Chapter Two
"Gage, Gage, what is it? What's wrong" Syd questioned her partner she couldn't remember seeing the colour drain from his face as quickly before. Getting up she had placed her hand on his chest feeling his heart pound wildly. "Gage are you all right?"
Trivette had looked up from his computer hearing Gage's out burst he too had risen to join the partners only to have his phone ring. Without looking down his eyes still trained on the Gages he picked it up answering, "Trivette."
"Okay Sumner you just get everyone home safely, we'll call if anything develops, yeah we'll see you in the morning," Trivette hastily hung up the phone to join Sydney and Gage.
"This is all my fault, mine and Julie's," Gage was muttering almost incoherently as he began dialling out once more.
"Gage!" Syd's hand had flown out grabbing his stopping him from completing the call. "What is it? Who was the call from?"
"Sit back Buddy," Trivette had stepped in too not having seen Gage quite so panic struck since the pair of them had blown up Walker's wedding tuxedos.
Gage's eyes closed tight possibly squeezing back a tear of emotion before looking in his wife's face. "I don't know who it was," he truthfully answered. "They asked how Anna B was, told me my friends and family were going to end up like Mom and Dad because Julie and I couldn't follow a few simple instructions."
Shrugging and shaking her head Syd asked, "What instructions?"
"I don't know," Gage uncharacteristically snapped out his frustration getting the better of him. "I don't have any idea what they are talking about only that its obvious that they mean business, Anna B and the twins might have been killed today and it would have been mine and Julie's fault."
Having looked up to see the fuss going on in the outer office Walker had risen from his desk to join them. "What's going on?" he questioned Trivette quickly filling him in.
Learning the facts Walker quickly took over control speaking calmly and firmly to Gage. "This is in no way yours or Julie's fault Gage," he addressed him knowing that Gage all ready knew that but also knowing that he needed to hear the reassuring words anyway. "What we need to do right now is keep our wits about us and put a stop to who ever is behind all of this."
Hearing Walker's words and letting them register Gage slowly nodded his head in agreement.
Seeing Gage's demeanour begin to calm Walker continued. "You and Sydney make a trip over to Julie and Robin's and explain things to them. When does Chafe go back to work?"
"Suppose to be some time this week," Syd filled in the info.
"I'll pull some strings and get him assigned to us until we can get this resolved," Walker spoke his thoughts aloud knowing that he would be the best protection for Julie and their young son. "In the mean time you lay out all you can to them and get home to your family while Trivette and I get over to Sumner's to let them know what has developed."
Reaching across to his desk Gage grabbed a large folder and flipped it open. Thumbing through the sheets of papers he found what he was looking for, "Walker if Anna B is up to it can you ask her to go through these names and see if she can come up with anything that would have to do with anyone from our last case. I've come up blank but I may have missed something that I know she won't miss."
"These names connected with the accident?" Walker questioned.
"Yeah," Gage replied a cold shiver going down his spine once again at the thought that his Mother and Father may have been murdered.
"Will do," Trivette answered for them taking the sheet from Gage's out stretched hand.
"We will get to the truth Gage, no matter what it takes," Walker once again tried to assure him.
"Thanks Walker," Gage answered appreciation in his voice. Looking towards his wife the partners headed towards the door.
As they disappeared into the hallway Walker turned to Trivette stating, "We need to get to the bottom of this and fast."
Trivette nodded his head in agreement the same time reaching for his hat.
Anna B And Sumner's Home
Sumner greeted Walker and Trivette at the front door, Trivette had called ahead to let him know that they were on there way. After ushering his superiors into the family room the young man asked, "So what's going on? Have you pinpointed who attacked Anna B and the twins?"
"Not exactly…" Trivette hedged.
"Then what exactly?" The three men turned to face Anna B who had come into the room to join them.
"It has to do with the death of Gage's parents," Walker answered explaining what they knew of the situation.
"Gage wanted to know if you could research these names for him," Trivette continued holding out the sheet to Anna B.
"What's he looking for?" she asked taking the sheet and scanning it.
"A connection with one of our cases, with someone we have put away, someone who wants to extract revenge against Gage and Julie," Walker answered.
"It there's a connection I'll find it," Anna B replied turning to go into her office.
Waiting for his wife to move out of earshot Sumner faced his bosses asking, "How's Gage?"
"Pretty shook up, he and Syd were going by Julie's to talk to her and Chafe," Trivette told him as the two of them got up to leave.
"We're going to post a car out front," Walker began only to be cut off.
"Is that necessary?" Sumner began catching both Walker and Trivette's looks. "All right all right," he conceded, "I'll see you in the morning."
"Night Sumner," Walker smiled.
"Don't let Anna B stay up all night working on those names," Trivette teased.
"Not to worry after today I'm going to shuffle her into bed right shortly," the young ranger assured them.
"Sure Sumner," Trivette smirked having seen Anna B when she got in hot pursuit.
