Note From Author: Please, please, please review!!! I need feedback!!!!
Syd cautiously looked up, only to find the leader glaring menacingly at her.
"What, is that?" he asked.
"My phone." Sydney answered, trying not to show her fear.
"Oh really," he sneered at her, "and where might it be?"
When Sydney didn't answer he stepped forward and reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone. It continued to ring, and Syd knew it would go to voice mail soon.
"Aren't you going to answer it?" she asked.
"Ha!" the leader said, "Why would I do that?"
"Because," Sydney said trying to come up with a fast lie, "I told someone I'd call them twenty minutes ago, that's probably them. They're paranoid and get really worried if they can't reach me. They might end up coming here."
"You're lying." he accused.
"Fine!" Syd sighed, "You'll see for yourself when the police come marching in here and arrest all of you."
"Who's calling?" he asked warily.
"Oh, I can't say for sure," Syd replied, "it could a friend, one of my parents, my partner . . ."
The leader seemed to be getting nervous and exclaimed,
"Fine! Answer the stupid thing! But if you say anything I don't like, all it takes is the press of a button and you're gone."
Sydney shivered slightly but nodded.
On the very last ring he opened the phone and placed it against her ear.
"Hello?" she said shakily.
"Syd?!" she heard Gage reply, "Oh thank God you answered, are you okay?"
"Of course," she lied, "why wouldn't I be?"
"We thought that this terrorist group would be attacking your convention thing."
"Well there's nothing wrong here." she lied again.
"You sure?" he asked.
"Mmhmm." she answered.
"Thank God, oh by the way, when do you think you'll be back? Any chance you could get out early? We really need some help on this new case."
"Uh, I'm not sure."
"Oh, . . . well okay. See you later then."
"Gage!"
"Yes? You sure you're okay Sydney?"
"Yah, but you tell C.D. to catch some fish for me, okay?"
"Huh? What on Earth are you talking about Syd?"
"You silly, you know what I'm talking about! Make sure you tell C.D. to catch some fish for me!"
"Uh, . . . okay. Seriously confused Sydney."
"You better tell Walker and Trivette too."
"Tell them what?"
"Tell them to catch some fish!"
"Catch some . . . ? Have you lost it Sydney?!"
"Just tell them for me, okay? I know how much they love to fish!"
"What are you talking about? Trivette hates fishing!"
"Thanks Gage!"
"Sydney . . . something tells me you're not okay."
"Listen Gage, I have to go. Be sure to tell them!"
"Syd, if you're in trouble, say 'love'."
"Yah Gage, I don't love fishing either, but we should still be supportive!"
"I'm on my way Syd!"
"Don't forget to tell them to catch some fish! Bye!"
Gage hung up, and so did the leader.
"What the hell was that all about?!!!" he yelled.
"What?" Sydney asked innocently.
"You kept going on about . . . fish!"
"What's wrong with fish" she asked.
He stared at her menacingly for a moment, but her expression did not change. Deciding there was no problem, he let it go and moved back towards the podium.
"Now ladies," he continued, "as I was saying. Women are meant to do only three things: take care of the kids and housework, be an obedient wife, and . . . bring pleasure to the more advanced species. Men."
Sydney bit her tongue to stop herself from yelling at him. How dare he?!!!
"When women try to do a man's job, it will always end badly for them. And this is proof of that. You should have known better, but then again, you're women, you couldn't have known anything!"
This time Syd could not withhold her anger. She mumbled under her breath,
"That's what you think."
She had said it so quietly that she hadn't thought anyone, not even Caitlin who was sitting right next to her, would hear her. But she was wrong.
"Shut up will you!" the leader yelled at her. "You've been causing a lot of unnecessary trouble lady!"
"You're the only one causing trouble here." Syd challenged.
"Listen here lady," he said getting closer to here, "you're going to die one way or another. I could very easily kill you right now."
"But you won't." she stated.
"And why is that?" he growled, now less than an inch from her face.
"Because," she said strongly, "you could gain a lot more from keeping us alive than from killing us."
When he laughed she continued,
"I know that whoever hired you is paying you a lot, but think about. You're over fifty women law enforcement officers."
"So?" the leader scoffed.
"So," Syd said, "rangers will do anything to get their people back. Cops are like family, no man or woman gets left behind. They'll give you your money."
"Whoa there, slow down! Did you just say rangers? As in, Texas Rangers?" the leader gasped.
"Yah . . ." Sydney answered carefully.
"Damn it!" he screamed, "This changes everything!"
Then, talking to his men, he yelled, "He promised no rangers! You heard him! He lied to us! Why I oughta- never mind, I'll deal with him later. Right now we gotta come up with a way out of this mess!"
"What's wrong with rangers?" Sydney asked, hoping to find a weak point.
He looked back at her and glared,
"That ain't none of your business!" he yelled, "Now you better tell me exactly how many rangers are here!"
"Just one." she replied.
He sighed in relief,
"Thank God, maybe this won't be so bad. Who is it?"
Syd stiffened, realizing her life could be in danger.
"Why should I tell you?" she spat at him.
"Because," he threatened, "if you don't I'll kill you."
"So? You're just going to kill whoever the ranger is." Syd accused.
"Ha!" the leader laughed, "Who said anything about killing her?"
Sydney began to sweat, not knowing what would happen to her if she told them who she was. She kept silent.
This angered him, and he went up to Caitlin, grabbed her short hair, and yelled,
"You don't tell me now she's dead!"
Sydney's eyes looked from the leader, to his gun, to Caitlin, not knowing what to do.
"One, two-" he said.
"Fine!" Sydney cried.
"Very good," he said as he let go of Caitlin, "now who is it?"
"You're looking at her." she sighed.
"What?!"
"Ranger Sydney Cooke."
He seemed surprised for a moment, then he smiled.
"Goodbye Ms. Cooke."
Sydney shut her eyes as she saw him raise his gun.
"This is it," she thought, "it's ending right here, right now. Oh God, I knew I shouldn't have told him the truth. There's so much left for me to live for! I can't believe I never told Gage, . . . well, everything! There's so much I still want to do! This can't be the end, it just can't be!"
She felt a single tear fall down her cheek.
"No." she thought, "I will not die weak."
Syd opened her eyes and looked him right in the face as he got ready to shoot her. This was the end . . .