Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thanks to Janis for all your help and to everyone who reviewed.
Chapter 6: Tuesday
Walker Ranch
Walker woke early and went downstairs to start the coffee. On his way back upstairs to dress, he heard a slight noise from the nursery. Deciding to check on the baby, he opened the door just as a tiny wail emitted from the infant's mouth. Going to the crib, he asked, "Now Angel, what's the matter with you, huh?" After changing the baby's diaper, daddy picked up his daughter while continuing, "I bet you're hungry. Let's go see if Mommy's awake yet."
When he entered the bedroom, Alex scolded, "I was beginning to wonder if you were bringing her in here or not."
Walker leaned over kissing his wife good morning while handing her the baby. "We were talking, honey."
Alex got Angela settled nursing before continuing, "Umm hmm, I could hear every word you said, cowboy, and you weren't talking that much."
"There's not a whole lot to say when she can't answer." Walker retorted with a chuckle, "Alex, I'm going to take care of the horses then head into the office. Jimmy's not coming in until after his doctor's appointment, and I need to talk to Sydney and Gage before they go back to work at RED."
"Okay, I'll have breakfast ready by the time you get back in, shower, and change for work."
"Thanks, sweetheart. See you in a bit." With a quick kiss, Walker went to the barn, taking care of his chores quickly but efficiently so he could spend a little more time with his wife and child before work.
Sydney's
Sydney was waiting somewhat impatiently on her partner. Before she left for home the night before, Gage promised he'd pick her up the next day and treat her to breakfast before work. Gage had called ten minutes before, saying he was on his way over, now Syd was watching for him from the front window. Five minutes later, Gage pulled into the lot of her building. Syd grabbed her purse and headed downstairs to meet her partner.
"Morning, Syd." Gage said, laughing at the perplexed look on her face as she realized he had simply pulled up to the front door and waited on her to come down.
Getting into the car, Syd turned to Gage asking, "How did you know I'd come down instead of waiting for you upstairs?"
Leaning over and cupping her chin, Gage stole a quick kiss before replying. "Well, honey, it's 6:45 now, we have to be at RED by nine o'clock and Walker expects us at eight to go over our plans for today. Let's just say we've been partners long enough for me to know what you're thinking sometimes." As Syd opened her mouth to protest, he continued, "The same way you can tell what I'm going to do at times without me saying a word."
"Okay, you've made your point," Syd retorted, trying to keep from laughing, "Now are you taking me to breakfast or not?"
"I'm taking you. You guys always talk about me being in a hurry to eat, but put you off and you get grouchy. Hey!" Gage exclaimed as she punched his arm, "I was just kidding, Syd! Anyway, how about we go to the new diner that just opened down the street from the courthouse?"
Sydney laughed, "Sounds good and there's a good reason I'm in a hurry this morning. Usually if we have breakfast together, I end up cooking." Anticipating her partner's protest, Syd finished, "Except for last Saturday, but if you'll remember I was getting our picnic ready at the same time."
"All right, Syd, you're always bugging me about not being able to fix anything except toast. Ever think that may be why I don't offer to cook more? Look we're here, are we going to go in and eat or stay out here and argue."
Syd stared intently at him for a moment, then replied with a grin, "Let's go eat, otherwise, I may get arrested for abusing my partner by starving him. Because you're teasing me again, like I do you about the toast."
Laughing Gage asked, "Can you picture the look on Jimmy's face if he had to do the honors?" Upon getting an agreeable nod from Sydney, they both got out of the car and headed inside the restaurant.
Ranger Headquarters
The junior Rangers entered the office about 10 minutes before 8:00 a.m. to find Walker already at his desk. Glancing around, Gage asked, "Where's Jimmy?"
Sydney elbowed him in the side, replying, "Gage, he's getting the leg brace off today. Erica's hoping she'll be able to work without worrying about him so much after his appointment."
"Poor Erica, Trivette was about to go crazy yesterday, because she kept asking if he'd reminded me that he wouldn't be in until later and I got irritated at him since he told me every time she'd ask him. Anyway, what are your plans for today?"
"I stopped and checked out one of the small cameras, I'm going to see about getting into Justin's office and doing some snooping around. His secretary smokes, so when she takes an afternoon break, she's definitely out of her office. Brandon has a prolonged meeting with Justin, at least, this afternoon; I'll see what I can find out then." Syd informed their boss.
"I'm going to see what I can find out about the boxes that were marked, and what's going on inside the smaller room." Gage spoke up as Walker's gaze moved to him.
"Sounds good. Both of you be careful, though. Gage, you mentioned yesterday that Willie was asking a lot of questions. If anything changes in your cover position, try to get word to us immediately. If there's nothing else, Trivette and I will see you this evening." As the partners left, Walker tried to dismiss the uneasy feeling that crept over him. Thinking of his juniors looking into this case without immediate backup, set the senior Ranger's nerves on edge, a feeling he didn't like and couldn't ignore, while at the same time knowing he was unable to do anything else but wait and see if any new leads emerged.
Methodist Hospital
Erika had to take Jimmy back to the hospital for the doctor, who'd seen him the week before, to do a follow-up before releasing him for regular duty.
When they arrived in the emergency room and checked in, the nurse took Jimmy immediately for X-rays on his arm and leg. When they returned, the nurse left him in a room before getting Erika to wait with him.
Coming in, his fiancée asked, "How'd the X-ray go, did they say anything?"
"No honey, the nurse just told me to wait here and the doctor would be here in a minute." Jimmy answered putting his arm around her.
Before anything else could be said, Dr. Fayad entered the room, "Hello Ranger Trivette, you're looking much better than you were last week. How are you feeling?"
"Feeling fine. How do the X-rays look?
"They look very good. They show everything normal." The doctor informed the couple.
"Can I get back to regular duty, then?" Jimmy asked eagerly.
"Yes, but you might want to take it easy for a few more weeks before you fight the criminals." Dr. Fayad said with a smile. "Just in case it puts too much strain on your shoulder."
"Thank you, doctor." As the doctor exited the room, Jimmy grabbed Erika into an exuberant hug and spun her around a few times before catching her lips in a passionate kiss. "Erika, isn't it great?"
"Oh Jimmy, this is wonderful, now I can stop worrying about you for a while. Now, what do you say I drop you at headquarters and I'll fix a special dinner tonight?"
"Sounds great, honey. I can't wait." The couple left the hospital in high spirits. Upon reaching the Tarrant County Courthouse, Erika pulled into a space right next to the building and, leaning over, kissed her fiancé on the cheek while ordering, "All right, Ranger Trivette. You get to work and be careful."
"Yes ma'am," Jimmy saluted with an enthusiastic grin. Erika slapped him on the arm as he exited the car heading for the door and Company B headquarters.
