~ Chapter Two ~

The shrill ring of the phone instantly woke Gage who reached out to grab it in hopes of not waking his partner who was still curled up snugly beside him.

"Umm yeah Gage," he mumbled into the phone.

"Gage it's Walker…" there was a short pause before he continued, "It's about your partner…"

"What is it Walker?" Gage asked guiltily looking down at his partner who was snuggling closer to him her arm going round him.

"Gage there was an explosion in her apartment…" again another pause. "There was a body found we haven't been able to identify it yet but it's the same size as Sydney…"

"Walker it's not Syd. I know it's not Syd…"

"Gage I know that you two are close…"

"Walker I'm telling you it's not Syd. I know where she is we'll be there in about twenty minutes…"

"Gage maybe Trivette or I should pick you up," Walker was cutting in worried about him.

"I'm fine I can get us there in one piece… We'll see you in twenty minutes."

Setting the phone down Gage gripped Syd tighter. "Honey…" he whispered kissing her forehead.

"Gage," she murmured her hand smoothing over his chest circling her finger round his nipple.

Taking hold of her hand he stopped her saying, "There isn't anything I'd like more but I told Walker we would be there in twenty minutes."

"Umm," Syd groaned asking, "Where?" in the same breath.

"Your place," he replied.

"My place?" Syd questioned pulling herself up to look at Gage. "Why? What's going on? How did they find out?"

"They don't know but we're going to have to tell them," Gage began to explain ending with, "they think you're dead and I'm not able to handle it."

Meanwhile Amid the Fire Engines and Destruction…

"How'd he take it?" Trivette asked Walker as he hung up the phone.

"Denies it, it swears up and down that it's not her and they will both be here in twenty minutes," Walker answered.

"Think he's right?" Trivette asked.

"I don't know but if he's not here in twenty minutes I want him found…" Walker answered letting his voice drop off.

"Walker," the fire chief was calling him, "No doubt about it, it was a fire bomb that makes this murder."

"Thanks Parkins," Walker acknowledged.

The chief nodded his head and went back to the task before him.

"Any idea if Syd was working on something particular?" Walker asked his partner.

"Her calendar was cleared before she went to Austin with you and Alex. Gage and I worked pretty much together nothing special he was doing either," Trivette told him.

"I guess that means we start delving into old files," Walker said thinking aloud as they stood watching the smoking embers of what was left of Ranger Cooke's apartment.

"Hey Walker where's her car?" Trivette suddenly asked.

Walker shrugged his shoulders catching sight of Gage's car pulling to a stop. A moment later he and his partner jumped out Syd waited a moment for Gage to come to her side of the car and walk with her to where the senior rangers stood.

"Well I'll be," Trivette commented both rangers staring at Syd's attire. She had slipped her red dress and high heels back on being the only clothes she had with her then borrowing a sweat shirt of Gage's that was too big had slipped it on over top.

"Nice to see you alive Ranger," Walker greeted Syd asking at the same time, "Any ideas on this?"

"None everything was fine when I left," Syd absently answered staring at what was left of her apartment.

"Just where was it you were tonight?" Walker asked.

"A dinner date."

"And your date can verify that if need be?" Trivette questioned.

"Am I under suspicion for something?" Syd demanded turning to face her bosses.

"No but someone was found dead in your apartment and it has been confirmed that it was a fire bomb that sent the place up in flames. I just want to make sure there are no loose ends any where," Walker responded.

"Her date is reliable if you still trust me?" Gage spoke up. "Syd was with me for dinner and with me when you called."

Syd's eyes shot to Gage's face as he spoke up on her behalf then back to Walker and Trivette. Moving over to his partner Gage stood beside her fighting every impulse in his body to keep from drawing her into his arms.

"Something going on we should know about?" Walker asked looking at the pair of them.

Turning Syd stared at the burnt out apartment again silently listening to Gage explain their relationship to their bosses. "Syd and I have become a little more then just partners and we have kept it quiet to prevent the scrutiny that we are coming under right now."

Walker nodded his head taking the explanation at face value deciding once this was cleared up there would be lots of time to appraise the situation.

"Any idea who was in your apartment Sydney?" Trivette asked.

She shook her head no turning once more to face the others. "No one was there when I left around six forty-five. I locked the door and went right to Gage's and I've been with him ever since. We didn't talk to anyone until you called."

Walker stood thoughtfully taking in what little information that they had about the case finally saying, "There is a good possibility who ever blew up your apartment may have thought they were blowing you up Syd."

"We still don't know who died here?" Syd stated.

