Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
As Francis Gage left work that night his thoughts turned to his partner. He knew he was in love with Syd. It had all begun at Walker and Alex's wedding when he started to see her not just as his partner but as a woman. He also knew that Syd was reluctant to start anything, and so being a gentleman, he would not force a relationship on her. But perhaps the time had come to step up his pursuit a notch. After climbing into his car he headed for home, wondering why this case was having such an affect on Syd. He knew she would never lose professional judgment, but he could see the unsettling strain it was creating. Abruptly he turned his car toward her house, deciding to stop by to see if she would like some company.
Dusk was settling in as he turned into her neighborhood. It was just dark enough that Gage needed his lights on. Looking toward her house as he approached he could see that the living room light was on. Suddenly he jerked to attention and went on high alert. He noticed a slight silhouette, which looked alarmingly like a struggle was taking place. His training kicking in, he parked and approached the house quickly and quietly. Taking a position next to the front door, he tried to look through the window and find out what was happening inside. Listening intently, he could just make out a slightly raised, though muffled, voice, followed by the unmistakable sounds of a slap and an evil laugh. Not waiting a moment longer, Gage stood and kicked the door in.
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The four people on the floor of Sydney's home were startled by the sound of shattering wood as the door flew open. Joe Sutton looked up just in time to see Gage's foot connect with his chin, throwing him backward and knocking him out. In their surprise the two men holding Sydney loosened their grip just enough that she got one leg free. Pulling it back she kicked the man holding her legs in the head, making him lose his grip as Gage dragged him to his feet and threw him headfirst into the wall next to the fireplace, creating a hole and rendering him unconscious. Then Syd raised her free leg high and brought it down hard connecting with the third man's groin. He yelled in pain and released her. She immediately rolled him over and put him in a choke hold, until he too was passed out. It was over in less than a minute.
"Sydney, are you alright?!" exclaimed Gage.
Turning to face him, she impulsively did what felt like the most natural response in the world. She walked to him, took his head in her hands, pulled his face down to hers, and kissed him soundly. Gage responded, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him. Breaking off the kiss, she stretched her arms around his neck and hugged him.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "For a minute I thought they had me." Pulling away, she turned and surveyed the destruction that had been her living room and the three unconscious men on her floor. Quickly regaining her composure, she continued with a light smile saying, "You're timing is impeccable. You always seem to be there just in time to save my butt."
"Well, it is such a cute butt," responded Gage, trying to lighten the atmosphere, followed quickly by, "HEY!" as he deflected a pillow flying at his head.
"Well, it is a throw pillow," countered Syd with a grin.
Glad to see that his partner had snapped back from the ordeal, Gage grinned and replied, "You secure these guys. I'll call in the cavalry."
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Forty-five minutes later Sydney's house was a flurry of activity with patrol cars on hand and officers investigating the scene. Walker and Jimmy had both arrived after receiving Gage's call. The three assailants were on their way to jail. Gage and Sydney had just finished relaying the events to Walker and Jimmy.
"Alright," Walker began. From his focused stare at nothing they could tell he was thinking. "Here's what we're going to do. You're going to the safe house."
"What?!" Sydney cried. "I'm not going to run out on my job just because some idiot wants to take a shot at me!"
"No, Sydney, you're not," answered Walker, realizing the misunderstanding. "We're protecting a family from men crazy enough to try to kidnap a Texas Ranger. I don't think they'll stop at anything to get to the Turner's. So I want my best team with them to keep them safe. That's why you and Gage will relieve the officers that are with them now."
"Oh. Sorry, Walker."
"Don't worry about it. Trivette and I will take care of matters here. You two just keep the Turner's safe. Go ahead and go now."
With that Syd and Gage turned to go. Agreeing that he would drive, she retrieved a bag from the trunk of her car prepared for just such an occasion, knowing he had one too, and went to his car. Walker called the safe house to inform them of the change.
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"Where are they?!" yelled John Sutton as he paced in his office. "They should be here by now."
Just then Jake walked into the room and said, "Mike found where they stashed Kendra. Have you heard from Joe?" They were interrupted by the phone ringing.
"Yeah?" answered John. "What?! How could you let that happen?" John paused, listening to the caller. "Well, we won't be able to do anything about it until tomorrow. Make sure the boys don't talk." With that he hung up the phone and said with exasperation, "That was Joe. He, Billy and Frank are all in jail."
