Chapter Two
Seven AM Sydney And Gage'
"Hey Squirt, where's Mom and Dad?" Chris greeted Piper with the pet name he had for her.
"Mom's feeding Cody and Dad is sleeping late," Cat chimed in before Piper could answer.
"Dad's sleeping late?" Chris questioned finding it hard to believe that his mother would let his Dad sleep in and chance him being late for work.
"And you know what else?" Cat persisted.
"No what else?" Chris asked with an exaggerated expression.
"Mom's going back to work today," Cat answered with satisfaction
"Mom's not going back to work until next week," Chris told his little sister.
"Yes she is isn't she Piper?" Cat looked to Pipe to support her claim.
"She came in and announced it to Cat and me just before she called Aunt Erica and made arrangements for Cody to go to the Hope Center," Piper confirmed shrugging her shoulders to let Chris know that was all the information she had.
"Hmm wonder what brought on that change of plans?" Chris mused.
"Daddy what happened?" Piper cried as Gage appeared in the doorway of the kitchen both Cat and Chris turning to look at their father.
"Wow what happened after I went to bed?" Chris quizzed Gage looking at his father's black eyes and swollen nose.
"You're father went to meet someone last night and didn't take me as back up that's why I'm going back to work today he needs someone to keep an eye on him," Sydney announced to her children. "Come on Cat, Piper lets get moving," she urged the girls stepping back so they could head to the bathroom to finish getting ready for school.
"I hope you hit the guy real hard," Cat told her father stopping long enough to give him a hug.
"The bad guy got what he deserved," Gage told her looking past her to where Syd stood. As the girls trooped out Syd followed.
Chris stood back watching the exchange not between his parents and his sisters but between his mother and father. He also knew that the injury his father had sustained was a sucker punch, his dad didn't get caught with sucker punches. There was only one person who could have caught him off guard with a punch like that and that someone was his mother.
"You really okay Dad?" Chris asked his father again his eyes training on Gage's face.
"I've had better days," Gage managed a half smile.
"You better get back on her good side Dad," Chris smiled too.
Syd came back into the kitchen before any further exchange could pass between father and son.
"Come on you two I don't want to be late my first day back," she told the two of them.
Ranger Headquarters
Gage had opted to let Syd drive that morning, now they both sat unspeaking last night's events on both their minds. Syd stole a sideways glance at her husband whose gaze was fixed out the side window. Syd's eyes went back to the road even though her mind was on what had happened last night.
After Gage's confession and she bursting into uncontrollable tears things had lapsed into silence until Gage had finally coaxed her into letting him pull back the covers and so they could crawl in. "Come on Syd we need to try and get some rest," he had murmured to her. She had been to exhausted to argue yet even so she couldn't shut her mind off. She was mad and she was hurt, the one she trusted and loved most in her life had betrayed her. She couldn't remember a time when she hurt more not even when her mother had passed away, but then Gage had been there for her.
Again her eyes stole a glance at him and she bit her lip to keep from crying… Gage had had undressed and lay flat on his back looking at the ceiling he wasn't sleeping any more then she was. She had laid on her back too, as hurt as she was she couldn't help letting her hand wander to his to let him tightly grasp it.
"Syd," he had whispered.
"Shh Gage, just shush," she had whispered back letting him squeeze her hand tight. By morning she had woke curled up against him. Slowly as the night before had come back to her she wiggled out of his arms so not to wake him she hadn't forgiven him. The searing pain of his betrayal was still fresh, as much as she loved him it was going to take a lot for her to get over what had happened.
"The story we gave the kids all right for work?" Gage broke her thoughts with his question.
"Yeah Gage that's fine," she answered pulling into the underground parking at headquarters.
"Syd I really am glad that you're back," he solemnly told her letting his hand reach for hers. She smiled but didn't answer.
As Syd pulled into a parking place Matt Sumner pulled in right beside them. "Hey Syd what are you doing here?" he greeted her.
