Morning Star
Chapter 10
"Gage!" a voice came to him.
"Gage! Wake up!" this time more insistent.
Holding his head and slowly sitting up, Ranger Francis Gage felt a strong hand reach behind his skull and help him up. As he opened his eyes he saw that he was sitting on the floor of his apartment. His head felt like it was splitting in two. Walker's blurry face appeared before his and he had to close his eyes.
"What happened?"
"Syd!" the memory of the attack suddenly flooded back to him. "Walker, they took Syd! We've got to go..."
"Slow down Gage. You are not in any shape to be going anywhere right now. Alex, call Trivette."
Gage up and saw Alex standing there, clutching Angela close. She immediately ran to his phone and called Jimmy.
Walker helped Gage into a standing position and directed him towards the sofa where only hours earlier he and Syd had kissed and fallen asleep in each others arms.
"Go slowly Gage. Tell me exactly what happened."
Holding his head in his hands Gage began, his pain evident with each word.
"Syd and I were having dinner, and it was not going very well. We got into another one of our arguments, and I told her she'd have to leave – that I would get you to find her a safehouse. I was so angry and there was a knock on the door. I knew you were coming over, I thought it was you guys. I didn't check, I didn't look, and I just opened the door...." Gage stopped, looking up wildly, "I let them take her."
"Gage. Who took her?"
"There was five guys, all dressed in black, I couldn't see their faces – they were wearing ski-masks. They all had semis, I reached for my gun and I heard Syd scream. Two of the guys had grabbed her and were carrying her. She was kicking and fighting and screaming and I tried to get to her but then, I guess they hit me. I don't remember anything after that."
Alex brought Gage a soft ice pack from his freezer and gently placed it on the now quite obvious swelling at the back of his head. Still cradling Angela she sat down next to him and rubbed his back maternally.
Walker stood up and began inspecting the doorframe where the assailants had barged in. As he did so Jimmy came flying up the stairs and Walker immediately began filling him in on the details. As he did so, Gage spoke to Alex.
"It's all my fault Alex. I told Syd I'd protect her and I practically invited those guys in here. I don't know what I was thinking. I wasn't thinking. I have completely let my partner down and now Syd is out there, injured and alone and God, I don't even want to think about what else could be happening to her."
"Walker will find her, Gage. It hasn't been that long."
"Alex – you don't understand. She's more than my partner. She's the...I..."
"Shh, Gage." Alex continued to rub his back. "I do understand. Its okay, you don't have to say it to me. You tell her as soon as we get her back."
"I let her down Alex, in more ways than one. I said some horrible things to her before they took her. I was just so angry and confused, I didn't mean them. And now...what if I never see her again? What if ...?"
"Gage." Alex now spoke with authority. "Snap out of it. You can't help her if you sit here and feel sorry for yourself. You will see her again. You're going to get her back alive and well and you'll get to make things right. If they were going to kill her they would have done it here, and probably killed you too. There is a reason that they bothered to take her and just knocked you out."
"You're right Alex. Thank you." Sitting up straight and looking over, he gave her a half smile. He tried to stand up as Walker and Jimmy approached but found he was dizzy and had to sit down again.
"That's a pretty nasty bump there Gage." Trivette commented. "We should take you to the hospital and get it checked out."
"I'll be fine." Gage shrugged off the senior Ranger's concern. "Its Syd we need to find. What can I do? Walker, give me something to do. Anything."
"I've requested a forensic team to come over and check for anything that might have been left behind by your attackers, though I imagine they were quite careful. We'll also have a team search the parking lot for evidence of an escape vehicle. I've called in local law enforcement to canvas your neighbours and see if anyone knows or saw anything. I want you to go to the hospital. Alex?"
"Of course."
"Walker. No, I have to help. She's my partner; you've got to let me be a part of this."
"Ranger Gage, I expect you to go immediately to the hospital and get your head checked out. Alex will drive you. That's an order, do you understand?"
Walker hated pulling rank on his junior officer but he knew that it was the only way to ensure that Gage was properly looked after. He could not afford to lose one Ranger in the pursuit of another. Softening his harsh stare though as Gage and Alex made their way to the door he continued,
"Gage, you'll be no good to Sydney if you aren't in top shape. Get checked out and come back here, I'll keep you informed of anything we find."
Nodding in resigned reluctance Gage, supported by Alex and a still sleeping Angela, made their way out the apartment door and headed towards the stairs. As he left his home, Gage turned out to look at the kitchen doorway where he last saw Syd.
All he saw were her crutches lying scattered where they had fallen.