"That's true, but I think the odds are better that they thought they were getting you then some stranger," Gage retorted. Turning to Gage Walker continued, "Since you and your partner are getting along so well take her home with you and protect her. I'll expect you both at the office as soon as you take Syd shopping for some more suitable clothes."

"Walker I don't need protecting," Syd began to protest.

"I beg to differ with you," he cut her off. "Besides unless you would rather come to the ranch with me where else are you going to go?"

"All right," Syd reluctantly agreed not that she didn't want to be with Gage it was just she didn't like the circumstances or Walker ordering it.

"Ready Syd?" Gage asked unable to read her mood, unable to tell how mad she was at him for telling all.

She nodded her head yes turning back towards Gage's car he following close behind.

"What do you make of that Walker?" Trivette asked watching the two of them walk away.

"That it was only a matter of time before this happened," Walker answered not indicating any sort of opinion on the situation.

Back At Gage's

Syd had been silent on the trip back to Gage's he ached desperately for her to say anything even if it was just to yell at him. Pulling into his drive he put the car in park and turned it off. Syd immediately jumped out coming around to his side of the car standing to wait for him.

It was getting lighter the night was slowly turning into dawn. Gage slung his arm over her shoulder drawing her close as they walked towards the door. Once inside with the door closed and the outside unable to intrude Syd broke down in tears.

"Everything I owned is gone," she cried against him letting him hold tight to her. "I don't even have my gun or my badge."

"I'm really sorry Honey," Gage tried to sooth. "Let's go upstairs and lay down for a bit until it's time to get up. Then we can nail who ever did this and I can know you're safe. Syd I can't begin to tell you how glad I am that you were here with me tonight…"

"Gage," he had begun to ramble and she cut him off quick. "I can take care of myself."

"I know you can Syd but none of us are infallible. We don't know what happened it was the middle of the night you would have been sleeping…" Gage argued his case.

Syd stood leaning against him feeling his protective arms around her holding her. "I'm sorry Gage I don't mean to take this out on you."

"I know you don't," he murmured holding his lips on the top of her head. "Let's say we go upstairs for a bit until we have to get up."

"Are you trying to get me back in bed Ranger Gage?" Syd teased trying to be upbeat, trying to get things back to where they were before this nightmare started.

"That was the general idea," Gage smiled looking into her face as he held her against him. "I do have a one track mind you know."

"I thought that was food," Syd teased more.

"Not since you came intimately into my life," he smiled leaning forward to kiss her.

"So you're saying I was just ho-hum Syd until I put out," she questioned dodging his kiss.

"Cooke there is nothing ho-hum about you," he retorted holding her tight his hand running up her back catching the back of her neck to steal the kiss he had been looking for.

"Umm," a small moan escaped her as Gage's lips caught hers, first gently teasing moving to hot and seductive as his tongue explored her mouth. Her arms had wound firmly around his neck and he had lifted her from the floor to his eye level allowing her legs to wrap around his body.

Breaking the kiss his lips went to her ear giving way to a few small whispers of what he had in mind to do to her.

"Gage," she squawked her face becoming as red as her dress before she answered with, "What are we waiting for?"

Ranger Headquarters

It was shortly after ten when partners arrived at headquarters. "Any word on who was at my place last night?" Syd was questioning even before they were inside the door.

"Could you two please join Trivette and I in my office," Walker answered.

Stealing a quick glance at each other they headed towards Walker's office Syd preceding Gage. "What is it Walker?" Gage asked closing the door behind them.

"Syd you didn't happen to have your gun with you last night did you?" Trivette asked.

"No I really wasn't planning on shooting Gage," she sarcastically retorted.

"Where exactly did you leave it?" Walker continued to question.

"The same place I always do when I don't take it with me, locked in a strongbox that was bolted to the floor of my closet," she answered.

"Ballistics just confirmed that your gun was used in a home invasion, robbery and murder last night," Gage informed them.

"You have got to be kidding me," Syd exclaimed a new wave of shock and anger hitting her.

"The wife is still alive and was taken to Memorial the doctors are going to let us know when we can speak with her," Walker informed them turning to Syd. "Who besides you would have known that you kept your gun locked in your closet?" Walker asked.

"I… no one… just Gage," she finally got out. "He put the box in the closet for me," Syd answered remembering back to the day he had done the job for her. He had teased her saying now he could tell everyone he had been in Ranger Cooke's boudoir.

"I've got the key to the lock right here on my key chain," she continued tossing her keys on Walker's desk. "I had both keys with me one on this ring and the other one locked in the glove compartment of my car.