"Itchy feet back to work early," she smiled at their young friend.
"Whoa Gage," he hooted catching sight of his boss' face. "That's why your back," he chuckled addressing Syd. "You have to keep your hubby out of trouble," he laughed before saying to Gage, "Hope you got a few licks in."
On the way up in the elevator Gage quickly explained the story he and Syd had concocted to explain his broken nose. Sumner having no reason not to believed what they told him.
"Well Syd it's nice to have you back," the young ranger told her pulling open the door to company B.
Both Walker and Trivette were out of the office as the trio came in the only other ranger in the office was Ranger Samantha Webb. "Gage what on earth happened?" she gushed hurrying over to him.
"It's nothing Sam don't make a fuss," Gage answered moving his head away from her hand that had gone to his cheek.
"Nothing Gage have you looked in the mirror?" Sam continued, "Are you sure you're all right? I'm going to have to take care of you today."
"I'm fine," Gage confirmed turning his attention to Sydney who hadn't spoken through the exchange between him and Ranger Webb. "And I have my partner back today to take care of me. Sam I want you to meet Ranger Sydney Cooke, Syd this is Sam Webb," Gage introduced.
"Pleased to meet you." Using all her willpower Syd held her hand out to the blonde ranger.
"Ranger Cooke," Sam squeaked recovering her voice. "We weren't expecting you back until next week."
"After what happened to Gage last night I decided I needed to be back on the job with him," Syd sweetly smiled at Sam.
"Hey, hey, hey Syd is this a visit or are you back?" Trivette hooted as he came in behind the group with Walker.
"I'm back starting right now," she retorted.
"I'd say not a minute too soon either," Trivette answered looking at Gage.
"Yeah, yeah," Gage replied once again repeating the lie he and Syd had cooked up.
As Syd listened absently to her husband's story she focused her eyes on Ranger Webb. Samantha Webb had a good six inches on Sydney, her natural blonde hair had been pulled into a french braid that extended down her back. Her jeans fit her slender sexy form to a T, her sleeveless blouse was open down the front just enough to tease with her more then ample breasts. She was everything that Syd wasn't, everything she had always imagined would be Gage's choice of woman.
"Gage, Trivette can I see you in my office?" Walker was asking proceeding towards his door.
Walking past his wife Gage let his hand drop to her shoulder for a slight squeeze before rubbing it down her back. She smiled back at him watching him disappear with Trivette into Walker's office.
"Well Sydney what's the real reason you decided to come back to work early?" Sam had turned her attention on Syd her displeasure at Syd's sudden appearance very evident on her face. "Not worried that Gage may stray if you aren't keeping tabs on him are you? From what I hear last time that happened you blew his cover and almost got yourself killed," she grinned at being able to get the dig in.
"I see you've done your homework," Syd retorted undaunted keeping her smile on her face even though she seethed inside. "Actually though you have some of your facts wrong. I wasn't keeping tabs on him. I was longing for his touch as he was for mine that's why he didn't send me away. That's why we made love until the morning sun was filtering in the windows," she confidently told the younger ranger. "It was a hard lesson learned but one that neither Gage or I will forget any time soon."
"Ahem," Sumner cleared his throat. "Anyone like coffee?" he asked thinking he could cut the tension in the room with a knife.
"Actually Matt is Anna B home this morning?" Syd questioned dismissing Sam for the moment.
"She said she wasn't going any where all day," Matt returned glad to change the subject.
"Good I think I'll give her a quick call as soon as you get your things off my desk," Syd directed her remark back to Sam as her hands went to her hips.
Without a word Sam went to Sydney's desk and gathered her belongings to move to a vacant desk across the room
"Score one for Ranger Cooke," Matt murmured under his breath.
Inside Walker's Office
"Are either of you familiar with the rash of murders of the working girls?" Walker questioned.
