~ Chapter Seven ~

"Ranger," the seasoned officer outside Syd's door greeted Gage.

"Officer Timmons all quiet?" he questioned his hand all ready on the door.

"Yep even Ranger Cooke has been peaceful today so don't you go getting her riled up you hear me," he warned.

"I'll do my best," Gage smiled relaxing a bit as he pushed the door open.

"Gage where have you been?" the words were out of her mouth even before Gage was inside the door Officer Timmons chuckling to himself.

"Syd I'm sorry I got delayed a little…" he was all ready explaining even before reaching her.

"What… what is it?" she was asking sensing something was wrong.

Sitting on the edge of the bed he took her hand. "I don't think I'll be taking you home tonight…" he began.

"Gage I'm fine I'm not staying…"

"Slow down Shorty," he interrupted, "I didn't say I wasn't taking you with me can you stop and listen to me?" he questioned squeezing her good hand.

"What is? What happened? Gage are you all right?" the questions were tumbling out as she looked for any visible sign of injury her hand going to his cheek letting his lips caress her palm.

"I had a run in with more of Cyrano's people. He survived the crash, he's still pulling the strings, we're still at risk and so is anyone who comes near us," he wearily told her his arm going round her letting her fall against him.

"Oh Gage we have to put an end to this," she cried tears of frustration and stress running down her cheeks.

"Sweetie don't cry we are going to get to the bottom of this…"

"We aren't cats Gage we don't have nine lives," she cut in letting his fingers brush the tears from her face.

There was a slight tap on the door and Trivette stuck his head in. "Hey Syd how you doing?" he asked a grin on his face which in turn brought a smile to Sydney as well.

"Better," she told him still drawing strength from Gage.

"Talked to Walker he doesn't think you should be going home tonight," Trivette began to explain.

"I figured as much," Gage replied.

"He said to hold up at a hotel tonight and he'll see us all at work tomorrow," Trivette informed them.

"We have to flush him out Jimmy we can't go on living like this," Syd suddenly cried out her calm demeanor that made her, her all but drained from her.

"And we will Syd," Trivette answered looking to Gage and then back to Syd.

Marshall Benton's Estate

Dwight Benton staggered into the shadows against the wall slopping half his bourbon down himself and onto the floor. He had been mostly in a drunken stupor since the rangers had brought the news about Sally's death to him sobering only long enough for her funeral service.

Squinting his eyes he tried to focus on the man who stood waiting for an audience with his father.

"Doctor Benton will see you now," the butler told the visitor who let himself into Benton's office.

The butler looked the man up and down before heading back towards the kitchen leaving Dwight there by himself still unseen. Bringing the glass to his lips he took another swig of the amber liquor as if gathering courage to stagger over to where the door to the office stood ajar.

"Are the two rangers dead?" Benton asked.

"That's being taken care of as we speak," the visitor advised him.

"Is that a fact Deacon?" Benton questioned again. "Seems to me that you've had quite a few slip ups for a fairly easy job. I don't know if you're up to the task at hand."

"Marshall you know that I am I just had a few minor set backs…" Cyrano began to say only to be cut off by Benton.

"You call those minor set backs every Texas Ranger in the state looking for you," Benton fumed. "I ought to…"

"I ought to what old man?" Cyrano had jumped up his gun aimed at Benton. "This whole ranger mess is your own fault. If you hadn't thought it was all right to force yourself on your daughter-in-law I can't say I blame her for threatening to tell Dwight what you did once you got her knocked up. Dwight might not have believed that you would do such a thing before but with a kid as proof…"

"You know that I couldn't risk exposure with this deal in the wings," Benton barked back. "I couldn't risk the scandal… my name. With Sally being so close with that female ranger who knows what she told her… No getting rid of them both is and was the best solution and don't you forget it. My downfall means your downfall," he warned Cyrano.

Dwight stood motionless in the hallway the words his father had spoken slowly sinking in the glass he held slipping from his fingers to crash to the floor as he burst through the office door. "You old bastard," he yelled trying to get to his father to deliver the blow he thought he deserved.

