Chapter Five

The Compound Of The Supreme Brotherhood

Quentin Meagher stood up and walked around from behind his desk to eager to see how the mission had went. "Well Dale?" he asked as the man came into his office.

"We got her," Dale Ross began, "but there were a few complications…"

"Complications," Meagher thundered, "What complications?"

"She wasn't alone when we caught up to her," Ross paused waiting for the wrath of the Colonel to come down on him but the man stayed quiet waiting for the rest of the story. "She was with a pretty blonde woman, looked just like her, younger then her, I assume she is her daughter. An older pushy man and a dark haired woman who is expecting a baby."

Again Ross paused seeing the seething anger in the Colonel's eyes. "We weren't sure what exactly you would want done so we brought them to the compound and threw them in the brig," he ended his report.

"You did what?" Quentin Meagher roared. "Of all the stupid," he began to sputter out his hand snapping out to backhand Ross knocking him to the floor. "It's obvious isn't it what we are going to have to do. Thanks to you we are going to have an extra three bodies to take care of."

Turning he went to sit behind his desk before continuing. "Who is this other woman and old man?" he asked thumbing through some files on his desk.

"A Sydney Cooke I think she might be law she was packing a service weapon," Ross told him wiping blood from the corner of his mouth knowing he wouldn't be pleased.

"She's law I'll wager, Texas Ranger law, Francis Gage's fiancée," Meagher growled throwing the newspaper clipping of Sydney and Gage's engagement picture at him.

On his feet again he had come back around the desk almost before Ross could lay his eyes on the picture Meagher had him by the throat. "Pay close attention to me Dale," Meagher's cold calculating voice was calmly ordering, "You take care of all four of them tonight, make it look like an accident. Then you take care of Ranger Francis Gage and I don't want any more slip ups or you will be meeting with an accident too. You got that Dale?"

"Yes sir," Dale whimpered out trying to gasp for breath the colonel's hand tightening on his throat.

"You better have," Meagher retorted his grasp suddenly letting go of the man to drop him hard to the floor.

"It's as good as done," Ross replied picking himself up and heading for the door the Colonel not answering.

Inside the Compound's Brigg

"Sydney are you all right?" Joe Cooke looked up into his daughter's face from where his head rested in her lap.

"Me all right I wasn't the one who was hit in the head with the butt of a gun," Syd admonished her father.

"Help me sit up," he moaned ignoring her comment fighting to pull himself up.

"Daddy take it easy."

"I'm fine Sydney," he moaned as she helped to upright him.

"I'm so sorry I got you all into this," Colleen cried out tears forming in her eyes. "I never should have come back."

"Mom, no you should have come to Frankie and I long ago. You have to know how much we missed you," Julie tried to comfort the woman. She still couldn't believe how much she looked like this woman who claimed to be her mother. She couldn't believe how like her mother the woman was. If she hadn't seen her mother's body laying in that casket all those years ago she would have been sure that this was Colleen Gage. It wasn't just the looks it was things that this woman knew about Daddy, Francis and her, funny little recollections that would only mean something to her family, to her and Francis. With her arms around the woman she hugged her close whispering, "Its okay Mom Frankie is going to find us he won't let anything bad happen to any of us."

"Oh Julie how I've missed all of you all these years," Colleen cried holding Julie tight as well.

With her father sitting up under his own power Sydney had stood up to investigate their prison. It was a small room with nothing in it but two cots and a slop bucket. There was a small dirty window that had bars on the outside that let in a minimal amount of light. The only other light source was a light bulb dangling from a cord from the ceiling. The walls were of rough reinforced wood similar to the inside of a meat locker Syd thought as she searched for a way out. The door was of heavy steel with a small window in the middle that Syd had to stand on tip toes to see out of. Things looked pretty bleak.

"Julie can you help me push one of these cots under that window so I can get a look outside?" she asked her almost sister-in-law.

"Now Sydney you don't be doing to much," her father butted in trying to stand up only to find he was still a little woozy.

"Daddy," Syd cried running to help ease him back down to the cot he had been sitting on. Why was he so stubborn she silently asked herself never letting the thought that Gage probably asked that about her cross her mind. Instead she replayed over again what had happened to get them into this predicament.