"Only what I've heard on the news," Trivette volunteered Gage nodding his head in agreement.
"About five or six blonde hookers," Gage added.
"Up until last night when our killer decided to change to short brunettes," Walker told them.
"Short brunettes?" Gage questioned not relishing Syd getting back into the action quite so soon.
"Your partner ready to get back into the thick of things?" Walker questioned.
Knowing better then to say no Gage truthfully told his superiors, "She's more then ready. She all but wiped the floor with me last time we sparred."
"I guess you should have had her with you last night," Trivette chortled Gage feigning another half grin.
Ignoring the two of them Walker continued, "Gage partner Sam up with Sumner and you with your wife. Trivette you set yourself up as their pimp and hit the streets tonight," he instructed handing the stack of the dead girls' files to them.
"Gage you go inform the girls," Trivette grinned knowing exactly Ranger Cooke's reaction, "While I set up my cover."
"Gee thanks," Gage rolled his eyes more news he could make Syd happy with. Walking to his desk Gage called out their names as he passed by and the three rangers followed him over to where he had sat down.
"We've been asked to look into the recent murders of the hookers in the down town area." He began to explain. "Syd, Sam…"
"I know Gage you haven't got the legs for it," Syd cut him off knowing full well what he was going to say.
"Syd this came from the top I had nothing to do with it. It was Walker who said to pair you up with Sam and for both of you to work the street. Sumner and I will be your back up and Jimmy is who you are going to be working for," Gage cut back in.
"In all due respect Gage I thought I proved on our last assignment that I can handle myself," Sam spoke up. "I don't need Ranger Cooke babysitting me."
"Sam there isn't any question that you can handle yourself and Syd isn't being foisted on you to babysit you. The truth is that our killer has changed M. O.s he killed a short dark haired girl last night," Gage announced to the group. "In all likelihood Syd will be as big a target as you will be."
"Any leads at all Gage?" Sumner asked once again trying to steer the conversation in another direction.
"That's what you and I are going to find out," Gage replied handing the stack of files to his partner. "You two want to go through these files and see if you can find anything that these girls have in common, see what might make a girl be the next target," Gage ordered more then asked. "Sumner and I are going to hit the streets for a couple of hours and see if we can find out anything."
"You got it Gage," Sam answered giving Gage a big grin before turning to relieve Syd of half the files and march over to her new desk.
"Sumner I'll be right with you," Gage told the younger ranger waiting a moment for him to leave before he spoke to his wife. "Honey I'm sorry about this I'll speak to her if you want."
"Gage I can fight my own battles she doesn't intimidate me," Syd told him her face not giving way to her thoughts.
"Okay I'll be back later and we'll take off early so we can have some time before we get to work tonight," he smiled taking her hand in his for a minute just before her phone rang.
"All right Gage," she nodded as her phone rang she watched him leave before giving her full attention to it. "Ranger Cooke."
"Syd it's me," Anna B's voice was on the other end of the line.
"I got the info you wanted, you know they haven't changed security much since that time I broke into Gage's file," she laughed.
Syd smiled at the recollection as well before asking, "Did you find anything?"
"There wasn't much at the beginning all her achievements you know like top honours in her class, top on marksmanship, that sort of thing," Anna B paused for a moment before continuing. "There was a sealed file inside her file it took a little more doing to get into it but well worth it."
"What is it?" Syd's curiosity was getting the better of her as she watched Sam all ready hard at work on the files.
"It seems Ranger Webb's mother was having an affair with another man. Her father came home early from work and caught them. He shot the mother's lover at point blank range and strangled her to death. Records indicate that Ranger Webb saw part of it and that she was in therapy for years getting over it. Her father is still incarcerated at Huntsville on death row," Anna B finished telling Syd what she had learnt.
"Man I never would have guessed that in a hundred years," Syd commented.
"Want me to email the info over to you?"
"Not here send it home if you don't mind," Syd answered.
