Chapter Four
"There's an apple left," Gage muttered lifting the fruit from the basket that sat between them.
"You go ahead," Syd replied standing and pacing their confines. After being captive for what had seemed like an eternity their jailers had finally briefly returned. The door had opened only long enough for a basket food to be lowered in without a word being uttered. Both rangers had yelled and hollered but to no avail the door had been shut again with the sound of a bar crossing it to lock them in.
Frustrated Gage had pounded his fist into the hard earth wall hurting it considerably. "Let me see that," Syd ordered taking his hand in hers to survey the damage. "Looks like a broken finger," she told him thinking he was lucky that was all.
Ignoring her comment he glared at the closed door shouting at it, "Come back here and face us." His demand had been answered with silence.
With Syd's coaxing Gage had sat back down on the floor with her and shared the food that had been lowered to them in the basket. Now they sat there the waiting beginning again.
After a few minutes Syd finally spoke, "Gage," she paused her husband waiting for her to continue. "Gage I know you've told me bits and pieces of what happened…" again she paused.
"What do you want me to say Syd?"
"I don't know… it's just that the phone calls and everything pointing to your parents accident… There just has to be something that you're missing, something that just doesn't stand out in your mind. I just thought if you told me that I might see something that didn't occur to you," Syd got her explanation out.
Gage remained silent his eyes having lifted once more to that trap door that held them prisoner feeling that his past was holding him prisoner too.
"Gage tell me what you remember about your Mom and Dad, what life was like for you and Julie when you were kids."
"When Julie and I were kids," he smirked his mind all ready moving to his early memories. He was brought out of his thoughts by Syd gently squeezing hand.
"The good times Gage, before the accident," she gently prodded.
Gage was silent for a few minutes more before finally beginning, "Julie had this cat that she loved… boy did that cat hate me."
"Now I wonder why that would be Francis you and Kitty seem pretty tight at home," Syd teased referring to Piper and Cat's pet.
"I guess it was because I always wanted a dog," Gage smiled, "and Julie had Mom on her side."
"So did you get your dog?"
"Well one particular day Dad and I stopped at the neighbours their collie had three pups, man I thought I'd die if I didn't get one of those pups. I know that Dad could tell how desperate I was for one of those pups so he gave in. We had to smuggle him in until he squared it with Mom… But in the end Molly won over my Mom," Gage concluded.
"Man doesn't that sound familiar," Syd laughed remembering Gage and the girls.
"Yeah well what can I say?" Gage quizzed his arm slipping around his wife pulling her close.
"What else?"
"Let me think…" Gage's voice trailed off for a moment. "You know Syd we didn't have everything but we were happy. How we were then is how I always dreamed my own family would be and well you know you've really helped me achieve that dream."
"Oh Gage," Syd murmured suddenly getting some insight of how much her husband had lost when his parents had died. He had been lucky to have his strong willed sister to look after him.
They sat silently once more until Gage suddenly sat up straight saying, "Why didn't I think of that before."
"Think of what?" Syd questioned sitting up as well.
"About a week before the accident Julie and I had been playing ball in the yard with my Dad. He went in the house to get us drinks, he was taking too long so I went inside to find him. When I went in the back door I could hear him arguing with Mom," again Gage paused as if replaying the long forgotten conversation in his head once more.
"Gage," Syd prodded.
"Yeah, Dad was saying that he wasn't going to leave everything and move again, that they had lost too much all ready because of it. Mom argued that it might be the only way and asked him if he wanted to take the chance? He told her that he wasn't going to be pushed around any more it was time to take a stand, that we were not going to be uprooted and loose everything again."
"What did he mean by that?"
"I really don't know Syd. I know I burst into the kitchen crying I didn't want to move either. Dad had put his arm around me and told me not to worry we weren't going anywhere. Mom didn't say a word but I could tell she was upset, she took off out of the room while Dad said help me get those drinks Francis which I did never really giving it any more thought. Then the accident happened and well…" Gage sat silent once again.
"Did you move around a lot?" Syd once more took him out of his thoughts.
"Never."
"Did you ever talk to Julie about it?"
"I never really ever thought about it until right now," Gage truthfully answered.
Neither had time for any speculation the door to their prison had begun to open and a gruff voice above them shouted down, "Got a present for ya Rollins."
The partners had stood up to be ready for anything or so they thought until a bulky bundle was shoved through the opening and dropped knocking all three to the ground.
"Gage, Gage it's Chris. Chris, Chris," Syd's panicked cries sounded tears of fear filling her eyes.
Gage was sitting on the ground his son between his legs his arms around him holding him tight while his mother checked for vitals. "Syd?"
"I've got a pulse, a good strong pulse," she gasped out as she began patting his face and calling out, "Chris, Chris Honey wake up, please wake up."
At Home At The Gages
Cars were parked everywhere outside the Gage home by the time Walker pulled up with Trivette and Sumner.
Chafe was parked in behind his wife trying to take charge of the younger children while trying to coax Julie into lying down for a bit. "Uncle Robin," Piper had boldly spoke up, "Cat and I will help look after the kids you just go help find the rest of our family."
