.

FAMILY REUNION

Chapter Eleven

Maybe it was the smell of the place. Or maybe it was the way the storekeeper stared her down. Either way, Katheryn was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the current conditions she found herself in. Thankfully, Carlos wasn't far away. Still, the looks she received from the few males in the room was too odd for her comfort level.

Katheryn took a step out of the open doorway onto the sidewalk to feel the wind against her face. This usually made her feel a bit better. And it seemed to do the trick. She had only closed her eyes to take a deep breath when she gasped as a hand grabbed at her arm. Her eyes flew open, and she was ready to launch her attack when she saw Carlos smiling over her.

"Don't startled me like that," she smiled.

Carlos grinned. "You seem jumpy."

"Yes! I am." She shot a glance inside the store. "Lots of unsavory types in here. I wish we could go home." Kath rubbed at the back of her neck and watched Carlos as he glanced at his watch eagerly and turned back to face the busy street. "Do you think he'll show?"

"Yeah," Carlos replied between nods. "The shopkeeper next door gave me an earful about the drug dealers we're dealing with. All I wanted was a pack of gum. But I got some information with it."

"That's good. What kind of information?"

"Mostly similar stories to what we're dealing with. Intimidation tactics. Turf wars. That sort of thing."

"Get any names?"

"Nope."

Suddenly from across the street, a man who appeared to be in his forties with short, curly black hair and an outfit made up of scuffed blue jeans and tattered t-shirt tried to make eye contact with them. Carlos and Kath looked at each other strangely before realizing it was him.

Carlos was the first one to step forward and cross the street. "Stay here," he whispered and proceeded to jog gently away.

Katheryn watched attentively, quickly shrugging off Carlos' overprotective nature as she watched him and the stranger speak. Within seconds Carlos was waving her over.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have time for formalities," Jesse Rodriguez greeted her curtly. "I wish we had more time. There are federales gathering just outside of the city just in case our plan goes wrong for any reason. Miss Beaumont, I'll need you to come with me to set up our trap. Carlos, I'd like you to go back to your family's home. Wait for us there. I wish I had time to explain everything. But you must trust me." He lingered as if waiting for them to give their approval.

Both Carlos and Katheryn were quick to comply. Yet Kath suddenly felt uneasy. She had not expected that she would have to leave Carlos. She was independent and wasn't reliant on him of course. But she didn't want to do this without him. Still, she brushed off the silly notion and give him a quick goodbye hug and a whisper that she'd see him later before Jesse whisked her away down the street.

Not a quarter of a mile away, there was a large delivery truck parked on the edge of the street. Jesse indicated for her to meet him behind the vehicle at which point he opened the door for her to climb aboard.

As Katheryn's eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness, she saw two other men. Both men were currently speaking fluent Spanish into their headsets, communicating to some other party on the other end. She also noticed how their equipment seemed to be older than what she had seen used back home. But if it did the job she really didn't care if it was ham radio from half a century ago.

"Miss Beaumont," Jesse waved his hand at an empty makeshift bench made up of wooden crates. "I am sorry the accommodations aren't as homey."

"Oh, no. It's fine," Katheryn reassured him with a smile. "We have a job to do. That's the most important thing here. Not comfort."

"You are very wise," Jesse grinned and sat down next to her. He reached for a map nearby and began pointing out various locations to Katheryn. "This is where we are. Here is the Sandoval home. We have reason to believe the drug dealers who have been threatening families hangs out around here." He slid his finger across the map. "We currently have one of our own in that gang. He has planned a rendezvous for you with them here."

Katheryn zeroed in on the place Jesse had pointed to. It looked quit remote.

"You will most likely not be speaking to the leader of the gang. Too risky," Jesse explained further. "They know an investor wants to work out a deal with them to sell the property and split the profits. You are the liaison. You aren't a local. They will believe your story more easily. When you meet, you will explain to them that you plan to buy most of the villages and homes they control. When he becomes angry, you'll tell him you want them to be your muscle. Continue to pressure families to move away so that you can buy out their properties. When they ask if you'll pay them, you'll refuse to answer."

"That sounds risky."

