Summary: Lies, deception, everything has a price ... what is the price of shame?
Disclaimer: I do not own them
A/N: Any reviews will be welcomed, any flames will be shared with friends for laughs.
Chapter 16 (The Cookout)
Everyone started showing up at five with Walker and Trivette hovering around the grill. "Happy Easter!" everyone that had come yelled. Each person also had brought a small gift for the baby. Soon Alex was sitting beside a very large stack of gifts, each one wrapped in cute little paper. She didn't want any of them, as they reminded her of what she had to do.
CD walked over to her then. "Cordell sent me over here to see if you needed anything."
"I'm fine CD, honest."
CD sat down beside her. "You'll excuse me if I am wrong, but you are not fine Alex. Something is on your mind and you won't rest easy until you go ahead and tell someone."
Alex's eyes misted up then. "I can't tell anyone CD. Walker would be so disappointed, so hurt if I told him."
CD looked Alex over. "You underestimate how much he loves you Alex. Did you know he told me the other night even if you weren't pregnant that he would still love you. This baby hasn't brought you any closer than you were before. Nothing you can tell him will make him turn his heart from you, nothing honey, and that this old man can guarantee."
CD stood up and left Alex alone with her thoughts. She sat there for over an hour thinking about what CD had said to her. Alex pondered whether Walker really would believe her, and if they could get away before Mr. Sakara found them.
Walker and Alex ate their lunch and then everyone around grabbed a glass of champagne. "I would like to make a toast. To Walker and Alex. May their lives be filled with happiness and joy with their new arrival." Glasses of champagne clinked everywhere but Alex's glass of sparking cider tasted like sawdust in her mouth. Alex waited till Walker was occupied with some of the other rangers before she slipped over to the mound of presents. There they sat each with a little bow, each one for a baby that wasn't even coming. Alex felt the tears prickle at the corners of her eyes. Walker must have sensed her unease for he turned from his friends and walked over to where she was at.
"Alex, are you okay?"
"I'm fine Walker, just looking at all these gifts. They really shouldn't have."
Walker came and put his arm around her. "They wanted to share our joy, nothing more. You know the baby will be spoiled rotten anyway if CD has anything to say about it. Do you need anything? Do you feel bad, want to lay down for a bit?" Alex nodded her head no.
"I'm fine Walker. Go, have some fun for a change instead of hovering around me."
Walker kissed Alex on the cheek and walked away but stopped only a few from her. "I love you Alex Walker!" he yelled, and then joined his fellow rangers.
Alex stared at the mountain of gifts for just awhile longer and then she walked back inside. It wasn't till she saw Trivette that she made up her mind. Her and Walker had been through so much together. CD had told her that Walker would understand, and Alex knew that she was going to confess everything to him when the guests left.
Alex walked into the bedroom feeling better than she had since all of this started. She walked into the bathroom, to freshen up as she was feeling a bit run down today, even though Walker hadn't let her do anything at all to help get ready for the party. After splashing some water on her face, she stepped back into the room, only to come face to face with Mr. Sakara.
"Mrs. Walker, I have come to make sure you are ready to go through with your end of the bargain."
Alex started to back away before she realized she really had nowhere to go. The only way out was being blocked by Mr. Suling. "I am not going to tell Walker I lied to him. It was you who forced me to do this. It was you who shoved these damn bags into my stomach. I won't have my husband hate me to satisfy you!"
Mr. Sakara grabbed Alex by her arm, bending it behind her back and causing her to yelp with pain. "Our agreement was for you to tell your husband you lied, to have him shamed as he shamed me. If you wish to break out agreement then your husband's death will be on your hands."
"No!" Alex screamed, before Mr. Suling wrapped his hand around her mouth. "You Mrs. Walker can watch me kill your husband. He shall not go unpunished for what he has done to me."
Alex couldn't move, and when she tried to received a swift slap to her face. She wanted to scream out to Walker as they all saw him out the window. He was standing next to CD talking. Alex watched Mr. Sakara cock the gun back, and she fought for all she was worth to get free to no avail. She didn't want to watch, but she couldn't close her eyes either.
The gun left the bullet but Walker turned, as if someone was calling to him, and that is when the bullet hit one of the tables behind him. "Everybody down!" he yelled, as more shots rang out through the crowd.
Mr. Sakara watched from the window, his eyes boring into Alex. "Your husband we missed, but since we can't take him, we will take care of you Mrs. Walker." Alex screamed as she saw Mr. Sakara coming towards her. She kicked and screamed as loud as she could, but Mr. Suling's grip across her mouth kept any sound from escaping. "Goodnight Mrs. Walker," Mr. Sakara said before the blow to Alex's stomach sent her into total darkness.
"Cordell, who is shooting at us?"
Walker rolled over, not having heard a shot in a couple of minutes. "I don't know CD, but where is Alex?"
"She was over by the picnic table, the one with the presents on it last time I saw her."
Walker crawled over to the picnic table, but all he saw were the stack of presents toppled over on the ground. "Alex!" he yelled, but he got no answer.
"Walker! over here!" Trivette yelled to him, and Walker could see him standing on the porch.
Walker took off running, glancing now and then to see if he could see Alex anywhere. When he got to the porch he questioned Trivette. "Have you seen Alex?"
"I saw her go into the house right before the shooting started." Walker didn't wait for Trivette to say anything else. Walker threw open the door, not even noticing that CD and Trivette were behind him. Alex wasn't in the kitchen or the living room. "What if she is hurt? What if she can't answer me?" Walker said, panic starting to eat away at him.
"Don't think that Cordell. She might be in the bedroom or upstairs."
"You are right. You check upstairs and I will check the bedroom."
Trivette headed up the stairs and Walker flung open the door to the bedroom, calling for Alex as he did. The bed was still made, just like it had been that morning, but when Walker went around the side of the bed he saw the bullet casings on the floor, and two drops of blood. It was then that Walker knew he wouldn't find Alex in the house, she was gone. Now Walker had to figure out who had dared to take his wife.
"Cordell, the baby, what about the baby?"
"I don't know CD, but I will kill whoever took Alex."
A/N: Well, next chapter the action begins! See you there.