They had got to "Mustang Sally's" and gone inside taking a booth near the back. Syd had just finished saying to them to let her go and meet the woman because she was only expecting Sydney to be there. They had just ordered drinks, coffee for Julie and her Dad apple juice for her when in Colleen Gage had come. Julie had seen her first gasping out loud and turning pale as if she had seen a ghost. Reaching out Syd had gently squeezed her fingers before getting up to go and meet the woman.

As Julie and Joe Cooke watched from their booth Sydney had walked over to the woman to introduce herself. "Colleen?" she asked extending her hand, "I'm Sydney Cooke, Francis' fiancée."

The woman hesitated but a minute before smiling at Sydney and taking her hand. "I knew that Francis was getting married but I didn't realize he was about to make me a grandmother as well," she teased with the same ease that Gage did when he was joking around.

"We did get the horse a little before the cart but we are both very happy about how things are working out," Syd smiled back. "I have a small confession to make though," Syd began hoping what she was about to say wasn't going to scare the woman away. "It's nothing bad," she added feeling Colleen's wavering. "Being that I am pregnant my Dad and Julie didn't want me coming here alone, they both insisted on coming with me."

"Julie's here?"

"Yes Julie is here and she wants so much to be with you…" Syd answered watching Colleen's eyes scan the restaurant until they fell on Julie.

"My little girl," she suddenly cried rushing to where Julie was.

"Mom?" Julie greeted the woman tears in her eyes and visibly shaken finding it hard to believe how much she really looked like her mother. Of course she was a lot older then Julie remembered after all twenty-five years had past since she had last seen her mother alive.

"Don't cry Darling," Colleen whispered pulling Julie close into a hug, "I've found you and I don't intend on ever loosing you again."

"Now ain't this cozy?" It had been Dale Ross who had come up behind them shoving a gun in Sydney's side. "Now that we have you all together I think it is time to take a little ride."

"Now see here we aren't about to go anywhere with you too," Joe Cooke had stood up trying to take charge of the situation in Joe Cooke fashion.

"Yes you will unless you want to see this here pregnant lady die right before your eyes," he sneered back moving just enough that Joe could get a glimpse at the gun being shoved into Sydney's side.

Joe said nothing Dale Ross sneering again, "That's what I thought old man. Now we are all going to get up, walk out of here, then we are going to take a nice little ride understand?" he glared at Joe as he spoke.

"We understand," Syd spoke for all of them as the small party moved outside where both she and Julie were relieved of their cell phones and Syd her gun as well. Then they were forced into a black SUV that quickly sped down the road. When they had gotten to the compound they were forced onto the floor of the vehicle then had been brought directly to the building they were in now.

When the door to the cell had opened again Joe Cooke had protested, "You can't lock us up like animals," he had complained only to have the butt of one of the guns come down hard on the back of his head Joe falling forward into the cell.

"Now old man maybe you will shut up and do as you're told," Dale had yelled at the motionless Cooke on the floor giving him a kick to the side.

"Leave him alone," Syd cried out dropping to her father's side.

"Then you keep his mouth shut," Dale threatened shoving Julie and Colleen in behind them. As the door slammed shut Sydney knew they were being locked in but she'd deal with that once she knew her father was all right…"

"Did you hear me Sydney," her father was still bossing her around.

"I hear you Dad," she answered adding, "but it really isn't going to make much difference one way or another if we don't get out of here."

"I have to agree with your Dad on this one," Colleen put in siding with Joe. "If something happens to you or the baby Frankie will never forgive us. Come on Julie you and I can move this cot and then you can climb up and tell Sydney what you see."

"All right, all right if it makes everyone happy," Syd reluctantly agreed standing back to let Julie and Colleen go to work.

Once the cot was in place Julie climbed up to take a good look at their surroundings describing it in great detail to Syd. "The whole place is fenced in with chain link about eight feet high with four or five strands of barbed wire on top of that. It looks to be one main gate where we came in with sentries on duty. There are three long buildings to the left of us that look like some sort of barracks, then another building that might be some sort of mess hall, an office building and then maybe some supply buildings bringing us back to here," she reported.

"So that front gate looks like the only way in or out?" Syd asked climbing up beside Julie to look for herself.

