Chapter 3

"You two sit in those chairs now," Brent Westman ordered the two children once they had them inside.

Both immediately did what they were told dropping instantly into the chairs.

"Who are you two and what are you doing here?" Westman questioned.

"I ran the horse off," Fraser told them as he entered the cabin.

"She's not a horse she's a pony," Angela defiantly spoke up correcting the man.

"Listen you little brat we don't need any of your smart mouth," Fraser shouted making both Angela and Chris jump.

"Fraser relax they're kids," Westman told him just as a moan came up from his brother Ray.

"What's wrong with him?" Chris asked.

"He's not feeling too good," Westman told them. "Like you're going to be if you don't tell us who you are and what you are doing here."

"I'm Angela Walker and this is Chris Gage," Angela spoke up.

"Like in Ranger Walker?" Westman asked.

"Ranger?" Fraser asked staring at Westman.

"Yeah both our Dads are Texas Rangers and so is Chris' Mom," Angela triumphantly told them adding, "and they are looking for us."

"Angela," Chris cut in knowing she was heading them for trouble. Why did girls have to talk so much? Chris didn't have time to think about it Fraser had all ready started ranting.

"Rangers, these kids belong to rangers they got to go," Fraser shouted pulling his gun and waving it at the kids. Chris immediately moved in front of Angela shielding her from Fraser.

"Sit down Fraser," Westman ordered, "and put that gun away. We have to think this out and not do anything rash. We have to outwit the Texas Rangers."

Slowly Fraser holstered his gun as Westman turned to Angela and Chris. "If you two behave yourself you'll be back with your Mom's and Dad's tomorrow," he smiled at them. "Now get over to that bunk and go to sleep," he ordered watching them scurry onto the bed.

"Chris what are we going to do?" Angela whispered.

"Be quiet and do what they say," Chris answered instinctively knowing they had to wait for the right chance to escape.

"Shut up over there," Fraser shouted as both Angela and Chris shut their eyes.

~~~~~

Daylight was breaking; Walker and Alex had dismounted from their horses a few hours earlier to give the animals a rest. Gage had gotten down from his mount and come around to lift Sydney down. She had fallen gladly against him.

Princess had circled around so many times before they had come across her that it was impossible to tell which was the original trail. In fact with the dark night it was impossible to see anything of the trail.

Both couples had pretended at sleep but by the looks of their haggard faces that was all it was.

Walker was all ready moving putting the fire out. "We better get going Trivette should be showing up in the clearing any time now. I think I may have an idea where Angela might have headed," he was saying as the rest stopped to look at him. "There's an old cabin up here right on the edge of the property, about a month maybe two I was up here with her."

"The place you told me about?" Alex asked. Walker nodded his head lifting the saddle on Alex's horse.

"How far away from there are we?" Gage asked doing the same for Sydney.

"About ten miles," Walker replied.

"What are we waiting for?" Gage questioned cinching the saddle under his horse.

"We'll meet Trivette at the clearing and continue on from there," Walker told them swinging his leg over his horse. Alex was right behind him more determined then ever to find her daughter. Sydney and Gage like wise the same determination driving them on.

They started down the trail single file Walker and Alex in the lead Gage and Sydney following close behind. At least that is what Gage had thought until he shot a glance over his shoulder to find his wife lagging behind. Reining up on his horse he waited for her to catch up. As she neared him he could see the pained look on her face and he knew that it was his fault it was there. If he could only have seen what was going on with his son… he stopped thinking and addressed his wife. "Honey what is it?"

"Gage what if they aren't there? What if we are going to the wrong place? What if they are hurt? What if…"

"Syd, Syd stop you aren't doing yourself any good," Gage tried to reason reaching for her pulling her towards him as his arms held her. They stayed that way for a few minutes until Sydney was able to regain her composure then continued on following the Walkers.

~~~~~

"Angela? Angela are you awake?" Chris was whispering to his friend.

"Yes," she whispered back.

"They look like they are sleeping. We have to try and sneak out of here," Chris urged her.

