Chapter 3
Late in the afternoon when the group of hikers returned to their campsite they were in good spirits. It had been a fun day and they had seen some beautiful scenery, caught some fresh fish for dinner and even Gage was in a much better mood. When they rounded the trail and their tents came into view there was no sign of Syd.
"Syd! We're home!" Erica called, a bit concerned when they didn't see her but confident that she was probably just relaxing inside her tent.
"And we've got dinner!" Trivette called, pleased with the load of fish he had secured that afternoon.
When they received no answer, Alex suggested that maybe Syd was asleep and headed over to Syd's tent. She knocked softly on the door, calling to her friend and then unzipping it slowly when she heard nothing in response.
"Walker, she's not here!" Alex called out, alarmed.
"There's been a struggle. Human, not animal." Walker observed, his calm exterior belying the worry he felt inside. "There are scuffmarks all around the fire, a book is lying haphazardly here in the dirt and there is dried blood on this rock. It looks to me like she was attacked and then carried off in that direction." He pointed to the trail leading up the mountain.
Gage felt his stomach twist in knots and a vice-like pain settle over his heart as he heard what was going on. Oh my god, he had left Syd here injured and unprotected. All because he was angry with her – under normal circumstances he would never, ever have left her alone. If anything had happened to her he...
"Let's go." Trivette called, his fish forgotten as his Ranger training kicked in. He slapped Gage on the back to shake him from the stupor he seemed to be in and ran towards the trail Walker was pointing at.
"Alex, you and Erica stay here. Light a fire, boil water and get medical supplies ready. If anything happens yell and scream as loud as you can and then set off the flare gun. Okay?"
"Yes, Walker – please be careful." his wife replied. "I love you."
"I love you too." He kissed her on the lips and ran to the trail head.
The three Rangers headed up the mountain trail in the fast-fading light of day, the scope of their vision reduced further by the thick forest of trees. Gage could feel his heart pounding in his ears as he followed Walker and Trivette. He just kept thinking about the blood that they had found. Was it already too late? Oh Syd – I am so sorry.
It was almost an hour before the team came upon the nearest campsite. Three men were sitting around a roaring campfire, clearly intoxicated and chatting loudly with one another. There was no sign of Sydney but as the Rangers listened to their conversation it was clear that these were the culprits.
"When it's my turn..." One of the men began. "I'm going to show that little bitch just who's boss around here." He made a vulgar gesture with his groin and his comrades laughed.
"Well, I already sampled the wares boys and let me tell you, she's one sweet little thing." The largest of the men boasted and Gage felt sick to his stomach. Walker and Trivette had to hold Gage back to prevent him from charging into the site then and there.
"Gage, focus." Walker spoke sternly. "Storming in there without a plan will not help your partner. Now, they keep gesturing to that small tent over so I bet that's where they are holding Sydney. Trivette – you and I will take on these guys, Gage you slip silently around the back and get her out. Just take off as soon as you get her, don't worry about us. We'll follow when we're finished with this bunch."
Gage nodded, as did Trivette.
"Okay, on the count of three. Ready? One, two, three." Walker and Trivette burst from the bushes and into the middle of the campsite yelling "Texas Rangers!" and were immediately engaged in hand to hand combat with the three men. Strengthened by the element of surprise and lack of alcohol in their systems the two Rangers had the upper hand but were still required to fight a fierce battle.
Gage lost sight of what his colleagues were doing as he ran around the back of the tent and using a pocket-knife easily sliced through the nylon fabric. It was dim in the tent, only a faint light from the bonfire penetrating the walls, but he could see Syd lying there on the floor curled in a fetal position with her hands and feet bound. He called her name lightly so as not to frighten her.
"Syd...Syd..." He shook her gently, his fingers cold with fear.
Gage felt his heart breaking as she cried out meekly, "No, please...please don't!"
"Syd, honey – it's me, Gage. I'm not going to hurt you; I'm just going to take you away from here."
Syd's eyes opened slowly in disbelief, everything in her body hurt. If not for the pain she would be sure that she was dreaming again. "G..G..Gage?"
