Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from "Walker Texas Ranger", I'm just
borrowing them.
A hidden cabin:
Sydney had been alone for a long time now and during that time she found herself thinking about Gage. She really liked him, more than a friend and she regretted never telling him that. It might be too late now, unless of course, she found a way to escape. She wasn't sure what was going to happen to her but she knew she wasn't going to like it.
She heard the clicking sound of the key being turned inside the lock and the door open. She didn't know who had entered the room because she was facing the wall, away from the door.
"Hello, Sydney!"
The voice came from behind her. She knew that voice very well. It was a bit darker than the last time she heard it but it contained the same pure evil and hatred for her. He moved closer to her and placed a gentle kiss on top of her head.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Just welcoming you here. I'm very grateful you took the time to come here for this little meeting." He said.
"It's not like I had much choice."
"Well, you know what I want from you, don't you?" he asked even though he knew she did.
"What? Another kid? I didn't think you'd want another one since you've already got trouble with your first."
He looked surprised at the way she challenged him. He remembered her as a frightened young girl without much belief in herself at all. She certainly had changed, and not for the better he thought.
"I can see you are not the same person you were."
"Eight years changes a person." She waited for his reaction and then "And becoming a Texas Ranger too." She reminded him of who she was now.
Johnny nodded.
"Yes, I know what you are. You decided to become a Ranger for some reason I don't understand. And I bet you think your colleagues are going to come for you."
He was standing in front of her now, staring down at her. Sydney wanted nothing more than to get up and knock him out, but that was not possible at the time.
"But I'm sorry to disappoint you, Sydney. That won't happen. There is no way they will find you all the way out here in the middle of nowhere."
"Where are we?" she asked.
"More importantly.....where is the tape? Or should I say tapes?" he studied her reaction to the last word. "Yes, I know there is more than one tape of my daughter, me and her mother."
Sydney frowned. "She's my daughter, Johnny. Not your wife's."
He picked up a chair and threw it with all his strength at the wall.
"Wow, Johnny. That really got to you, huh?" she taunted him. He never had time to answer before the man who had visited her in the room earlier came in to see what had happened.
Johnny simply waved his hand at him. "It's fine. Leave us!" He did and once again they were alone together behind closed doors. Sydney had no fear of him. She only felt fear of dying and leaving her daughter with him and his abusive wife, with no hope of ever knowing who her real mother was.
"My daughter is fine where she is. She knows we love her. But now that I see you, speak to you, I can see where she got all that insolence she shows from time to time. That is what you have on those tapes, the occasions when she acts like a spoiled brat and we deal with that."
Sydney felt like she was about to explode with anger. She hoped her sister would tell Walker and the others about this man and that they would find a way to get to her soon. Because when they did she was determined to pay Johnny back for all the pain he had caused both her and her little girl over the years.
"You said she would be happy with the two of you. I always knew you were wrong. And those tapes will prove it."
Sydney was so glad she had found the old woman who was going to testify about the abuse and who had been willing to put up a video-camera in the little one's room. That way she had more proof than just the tape at the play-ground that the girl was being abused by both parents.
Johnny waved a finger an inch from her face and shook his head.
"No, no, no. They won't, because you are going to tell me where you've hidden them." He took out a knife with a very large blade and placed it at her throat. "Or I will kill you."
He watched her and admired her ability not to freak out during such a threat.
"You are not afraid."
"I'd rather die here than tell you where they are." she said and closed her eyes as if waiting for him to strike.
"And why is that?"
She opened her eyes and looked into his once again.
"Because if I tell you where they are, you will kill me anyway just to keep something like this from happening again and to get me out of your life. But if I don't tell you and let this end here, the tapes will be sent to the Texas Rangers who will make sure my daughter will be safe for the rest of her life." She finished.
"You're lying!!" he yelled "You have arranged no such thing.!!"
As he realized he had just hurt her with the knife pressed against her throat, he took it away and instead slapped her across the face and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Sydney sighed. At least the woman who could testify was still alive and safe. There hadn't been enough time to tell Sylvia that the old lady was also a witness to some serious drug smuggling. Or maybe she just hadn't wanted her to know, no matter how close they were. It was more important to keep her safe. The old maid had been listening to conversations going on in the mansion for a long time now. And recently she had over heard Johnny and his father talking about a large shipment of drugs coming in at three o'clock in two days now.
The Lawrence place:
Walker stopped the car outside the gate and stepped out to convince the man on the other side to open it up, or he would shoot it open. That did it in two seconds and the rangers could continue up to the house. It was a very big house, or perhaps it would be referred to as a mansion. And there was a huge garden surrounding it. If he didn't know any better he'd say this looked like a perfect place for a child to grow up in.
Trivette rang the door bell. It didn't take long before a slender, dark haired woman opened the it. She was very beautiful and wore a long white dress with long sleeves and a diamante necklace.
"Yes? Can I help you?" she asked in a tired voice.
Gage spoke first. "Mrs Lawrence?"
"Yes, that's me. And who are you?"
"We're Texas Rangers, Ma'am. We have a search-warrant and would like for you to step aside so we can come inside, please." Walker explained.
"What's this all about?" she wondered as she glanced at the three men standing on her door-step.
"Is your husband home? We'd like to talk to him."
"Not that it's any of your business but no, he's not. He's out of town working and before you ask.......no, I do not know where or with what. Now if you'll excuse me..." she tried to close the door but Gage stopped her.
"Ma'am, we'd like to come inside and take a look around." She looked like she was about to protest again so Gage held up the warrant to remind her she didn't have an option.
"Fine, come in if you must. I have nothing to hide." The rangers entered the house.
