Chapter 5

We Shall Not Falter

Anna B's car

With heavy heart Anna B made her way towards Sydney and Gage's just in case the children were to show up there. She was trying her hardest to figure out where the kid's could have gone. They hadn't said anything there hadn't been a clue… Suddenly her mind went to the night before to when Chris had innocently asked her to trace that address for him. She pressed her foot down a little harder on the accelerator as she raced to the Gages' to check out that address.

It took Anna B only a moment to pull up the address that she had retrieved for Chris and even less time to bring up the name Perron. The name was vaguely familiar to her but she was not sure why. A few keystrokes more and she was into the police files and a picture of Rick Perron was appearing on the screen. Quickly she began to read the family history and what Sydney and Gage's connection with the family was. It was all there Anna B skimmed it realizing with every word that this is where the kids must have gone.

Grabbing up her keys she ran for her car dialling her cell phone as she backed from driveway headed for the direction of the Perron estate.

"Sumner," came the familiar voice over the phone.

"Matt, the kids I think I know where the kids went, I'm on my way there now."

"Slow down Anna B," Sumner called into the phone. "Where are you headed? …The Perron Estate," he repeated Sumner's eyes fastening on Syd with the mention of Perron as she swung the car around in to head in that direction. "Anna B don't you do a thing till we get there we're on our way."

On The Way To Headquarters

"That gives us three total bus routes to check out not to mention if they decided to transfer buses again," Trivette commented. "We get back to headquarters I'll see if I can put something together to figure out where they might be going."

Walker nodded his head just as his phone began ringing. "Walker," he barked into it as he answered.

"Daddy," came his daughter's voice over the phone.

"Angela where are you?"

"We found Uncle Gage and Cat," Angela hissed.

"Is Uncle Gage there? Can I talk to him?"

"He's still captured and Piper got captured too. Chris is following them…" Angela was explaining when a voice sounded in the background.

"Hey what are you kids doing here? Frank we got more kids in here…"

"Angela, Angela," Walker was shouting into the phone as he heard his daughter scream, "Danny, Marcus run."

Perron Estate

"Who are you talking to Rita?" Joey Falconer demanded as he opened the door to her room.

"I wasn't talking to anyone Joey you're getting paranoid living here with the old lady," she smiled at Rick's former bodyguard.

"Rita I know I heard voices," Joey insisted.

"Well not from in here I know Lillian May can make anyone crazy but she hasn't driven me to talking to myself yet," she again smiled sweetly as she spoke.

"If I find out differently…"

"What Joey you going to take your godson's mother out?" she defiantly asked.

"Rita I'll never understand how Rick ever loved you. It was one of the few things I didn't understand about him," Joey replied turning and leaving.

The Nursery

As the door closed Gage put his finger to his lips saying, "Shh," to the girls as he walked towards it and listened. Satisfied that no one was on the other side he turned to Piper, "All right Piper where is Chris and what else is going on?"

"We were just trying to help," she cried her lower lip trembling hating that she was not in her father's good graces. "I'm sorry Daddy," she told him barely above a whisper wiping the corner of her eye.

"Come here Pipe," he told her holding out his arms to her and she immediately went to him snuggling against him as he protectively held her. "Honey I'm glad you love me that much that you would risk coming here to look for me. It's just that I'm worried about how we are all going to get home safe. You have to tell me everything all right?"

Shaking her head yes she began, "Part of what I said was true, we did dial your phone, they did leave it off the hook and Chris got Anna B to trace it but she didn't know she was tracing you. I wanted to tell Mommy but Chris thought we should find out if you were here first before bothering Mommy. Chris was going to come by himself until Angela insisted we all come."

"All come here?" Gage questioned closing his eyes for a moment. "Who is all?"

"Chris, Angela, Danny and Marcus," she replied seeing the fear rising to her father's face. "Don't worry Daddy Chris will call Mommy and she'll come save us."

"You're right Honey," he agreed hugging her again letting Cat scamper up on his other knee silently praying that the kids had got a message out and help was on its way.

Without warning the door of the nursery slammed open again as a struggling Angela Walker and Marcus Trivette were dragged in. Gage rose pushing Piper and Cat behind him to protect them.

"This ain't nursery school here," Paulie shouted shoving Angela at Gage and the girls. "How many more are there?"

"Nobody else my brother has all ready escaped," Angela boldly spat out as Frank brought his hand up to strike her.

In one quick move Gage had the man's wrist twisting his arm back before bringing his foot up into Frank's stomach. The kids had all ready gone to work on Paulie; Marcus had brought his heel down hard on the man's foot while both Angela and Piper rushed him knocking him to the floor. As Marcus brought his foot into Paulie's side Piper brought a lamp down on his head.

Gage after a couple of punches had gotten his arm around Frank's neck and brought him slowly to the floor.

"Did you kill him Piper? Did you kill him?" Cat was jumping up and down on the bed calling to her big sister.

"Cat shh," Gage cautioned at the same time calling, "Marcus close the door.

Marcus was quick to comply as Gage went to work tying up their two prisoners. "Where are Chris and Danny," he asked turning to face the children.

