Syd returned to the site after midnight, three hours since she and Trivette had left Gage there. It had been hard to only get about 2 and half hours sleep but she thought that Jimmy probably deserved to sleep the longest; he had after all done all the driving.
When she pulled down County Road 44 and encountered the road block, Gage was actively involved in a conversation with the two local law enforcers and they were clearly having a great time.
"Oh hey Shorty." Gage called to her as Syd stepped from the vehicle. He was clearly in a better mood than the last time he had spoken to her. "You are going to have a great time; these two have some funny tales to tell."
"Oh, Gage – you're being modest." Nancy said. "He had lots of funny things to tell about his partner back in Dallas."
"Oh really?" Syd put her hands on her hips. "Did he happen to tell you who his partner is?"
Gage looked sheepishly at Syd and then turned, "Uh, Nancy, Martin – meet my partner."
"Oh my God...so you're the one that..." Nancy started laughing and Syd turned to stare at Gage.
"What did you tell them?"
"Nothing bad Syd, just some funny things that we've had to do undercover. You know, some of the good times we've had."
"I can't recall any of them right now." Syd's stare turned into a glare and for the first time since he had told some of those silly stories it occurred to him that his partner would never have told stories about him that made people laugh, especially not total strangers. "Here's the keys."
"Syd..." Gage began but she was already marching away from him, her back straight.
"Sweet dreams partner." She called back to him in a voice that told him she wished him anything but.
"Goodnight Gage." Nancy shouted and then stood up and walked towards him as he was climbing into the truck.
"Have a good night. See you tomorrow." Martin called to their departing colleague, and then turned to Syd. "Sydney was it? Can I interest you in a cup of coffee, fresh from my thermos?"
"Sounds great Martin, thank you." Syd took the coffee he offered her and sat back, ready for her three hours of surveillance. Nancy returned to the area as Gage pulled away in the car and three officers began to get to know one another.
Despite her initial resentment towards Nancy Wildings, Syd actually found herself liking her. She was funny and spirited, very interested in local history and archaeology and actually a few years older than she first seemed to Syd. Martin was a bit more serious, a family man with two children and a wife who was a dental hygienist, a dedicated law professional who hoped that someday he too might join the Texas Rangers.
When Trivette came to relieve her about 3:00 Syd was quite wide awake and she wondered how she was ever going to fall asleep. Trivette look refreshed after his time at the motel, but it was obvious that tomorrow was going to be a rough day on all of them.
When Syd returned to the motel Gage was sound asleep on the floor. She couldn't believe it! There were two empty beds in the room and Gage was still sleeping where they had originally insisted he go.
Syd changed quietly in the dark, slipping into an old T-shirt she had kept at the office to sleep in. She tiptoed towards her bed and crawled in, all the while listening to Gage's peaceful breathing. Once she was under the sheets she called out to him quietly.
"Gage...Gage..."
"Hmm...what...what's wrong?"
"Nothing." She whispered. "I just thought you might want to sleep in a bed."
"You offering your bed?"
"No!" Syd could feel herself blushing despite the cover of darkness. "Trivette's gone, go sleep in his bed."
"Okay." Gage clumsily gathered his meagre possessions – the pillow, a blanket - from the floor and clambered onto Trivette's bed. Within minutes both the Rangers were sound asleep.
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It was after 7:00 in the morning when Gage and Syd both woke up.
"Syd... wake up!" Gage called to his partner sleeping so peacefully in the next bed. He hated to do it but..."Syd, wake up. It's after 7:00, we're late! Trivette is going to kill us."
"Oh my God!" Syd jumped out of bed and ran for the bathroom, taking time only to splash water on her face and brush her teeth and hair. Gage followed suit and by 7:15 they were both dressed, presentable and on their way out the door. They stopped at a little diner called Aunt Susie's Kountry Kitchen and ordered five hearty breakfast platters to go and were soon on their way out to the roadblock.
Trivette gave them a hard time for a few minutes but was appeased by his breakfast platter and the fact that his car was fine.
Nancy headed directly over to Gage and while she smiled and waved at Sydney, she started laughing uproariously about something that Gage said as they ate their breakfasts.
