
**********
Pete Kellum and David Stewart had recently been released from prison. Walker had put them both there ten years ago after a drug bust.
Pete looked at the picture David had just handed him. "So, this is Ranger Walker's wife and daughter." My wife left me after I was busted and took our daughter with her.
"Where are they now?" David asked.
"They're dead. They were killed in a car wreck." Pete lamented.
"I want Ranger Walker to know what it feels like to lose his family."
"Pete, Steve just called in. He has Mrs. Walker in site. There's someone else with her, a female Ranger.
"Take them both and the baby to the cabin."
Steve parked his van beside of Sydney's car, reached from the sliding door and grabbed Angela from her car seat. "Both of you get in the van and the baby won't be hurt."
Alex and Sydney quickly stepped into the van and were handcuffed together. Angela was placed in a basket beside of them.
"Please don't hurt her." Alex pleaded as Steve put a blanket over the basket.
"Shut up lady." Steve smacked Alex and got into the driver's seat. "Not another word from either of you."
They drove around for a couple of hours. Angela had drifted off to sleep. Suddenly, the van stopped and Steve was met by Pete and David.
Pete opened the van door. "So, Mrs. Walker. Very nice to meet you. And who are you, Ranger lady?"
Sydney started to lie about her identity, but was afraid that Angela and Alex might suffer for it. "I'm Ranger Cooke."
"What's your first name?"
"Sydney."
"Well now Sydney. I'm sorry to involve you in this, truly I am. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Get them all inside the cabin." Pete ordered.
Pete took two sets of handcuffs and first cuffed Alex's hand to a wooden beam. The second set of handcuffs he put on Sydney's wrist and cuffed her to the nearest thing available, a metal pipe. Angela was left in her little basket, still asleep.
"What now Pete?" David asked.
"I need to make a phone call." Pete called Ranger HQ. "Ranger Walker, please."
Gage had answered the phone. "He's not available right now. This is Ranger Gage, can I help you?"
"Ranger Gage. I am holding Ranger Walker's beautiful wife and baby girl along with Ranger Cooke at 321 S. Walnut Street. In five minutes I'm going to set the cabin on fire. Tell Ranger Walker that I want him to know how much it hurts to lose your wife and child." Pete hung up the phone.
Gage ran to his car and contacted Walker and Trivette on his cell phone as he raced for Walnut Street.
"Walker, I'm about two minutes away. Where are you guys?" Gage asked after explaining the phone call to Walker.
"We're about twenty minutes out. We'll be right there. Gage, be careful."
Gage pulled into the driveway of the cabin, which was in flames. He ran through the front door and immediately found the girls in the center of the smoke filled room, coughing.
"Alex, Syd, hang on. I'll be right back." He grabbed Angela from her basket and placed the blanket over her head then ran for the door. He carried her a safe distance from the cabin and laid her on the ground. She wasn't crying, which Gage thought was odd. He put his ear to her tiny mouth and realized that she wasn't breathing. He put his mouth over her mouth and nose and began infant CPR. After three minutes of CPR Angela began to cry small strangled cries at first, but soon she was crying at the top of her little lungs.
Once Gage was satisfied that Angela was OK, he returned to the burning cabin. He looked longingly at Sydney, wanting so badly to take her in his arms and get her out of harms way, but he knew Angela needed her mother.
Sydney, sensing his dilemma reassured him, "Get Alex out of here, now!"
"Alex, turn your head away." Gage shouted as he kicked the wooded railing Alex was handcuffed to. Once the railing broke, Alex passed out from smoke inhalation. Gage picked her up. He turned to Sydney. "I'll be back in just a minute. I promise."
Sydney nodded as she coughed. "Get her out of here."
Gage carried Alex outside and placed her beside of Angela just as Walker and Trivette pulled up.
Gage ran back towards the cabin, which by this time was completely engulfed in flames. He started through the front door as the roof collapsed. "Sydney!" He screamed as he started inside.
It took both Walker and Trivette to keep Gage from entering the flaming structure.
"Let go of me! Sydney's still in there!" Gage fought to free himself from Walker and Trivette. "Walker, please! God, she's still in there!"
