Chapter Eight
Inside The Reality
"Stand clear," Gage shouted gun all ready drawn he fired breaking the lock. Rushing the door it was only a moment until all three were kneeling down with the young Ranger.
"Sam, come on Sam open your eyes," Gage had hold of her hand encouraging her to wake up Syd on the other side of her.
"Umm," she slowly moaned out her eyes fluttering open. "Gage, what… what happened, she managed to get out.
"We were hoping you could tell us," Syd cut in watching the young woman clutch tight to her husband's arm.
"Oh Syd," she mumbled struggling to sit up. "We were…" her voice trailed off as if she was in thought. "Sumner? Where's Sumner?" she suddenly cried out. "We were together where is he?" She was scrambling now trying to get to her feet her apparent concern for Sumner pushing her to act.
"Hey, hey you take it easy," Gage was still taking charge, "We'll find Sumner."
She shook her head yes as she started to speak, "We got a line on the charger and followed it into an abandoned warehouse parking lot. We pulled up behind it and I recognized the guy getting out it was Joe Tilley."
"The sheriff?" Syd blurted out the question as they watched her nod her head yes.
"This is all my fault," Sam sobbed. "Joe and I have been trusted friends for years but something has happened to him," she cried out turning her face into Gage's chest.
"Sam get a hold of yourself and tell us what happened," Syd impatiently ordered.
"Yes, you're right Sydney," she answered facing Syd and Hanson still leaning into Gage. She cleared her throat and started again, "I let my guard down and Joe got the drop on us. He made Sumner drive while he held his gun on me. We were here together Sumner has to be here some where…"
"Gage why don't you and Hanson see if you can find Sumner while I stay here with Sam," Syd volunteered watching Sam glower at her.
Nodding his head Gage looked over at the deputy. "Come on Hanson," he called the young man eagerly a step behind him. With guns drawn they made a search of the first floor finding nothing. Once again Gage nodded his head indicating the stairs Hanson still close on his heels.
They made a search of the upstairs coming to a stop outside a closed door. With Hanson taking a stand on one side Gage kicked open the door both men entering guns ready to still find nothing not even in the closet. Holstering their weapons they headed for downstairs once more.
"Nothing Syd," Gage called out turning to go into the kitchen receiving no answer. "Syd," he called again entering the kitchen to find both Sam and Sydney gone.
Rushing to the back door where they had come in he went out on the porch his eyes searching the grounds to find nothing.
"They aren't in the basement," Hanson reported coming up behind Gage. "How do you think Sheriff Tilley got to them?"
Cringing his heart in his throat Gage didn't answer. Although not spoken aloud he knew who the real enemy was and she had Syd.
In Route To Caroline Frazier's Farm
Hanson and Gage had barely been out of the room that Sam had pulled out the gun she had hidden at her side. "Say one word and I'll shoot you dead then I'll make each and everyone of your brats pay for you ruining my plans," she hissed at Syd. "Nice and slow hand me your weapon," Sam ordered.
"You aren't going to get away with this," Syd retorted slowly handing her service revolver to Sam.
"That's what Sumner said and where is he now," she quipped. "Now get up and through that door to the basement," she ordered shoving her gun into Syd's face.
Quickly she ushered Syd into the basement gun at her back. "Get over there and move that cabinet," she ordered Syd unable to do anything but comply. Giving it a shove she found it to move surprisingly easy opening up to a hidden passage way behind it.
"This place was used to help slaves escape their owners, Joe and I used to use it all the time to slip in and out of the house," she smirked prodding Syd with gun once more. "Get moving," she ordered.
As they moved inside the cavern like tunnel Sam pulled on a loop of rope swinging the entrance door and cabinet back in place.
"You're so eager to find Matt Sumner I just feel obliged to show you where he is," Sam laughed aloud.
"What exactly do you hope to gain?" Syd questioned.
"What do I hope to gain? I'm going to gain everything that you have, your partner, your kids and your husband. I'm going to have it all including Gage's love," she confidently sneered.