"Danny got away and Chris was following you guys into the house," Angela explained.

"Inside here?"

Angela shook her head yes, Gage could feel his heart sinking continuing to question the children. "Was anyone besides these two chasing you?"

Both Angela and Marcus shook their heads no. "All right we are getting out of here," Gage said cracking the door and looking out to the empty hall. "Cat come here," he called his youngest picking her up, "The rest of you stay close."

Opening the door he and the children moved into the hall Angela closing the door behind them. As they got closer to the stairs Gage heard movement from below turning he quickly opened the nearest door ushering the kids into Rita Mason's quarters.

Outside The Gates Of The Perron Estate

The gates were closed when Anna B pulled up front of the estate she waited a few minutes and still no Sumner and Syd so she got out. Walking over to the gate she grabbed hold of the bars looking inside seeing nothing. Next she let her eyes focus on the lock mechanism on the gate. After scrutinizing it for a few moments she smiled going back to her car to pull out her laptop. Within minutes the gates were rolling open and Anna B slipped inside.

Moments later Sydney brought the car to a halt behind Anna B's yellow punch buggy. Sumner had called Trivette after his phone call from Anna B and he in turn had told them about Angela's frantic call. Walker had immediately turned the truck around and headed to the Perron estate.

"Syd where is she," Sumner asked worry rising in him for Anna B.

"She's in there Matt," Syd replied going to the gate looking it over.

"And how did she get in?" Matt asked looking at the height of the fence surrounding the estate.