Sitting beside Sydney as she ate Martin watched as the petite dark haired Ranger started picking at her food when she caught sight of Gage and Nancy engaged in what seemed to be a very exclusive conversation.
"Does he know how much you care about him?" Martin asked her and Syd stopped eating completely, turning to stare at this man who was practically a stranger.
"Excuse me?"
"Look, I know it's none of my business but I can see that you're bothered by your partner and Nancy."
"Why should I care if my partner has a conversation with another law enforcement official?"
"I somehow doubt that if he was having a conversation with me you would have stopped eating your breakfast."
"It's just a lot of food, that's all and it's pretty greasy. Gage is my partner and my friend but I don't have any control over the women who chooses to have in his life. And anyways, Nancy seems nice enough."
"Oh, she's great. She is also pretty and bubbly and, well, what can I tell you? My wife got pretty darn jealous when I was first teamed up with her. It took a lot of convincing that we were just friendly co-workers."
"Well, Martin – thank you for your opinion but I am not Gage's wife and I am certainly not jealous." Syd stood up, dumped the remains of her breakfast platter in the garbage and asked loudly when they would be ready to go.
Trivette finished up quickly and joined Syd as she stood looking down the road towards the archaeological site, just barely visible in the distance. Nancy and Gage dumped their garbage and while Nancy started to pack up the cooler and chairs, Martin pulled Gage aside before he could join his colleagues.
"Hey Gage."
"Yeah Martin?"
"Just a word of advice from one guy to another. Try and be a little more sensitive to the feelings of your partner there."
"Syd? What's wrong? Did she say something to you?"
"No but I reckon she rather has her nose out of joint because of you and Nancy."
"Me and Nancy?"
"Oh c'mon man, don't play dumb with me. Nancy set her sights on you the moment you stepped out of the car last evening, and if the feeling is mutual then I think it's great – Nancy is a fine woman, but you should remember that there is another woman here that could get hurt. I'm just asking you to think about that."
Gage stood there dumbfounded and looked between Nancy, who grinned up at him, and Syd who was standing stiffly, her back deliberately to him. Oh boy, how had this happened?
"Thanks Martin, I appreciate the advice."
"I've been there buddy."
Gage walked towards Trivette and his partner, moving in to stand beside Syd. "I'm ready."
"Good." The senior Ranger smiled, reaching for his car keys.
"Finally." Was Syd's response.
"Syd, we need to talk." Gage tried to stop Syd by lightly touching her shoulder as she began to follow Trivette.
She shrugged him off. "Gage..."
"Later, okay Syd?"
"Fine. Let's go now though okay, we have work to do."
Sergeants Wilding and Stringer led the Rangers down the road towards the archaeological site and after introducing them to the team that was in place there, headed back to town for some sleep.
"See you again soon Gage." Nancy called as their van pulled away.
"Uh, sure." Gage called back, suddenly feeling very awkward that Nancy had ignored both Sydney and Trivette in her farewell address.
At the site they were introduced to Ranger Cam Steadman and Ranger Jamie Tucker who were both heading home to bed after being awake all night, Site Supervisor and Head Archaeologist at Texas University in Austin Dr. Patricia Reach, and four summer students with varying levels of archaeological expertise.
"You had no problems last night?" Trivette asked.
"No, none. Nor any the night before either but three night ago now we lost several important native pieces which we had uncovered earlier in the day from the grave of what we believe was a prominent chief."
"Could I get a list and description of those objects that went missing?"
"Certainly Ranger Trivette and I can even give you digital images. We had managed to photograph and document all the pieces before they were stolen. Why don't you come with me and I'll have one of the students show Rangers Gage and Cooke around? Neil – would you come and take these Rangers on a tour of our site and please point out the exact location where we uncovered the stolen artefacts."
"Sure thing!" Neil was a pleasant and eager young man. This was his third summer dig and he was entering his last year of undergraduate courses and hoping to work on his Masters degree next fall under Dr. Reach. He took them around, briefly showing them the living quarters, the cooking facilities, the preparation and storage tent, the lab filled with portable microscopes and computer equipment, and finally he led them out into the desert for about a mile to the site of the excavation.
