This is where things do get slightly different from the last edition. Let me know what you all think. :)

An Hour Later

Being in the National Guard was a huge honor for young Sergeant Sam Parker, but instead of going off to war, he was at a location where a large riot had taken place. He could see at least three warehouses that were on fire and was being put out by firefighters. Man, must have been crazy here.

All thanks to the Guard's presence the riot pretty much dwindled down to only a few fights and three small holdouts of gang members. Unfortunately there was three SWAT officers and a Texas Ranger still missing. Let's just hope they were found alive, but the possibility of that was rather slim. Since the Guard's arrival thirty minutes ago, most of the officers and Rangers had come out of hiding.

His Squad Captain, Bailey patted him on the back. "We're going to check out three warehouses outside the main perimeter."

Parker nodded his head. "Got it."

He followed his Captain through the many crowds of officers where he could see that several appeared rather exhausted and defeated. Some he could see were bleeding from head injuries and others were favoring arm wounds. He tore his attention away and focused on the man in front of him as they marched to a smaller warehouse roughly two hundred yards away. As they approached, Bailey quickly held his fist up and peered into the front door. Parker found himself hiding behind an old rusty oil drum which reeked like gasoline.

"Clear! Move in!" Shouted Bailey.

Parker quickly sprinted into the warehouse and took up position at the entrance of a hallway on the first floor. He swept his light back and forth to see no movement in the shadows.

"Hallway is clear!" He began moving from room to room making sure the area was indeed free from any gang members. As he got to a back room his light played against a pool of shiny red liquid on the ground that he instantly knew to be blood. "Captain!" He slowly stepped in, his eyes instantly spotting the dead officer. Then his attention went to another officer who appeared to be dead as well. "Found two bodies, sir!"

Bailey slowly stepped into the room and shook his head. "Damn." He knelt next to the officer who was obviously dead from a fatal wound to the head to check for a pulse anyway. "Parker, go check that one."

Parker quickly nodded and knelt next to the other officer to hear a slight wheeze. "Sir, he's alive!" He quickly took out the Ka-Bar from it's holder on his pack strap and cut the man's arms and legs free from the zip ties. "Hang on, sir. Help will be here shortly."

Bailey knelt next to the man and shook his head. "He's been shot twice in the chest. I'm surprised to see that he's even still alive." He pushed a button on the communicator which was attached to his pack strap. "This is Charlie team. We need a medic team stat to building ten." He took off his glove and checked the man's pulse. "He's barely alive."

Thompson appeared in the doorway. "Found two more bodies on the second floor."

"Very well. Go ahead and call for CSI and a coroner." He turned as a medic came rushing into the room. "We have a live one!"

The medic, Peyton and his partner Lee knelt next to the officer, the former checking the man's pupils with a pinpoint flashlight. "Pupils are dilated. He's in shock."

Parker just stepped back to let the paramedics do their work on the man who was a sole survivor of a brutal murder spree. He glanced over to the dead officer then slowly backed out of the room as a CSI team from the local police force ran in. In his young mind he was confused and unsure of what to do next. It seemed everything was being taken care of, what could he possibly do now?

"Okay, let's get him on a stretcher and to a hospital. You, help us out!"

Quickly Parker ran up and grabbed hold of the IV bag that the paramedic had held out for him. He glanced at the injured officer who now laid on a stretcher with his shirt cut off. He could easily see where two bullets had entered into his chest and several bruises which covered the man's abdomen and arms. How is this man still alive?

"Okay, just follow us." Lee patted the officer's hand. "Hang in there, buddy. Just a little bit longer and you'll be at the hospital." He raised his head. "Somebody call his family."

Parkland Hospital

The news still hasn't really sunk in yet for Alex as she sat in the small waiting room with Sydney and Erica at her side. Trivette had left to get coffee and Gage was busy filing reports back at Headquarters. As for Angela, Alex thought it was best for their daughter to stay at a friend's house till she knew exactly what Walker's condition really was. Right now all she knew about her husband was that he was beaten and then shot twice. She was never told how bad his condition really was, which worried her.

Trivette stepped into the waiting room with three cups of coffee in his hands. He handed one to Alex and another to Erica before he sat down next to the latter. His face told Alex he too was rather worried about Walker. Will her husband be okay?

"He shouldn't have even been out there." He shook his head. "He's Captain, he really didn't have to be there."

"Gage told me that he wanted to be part of something before he retired." Sydney sighed heavily as her hand instinctively went to her stomach. "But he could have stayed with Gage where it was safe."

A doctor slowly stepped into the room and nodded his head at the friends and family. "I take it you are here for Ranger Walker?" When everybody nodded, he closed the door and sat down. "I'm Doctor Nguyen, right now Mr. Walker is in surgery to repair damage to his right lung and to remove his right kidney." He held a hand up to silence Alex who was about to cry. "He will be able to live a perfectly normal life with just one kidney. However, the damage to his lung was extensive. It will take several months for him to get back to how he use to be."

Trivette slowly nodded. "How about the beating he took?"

