"What the…" Gage's voice had trailed off as Syd struggled to get from beneath him in an effort to grab up the phone.
"Marie, Marie," she frantically called into the receiver getting no response.
Just as quickly she was hitting the button to retrieve the number watching it instantly appear on the screen.
"Syd who is she," Gage asked as Sydney dialled the number only to get a busy signal.
"Someone I knew as a kid," she answered. "Do you recognize the area code?"
"Just a minute and I'll have it for you," Gage replied taking the phone from her hand to get the info. Within minutes he was saying Baton Rouge Louisiana as he dialled the Baton Rouge police to explain the call and have it checked out.
Sydney sat silently listening to Gage as he repeated both their home and cell phone numbers telling the desk officer they would check in with them when their flight got in. Her mind had wandered to a time when she was twelve and her family had gone to small town just inside the Louisiana border for the summer, that had been where she had met her.
Marie LaBrowd lived with her mother in a small run down shack. Syd's father had hired Marie's mother to come down and do the domestic chores once a week. Marie being fifteen had been part of the package to keep an eye on Syd and entertain her while they were there.
At first Marie had thought Syd was going to be no more then a pest, she had better things to do with her time then to look after some little stuck up Texas kid. After all she had a boyfriend who was nineteen who needed her attention… but in the end Sydney had proved to be a big plus. Marie would take Syd along when she went to meet Clete in the afternoons and while she spent time with him Sydney would serve as look out. If they got home late what ever excuse Marie offered Syd always backed.
Sydney in turn had learned a lot about life that summer her father's hair would have turned grey a lot earlier if he had known half of what his daughter was up to with Marie LaBrowd. As it was the next summer when they once again went to their summer retreat they were met by the news that Marie had got herself in trouble and had a baby.
Sydney's father had forbidden Syd to see her which of course made Sydney twice as determined to see her friend. It had been that summer that Sydney had mad a vow that no matter how much she loved him he was not going to run her life.
The pair of them had kept in touch for a long time Sydney becoming Marie's confidant. That was until Joe Cooke had found out, he made Syd write Marie a letter telling her not to send any more of her letters to Sydney. Syd in turn arranged for the letters to go to a girlfriend's house but still it wasn't long after that the letters had become fewer and farther between until it was just a card at Christmas. After a couple of years that had stopped too. Now Syd sat wondering how after so many years Marie had found her and what kind of trouble she was in.
"Honey you want to tell me about it?" Gage's voice snapped her backed to the present.
"Gage… I… it's just been so long," Syd stammered out.
The phone rang again and Syd snapped it up, "Marie," she cried.
"It's me Mom," came the answer from the other end of the line. "I see she called. I tried to call you earlier today to let you know that I'd given her your number but your father hung around under foot all day," her mother explained.
"She called there?" Syd asked surprised that Marie would go to those lengths to get in touch with her.
"Um hmm. You remember Mrs. Ivey I had sent her a picture from the paper announcing yours and Francis' upcoming wedding I guess she has been showing it around and Lacy, Marie's mother got to see it. She in turn told Marie that you were all grown up, had become a Texas Ranger and were getting married to another Texas Ranger," Syd's mother was explaining.
"Marie called here yesterday afternoon saying that she was desperate to talk to you. I didn't know what else to do so I gave her your phone number I know you girls were always close," Amanda explained to her daughter. "I hope that was all right."
After assuring her mother that she had done the right thing she asked her if Marie had indicated what was wrong. "All she said was she needed to talk to you it was very important," Amanda replied.
Sydney spoke a few more minutes with her mother before hanging up the phone to go and find Gage who had taken himself into the kitchen.
"Dinner is served," he smiled as the microwave bell chimed.
"Thanks Honey," Syd wistfully answered taking her place at the table.
"It's only the leftovers from last night with a salad," he began apologizing.
"It's exactly what I was going to feed you," she told him forcing a smile to her face.
As Gage sat down he reached across the table and took her hand. "I'm all ears," he prodded hoping she could get the story out to him this time.
"Like I said before its been years since I last spoke to Marie," Sydney began. Before long the whole story had been recounted Syd finishing with, "I just don't know what kind of trouble she could have gotten herself in."