"Not in this life time," Syd shot back.
"I came just this close to having him Syd and with you out of the picture well its just a matter of time… now get moving," she shrieked the Frazier barn coming into sight.
Sydney having no other choice trudged along Sam with her gun aimed at her back.
Back At The Old Tilley Farm
Gage had pulled his phone from his pocket hitting Trivette's keyed in number. "Trivette," the seasoned ranger answered.
Quickly Gage explained what had happened. "She blamed Sheriff Joe Tilley but I can't explain I just know its Sam and now she has Syd as well as Sumner."
"Okay Gage take it easy I'm requisitioning a helicopter Walker and I'll be there as soon as we can. We'll find her and Matt, Gage, we'll find them," Jimmy tried to assure him.
"Ranger," Hanson was calling him from what was left of the barn. "You better come see this."
"Got to go Trivette," Gage exclaimed hanging up the phone to join the deputy.
Hanson had crouched down and was looking at something as Gage approached. "What have you got?" he asked coming up behind him.
"Sheriff Tilley, he's dead," Hanson replied void of emotion.
With eyes fixed on Tilley Gage began to quiz the deputy, "Hanson you live around here where would Sam take two rangers to keep them out of circulation?"
Thinking a minute Hanson let a slight smile come across his face before saying, "Home."
"Home?"
"Yeah home back to the Frazier place it backs right on to this place."
"Lead the way," Gage told him ready to move out.
"Yes Sir," Hanson replied all ready on his feet.
Inside The Barn At The Frazier Farm
Inside the barn Matt Sumner sat silently waiting for his captor to return. Both Sam and some local sheriff had come into the house they been arguing when they pulled open the closet door where Sam had left him.
"Please Sammy this has got to stop, he's a ranger and so is she," Tilley was pleading with her. "You don't need this Francis Gage we can move away from here, things can be good between us like they were before.
"Shut up Joe, just shut up you don't have any idea what you're talking about. It's been over between us for a long time face it Joe I have a new man in my life," she told him a dreamy look coming into her eyes as she thought about Gage.
"He doesn't love you and look how many people you have murdered just try and make him yours," Tilley cried out.
"He loves me all right and once his wife is out of the way it's me he will love and turn to," she glared at the sheriff as she spoke her eyes narrowing to mere slits. "Now help me get him up and over to my place.
Tilley stared at her for a moment more before going to where Matt was and reaching under his arm dragged him to his feet. With Sam leading the way they headed out of the house and back towards the barn where the green charger stood. When they had almost made it to the car Sam suddenly stopped short spinning around to face Matt and Tilley.
"You've used up your usefulness," she declared. Before Tilley could retort Sam's gun had gone off killing the sheriff where he stood.
Turning to face Matt she declared, "If you want to keep breathing you'll keep moving." With gun trained on him Sam opened the trunk and bade Matt climb in slamming the door over him.
They had drove a very short distance once there Sam had taken him into a barn shackling him to a post and leaving him to wait. He had heard her gun the car being left to silence once again.
His mind had travelled to his wife Anna B and their twin babies Katie and David a feeling of despair coming over him at the thought that he might not see them again. Shaking his head he took on a new determination that if he couldn't escape he would certainly be rescued. Seeing no way to break free of the handcuffs that tethered him to the post Matt resigned himself to waiting for Sam's return.
Sumner didn't have long to wait until he heard Ranger Webb's voice once more. The door flew open and his heart began to sink when he realized that she wasn't alone, when he realized she had Sydney in her custody.
"Ranger Sumner you are just so curious about this case that I wanted to give you a chance to see how Dallas' notorious serial killer does her dirty work," she grinned her eyes flashing back to Sydney the same moment her gun fired winging Syd in the shoulder knocking her from her feet.
Pulling a silk scarf from her jacket pocket she continued to talk to Sumner as she walked to where Syd had fallen. "Now that the victim is incapacitated you wrap the scarf around their neck and squeeze the life out of them," she laughed.
