Monday morning saw all four, Walker, Trivette, Gage and Sydney back in the office ready to go. Walker turned to Trivette and said: "What have you got for us Trivette?" Trivette wore a puzzled look on his face, and then said: "Not a lot. I came in Sunday morning so I could access the federal identity database and got this." He held out a fax sheet with two images on it sitting above the search field.
The images were clearly rendered. The picture on the left of the page said: "Department of Defense" and had the emblem of the U.S. Air Force on it and the other picture said: "International Police". Just below the two pictures were the words in all capital block letters: THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE REQUESTED IS CLASSIFIED.
Trivette said: "I thought I might have input something wrong but when I double checked and tried again, I got the same message and kicked off the internet to boot. Not five minutes later I got a phone call with the caller ID blocked and a voice said: "Leave it alone. This doesn't concern you." and hung up on. I couldn't even get a word in edgewise."
The three Rangers looked to each other when Gage said: "Like hell it doesn't. Even if Ryu has a guardian angel in the D.O.D. and Interpol, he's in our state, breaking our laws. I say we nab him anyway." Walker said: "You may be right but let me make a few calls and call in some favors and we'll see what happens from there." A stern voice from the back of the room called out: "Don't bother trying Ranger Walker."
All four looked over to the owner of the voice. Easily taller than Gage, (not counting the hair), Wearing a military working dress uniform, biceps bigger than the ammunition drum on an old style Tommy gun, pants creased to perfection and shoes polished to a mirror-like sheen, Colonel William Guile walked into the Texas Ranger office and said: "Let's talk."
The four Rangers plus one slightly irritated Air Force Colonel went into one of the interrogation rooms where they could talk in relative privacy. The four sat down around the table as the Colonel closed and locked the door, pulled all the shades and unplugged the camera from its socket. The only problem with this last measure was that the camera wasn't meant to be unplugged without tools. The Colonel had yanked the camera off the wall without a struggle and set the sparking object on the table.
"First of all," he started. "I want you to understand, that officially, I am not here." Gage cut in with: "Funny, you look like your here and your fingerprints are all over that camera now." Walker said sharply: "Gage, now is not the time to be flippant." Gage took the rebuke and apologized immediately. Guile smirked and said: "That's okay. Your camera will be repaired by C.O.B. today. Anyway, my office was notified about your interest in Ryu and I'm here as a courtesy so I need you to listen. Ryu helped us out once and so I'm saying, forget about him. I want you to either irretrievably "lose" all your evidence about Ryu or surrender it to me today. Unless he's committed some kind of capital crime or something, he doesn't exist except as rumor and hearsay, alright?"
Walker, as lead officer spoke: "Can you tell us why Colonel? While he has technically committed a misdemeanor by streetfighting, it's the assault on two of my officers that I'm concerned about most." Guile said: "That's classified Ranger Walker but there is a good reason for it. While I'm sorry about your officers, they should have known better than to fight him in the first place. I already know about your operation to break up the fight circuits that are sending you bodies."
Trivette stammered: "How can you know that? That's an ongoing investigation." Even as he said it, Trivette knew that it was rhetorical. He said: "Right, right. Forget I asked." Guile said: "In return for letting Ryu go completely, I am prepared to reciprocate with all the information you need to take this circuit down. Groups like that give a bad name to fighting and fighters in general so I'd like to see them go away as well. Do we have a deal?" Walker thought about it and said: "Alright Colonel. As a courtesy to you, we'll do it your way and if Ryu is taken in our sweep, I'll let him go myself."
Walker didn't have to ask his people if they understood. He knew that they would back him up. He said: "Trivette, give the Colonel all your data on Ryu. Sydney, get the security camera tape from the market and Gage, put all the paperwork together." Everyone acknowledged their orders and left, leaving only Walker and Guile in the room. Walker said: "Is there anything you can tell me Colonel?" Guile said: "Not much more than that I'm already keeping a discrete eye on Ryu because he helped us take down a monster that runs an organization the likes of which would give you nightmares. Believe me because the monster in question gave me a personal nightmare that I relive from time to time to this day."
Walker could sense the sincerity in Guile's words and stood up to shake his hand and said: "Understood Colonel. If I or the Texas Rangers can ever help you out sometime, just let me know." Guile accepted the proffered hand and said: "I just might take you up on that offer one of these days Ranger. Thank you for your cooperation."