"This is so neat." Gage commented. "I've never been to an actual archaeological site. So do you find lots of cool things?"
"Sometimes, like this time, we found the grave and all the associated grave goods. Often burial places have been looted or there has been animal activity so we get very excited if we simply find a tooth or a piece of pottery."
"Isn't this just so neat Syd? Imagine, once someone was buried here."
"Yeah." Syd replied, the place was actually making her feel uneasy and she felt like they were being watched. She looked all around them but couldn't see anything.
"Everything okay Shorty?" Gage picked up on his partner's unease and stood up.
"Yeah...I've just got one of those bad feelings, like someone is watching us."
Gage looked around but he couldn't see anything either. Still, Syd's instincts were usually pretty good.
Neil piped up. "Sometimes I feel that way out here. I like to think it's the ancient spirits watching over me."
"Yeah, it's probably just something like that." Gage noticed as Syd almost shivered and then stepped visibly closer to him. He wanted to reach out and put his arm around her shoulder but figured that she would probably whack him if he did that. So he did the next best thing, tried to soothe her discomfort by announcing that it was probably time to head back.
Syd nodded and Neil led the way and Gage was aware the whole way back that his partner kept an even pace with him, always within his arms reach.
Back at the main site Trivette told them that Walker had called and needed one of them to meet him in Sanderson. Since he had just acquired all the information about the missing objects he'd go and leave Syd and Gage to guard the site.
"That's fine Trivette. I could use a little R & R out here anyways." Gage joked. "I mean, the objects are missing right. I doubt anyone is going to come back now and try to take some old pottery."
"Don't underestimate the power of the dead." Kate, one of the summer students, spoke in a voice that was almost eerie and Syd felt downright cold to the bone as the girl spoke.
"I think I need to go sit down." Syd announced. "I'm suddenly not feeling very well."
"Oh, here – come with me." Susan, another of the students took Syd by the arm. "It's probably the heat. When you aren't used to it it can really take a lot out of you. Have you had any water yet?"
When Syd shook her head no, David the last of the students, headed straight for the canteen to fetch a large water bottle for each of the Rangers.
After she had been sitting down, in the shade of one of the work tents, and had guzzled a significant portion of the water bottle, she did feel better but she couldn't shake the sensation that there was more to it than the heat and a bit of dehydration.
Gage came in soon after and sat down beside her. "You feel better Syd?"
"Yeah, a little. Thanks for not laughing at me out there; I really did feel a creepy presence."
"Syd, I trust your instincts on things like this; we all need to go with our gut sometimes – that's how we survive."
"Thanks Gage." She smiled at him.
Gage looked like he wanted to say more, opening his mouth slightly but then he closed it and looked away.
"What?" Syd prodded.
"It's just..." Gage turned back around and met her gaze. "It's just that you are so beautiful when you smile."
"I am?" Syd felt heat course through her body from nose to toe.
"Yeah." Gage looked like he was about to say more but Dr. Reach entered the tent at that moment, ready to discuss her plans for the day with the Rangers.
"It's too hot to work in the midday heat out at the excavation site so we normally go out at first light, come back for lunch and a bit of a siesta, then go back out again for the evening. We have obviously missed this morning's time as it is already quite late." Gage had to refrain from laughing since it was only about 9:00. "That's fine of course; we'll do some lab work, have our usual afternoon break and then go back out around 5:00. Does that work for you?"
"I think that's fine, as far as we know right now Dr. Reach." Syd answered.
"Please call me Patricia."
"Patricia. As I said, its fine for us but plans could change depending on what information Ranger Trivette brings back."
"Of course. Would you care to see the lab in action?"
"Sure." Gage and Syd followed Dr. Reach to the lab where they spent the morning learning all the ins and outs of on-site archaeological laboratory work.
They worked together and prepared lunch with the archaeologists, eating a pleasant meal in the shade of the canteen/kitchen tent. After the meal the five members of the team headed to their respective tents for a rest.
