Friends : New & Old
Chapter 5 - Death And A Few CSI's
11:51a.m. Tuesday May 14
Company B Texas Ranger Headquarters
"Dang it!" Gage exclaimed as he walked in the office. Sydney was right behind him and she stormed over to her desk and sat down aggressively in the chair.
Walker walked in the room already giving out orders. "I'm going to go back and try to find out who this guy is again. I know I didn't find anything before, but I'm going to try again. Gage, Sydney, I want you two to go back to the hotel and explain what fully happened to the family." With that Walker grabbed a file folder off his desk and sat down at his desk searching on the computer for anything that might give them a lead. Sydney and Gage headed back to the hotel.
It had been a long night and a long morning since Sydney had found out what had happened to Samantha Allen, the Governor's daughter, was kidnapped. Know one had known who had taken her and the ransom phone call was untraceable. The drop-off for the ransom turned up futile. The guys had never shown up. Governor Allen had convinced the cops to stay away from the drop off, but in return Governor Allen would not make the drop off, one of his men would, and the man would wear a wire. The kidnappers second call agreed to the other man dropping off the money as long as there were no cops in sight. Since the kidnappers never showed up for the money, nearly everyone feared their worst fear was going to come true: Samantha Allen would be found dead.
12:10p.m. Tuesday May 14
Allen's Hotel
Sydney raised her hand to knock on the Allen's hotel room then knowing what she had to do, lowed her hand back down to her side. 'I can't begin to imagine what this family is going through.'
"Syd?" Gage questioned and encouraged.
Sydney just nodded her head and knocked on the door. "Texas Rangers."
A minute later Governor Allen opened the door. "Ranger Cooke, Ranger Gage," He addressed inviting them both in.
"I'm afraid we don't have very good news," Gage told him. "The kidnappers never showed."
"Oh no," Governor Allen whispered walking over and sinking down in a nearby couch.
Sydney walked into the next room where she knew Mrs. Allen would be a brought her into the main room telling her what happened. Mrs. Allen walked over to her husband and collapsed in his arms. "What are we going to now?" She softly asked.
"We wait. These guys are greedy, they want the money," Sydney told the Allens, trying to give them some comfort.
"Syd's right, I'm sure they'll call again," Gage said trying to convince himself and Sydney at the same time. Cases involving children always got the better of the Rangers. Even if some did not hide it as well as others. Suddenly, Gage's cell phone began to ring. He excused himself to an empty room and took the call. "Gage."
"Gage, it's Walker. Ask Governor Allen if he knows of a man named Thomas Andrews," Walker said.
"Just a minute," Gage replied then went into the other room and addressed the Governor, "Excuse me sir, but do you happen to know a Thomas Andrews?"
Gage and Sydney clearly saw the facial expression on the Governor change from worried to calm to anger to outrage. Mrs. Allen's facial expression changed drastically also when she looked at her husband. "What is it Mike? What's wrong? Who is this man?" Mrs. Allen frantically asked her husband.
"I should have known!" Governor Allen exclaimed slamming his fist on the couch arm rest beside him. Mrs. Allen jumped slightly, alarmed by his sudden outburst.
"Governor, we need you to calm down and tell us who Thomas Andrews is," Sydney said.
"I put his baby brother away several years ago when I was prosecutor. His brother killed himself while incarcerated about a month after he went to jail. The brother was really mad but I never thought he would do something like this," Governor Allen told the Rangers.
Gage got back on the phone to Walker and briefly explained who Thomas Andrews was. Walker told Gage that he and Sydney were to stay the night at the hotel with the Allens in case anything happened and Walker would call them with any updates. While Gage was on the phone, Sydney convinced the Allens to go back to their room and try and get some rest because she knew it would be a very long night. "Sydney," Gage addressed her. "It looks like we're spending the night here." Sydney nodded her head and sat down on the couch and shortly thereafter Gage sat down also. They talked for some time about numerous things, except about Nick and Sara. Gage was still jealous but he was not willing to admit that. Around supper time, everyone in the hotel suite ordered something from room service. Gage thought it was probably one of the quietest meals he had ever had, but he completely understood why no one wanted to say anything. The rest of the evening passed uneventful and Gage and Sydney fell asleep on the couch around ten o'clock.