Walker's phone suddenly rang everyone's eyes going to it and Syd waiting anxiously as he answered it. "All right Mary thanks for being so quick," he spoke into the phone setting it down to look at the rest.

"The body has been identified as a Sally Benton is that name familiar to anyone?" Walker asked.

"Oh my Lord," Syd cried out loud a sickening feeling tearing at her as the young woman's face visualized in her mind.

"Syd who is she?" Gage asked his hand under his partner's arm steadying her helping to sit her down.

"She would have been coming to me for help," Syd spoke aloud as her mind raced to what she knew about Sally Benton. "She's married to Doctor Marshall Benton's son Dwight."

"Marshall Benton of Benton Pharmaceuticals, Research and Development?" Trivette questioned.

"One in the same," Syd replied. "I don't know much about Marshall Benton who I know about is Dwight. I met him and Sally a couple of years back I had been shopping and was on my way home. I was parked in the underground parking and as I stepped from the elevator to go to my car I heard this loud scream followed by his fist connecting with her face. Of course I intervened but Sally wouldn't let me take him in she claimed it would be much worse for her in the end. I gave her my name and phone number while I gave Dwight a warning that next time he wouldn't be so lucky.

"Sally has called me from time to time needing a place to stay… I've urged her to leave him… I've told her about the HOPE center I've offered protection and she would agree. The next thing she'd be gone with a note saying she couldn't leave him she loved him." Syd finished her sad little story with, "Are they sure it's her?"

"Mary said it was a positive ID," Walker confirmed dashing any hope that Sally Benton could be alive. "She also said it wasn't the fire that killed her."

All eyes went to Walker waiting for him to speak. "She was shot in the back of the head execution style. The results haven't come back from ballistics yet but I think it is a pretty good bet that the bullet came from your service weapon," Walker concluded looking directly at Syd.

No one spoke dead silence filled the air as the latest developments began to sink in. Finally Walker began, "Trivette and I will go and break the news to Dwight Benton while you two go over to Syd's place and talk to the neighbours see if you can find out anything."

"Okay boss," Gage spoke as Syd nodded in muted agreement filing out behind Gage lost in her thoughts.

"You okay Shorty?" Gage asked her as she walked silently along side him.

"I just can't believe this Gage," she softly spoke her mind still going in all directions leading back to the fact that she had failed Sally Benton. "If I had only I had been there for her Gage…" the words trailed off as they entered the parking garage.

Gage stopped them putting his hands on her shoulders. "Syd did you even know she was coming? When was the last time you spoke with her?"

"I know but…"

"No buts what are you going to do spend every moment at home in case someone knocks on your door and needs help? When you're at work are you going to pray to god that no one has come to you and you aren't there?" Gage scolded.

"You're right I know you're right but I still can't help feeling I let her down," Syd answered looking up into his face.

Gently Gage placed his hand on her cheek letting his thumb caress her face. "Honey what we have to concentrate on now is putting the pieces together and making them pay for what happened to her."

"Yes and you don't have to worry so much about me evidently they were after Sally and not me," Syd told him giving him a half smile.

The words were no sooner out of Syd's mouth than the squealing of tires could be heard and a dark SUV came barrelling right at them. A passenger in the backseat was wildly spraying bullets at them Gage barely had time to grab Syd and push her and himself out of the line of fire. The vehicle never stopped it continued screeching out of the parking garage.

"Syd, Syd are you all right," Gage was shouting grabbing her to him feeling her body trembling.

"I'm all right Gage," she cried back, "You?"

"Okay," he replied taking in a deep breath trying to calm his pounding heart, "Guess I'm not done protecting you after all," he said pulling out his phone and dialling Walker as he helped his partner up.

In a matter of minutes Walker and Trivette had joined them. Trivette all ready had his phone to his ear getting forensics down to the garage.

"So it doesn't end with Sally Benton Syd's still a target," Gage said as he stood arms folded in front of him with the two senior rangers.

"Syd what did Sally look like?" Walker questioned.

"My height, dark medium length hair," Syd began to describe her stopping mid sentence.

"So she could easily have been mistaken for you," Walker stated as much as asked.

"Yeah she could have been," Syd, admitted turning to stare down the row of parked cars biting her lower lip to help keep her emotions in check. She closed her eyes tight for a moment before spinning around to address Walker. "What now?"

"You and Gage go ahead and check out your neighbours see what you can find out."

Syd nodded feeling Gage's hand on her shoulder they headed out.

TBC