**************************************************************************** ******
Syd replayed the events of the last horrible hours in her mind. Sitting uncomfortably crammed into the back of a windowless van moving along a smooth highway, Sydney Cooke could do nothing but think. Her hands were tied behind her back, her legs were tied together and she had been gagged. Fortunately she had not been blindfolded but the interior of the vehicle was so dark she might as well have been. She could hear the murmur of voices from the front of the vehicle but they were too muffled for her to hear what was being said.
She had tried to work her way out of the tight bindings on her legs and arms but to no avail. Her previously injured leg and shoulder were causing her a great deal of pain and so she was now just sitting back, leaning against the inside wall of the van. And that's when the memories came.
Gage yelling at her, telling her that he didn't want her at his place anymore. Telling her that his life had been fine before...before she had come into it. She had never seen Gage so angry. That he could keep his anger in check was one of his best qualities – it was one of the skills that helped him to be a good Ranger. He was usually so easy going and affable, especially with her, but this time he had gotten so angry, and had just flung the apartment door open. Those monstrous guys had come in, grabbing her and knocking Gage over the back of the head. Her heart had cried out in pain as he saw him attacked but she was relieved that they had not shot him. That meant he was surely still alive. He would come and find her, wherever they were taking her. That is, if he still wanted to.
Shaking her head Syd refused to allow herself to even think of that possibility. He was her partner, above all else and he would overturn every rock in the country searching for her. Gage cared for her deeply, she knew that. Was it more than friendship? Those kisses...oh, it had sure felt like more. Syd prayed that they would have the chance to find out and swore to herself that she would tell Gage the magnitude of her feelings as soon as she could. She would deal with the consequences of that honesty later.
Just then the van came to a screeching halt and the back doors were flung open. Two men, if they were the same two as before Syd could not tell, grabbed her and carried her through the darkness of an unlit country road to another vehicle, this time a dark undistinguished looking four door sedan. She was unceremoniously dumped in the rear sear and managed to avoid banging her head by ducking mere seconds before she was shoved in the open door.
As the car door slammed shut Syd managed to drop her wristwatch onto the ground, having successfully loosened it while travelling in the windowless van. Gage, Walker, Trivette – any of them would recognize her watch, the one she had worn every day since joining Company B. She closed her eyes and hoped that her friends would be able to trace the van to this location and from there track her to her next destination.
Then, as the car sped away, with a final squeeze of her eyes she sent out a silent prayer for the fates to return her into the arms of the man she loved.
Chapter 10
"Gage!" a voice came to him.
"Gage! Wake up!" this time more insistent.
Holding his head and slowly sitting up, Ranger Francis Gage felt a strong hand reach behind his skull and help him up. As he opened his eyes he saw that he was sitting on the floor of his apartment. His head felt like it was splitting in two. Walker's blurry face appeared before his and he had to close his eyes.
"What happened?"
"Syd!" the memory of the attack suddenly flooded back to him. "Walker, they took Syd! We've got to go..."
"Slow down Gage. You are not in any shape to be going anywhere right now. Alex, call Trivette."
Gage up and saw Alex standing there, clutching Angela close. She immediately ran to his phone and called Jimmy.
Walker helped Gage into a standing position and directed him towards the sofa where only hours earlier he and Syd had kissed and fallen asleep in each others arms.
"Go slowly Gage. Tell me exactly what happened."
Holding his head in his hands Gage began, his pain evident with each word.
"Syd and I were having dinner, and it was not going very well. We got into another one of our arguments, and I told her she'd have to leave – that I would get you to find her a safehouse. I was so angry and there was a knock on the door. I knew you were coming over, I thought it was you guys. I didn't check, I didn't look, and I just opened the door...." Gage stopped, looking up wildly, "I let them take her."
"Gage. Who took her?"
"There was five guys, all dressed in black, I couldn't see their faces – they were wearing ski-masks. They all had semis, I reached for my gun and I heard Syd scream. Two of the guys had grabbed her and were carrying her. She was kicking and fighting and screaming and I tried to get to her but then, I guess they hit me. I don't remember anything after that."
Alex brought Gage a soft ice pack from his freezer and gently placed it on the now quite obvious swelling at the back of his head. Still cradling Angela she sat down next to him and rubbed his back maternally.
Walker stood up and began inspecting the doorframe where the assailants had barged in. As he did so Jimmy came flying up the stairs and Walker immediately began filling him in on the details. As he did so, Gage spoke to Alex.
"It's all my fault Alex. I told Syd I'd protect her and I practically invited those guys in here. I don't know what I was thinking. I wasn't thinking. I have completely let my partner down and now Syd is out there, injured and alone and God, I don't even want to think about what else could be happening to her."
"Walker will find her, Gage. It hasn't been that long."
"Alex – you don't understand. She's more than my partner. She's the...I..."