7:14a.m. Wednesday May 15
Gage awoke suddenly when he heard his phone ringing. He searched his pockets quickly trying to stop the annoying sound. He finally found it. "Gage," He answered groggily.
"Gage wake up," Walker said. "I have been up all night and he finally found something. It seems that Thomas Andrews owns a warehouse in Dallas. It's about five minutes away from where you are. Get Sydney and meet me there."
Gage reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper and reached over and got a pen from the table in front of him. When he did this, Sydney's head, which had been resting against his shoulder, fell sideways slowly and landed behind him. Gage finally noticed where she was but quickly scribbled the address down that Walker gave him then hung up the phone. "Shorty," Gage said, trying to wake her. He lifted her up into a sitting position and kissed her fore head.
She was starting to wake up. "Mmm?" She moaned. Gage thought that this, even with her clothes slightly wrinkled and her hair a mess, was one of the times she looked most beautiful.
"Shorty, come on, you've got to get up. We have a bust to do. Walker found a warehouse and we're going to raid in about five minutes," Gage said trying to get her to concentrate.
Sydney shook her head roughly several times the replied, "I'm up, I'm up."
"Good, because we got to go."
"I'm coming," She replied as she followed him out the door, both of them grabbing their guns that lay on the table in front of them. As they passed the guards in front of the door, Gage quickly explained that they were going to followed up on a lead and would return as soon as possible.
On the way out to the car, they both checked their service weapons to make sure everything was all ready to go. Gage got in the driver's seat and started the engine, but when Sydney got in the car, she sat in the back seat. "What are you doing back there?" Gage questioned, thinking that she hardly ever sat in the back, especially since she was the one that was usually driving.
She motioned for him to drive, and he did. Since Sydney did not usually carry a purse, she had a small duffel bag that had the basics and a change of clothes and gym clothes, everything she needed for work. "I'm trying to look presentable," She explained, finally finding what she was looking for: a hairbrush.
Gage did not say anything because trying to convince her that she already looked beautiful would only get him a punch in the arm. He watched in the rearview mirror as she brushed out her long, dark hair and pulled it up into a ponytail.
7:19p.m. Wednesday May 15
Warehouse D
"We're here," Gage said a couple of minutes later as he pulled up to the old warehouse.
"Good," She replied as they hopped out of the car and went over to where Walker was standing. "What do we got, Walker?" Sydney asked upholstering her gun.
"This belongs to Thomas Andrews, we believe he has Samantha," walker briefly explained. The three Rangers entered the warehouse quietly and began to search it. Eventually they went upstairs and went into a room the believed to be an office.
"Man!" Gage exclaimed as he saw what was in the room. Sydney took a brief look then abruptly turned her head away. Walker looked then left the room, followed closely behind by Sydney. "I just don't get," Gage said.
"OK, everyone, let's secure this place," Walker said, walking away.
Sydney went in the opposite direction. Gage took one last look through the window at who lay inside. "I'm sorry we didn't reach you soon enough, Samantha," Gage said to the little girl in the next room who lay face down in a pool of her own blood with a gunshot wound to the back of her head. Gage then followed Sydney to make sure there was no one else in the building.
"Nothing," Walker said as he walked up to Gage and Sydney.
"Nothing here either," Sydney replied.
"Gage, Sydney, go back to the hotel and explain what happened. I'll get the forensics team out here and meet you guys there," Walker said pulling out his phone. Gage and Sydney nodded then headed back to Gage's car.
8:02a.m. Wednesday May 15
Allen's Hotel
Gage knocked on the door and it immediately opened to find one of Samantha's friends, that were on this vacation with her, in front of them. "Sweetie, can you go and get Governor and Mrs. Allen please," Gage asked. The little girl nodded her head and ran off the one of the rooms. Gage and Sydney went into the room and shut the door.