Just as she began to kneel to finish what she had started Sydney's foot shot out catching her full in the chest and knocking her back catching her off guard.
As Sam stumbled to regain her balance Syd wasted no time getting to her feet. "I've waited to give you what you deserve Sam," Syd spat out through gritted teeth.
"Sydney now I'm really going to get to prove who the better woman is for Gage," Sam snarled back making a rush at Syd grabbing her around the middle trying to take her to the ground.
With as much force as she could muster Syd brought her head forward cracking it against Sam's bringing her knee up into the woman a mere second later sending her reeling.
"Why you…" Sam began cursing trying to get her bearings to mount another attack. Clutching a chain that hung from the wall she began to swing it above her head moving closer to Syd. Looking around her Syd's eyes came upon a broom standing against the wall that she grabbed up just in time to bring it between herself and the flailing chain. As the chain wrapped around the broom handle Syd gave a good yank wrenching the chain from her opponent's hands. As Sam fell forward she was met by Syd's foot full force connecting with her face not once but twice sending her reeling backwards and onto the floor of the barn.
"Syd, Syd where are you?" She could hear Gage's voice calling to her.
"In here Gage," she called back wincing in pain as she tried to make it to Sumner.
The door flung open Gage's voice crying out the same instance, "Get down Syd," just as Sam brought her gun level with Sydney. As she hit the ground Gage's gun fired hitting Sam's hand knocking the gun flying before she could fire off the shot.
"Syd, Syd are you all right," Gage was on his knees lifting her against him holding her his heart pounding in his ears.
"Gage I'll live help Sumner," she answered struggling in vain to escape his tight hold.
"Everyone all right here?" Trivette's familiar voice was calling out to them as Deputy Hanson looked after taking Samantha Webb into custody.
"Sydney needs medical attention and Sumner probably does too," Gage answered still holding his wife close.
The Gages could hear Trivette in the background calling for the EMT, Walker had gone to Sumner releasing him but it wasn't until they heard Sam's shrill voice that they looked up from each other.
"You don't love her Gage you know you love me. I did it all for us, kill her finish her off so we can truly be together. I know you love me," Sam ranted on.
"There is only one woman I love," Gage declared not looking up from Sydney their eyes catching and holding each others gaze.
"I'll finish you Sydney this isn't over he's mine, Gage is mine," her voice shrieked.
"Try it and you'll get more of the same," Syd's voice bit in. "It will take more then you to finish me or take Gage away from me."
"Get her out of here," Walker barked the sounds of screaming emergency vehicles coming closer.
"Sumner call Anna B Katie has been sick," Trivette was ordering all ready offering his phone to him.
The phone connected Sydney and Gage could hear Sumner trying to calm his frazzled wife. "Let's get you looked after Honey," Gage softly whispered his lips brushing her forehead as he spoke feeling Syd gently nod her head yes.
A Day Later At The Gages
After bringing Syd home from the hospital and reassuring the children that Mom would be fine Gage had tucked Syd into bed. "Gage really I'm fine," she tried to convince him.
"And you're going to stay that way Honey," Gage told her pulling the covers up around her as he sat on the bed beside her. "I've got a lot of making up to do and I'm starting right here."
"You know Gage you should know better then to look at any other woman then me," Syd grinned as she spoke.
"And what do you mean by that Mrs. Gage?"
"Well just look at your track record Gage, there was the Serb if you recall she tried to skewer you."
"Funny Syd."
"And down forget Hitch, you know Laura Pope's friend…"
"I got the picture."
"Now you can add Samantha to the list."
"Sydney will you ever forgive me?" Gage asked a small pout accompanying his puppy dog blue eyes.
"I forgave you days ago Francis," she smiled letting him brush a wisp of hair from her forehead.
"I love you Syd," Gage whispered leaning down taking her in his arms, "I just love you."
"I know you do Gage I love you too."
The End