"Shh, Gage." Alex continued to rub his back. "I do understand. Its okay, you don't have to say it to me. You tell her as soon as we get her back."
"I let her down Alex, in more ways than one. I said some horrible things to her before they took her. I was just so angry and confused, I didn't mean them. And now...what if I never see her again? What if ...?"
"Gage." Alex now spoke with authority. "Snap out of it. You can't help her if you sit here and feel sorry for yourself. You will see her again. You're going to get her back alive and well and you'll get to make things right. If they were going to kill her they would have done it here, and probably killed you too. There is a reason that they bothered to take her and just knocked you out."
"You're right Alex. Thank you." Sitting up straight and looking over, he gave her a half smile. He tried to stand up as Walker and Jimmy approached but found he was dizzy and had to sit down again.
"That's a pretty nasty bump there Gage." Trivette commented. "We should take you to the hospital and get it checked out."
"I'll be fine." Gage shrugged off the senior Ranger's concern. "Its Syd we need to find. What can I do? Walker, give me something to do. Anything."
"I've requested a forensic team to come over and check for anything that might have been left behind by your attackers, though I imagine they were quite careful. We'll also have a team search the parking lot for evidence of an escape vehicle. I've called in local law enforcement to canvas your neighbours and see if anyone knows or saw anything. I want you to go to the hospital. Alex?"
"Of course."
"Walker. No, I have to help. She's my partner; you've got to let me be a part of this."
"Ranger Gage, I expect you to go immediately to the hospital and get your head checked out. Alex will drive you. That's an order, do you understand?"
Walker hated pulling rank on his junior officer but he knew that it was the only way to ensure that Gage was properly looked after. He could not afford to lose one Ranger in the pursuit of another. Softening his harsh stare though as Gage and Alex made their way to the door he continued,
"Gage, you'll be no good to Sydney if you aren't in top shape. Get checked out and come back here, I'll keep you informed of anything we find."
Nodding in resigned reluctance Gage, supported by Alex and a still sleeping Angela, made their way out the apartment door and headed towards the stairs. As he left his home, Gage turned out to look at the kitchen doorway where he last saw Syd.
All he saw were her crutches lying scattered where they had fallen.
**************************************************************************** ******
Syd replayed the events of the last horrible hours in her mind. Sitting uncomfortably crammed into the back of a windowless van moving along a smooth highway, Sydney Cooke could do nothing but think. Her hands were tied behind her back, her legs were tied together and she had been gagged. Fortunately she had not been blindfolded but the interior of the vehicle was so dark she might as well have been. She could hear the murmur of voices from the front of the vehicle but they were too muffled for her to hear what was being said.
She had tried to work her way out of the tight bindings on her legs and arms but to no avail. Her previously injured leg and shoulder were causing her a great deal of pain and so she was now just sitting back, leaning against the inside wall of the van. And that's when the memories came.
Gage yelling at her, telling her that he didn't want her at his place anymore. Telling her that his life had been fine before...before she had come into it. She had never seen Gage so angry. That he could keep his anger in check was one of his best qualities – it was one of the skills that helped him to be a good Ranger. He was usually so easy going and affable, especially with her, but this time he had gotten so angry, and had just flung the apartment door open. Those monstrous guys had come in, grabbing her and knocking Gage over the back of the head. Her heart had cried out in pain as he saw him attacked but she was relieved that they had not shot him. That meant he was surely still alive. He would come and find her, wherever they were taking her. That is, if he still wanted to.
Shaking her head Syd refused to allow herself to even think of that possibility. He was her partner, above all else and he would overturn every rock in the country searching for her. Gage cared for her deeply, she knew that. Was it more than friendship? Those kisses...oh, it had sure felt like more. Syd prayed that they would have the chance to find out and swore to herself that she would tell Gage the magnitude of her feelings as soon as she could. She would deal with the consequences of that honesty later.
Just then the van came to a screeching halt and the back doors were flung open. Two men, if they were the same two as before Syd could not tell, grabbed her and carried her through the darkness of an unlit country road to another vehicle, this time a dark undistinguished looking four door sedan. She was unceremoniously dumped in the rear sear and managed to avoid banging her head by ducking mere seconds before she was shoved in the open door.
As the car door slammed shut Syd managed to drop her wristwatch onto the ground, having successfully loosened it while travelling in the windowless van. Gage, Walker, Trivette – any of them would recognize her watch, the one she had worn every day since joining Company B. She closed her eyes and hoped that her friends would be able to trace the van to this location and from there track her to her next destination.
Then, as the car sped away, with a final squeeze of her eyes she sent out a silent prayer for the fates to return her into the arms of the man she loved.