"Yes," Julie answered helping to steady Syd on the rickety cot.

"Then we will just have to persuade one of our hosts to escort us out," Syd replied surveying everything for herself.

"Get down girls someone is coming," Colleen suddenly hissed both Julie and Syd going into action. Syd had barely sat down with her father when the door opened wide admitting Colonel Quentin Meagher.

"You, I should have known you were behind this," Colleen glared at Meagher.

"It's been a long time hasn't it Colleen? Where have you been hiding all these years?" Meagher smiled as he walked towards her reaching out to caress her face.

Reaching up she knocked his hand away from her face. "You haven't changed after all these years still as feisty as ever," Meagher laughed aloud. "And you still haven't became any smarter over time, you're still making mistakes. First you chose Mathew Gage over me, then you sided with him over that good-for-nothing coloured kid. You Colleen should have stayed dead," he spit out at her.

"You were beating that boy because of the colour of his skin when Mathew stepped in and stopped you," she charged back.

"I told him right then and there that he had no business sticking his nose in where it didn't belong. He had to pay for it Colleen that's all there was to it," Meagher said not bothering to deny it.

"So you made Mattie call up and arrange for us to pick her up then when we were half way down that deserted road you made sure that Mathew paid didn't you?"

"Mattie was a woman who knew her place she stayed silent for all those years until George died then for some unknown reason she decided she needed absolution or some such nonsense… and well you know where that got her," he grinned all but admitting his guilt.

"You monster," Colleen's hand flailed out intent on striking him but Meagher was too quick for her, he grabbed her wrist and spinning her from him shoved her to the ground.

Sydney and Julie were on their feet going to Colleen's defence, both of Meagher's body guards stepped between them riffles at the ready. Julie and Syd stopped in their tracks Meagher turning dismissing them as if they didn't exist.

"You're a coward beating on defenceless women," Julie called after him Meagher not stopping or acknowledging that he even heard her.

The door slammed shut Julie with Sydney's help assisting Colleen up. "Who is he Mom? What happened?" Julie questioned having heard more about her father's death in the last few minutes then she ever had before.

"That is Quentin Meagher," Colleen told them her contempt for the man showing on her face. "He was always sweet on me even after I married your father," she answered through gritted teeth. "He comes from money and bigotry, Mathew caught him beating the tar out of Wilson Munro his buddy Dale standing round watching, laughing, cheering him on. Well you know your father Julie, one of the gentlest men in the world but when he saw that boy's bloody face and Meagher not letting up he took a stand. He not only put a stop to it but he lay a pretty good beating not only on Meagher but Dale Ross too. Meagher vowed he would make your father pay…" Colleen's voice trailed off

"You were with Daddy Mom, what happened?" Julie asked her voice cracking, there were so many unanswered questions.

"I don't know," Colleen truthfully told them, "I just can't remember any more I can't remember the accident I can't remember what happened, I can't remember, I can't remember," she sobbed.

"It's okay Mom, it's okay."

"I'm sorry Julie, I'm just so tired…" her voice trailed away into quiet tears.

"Mom you lay here and rest, we're all going to rest until Francis comes for us," Julie told her helping her to put her feet up.

"Sydney you rest too," she called.

"I'll see to it," Joe cut in as Colleen began to drift off.

Julie sat with Colleen a few minutes more making sure she was sleeping before going to join Sydney and Joe where they sat on the other cot. "Have you got any ideas how we are going to get out of here?" she asked.

"I just can't see anyway out," Sydney admitted, "We may just have to wait for Gage to rescue us."

The Same Time At Ranger Headquarters

Gage came bursting through the doors at headquarters first to run into Trivette who stood there with Sheriff Ambrose Ross.

"Francis Gage," the Sheriff addressed him even before introductions were made. "I'd recognize you any where you're the spitting image of your father."

Any other time Gage would have been more then happy to jaw with anyone who knew his father but with Sydney and her dad, Julie and possibly his mother or aunt missing, abducted he had neither the time or inclination. "Am I?" he gruffly answered.

"I know you're worried," the seasoned sheriff told him, "Ranger Trivette has told me what has been going on and I've read the report on Mattie Winslow so I'll get to the point."