"I knew they had trouble," replied Jake. "This isn't good. Tomorrow is the meeting. We should have waited to go after that girl."
"It's a little late for that now." John paused, thinking about what to do. "We can't go after Kendra until tomorrow. We need everyone here to get ready for the meeting. Let's focus on that. I don't want anything to go wrong. Too bad that girl won't be here. He would have enjoyed her." Both men laughed sinisterly.
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For the first fifteen minutes of the car ride Sydney stared silently out the window. Gage could tell from her posture that something was on her mind.
"Syd? You want to talk about it?" He waited quietly for her response.
"Gage," she began, "please don't take this the wrong way. It seems to me that the only thing men want to do with regard to women is control them, whether forcing them to do something they don't want to do, or shutting them up in some closet under the guise of protecting them. It all says that we're second class and incapable. I hate being treated like I'm 'less than' just because of my gender."
Gage listened calmly, trying to glean everything he could from her rant. Sydney rarely gave these glimpses into her thoughts, and he wanted to know her better and help her if he could.
"I can see where you're coming from," he replied trying to reach out to her. "Can I tell you what I think?"
"Sure."
"Syd, there are two kinds of men in this world. One wants to control, but not just women; everything. This type of man will even try to dominate by playing the knight in shining armor. In our line of work we've seen a lot of those kinds of men. The other is the man who sees a woman as a priceless treasure; not an object, but worthy of high respect and honor. It's in the nature of this type of man to protect a woman, not because she's incapable, but because he values her so much. At the same time, some women really need help because they don't know what to do against bullies, like Kendra. Some, like you, are highly capable. The trick is to know the difference. Then you can appreciate the abilities of a more capable woman, without stepping on her toes. You know at least three men who think like that. Walker knows what you're capable of, Syd, and he trusts you. He'd never try to keep you down."
Syd listened without a sound, touched by the gentleness of his tone and the sincerity in his voice, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over. She could tell he really cared about her. It was one of the few times in her life when she felt really special. Gage had a way of doing that. Her frustration began to dissipate.
"Thank you, Gage," she said quietly. "I see what you're saying."
"My pleasure, Syd. I'm your partner and your friend. That's what I'm here for." He paused briefly. "If you don't mind me asking, is this about more than being sent to the safe house?"
Sydney was thoughtful for a moment before answering, "I guess I've just had more experience with the first kind of guy." She appreciated that he didn't press the matter. He knew that if she wanted to share more she would in her own time. They lapsed into companionable silence for the rest of the trip.
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After Gage and Sydney left, Walker and Jimmy went to question the men they had picked up. When they arrived at the jail and asked for the three men, they were told that Joe Sutton had attacked the two who were with him and had to be separated. After pulling up their files, they went to question the first man.
"Frank Watson," began Jimmy as they entered the room. "You've had quite the distinguished career as a criminal. Your rap sheet is as long as my arm. And now you've chosen to add attempted kidnapping of a law enforcement officer to it. Were you trying to find a way to get thrown in jail for a very long time?"
"Hey, I wasn't the only one there and I didn't plan it."
"That doesn't matter to us, Frank," replied Walker. "Of course we might be able to make a deal if you can give us anything worthwhile on the men who did."
"I think I can do that. Joe Sutton just tried to kill me to keep me from talking. I guess turn about is fair play. But you have to keep me safe."
"What can you tell us?" asked Jimmy.
"Ever hear of Brody Simpson?"
"Yeah, he's a big time Meth distributor. Covers all of Texas and parts of Louisiana and New Mexico," stated Walker.
"Well guess where he gets his stuff. And tomorrow an exchange is going down at the Suttons ranch."
"You're going to have to give us the details and testify in court about everything you know."
"That's what they get for trying to kill me."
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It was totally dark when Gage and Sydney reached the safe house. After pulling up to the metal gate across the driveway, Syd got out to open it, then closed it after Gage pulled through. Her ever watchful eyes scanned the surrounding area carefully, taking in the fully fenced field with the comfortably sized two-story house, with closed blinds and security cameras, set far back from the road; the trees that surrounded the property outside the fence; and the small carport behind the house that was barely visible from the front. After Syd got back in the car, Gage pulled down the long driveway then turned left behind the house and parked in the carport. He and Syd recovered their bags from the trunk and knocked on the kitchen door at the back of the house.