Walker and Trivette were both almost in tears as they pulled Gage back from the cabin. Walker spoke. "Gage, it's too late. I'm sorry."
Gage screamed in anguish. "Sydney!" He sank to his knees, put his hands to his head and screamed through his tears. "No-o-o-o," as he shook his head.
Walker ran to Alex and Angela. "Are you alright Alex?" Alex nodded. "Angela?"
"She's fine."
"Walker, is Sydney?"
"It looks that way." Walker's eyes were blurred by the tears he was trying not to shed.
"Oh my God. No!" Alex screamed. She turned and cried into Walker's chest then she lifted up her head towards him. "Walker, where's Gage?"
"He's over there. He said he's not budging until they find her body."
"He got me and Angela out." Alex once again cried freely.
"I know." Walker looked at Gage, who was still on his knees in front of the cabin. Trivette was a few feet behind him, not wanting to intrude on the young man's grief and not sure how to deal with his own.
After making sure Alex and Angela were safely in the ambulance and arranging for a guard for them at the hospital, Walker approached Trivette. "How is he?" He motioned towards Gage.
"Not good Walker. He won't let the paramedics take a look at him. His arms and back are visibly burned."
Walker knelt down beside of Gage. "Gage," he said softly. "You need to let the paramedics check you out, OK?"
Gage shook his head, still staring at the cabin almost as if he were waiting for Sydney to walk out the front door. He was obviously in shock. "I promised her I'd be back." Gage spoke to Walker without looking away from the cabin. "Are Alex and Angela alright?"
"They'll be OK." Walker started to put his hand on Gage's shoulder. Gage jerked away.
"Just leave me alone Walker."
"I can't do that Gage. Trivette and I are both going to stay right here with you until you're ready to go to the hospital."
End of Chapter 1
"No Greater Loss"
by Lorrie
"I'll catch up with you later Gage. I'm picking up Alex and Angela for lunch and then we're going shopping for Angela's christening gown."
"OK Syd. What time will you be back?"
"Before dinner, why?" Sydney smiled. She knew he wanted to spend time with her as much as she wanted to be with him. They had been quietly seeing each other for several months now.
"I was just wondering if you had dinner plans? If not, maybe we could go out and grab a bite."
"Sounds good. I'll see you at your place around 7:00, OK?"
"OK. Have fun."
**********
Pete Kellum and David Stewart had recently been released from prison. Walker had put them both there ten years ago after a drug bust.
Pete looked at the picture David had just handed him. "So, this is Ranger Walker's wife and daughter." My wife left me after I was busted and took our daughter with her.
"Where are they now?" David asked.
"They're dead. They were killed in a car wreck." Pete lamented.
"I want Ranger Walker to know what it feels like to lose his family."
"Pete, Steve just called in. He has Mrs. Walker in site. There's someone else with her, a female Ranger.
"Take them both and the baby to the cabin."
Steve parked his van beside of Sydney's car, reached from the sliding door and grabbed Angela from her car seat. "Both of you get in the van and the baby won't be hurt."
Alex and Sydney quickly stepped into the van and were handcuffed together. Angela was placed in a basket beside of them.
"Please don't hurt her." Alex pleaded as Steve put a blanket over the basket.
"Shut up lady." Steve smacked Alex and got into the driver's seat. "Not another word from either of you."
They drove around for a couple of hours. Angela had drifted off to sleep. Suddenly, the van stopped and Steve was met by Pete and David.
Pete opened the van door. "So, Mrs. Walker. Very nice to meet you. And who are you, Ranger lady?"
Sydney started to lie about her identity, but was afraid that Angela and Alex might suffer for it. "I'm Ranger Cooke."
"What's your first name?"
"Sydney."
"Well now Sydney. I'm sorry to involve you in this, truly I am. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Get them all inside the cabin." Pete ordered.
Pete took two sets of handcuffs and first cuffed Alex's hand to a wooden beam. The second set of handcuffs he put on Sydney's wrist and cuffed her to the nearest thing available, a metal pipe. Angela was left in her little basket, still asleep.
"What now Pete?" David asked.