Before Dwight could make good on his threat Cyrano had interceded pinning Dwight to the floor. "You had her killed… it was you… you did that to her and had her killed," he shrieked as his father worked feverishly to inject him with a sedative. Slowly Dwight's eyes began to close and the screaming stopped the drug doing its job.

"Harmon," Benton called out to the butler. "Where is that man?" he impatiently nattered as the butler appeared at the door.

"Sir?" Harmon questioned seeing Dwight on the floor unmoving.

"We need to get Dwight upstairs he is just so over wrought with loosing Sally. I think it best if we keep him sedated the next few days and off the booze," Benton was instructing as Harmon went to assist Cyrano to get Dwight to his room.

"Yes sir," Harmon answered without question.

Following the men upstairs with his son Benton made sure he was tucked into his bed locking the door behind them as they left.

"Once you have all of Doctor Phillips research and his name on that contract giving Benton Pharmaceuticals exclusive rights to his work you make sure he has an accident. I want none of this coming back to haunt me," Benton stressed. "When this is behind us I'll take care of Dwight he won't be a problem."

"Yeah all right Marshall I'll finish this one last job for you and then I'm going to be taking some well deserved vacation time," Cyrano smiled walking away from Benton.

A Motel Off Route Forty-Five

They had been very careful when they left the hospital. Trivette had arranged for another car to be brought over to the emergency entrance as a precaution.

"Okay guys check in with me when you get settled for the night and we'll see you at headquarters in the morning," Trivette told them giving Syd's hand a quick squeeze before adding, "Keep him out of trouble Syd."

"I'll do my best Trivette," she smiled her eyes resting on her partner.

That had been thirty minutes ago now she sat in the front seat of the car watching as Gage signed for the room they would share. "Are you booking us as Mr. and Mrs.?" she asked herself aloud watching him put his credit card back in his wallet and pick up the key.

She smiled as he opened the car door and slide back inside with her. "Our room is around back," he told her putting the car in gear to drive around back pulling in front of the assigned room. "Home sweet home for tonight anyway," he said opening his door to come around to do the same for Syd. With his arm around her they walked to the door Gage sliding the key in and opening it for them.

"I'd never think to look for us here," she commented leaning heavily against him looking around the tiny room knowing it had seen many customers in it's day.

"I know it's not the Ritz but it's clean and we should be safe for tonight," Gage softly spoke walking into room towards the bed with her. He let his lips caress her temple saying, "Lets get you laying down resting."

"It's not that bad," she grimaced feeling like a displaced person again.

"Oh yeah I can tell," he agreed smiling at Syd's determined tenacity. Grabbing the pillow from the other side of the bed he put it behind her with the other one for her to lay back.

"Umm," she moaned the tension in her neck easing slightly as her eyes closed.

Sitting down beside her he took her hand bringing her fingers to his lips. "How bout I go get us something to eat. What would you like?"

"I'm really not that hungry."

"You have to eat," he smiled catching her chin with his finger and holding it.

"All right but nothing too extravagant," she told him as he leaned forward catching her lips with his. Her hand went to his cheek letting the kiss intensify. Pulling back her lips still against his she murmured, "Food Gage you were going for food."

"Yes food I'll be back as quick as I can," he answered between a few more kisses. Going to the door he turned for a moment saying, "How bout putting the chain on the door till I get back?"

"If it will make you feel better."

"At least you'll have a few seconds warning in case someone tries to get in," he replied waiting for her to come to the door.

Standing on the other side he listened until he heard the chain lock fall in place before he was satisfied enough to go for the food. Unlocking the car door he slid behind the wheel starting it up and putting it in reverse only to slam the brakes on a second later to avoid hitting a pickup truck that just had blocked him in.