"I know. We hope they'll want to move on though. Pick a better place where they'll receive more profit."

"I hope this plan works."

"I hope so too. I can't say I like the plan entirely. But my bosses say it will work. I can't argue with them."

Katheryn laughed lightly…almost inaudibly as she turned away to watch the other men at work. Secretly, it was her way of gathering her thoughts and maintaining her composure. She didn't like this plan at all. She was relieved Jesse didn't like the plan either. They would be playing right into the dealers' hands. It wasn't safe. It wasn't safe at all.

These thought kept pounding away in her mind until she finally blurted out, "I can't go through with this."

"I understand," Jesse was quick to reply. "I don't want you to either. But we have to at least try. Otherwise they'll keep terrorizing families…your family."

"They're not my family. At least they're not my family yet."

Jesse seemed to hesitate. "Carlos told me about you. You are a fearless woman."

Katheryn chuckled. "Fearless? Hardly." She rolled her eyes away, a sarcasm-laced grin still gracing her face.

Jesse bowed his head in thought, knowing the girl was right about everything she said. Then he raised his head, suddenly remembering something. "Carlos told me something else." Katheryn slowly turned to read sincerity in the man's eyes. "He said I would never find a stronger woman anywhere. And I don't think he was talking about just physical strength either."

Silence hung between them as Katheryn considered his words to herself. She couldn't get passed the fact that Carlos had said these words about her. She knew he believed it; but to hear him say it again struck a chord inside of her. This plan was a risk. A very dangerous risk. It might work. And then again she could be putting her own life in jeopardy.

Katheryn continued to dwell in her thoughts and gently closed her eyes to take a deep breath. When she did so, hundreds of images seem to flash in her mind in such a short window of time. Carlos' face. Molly's smile. Trent's laugh. Tandy's warm embrace. Walker's encouraging spirit. Alex's love. Trivette's sarcasm. C.D.'s grandfatherly ways. Butch's hospitality.

She smiled. It was soft and gentle…affirming. Then letting her eyes flutter open, she turned to Jesse with a resolute nod and open her mouth to speak.

"I'll do it."

Suzy's help with the creation of a police drawing depiction of Molly's captor finally confirmed what Trent had feared. A brief moment with William back in the interrogation room revealed that the man was indeed Will's guardian and uncle. The boy was clearly disturbed by the image, immediately beginning to cry softly as he relived the horrors of being forced to live with the same man.

Trent didn't waste another moment, storming out of the interrogation room and into the hall past Ranger Headquarters. He was nearly to the elevator, slamming his hand against the down button when Bobbie caught up to him.

"Trent! You can't go after him by yourself!"

Trent ignored her, impatiently watching the numbers tick away above him.

"Trent, let's get a task force together on Captain Briscoe's command. I know you want to help her, Trent. Let's do this the right way." She waited but received no reply. The elevator doors opened and a few people filed out and in. But Trent didn't move as the doors closed. Bobbie still faced his back as she held the silence between them. "You know I would do the same thing if I were in your shoes. But I'd also hope someone was there to force some sense into my hard head."

Trent finally turned around to face her. "Then what are we waiting for?"

"I'll get my coat," Bobbie winked and hurried away to fulfill her coded message.

Katheryn had waited for as long as Jesse would allow for their operation, pacing in front of an old stucco well in a well-preserved historic part of the outskirts of the city when the call finally came. The operation was no longer necessary. As soon as Jesse had recalled her back to the truck which was hidden a ways from the meeting location, she saw on Jesse's face a look she instantly did not like. Something had happened. She knew it in her gut before he even had to say a word.

Jesse seemed to see her questions written all over her face. "I'm sorry. But the gang found out who we planted in their circle. We just received word that they killed him and are on their way to take over several villages for good. I'm sorry. The best we can do is get your…Carlos' family to safety. We must hurry."

Katheryn's voice locked up in her throat. She wasn't sure what to say through the shock that seized her. She almost didn't even feel the truck moving as they made their way across town. All she could picture in her mind was Carlos' family murdered brutally in the streets and her not being there to help save them. It was an arrogant thought she knew. Surely she wouldn't save them on her own. But she knew if given the chance she would try.