Gage nodded his head in appreciation as Sheriff Ross handed him a picture saying, "This is your Aunt Deirdre Maguire your mother's twin sister."

Taking the picture in his hand he stared down at it the woman in the picture she couldn't have looked any more like his mother then if she actually was.

"Even though they were twins," Ross continued, "It didn't take long for your grandparents to come to realize there was something different about Deirdre. "You're grandmother died when the girls were very young and your grandfather found it next to impossible to give Deirdre the attention and care that she needed. It broke his heart but he found it necessary to put her in a home.

"Your mother was near devastated by the chain of events she went to see her sister as often as she could letting Deirdre experience life through her own life. I don't think there was an event that Colleen didn't share with her especially when it came to Matt and you kids."

"But how is that Julie and I never knew anything about her?" Gage asked dumbfounded by what he was being told.

"I think when you got older and could understand better your mother was going to tell you she just never got the chance," Ross supplied a plausible answer.

"When your parents died, when Colleen died your Aunt moved deeper into herself to the point that she believed herself to be Colleen. She's been living in that little world quite harmlessly all these years up until about two months ago when something must have triggered her subconscious it started right after Mattie Winslow made a visit to her according to her doctor. Deirdre was so agitated they were afraid she was going to hurt someone or herself. They added something to her meds to help keep her calm and thought she was doing much better, she had them fooled she just up and walked away from the facility. After searching her room they found she had been stashing her meds instead of taking them."

"Why wasn't Julie or I notified right away?" Gage asked unable to believe how incredible this story was.

"You see your grandfather had set up a generous trust fund and along with state funding there had never been any reason to try and find you. People round these parts really didn't know what had happened to the two of you after the accident so it took some time to track you down," Ross explained.

Gage nodded his head in understanding his mind going back over the events of the last two days especially the last few hours and still he came back to Mattie Winslow and the two who had run her down that they had locked up in holding downstairs. He could hear Walker explaining to Sheriff Ross about the two that had run Mattie down and that there was a possible connection to the Supreme Brotherhood.

"That doesn't surprise me I thought it might come to that," Ross sighed.

"What do you mean by that?" Gage asked coming back into the conversation.

"Now what I'm going tell you is all hear say and there is no proof any where to prove it wrong or right," Ross began telling the story of how of how Quentin Meagher the now leader of the Supreme Brotherhood had always had an infatuation with Colleen Gage even though she never felt the same. He ended telling them that a lot of people around those parts thought it was more then just a mere coincident that a week after the altercation with Meagher over Wilson Munro that both Colleen and Mathew were dead.

"My cousin Dale has always been pals with Meagher I quizzed him at the time about it but he swore up and down that Quentin had nothing to do with it. I was just in the job of deputy for couple of months I had no pull even if I had my suspicions.

Old George Winslow was another one of Meagher's shall we say associates it wouldn't have been that hard for Meagher to have Winslow think up some excuse to get your father and mother out there that evening.

George died of a heart attack a couple of months back maybe Mattie thought she could finally rid herself of the guilt of the part she played in what happened to your folks," Ross speculated further.

"So Meagher finds out that who he thinks is Colleen Gage is still alive," Trivette began to piece things together. "Then Mattie Winslow pays her a visit, then Mattie tracks down Francis Gage."

"He can't risk Mattie talking to me and telling me what really happened to my Mom and Dad," Gage took up the story. "Plus he has to get rid of the only eye witness to the crime, Colleen Gage."

"Only she isn't a witness because she really isn't Colleen it's just that everyone has called her that for over twenty years," Ross added.

"But Meagher doesn't know that," Walker summed it up. "Sheriff do you know where this compound is?"

"Oh yeah I've been looking for an excuse for years to get inside of there," he answered.

"Trivette get us an assault team put together, I'll have Alex get the warrants together for us Gage you and Sheriff Ross requisition the helicopters and get the co-ordinates so we're ready to go," Walker was taking charge barking out orders.

As everyone got to their tasks the sheriff put his hand on Gage's shoulder. "I'm sorry about what happened to your parents," he told Gage.

"Me too," he answered, "Let's just not let it happen to the rest of my family."

Sheriff Ross nodded and they got to work.

TBC