Morning Star
Chapter 14
Sunlight shone through the entrance of the cave and fell upon the two sleeping Texas Rangers. The rain had ceased sometime in the night and the morning was clear and bright, the sound of the nearby river a dull roar as it overflowed it banks with the water from last night's downpour.
Gage was the first to wake. His head felt foggy and thick, his mouth desiccated. As he lifted his head from Syd's lap her fingers tightened where they lay tangled in his hair and she began to stir.
"Syd." Gage's voice was a mere croak, pain and dehydration having weakened him.
Syd was suddenly alert, her fingers tightening around the gun.
"What's wrong? Are they here?" Panicked, she looked around frantically.
Crawling up to a sitting position, Gage reached up and touched Syd's cheek with his right hand.
"No." he managed to squeak out, shaking his head. "Thirsty."
Sydney reached down to her side and found the water bottle, almost drained, and helped Gage put it to his lips. As he let the cool liquid slide down his throat a look of pure relief settled over his features. She looked at him in wonder and amazement; before she knew it she had flung her arms around him and was clinging forcefully to his still overheated body.
Reaching around her tightly with his one good arm Gage held her close. A faint memory flooded back to him, although it could have been a dream, had he finally told her that he loved her and she had responded in kind? Unsure of that fact, but certain that he held her in his arms, Gage strengthened his hold on her relishing the feel of her body next to his.
Gently releasing her he looked down at her face. A horrible bruise on one side marred her delicate features and the reality of the situation they were in penetrated his consciousness.
"We need to go Syd. They might be looking for us. Can you walk?" He began gathering supplies and slung the backpack over his shoulder, taking the gun from her hands.
Syd nodded, her eyes averting his gaze as she began to move to a standing position. They did need to get out of there, they were both injured and in need of medical care. Her assailants could be anywhere; she was not even sure exactly where this cave Gage had brought her to was with respect to the Psych Hospital.
Her heart sank as she determined that he had probably forgotten his declaration to her last night, and her admission to him. He had been quite sick, and she had been scared. Perhaps it was for the best, love would only cause problems in their partnership and friendship. She wouldn't mention it again. And then, his gun tucked into the back of his pants, he held out his hand to her.
"Ready?" Tentatively she took it, her eyes seeking his once more. He gripped her hand and she felt his solid strength stream through her. Maybe he did remember! She smiled shyly up at him and he returned her look with a grin that made her spirit soar. Leaning forward, his other hand lightly cupping her cheek, he met her lips in a gentle kiss before turning and pulling her out into the brilliant sunshine.
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Trivette was frantically pacing the office of Company B. He had returned from the roadside scene of death with the coroner more than 12 hours earlier and he had not heard from either his partner or Gage in that time. Syd was still missing; there had been no reports of her snatching from any of the undercover agents working in the Dallas drug operations. And now Alex was on her way to the office worried about her husband and their friends. What could he tell her? He was no closer to locating her husband and their friends than he had been an hour ago when they had last spoke.
Alex knew that Trivette had made no progress when she stepped into the office. He looked exhausted. She asked anyways.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing. I don't know what to do Alex."
"I think we need to get out of here Jimmy." Alex spoke with quiet resolve. "They are not just going to walk through the door. We need to go back to the last place you saw them."
"I'll go, you stay here."
"No way. I am not just going to sit idly by and let something happen to the people I love. I'm going with you."
Trivette nodded, he knew there was no arguing with her when she set her mind to something. Just like Erica. Just like Sydney. They were a tough bunch these ladies, I guess that's why they were such good matches for their Texas Ranger mates. Okay, well Sydney and Gage weren't exactly mates but Trivette felt pretty confident that after this was all over and they had Syd back safe and sound he'd be able to convince Gage to come to his senses and realize that Syd was the one for him. He just hoped that they would get that chance. Most kidnapping victims ended up dead in the first 12 hours and Syd had been taken well over a day ago.
Trivette led Alex to his car and they sped off back to the road that led to the Shindank Smelter and the last place that Jimmy had seen either Walker or Gage.
