Here it is chapter 3. I hope you will forgive me by the time you finish this chapter. This one has more Gage and Syd moments.

Chapter 3

The Chavez brothers and their employees were quickly ushered out of the club. When they protested they were threatened with charges of impeding a police investigation. They were going to argue until Walker's expression told them they were risking a really good beating if they didn't leave quickly. Walker personally supervised all details surrounding the removal of Trivette's body, including following the ambulance to the morgue. Sydney tried to comfort her boss as he followed the stretcher out of the building, but he gently brushed her away and refused to make eye contact with any of them.

Gage and Sydney stayed behind to help clean up the crime scene, but the shock of what they had just witnessed, had stunned them both. Sydney managed to keep herself under control until she and Gage were in the car on the way back to the office. Gage heard her muffled sobs begin and knew she couldn't hold back much longer. He pulled off the road and placed the car in park. When he reached out to hold her she fell into his arms and cried uncontrollably. "Aww Syd, I know. It's hard on all of us," Gage whispered. He continued to comfort her as she let her emotions out. She very rarely let anyone see her lose control and Gage felt a little bit honored that she felt comfortable enough with him to turn to him when she needed a shoulder to cry on. Gage was having a hard time keeping his own emotions in check and seeing his beloved Sydney lose it was not helping. He was angry at Trivette for causing this pain. How could he betray them like this? Then his own feelings of loss overwhelmed him and he began to weep as well.
They sat there for a few minutes, until they felt they had let out enough emotions to be able to control themselves. Sydney felt very safe in Gage's embrace but she knew she had to let go. She couldn't trust herself right now. If she had lost control over Trivette's death, she could lose control over her feelings for Gage. She gently pulled away from his embrace but continued to look at the floor. She couldn't risk his seeing something in her eyes.
Gage wasn't quite ready to let go of Sydney, but he respected her wishes. The sudden loss of Trivette had made him think about how quickly life could be snuffed out in this business. He couldn't bear to think about losing his precious Sydney, but when something like this happens it forces him to face the facts about their line of work. They continued the ride back to the office in silence, both consumed with their own thoughts.

As they entered the office Walker was sitting at his desk talking softly on the phone. "Yes Alex, I've taken care of everything. Tell Erica she doesn't have to worry about anything. I'll be home soon. I'm leaving the office right now. I love you, too. Bye." Walker hung up the phone and addressed his remaining rangers without looking at them. "You two wrap up your work as quickly as possible so you can be back here by four a.m., sharp. We still have a lot of work to do and I really want these guys." With that he walked out the office doors. Gage and Sydney exchanged glances. They knew that whatever he was feeling he would keep those feelings locked away deep inside.

Sydney picked Gage up the next morning; she didn't want him to be late today. As they walked into the office at 3:45 they both noted that Walker was already there. He seemed to be in deep concentration about something. When he noticed their arrival he jumped from his chair and said, "Good, you're early. Let's go."
Gage and Sydney hadn't even had time to take off their jackets before Walker was out the door. They turned quickly and followed him. Gage muttered under his breath to his partner, "He is in a better mood."
"Alex must have some kind of healing power," responded Sydney with a slightly confused smile.
As they caught up with Walker, Gage asked, "Can I ask where we are going?"
"There is a DPS van in the basement ready and waiting for you two, just get in it and ride with them," ordered Walker.
"Where are you going to be?" asked Sydney.
"I have to see a friend about a helicopter," Walker called back over his shoulder.
With that he was out the door. Gage and Sydney again exchanged confused looks but said nothing.

Actually there were five vans waiting in the basement. They were loaded with officers from several different agencies, DEA, ATF, FBI, and two from DPS. Gage and Sydney climbed in the second DPS van because it had the most room. They rode in silence, because they knew where they were going. Walker must have found out when the Chavez shipment was coming in. That must have accounted for his improved disposition.
The task force arrived at their destination in about an hour. It was a small airstrip outside of Dallas that was surrounded by small areas of woodland. The task force divided up and took cover in three of the larger woodland areas. The airstrip was virtually surrounded. At about 6 a.m. two large black cars and a rental truck came down the drive and parked near the only hangar at the airfield. Four large men exited the front car and held their small submachine guns at the ready. The driver of the second car got out and opened the back door to allow his passengers to exit the vehicle. They stood near the rear of the car and searched the sky for the anticipated small airplane. They didn't need to watch for long.