"She's going to get a good nights sleep," Sumner insisted.
"See you in the morning," Walker ended the conversation.
Later That Evening At The Walker Ranch
Cordell Walker had slipped quietly into the ranch house, Alex had left his dinner in the oven and now he sat at the kitchen table enjoying the meal.
"Hi Daddy," Angela greeted her father as she entered the kitchen and headed to the fridge for a drink.
"You're up kind of late," he commented a smile coming to his face.
"Dad," she exaggeratedly sighed out.
Neither had time to say anything more being interrupted by the telephone. "It's for me it's Chris," Angela sang out picking up the phone.
"Let Chris know it's a little late to be calling," Walker interjected getting another look from his daughter.
"Hi Chris," she answered the phone turning her back to her father ignoring his comment. "He's right here just a second," she told her caller.
"Chris wants to talk to you Dad," she informed Walker holding the phone out to him and taking a seat at the table. She pouted a little jealous that her boyfriend wanted to speak to her father and not her.
"Chris what can I do for you?" Walker questioned the young man. Listening for a moment he asked, "And you can't raise your mother on her phone either?" Again he listened to what Chris had to say before quizzing him more, "Have you spoken with your Aunt Julie or Uncle Robin? All right Chris sit tight and I'll track them down for you," Walker told him hanging up the phone.
Surprised that her father hadn't handed the phone back over to her Angela asked, "What's going on?"
Instead of answering her question Walker replied by asking Angela if she would please tidy up the kitchen so he could speak with her mother. Without saying any more he left the bewildered girl sitting at the table staring after him while he headed upstairs to speak with Alex and make a few phone calls to see if he could find his two rangers.
Daybreak On The Outskirts Of Dallas…
Trivette along with Robin Chafe were all ready at the scene when Walker's familiar rig pulled to the side of the road. The area had been co-ordained off by Dallas PD and forensics was just beginning their investigation.
"Chafe, Trivette," he addressed the two, "Where are Julie and Michael?"
"I dropped them off at Sydney and Gage's," Chafe answered Trivette cutting in to add that two cars were watching the house.
"What have we got? Anything?" Walker questioned.
"After talking to you I put an all points out on Gage's truck, it didn't take long at all for this to come back," Trivette filled him in. "No blood, no signs of a struggle…"
"It doesn't make any sense," Chafe absently interjected, "It looks like Gage pulled to the side of the road and then walked away…"
Walker was all ready surveying the area and the ground around the truck. "That's exactly what happened," Walker began to speak aloud. "Someone drove this truck here and got out leaving it at the side of the road. By the looks of the tracks there was only one person in the truck and who ever that was, was picked up by a second vehicle."
"So all we know at this point is that Gage and Sydney have been kidnapped," Chafe snapped just as Sumner joined the group.
"That and the fact it is all probably connected to Julie, Gage and what ever happened to their parents when they died," Sumner chimed in.
"Anna B come up with something?" Trivette eyed his partner.
"She's not quite sure what she did find out though is that there were Sayers living in those parts at the time of Mr. and Mrs. Gage dying."
"If memory serves me though Dominique was an only child," Walker commented.
"That might be so but there seems to be a whole tale that goes along with Dominique, the Talos family and the Sayers," Sumner repeated what Anna B had told him. "I haven't had a chance to go over it yet but Anna B sent everything she had on them over to you Jimmy it should be at the office by now."
"Then that's where I'm heading," Trivette proclaimed the rest following suit.
Later At The Gage Residence
Christian Gage wasn't quite sure when it was that he had taken up drinking coffee, what he did know was that he and his Aunt were working on their second pot. He spooned the sugar into the steaming mug, too much sugar just like his father, and after stirring it headed for the back door and the yard. The door banged shut and he stood on the back porch staring out into the yard letting his mind wander.
It seemed as much as their mother and father tried to keep their work out of the lives of their children the more it filtered in. His first recollection of that fact was when he had found his mother lying unconscious on the kitchen floor a bullet having grazed her temple. Even though he didn't remember much about that time he did know from what his father had told him that his mother had completely lost her memory, didn't even remember him being born… Luckily it was just a temporary thing yet as he thought back on it now it had been the first time he had almost lost her.
Over the years there had been various incidents when their parents had gone missing or had been hurt in the line of duty. In all those times though only one of their lives was in peril, at least one of their parents was here for them to lean on.
Walker had been by the house some time during the night he had promised to be up front with him and keep him informed…
"You think that this is how Dad felt when Grandma and Grandpa died?"
Chris spun around to find Piper standing behind him, she had silently slipped out the back door to stand behind her brother.
"This is different Piper Mom and Dad are going to be coming home," Chris adamantly told her.
"I know Chris," Piper squeaked out a tear running down her cheek.
Without another word Chris took his sister in his arms to comfort her. They stood silently gathering strength from each other.
TBC.