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Cordell Walker woke up with his head feeling like he had been hit by a truck. He was lying in a cold, dark room. Holding his head he began to crawl, exploring the place where he was being held captive. He discovered bars on the door and soon came to the conclusion that Sydney had come to earlier, he was being held in an isolation cell in the abandoned Psychiatric Hospital just a little ways down the road from where he had stopped to challenge the guys in the black car.
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Hands still clutched together Gage and Sydney stepped out into the bright sunshine. The area surrounding the cave where they had spent the night was well treed which was ideal for remaining undetected, unfortunately it also meant that any attackers were also at an advantage.
Syd discovered within seconds that walking was going to be excruciatingly painful. The wound on her leg, although well bound with bandages, had re- opened with her beating yesterday and her torso hurt, she imagined that one or more of her ribs were cracked.
In the light of day Gage did not look too good either. His face was pale and yet flushed, the arm he had been shot in yesterday was swollen and, Syd deduced, probably infected and what was causing his fever. He walked unsteadily as if he were dizzy and soon the two Rangers stopped holding hands and put an arm around each other's waist for support.
The walked as silently as possible through the wooded area and along the river, each visually scouting the area for movement. At the river's edge Gage bent down and splashed his face with water, drinking in as much water as he dared. It was brown and murky, filled with silt, but it was cool and refreshing. He felt so hot and dehydrated, his arm was throbbing and swollen and he could feel the heat radiating from the wound he had not been able to properly clean.
Syd stood guard as Gage splashed himself in the roaring river. As he stood up they traded places and she reached down with her hand and scooped the water to her lips. Then she took the bandage she had used last night to cool Gage's forehead, soaked it in water and reached up to tie it around his head. She could still feel that he had a fever. She knew they had no option but to move however she wanted to do everything possible to keep his soaring temperature at bay.
Leaning on each other once again they followed the river's edge, staying close to the bank on one side. Syd followed Gage's lead and he hoped his sense of direction was leading them in the right direction, away from the Psych hospital. They travelled for a couple of hours with no sign of their enemies but had to stop frequently, Syd's dragging leg causing her to stumble and cry out in pain.
"I wish I could carry you Syd." Gage finally whispered to her, breaking their silence. "I hate to see you in such pain."
"I'm holding us back." Syd stated. "Maybe you should go ahead and get help, then come back for me. I know you're injured too but you'll move much faster without me."
"You are my partner; I am not leaving you, even if it takes us days to get out of here. We will get out together."
Syd nodded, relieved. She didn't really want him to go on without her but she felt that had to at least offer it as a possibility. She tightened her reach around his waist.
"Syd – listen to me." Gage said, as they both leaned against the embankment. "I am so sorry that I let them take you from my apartment. I am so sorry for those awful things that I said to you, I...I didn't mean them. I was just frustrated because we seemed to be taking one step forward and then two steps back and I was just, well, confused about it all. I acted so stupidly, saying those things to you and then just letting those guys into the apartment."
"Listen Gage, you didn't let them take me." Syd replied reaching for his hand. "Okay, I admit that just flinging the door open was not the best tactic in the world but those guys were well armed, they would have taken me if we had been able to put up a fight. I'm actually glad we didn't, you could have been killed. When I saw them hit you, God I was so scared Gage. I didn't care about all those things that you said; I just wanted you to be okay."
"Syd?"
"Mmm, hmm." Still lost in her thoughts of the day she was taken, Syd nodded a bit absently.
"I love you."
Syd stared at him, her wide eyes taking in the intensity of his blue orbs, the truth of his statement evident in the way he caressed her fingers, the way he looked at her adoringly.
"I don't know what this will do to our friendship or our partnership." He went on, rambling because he didn't know what else to do when Syd failed to respond to his declaration. "I'm sorry if it's not what you want to hear, I just can't keep it to myself anymore. I have loved you since before I can remember and I have tried to push the feeling away because I thought it was the way that you wanted things. But then you got shot, and you asked me not to go out with Jennifer and I began to hope that maybe you felt the same way. I saw the way you looked at me in the store the other day; I felt your lips respond to mine, I..."
"Gage!" Syd finally interrupted him. "You're rambling."
"I know, I'm nervous."
"I make you nervous?"