"You are welcome to join us Rangers. The boys have their own tent Ranger Gage and we have plenty of room for you Ranger Cooke."
"Thank you, no. We need to stand guard and watch the site. You rest; we'll call you if we need you."
"Thanks. Please just remember to stay out of the midday sun. I can see Ranger Gage that your fair skin is already beginning to burn and Ranger Cooke you look a little pale, perhaps you should drink more water."
Syd nodded and reached for her third large water bottle that day, downing a large mouthful.
She and Gage sat there; talking idly about all sorts of things and wondering what Trivette and Walker had uncovered that had kept Trivette from returning. He had been gone for over four hours and although he was not due back any particular time, both Rangers felt like their life line to the real world had been taken from them.
As she finished the third bottle of water Gage looked at his partner and determined that she still looked pale, perhaps even more so.
"I'm fine Gage, really." Syd protested but as she stood up to fetch more water, she fainted. Her actions were so sudden that Gage was unprepared and Syd crashed to the ground.
He rushed to her side and felt for a pulse. It felt weak and her breathing was shallow.
"Syd...Syd...wake up please." Gage lifted her head in his arms and lightly stroked the hair from her face. When she didn't respond he shouted loudly for help.
Dr. Reach and the four students were with them in a matter of minutes.
"What happened?" The lead archaeologist asked.
"She was looking pale, like you noticed before, but she was drinking water and kept getting paler. Then she stood up and just passed out. Her breathing is a bit laboured and her pulse is weak. What do you think is wrong?"
The five members of the camp looked at each and said together "Snake bite." And Neil took off for the first aid kit.
"Snake bite? She didn't say anything about being bitten." Gage felt his heart racing. Hang on Syd.
"Does your partner tell you everything?"
"No, I guess not."
"She may not even have known she was bitten. It might have just felt like an insect bite. My guess it was the bite of one of the lesser poisonous snakes and that's why the toxin has taken so long to go through her system. Yes, look – here on her ankle."
Gage looked at the slightly swollen and red area low on Syd's leg.
"Will she be alright?" Please tell me she's going to be alright, his eyes were pleading as he cradled her head in his lap.
"If I'm right this anti-venom serum will reduce the toxicity and relieve the strain on her heart and other muscles." Dr. Reach injected Syd in the thigh with a large needle from the kit Neil had brought back. "When she comes-to we'll need to give her lots, and I do mean lots, of fluid to flush out the toxins. She'll probably be weak for several hours, maybe even a day or more, but she'll recover. If it had been the bite of one of our more poisonous friends she could have been dead within a few minutes."
"Thank you." Gage breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't imagine his life without Syd in it.
The students and Dr. Reach returned to their tents and Gage sat with Syd's head resting in his lap, listening as her breathing improved and feeling her pulse return to normal. He cooled her head with a damp cloth and waited for her to wake up.
"G...G...Gage?"
"Yes Syd, it's me." He smiled down at her.
"What's wrong? You look so worried." Slowly Syd became conscious of where she was and struggled to sit up. "What happened?"
"You were bitten by a snake." Gage helped Syd to a sitting position on the ground but he stayed beside her, his hand on her back to steady her.
"I was?"
"Yeah...you passed out and Dr. Reach had to give you an anti-venom serum."
"Am I going to be okay?" Syd grabbed at Gage's arm in panic, her voice shrill.
"Yes...shh Syd, you're going to be fine. Now here, I have been told that I need to make you drink at least one of these big bottles every fifteen minutes to flush the toxins out. So let's start now." He helped Syd hold the bottle and he could feel how weak her muscles seemed. When she had finished more than half he let her stop for a moment and he could feel her resting against him.
"Did you really mean it before when you said I was beautiful?"
"Yeah Syd, I did. You are the most beautiful women I have ever known."
"What about Nancy?"
"What about her?"
"Isn't she pretty?"
"I suppose so, if you like that type." She almost dies and here she wants to talk about Sergeant Nancy? I'll never understand women. "Here, sit up again Syd, let's finish this bottle."