"Yes...shh, it's okay now. I'm just going to cut through these ropes and then carry you out of here, okay?"
"Okay." Her voice was timid, like that of a small frightened child. Gage cut the ropes that bound her limbs together and gathered her tenderly in his arms, exiting the tent through the hole he had slashed in the back.
Vaguely cogniscent of the fact that he could still hear a fight between the Rangers and Syd's attackers going on in the main part of the site, he headed off into the pitch black woods blindly, carrying his precious cargo. Gage wasn't sure where he was heading and after several minutes of wandering blindly in the dark he decided to stop and get his bearings. He carefully set Syd down on the ground beside the base of a large tree.
"I'm going to be right back Syd; I just need to find the trail again." And he slipped away through the trees vainly searching for well-worn ground that would indicate a path.
When he returned moments later he could hear Syd crying. She flung her arms around his neck as he sat down beside her and she clung to him desperately.
"Please don't leave me again Gage." She sobbed. "I'm sorry for those things I said this morning, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean them - I love you. Please don't leave me."
Gage gathered his trembling partner in his arms and held her as close to him as humanly possible, her tears tearing his heart into shreds.
"Shh Syd, shh - its okay. I'm not going to leave you. I love you too, I love you too." He rocked her lovingly back and forth in his embrace, his hands smoothing her hair, caressing her back. He could feel a large lump on the back of her head and his fingers got stuck in a messy clump of what he presumed was drying blood.
After a few minutes her sobs subsided, though she continued to cling to him with all the strength she could muster. Syd's head hurt and her ankle was throbbing and she wasn't sure if this was real. Was she really securely tucked in Gage's arms listening to him tell her over and over again that he loved her? Deciding she didn't care if this was real or not, it was what she needed to get past the horror of the day, Syd slowly gave into the exhaustion that she felt and passed out in her partner's arms.
Gage wasn't sure if she was asleep or if she had passed out, but it didn't matter to him. He was just relieved that she was safe and in his arms and that her crying had stopped. With a tear trickling down his own cheek for the pain and fear she must have suffered at the hands of those brutes, he eased her body gently into a more comfortable position in his lap and sat still, unsure what to do next.
About fifteen minutes later he saw a small light heading through the woods towards him. He sat flat back against the tree unwilling to call out in case it was unwanted company.
"Gage? Gage!" he finally heard being called as the light got brighter.
"Walker?"
"Gage! Where are you?"
"Over here." He stood up with Syd cradled in his arms. "I got lost in the darkness and figured it was best to stay put."
"Wise move. You okay? Syd?" Trivette asked shining the flashlight onto the female Ranger's sleeping form.
"Pretty messed up guys, I don't know what they did to her." It was hard for Gage to speak, tears of his own frustration and guilt choking his voice. "She passed out about fifteen minutes ago and I didn't want to wake her, she was so exhausted. But she's got a lump on the back of her head and I think there's blood there too."
"Okay." Walker spoke. "Are you up to carrying her Gage? Let's head back to our site and take a look at her. Trivette, you lead the way and I'll pull up the rear."
Jimmy turned the flashlight back towards the path a few feet from where Gage had been resting and began to direct the team back down the mountain.
"What happened to the guys?" Gage finally asked.
"Out cold and tied up." Trivette turned around grinning, sobering when he remembered that it was Syd who was lying limply in Gage's arms. "They won't be going anywhere soon."
"We'll go find the park ranger in the morning and get them hauled out of here." Walker added. "We'll see if we can get medical help for Sydney too, send for a medi-chopper. It's just too dark and dangerous on the trails to do anything tonight."
Gage nodded, inwardly praying that the only medication attention Syd would need would be for her head and ankle - he couldn't bear to think that any of those men had touched her or violated her. If they had he doubted that even Walker could stop him from seeking vengeance.
The group walked back to the campsite in silence, the only noise the steady sound of their feet navigating the uneven terrain. Every so often Syd would stir in his arms and make a whimpering noise but Gage whispered 'It's okay – I've got you' in her ear and she would settle back down.