She shook her head in agreement and eased herself off the bed. He motioned for her to go to the door as he slid off the bed to follow. Reaching the door Angela pulled on the handle opening it with a squeak just enough noise to wake Dale Fraser, who reacted immediately.

"Hey what the…" he shouted raising his gun and firing wild at the same time.

"No," shouted Chris pushing Angela out of the way the bullet piercing his shoulder. Without a second thought Angela turned and grabbing Chris' arm pulled him after her.

They could hear the men shouting and fighting among themselves as they ran for their lives. It seemed like they had run forever when Chris fell to the ground crying in pain.

"We can't stop Chris," Angela cried dropping down beside him trying to pull him to his feet.

"I can't run any more it hurts too much," Chris told her his bottom lip quivering as he tried to be brave.

"Let's try just walking then," Angela suggested.

"Angela I can't."

"Yes you can Chris Gage, you get up now," Angela demanded helping him to his feet once more.

"I'm sure they went this way," Fraser was yelling at Westman as they hurried down the path after the children.

Putting her arm around Chris the two of them ducked off the path and into the deep foliage of the woods. A couple of yards in Chris stumbled again falling, Angela looked around and headed back to the path kicking the dirt around hiding the blood from Chris' wound. Seeing a broken branch she grabbed it and running back to Chris placed it in front of him then lay down beside him.

"Shh," she whispered as Fraser came into view.

~~~~~

Trivette was all ready at the clearing with a dozen men on horses and a helicopter in the air.

"There is a cabin a few miles that way and there looks as if someone is staying there," Trivette informed them as they approached. "There is a car out front."

Alex looked crest fallen as Jimmy spoke she had been so hoping that they would go there and both children would be waiting for them.

"I still think it is worth the ride over there," Walker was saying as Gage shook his head in agreement.

The search area was divided up and once again with Trivette joining them they headed to the cabin. It didn't take long for them to put the few miles that separated them from the cabin behind them.

"Texas Rangers anyone here," Trivette called as they dismounted and headed cautiously to the porch.

Everything was quiet as they climbed onto the porch and approached the door. Walker rapped loudly on the door and receiving no answer opened it pushing it wide. They were met with a low painful moan from Ray Westman.

~~~~~

"How do you think he got here?" Gage was asking Walker as Trivette called for the EMS.

Walker didn't have time to answer Syd was calling to Gage, "It's Chris' hat, he was here."

"You're sure?" Walker asked looking over to where Gage had joined Syd.

"Positive," he answered looking at the initials C.F.G. printed inside the baseball cap. Gage had his arm tightly around his wife like her he knew Chris never went any where without that cap.

~~~~~

Brent Westman and Dale Fraser stood watching from the cover of the trees as the Rangers searched the cabin.

"Great we got no way out of here now, no money and no jewellery from the robbery," Fraser hissed at his companion.

"We have to find those kids and fast we want no witnesses," Westman sneered turning to head back into the woods.

Fraser knew Brent was planning again as he followed. He also knew he had nothing to loose after all he had been the one to shoot that kid and he also knew his Ranger father would stop at nothing to hunt him down.

~~~~~

Walker was out in the yard trying to find any lead no matter how small to where the children had gone. He squatted down examining the ground Gage by his side both could see that the kids had been there both could see the spatters of blood.

"Walker what is?" Alex asked as he stood up.

"They've headed out into the woods," he replied omitting that there was blood. That fact didn't escape Sydney she clasped tight to Gage's arm her nails biting in.

Alex was all ready starting down the trail as Walker took hold of her arm. "Alex wait," he started to say.

"For what Walker," she cried spinning around to face him. "She's been gone all night," Alex shouted at him before breaking into tears. "I just want to see her face and hold her," she sobbed.

"That's what we all want Alex," Walker tried to comfort her.

Sydney had turned the other way it was all she could do to keep from crying too. She had made herself a promise that she would have time for that when she had Chris in her arms but not before. She could feel Gage's hands on her shoulders and she swallowed hard. She turned and let him hug her feeling his pain. "We have to get moving Gage they're in trouble," she whispered.

He nodded his head the same time calling out to their boss, "Walker."