The task force heard the sound of the approaching Lear jet first and began preparing to move in. The plan was to go as soon as the jet finished taxiing and killed her engines. Just as they were ready to move in a helicopter came into view.
"That must be Walker," exclaimed Gage. "Let's Go."
The task force had to cross about seventy-five yards of open ground to reach the group assembled at the end of the runway. All three of the task forces came running out of the woods at about the same time. The helicopter managed to divert the attention of the armed guards just enough to allow the task force to cover over half of the distance to the airplane before taking fire.
Gage and Sydney were separated in the melee. Sydney could make out that Walker was on the left skid of the helicopter but she couldn't tell who the ranger on the right skid was. He was dressed in a pair of navy blue ranger coveralls with a dark baseball cap pulled down low and a pair of Ray-ban sunglasses. Her attention was suddenly taken away from the helicopter by a large man trying to escape from the moving truck. She managed to sidestep the man and place a side kick to the tender spot just beside his right knee. He fell to the ground clutching his broken right leg. Sydney kicked his dropped gun out of his reach. She moved around the back of the truck trying to reach the second car. She had seen the Chavez brothers scrambling back inside and she wasn't going to let them get away. As she got closer she saw the ranger from the helicopter coming around the back of the airplane. He was heading toward the same car but Sydney had a few steps on him. Then she saw the gun barrel coming out of the back door and before she could react she saw the muzzle flash and felt the burning feeling in her chest. The impact of the bullet raised her off the ground and she mentally prepared for the hard landing, but instead she was caught by the mysterious ranger and they both hit the ground. She heard the ranger's gun fire back at the car and heard a scream come from a man in the car. "Noooo...Mario...Mario!" "I will get you for this ranger." The car threw gravel as the driver floored the accelerator, trying desperately to escape.

Walker had focused on the airplane and with Gage's help he had managed to enter the plane and subdue the pilot. The plane was empty except for two large briefcases full of premium cocaine. Gage was back outside helping an FBI agent handcuff one of the larger bodyguards when he saw the Chavez brothers car pull away in a hurry. He had taken off on foot to try and catch up to it when he heard a familiar voice call his name.

Sydney was having difficulty breathing and the ranger that had broken her fall was trying to talk to her. She couldn't concentrate. What was he saying? Why did he seem so familiar? She felt him place a cloth on her right shoulder and gently apply pressure. As her breathing became more and more difficult she heard him call for Gage. Gage, yes I want to see Gage before it is too late. She opened her eyes and put all of her strength into focusing them. "Oh my God," she whispered between breaths. "Am I dead too?" she asked as she looked up into the eyes of the mysterious ranger.
Jimmy Trivette flashed his famous grin at her and said "No honey, this isn't Ranger Heaven and you're gonna be fine. Just hold on and take it easy. We're going to get you out of here." Turning away from her Trivette screamed at Gage, "Gage get over here. Sydney has been hit."
Gage heard this over all the noise around him. Sydney had been hit. He stopped in mid-stride, turned and sprinted toward the airplane. His heart broke when he saw Sydney. She looked so tiny and frail. All other things left his mind as he gently lifted her shoulders from the other rangers lap and wrapped his arms around her. "Sydney, hang on. We will get you out of here. Just hang on...please Syd," Gage whispered through clenched teeth. She looked up at him and managed a weak smile but could not speak the words she longed to tell him. As she tried to force them out her strength failed her and she lost consciousness. Gage swept her up in his arms. Walker came running up to the group. Gage looked at him with tears in his eyes and asked, "Can we take her to the hospital in that helicopter?" "Of course, come on," replied Walker. Gage carried Sydney to the helicopter and Walker and Trivette followed quickly.

Another cliffhanger. Sorry. Trivette will explain himself in the next chapter. Please R & R. I will try and write it according to your suggestions. Thanks