"From what you just told me it could be almost anything," Gage commented, he enjoyed hearing a little about Syd's wilder side even though it made him realize a little more of what he had missed growing up with out parents.
"That's what worries me," Syd replied. "Marie never had to go looking for trouble it just seemed to follow her around."
She had just stood up intent on clearing the table instead Gage grabbed her hand pulling her down into his lap. With his arms around her he held her close. "We will get to the bottom of this, we'll find out what has happened to her and everything will be all right," he gently spoke letting his lips linger on the top of her head.
"I know we will I just hope that we aren't too late," Syd answered leaning back to look in his face.
They sat quietly for a few minutes more before Syd stirred again. "We have to make that flight Francis," she sighed Gage holding tight to her.
"You go ahead and get us packed while I clean up down here. I'll meet you upstairs very shortly, all right?"
She answered him with a kiss to the cheek before escaping his grasp. Watching her retreat from the room Gage sat a moment more before moving. His mind wandered to Marie LaBrowd, Syd's friend from her past. Like Syd he wondered what had happened to her and why she had waited until now to contract Sydney.
Picking up the phone he dialled their boss. "Walker residence," Alex's voice came over the phone.
"Hi Alex Walker wouldn't happen to be there would he?" he greeted the ADA.
"Gage you guys aren't all ready in trouble are you?" Alex teased the young ranger.
"Not yet but we're working on it," Gage half laughed.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Alex laughed too before handing the phone to her husband.
"Walker," his voice came over the line.
"Yeah Walker Syd had sort of a strange phone call tonight from an old friend, a Marie LaBrowd," Gage began to explain.
"Did you say Marie LaBrowd?" Walker cut in. "How does Sydney know Marie?"
Gage thought the question should have been how did Walker know Marie LaBrowd but continued on ending with the distress call they had received from her.
"You're sure the name was Charlie?" Walker was questioning him again.
"Yeah positive we have the call on the machine," Gage retorted.
"Anyway we put a call into the Baton Rouge police and they are going to check out where she lives. I told them we would check in with them when we got in," he explained.
"Gage I know the woman you are talking about she and her son Charlie were being held captive by Ferris Clayton when the arrest went down. Clayton always held it against Marie for getting too close with the rangers believing that is what lead to his arrest," Walker told him. "There is every possibility that Clayton is behind what ever happened to her."
"We'll keep that in mind when we check into things," Gage assured Walker before hanging up the phone. Standing up he began the task at hand mulling over in his mind the information Walker had just given him.
Before long the kitchen was in order and he headed upstairs making it just in time to hear the shower turn on. The two suitcases Sydney had packed were sitting by the door waiting for him to carry down. Side stepping them he walked towards the bathroom pulling his shirt off at the same time.
Poking his head in the door he could see Sydney's silhouette through the shower doors. A smile crossed his face while he stood motionless watching her soap up her petite body, watching her bend slightly to begin at her thigh to move the mesh sponge slowly upward to her breast.
"God Cooke," he mumbled to himself feeling his manhood grow.
As if she heard him she called out to him, "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to join me?"
A moment later he had shed his clothes and was pulling open the door to join her. "Since you invited me," he answered his arms going round her.
"You feel wonderful," she murmured enjoying his embrace as she rested her head against his chest.
Reading her thoughts Gage rubbed his hand down her back. "We'll be there in just a few hours then we'll get some answers to what happened," he told her.
"I know but I can't help but worry," she replied into his chest.
"You wouldn't be you if you didn't," Gage answered her letting his hands caress her body.
"You know me too well Francis," she moaned rubbing her hands over his backside.
"I like to think so but you can still throw me a few curves when I least expect it," Gage answered leaning back so he could kiss her forehead, then her eyes finally ended with a deep kiss to her mouth.
Slowly she brought the sponge that she still held in her hand up his chest circling it around his nipple. "Syd…" he responded leaning back slightly against the shower wall while she moved the sponge to his shoulder.
"Come here," he whispered leaning downward to catch her nipple with his mouth.
"Umm Gage," she softly cried her body automatically arching begging for his touch and caresses, begging him to love her.
Straddling her legs over his leg she let herself rest there the sensations of want shooting through her. Again she purred her body rubbing up and down against his leg, "I'm ready to fed that hunger," the words seductively escaped her lips.