As they neared their campsite the bright glow of a roaring fire met them warmly through the trees. It was welcoming and inviting, whereas the fire belonging to the three men had seemed harsh and evil.
"Oh thank god!" Alex and Erica came running to embrace their men, stopping short when they saw Syd unconscious in Gage's arms.
"Sydney's hurt." Walker announced. "Let's lay her down by the fire."
Erica spread out one of the campfire blankets and Alex folded a second one into a pillow. Gage gently lay Syd down and then sat down beside her, unwilling to leave her side. Trivette collected a canteen of water and the first aid kit that had been readied and handed them to Walker who was doing an external evaluation of Syd's injuries.
"It's a bad bump on her head, and you're right Gage there is a sticky mass there. My guess is that she somehow fell against the rock here at the site – the one we found blood on. I think we should wake her up, she may have a concussion and we don't want to risk her falling into a coma."
Gage tenderly stroked Syd's cheek with the back of his fingers. "Syd..Syd...wake up please. C'mon Syd, open your eyes. We want to make sure that you're okay."
Syd stirred a bit, her eyes closed tightly as if she were unwilling to open them – afraid of what she might see.
"Syd – it's me, Gage – your partner. Walker and Trivette are here too, so are Alex and Erica. We're all here and you're safe, no-one is going to hurt you. Open your eyes Syd, please?"
Slowly Syd opened her eyes and looked up at the group crouched around her. Their faces were kind and encouraging, smiling as she came-to. Her eyes lit upon Gage's – dark with a myriad of emotions, but he too smiled as she tried to sit up.
"Here." Gage stretched one arm around her back and helped her to sit up, placing her between his legs. She flinched momentarily at his touch and then melted back against him, letting his body support her entire weight.
"Water?" Syd asked, her voice scratchy but no longer meek. Walker immediately passed Gage the canteen and he held it to her lips, allowing her to drink in small sips until she had had her fill.
"Can I take a look at the back of your head Sydney?" Walker asked, moving around behind her and Gage with the flashlight to get a better look. "Do you remember what happened?"
"I was sitting here quietly reading my book; you guys had only been gone about an hour when these three guys came out of nowhere. I tried to fight them off but my sore ankle gave out and I fell back – I think I hit my head on a rock. I felt so dizzy and they were carrying me away and..I...I..don't remember much else until later. I woke up and I was in a tent and I couldn't move and one of them was..." her voice dropped to a whisper "...he was touching me..."
Syd felt Gage tighten his grip around her almost ferociously and his breathing become laboured while Alex and Erica both looked away in horror. Trivette looked grim and Walker's voice was strained as he moved around to her front again.
"You don't have to tell us anymore."
"I don't remember anything more." Syd's voice had regained some of its strength. "I think I must have passed out again. I felt so helpless - I was tied up and I didn't know how I'd get out of there and if I did where to go or how I could walk, my ankle hurts even more than it did before."
Walker moved down to Syd's ankle and began to remove her shoe.
"Are you hungry Sydney?" Alex asked as her husband look at Syd's foot. "I bet you haven't eaten since this morning."
"Not really."
"I think you better eat something anyways, okay? You need to keep your strength up - we'll go get you something." She and Erica headed over to the food bag that was hanging high in the tree.
"Thanks." Syd tried to smile at her friend, yelping in pain as Walker pushed on one part of her ankle. "Arrrgg!"
"It looks like your ankle is broken now Sydney. The way you described falling and the injury I see here is consistent with a break. I'm going to put a splint on it and immobilize it. We'll call for a medi-chopper tomorrow to fly you out of here but for now we have to make sure it doesn't receive any more damage or it may never heal correctly. Umm..is there anywhere else that hurts or that needs umm..medical attention?"
Syd understood what Walker was trying to ask and if it weren't so serious a question she'd laugh at how uncomfortable her usually confident boss was asking it. The men had touched her and she didn't think she'd ever forget the feeling of their dirty hands on her but fortunately they hadn't actually forced themselves on her. She imagined that her friends had arrived just in time – the men had left no doubts about their intentions for her.