"Mr. Walker is a fighter and I can say right now, he should be dead. He was badly beaten and will have to have surgery to repair his jaw and nose. That will began once we know his lung is stable. As for other injuries, he has a few broken fingers on his left hand, broken and cracked ribs and several bruises, some very deep." He sighed heavily. "Mr. Walker is very lucky to be alive. Both of his lungs should have collapsed before getting here. It's a miracle they didn't." He nodded then checked his watch. "Surgery will take eight hours or so. I suggest getting some rest or some food. I will let you know if anything happens."

Alex slowly nodded. "Thank you, doctor." As Nguyen left she leaned against Erica. "Why did this have to happen to him?" She began to cry not knowing what to say to Angela. "I need to call Angela and let her know."

Erica gently rubbed Alex's back. "He's a fighter. Walker's will to live is very strong, you heard the doctor he should have been dead, but he's not." Her eyes went to her husband to see him staring at the Styrofoam cup in his hands. He knew something that wasn't told to her or anybody else in the room. "Don't worry, Alex. Walker will be fine."

"Then why do I feel this way, Erica?" Alex shook her head as she felt the tears falling into her lap. "There's something wrong." She sighed heavily. "Just wish I knew what it was."

Trivette took a deep breath then slowly stood up to leave the room. Sure, Walker may pull through this just fine, but how will he take being the only survivor? All the other officers that were found in the warehouse were shot, execution style and yet Walker was shot in the chest. Whoever killed the other officers wanted his friend to die a slow and painful death. So, Walker may have survived, but he will have a lot of demons to fight in the years to come from being able to live while others died.

He looked behind him to see his wife of four years staring at him. "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back in an hour or so. Call me if anything happens."

As he opened the door to the hallway reality of what had happened hit him. All around him he could see officers and fellow Texas Rangers being helped by doctors or nurses. Then he could see in the much larger waiting room friends and families of the oth injured lawmen. The riot was quiet possibly the deadliest in history. Twenty-two gang members were killed and four law officers were brutally murdered. Three were in surgery right now after being viciously beaten, one of those his longtime friend.

A man wearing black combat clothing stepped up to him, his arm in a sling. It took Trivette's rattled and tired brain to recognize the man before him as Ranger Stevens.

"Hey, Trivette." Stevens shook the hand of the retired Ranger. "Any news on Walker?"

"Yeah, he's in surgery right now. Doctor said he will pull through, but he'll have several months of therapy." Trivette quickly took note of how Stevens' face turned sour. "Listen, it wasn't your fault…"

Stevens shook his head. "I should have stayed." His right hand cradled his injured arm. "But Walker told us to leave. I can't understand why." His head dropped. "It's my fault that those men died and Walker is now suffering. I'm the senior of the group, I should have stepped up and done something."

"It's not your fault." Trivette sighed heavily then smiled at the man just a few years younger than himself. "You're a good Ranger."

"A good Ranger would have stayed." Stevens sighed then patted Trivette on the shoulder. "I'm going to go home and see my family. Call me if anything happens to Walker."

Somewhere in Dallas

The small apartment was quiet except for the television that was on in the living room. Angela sat at the dining room table with a book in front of her trying to get her mind away from the news reports. Unfortunately, no matter what she did her mind kept going to her father. Her mother had told her that he had gone to help out Uncle Gage and had been injured. But Angela still didn't know how bad her father was which caused her to worry.

"This just in, we have an update on the current conditions of Texas Ranger Cordell Walker, Texas Ranger Randall Zeigler and Sergeant Samuel Porter for the Dallas Police Department." Images of the men flashed on screen and tears nearly came to Angela's face at the picture of her father. "We bring you to Parkland Hospital where a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety will be starting a news conference."

Angela slowly got up and made her way into the living room where her friend, Madison greeted her with a big hug. She returned it then brought her attention to the television to see a tall man standing behind a podium. Right now he just talked about the other men that were mentioned, not one word on her father yet.

"Come here, Angie." Michelle, Madison's mother motioned for her to sit on the sofa with them. "I can change the channel if you want." The phone rang and Carl, Madison's father quickly picked it up. "Yeah, hang on." He held the phone out for Angela. "It's your mother." His voice was very soothing and Angela gave him a smile as she grabbed the phone from him.

She went down the short hall to Madison's bedroom and closed the door. "Mom. How's dad?"

"He's going to be okay, just in a lot of pain." Her mother's voice was soft and raspy as though she was crying. "He's in surgery right now, Angie."

Angela sat down on Madison's bed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Please mom, tell me the truth. I will find out eventually from news."

Her mother took a deep breath. "Angela, your father is going to be very sick for awhile. He has a damaged lung and kidney. He was also beaten up pretty badly." Her mother sounded as though she was crying as she took another deep breath. "Sweetie, your father is fighting for his life right now."

"When can I see him?" Angela's voice quivered as she held back her own tears.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow." Her mother's voice held a smile. "Don't worry, your father will pull through this just fine."

"Tell him I love him, mom." Angela talked to her mother for a few more minutes then hung up the phone.

She laid down on Madison's bed, hugged a pillow then let the tears come that she had been holding in. God please save my dad, make him okay.