"What is it?" Mrs. Allen frantically asked, who was being escorted into the room by her husband.
"I'm afraid we have some bad news," Sydney stated calmly.
"Oh, my poor Samantha!" Mrs. Allen cried out, her knees buckling beneath her and collapsing to the floor. Governor Allen was trying to help her up but was also so traumatized that he was having problems holding himself up.
Gage went over to them and helped them both over to the couch and told them, "I am so sorry for your loss." The Allens continued to cry and hold each other when their younger, now only, daughter and son came out of their room. They saw their parents then looked over to Sydney and Gage. Immediately, taking in the situation, knew what had happened and joined their parents in hugging and crying over their daughter and sister. Gage and Sydney stepped back and into the background to give the grieving family some time and space.
About an hour later the family was still on the couch but the crying had subsided for the time being. A knock at the door shook Gage and Sydney out of their current train of thoughts and Sydney answered it to find Walker standing there. He motioned for her to follow him into the hallway. "Gage!" Sydney whispered, trying to get his attention. He followed her and Walker into the hallway.
"Alex is on her way to pick up Trivette and Erica. He'll meet us at the office later to help out," Walker explained.
"Too bad he just couldn't go home with his wife," Sydney stated.
"Yeah, I just hope Erica isn't too mad at me," Walker stated. "Anyway, how's the Governor."
"On the couch holding what's left of his family," Gage told him solemnly.
As if on cue, the Governor walked out to the hallway. Walker immediately pushed him back inside and Gage and Sydney also went into the room. "I'm sorry Governor, but we discussed this, you and your family and Samantha's friend are not aloud out of the suite."
"I'm sorry Walker, I forget. It's just with that . . .," The Governor said, not wanting to tear up.
"I understand."
"Everyone knows now. They all went to bed. I want to know everything, though," Governor Allen told the Rangers. Walker briefly explained what little he could get away with, not wanting the Governor to worry right now more than necessary. "I trust your wife Walker, but I want this guy tried in Austin. He'll get a more severe punishment there."
"I understand," Walker said. "I'm sure Alex will too."
"Thank you. I've already got the best lawyers on it. Now I want the best forensic lab in the country working on this case! We have to find Andrews."
"I'll see what I can do," Walker said taking out his phone and walking to the other side of the room. A few minutes later he came back over to the small group. "I'm so sorry Governor, but the number one lab in the country is currently very busy on their own big cases."
"Then get me the second best!" The Governor exclaimed getting frustrated.
"OK, but it's going to take me some time to figure out who it is. I was lucky in already knowing who the best was," Walker explained.
"Walker," Sydney stated quietly. "It's Las Vegas' graveyard sift. Nicholas Stokes is on the team."
"Really?" Walker asked. "Well, Nick has done well for himself."
'Of course, Nick's great!' Gage thought sarcastically.
"Yeah, he really has," Sydney told Walker quietly.
"Well whoever this guy is, get him on the phone! I will pay whatever it takes, including airfare," Governor Allen said getting upset.
"Sydney, will you ask?" Walker asked her.
"Sure," She agreed smiling.
'Oh great, more time with the boy wonder,' Gage thought knowing fully that he was jealous.
Sydney walked into the hallway to place her call to Nick's hotel room. On the third ring it was picked up. "Stokes," Nick said from the other end of the line.
"Nicholas, it's Sydney," Sydney said.
"Hey Sydney. What's up?"
"I need your help," Sydney said, hoping he would not get too worried. She rarely asked for helped when they were kids. After she moved when she, she had not ever asked anything else from him.
When she did not continue he spoke up, "What is it Sydney? What's wrong?"
"I told you Monday that Samantha Allen was kidnapped."
"Yeah . . . and?"
"The perps wanted ransom . . . and we tried to give it to them, but our negotiation was a bust. They decided they'd kill her this morning."
"I'm so sorry."
"We all are, but that's not why I called."
"Sydney, what is it?"