"Good morning, partner," Jimmy cheerfully greeted the red-haired ranger.
"Morning Trivette," came the nonchalant reply, as Walker didn't even look up from the report he was reading.
Slightly put off by the lack of response, Jimmy tried again, "Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"
Looking up, Walker thought a moment before replying, "Yeah, how's Erika doing today?"
"Uh, she's fine." Jimmy answered with a startled, hurt-puppy-dog look on his face.
"That's good, I wondered if taking care of you was too much for her." Walker replied, looking back at the file in front of him before his partner could read the amused look on his face.
With a disgruntled look on his face, Jimmy watched his partner a few moments before turning to his computer and starting work.
RED Manufacturing
As Syd parked the car in a space, Gage reached over taking her hand as he said, "Listen Syd, I want you to be careful today, all right?"
"Gage, you're sounding like Walker! I'll be careful, but you do the same."
Gage feigned a hurt look replying, "Syd, you know I'm always careful."
Sydney laughed, "Yeah Gage, I remember you getting in trouble several times when you were being 'careful'."
Grinning with her, Gage retorted, "Okay Syd, I get the picture." Sobering quickly, he continued, "Seriously Syd, you're the one sneaking in Winters' office. Promise me you'll be careful."
Sydney reached over and putting her arms around her partner's neck, pulled him closer for a kiss while reassuring, "I'll be careful, Gage. Try not to worry so much. We better get inside before we're late."
Holding on for another kiss, Gage released her saying, "If you insist Syd, we'll get back to this later."
"Get back to what, exactly?" Sydney asked, curiously.
"What do you think?" Her partner retorted, raising his eyebrows.
Sydney smiled, playfully, "Promise?"
"You bet. Let's go, before you get on to me about making you late." The partners headed into the building, parting at the elevators.
Upstairs
Upon reaching her temporary office, Syd found Brandon wasn't in yet. She set about starting a pot of coffee and booting up the computer while waiting. Syd was just getting a cup for herself when Brandon entered looking tired.
Syd lifted the pot, querying gently, "Want a cup?"
"Yes thanks," Brandon answered gratefully. "Cassie can't stand the smell first thing in the morning."
"My friend just had a baby and she had trouble with the smell at first. Her husband had to wait until he got to work for coffee or stop and get some on the way. She quit having trouble after she got over the morning sickness." Syd replied with a smile, handing him the coffee. "Did you have a rough night?"
"Shows, huh? Cass couldn't sleep so I didn't get much more than she did. She was so restless that we're thinking we may have our bundle before much longer." With a sigh, he took a sip of the steaming brew. "This is great Carina, thanks. Guess we'd better get to work. There are a couple of reports I need you to get typed today. The one marked 'sales data', I need before lunch. The advertising report by the time you go home."
"I'll get right on it." With that Syd sat down at the desk, skimming over the first report before beginning to type it into the computer. Brandon made sure she didn't have any immediate questions; then headed into his office.
Packing Dept.
Gage entered the room just as everyone gathered around Willie for their day's assignments. The foreman assigned some to the small room and the rest to positions in the main room.
Everyone else dispersed to their duties, except for Gage, who hadn't been given a place. Gage was a little concerned when Willie approached him, but kept calm asking, "What am I to do today?"
"Shawn, I've got a new job for you today. Come with me." Gage followed the foreman, realizing he was headed for the smaller room.
As they entered the room, Gage looked around absorbing as much information as he could. There were more packing lines in here, but beside every station were boxes full of small bags or covered vials containing some kind of white powder.
"Shawn, Shawn!" Willie's voice brought Gage from his observation.
"Sorry, my mind was wandering. I never dreamed there could be a room this size in here." Gage quickly apologized.
Willie watched the young man closely as he replied, "That's all right. Here's where you'll be. I just had a worker go on vacation, so we've got a vacant position." Noticing he had Gage's full attention, the foreman went on to explain Gage's job, which was to put vials of powder into the holes in the distributors. Gage went to work, steadily doing the job assigned to him, after watching him a few moments Willie moved away going from one room to the other supervising everyone's work.
When Gage had a box filled with distributors ready for packing, another man came, taking it to be taped. A red star was then put on the side and the box was packed with others on the cart that Gage had noticed being brought out the day before.
Ranger Headquarters
The past few hours had gone by fairly quiet as Jimmy didn't talk to his partner after his earlier comments. Walker was about to get the sullen ranger out of the office for lunch, when his phone rang. Answering it and hearing Gage's voice, the senior ranger focused completely on the younger man.
"Walker just wanted to check in and let you know what went on this morning." Gage started, going on to explain that he'd been moved into the smaller packing room.
"I'll see if I can get any of the powder for testing, but Willie's still watching me pretty close." Gage explained.
"That's all right Gage." Walker replied, "Don't take the risk if you're being watched. We'll get something later."
"You got it, boss. Syd said that Justin Winters is supposed to have a meeting in Brandon's office after lunch and she's going to get in his office to look around."
"Tell Sydney to be careful. We'll see you later."
"Will do. See you later."
Walker hung up his phone as the line was disconnected on Gage's end. Looking over at his own partner, he called, "Trivette."
The black ranger didn't glance up, "Yeah, Walker?"
Walker smiled at Jimmy's continued sullen behavior, "Did the doctor clear you for regular duty?"
"Yeah, he said I could get back to a normal work schedule, but to take it easy for a few weeks and not put too much stress on the leg or shoulder." Jimmy, unconsciously, answered the question he'd been waiting for his partner to ask earlier. Still not looking up, Trivette missed the amused expression on Walker's face, which disappeared as his phone rang once again.
"Walker," he answered in a crisp voice.
"Hi there, Cowboy." The ranger's face melted into a smile upon hearing his wife's voice.
"Hi Alex. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"
"Well, I tried calling Erika but she must be at work, so I thought I'd try there to see how Jimmy's doctor's appointment went."
"It went well, he got approved for regular duty as long as he takes it easy for a few weeks. I guess, that means the skydiving is out for a while." Walker filled Alex in on what Jimmy had just told him, embellishing a little for his partner who couldn't help but overhear.
"Walker, how did you know what the doctor told me," Jimmy asked looking at his partner in amazement.
Walker grinned, ignoring the other man to finish his conversation with his wife. After finding out how both his girls were doing, Walker signed off and replaced the receiver before facing his partner.
"Jimmy, I know what the doctor told you, because you told me." He patiently replied.
"No, I didn't! I waited for you to ask me earlier and you couldn't be bothered! All you were concerned about was how Erika had held up. Now you just tell Alex everything without even asking me…" Walker cut Jimmy off in mid-sentence.