"Yes. I just told you that I love you. I've put our partnership and the most important friendship in my life on the line just so I can tell you that and all you have done is stare at me. Of course I'm nerv.."
"Gage, you're doing it again."
"Syd!" he sounded exasperated.
"Oh Gage, I love you too." She declared, her eyes fixing on his with great affection.
Relief washed over his face, followed by the childlike delight of a young man who has just been given the best present of his life. He leaned forward and captured her lips in a hungry, possessive kiss. She returned his kiss greedily, her hands reaching up to hold his head close to hers.
When they finally broke apart each was breathing heavily, joy seeming to course through their souls. They held on to each other's shoulders as they stayed there, foreheads touching, savouring the closeness.
"I'm sorry I never told you before Gage. I've tried to ignore my feelings too, I have been so scared to jeopardize our partnership, our friendship. But this week, when I heard you had a date I suddenly realized that I might lose you, might lose a chance with you. That scared me even more than confessing but I didn't know how to tell you. Most people would talk to their best friend but you're my best friend Gage. How could I tell you I loved you?"
"You did Syd. You told me in the way you didn't want to discuss my dinner plans with Jennifer, the way you were so bitter and distant while we were on the stakeout, the way you reacted when I took so long to come and see you in the hospital. You left me clues Syd; I was just too blind to read them for what they were."
"Oh Gage..." Syd began, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks, as she lifted her head up.
"Oh Syd." Gage reached up and stroked her tears away with his thumb. "Don't cry. We're okay, honey. We'll make it all work out somehow, as soon as we get out of here. Okay?"
Syd sniffled back her tears, angry at herself for crying for the umpteenth time in just a few days. Of course this time they had been tears of happiness, but still Sydney Cooke did not cry. Especially not in front of Gage. He would start thinking that she was weak, that she needed him to protect her and that just wasn't true. Well, Syd admitted to herself - she did need him, but he needed her just as much so that put them on a level playing field.
"Ready to go again?" she asked Gage as she attempted to stand up.
He reached out his uninjured arm to steady her and together they started back along the river's edge.
Unseen in the distance a man in black cocked his gun and aimed.
Chapter 14
Sunlight shone through the entrance of the cave and fell upon the two sleeping Texas Rangers. The rain had ceased sometime in the night and the morning was clear and bright, the sound of the nearby river a dull roar as it overflowed it banks with the water from last night's downpour.
Gage was the first to wake. His head felt foggy and thick, his mouth desiccated. As he lifted his head from Syd's lap her fingers tightened where they lay tangled in his hair and she began to stir.
"Syd." Gage's voice was a mere croak, pain and dehydration having weakened him.
Syd was suddenly alert, her fingers tightening around the gun.
"What's wrong? Are they here?" Panicked, she looked around frantically.
Crawling up to a sitting position, Gage reached up and touched Syd's cheek with his right hand.
"No." he managed to squeak out, shaking his head. "Thirsty."
Sydney reached down to her side and found the water bottle, almost drained, and helped Gage put it to his lips. As he let the cool liquid slide down his throat a look of pure relief settled over his features. She looked at him in wonder and amazement; before she knew it she had flung her arms around him and was clinging forcefully to his still overheated body.
Reaching around her tightly with his one good arm Gage held her close. A faint memory flooded back to him, although it could have been a dream, had he finally told her that he loved her and she had responded in kind? Unsure of that fact, but certain that he held her in his arms, Gage strengthened his hold on her relishing the feel of her body next to his.
Gently releasing her he looked down at her face. A horrible bruise on one side marred her delicate features and the reality of the situation they were in penetrated his consciousness.
"We need to go Syd. They might be looking for us. Can you walk?" He began gathering supplies and slung the backpack over his shoulder, taking the gun from her hands.
Syd nodded, her eyes averting his gaze as she began to move to a standing position. They did need to get out of there, they were both injured and in need of medical care. Her assailants could be anywhere; she was not even sure exactly where this cave Gage had brought her to was with respect to the Psych Hospital.
Her heart sank as she determined that he had probably forgotten his declaration to her last night, and her admission to him. He had been quite sick, and she had been scared. Perhaps it was for the best, love would only cause problems in their partnership and friendship. She wouldn't mention it again. And then, his gun tucked into the back of his pants, he held out his hand to her.