Robin had nodded his head truly seeing his sister-in-law coming out in Piper, knowing she was right it was the best solution.
Anna B, after speaking with her husband, had immediately packed up the twins and come over commandeering the computer. Walker had called Alex who in turn had called Erica both women converging on the Gages to lend moral support and do what ever they could.
"Anything at all?" Alex asked the question that was on everyone's mind as the three rangers came into the Gage kitchen.
"We were hoping Anna B would have something for us," Sumner answered for the trio going to join his wife at the computer.
Noting the children, Michael included, were in the family room Walker asked, "Chafe did you tell Julie what Anna B stumbled across?"
"I haven't had a chance," he answered turning to his wife, "Julie you had better sit down you aren't going to believe this."
"What? What is it Robin?" Julie questioned fear rising in her voice.
"Have you ever heard the name Rollins in connection with you, your brother or your parents?"
"No should I have?"
"Think about it before you dismiss it Julie," Walker cut in.
"No nothing rings a bell," she replied her eyes training on both Chafe and Walker.
Clearing his throat Robin began. "It seems that you weren't born in Austin, you were born in New York City and your name is actually Lucy Lynn Rollins."
"I was adopted?" the words came out as Julie fell back into the kitchen chair.
"No you weren't adopted your name along with your parents names were changed when your parents entered the witness protection program. They moved to Austin right after your father testified in a murder trial against Amos Talos and his son John," Chafe concluded.
"Talos," Julie murmured her eyes closing her mind racing in all directions. "And Frankie?" her eyes snapped open.
"Was born here in Texas after you moved here. He actually is Francis Gage," Trivette filled in the blanks just as his cell phone began to ring.
"This is unbelievable," Julie sighed shaking her head, "After all these years, Frankie and I didn't have anything to do with the testimony, Frankie hadn't even been born…"
"That is true but both you and Gage have been entwined with the Sayer and Talos families over the years and each time it has resulted in arrest, prosecution, confinement and death. Maybe someone has decided it was time you paid for what the two of you have done against the families," Walker speculated.
"You aren't going to believe," Jimmy Trivette stated snapping his phone closed.
"Hey guys you aren't going to believe what Anna B just came across," Sumner was talking before he entered the room.
"Well one of you tell us," Chafe but in.
Looking at each other for a moment Sumner began to fill them in, "John Talos was released just over six months ago."
"The address on his parole jacket is his son, John Jr.'s," Trivette continued. "Think maybe we should have a little chat with John and his son?"
"I do," Walker's words began to convey his thoughts, "Trivette you and Sumner stick with Anna B, Chafe you're with me." Walker was all ready on his feet as he handed out the orders Chafe a step behind him.
At The Talos Estate In Dallas Texas
"Johnny everything going according to plan?" John Talos senior questioned his son who had entered the room grinning like the cat who had just swallowed a canary.
"Things couldn't be going more perfect!" Johnny Talos exclaimed sitting beside his father and helping himself to a cup of coffee.
"Don't get too over confident," his father warned.
"Pop you worry too much, you've been away far too long, you're going to see what we do with people who lie, cheat or steal from us," Johnny boldly boasted to his father.
The words lie, cheat or steal from us sent a score of old memories flooding back to the old man forming a renewed hatred.
"Pop you okay?" Johnny asked genuinely worried about the man.
"Yes, yes I'm fine," he answered his thoughts being brought back to the present.
"Hey who do you think you are? You can't just come barging in here…" A commotion had broken out just outside the dining room where they sat. The next moment Cordell Walker along with Robin Chafe burst into the room.
"What the…" Johnny sputtered out, "Do you have any idea who you're interrupting here?"
"I'm sure they do," John cut in, "Let the ranger have his say before we toss him out."
Seizing the moment Walker's restrained manner addressed the Talos, father and son. "Daniel and Mary Jane Rollins are both dead, orchestrated by you no doubt but you can't leave it at that can you?"
John Talos glared straight ahead focusing as if Walker wasn't there at all his mind wandering to the last time he laid eyes on Daniel Rollins.
"Will the defendants please rise," the judge was ordering. John Talos hardly heard the words he stood blindly facing the court, the jury and Daniel Rollins, the prosecution's star witness.
"Have you found a verdict?" the judge was again speaking addressing the jury.
"We have," the foreman answered for them handing a slip to the bailiff to hand to the judge. The judge took the paper and reading aloud announced the verdict of guilty. As much as John had steeled himself for the outcome he found it hard to fathom. The words of his sentence that followed were lost to him, his eyes although mere slights were trained on Daniel Rollins. He seethed inside, a volcano of molten hate beginning to rise within. It was at that point he knew that he would never rest until Rollins and his family had paid for what they had done to him.
"Answer me," Walker's words jolt him back.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Talos coolly replied. "I was in jail when Rollins died, although I can't say that I didn't think he got what he deserved, but that's as far as it went. I've paid my debt and now I plan to live out the rest of my life in the company of my family and friends. So ranger if you have nothing more to say to me then idle accusations I think this interview is over."
"For now maybe," Walker agreed adding, "You're very wrong though if you think it is over between us I will get to the bottom of this and I will be back for you."
TBC