Five Days Later
The day of the funeral was a crisp, beautiful spring day with no clouds in the sky. A gentle breeze blew through the graveyard, rippling dresses and suits as it passed. Trivette stood in the pallbearers line, in-between Gage and Billy Greywolf, his attention focused on the flag covered coffin before him. For the last week Trivette has barely slept since sleeping brought on the nightmares. He just went from day to day in a fog, his mind still unable to process his friend's death. It seemed so surreal knowing he will never see Walker's smile or hear his laugh ever again. Why did this happen? Why did Walker have to die?
After the priest's eulogy, he asked for other's to step up to share their memories. It took several seconds before a young man finally went and stood in front of Walker's coffin. He straightened his suit coat then began to play with a piece of paper sitting on the podium.
"My name is Cody Briggs." He took a deep breath. "Ranger Walker and I met several years ago, when I was only seven. He risked his life to rescue me when I had fallen down a dry well." He wiped his eyes with his hand. "I never really got to truly thank him for what he had done." His voice cracked and he quickly left the podium to be comforted by his wife.
Several more people came and talked about Walker either saving them or people they knew. What a life Walker lived and yet he had been so humble about it. The eulogies went on as more and more people got up the courage to talk about the man who will forever remain a legend in Texas. Pride swelled inside Trivette's heart as he realized how privileged he was to have been best friends with Walker.
A very familiar face stepped up to the podium, one that almost interfered with Walker dating Alex. There, standing before him was Marrilee Summers and her daughter, Tammy. The latter has grown into a beautiful woman and doing the math in his head, Trivette realized she would be in her late twenties. He glanced around and spotted a man and a young child standing not too far from the podium. Was that Tammy's son?
Marrilee cleared her throat then rested a paper on the podium. "When I first met Cordell Walker, I was a struggling singer raising my daughter on my own. He saved me from a trouble relationship and by doing so, I fell in love with him." Her voice cracked and she gently wiped a tear away from her eye. "Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. But because of his compassion towards me and my daughter, it opened my eyes. I became a better mother and soon, a wife and grandmother." Marilee's lip began to quiver and Tammy wrapped her arm tightly around her waist. "I will forever miss you, Cordell Walker." She stepped away from the podium and gently placed a yellow rose by the coffin.
Nobody else followed her and Trivette knew most were too stunned to say anything. Several minutes went by before the priest made his way back to the podium. He said a few more final words before the color guard moved in for the twenty-one gun salute. Each time the rifles fired, Trivette could see Gage flinching. Trivette couldn't even imagine what his friend was going through right now. Gage had seen the bullet go through Walker's head, had seen the bloody aftermath. Fortunately for Trivette, he only saw what had happened after the shooting. So, as the color guard fired, all Trivette did was block it out.
He watched on in a fog as DPS officers removed the flag from the coffin, folded it neatly in a triangle then present it to Alex. Walker's wife graciously took it in her hands and gave it a hug. Trivette could see her tears glistening in the sunlight and knew many more will be shed in the months to come.
Once the coffin was clear, representatives of Walker's Cherokee tribe laid a wreath of wildflowers on the coffin, chanted for a bit then made their way back into the crowd of people. Several people followed their lead and started to lay roses and other mementos on or near the coffin. Many were former Kickstart students who had brought their white or yellow belts with them. Most, if not all had written their names with dates on the belts. Then, a bronco rider stepped up and draped a bull rope across the coffin lid. He took off his cowboy hat, rested against it his chest then bowed his head in a quick prayer. Trivette didn't know who he was, but it didn't matter. Walker had touched so many people in his life he knew many more strangers will visit the gravesite and possibly even leave mementos for years to come.
Finally after about an hour, people began leaving and Trivette went up to the casket. In his hands was Walker's wallet badge. He had wanted to pin it on Walker's suit during the wake, but because of the damage done to his head, the casket had remained closed. Trivette's thumb traced the leaves on the badge before he gently laid it among the wildflowers.
Gage came up next to him and gently rested his hand on the casket. "Do you think it was my fault that Walker was killed?"
Trivette quickly shook his head. "No, I don't." He rested a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't ever think it's your fault…."
"But, Martinez's statement." Gage shook his head. "He said he didn't want to…."
"He's a gangster, don't believe anything he says." Trivette patted his friend's shoulder. "You did what anybody would have done."
"I hope you're right." Gage laid a yellow rose on the coffin. "See you back at the ranch."
XXXX
An hour later, Alex sat on the porch swing unsure of what to do. Inside, many friends mingled to talk about a man they knew so well. Alex had known the impact Walker had made on some lives, but didn't know how much till after his death. Many cards and flowers arrived at the Company all addressed to her and Angela from people she never met. Most of the flowers will be donated to the veterans club in Fort Worth and others to hospitals.
The screen door creaked open and footsteps made their way to the swing. Debbie sat down next to Alex with a cup of coffee in her hands. She tried to offer it to Alex, who politely declined. The woman nodded and took a sip of the bitter liquid.
"Debbie, how do you do it?"
Debbie took a deep breath and shook her head. "You will never get over the emptiness. When you sleep, you expect him to be right there, but when you turn around…." She began to rub the mug's rim with her thumb. "It's so hard knowing he's not going to be there when you wake up."