"She's Anna B," Syd replied grabbing hold of one of the bars of the gate and sliding it open enough for her and Sumner to push through.

~~~~~

"Danny, Danny," Anna B hoarsely called to the young boy as she caught sight of him heading towards her and the front gate.

"Anna B," the boy cried running to her arms, "They got Angela and Marcus and Piper. They almost got me too," he added telling her that saw Uncle Gage and Cat.

"Do you know where they took them?" she quizzed him.

"Into the big house and that's where Chris followed them too," Danny explained to her.

"I want you to go back to the main gate and wait for Aunt Sydney and Sumner. I think that your Dad and Uncle Jimmy are on their way too. I need you to tell them exactly what you just told me okay?"

Danny nodded his head yes taking off again the way they had come in while Anna B started off for the house. Making for the back of the house she stopped to look in the window getting a bird's eye view of the kitchen where the cook had just began to prepare lunch. Another woman her grey hair pulled back tight in a bun sat chatting with her. From where she stood Anna B could see that she should be able to make it to the stairs undetected. Going to the door she carefully pulled it open silently letting herself in to dash across the entrance way to the back staircase and start up.

She was just about to head to the third floor when a voice boomed behind her, "Hey who in hell are you and where do you think you are going?"

Anna B froze in her tracks before slowly turning around to face Joey Falconer who stood beside Crystal Perron and Lillian May.

"I'm looking for the little girl I babysit," Anna B finally got out. "The bus driver told me he let her right out at the corner and I know she came to this house because every time we drive by she always says she wishes she could see behind those gates."

"That a fact?" Falconer asked grabbing hold of Anna B's arm and holding tight.

"You think that gives you the right to break into my home?" Lillian May's eyes had narrowed.

Crystal had been studying Anna B knowing the young woman was familiar her memory finally coming back to her she blurted out, "Grandmother she's a friend of Gage and his wife."

"Is she now?" Lillian May thundered out her anger more at Crystal then Anna B. "How is it that you know that Crystal?" knowing for sure that her granddaughter had fabricated the whole story concerning Gage and Cat.

"Grandmother it's not what you think I am Cat's mother," Crystal cried out trying to cover up the damage she had just caused.

"You are not," Anna B burst out, " Sydney Gage is Cat's mother. I was there the day they brought Cat home from the hospital. I stayed with them for a couple of weeks helping Syd because she got stabbed in the shoulder and couldn't lift Cat up and down until it heeled. I would lift Cat up and place her in her mother's arms. Any fool could tell by the look of pure joy on Syd's face that this was her daughter."

"Crystal go to my study," Lillian May began to order. "Joey lock her up in the nursery with the other two," she motioned to Anna B as she spoke.

Rita's Quarters

"Dad," Chris was quick to cry seeing his father with the rest of the kids.

"Chris," Gage returned setting Cat down to grasp his son. "At least I know where you are and you're all right."

"Are you the Pied Piper of Hamlet Gage?" Rita asked gawking at him with all the children around him.

They were interrupted before Gage could respond by yelling and screaming from the hall way and both Gage and Rita cautioned the children to be quiet.

"It's Anna B Dad," Chris whispered out to his father.

Gage brought his finger to his lip the same time nodding his acknowledgement wondering why none of them could have brought Sydney and the rest. Cracking the door open he looked into the hallway to see Anna B struggling with Joey Falconer as he dragged her to the nursery.

"You're going to be sorry Sydney and the rest of the Rangers are on there way here. They will make you pay for this. They know you are the ones who kidnapped Cat and Gage and you are going to be going straight to jail," Anna B clamoured on non-stop until Joey finally got the door to the nursery open.

"What the?" he huffed out seeing Frank and Paulie tied up and gagged on the floor. "Gage," he muttered under his breath dragging Anna B down the hall towards Rita's door. He quickly pulled out his phone calling for reinforcements leaving the two guards tied on the floor.

"Rita open the door," he was all ready shouting dragging Anna B along as she began struggling with him again. Gage positioned himself just inside the door motioning to Rita to get the children out of sight.

"Bathroom everyone," Rita was directing the kids closing the bathroom door just as the suite door swung open.

"Where is he?" Joey demanded.

"Right here Joey," Gage replied getting his arm around Joey's throat and squeezing tight.

Letting go of Anna B Joey's elbow came back viciously into Gage's middle jarring loose the hold he had on the man. With lightning speed Joey turned to deliver a blow, which Gage quickly blocked firing off a couple of hits of his own. The punches rolled off Joey and his fist struck out connecting with Gage's jaw. Shaking it off Gage got off a couple more hits Joey finally going down for the count.

"Dad," Chris was calling to him from the window, "Mom and Sumner are here."

Going to the window beside his son he looked down to see Sydney making her way with Sumner to the house. Walker and Trivette were just steps behind and back up was coming through the gate.

"Anna B Rita keep the kids here until I come back for you," Gage was ordering and then looking at the children repeated, "Nobody try and leave understand."

"But Dad…" Chris started to say only to be cut off by his father, "Christian Francis."

"All right Dad."

Gage smiled at his son and headed downstairs where he could hear Lillian May talking to Crystal, "You lied to me and I have dragged Ranger Gage and his daughter here for nothing.

"No grandmother I didn't lie Cat is my baby Gage took her from me and gave her to his wife, she's mine and so is Gage," Crystal cried out not willing to give up the pretence.

There was a loud clear slap as Lillian May delivered a blow to Crystal's cheek silencing her. "I will clean up this mess for you and you can keep Cat but she will be brought up a true Perron."

"Nobody is keeping my daughter." Gage could hear Sydney's voice as his wife burst in on Lillian May and Crystal. "Where is she and my husband?"

Two of the guards were rushing to the study Gage seeing them leapt from the landing bringing both of them to the floor. After a short struggle they were both down just as a shot fired from within the study.

"Syd," Gage shouted rushing to the study heart pounding to find Sydney putting handcuffs on Lillian May Perron, Crystal laying shot on the floor. The gun Lillian May had used on the desk behind them.

"Gage we need the EMTs," Syd called back to him as if it was a routine call.

Gage went to the desk to call just as Sumner came in. "Gage Anna B do you know where she is?"

"On the third floor with the kids," he told him watching him run for the stairs as Walker and Trivette got to the doorway with a couple of DPD officers. One officer took hold of Lillian May to take her to the waiting car the old woman spitting at her granddaughter as she passed by.

Both senior Rangers followed Sumner up the stairs to retrieve their children the EMTs rushing in to look after Crystal Perron. Not caring who was there Gage took Sydney's hand and pulled her into his arms holding her tight. Gage could have stayed that way forever just holding his wife close to him until she interrupted saying, "Gage the kids?"

"Mom, Dad," all three were shouting as they rushed in towards them Syd scooping Cat up in her arms holding her tightly. She could feel those little arms around her neck holding her tight whispering, "I love you Mommy."

Gage had picked up Piper and both he and Syd put an arm around Chris holding all their children close. They could hear Sumner scolding Anna B, "What do you think don't do anything until we get there means?"

Anna B responding, "But Matt the kids needed me…"

Both Syd and Gage chuckled to themselves knowing it sounded so familiar.

The EMTs had just gotten Crystal stable enough to transport. Cat caught sight of the fact and pulling slightly away from Syd called out to the woman, "This is my real Mom not you." Having said that she grasped tightly to Syd burying her little face in her mother's neck.

"Syd I think it's time we went home," Gage smiled wanting nothing more then to be home with his family.

Later…

After much discussion over the thwarted rescue mission and promises not to leave Mom or Dad in the dark again the Gage children were finally tucked into bed.

Sydney had all ready snuggled under the covers waiting for Gage to finish talking to Walker on the phone. Walking to his side of the bed he shed his clothes and pulled back the covers to join her.

"So?" Syd asked feeling Gage's arms lovingly go around her and his lips at the back of her neck.

"Lillian May is going to be going away for a long time. Once Crystal recovers she is going to be tried as an accomplice but will probably end up going to a psychiatric facility much like the one Rick was in years ago. Rita is suing the estate for compensation and support for her and David. Alex thinks that she has a pretty good case," Gage finished up.

They lay quietly for a few minutes when Syd turned in his arms to finally say, "Gage I'm sorry about the other morning."

"About what?" he asked puzzled still letting his lips tease her forehead and temple.

"I should have kissed you good-bye. Don't ever let me get away with that again please Gage," she softly told him a catch in her voice as she whispered, "I might never have seen you again."

Quietly holding her for a moment Gage murmured gently to her, "You'll never get away from me Syd without that good-bye kiss and I'll always come back to you."

The End.