"Trivette, calm down for a minute. I asked you not twenty minutes ago if the doctor cleared you for duty, and you said yes then went on to tell me all about your appointment. So just take a deep breath and relax. Now are you ready to grab some lunch?"
"I did not tell y…" Jimmy's voice trailed off as he remembered answering his partner's question about 15 minutes prior. "Walker, how do you manage to do that to me?"
"Do what exactly?" Walker queried.
"Get me to tell you things when I'm not paying attention to what you're asking me." The other man answered impatiently.
"That's why, because you're not paying attention. Let's grab some lunch now."
Jimmy opened his mouth to argue further, then thinking better of it, grabbed his jacket to follow his partner out of the office.
RED Manufacturing
Gage and Sydney were on their lunch breaks when Gage called Walker while Syd watched for anyone approaching them who could overhear his conversation with their boss. "Will do. See you later." Gage put his cell phone back in his pocket and looked at his partner. "Walker said for you to be careful, Syd, and I'm still not too sure about you taking this kind of risk by yourself."
"It's all right Gage; I'll be careful," Sydney reassured, reaching across to take his hand. "Besides Justin will be with Brandon and his secretary said she was taking her lunch break when Justin went to the meeting. I'll have plenty of time to get in and out unnoticed."
"I just have a bad feeling about this, Syd." Gage replied, grasping her hand tighter.
"I know, Gage." Syd answered then raising an eyebrow at her partner asked, "What did Walker have to say about you trying to get some of the powder?"
Gage grinned, "Not to take the risk. Don't worry about that, you just concentrate on getting in and out of Justin Winters' office safely."
"Speaking of which, I'd better get back. Lunchtime's up and I need to be in the office when Winters arrives." Syd squeezed Gage's hand quickly, letting go to stand up. "Catch you later."
"Okay, Carina." Gage stood also, walking with his partner to the office door then heading for the elevator to get downstairs.
After leaving Gage, Sydney was at her desk long enough to get a good start on the next report for Brandon. She looked up as the door opened to admit Justin Winters.
Giving him a polite smile, Syd requested. "Good afternoon, Mr. Winters. If you'll have a seat, I will let Mr. Cox know you're here."
"Thank you, Carina." Justin replied, sitting on the edge of her desk right beside her phone.
Sydney tried ignoring him as she picked up the receiver, saying, "Mr. Winters is here for the meeting, Mr. Cox." Listening for a few moments, she then answered, "Yes sir, right away." Looking up and gesturing towards Brandon's office, she said, "Mr. Cox said for you to go right in."
"Thank you, lovely. After I'm through with this little meeting, how about you coming for a late lunch with me."
"No thank you, Mr. Winters." She politely declined. "I really need to get this report finished, and I've already had lunch."
"Okay, I'll check back with you another time." The man answered, not catching the cool undertone to Syd's voice. Sydney led him into Brandon's office, asking Brandon, "Could I get you gentlemen anything to drink?"
"Would you bring us some coffee please, Carina?" Brandon requested with a smile.
Syd returned the smile, replying, "Sure, I'll be right back."
After delivering the coffee, Sydney sat back down at her desk. Picking up her purse, she retrieved the camera she'd checked out at headquarters that morning, putting it in her blazer pocket. Listening quietly, she heard the two men's voices discussing the report on sales data and the effects advertising had on the sales in different months. As they got further into the discussion, Syd slipped out into the corridor heading for Justin's office.
Inside Justin Winter's office
With Justin's secretary on her lunch break, the female ranger had no trouble getting into Justin's private office. Looking around once she was inside, Sydney decided the best place to search would be in his desk drawers. Quickly opening each drawer and flipping through the contents, she found a folder marked 'special orders' within a few moments. A glance at the first page inside the folder proved that she'd hit pay dirt. The page was a list of items ordered by the company, whose purchases had prompted Mr. O'Malley to call Walker in the first place. In addition to the parts shipped, this list included the amount of drugs contained inside each part. Pulling out the camera, she went through the pages snapping pictures of each then putting the folder back in the drawer the way she found it.
Going back through the outer office, Syd opened the door a crack, checking the corridor and slipping quickly out of the office. Heading back to her desk without a backward glance, she didn't notice Carlton Powers coming out of his office, watching her closely; then entering Justin's office.
Sydney had been back to work on the report around half an hour before Justin came out of Brandon's office with a copy of the earlier report. "Brandon, I'll show this to Carlton and let you know what he wants." Closing the door, he moved closer to Syd's desk asking, "Well doll face, are you sure I can't interest you in lunch?"
Syd's body tensed at the 'doll face' bit, but she kept her face composed while replying, "I'm sure Mr. Winters, I still have this report to finish and I have already eaten."
Justin, still not noticing Syd's underlying reactions, kept up the pursuit, "Well how about dinner then?"
Sydney was tired of being bothered by the man and politely replied in a cool voice, looking him in the eye, "Mr. Winters, I'm sure there are a number of women, who would be flattered by the attention you are giving me, but I'm not one of them. I already have a boyfriend and he doesn't like to share, so please leave me alone."
Justin gave her a rueful smile saying, "You can't blame a guy for trying. Truce?"
"That's all right. I am just not available and don't need the attention to do my job." Syd replied, hoping he would leave soon.
"I can tell when I'm not wanted, I'll see you later." With that Justin left the office, as Sydney relaxed in her chair with a sigh of relief.
She straightened with a start, as Brandon's office door opened. "Did he finally leave you alone, Carina?" Brandon asked her gently.
"You heard everything, didn't you?" She asked with raised eyebrows.
"Yes, have you told Shawn about Justin?"
"I had to, I also promised if he went overboard and wouldn't leave me alone that Shawn could have a talk with him. Hopefully, he accepted what I told him and I won't have to worry about Shawn decking him." Syd answered with a grin, causing Brandon to laugh, while both pictured her partner confronting the other man.
Justin's office
Justin entered his office a few moments later, somewhat down in the dumps for being politely told to 'go fly a kite' from a beautiful woman. Turning after closing his door, he gave a start seeing someone in his chair until he realized it was Carlton Powers. "Carlton, what are you doing here?" He asked somewhat irritably.
"Do you know what's been going on in here while you were in your meeting with Brandon?" His boss curtly questioned.
"Not a clue. No one was here, Mary was gone to lunch…"
Carlton cut in on Justin's explanation, "And with her gone to lunch, anyone could have walked in here. Get the tape and let's see if anyone was in here or not."
Retrieving the video from a hidden camera in the wall vent, Justin turned on the TV/VCR in the corner and put the tape in. Returning to his desk, he perched on the edge, pushing the 'Play' button and starting the tape. What was revealed on the screen surprised both men; Syd was shown from entering through taking the pictures and returning the file to its proper place.