"I need to make a phone call." Pete called Ranger HQ. "Ranger Walker, please."
Gage had answered the phone. "He's not available right now. This is Ranger Gage, can I help you?"
"Ranger Gage. I am holding Ranger Walker's beautiful wife and baby girl along with Ranger Cooke at 321 S. Walnut Street. In five minutes I'm going to set the cabin on fire. Tell Ranger Walker that I want him to know how much it hurts to lose your wife and child." Pete hung up the phone.
Gage ran to his car and contacted Walker and Trivette on his cell phone as he raced for Walnut Street.
"Walker, I'm about two minutes away. Where are you guys?" Gage asked after explaining the phone call to Walker.
"We're about twenty minutes out. We'll be right there. Gage, be careful."
Gage pulled into the driveway of the cabin, which was in flames. He ran through the front door and immediately found the girls in the center of the smoke filled room, coughing.
"Alex, Syd, hang on. I'll be right back." He grabbed Angela from her basket and placed the blanket over her head then ran for the door. He carried her a safe distance from the cabin and laid her on the ground. She wasn't crying, which Gage thought was odd. He put his ear to her tiny mouth and realized that she wasn't breathing. He put his mouth over her mouth and nose and began infant CPR. After three minutes of CPR Angela began to cry small strangled cries at first, but soon she was crying at the top of her little lungs.
Once Gage was satisfied that Angela was OK, he returned to the burning cabin. He looked longingly at Sydney, wanting so badly to take her in his arms and get her out of harms way, but he knew Angela needed her mother.
Sydney, sensing his dilemma reassured him, "Get Alex out of here, now!"
"Alex, turn your head away." Gage shouted as he kicked the wooded railing Alex was handcuffed to. Once the railing broke, Alex passed out from smoke inhalation. Gage picked her up. He turned to Sydney. "I'll be back in just a minute. I promise."
Sydney nodded as she coughed. "Get her out of here."
Gage carried Alex outside and placed her beside of Angela just as Walker and Trivette pulled up.
Gage ran back towards the cabin, which by this time was completely engulfed in flames. He started through the front door as the roof collapsed. "Sydney!" He screamed as he started inside.
It took both Walker and Trivette to keep Gage from entering the flaming structure.
"Let go of me! Sydney's still in there!" Gage fought to free himself from Walker and Trivette. "Walker, please! God, she's still in there!"
Walker and Trivette were both almost in tears as they pulled Gage back from the cabin. Walker spoke. "Gage, it's too late. I'm sorry."
Gage screamed in anguish. "Sydney!" He sank to his knees, put his hands to his head and screamed through his tears. "No-o-o-o," as he shook his head.
Walker ran to Alex and Angela. "Are you alright Alex?" Alex nodded. "Angela?"
"She's fine."
"Walker, is Sydney?"
"It looks that way." Walker's eyes were blurred by the tears he was trying not to shed.
"Oh my God. No!" Alex screamed. She turned and cried into Walker's chest then she lifted up her head towards him. "Walker, where's Gage?"
"He's over there. He said he's not budging until they find her body."
"He got me and Angela out." Alex once again cried freely.
"I know." Walker looked at Gage, who was still on his knees in front of the cabin. Trivette was a few feet behind him, not wanting to intrude on the young man's grief and not sure how to deal with his own.
After making sure Alex and Angela were safely in the ambulance and arranging for a guard for them at the hospital, Walker approached Trivette. "How is he?" He motioned towards Gage.
"Not good Walker. He won't let the paramedics take a look at him. His arms and back are visibly burned."
Walker knelt down beside of Gage. "Gage," he said softly. "You need to let the paramedics check you out, OK?"
Gage shook his head, still staring at the cabin almost as if he were waiting for Sydney to walk out the front door. He was obviously in shock. "I promised her I'd be back." Gage spoke to Walker without looking away from the cabin. "Are Alex and Angela alright?"
"They'll be OK." Walker started to put his hand on Gage's shoulder. Gage jerked away.
"Just leave me alone Walker."
"I can't do that Gage. Trivette and I are both going to stay right here with you until you're ready to go to the hospital."
End of Chapter 1