Syd shook her head and felt Gage visibly relax his grip on her. Her partner hadn't said anything to her since helping her to sit up but she took comfort in his solid strength behind her. She had often thought about how wonderful it must feel to be in Gage's powerful arms; it was regrettable that such a bad turn of events is what had led to this finally happening. She knew that Gage was her friend and her partner and that he'd support her through this but to hope that there could really be something more between them seemed like a fantasy. For now though she'd take comfort in his arms and deal with her other emotions later.
"Trivette – we need some short, solid sticks and two of the triangular bandages from the first aid kit."
"Got it." Trivette was back in a moment, having selected some sticks from their kindling pile and pulling the bandages from the kit.
Walker pulled Syd's sock back on and over her swollen ankle to protect it and together he and Trivette stabilized her ankle.
"Now if we can just put something else over-top, like a large sock, we can really hold it in place."
"Take mine." In an instant Gage was kicking one of his boots off and wiggling his foot in Trivette's face.
"You want me to touch that?" Trivette asked, looking at Gage's foot with disdain.
"Oh for Pete's sake." Walker muttered, pulling Gage's sock off and sliding it gently over Syd's makeshift splint. "Perfect."
"Wow." Syd commented, trying to lighten the mood in the camp and ease the weight of the thoughts on her mind. Hiding behind a veil of teasing was something she knew how to do well and she sought refuge in that now. "Who knew that your big feet would come in handy one day Gage?"
Trivette grinned at Syd – she'd be alright, already she was back slinging jokes at her partner. Walker couldn't help but smile too. And Gage, despite himself, groaned.
"Oh, Syd."
Trivette and Walker stood up, walking over to Erica and Alex and leaving Syd and Gage alone by the fire. Syd immediately turned and looked up at her handsome partner, his arms still wrapped loosely around her.
"Gage?" Her voice was tentative, questioning.
"Yeah Syd?"
"Thanks for coming to get me." Her eyes met his, each filled with a million unanswered questions. Syd was the first to look away.
"You're welcome." He tightened his arms around her in a hug and then let her go. He wanted to hold onto her forever but was afraid that doing so might make her feel smothered. The last thing he wanted to do was seem like he was being overly-protective. He recognized and loved Syd's independent spirit – it was one of her most attractive qualities. If there was ever going to be something between them he would need to allow her that freedom.
Gage shifted out from behind her and helped her to ease back so that she was resting against a rock. As he was doing so Alex brought over a plate of food and sat down beside Syd.
"Here you are hon. I know you're not hungry but it really will help if you eat." Alex motioned to an apple. "Eat that and I'll be happy."
"I...umm...I'll just go get some food myself if you ladies don't mind." Gage looked down at them and saw Syd resting her head on her friend's shoulder, so he headed towards Walker and Trivette. Gage had been around enough women to know that sometimes they need to talk to another woman, just like sometimes men needed to talk to men. This was one of those times for both of them.
Erica headed over to Syd and Alex, dropping another log on the fire as she went. The angst of the evening now over the male Rangers were all quite hungry and they tore into the quick and easy no-cook food like fruit leather, trail mix and even a can of cold beans.
"Is she really going to be okay Walker?" Gage asked, looking at the senior Ranger for some guidance.
"I'm not an expert but I think her physical wounds will heal, I just hope that we caught the ankle in time. As for emotionally though Gage, I imagine you're the best one of us to answer that question."
"What? Why would you say that?" Gage could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. Surely his affection for his Syd was not that obvious.
"Well, she's your partner."
"Oh...yeah...my partner. I guess that does make us pretty close."
"If there's more to it than that, it's okay you know Gage."
Gage looked away from Walker and Trivette, his eyes coming to rest on his partner. It looked like she was crying again; Erica was offering her a tissue.
"It is?" he finally asked, his eyes still on Syd.
"Yeah." Walker laid a hand on Gage's shoulder. "It is."
"We understand buddy." Trivette patted Gage on his other shoulder, moving to stand beside him so that all three men were looking at all three women. "We understand."