"What are you doing?" Gage shouted out loud the truck unmoving the driver seeming to have disappeared. "What the?" he muttered under his breath looking around but seeing no one. Cautiously he opened the door to get out his gun drawn proceeding around the front of the truck to see the driver's door was open. Again he looked around the parking lot still seeing nothing. Getting to the driver's door he looked in to see a passenger slumped over unconscious in the seat blood on their chest. Automatically Gage reached in for a pulse finding a weak one. He began to straighten up and reach for his phone only to feel the cold steel of a gun at the base of his neck.

"Nice and easy ranger or I'll blow a hole in the back of your head," the voice he had come to recognize as Cyrano's spat out to him. "You and your girlfriend have caused me a lot of trouble but it's going to come to an end right now. Put your hands where I can see them."

Slowly he complied as Cyrano reached around him relieving him of his gun. Gage again let his eyes scan over the parking lot still seeing no one decided Cyrano had come alone. Feeling the gun jab hard into his side he heard the man speak again low and menacing, "Time to join Sydney so you two can die with each other."

With the gun prodding him they walked towards the motel room door. "Open it," Cyrano demanded.

Putting the key in the lock he opened it only to be stopped by the chain lock. "Syd it's me Francis can you let me in?" he called out to her.

"Francis," she muttered under breath making a small face. Wondering what he was up to she called back, "Just a sec I'll be right there."

"What's taking so long?" Cyrano hissed at Gage.

"Her shoulder remember you stabbed her," he barked back.

"That didn't take long," Syd chatted from the other side not closing the door completely to remove the chain.

Giving Gage a shove the two of them pushed into the room Cyrano hoping to send Syd flying with the force. Instead he pushed Gage past her just enough so she could level her gun at his head.

"Drop it Cyrano or I'll blow your brains out," she evenly told him.

"You're a Texas ranger you aren't going to shoot me," he smiled still holding the gun against Gage's side.

"Try me," she answered moving slightly around him so she could move her gun in a circle around his head until she held it on his forehead between his eyes.

Slowly he swallowed Gage feeling the gun ease up on his side and brought his hand up to take it from Cyrano. Ordering the man face down on the floor Gage put the handcuffs on him before reaching for Syd's gun and her.

An Hour Later

Walker stood with his partner and two junior rangers watching as the owner of the pickup truck was loaded into the emergency unit for transport. It looked as if Cyrano had shot the owner of the truck and shoving him over had gotten behind the wheel to put his plan in action.

Transport was just bringing Cyrano out of the motel when Trivette stopped them. "Are you going to make this easy on all of us and tell us who's behind this?" he asked.

"It's me behind it I hate rangers and I've just added you two more to my hate list," he glared at Walker and Trivette.

"Take him to Ranger headquarters," Walker instructed, "And keep him away from everyone else. We'll be there shortly to try and get some answers out of him."

"You're wasting your time," Cyrano shouted, "You're still as good as dead."

"Get him out of here," Gage shouted still holding his arm around Syd.

"You two want in on the interrogation?" Walker asked knowing the question was moot.

"Sydney I promised your doctor that you'd be going straight home and rest…" Gage started to say only to have her cut back in.

"I didn't make anyone any promises besides your promise has all ready been broken," she pointed out. "I'm not going to be able to rest until we get to the bottom of this and you said it yourself Cyrano is our best chance of that."

Letting out an exaggerated sigh of exasperation Gage let a big grin come across his face. "Boy I'm glad you said that cause I don't want to miss this. Let's go." Opening the car door for her he let her slip inside closing the door behind her.

"Catch up with you at headquarters," he told their bosses jumping into the car himself.

Headquarters

"Here you better take your meds," Gage instructed handing Syd a couple of scripts. He had caught her gripping her arm at the elbow rubbing up towards her shoulder. She studied the bottles a couple of minutes before trying to pop the kid proof lids off them. Reaching over he took the bottles back from her opening each one for her.

"For this alone I want to get even with him," she declared taking the pills in her hand waiting for Gage to open a bottle of water for her.

"I love looking after you Syd," Gage smiled at her frustration.

"I can look after myself thank you," she retorted.

"I agree most times you can look after yourself I'm just glad to be here to look after you when you can't," he replied. "To be honest I like to be able to return the favour you have looked after me a few times after all."