"You got it. Hey what about we get together this weekend?" Anna B asked before hanging up.
"Let me get back to you on that we've had a lot going on lately I'll have to see," Syd hedged.
"Everything okay?" Anna B inquired.
"Yeah fine I've got to go thanks again for the information."
"Any time Syd," Anna B replied hanging up the phone.
Syd took a minute to stare at Sam, normally she would have felt a pang of compassion for the young ranger sitting across from her but for some reason other then she wanted Gage the feeling eluded her. For some unknown reason this small nagging emotion couldn't let the feelings come.
On The Stroll
Sumner had sat quiet for most of the duration of the ride down to the red district but his curiosity was getting the better of him. Finally as he looked out the window he asked, "Are you going to tell me or not?"
"Tell you what?" Gage answered with a question
"What's going on and the real reason Syd decided to come back to work," Sumner replied.
"She told you," Gage retorted.
"I'd almost believe her too except for the fact that she told Anna B that as much as she loved being a ranger she almost wished she had taken a six month leave. Now suddenly today with the three months not even being up she's back at work."
"Sumner," Gage warned
"But that's not all folks," Sumner continued paying no attention to Gage's tone. "Her husband slash partner mysteriously had his nose broken some time between last night and this morning… not to mention the tension between Rangers Cooke and Webb."
"Sumner can you just keep your thoughts to yourself," Gage's voice was almost pleading as he pulled the car to the curb
"What ever you say Boss," Sumner smiled as he opened the car door, "It just gets a man to wondering."
Gage gave Sumner a look as he came around the car and joined him saying nothing more his mind was on Sydney and Sam. If Sumner had figured out all that then what were Walker and Trivette thinking. Man how could he have been so dumb?"
"Amber!" Sumner's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He had stopped a young woman with long spiral blonde hair. She wore a short, short halter dress made of a black lamina that clung seductively to her body, black boots that came past her knees, numerous gold coloured chains, bangle bracelets, ear rings and rings.
"What do you want Sumner?" the young woman responded.
"Now Amber is that any way to greet an old friend?" Sumner smiled taking her by the elbow to steer over towards the car
"Like I said Sumner what do you want?" Amber repeated herself
"Just a little information that's all," Sumner replied. "We're investigating the recent murders of the working girls. You didn't happen to know any of them did you?"
Looking from side to side as if someone was watching her she simply said, "Kelly.
"Kelly Pearson?" Gage asked recognizing the name from the files he had glanced at that morning.
Amber nodded her head yes. "She was always saying she was getting out of the business, always scrimping and saving, it was always just a few bucks more and I can kiss this good-bye…" Amber's voice trailed off.
"You have any idea what happened?" Sumner questioned
"I do," a second girl butted in, "She got in that dark green vintage charger and that's the last time she was seen alive.
"You know this how?" Gage asked.
"Cause I seen her get in," the girl answered. "They drove off in the direction of Main."
"Thanks," Sumner replied as he and Gage walked back towards the car
"A dark green charger," Gage muttered as he got in the car picking up the files and thumbing through them. "Right there," he pointed in triumph. "A green charger was seen by at least one other witness. We need to start circulating a picture of that car."
Sumner was all ready dialing before Gage finished speaking. "Hey Syd," he greeted Gage's partner Gage looking up at Sumner at the mention of her name. Quickly he explained about the car Syd promising to get right on it, he ended the conversation asking if she wanted to talk to Gage. "Okay Syd we'll see you when we get back," Sumner told her hanging up the phone
"Sorry Buddy she said she'd talk to you later she's busy," he told his friend.
It didn't surprise Gage but it smarted all the same. Trying to come off nonchalant he said to Sumner, "Let's get back at it."
Sumner nodded his agreement wondering even more what had happened between his friends. The first chance he got he was going to call Anna B and see if she knew anything. If she didn't know she would make it her business to find out.
TBC...