"Well Justin, still think no one was here?" Looking at the younger man, Carlton Powers' eyes took on a steely glint. "You know what needs to be done, either you get rid of her or have Willie do it. I don't care how, just take care of her."
Swallowing hard, Justin replied, "Yes sir. I'll make sure of it." With that Powers stood and left, Justin sat behind his desk then reached for the phone dialing.
Packing Dept.
Work was going on quickly and quietly, when the phone rang, startling Gage who was closest to it. Gage listened as Willie picked up the receiver, "Packing," he curtly answered.
"Willie, it's Justin; we've got a little problem."
"What's wrong?" Willie asked, keeping his words to a minimum to protect the conversation from the factory workers.
"While I was in a meeting with Brandon Cox, I had an uninvited guest in my office. The boss saw who it was and we've confirmed their identity from the video camera."
"I'm listening."
"You know who Carina Walters is?"
"Yeah, I've seen her." Willie replied, not mentioning the fact that she was with Shawn when he did.
"She's the guest."
Willie whistled through his teeth. "So what do you want me to do?"
"The boss said to take care of her one way or another. That means shut her up any way you can. He doesn't care how." Justin ordered, pleased to have the job out of his hands.
"You got it. Everything will be taken care of," Willie answered. Hanging up the receiver, he called to one of the men who picked up completed boxes, "James!"
When the man got closer, Willie ordered, "Make sure nothing goes wrong down here, I've got an errand to run."
"Yes sir," the other man replied, watching as the foreman left the room. Turning back, he noticed Gage also looking after Willie's departing figure.
"Caldwell," Gage started at the sharp blast of his name. "Get back to work; Mr. Brown's not paying you to keep track of where he's going." Gage went back to packing the parts while wondering what Willie's conversation meant and what his errand was.
Sydney's office: around 4:30 p.m.
Gage entered Syd's office, grinning when she glanced up. "Hey there, are you about done?"
Syd smiled back, "Not yet, I'm in the middle of typing up a report for Brandon and won't be finished until closer to five o'clock."
"Do you want me to wait here for you or in the cafeteria?"
"Why don't you go on without me," Syd lowered her voice, "You could report in to Walker and Trivette then maybe we could head home early." Reaching into her pocket, Syd handed Gage the small camera she used earlier, "Will you drop this off at the lab for me?"
Taking the film and putting it in his pocket, Gage remarked, "In other words, get out of here and quit distracting you?"
"Shawn! You're a good distraction, I just thought it would save us some time later." Syd replied with a hurt look at the suggestion.
Gage grinned, "I know, I'll see about clearing things up before you arrive." Leaning down he sneaked a quick kiss before exiting, "Be careful."
"You too. See you soon." Syd was caught up in a dream for a few minutes thinking about the progress in their new personal relationship. Shaking her head and coming back to reality, Syd hurried to finish work so she could follow her partner.
At 4:45 p.m., Syd knocked on Brandon's door then entered to hand him the completed report.
"This looks great, Carina, thanks," Brandon said with a smile.
"You're welcome," Syd answered. "I'm heading out now, I'll see you in the morning."
"See you in the morning. Is Shawn waiting for you?"
"No, I sent him on an errand earlier, I'm going to pick him up now. Bye." On that note, Syd left, heading for the parking lot and the car.
A few minutes later, Brandon opened his door preparing to leave for the day, but paused as he overheard Justin Winters talking to Willie Brown.
"Did you take care of things?"
"Yes sir, I set a bomb on the girl's car that ought to take care of the little snoop like the boss ordered. I set the timer for 45 minutes, but it's also rigged so that if she stops the ignition before it hits zero the bomb will explode. Either way she'll be out of the picture." Willie answered, "I noticed that Caldwell caught a cab instead of waiting on her. He's a good worker; it would have been a shame to lose him."
"If Caldwell had waited, he'd be history too. You know the boss; he said to take care of the girl, at any cost, since we caught her in my office snooping." Winters retorted, "Speaking of the boss, he wanted to meet us downstairs. Let's go before he has to wait long."
As the two men finished, Brandon went to the window of his office just in time to see Syd's car leaving the lot. Trying to figure how best to warn her, Brandon decided to call Shawn's cell phone to inform him of the overheard conversation.
Ranger Headquarters
Gage had taken a circuitous route to headquarters, in case someone followed him. He got the cab to drop him in front of an office building a block away. Gage went in the building then out the opposite side and walked to the courthouse, once inside he stopped at the lab, dropping off Syd's film for processing while, at the same time, turning the camera back in. Arriving in the Company B office, Gage began his report to the senior Rangers when his phone rang. Checking the number first, he answered, "Caldwell."
"Shawn, it's Brandon Cox. I hope you can do something, I just found out that Carina's in trouble." Came the breathless reply over the line.
"Where is she? What's happened, Brandon?" Gage rapidly fired the questions, then, noticing the senior Rangers looking his way curiously at his reaction, regained control over his own emotions saying. "Listen, take a deep breath and tell me what's going on."
Calming somewhat, Brandon relayed the conversation between Brown and Winters to Gage, finishing with, "Carina just left and I didn't know who else to call. I didn't want to scare her by calling her with this."
"That's fine Brandon, I'll take care of her. Thanks for calling." Disconnecting the line, Gage immediately dialed Syd; answering Walker's, "What's going on, Gage?" with a curt "There's a bomb on Syd's car, set to blow in about half an hour or when she turns the ignition off; whichever comes first."
Sydney's car
Sydney was singing with the radio while looking forward to the evening with her partner, when her phone rang. Answering she noticed it was Gage, "Hey there, I'm on my way to meet you."
"Syd," Gage paused a second, thinking how to tell her about the present danger, "I need you to stay calm for me."
Syd's warning system flashed into high gear at the seriousness in her partner's voice as she asked, "What's wrong, Gage?"
Ranger Headquarters
Gage was trying to remain calm while just wanting to be with Syd holding her close. "Brandon called me. He heard Winters and Willie talking about putting a bomb on your car."
"Gage…on this car?" Syd's voice rose in alarm.
"Syd, take it easy. Where are you at right now?"
Taking a deep breath, Syd pulled her emotions in check and concentrated on her surroundings, "I'm on the freeway. I left RED five minutes ago, so I'm about twenty minutes out."
"That's good news, Syd. The bomb is set to go off in about thirty minutes. Hang on a sec, okay? Walker wants to talk to you."
Walker's calm voice came on the phone, "Sydney, how far out are you?"
"About twenty minutes, Walker."
"Okay, here's what I want you to do. Go to Parking Lot G, it's empty now. Gage will meet you there, but don't turn the ignition off. Just park, get out and away. Someone from the bomb squad will move in to check if they've got enough time to disarm it."