"Ready?" Tentatively she took it, her eyes seeking his once more. He gripped her hand and she felt his solid strength stream through her. Maybe he did remember! She smiled shyly up at him and he returned her look with a grin that made her spirit soar. Leaning forward, his other hand lightly cupping her cheek, he met her lips in a gentle kiss before turning and pulling her out into the brilliant sunshine.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Trivette was frantically pacing the office of Company B. He had returned from the roadside scene of death with the coroner more than 12 hours earlier and he had not heard from either his partner or Gage in that time. Syd was still missing; there had been no reports of her snatching from any of the undercover agents working in the Dallas drug operations. And now Alex was on her way to the office worried about her husband and their friends. What could he tell her? He was no closer to locating her husband and their friends than he had been an hour ago when they had last spoke.
Alex knew that Trivette had made no progress when she stepped into the office. He looked exhausted. She asked anyways.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing. I don't know what to do Alex."
"I think we need to get out of here Jimmy." Alex spoke with quiet resolve. "They are not just going to walk through the door. We need to go back to the last place you saw them."
"I'll go, you stay here."
"No way. I am not just going to sit idly by and let something happen to the people I love. I'm going with you."
Trivette nodded, he knew there was no arguing with her when she set her mind to something. Just like Erica. Just like Sydney. They were a tough bunch these ladies, I guess that's why they were such good matches for their Texas Ranger mates. Okay, well Sydney and Gage weren't exactly mates but Trivette felt pretty confident that after this was all over and they had Syd back safe and sound he'd be able to convince Gage to come to his senses and realize that Syd was the one for him. He just hoped that they would get that chance. Most kidnapping victims ended up dead in the first 12 hours and Syd had been taken well over a day ago.
Trivette led Alex to his car and they sped off back to the road that led to the Shindank Smelter and the last place that Jimmy had seen either Walker or Gage.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Cordell Walker woke up with his head feeling like he had been hit by a truck. He was lying in a cold, dark room. Holding his head he began to crawl, exploring the place where he was being held captive. He discovered bars on the door and soon came to the conclusion that Sydney had come to earlier, he was being held in an isolation cell in the abandoned Psychiatric Hospital just a little ways down the road from where he had stopped to challenge the guys in the black car.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hands still clutched together Gage and Sydney stepped out into the bright sunshine. The area surrounding the cave where they had spent the night was well treed which was ideal for remaining undetected, unfortunately it also meant that any attackers were also at an advantage.
Syd discovered within seconds that walking was going to be excruciatingly painful. The wound on her leg, although well bound with bandages, had re- opened with her beating yesterday and her torso hurt, she imagined that one or more of her ribs were cracked.
In the light of day Gage did not look too good either. His face was pale and yet flushed, the arm he had been shot in yesterday was swollen and, Syd deduced, probably infected and what was causing his fever. He walked unsteadily as if he were dizzy and soon the two Rangers stopped holding hands and put an arm around each other's waist for support.
The walked as silently as possible through the wooded area and along the river, each visually scouting the area for movement. At the river's edge Gage bent down and splashed his face with water, drinking in as much water as he dared. It was brown and murky, filled with silt, but it was cool and refreshing. He felt so hot and dehydrated, his arm was throbbing and swollen and he could feel the heat radiating from the wound he had not been able to properly clean.
Syd stood guard as Gage splashed himself in the roaring river. As he stood up they traded places and she reached down with her hand and scooped the water to her lips. Then she took the bandage she had used last night to cool Gage's forehead, soaked it in water and reached up to tie it around his head. She could still feel that he had a fever. She knew they had no option but to move however she wanted to do everything possible to keep his soaring temperature at bay.
Leaning on each other once again they followed the river's edge, staying close to the bank on one side. Syd followed Gage's lead and he hoped his sense of direction was leading them in the right direction, away from the Psych hospital. They travelled for a couple of hours with no sign of their enemies but had to stop frequently, Syd's dragging leg causing her to stumble and cry out in pain.
"I wish I could carry you Syd." Gage finally whispered to her, breaking their silence. "I hate to see you in such pain."