A tear escaped from Alex's eye and she quickly wiped away the rest. "The last few weeks Walker slept in the spare bedroom." Her voice quivered. "Because of his pneumonia I didn't sleep next to him." The tears began to fall from her eyes. "Just wish I could have held him one last time."
"Just remember all the times that you did." Debbie gave her a hug. "How about Angela?"
Alex took a deep breath. "She's doing amazingly well, better than me." She shook her head. "She keeps telling me that Walker visited her in the hospital. I don't know how to take to that."
"Maybe he did." Debbie sipped at her coffee. "Just think what she could be like right now." Her own voice began to quiver. "She saw everything." A car drove up the driveway to the ranch then parked amongst many others in the front lawn. As the man got out, Alex and Debbie saw it was Ranger Zeigler with his sons. "I'm going to get some food."
Ranger Zeigler walked up the wooden steps of the porch and approached Alex. He took off his cowboy hat, gave her a slight nod then turned to look at his sons.
"We are so sorry, Alex." He sighed heavily and shook his head. "If you need anything, anything at all, I and the rest of the Texas Rangers are here for ya."
Alex slowly stood and gave Zeigler a hug. "Thank you."
"Not a problem." He took a deep breath, his eyes wavering from hers. "Just wish…."
"Ssshh….don't say anything." Alex patted his arm. "I know."
XXXX
Inside the house, Trivette found himself staring at the many pictures of Walker, Alex and Angela which sat on the fireplace mantel. He took a sip of his water and was about to turn away when a familiar face reflected back at him in the picture frame's glass.
"He and Alex were such a beautiful couple." Marrilee picked up a picture of all three of them and sighed heavily. "Wish I kept in contact with him more."
Trivette slowly nodded his head. "They were meant to be for one another." He turned to look at the woman. "How old is Tammy now?"
"She'll be twenty-six in three months." Merilee put the picture back and smiled at Trivette. "Her son is five years old, his name is Cordell." Her eyes misted up at the boy's name. "He really wants to be a cowboy, like his father."
"What does Tammy's husband do?"
"Bull rider, one of the best actually." Merilee wiped a tear from her eye then took a deep, shaky breath. "I probably should go see how's she's doing."
When she left, Trivette glanced once more at the picture of Walker with Alex and Angela next to him. When he first met Walker so many years ago, Trivette never pictured him as a family man. In fact, he thought the complete opposite. Walker was a bachelor through and through, hell he didn't even wash his truck but on the occasional blue moon. But then the love for Alex began to show.
A big smile spread across Trivette's face as he remembered the smallest little changes in Walker that showed he had truly fallen in love. First, it was his attire. No longer did he wear just a button up shirt and jeans, but instead actually began to coordinate his outfits which included slacks. Then, it was his truck. Trivette remembered being rather surprised when Walker turned his old Dodge Ram in for the more sportier Dakota. A much nicer truck which the old Walker would never have thought of buying.
He breathed in the memories then headed back to the dining room to see Gage sitting at the table all alone. Ever since the shooting Gage has been quiet and reclusive, only talking to say Walker's death was his fault. What if it was? The only way to really prove it is with a lie detector test and Martinez was scheduled to go through one today. In fact Trivette should be getting the results texted to him real soon.
Gage's eyes moved up, caught Trivette's look then glanced back down to the table. His right hand started to play with a floral arrangement that sat before him while he chewed on his bottom lip. What must be going through Gage's mind right now?
Trivette's phone buzzed inside his pant's pocket and he slowly took it out not really sure if he wanted to flip it open. He glanced at Gage then headed past him to hopefully find a private spot on the back porch. Here, he took a deep breath and flipped his phone open to check on the last text he received.
It simply read: Martinez told the truth. Sorry, Agent Montgomery.
His heart sank to his stomach and it took all he had left in him emotionally to not break down into tears. Oh God, it can't be true, it just can't be. Gage would have done what any other officer would have given the situation. And to think that led to Walker's death. He knew Gage will eventually find out, the question is how will he take to the startling news?
Heavy footsteps from behind made Trivette turn around to see who it was. There, standing before him was Billy Greywolf a long time friend of Walker's. The man slowly nodded his head then leaned against the wooden railing of the porch.
"Washo is with his parents now." He sighed heavily, his attention going towards the pasture before him. "He should have been buried with them."
Trivette slowly nodded in approval. "But this is much easier for Alex and Angela to see him…." His voice started to crack and he had to clear his throat. "I can't believe he isn't with us anymore."
"He will always be with us in spirit."
"Yeah, I know." Trivette took a deep breath and glanced at the beautiful, clear blue sky above him. "Just wish I had a chance to said good-bye…." He felt a gentle nudge against his shoulder. "Yeah, Billy. What is it?"
Billy pointed to the far pasture. "There, you see it? Sitting on a fence post."
Trivette quickly turned his head to see a large Golden Eagle looking straight at them. The bird didn't move, it just remained perfectly still as though it had just turned to stone.
"I thought those eagles weren't common in Texas." Trivette's voice came out in a hushed whisper. "Billy, what does that mean?"
"Traditionally, in the Cherokee culture it's a very good omen." He gently patted Trivette's shoulder. "Washo is here with us now." A smile gradually crossed Billy's face. "I will cross the river and join ya, Washo. But not yet, my friend. Not quite yet."