She tossed the pills in her mouth taking the bottle of water from his hand to take a swig and swallow them down. "When this is over Gage believe me you are going to get your chance to take care of me," she told him bringing the bottle of water to her lips again her eyes on his face.

"He's in interrogation C Gage," one of the other rangers interrupted them innocently smiling.

"Thanks." Gage replied his face colouring slightly he reached out to help Syd up and she let him.

Together they walked out in the hall meeting Walker and Trivette who were on their way in. "He's ready for us in C," Gage advised them.

"You two want a run at him?" Walker asked.

"You know it," Syd answered not even looking at her partner for confirmation.

"It's your show," Walker replied with a smile he and Trivette going into the observation room.

"Hey how you want to play this?" Gage asked stopping Syd outside the door.

"Just follow my lead Francis," she told him taking the file folder he was carrying from his hands standing waiting for him to open the door for her.

"After you partner," he grinned swinging the door open knowing Cyrano was about to meet his match for the second time that day.

"Mr. Kelly," Syd addressed the prisoner without looking up from the folder she was reading.

"They think you two are enough to intimidate me, make me talk," Cyrano snickered.

"Gage are you in the business of intimidating people?" Syd asked suddenly looking up at her partner.

"Nope how bout you?" he responded pulling a chair out for her.

Again Cyrano began to laugh, "So I do a few years if it gets that far I have friends in high places…"

"I don't know when the judge and jury finds out you did in an expectant mother who was carrying your unborn child… it's going to be that lethal injection," Syd retorted.

"Hey I never touched her you can't make that stick…" the smile sufficiently wiped from his face.

"DNA doesn't lie does it Gage?" Syd asked.

"Stands up like iron in a court of law," Gage agreed.

"I'm not that baby's father," Cyrano shouted trying to make a leap across the table at Syd only to be slammed back in his seat by her partner.

Smiling again Syd looked at Gage asking, "Now have I got this straight Deacon Kelly here alias Cyrano is going down for murder of Sally Benton and their unborn child…"

"I told you the kid wasn't mine," Cyrano shouted again. "I'm not the liability here I can be trusted to keep quiet. You're the one who never shuts up," he was screaming again Gage having to physically restrain him to keep him from Syd.

"I never shut up?" Syd was on him again. "What have I got to say that is so all fired important?"

"You know why, you know who that kid's father really was, you had to be kept from blowing the whistle on Benton," he yelled out slumping back in his chair realizing what he had said.

"Blowing the whistle on Benton?" Syd quietly asked herself the pieces beginning to fall into place.

"Does Dwight know his father was having an affair with his wife?" Syd softly questioned Cyrano who sat unmoving staring at the table.

"Come on Deacon," Gage interceded, "The cat is out of the bag and unless you want to go down for all this by yourself you had better come clean with the rest of it."

"Man if you had only been home," he lamented glaring at Syd before changing his tune. "If I give you people some important information and save someone's life maybe we can make an arrangement of some sort…"

"Depends on the information we're going to have to hear it first before we make any kind of deals," Gage answered.

Weighing the odds stacked up against him Cyrano finally spoke. "Doctor Otto Philips ever heard of him?"

Thinking a minute Syd answered, "Leading geneticist," hoping she had made the right connection. "What about him?"

"Did you know that he has just made a startling break through in the war on fat?"

"So what does that have to do with saving someone's life?" Gage cut in.

"He's found out that it is a gene that makes people get fat. He's done a lot of research and Benton wants that research, he'd do anything to get that his hands on it. In fact we've been using our powers of persuasion on the good doctor the last few days to throw in with Benton," he revealed.

"Where's Doctor Philips now?" Syd was asking questions again.

"Got him over at the labs at Benton Pharmaceuticals."

"We need a search warrant," Gage was thinking aloud both he and Syd getting up to confer with Walker.

"Hey what about me?" Cyrano shouted.

"You're information pans out we'll talk to the DA's office," Gage replied on their way out.

TBC