"I'm holding us back." Syd stated. "Maybe you should go ahead and get help, then come back for me. I know you're injured too but you'll move much faster without me."
"You are my partner; I am not leaving you, even if it takes us days to get out of here. We will get out together."
Syd nodded, relieved. She didn't really want him to go on without her but she felt that had to at least offer it as a possibility. She tightened her reach around his waist.
"Syd – listen to me." Gage said, as they both leaned against the embankment. "I am so sorry that I let them take you from my apartment. I am so sorry for those awful things that I said to you, I...I didn't mean them. I was just frustrated because we seemed to be taking one step forward and then two steps back and I was just, well, confused about it all. I acted so stupidly, saying those things to you and then just letting those guys into the apartment."
"Listen Gage, you didn't let them take me." Syd replied reaching for his hand. "Okay, I admit that just flinging the door open was not the best tactic in the world but those guys were well armed, they would have taken me if we had been able to put up a fight. I'm actually glad we didn't, you could have been killed. When I saw them hit you, God I was so scared Gage. I didn't care about all those things that you said; I just wanted you to be okay."
"Syd?"
"Mmm, hmm." Still lost in her thoughts of the day she was taken, Syd nodded a bit absently.
"I love you."
Syd stared at him, her wide eyes taking in the intensity of his blue orbs, the truth of his statement evident in the way he caressed her fingers, the way he looked at her adoringly.
"I don't know what this will do to our friendship or our partnership." He went on, rambling because he didn't know what else to do when Syd failed to respond to his declaration. "I'm sorry if it's not what you want to hear, I just can't keep it to myself anymore. I have loved you since before I can remember and I have tried to push the feeling away because I thought it was the way that you wanted things. But then you got shot, and you asked me not to go out with Jennifer and I began to hope that maybe you felt the same way. I saw the way you looked at me in the store the other day; I felt your lips respond to mine, I..."
"Gage!" Syd finally interrupted him. "You're rambling."
"I know, I'm nervous."
"I make you nervous?"
"Yes. I just told you that I love you. I've put our partnership and the most important friendship in my life on the line just so I can tell you that and all you have done is stare at me. Of course I'm nerv.."
"Gage, you're doing it again."
"Syd!" he sounded exasperated.
"Oh Gage, I love you too." She declared, her eyes fixing on his with great affection.
Relief washed over his face, followed by the childlike delight of a young man who has just been given the best present of his life. He leaned forward and captured her lips in a hungry, possessive kiss. She returned his kiss greedily, her hands reaching up to hold his head close to hers.
When they finally broke apart each was breathing heavily, joy seeming to course through their souls. They held on to each other's shoulders as they stayed there, foreheads touching, savouring the closeness.
"I'm sorry I never told you before Gage. I've tried to ignore my feelings too, I have been so scared to jeopardize our partnership, our friendship. But this week, when I heard you had a date I suddenly realized that I might lose you, might lose a chance with you. That scared me even more than confessing but I didn't know how to tell you. Most people would talk to their best friend but you're my best friend Gage. How could I tell you I loved you?"
"You did Syd. You told me in the way you didn't want to discuss my dinner plans with Jennifer, the way you were so bitter and distant while we were on the stakeout, the way you reacted when I took so long to come and see you in the hospital. You left me clues Syd; I was just too blind to read them for what they were."
"Oh Gage..." Syd began, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks, as she lifted her head up.
"Oh Syd." Gage reached up and stroked her tears away with his thumb. "Don't cry. We're okay, honey. We'll make it all work out somehow, as soon as we get out of here. Okay?"
Syd sniffled back her tears, angry at herself for crying for the umpteenth time in just a few days. Of course this time they had been tears of happiness, but still Sydney Cooke did not cry. Especially not in front of Gage. He would start thinking that she was weak, that she needed him to protect her and that just wasn't true. Well, Syd admitted to herself - she did need him, but he needed her just as much so that put them on a level playing field.
"Ready to go again?" she asked Gage as she attempted to stand up.
He reached out his uninjured arm to steady her and together they started back along the river's edge.
Unseen in the distance a man in black cocked his gun and aimed.