Chapter 2

The College Campus Anna B's Office

Anna B was standing with three other teachers just outside the tiny office that she shared with them when the rangers got there. "Oh Matt," she cried going to him his arms going around her, "it's just awful."

A small pang of jealously, that he was able to hide from everyone but his partner, hit Gage as Sumner took his place comforting Anna B. "Can you show us what we got here?" he gruffly asked.

Anna B nodded as they walked into office and over to her computer. "I had just turned it on," she began, " The screen came up and there it was…" she paused letting Trivette sit down at her desk. Sydney and Gage stood behind him on either side looking over his shoulders as Trivette brought the images up.

The words at the top of the screen read:

Hey Teach,

I know who you are too.

If you don't want to take a flying lesson you'll keep your mouth shut.

Under that were police pictures of the crime scene, of Diana laying dead on the roof of the car and pictures of Anna B with Sumner at the back of the EMT unit.

"They missed you Gage," Trivette commented. Turning to Anna B he asked, "Do you think you are up to working on this to see if you can find out where this message came from?"

"Yeah I want to get to the bottom of this," she answered finding new resolve.

"Matt you stay her with Anna B, while I go to the morgue to see if Mary found out anything for us so we can do a comparison with the other girls that went out windows," Trivette concluded standing to let Anna B have her seat. "Gage you and Syd do a little canvassing see if you can find out anything check out those leads."

"Let us know if you come up with anything," Gage added reluctant for some reason to leave.

Merritt Hall Student Residence

"Diane Banks and Susan Maxwell both lived here," Syd was reading from the files as she sat in the car with her partner in front of the building.

Gage had parked in the same spot Anna B had been parked the night before now he stared up through the window as Sydney recited what she knew. "Susan Maxwell didn't die here though like Diane did," Gage stated opening the door.

"That doesn't mean that there isn't a connection," Syd answered pushing her door open too.

Nodding his agreement he stood on the sidewalk waiting for Syd before they proceeded inside. Going up the stairs the partners went to the room that Diane had shared with Lindsay Botting, the room where she had met her death.

"Looks like it was quit a fight," Syd commented looking at the way the room was tore up. Gage had moved over to the window even though it had been boarded up pieces of jagged glass still stuck precariously from the frame.

"Come here Honey," Gage requested Syd complying. "The report said Diane was about your size right?"

"Exactly the same height," Syd answered standing in front of her husband.

"Let's pretend that you know nothing about self defense for just a minute…"

"All right," she agreed smiling up at him.

"Anna B said that they were by the window arguing," Gage started to say placing his hands on Syd's shoulders pulling her closer to the window. "Now we argue, things get out of hand, I slap you around but you're tough and try to fight back." With that Syd mock swung at him, grinning he continued, "I wrap my hands around your neck squeezing tight." Gage's fingers now intertwined loosely around his wife's neck.

"The question is did you loose your temper and this was an accident or cold calculated murder?" Syd asked.

"It was murder."

Both Syd and Gage turned towards the door where the voice had come from. A mousy brunet stood in the doorway looking in. "And what makes you say that?" Gage asked.

"It is just something I know," she replied turning on her heel and disappearing from sight.

"Hey!" Gage shouted as both he and Syd lit out after the girl.

Seeing the girl in the hallway Syd shouted too, "Wait!"

The girl stopped without turning letting the rangers catch up to her before opening her door and entering leaving it ajar so they could join her.

Walking in behind her the girl softly called, "Close the door."

As Gage obliged her Sydney introduced them, "I'm Ranger Cooke and this is Ranger Gage. Do you know something about this?" she asked at the same time.

"I know who you are," she retorted still not bothering to turn around to face them. "I didn't know your names but I did know you were rangers."

"And you knew that because…" Syd continued.

"I hear things," she hesitantly replied. "You keep your ears open and your mouth shout you learn things."

"So is anything that you have heard lately pertaining to what happened with Diane Banks?" Gage questioned as if he was trying to extract the information from Cat.

"Yes," was her single word answer.

"Could you enlighten us…" he asked?