"Oh yeah lets see what we can do about that," he whispered his lips nuzzling her ear sending waves of goose flesh over her.
"Umm," the moan cam e from deep within as she murmured, "I'm all your Honey... all yours."
Again his mouth covered hers forcing his tongue in deep to be met by her eagerness his hands going to either side of her face to hold her. Breaking the kiss he held her a moment more before reaching for the tap and shutting off the water. Reaching out of the shower he grabbed one of the luscious oversized bath towels and pulled it around her rubbing his hands over her body to dry her. Bending his head he let his tongue lap the remaining beads of water from her neck.
"Gage," she softly whispered using the corner of the towel to tease him with.
"Never you mind Honey," he told taking hold of her hand, grabbing the second towel to wrap around his waist before picking up Syd in his arms to carry her to their bed.
"We don't have time for this…" her words were cut off with another kiss as he lay her across the over stuffed duvet that graced the antique four poster bed Syd had found at an estate sale.
"We have plenty of time Syd," Gage answered her his hand moving beneath the towel against her tender flesh, his eyes trained on her face watching her quiver.
She nodded her head yes wanting him more then ever, gasping as his hand rubbed over her tummy. "You're mine Shorty," his lips teased her neck and shoulder moving slowly to her breast.
Without realizing it she held her breath silently crying out for him feeling the towel slip from her body allowing Gage to drink in her beauty. He caressed her with his eyes before letting his hand encircle her breast, before bending his head to the hard nipple he longed to suckle at.
Again she cried out her pleasure his hands moving down the curves of her taunt shapely form to finally stroke the center of her being. Her body instantly responded arching upward in the desperate need and want that he provoked in her.
Her hands went to the towel at his waist tearing at it anxiously trying to pull it from him to expose his naked body to her. Taking her wrists he pushed them to the bed holding firmly pausing to catch her eyes before letting his tongue explore her body. Starting at her neck he washed a trail downward stopping to tease the hard buttons of her breasts continuing down to circle her naval.
"Gage please," she cried out he paying her no heed systematically moving his tongue through the channel of her folds. With one quick motion his hands had taken hold of her waist his tongue entering her sending her into a wild frenzy of motion until her body became rigid in release.
Listening a moment to her small pants Gage moved himself up her body holding her close once more capturing her wrists to hold firm to the bed letting his body and emotions take her again sending them both over the edge.
The phone rang Gage rolled to his side taking Syd with him to grab it. Clearing his throat if not his mind he answered with, "Gage."
He stopped to listen for a few moments to the voice on the other end of the line before saying, "We'll check in with you in a couple of hours once we get there...Thanks for getting back to me so soon... Yeah good bye."
"Gage what?" Syd questioned him as he hung up the phone.
Wrapping his arms around her again he began to speak. "That was Lieutenant O'Neal fro Baton Rouge," he hesitated not really wanting to reveal what had been found.
"And she is all right?" Syd persisted.
"They don't know. Her place was pretty tore up and there was no sign of either her or her son," Gage told her. "They are checking where she works I guess it's a pretty rough bar…"
"Dear God I can't believe…" Sydney was struggling to get out of his arms.
"Hey slow down Syd," Gage had rolled back on top of her pinning her wrists for a third time.
"I can't believe…" she started to say only to have Gage clamp his hand over her mouth.
"Will you listen a minute," he ordered still holding his hand over her mouth, "There's more."
The struggling stopped and she nodded her head yes letting him kiss her temple as his fingers slide away from her mouth to caress her cheek. "It really doesn't matter how we were spending our time we aren't going to get there any sooner so please get that notion out of your mind."
She looked down guiltily as he spoke knowing he was reading her mind. He once again kissed her cheek feeling her relax against him before he went on. "I spoke with Walker he knows Marie."
"He knows Marie? How?" she sputtered out the questions.
"In connection with the Claytons. According to Walker old man Clayton was holding Marie and her son Charlie captive. He blames her for leading Walker, Trivette and CD to him and his subsequent arrest," Gage explained.
"Walker thinks that Ferris Clayton is behind what happened to her," Syd stated more then questioned. "And if that's the case he'll probably kill her…" her voice dropped off as the facts began to sink in.
TBC.