To be continued
A hidden cabin:
Sydney had been alone for a long time now and during that time she found herself thinking about Gage. She really liked him, more than a friend and she regretted never telling him that. It might be too late now, unless of course, she found a way to escape. She wasn't sure what was going to happen to her but she knew she wasn't going to like it.
She heard the clicking sound of the key being turned inside the lock and the door open. She didn't know who had entered the room because she was facing the wall, away from the door.
"Hello, Sydney!"
The voice came from behind her. She knew that voice very well. It was a bit darker than the last time she heard it but it contained the same pure evil and hatred for her. He moved closer to her and placed a gentle kiss on top of her head.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Just welcoming you here. I'm very grateful you took the time to come here for this little meeting." He said.
"It's not like I had much choice."
"Well, you know what I want from you, don't you?" he asked even though he knew she did.
"What? Another kid? I didn't think you'd want another one since you've already got trouble with your first."
He looked surprised at the way she challenged him. He remembered her as a frightened young girl without much belief in herself at all. She certainly had changed, and not for the better he thought.
"I can see you are not the same person you were."
"Eight years changes a person." She waited for his reaction and then "And becoming a Texas Ranger too." She reminded him of who she was now.
Johnny nodded.
"Yes, I know what you are. You decided to become a Ranger for some reason I don't understand. And I bet you think your colleagues are going to come for you."
He was standing in front of her now, staring down at her. Sydney wanted nothing more than to get up and knock him out, but that was not possible at the time.
"But I'm sorry to disappoint you, Sydney. That won't happen. There is no way they will find you all the way out here in the middle of nowhere."
"Where are we?" she asked.
"More importantly.....where is the tape? Or should I say tapes?" he studied her reaction to the last word. "Yes, I know there is more than one tape of my daughter, me and her mother."
Sydney frowned. "She's my daughter, Johnny. Not your wife's."
He picked up a chair and threw it with all his strength at the wall.
"Wow, Johnny. That really got to you, huh?" she taunted him. He never had time to answer before the man who had visited her in the room earlier came in to see what had happened.
Johnny simply waved his hand at him. "It's fine. Leave us!" He did and once again they were alone together behind closed doors. Sydney had no fear of him. She only felt fear of dying and leaving her daughter with him and his abusive wife, with no hope of ever knowing who her real mother was.
"My daughter is fine where she is. She knows we love her. But now that I see you, speak to you, I can see where she got all that insolence she shows from time to time. That is what you have on those tapes, the occasions when she acts like a spoiled brat and we deal with that."
Sydney felt like she was about to explode with anger. She hoped her sister would tell Walker and the others about this man and that they would find a way to get to her soon. Because when they did she was determined to pay Johnny back for all the pain he had caused both her and her little girl over the years.
"You said she would be happy with the two of you. I always knew you were wrong. And those tapes will prove it."
Sydney was so glad she had found the old woman who was going to testify about the abuse and who had been willing to put up a video-camera in the little one's room. That way she had more proof than just the tape at the play-ground that the girl was being abused by both parents.
Johnny waved a finger an inch from her face and shook his head.
"No, no, no. They won't, because you are going to tell me where you've hidden them." He took out a knife with a very large blade and placed it at her throat. "Or I will kill you."
He watched her and admired her ability not to freak out during such a threat.
"You are not afraid."
"I'd rather die here than tell you where they are." she said and closed her eyes as if waiting for him to strike.
"And why is that?"
She opened her eyes and looked into his once again.
"Because if I tell you where they are, you will kill me anyway just to keep something like this from happening again and to get me out of your life. But if I don't tell you and let this end here, the tapes will be sent to the Texas Rangers who will make sure my daughter will be safe for the rest of her life." She finished.
"You're lying!!" he yelled "You have arranged no such thing.!!"
As he realized he had just hurt her with the knife pressed against her throat, he took it away and instead slapped her across the face and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Sydney sighed. At least the woman who could testify was still alive and safe. There hadn't been enough time to tell Sylvia that the old lady was also a witness to some serious drug smuggling. Or maybe she just hadn't wanted her to know, no matter how close they were. It was more important to keep her safe. The old maid had been listening to conversations going on in the mansion for a long time now. And recently she had over heard Johnny and his father talking about a large shipment of drugs coming in at three o'clock in two days now.
The Lawrence place:
Walker stopped the car outside the gate and stepped out to convince the man on the other side to open it up, or he would shoot it open. That did it in two seconds and the rangers could continue up to the house. It was a very big house, or perhaps it would be referred to as a mansion. And there was a huge garden surrounding it. If he didn't know any better he'd say this looked like a perfect place for a child to grow up in.
Trivette rang the door bell. It didn't take long before a slender, dark haired woman opened the it. She was very beautiful and wore a long white dress with long sleeves and a diamante necklace.
"Yes? Can I help you?" she asked in a tired voice.
Gage spoke first. "Mrs Lawrence?"
"Yes, that's me. And who are you?"
"We're Texas Rangers, Ma'am. We have a search-warrant and would like for you to step aside so we can come inside, please." Walker explained.
"What's this all about?" she wondered as she glanced at the three men standing on her door-step.
"Is your husband home? We'd like to talk to him."
"Not that it's any of your business but no, he's not. He's out of town working and before you ask.......no, I do not know where or with what. Now if you'll excuse me..." she tried to close the door but Gage stopped her.
"Ma'am, we'd like to come inside and take a look around." She looked like she was about to protest again so Gage held up the warrant to remind her she didn't have an option.
"Fine, come in if you must. I have nothing to hide." The rangers entered the house.
To be continued