The next half hour was the longest of her life. But Katheryn was finally relieved to see Carlos waiting for her when she disembarked and flew straight into his arms. "Is everything okay? Your family?"

"We're all fine," Carlos consoled, holding her face gently in his hands. He let go long enough to speak to Jesse before he took her by the hand and led her inside.

All of the Sandoval clan was gathered in the living room with suitcases packed by their sides. Katheryn could tell that many tears had already been shed. She looked up in time to make eye contact with Theresa who gave her a crooked smile, wiping away a tear as she did so.

It was Jesse Rodriguez's entrance that stole the silence. "I must speak with Rosa."

Rosa stood and smooth out her skirts. "Whatever you have to say can be said in front of my family, Jesse."

At that Jesse opened his mouth to speak. But the words weren't there. Katheryn wondered what was so hard for him to say as he struggled to talk. But he finally took a deep breath and spoke. "Rosa, it's your husband Miguel. He's dead."

Rosa nearly collapsed had Mama Catalina not caught her by the arm. Her tears flowed freely on Catalina's welcome shoulder as the older woman held her grieving daughter.

"He didn't want you to know, Rosa," Jesse dared to continue. "He was the one we planted in the drug dealers' circle to infiltrate it. But they found out. I—I'm so sorry. I know we should have never called on him to help us after he left the force. But he wanted to help. He wanted to do something for your family. He thought this was the best way. And he paid for it dearly. I'm sorry, Rosa."

Katheryn looked at Carlos. She could see the shock in his eyes. They all thought Miguel was up to no good. But they were wrong. In fact, he was probably the bravest of them all.

"Rosa," Theresa stepped forward to embrace her sister. They looked into each other's eyes to communicate what only a look could. Words were not enough to tell her estranged sister how much she truly cared. "Come home with us. Jesse and I could use the company. There's a spare bedroom full of clutter that's not being used. It's yours if you want it. This home means nothing to keep if it means losing the ones we love."

"She's right," Catalina chimed in. "I would rather lose this home than see our family grow apart. It's just a brick building. You, my children, are what make it a home."

It was Carlos this time who reached to wrap his two sisters in his arms. "I know I'm just the little brother here. But I agree."

"Oh, we love you too, Carlos," Rosa finally smiled. "Theresa, thank you. I'd love to come to Dallas with you guys. But…" She broke away from the hug. "What about you, Mama? What will you do?"

"Oh, don't worry about me!" Catalina grinned broadly. "I've been wanting to do some traveling. See the world some. I'll come home when I'm good and ready."

"To Dallas?" Carlos posed.

"Yes," she nodded knowingly. "After all, I wouldn't want to miss anything between you two." She split her gaze between Carlos and Katheryn with a wink and crossed the room to give Katheryn a hug, whispering in her ear, "Take good care of him, young Catalina."

"I will," Kath whispered back, realizing the significance of their names. "You take care of yourself."

Jesse Rodriguez stepped forward with a lift of his hand. "I hate to break this up, but we don't have much time."

"He's right," Carlos agreed. "Let's get going. We've got a plane home to catch."

The quietness was almost unbearable. The sound of the nearby interstate barely filtering in and taunting the pin-drop silence of Thunder Investigations. Normally Trent liked the peace. But today it was a horror to him. The silence was a fertile ground for his thoughts to go where they should never go. Worry plagued him as he imagined what Molly could be going through what right now…what she had already gone through.

Trent was tempted to turn around and leave but chose to stay, making his way into his office. He quickly notice a small stack of mail that Butch had left for them. Right on top was a package from the photo developers he used. There was a note on top from Butch.

Your friend Andy from the photo place dropped this off for you. I told him I'd see that you got it right away. Hope you're doing okay. I'll be out of town for the afternoon. But I'm always a phone call away. Butch.

Immediately remembering what was inside the package, Trent took his time slitting open the envelope as he circled the desk and sat down. He bent forward as he removed the stack of photos and fanned them out on his desk. Each one seemed to punch him in the gut as it transported him back to a couple days ago when Molly had taken them. She was right. The water gardens were beautiful. But not as beautiful as the girl who had photographed them.