"Okay. Walker, why do you want me to leave the car running?" Syd asked puzzled; then baffled even more by Walker's answer.
"Takes too much time switching it off. You just concentrate on getting away." This was accompanied by a stern look toward Gage who was listening intently to his boss's conversation. "Sydney, talk to Trivette a minute, then Gage will be back with you."
Handing the phone to Jimmy, Walker motioned Gage aside to the window. "Listen Gage, as soon as Sydney pulls up get her behind those dumpsters on the edge of the lot fast. Let the squad guys check out the bomb, you take care of your partner. Trivette and I will hang back here for a while before coming down. As soon as we're on the scene, get Syd up here."
"Believe me Walker, Syd's the only thing on my mind right now." Gage answered, fervently, not realizing how much of his true feelings for his partner were being conveyed to their boss.
Walker grinned at Gage's reply, "Good, Syd should be here in about ten or fifteen minutes. You'd better get your phone back before Jimmy runs out of things to talk about; then get downstairs to meet Sydney before she has a fit."
"Got it, Walker. See you later." Gage replied, heading for Trivette and his phone.
Jimmy saw Gage coming and said, "Here's Gage back, Syd. We'll see you in a little bit." He then relinquished the phone to Gage and joined his partner at the window, knowing Walker's position wouldn't change until the junior Rangers were safely away from the car.
Sydney was relieved to hear her partner's voice come back on the line as Gage said, "Okay Syd, I'm heading down to meet you. How far out are you now?"
"Still about five to ten minutes out. Gage. . . . . . .I'm scared."
"I know honey, listen everything's gonna be alright. You keep that in mind, okay?"
"Okay. Gage, why did Walker tell me not to turn the ignition off?" Syd questioned.
"He told you it takes too much time. Hey, you don't have the car keys on the ring with your other keys do you?"
"No, Gage, and I don't believe it takes too much time on switching the car off." Was his partner's impatient reply, followed by a firm, "Now, what's going on?"
"Syd, I'll explain everything later."
"Gage," Syd persisted. "I'm almost there and you can't scare me any more than I already am. Now tell me!"
"Okay Syd, here goes. We don't want you to turn the ignition off because Brandon heard them say the bomb is rigged to explode if the engine is switched off before the timer hits zero. Walker wants us to get away fast just in case it's also wired to go off if the door is opened. All right, I'm at Lot G where are you now?"
"I'm coming around the courthouse. I see the lot, be there in a couple of minutes; I'll go ahead and hang up though." Hearing a disagreeing noise from her partner, Syd reassured him, "Don't worry, Gage, I'm all right for now."
Gage disconnected the line as he caught sight of Syd's car. Sydney concentrated on pulling into the parking lot and over to where her partner waited for her.
Putting the car into park, Syd grabbed her purse as Gage opened the door. When she was out of the car, Gage caught her hand, both running across the parking lot. Reaching the relative safety of the heavy steel dumpsters, Gage wrapped his arms protectively around Syd. No sooner had they crouched down; than there was a sound similar to a gunshot followed by a deafening blast as the car exploded. When the sound faded away, Gage eased his grip on Syd to check that she was unharmed. Feeling Gage move away, Sydney clung tighter to him, still unnerved over the closeness of the timing.
"Syd?" Gage questioned, when his partner pulled herself closer to him.
"Gage, please," Syd requested in a low voice, keeping as brave a front that she was capable of in that moment.
Gage, realizing she was still scared, held her closer saying, "It's okay Syd; I've got you." Seeing Walker and Trivette exiting the building, Gage asked, "Walker wants us to get into the office as soon as possible, are you ready to go now?" Syd didn't waste energy on talking, simply nodding her head.
Walker and Jimmy watched the scene unfold from the office window until Gage and Sydney were a safe distance from the vehicle; then headed for the door. Exiting the building, Walker looked toward the younger partners just as Gage helped Syd to her feet so they could make their way into the building. At the same time, the senior Ranger noticed how closely they held each other and smiled feeling sure that his suspicions about the younger Rangers were correct. Turning his attention back to the scene, he saw Paul Myers, chief of the bomb unit, moving to meet them.
"Paul, what have you found out?" Walker asked.
"We found part of the bomb, timer stayed intact." Paul held up the charred remains bearing a digital plate reading '000'. "It ran out of time, your Ranger was lucky to get here when she did."
"Well, we weren't entirely sure how much time was left. That's why I had her partner get her out and away from the area." Walker replied.
"It was a good call, Walker. Ranger Cooke's too pretty to lose." Paul remarked in an appreciative tone.
"Yes and you're too married to be thinking that way." The Ranger retorted protectively, before concluding. "Besides you'd have to get through her partner first."
"Dana would have my hide if she thought I looked at Ranger Cooke, much less any woman, with anything but professional courtesy. You know…she and Ranger Gage make a good team, Walker." Paul remarked thoughtfully.
"I know; I'd hate to lose either of them." Walker replied as Jimmy nudged his partner's arm. "Walker, there are reporters over there wanting to know what happened and probably if there's any footage available."
"Yeah, I saw them. Here's what I want you to do." Walker outlined what he had in mind to his partner. Jimmy left and Walker went with Chief Myers to look at the remains of Syd's vehicle until his partner returned.
Security Office
Jimmy went to the security room of the courthouse and greeted the officer on duty, "Hi, Mike."
"Hey, Trivette, what can I do for you?"
"Walker needs a couple of discs cut from the security camera in Lot G."
"Where Cooke's car blew?"
"Yeah, there are reporters downstairs looking for footage for the news and Walker thought he'd oblige them, while using it to our advantage."
Jimmy went through the events Walker wanted copied with Mike. Mike made the five copies Walker requested which showed: the car coming to a halt; Syd and Gage's getaway; then the explosion. When the copies were ready, Mike handed them to Jimmy.
"Thanks Mike, Walker wants to preserve Syd and Gage's covers if possible."
When Jimmy rejoined his partner at the scene, he whistled through his teeth upon getting a good look at the car's destruction commenting, "Man, Walker, I'm glad Gage got Sydney away from there."
"Me, too, Trivette. Are we set?" Getting an affirmative from his partner, they headed toward the myriad journalists.
Seeing the senior Ranger's approach, the reporters immediately began firing questions as the camera crews focused in on Walker's set countenance.
Walker waited for the commotion to die down before speaking. "What happened here is the result of a car bomb. We're not sure whether it was meant to cause damage by the driver or if she was the victim. My partner and I saw the vehicle pull up to meet a man in the lot then they left the scene. We are making every effort to find these two and get to the bottom of things." Thanking the reporters, the two men moved away heading to the office to check on their young friends.