Alex wiped her face with her hand and shook her head indicating she was ready and once again they started out this time on foot.

~~~~~

"Chris, Chris you can't go to sleep," Angela was pleading with him.

"Angela I just want my Mom and Dad. I really wish they were here," Chris cried. As much as he wanted to put on a brave front his courage was dwindling. He silently made a promise to God if he got them home safe they would never run away again.

"I know but if those two catch up with us we'll never see our Moms and Dads again," Angela insisted. "If we get a little further on there are some caves that maybe we can hide in for a while."

"Angela do you really think our parents are looking for us?" Chris asked as she helped him to his feet.

"Your Mom and Dad and my Dad of course they are just so they can put us in jail," she retorted noticing how pale Chris' face had become. She hoped that it wouldn't be too long until they did find them.

Chris smiled at her struggling to get to his feet and with her help he succeeded. "Are we almost there?" he asked.

"Almost," she lied really not having any idea where exactly they were.

 "Angela do you think God will forgive me for running away from home and let me into heaven?" Chris solemnly asked dropping to his knees once again.

"Oh Chris we have to keep going," Angela cried dropping down beside him again.

"I just can't Angela, I'm just so cold," he whispered his eyes fluttering closed.

"Oh Chris no," she yelled at him as he fell back and she caught him in her arms. The tears flowed down her little face as she held Chris against her telling him over and over she was sorry that this was all her fault.

"Look what we have here Brent," Dale Fraser smiled as he called his friend.

Angela looked up at him grasping hold of Chris tighter at the same time. "Leave us alone you killed Chris," she screamed out at the two of them as they walked closer holding their guns on the children.

"That means there is only one more left to kill," Fraser answered her raising his gun at the same time.

Angela stared defiantly at the men when out of nowhere her Father and Uncle Gage came flying into them.

All Gage had heard was Angela's cry that they had killed Chris, now nothing else mattered, he attacked Dale Fraser with a vengeance only a Father could deliver. Getting Fraser down on his back Gage closed his hands around his scrawny neck and began to squeeze. Fraser was grasping at Gage's hands trying in vain to pull them from his throat. His hands began to go limp and his eyes began to roll back in his head.

Trivette was behind Gage yelling at him trying to break his hold on Fraser. A super human power had taken over and he wasn't letting up. Walker was on the other side of Gage now shouting at him prying his hands from Fraser's neck. It wasn't until Sydney's voice reached him calling his name, telling him that Chris was alive and needed him that he was able to let go.

Instantly he dropped the unconscious Fraser to the ground and turned to where his wife held their son.

"He's alive Gage we have to get him to a hospital," Syd was crying as she applied pressure to the wound trying to stop the bleeding.

Trivette was all ready contacting the helicopter; Walker took the radio from him letting them know the best place to set down.

"Gage the clearing is about half a mile straight down the trail," Walker told him watching him lift his son into his arms and hold him close as he started out Syd by his side.

Half way to the clearing Chris opened his little eyes to look into his Father's face. "I'm sorry I ran away Daddy," he whispered to Gage.

"Shh Chris everything is going to be okay Mom and I are here and we love you so much," he told him pausing for Syd to stroke his cheek. His eyes closed again and Syd looked up into Gage's face for one moment and they started out again.

The chopper was there waiting for them when they got to the appointed spot. Trivette had made sure a Medivac chopper was sent there were a doctor and nurse on board. Quickly they boarded and the doctor began examining Chris as they took off.

"He needs blood and fast do you know his blood type," the doctor began shouting over the roar of the helicopter's engine.

"O the same as mine," Gage shouted back.

"Roll up your sleeve," the doctor shouted again as he began pulling out what he needed to start the transfusion between father and son.

Gage didn't hesitate for a second, the needle slid into his arm and he hardly noticed as his eyes riveted on his wife and son.

The ride to the hospital seemed endless; Chris was whisked away from them as soon as the helicopter set down. Sydney stood staring at doors he had disappeared behind and it was at this point she allowed the tears to escape her washing painfully down her face. Gage took her in his arms as his tears fell too.