"It's the same as happened to Susan Maxwell and Donna Morgan, they all tried to quit," she flatly stated.

"All tried to quit what?" Syd let her partner ask since at least he was making a little headway with the girl.

"The business."

"Miss… uh…" Gage tried again.

"Rebecca Dover, and I don't wish to be called Becky," she told them sternly looking over her black rimmed glasses as if she could tell what Gage was thinking.

"Miss Dover," Gage wisely stuck with, "Why don't you just tell us what you know about the whole situation that may save time."

Miss Dover looked from Gage to Syd and then back again before clearing her throat and starting again. "They all belonged to that club," she paused again turning to look out the window.

Syd put her hand on Gage's arm for a second and walked towards the girl. "Rebecca can you tell us what club they belonged to," Syd softly asked.

Turning slightly to only look at Sydney she began again. "Susan, Donna, Diana all of them were beautiful women working their way through college but they just couldn't find a job that paid enough until they joined the club."

"Where the girls in this club selling themselves?" Syd asked all ready pretty sure she knew the answer was yes.

The girl stood silently nodding her head.

"Do you know who runs this club?" Gage asked.

"I don't have a name for the guy who actually sets things up but the guy who recruits the girls in is a guy named Roberto," she told them.

"Roberto who?"

"I don't know Roberto is all I got," she answered.

"Was it Roberto who was fighting with Diana?" Gage persisted as Syd's phone rang.

"I don't know I was at the library studying for mid terms…"

"Gage that was Sumner, someone broke into their office the message was sent from the computer right next to Anna B's," she informed her partner. Turning to Rebecca she asked, "Do you think that you could help put a composite together of Roberto."

"I could try," she agreed.

"Then let's go that's where Matt is going with Anna B," Syd smiled.

Headquarters

Anna B had taken over Trivette's computer bringing up different combinations of facial features for Rebecca to look at in hopes of identify the mysterious Roberto. Sydney sat with the two young women yet her eyes were fixed on her husband and the other three rangers. Gage really didn't look extremely happy about what was being decided making her wonder exactly what the assignment was going to be.

Suddenly Gage abruptly walked over and past her saying at the same time, "Let's grab lunch Shorty," leaving Sumner and Trivette to finish up with Rebecca and Anna B.

"Are you buying Francis?" Syd asked stepping on to the elevator with him.

He said nothing until the doors closed then turning to her he took her by the shoulders and spoke, "I'm really tired of putting you at risk like this all the time."

Smiling up at her husband she asked, "So what's the assignment?"

He stood saying nothing and the elevator doors opened again on the main floor. They walked out the front doors together Syd leaving him to his thoughts. They stayed silent as they walked the short distance to small outdoor café that they quite often frequented and had taken their seats. The waitress took their order and Gage reached across the table and took Syd's hands.

"Want me to go back to school and see if I can join this club don't yeah?" she asked smiling at her husband watching as he looked from her face to their hands. He didn't know what it was he used to love it when Syd would get one of these assignments when she could show her stuff off. Lately it had been different he just didn't want to share her even with work or let her walk into danger without him by her side.

"What's bothering you Gage?" She finally asked.

"Nothing, nothing at all," he answered forcing a smile to his face.

"You expect me to believe that?" she questioned cocking her head to catch his eyes that had gone to their hands again.

"Syd it's nothing really…" he tried to sound convincing.

"This is me you are talking to," she cut him off. "You trying to tell me I'm loosing my looks or my know how and be careful how you answer Sergeant Gage."

His little half grin moved across his face before he began, "You see Syd it's just that you are beautiful and smart even more so then the day I met you and I'm tired of always having to take chances with that…" he blurted out looking down again.

Cupping his chin in her hand she brought his head up so she could look into his face. "I'm glad you think I'm still pretty Gage," she smiled a small blush pinking her cheeks. "You know though that isn't the only reason I draw these assignments… You are only a few short steps away to come to my rescue if I need you."

He nodded his head yes she always seemed to make sense of these things but making one last ditch attempt to change her mind said, "You know you don't have to do this."