Company B Office
When Syd and Gage entered the empty office, he moved his arm from around her shoulders; mildly surprised when his partner wouldn't release her hold. At his suggestion that they sit down, Syd eased her grasp only to sit in his lap the minute Gage was ensconced in his chair. Wrapping his arms around her again, he teased, "How are we going to explain this to Walker and Trivette when they walk in?"
Syd shook her head, "Did you see the reporters downstairs? Walker and Jimmy won't be here for a while. Maybe my nerves will have settled down by then. I noticed a Channel 6 news crew down there. Let's see if they run a special report."
Turning the TV on with the remote, which was close, they were just in time to catch the in-studio anchorman reporting, "an explosion in a parking lot near the Tarrant County Courthouse. Let's go to Marsha Bradford at the scene." After the reporter talked about what had obviously happened, Walker was shown approaching the group and giving his statement. When he finished a few reporters asked further questions, which he declined to answer. The camera panned back to Marsha and she finished the brief with, "more on your local news at six." Pressing the 'Power Off' button, Gage kissed Syd on top of the head while reminding her their bosses could show up any minute.
"All right Gage, I'm feeling a little calmer anyway." Syd replied standing up and moving to the chair at the end of his desk.
No sooner had Sydney sat down than the senior partners entered the office. Walker looked toward the juniors asking Syd how she was doing.
"I'm fine Walker, better than while on my way here." Syd answered with a slight smile.
"Glad you're okay, Sydney. The bomb detonated when the timer hit zero. I made a statement to the media a while ago, and some of the television reporters have picked up some video from the security camera that I had Trivette get ready."
Gage asked, "How's Mike doing, Jimmy?" while Syd asked, "What's on the video?"
Jimmy answered both questions; telling the partners Mike was okay and outlining the scenes Walker wanted for media release.
Walker added, "I knew the usual reporters would ask if we had anything. If you think your covers are still intact, the video shouldn't hurt them." Looking at the two Rangers, Walker noticed they still looked anxious. "Gage, why don't you take Sydney home and we'll talk in the morning, same time as today. Let us know then what you decide about your positions at RED."
"All right, thanks Walker." Helping his partner to her feet, Gage said, "Come on Shorty. Let's get you home so you can relax a bit. We'll talk to you guys tomorrow. Good night." With Sydney echoing his farewell, they exited the office.
Looking after them, Jimmy remarked. "There's definitely something different about those two lately."
"You don't say," his partner retorted. "Well…tell you what Trivette. If you figure it out let me know, okay?"
"Ha, ha, very funny, Walker. You probably know what's up and won't tell me. Hey, can we head home, too?"
"In a minute. First, I want you to do background checks on Brown, Powers, and Winters and cross-reference any previous connections between them."
"Will do." A short time later the reports were printed and waiting on Walker's desk for the next day's briefing as the partners left the office shortly after six o'clock for their homes.
Gage's car
Syd leaned her head back in the passenger seat looking out of the window. She hadn't said a word since leaving headquarters, causing her partner some concern. Looking across the seat, Gage decided to take her to his apartment where he could pamper her a bit.
Noticing he passed her turn-off, Syd turned her head saying, "Hey! I thought you were taking me home."
"I am; I just didn't say whose home." Enveloping one of her hands in his, Gage wheedled, "Come on Syd, let me take care of you for a change, okay? I'll run you home later, but for now I just need you close. I can fix us something to eat at my place without having you worry about your apartment going up in flames, too." He finished with a grin.
"Gage, I'm sorry I ever said anything about your cooking."
"Syd, I'm just teasing." Pulling into a space in front of his building, the partners headed upstairs together.
Entering the apartment, Gage put his arm around Syd, steering her towards his bedroom. Syd watched curiously as Gage went to his dresser opening a drawer for something. Returning to her side, Gage handed her one of his T-shirts and a pair of shorts with a drawstring waist.
"Here Syd, you go take a shower and put these on while I fix something for dinner, okay?" As she slanted a glance at his face, he continued, "Don't look at me like that. You know you'll be more comfortable in these than your skirt and blouse."
"You're right, Gage. I feel like I'm on autopilot or something. I just don't know what's wrong with me."
"Yes, you do Syd and no one would blame you for being upset. Now get moving, you'll feel better after you take a hot shower and change." After watching her enter the bathroom, Gage headed for the kitchen, turning the TV on as he passed through the living room. At 6:00 p.m. the opening news story was the car bomb report. Gage paused in working on dinner to watch. Even with the elapsed time since the events, he still wasn't prepared for the impact of watching them unfold before his eyes. Watching the report brought those frantic moments back to his memory while sending a chill down his spine thinking how different the outcome could have been. He remained lost in thought for a few minutes until the telephone's ring jolted him back to the present. Answering, Gage heard Erika's flustered voice, "Gage! I just saw the news, is Sydney all right? Where is she? I tried calling her at home and on her cell and couldn't get any answer…"
"Erika, stop a minute," Gage interrupted just as Syd came into the room. "Syd's fine." As Gage began explaining what happened, Syd heard his cell phone ring. Retrieving the phone from his jacket pocket, she glanced to see the number was Walker's Ranch phone. "Hi Alex."
"Sydney," came the ADA's relieved voice. "Thank God, are you and Gage okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine. Didn't Walker call you?"
"No, I saw the news and recognized you and Gage; you were the top story."
"Great, just what I've always wanted to be," the younger woman sarcastically replied. She told Alex the events that happened earlier before asking, "How close was the video shot?"
"Don't worry Sydney, the view was from the security camera in the parking lot. It wasn't close enough to recognize your faces, but close friends can tell from a distance." Alex scolded her friend gently.
"And the men who set the bomb. It's a relief our faces weren't shown though. What did the report show and say exactly?"
"Well…Oh, they're recapping the top story, now."
Syd moved in front of the television. The impact of watching the report and video hit her much as it had Gage. Syd sank down onto the couch, forgetting the phone in her hand, as the earlier terror came back to her. Meanwhile, Gage had finished relating the events to Erika, considerably calming her fears about her friend's safety. Hanging up the phone, Gage went to the couch putting one arm around Sydney while gently removing his cell from her slack grasp. She immediately buried her head in his shoulder trembling. Gage told Alex Syd's reaction to the video to explain why he took over the conversation.
"I'm sorry, Gage. She asked me about the video just before they replayed it." Alex apologized guiltily.
"That's okay, Alex. She would have seen it sooner or later. It hits pretty hard the first time you watch it, but she'll be okay."
"Are you okay? The whole situation can't have been too easy on your nerves, either."