"Governor Allen wants Samantha's killer brought to justice. He already has the best Rangers, Walker and our team," She said with a slight chuckle, "and the best lawyers in the country. My favor to ask of you is also a favor to Walker. Our forensic teams aren't anywhere near as good as your team. We want you and your team to come and do the forensics. Governor Allen said he would pay the airfare for the rest of your team to get here and back. He found out you guys are the second best in the country." There was pause then she continued, "So will you do it?"
"I don't know. I'll have to talk to Grissom about it."
"Can you convince him?"
"I would jump at a chance to do a high class case. So would the rest of the team, but I don't know if Grissom would want to come this far away from Vegas, not without there a bug problem anyway. I'll talk to him though. I'll call you back after I talk to him. I promise I'll try though."
"Thank you so much Nicholas."
"No problem. Talk to you later, Sydney."
"Bye Nicholas," She said as they both hung up their respective phones. Sydney walked back into the room and sat down. "Nicholas is going to call his boss then get back to me." Everyone nodded their heads and remained quiet until about thirty minutes later when Sydney's phone rang again.
She had just gone to the bathroom so Gage answered it for her. "Ranger Gage."
"Gage, it's Nick. I need to talk with Sydney," Nick told him.
Gage motioned for Sydney, who was coming from the bathroom, that she needed t take the call. "Cooke," Sydney answered.
"Sydney, Sara talked with Grissom. The team will be here by six. If it's not too much trouble though I would like to go to the scene and do a run through before too much evidence is lost and so we can get the body out of there," Nick said.
"That's great and if you want to come by the office I'll show you where the scene is."
"I'll be there later. Bye."
"Bye," Sydney said. "OK. Nick said they're coming and they'll be here by six. Since we have to go to the office to meet Trivette anyway, I told Nick to meet us there, that and I have to talk to Alex about something. He wants to start working the scene." Governor Allen thanked them and the three Rangers left to go back to headquarters promising they would update him if anything happened. The ride there was spent in total silence.
1:29p.m. Wednesday May 15, 2002
Company B Texas Ranger Headquarters
"Nick. Good, you're here," Walker said as Nick and Sara entered Ranger headquarters.
"I'm not staying. We're going to the crime scene," Nick told him.
"I know. Sydney is waiting for you. Gage, call Alex and tell her to send Sydney down," Walker told Gage across the room.
"Sure thing boss," He replied.
A few minutes later Sydney came in the room. "Hey Nicholas. Are you two ready to go?"
"Yeah, Sara?" Nick replied.
"Let's go," Sara answered and turned to walk out the door. Nick and Sydney followed and soon they were on their way.
2:01p.m. Wednesday May 15
Warehouse D / The Crime Scene
"This is it," Sydney stated as Nick pulled up to the abandoned warehouse. Nick, Sara, and Sydney got out of the SUV and headed towards the condemned building, caring their kits they had borrowed from the local CSI's.
They walked up to the yellow police tape and a cop stopped them. "ID's?" She asked.
Sydney pointed to her badge, pined on her shirt, and the officer nodded. Sydney ducked under the tape and told the officer, "These two are with me. They're doing the forensics."
"I'm sorry," The officer started firmly. "I still need to see ID's. This is a very high-profile case." Nick and Sara showed the woman their Las Vegas CSI cards. "A bit out of your jurisdiction, aren't you?" She asked them.
"Look, we don't need any of your bull!" Sydney began. "We know this is a high-profile case. Governor Allen specifically asked for Nicholas and his team. I can get the Governor to call you if you don't let them by right now!" By now Sydney was less than an inch from the other woman's face, even though Sydney stood a good six inches or more shorter. The officer just stared at her. She turned on her heel and left without saying another word. "I'm sorry. I'm frustrated and tired and just fed up with the whole situation. Some of the cops around here a real jerks," Sydney apologized.
"It's OK. You don't have to apologize to us. We know the feeling well," Sara told her. Nick nodded his head in agreement and lifted the yellow tape. Sara went under it. Nick followed her and the three of them went up to the building.