"Yes I do Gage three girls are dead and they are after Anna B," she replied to his suggestion.

Again he knew she was right. "You win Honey," he smiled this time actually meaning it.

~~~~~

When the partners came back in Rebecca and Anna B had the composite put together. "He looks like a real Casanova type," Syd commented looking at the man's dark hair and good looks.

"Hey I thought you like blondes," Sumner cut in teasing.

"Only certain ones," Syd was quick to answer flashing a quick look at her partner.

"Syd why don't you and I drop Beck off and then we can get you signed up at school," Gage suggested.

"Good idea we have it set up that Syd is going to room with Beck," Trivette confirmed.

"Excuse me the name is Rebecca," the girl informed them all.

"Okay Rebecca," Trivette corrected himself as Gage grinned and Syd rolled her eyes knowing what was coming.

Syd and Rebecca headed for the door Gage running ahead to open it for them.

"What do you think Jimmy?" Anna B asked.

"My money is on Gage," Trivette replied. "I'd never bet against him."

"I give him three days," Anna B piped up.

"Think it will take him that long?"

"She's pretty stubborn…"

"What are you two talking about?" Sumner who had been looking from his partner to his girlfriend questioned.

Both Anna B and Trivette burst out laughing. "Buy me lunch and I'll explain it to you," Anna B laughed taking Matt by the arm and leading him out.

Trivette grinned as he watched the young couple leave his thoughts interrupted by Walker's voice. "Gage all right?"

"Yeah I think so they were just going to drop Rebecca off and get Syd registered," Trivette confirmed. Walker nodded his head as Trivette continued, "I don't know how he does it, I know I wouldn't be able to handle Erica doing the jobs Sydney does. Have all those guys gawking at her…"

Walker nodded his head in agreement thinking of Alex before he spoke, "They knew it going in they've lived it a long time. Gage may think that he'd like her out of it but he'd be lost without her."

Trivette chuckled to himself thinking about the last time Syd had some down time. The kids had all come down with chickenpox and since Gage wasn't sure if he had them as a kid she had banished him to the Trivette's couch for what ended up being three weeks restricted to phone calls. By the end Trivette had been ready to drive him home himself chickenpox or not. "I think you're right Walker," he grinned again.

~~~~~

Sumner had escorted Anna B down the street to the same café Sydney and Gage had lunch. "I don't know Gage doesn't always get his way," Sumner was commenting on Gage's need to hand out knick names.

"Matt not even Syd got past the knick name thing. She confessed to me that she fought with him for a year over him calling her Syd and well I rest my case…"

Laughing Matt pulled a chair out for her to sit down, "You might be right," he answered taking her hands in his. They sat quietly for a few minutes both running their own perceptions of the Gages through their minds.

"You know," Sumner finally spoke, "I really don't know how Gage does it having Syd in the line of fire half the time…"

"How Gage does it?" Anna B cut in. "You ever think that Syd goes through just as much as Gage does?"

"You know what I…"

"You aren't going to try and tell me that you don't think she is as capable as him are you Matt Sumner?" she asked her voice rising.

"Anna B I know she's good… I just mean if she was my wife, the mother of my children, I don't know if I could separate that from work, from some of the slim balls we have to deal with… I just don't know how Gage does it."

"Matt will you listen to yourself," Anna B chided him, "Don't you think it is the same for Syd? I've been with her at home when she is taking care of the kids. I've seen her when she is just wild with worry for him. I've waited in hospital with both of them… I've seen them both hurting over each other Matt, it's no different for either of them."

"I know you are right I'm not trying to belittle Syd in anyway I'm just saying I can understand how Gage feels. I can understand how she would feel the same way…"

"It would be different if Syd didn't see everything," Anna B butted in again. "That's not the case she knows how bad it is too. Gage can't just come home and candy coat it like you do."

"I understand," Matt interrupted her leaning across the table catching her lips with his to stop her talking.

"Do you worry about me?" Sumner asked kissing her again.

"When you aren't busy making me mad," she returned just as the waitress came with their lunch.

TBC