"It wasn't," Gage answered automatically, without thinking. "Being able to hold her close afterward until she'd calmed down helped both of us. She moved to a chair before Walker and Trivette came back…uh, that is, oh man." Gage realized what he'd admitted to Alex just as Syd began giggling. Syd was unable to stop the giggles from escaping as she listened to her partner's unconscious admission to their boss's wife while the initial shock of watching the video receded with Gage's nearness.
Alex tried hiding her laughter while replying, "Your secret's safe with me, Gage. Erika and I got the story out of Sydney Sunday night." As the younger man sighed in relief, Alex chuckled, "I'll let you go, now that I'm sure you're both all right."
After ending the call, Gage turned to his still laughing partner asking if she wanted something to laugh about while reaching for her. "No, Gage! I'll stop!" Syd shrieked, grabbing his hands to stop him tickling her.
Her tormentor smiled, "I'm kidding Syd. It's nice to see you recovered so quick after watching the footage from today."
"Well, I probably wouldn't have if I wasn't here with you. You've always been there for me when I'm in trouble or hurt and it's a comfort that I can count on you to be with me."
Cupping her cheek with his hand, Gage whispered, "I'll always be here for you Syd, because I love you, besides you do the same for me. Now, are you ready to eat? Dinner should be ready."
Sydney gave him a playful look, asking apprehensively, "What are we having?"
"Well, it won't kill you; I don't think." As she looked up quickly, he continued with a laugh, "It's just a casserole. Julie told me one time that an easy meal was to layer complimentary ingredients in a dish, top it with cheese or a sauce and bake it until heated thoroughly. This is a kind of Mexican chicken dish."
"Sounds good. I'm sure it's delicious," she reassured him, adding softly, "I hope." She smiled innocently at Gage's sharp look as she preceded him into the kitchen.
Jimmy & Erika's
Erika heard Walker's RAM pull into the lot and, looking out the window, watched her fiancé exit the vehicle. She was waiting in front of the door, arms crossed, with a stern look on her face when Jimmy entered the apartment.
"You're late."
Trivette gave a start at her sharp words before responding, "Hi Honey, we had a little trouble at headquarters then Walker insisted I run some reports for tomorrow before we left."
Jimmy leaned in for a kiss but was held back by a firm hand on his chest. "The trouble at headquarters is most of the reason I'm upset rather than you being late. Why didn't you call me and let me know what happened to Sydney's car and that she was okay before I got the wits scared out of me seeing the report on the news?"
"Erika, I honestly didn't think about it. Gage was giving us his report on what happened at RED Manufacturing today when he got the phone call from Brandon Cox about the bomb on Syd's car. Then he called Sydney and the three of us were busy trying to talk to her and get things coordinated for getting her out of the car safely. After all of that when Walker had me get those reports together, I wasn't paying attention to the time, or thinking about the fact that it would be on the early news." Putting on his most innocent, hurt look, Jimmy finished, "I'm really sorry, do you forgive me?"
Giving him a narrow-eyed look, Erika let the ranger sweat it out a minute before relenting, "All right; just this once. If you let something like this happen again, you are in big trouble, mister."
"Yes, ma'am." He answered in relief, "How did you know everything, anyway?"
"Well, when I saw the news report, I tried phoning Syd but there was no answer at her apartment or on her cell. I was trying to stay calm but starting to panic when it occurred to me to try Gage. He answered, calmed me down then told me what happened." Suddenly, Erika's eyes widened, "Gage said Syd was okay but I never thought about the risk he ran of getting hurt by being there until she got out of the car." Erika exclaimed, realizing she'd been so focused on Sydney she'd never asked how Gage was.
Putting his arms around her, Jimmy held Erika close, saying, "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm sure Gage didn't think anything about it."
Considerably calmer, Erika replied, "I hope so Jimmy. Are you ready for dinner, I tried a new chicken recipe?"
"Yeah, I'm starving." As they went in the kitchen to eat, Jimmy remembered what Erika had said about Sydney and asked, "Honey, why didn't Sydney answer either of her phones?"
Erika shook her head slightly and answered as they began eating, "Gage took her home with him, so he could look after her. She was taking a shower and didn't hear her cell, and couldn't very well answer at home when she wasn't even there."
"Gage took her home with him?" Jimmy began grinning, thinking about the two partner's actions over the last two days.
Giving him a sharp look, Erika replied, "Yes and you leave them alone about it, James Trivette. Everything that happened this afternoon, on top of last week's events, shook Sydney up. Gage is making sure she's all right before he takes her home." With that said, Erika changed the subject asking about how work had gone. The question started Jimmy into a lengthy complaint about Walker tricking him to find out what the doctor had said and, effectively, getting his mind on something other than Sydney and Gage.
Walker's Ranch
When Walker entered the house, he heard Alex in the kitchen. Heading that way, he walked all the way up to where his wife was at the stove without her noticing. Slipping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck, he greeted, "Hi Honey, I'm home."
Giving a startled jump, she exclaimed, "Walker, I warned you about sneaking up on me Sunday morning. You don't listen very well, do you?"
"Not usually, depends on what I'm being told. Besides you're just too tempting when cooking; I just have to get a taste of the chef."
Stirring the stew one last time and setting the spoon down, Alex turned to face her husband, "Well, I have no objections to you tasting the chef, but you could make some noise entering a room," this was said with a smile, as the blond ADA looped her arms around his neck.
Just as Walker leaned down for a proper kiss, a tiny wail came from upstairs. Alex pushed slightly away from him, "Oh, there's Angela. I thought she'd sleep longer."
Walker stopped her, reassuring, "I'll get her. You've been here all day and it's time for me to help with our little 'angel'."
"You just want to make sure dinner's not ruined or late," Alex retorted with a laugh as he left the room.
When Walker re-entered the kitchen a few minutes later with Baby Angela, supper was ready and on the table. Alex met him to take their darling daughter into her arms. "Come to Mommy, sweetie. Did you have a bad dream?"
As they were sitting down to eat, Walker said, "Alex, I need to tell you something about Sydney…" he trailed off when his wife raised her hand and shook her head slightly.
"It's all right, Walker. I already know what happened to Sydney and that she and Gage are okay." At her husband's questioning look, she explained, "I saw the news report at six o'clock; it was the top story. After it was over, I tried Sydney's apartment and cell, both without an answer. I thought about where else she could be and about Gage. His line was busy, so I tried his cell and Sydney answered it. By the time she finished telling me what happened, they were re-showing the report, which she had just asked about. After it concluded, Gage came on the line and said that seeing the video upset Sydney all over again. We talked a bit longer then hung up and I came in here to put the finishing touches on dinner."
Smiling at her, Walker asked, "Is Gage taking good care of Sydney?"
Giving him a long look through her lashes, Alex, finally, replied, "It sounds like he's trying. With Sydney being upset over this afternoon's events, he's getting further than anyone normally would."