Trent almost stuffed the pictures in his draw and left but held himself in check when something in the photos caught his eyes. Narrowing his focus on the third photo, he seemed to recognize the man in the picture. He resembled the guy who had kidnapped Molly almost identically.

Not hesitating, Trent grabbed his phone and dialed Ranger Headquarters. "Ranger Hunt, please." He waited until he heard the lady Ranger's voice. "Bobbie, I think I may have something. I think our man was stalking Molly before he kidnapped her. It was definitely premeditated."

"Yeah, I think you're right. Will told us he talked about Molly a lot. Trent, meet us at Molly's apartment. We got a warrant to search his apartment."

"That's great. I'll meet you there."

"Don't do this!" A tearful William Brent stepped into view of his uncle. He had Molly bound tightly in his grasp, as they maneuvered the water gardens with Will looking at them from above and a pistol shoved into Molly's side. "She's a nice lady! She helped me when you didn't give a damn!"

Already, a small crowd of people gathered behind the teenager, gasps and urges for someone to call 911 echoing around them. The man was deranged. Clearly he didn't have a snowball's chance of successfully committing a murder and getting away with it. There were too many witnesses. Or maybe in some kind of twisted logic that was exactly what he wanted.

"I'll kill you all if I have to!" he shouted, shoving the pistol deeper into Molly's back and causing her to cringe beneath the pain. "No one can stop me!" And he started forward again, dragging Molly helplessly along.

Moments later the Dallas police arrived, their weapons raised as they took shelter behind their vehicles. One of the officers had a megaphone raised demanding the hostage be released.

"Don't do this!" Will echoed through his tears. "She never did anything to you!"

"Yes, she did! She brainwashed you into turning against me. They had to suffer. All of you H.O.P.E. Center freaks!"

"You?! It was you that started the fire to Miss Amy's house?!"

"Yeah!"

"Son," a detective laid a hand on Will's shoulder. "Let us handle this from here. You've done all you can do."

Will contemplated for a moment before he stepped back with hesitation. He felt as if he owed it to Molly to save her life. After all, she saved his before.

"Put the gun down!" A zealous officer shouted. "Surrender, or we will shoot!"

In response, Will's uncle grabbed Molly and shifted her to use her as the perfect shield before he attempted his futile escape, firing his weapon at will along the way. When he saw that he was surrounded on all sides of the water gardens, he threw Molly forward, her body thudding against the ground as he took aim at her. The cops stood down cautiously, fearing they might hurt the woman.

"Now let me go free!"

Meanwhile, Will was secretly circumnavigating the gardens, hoping to get a better angle of attack if he could possibly dive in to save Molly. Just as he came to a stop, he heard the cock of the gun in his uncle's hand. He knew what he had to do.

"No!" Will shouted, diving forward and into the line of his uncle's fire. The bullets behind them struck the grown man while Will lie helpless on the concrete blocks, his blood trickling from his body and into the rivers of water around him.

"Will!" Molly crouched over him as she watched him slowly slip away. "Will! Hang in there, buddy! An ambulance is coming! Don't you die! Not now!"

But William Brent had left his body before she could finish saying a word. She felt his hand fall limp in her grasp. She refused to believe it. He was only unconscious, she lied to herself. But deep down, she knew the truth. And the truth tore her open by the second.

Trent and Bobbie arrived to a much distorted world that was Michael Brent's apartment. On the living room wall was a mural of newspaper clippings, photographs, maps, hand-written lists, and even mementos of various people he had clearly planned to do something to or had some sort of vendetta against. It wasn't hard to figure out his plan. The H.O.P.E. center was his target. Or rather the people inside of it. There was photos of Molly, Katheryn, Amy, Josie, and Alex plastered on the wall next to a map of Dallas. A pin marked each of their homes and the center itself. An address for a local gang hideout was tucked beneath Amy's photo.

"Wow," Trent breathed. "He must have paid the gangs to burn Amy's home and promised them something in return."

Bobbie scoffed. "Little did they know he was going to pin the crime on them. He never figured they'd trace the crime back to him. But why? Why was he after Molly and the center?"