Syd finished the bottle and Gage helped her make her way to the bathroom, or rather the chemical toilet. When she had finished in there, Gage got her settled in a comfortable chair, her bitten ankle raised in the air, in the work tent which was the closest shaded area to the toilet. Then he fetched another several bottles of water.
The afternoon passed by pretty slowly. Syd felt groggy and tired her movements sluggish and slow but after some time her colour returned to normal. Gage tried to pass some of the time by practising his sign language. He didn't need it any longer since the surgery to correct his damaged hearing had been successful but he felt it was a skill he should keep honed. Syd laughed a few times at some of Gage's mistakes.
"Oh nice Syd. You, of course are Miss Perfection and probably remember every single action." He looked a little annoyed with her.
"No, I'm sure I don't. I'm sorry Gage; I didn't mean to laugh at you. I'm not perfect."
"Darn right."
"Hey, you didn't have to agree so fast!"
Gage grinned at her, his irritation abated. At that moment they caught sight of Trivette's car heading down the dirt road, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
"I wonder what's wrong? He's going really fast." Gage got to his feet. "No Syd, you keep sitting – you're still really weak."
Syd grimaced, she hated being weak and to be called that by her partner...arg! It was frustrating, especially since it was the truth at this moment.
"Hey guys." Trivette leapt from the car. "Where is everyone?"
"Siesta time." Gage answered. "What's going on?"
"Well Walker has run into some problems and he...hey, what's the matter with Sydney?"
"Snake bite."
"Oooh, Sydney are you okay? Shouldn't you be at the hospital or something?"
"Apparently not, they had a venom kit here and it wasn't that deadly a snake."
"Still..."
"I'm fine Trivette. What's going on with Walker?"
Trivette looked at Gage questioningly. "She said she's fine man; better tell her what's going on."
"Okay...looks like trouble may be heading our way. Walker and the chief at the reservation were unable to appease some members of the vigilante group and they have formed their own sort of small army. They have a large number of weapons at their disposal and are likely heading here tonight."
"Why are they coming here? Everything of value was taken already."
"Well, you see...in order to catch them and the perpetrators Walker has had a rumour spread that more sacred and valuable material has been found here today. He believes the original material was taken across the border to Mexico and suspects that the thieves will return here tonight, probably well armed this time because they know authorities have been alerted, and try to seize the new material. The vigilante group thinks the same thing so they'll be here, lying in wait somewhere to basically start a war."
"What else aren't you telling us?" Syd asked, she could tell that Jimmy was leaving something out.
"The vigilante group believes, and probably rightly so, that the remains and artefacts are sacred relics that belong to their tribe. The last thing they want is to see them make their way into Mexico. They have stated that they would rather see the material destroyed than taken across the border. We are going to need to be very careful."
"How did the information about the first finds make its way into general knowledge? This place is isolated."
"That's the other tricky part – either this place is being watched or one of the members of this team contacted someone on the outside, either intentionally or inadvertently alerting outsiders."
"Syd felt like she was being watched earlier when we were out at the dig site."
"You did?" Trivette turned to look at Sydney.
"Yeah, it was creepy but both Gage and I looked around and couldn't see anything. It's pretty barren out there, not many hiding places."
"That means it's probably one of team here then that is responsible, however we shouldn't discount the feeling you had Sydney. Walker goes on his hunches and gut-feelings all the time and it has saved my butt more times than I can remember. I'll go talk to Dr. Reach and let her know what's going on."
"Is that wise? It could be her."
"I don't think we have much choice, we have to take that risk – we'll need her help to prepare the site. Her background check came up very clean and she makes a substantial salary at the university. If it's intentional it's more likely to be one of our young friends here, eager to make some quick money and maybe finance their education. Or even if it's unintentional, they're young and excited about their first big find so they call or e-mail a friend who tells someone else, and so on. "
"Okay, so we'll start questioning our friends here then, hey?" Gage asked. "Syd, you up to doing that?"
"Yeah, if we do it together. I'm afraid my brain still feels a bit foggy and I'm worried I might let someone pull the wool over my eyes."
"Well, in this heat we certainly don't need any wool." Gage smiled down at his partner. "I'll go get our first interviewee."