After reassuring her husband that the younger female was being cared for, the blond ADA quickly changed the subject while looking down to make sure her daughter was comfortable. Watching her down-bent head, Walker's lips quirked upward recognizing his wife's attempt to distract him from thinking what he already suspected: a change in the relationship between the younger Rangers.
When they finished eating, Alex headed upstairs to put the now-sleeping baby back in her bed while Walker began cleaning the kitchen. Hearing the door swing silently a few minutes later, Walker continued washing the dishes, waiting to see what his wife had in mind.
He didn't have long to wait; when Alex was right behind him, she grabbed his waist, saying, "BOO!" Walker quickly turned, wrapping his arms around her, catching her lips in a thoroughly devastating kiss.
Releasing her slowly, Walker grinned as Alex held onto his arms for a few seconds longer while she regained her balance. Catching her breath at the same time, Alex asked, "Is this your typical reaction to getting startled?"
Still smiling, the Ranger answered, "If you want to sneak up on me, you might want to leave the door open next time. I heard it swinging shut and knew you were back in the room."
As Alex took over washing the dishes, she saucily replied, "Well, I'll just have to keep trying then. You deserve a bit of payback for all the times you've scared the daylights out of me." After the dishes were finished, the two spent a quiet evening together without interruption except for their baby girl.
Gage's
While eating, Sydney and Gage both relaxed and, even though, they started thinking about their case, they limited their conversation to general topics. Gage kept watching his partner, looking down when she would look across the table, just glad that she was safe. When they finished, Syd started helping to clear the table. Noticing, Gage started to protest, "Syd…."
"Gage, don't. I'm going to help; you cooked. Normally you like getting out of cleanup duty." Syd teased.
"It's just … I brought you here so you could relax." Gage replied, as Syd began running hot water in the sink.
After adding dishwashing soap, she gave him a hug saying, "I have relaxed and enjoy the fact that you want to take care of me, but you had a scare from the situation, too. Let's just do these together while we talk about tomorrow."
"Tomorrow…Syd are you sure about going back in? They must have caught wind of something to take such a drastic measure as that bomb." Gage asked, raising one eyebrow.
"Gage, I'm not going to let you go back there by yourself. Someone must have seen me leaving Winters' office, probably Carlton Powers. We can get a story together to explain me still being alive, without implicating Brandon." Sydney replied with a sigh. "Besides it's a sure bet that they watched the news and already know I'm not dead so if we don't have a good explanation they could try to get me again and would be suspicious if I don't show back up at work."
"You're right, I hadn't thought about that." Gage said with a slight frown, "we've got eyes watching everywhere."
"That's it!" Syd's exclamation caused her partner to jump, dropping the plate in his hand. Catching the plate before it crashed on the floor, Gage asked, "What?"
"How I got out of the car," at Gage's confused look; Syd explained. "You said we've got eyes watching everywhere. What if someone spotted something under the car and told me when I stopped for traffic or a light? I could have been able to get out without serious injury."
"Syd, I hate to burst your bubble, but they had it hidden pretty well underneath. I couldn't see it when you pulled into the parking lot." Gage replied.
"You're right, if it had been hanging down far enough I'd have noticed before I left, too." Sydney thought a moment before continuing, "If we were dealing drugs we could have security measures to protect our car."
"What's going through your mind, Syd?" Gage asked as they finished the dishes and headed for the living room couch. "If we had any security precautions on the car you wouldn't have gotten in and taken off."
"What if we didn't get a warning until the engine was started?" Seeing she had her partner's full attention, Syd finished outlining her plan. "I got a warning light of something added on the car, but pulled out before checking what it was. When I was on the road, I turned on the system check; found that something was underneath and turned a small camera on that's under the car. The camera showed me the bomb, so I called to inform you of the situation. You came up with the idea of me pulling into the courthouse parking lot, because we thought it would be packed with cars and cause some damage. By the time we both got there and found it virtually empty, there wasn't time left to find another place so we abandoned the car; hid until the Rangers were occupied with investigating the explosion, then walked away from the scene unnoticed."
When Syd stopped talking, Gage mulled the whole thing over for a few minutes. "Sounds like a good idea, Syd. You mentioned someone seeing you leave Winters' office, how are we going to explain that."
"Easy, we can say that at lunch you told me what your new job was and we discussed if we should approach them about working that part, also. We've played it before, you want to deal drugs on the side, again?"
"What kind of drugs did you have in mind?" Gage asked with his usual easy grin.
"Cocaine. The files I found in Justin's office show the amounts going to STAR Auto Parts. Justin, Carlton Powers and Willie are behind the whole operation. Willie recruits the workers who can be trusted to keep quiet." Sydney quickly explained.
"I wondered if that was why Willie asked me all those questions the other day. So you want to play that we were checking out their operation to possibly join in the distribution."
"If you think that would work." She looked at Gage questioningly.
"It might. Why don't we forget about the case for now and run this by Walker and Trivette in the morning?" Gage requested, nudging Syd's shoulder with his elbow. Getting agreement from his partner, he continued, "We can relax and enjoy ourselves for tonight. So what would you like to do?"
"Actually, do you want to run me home before you get too comfortable to move?" Sydney asked, avoiding his eyes at the same time.
Gage knew he needed her with him that night after what had happened and that Syd wouldn't relax until he'd convinced her to stay. "I don't want to take you home, Syd." At that his partner looked at him and he concluded. "I need to have you close tonight, so I know you're safe. Is that all right with you or do you really…" Gage's voice trailed off as Sydney's fingers covered his mouth.
"I'd love to stay with you tonight, Gage." Syd accepted in a quiet voice with a relieved smile, "I wasn't sure how much sleep I'd get at home, anyway."
"Well, now that we don't have to worry about you getting home. You want to watch a movie?" At his partner's nod, Gage turned the TV on, checking the TV Guide Channel. After a few minutes, Gage said, "There's a comedy on with that actor that reminds you of me in it, want to watch that?"
"Major League 3? Sounds good…wait a minute, how did you know about that?" Sydney asked, giving her partner a shocked look.
"Well…you see, I…" Gage hesitated a minute before finishing with a sheepish look. "I overheard you telling Alex that one day. It was a few days after we'd seen another movie he was in."
Chuckling at Gage's flustered explanation, Syd stopped him saying, "It's okay, Gage. I'm not worried about you knowing that, now that we've gotten our feelings out in the open. Let's watch the movie."
Gage put his arm around Syd's shoulders and pulled her close for a kiss. Then with her leaning into his side, they settled back on the couch to watch the movie, laughing at the antics of the minor league baseball team in the show. When the movie was over, the partners headed for Gage's bedroom and snuggled under the covers in each other's arms; each content knowing the other was safe.
TBC