"My hunch would be because of William. Molly invested a lot of her time on him at the center. Michael Brent's twisted logic told him she was stealing the one thing he had left of value in this world."

Bobbie shook her head. "It's really sad. Poor kid."

"Yeah." Trent continued looking for signs to indicate where Michael could have taken Molly. He then noticed an address…a very familiar one lying near Molly's picture. It was the address for the water gardens. "He's headed to Fort Worth."

"Why way over there?!"

"I don't know. But let's go."

Molly's eyes were swollen and red. Her face was stained from the tears. Her body was weak almost to the point of fainting. She could feel her knees weakening as she took a step forward, all the activity of the hallway tuned out as she laid a hand across her mouth to stifle her sobs. Will was dead; she had lived. Broken and vulnerable, she turned as soon as a familiar face caught her attention from the corner of her eye.

Trent stood there at the end of the hall, his face pale as he saw her. He weaved his way through the nurses and patients as quickly as he could until Molly was in his arms. That was when she let all the emotion finally go. He simply held her, not caring why or what had caused those tears. He was simply glad he finally was with her.

"We got over to the gardens and was told you were taken to the hospital. I was so worried. Bobbie went back to Ranger headquarters to contact Sal and Amy."

"I lost him," Molly finally whispered, seeming to ignore what Trent said as she pulled away from him. "He died trying to save me."

"No," Trent cupped her face in his hands. "Don't blame yourself. He made his choice. I'm just glad you're okay."

But she wasn't okay. Molly slowly turned away from Trent to look at the cars passing outside. Inside she was numb, confused, and unsure why she was allowed to live. "It should have been me," she finally broke the silence.

"No," Trent stated firmly as he gripped her shoulder gently. "Don't you say that."

Molly faced Trent again, another tear streaking her face. "I have to leave."

"Okay," Trent nodded, but didn't realize what she was saying. "We can go anywhere you want. You need that time to heal. I understand fully."

"No." A sob caught in her throat. "You don't understand. I'm moving away from Dallas…on my own."

"What?!" Shocked swept over Trent as his eyes flashed open. "You can't leave. Not now." He wanted to take her in his arms, kiss her, remind her what she meant to him. But he held himself in check.

"Part of me doesn't want to leave," Molly admitted. "But it's something I have to do. I can't explain why. I just feel like a failure."

"Don't say that." Trent was beginning to feel like an echo. But it was true. "You're far from a failure in my eyes, Molly." He swallowed hard and took her by the shoulders. "I know it's hard when you lose somebody you've worked so hard to save. But you aren't God. Sometimes things happen."

"I know that," she tried reassuring him as she looked him in the eyes. "But something about this was different. I don't feel like the same woman anymore. I don't belong. I'm broken."

"That's all the more reason for you to stay," Trent fought to help her understand she was needed more than she realized. "I'm sure Alex will give you all the time off that you need."

"And I'm thankful for that. I really am." She paused, took Trent's hand in hers, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'll stay long enough to say goodbye to Carlos and Kath when they get back. Then I'll be heading to New York. I have an aunt there who has been begging me to visit. I think I'll take her up on that offer."

Trent was silent, but inside his heart and mind raged with emotion. He loved her so much. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But she was putting an end to all of that right then. Why? She had been through difficult times before. Why was this so different?

Instead of speaking, Trent drew her close and planted a kiss on her forehead. It was slow and intentional, leaving hundreds of memories in its ghostly path as he turned to walk away. He would wait until he was alone to truly let himself feel his heart break in two. But for now he'd have to do without those feelings. And the longer he delayed them, the better.

A/N: Yes, I know. You didn't see that one coming. After far too long working on one single story, I have finally brought this one to a close. And you guys don't know how much that ending made me want to cry. I wasn't expecting their journey to take that turn. But it felt right. For those of you rooting for the Trent/Molly saga, bear with me. There's still a long journey ahead. And for those wondering if I forgot about Bobbie and Sal, don't worry there either. There's more to come in the future. Stick with me! I have so much more to share with you all in my coming stories.