Once they were inside Sara started processing the first floor. A different cop than before following her 'just in case', compliments of Nick. Nick and Sydney went to the second floor and to the room where Samantha's body still lay. Sydney watched intrigued as Nick began to process the room and the body. "You know," She began. "I never have actually watched someone do this before."
"That's the problem. CSI's need to watch cops do their job more often, and cops watch CSI's do theirs," Nick replied.
"Probably a good idea."
"Yeah, being a CSI and an ex-cop I've been on both sides of the line."
"Nicholas, what's wrong. You seem . . . depressed."
"I'm not depressed. Just stressed."
"Why?"
"Oh, there's another convention starting tomorrow and all the hotels across town are booked."
"Wow! That must big a pretty big convention," Sydney commented.
"That's the impression the guy at the front desk at our hotel gave me."
"So why is this a problem?"
"I have to figure out a place for the team to stay. Sara and I already had to check out of our rooms."
"I see."
"I mean I know I can stay at the ranch, we all know there will be plenty of room. I just don't want to. Besides the fact of the long drive there and back, I don't like the idea of my boss scrutinizing the house I grew up in."
"I think I know what you mean, and I'm not talking about Walker."
"Yeah. Anyway, now I have to figure out someplace for the six of us to stay. I know I can talk to the Governor about it. It's just I'm I sure he is grieving and has more important things to worry about right now though," Nick explained to Sydney.
"I think I know of someplace you can stay."
"Really? Where?"
"The girls can stay at my house and all you guys can stay with Gage. I'm sure I can convince him." 'Hopefully,' She thought.
"Thanks Sydney but I don't want us to be a burden to you and Gage."
"Are you joking?!" When Nick gave Sydney a funny look she continued, "First of all Gage has the ultimate bachelor pad. His house is huge and he is the only one living there. Secondly my house isn't huge but it's a good size. Besides, I rarely ever get company at my house so I would love to have some noise around the place."
"That would be great Sydney, but are you sure?"
"Of course, besides Sara and I get along just fine. You seem to get along with Gage also." 'I think. Let's just hope he got over what ever the heck has been wrong with him the past couple of days,' She thought.
"Sure," Nick said.
"Great, I'll go call Gage now," Sydney said walking out the door. She got her phone out and called Gage.
"Gage," He answered.
"Gage, it's Sydney. I have a huge favor to ask of you," She started.
'Anything,' He thought but said, "I'm all ears."
"Could you possibly put up Nicholas and three other people from his lab for a couple of days?"
'I meant anything but that!' He thought.
"Gage? Please?"
"Fine. Tell him I'll meet him at the airport later tonight.," Gage said reluctantly.
"Thank you so much. I'll see you later. Bye," Sydney said.
"Yeah," He replied hanging up.
Sydney went back to where Nick was after she checked up with Sara. Nick was finishing up. "All done?"
"Yeah," Nick replied standing up and walking over to her at the door.
"Gage agreed."
"OK. Thanks."
"There are only four men, right?"
"Yeah. Grissom, Warrick, Greg, and myself."
"OK. Gage said he will meet you at the airport tonight to show you where his house is."
"OK."
"Sara's done by the way. She's waiting for you outside."
"Great. You ready to go?"
"Yeah," Sydney replied as Nick gathered up his stuff and the two of them went to meet Sara. They drove back to the courthouse and to the crime lab so Nick and Sara could get their authorized ID's for this lab. So there would not be a problem like last time when they went back to the crime scene.
5:58 p.m. Wednesday May 15
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
Gage came running up to where everyone was standing. "Sorry, I'm late. Traffic," He explained.
"That's OK," Sara told him. "Gage, meet Grissom, Catherine, Warrick, and Greg." Introductions were made and they all shook hands.
Everyone went to get the rest of the luggage and carried it out to the waiting vehicles. "To a night of fun!" Greg said sarcastically as he climbed into the SUV. They loaded the luggage in the vehicles and left. The men dropped their stuff off at Gage's then met Sara and Catherine at the crime scene.
To be continued . . .