"Who is it?" called a voice sharply from inside the house.
"Rangers Gage and Cooke to relieve you," answered Gage.
The officer inside opened the door to let them in as he holstered his gun.
"We've been expecting you. Do you need us to show you around or shall we go ahead and leave?" his partner asked.
"Show me the security system before you go," replied Gage. "Syd, you want to check on the Turner's?"
Nodding, she went through the kitchen into the great room that encompassed the dining area on the left, the living room with a fireplace at the front of the house on the right, and a small family room behind, opposite the kitchen. She found the family sitting there around a card table.
"Ranger Cooke, it's good to see you again," said Kendra.
"Please, call me Sydney. We're going to be sharing this house so there's no need to be formal. And just call Ranger Gage, Gage." They chatted for a few minutes until Gage joined them.
The officers showed Gage where the security monitors were and how to turn on the alarm and perimeter alert. Then Gage went to check the second floor where the four bedrooms were. He went up the stairs between the kitchen and den to the small landing, and then turned left to continue to the second floor. As his trained eye looked for hiding places he observed that the bathroom was at the top of the stairs and a hallway ran to the front of the house with two bedrooms on either side. Coming back down he dismissed the other officers and joined Syd and the family, who had moved to the living room. The ladies were on the couch that faced the fireplace and Bud was in an easy chair with his back to the dining room. Gage sat in a rocker facing Bud.
"Kendra, where's Jesse?" Syd asked.
"He's upstairs asleep. So why did Ranger Walker decide to send you in place of the men that were here?"
Syd and Gage exchanged a look then Gage answered, "Walker wanted us to personally oversee your safekeeping. Speaking of which, have you picked your rooms?" At their affirmative response he suggested they retire while he and Syd secured the house for the night. Kendra headed up the stairs arm-in-arm with her mother as her father followed closely behind. As Syd watched them, once again a wistful look crossed her face.
"There's that look again, Syd."
She hadn't realized how closely Gage was watching her. Looking at him with a sad smile she replied, "I didn't have a very good relationship with my parents." Then she headed for the kitchen. "It's been awhile since lunch. I think I'll see what's in here."
Gage followed. "If you want I'll make some toast. Something light before turning in."
"That sounds fine." She poured some milk for them and they talked about the advantages and disadvantages of the house and ways to defend if necessary, then turned in for the night in their separate rooms.
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John and Jake walked together through the barn behind their house. It had been converted into a lab, and at various tables men were working to produce and package Crystal Meth.
"Looks like we're on track for tomorrow," began John. "We should be ready a few hours before Brody gets here."
"I sure hope the cops don't get anything out of Billy or Frank," countered Jake. "That's all we need."
"I told Joe to take care of that. I just hope he doesn't do something stupid. Now here's the plan for tomorrow…"
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Gage awoke with a start. The clock read 1:30. Listening carefully he heard it again, a noise coming from the living room below. Jumping quietly out of bed he grabbed his gun off the nightstand. Clad in cotton shorts and a tank top he crept silently down the stairs. As the living room came into view he lowered his weapon. Sydney was kneeling in front of the fireplace stoking a fire. The slightest turn of her head indicated she knew he was there.
"Syd?"
"Hey, Gage."
"Little warm for a fire, isn't it?"
"It's therapeutic."
She was sitting in the dark with her feet under her staring at the flames, wearing light sweats and a baggy t-shirt. Her hair hung loose over her shoulders. Gage sat on the couch behind her and laid his gun on the end table, next to hers.
"Sydney, what's wrong?" Gage was beginning to worry about her. The use of her full name, something he almost never did, showed her just how much. Sydney bowed her head and sighed.
"I've never told you much about my family. We were a close bunch. Aunts, uncles, and cousins all together, in each others business. Very patriarchal. The men ruled; the women were practically insignificant." Sydney paused, struggling with how to go on. "My father was second of six brothers. They all had two or three sons each. Boys were trophies." Pausing again, she shifted until she was sitting cross-legged. "My mother had trouble conceiving. They tried for three years before I came along. She had two miscarriages after. I'm an only child. Growing up in that environment I felt like all but a disgrace. I did everything I could to make my father proud of me. Nothing worked." Sydney couldn't see the concern on Gage's face. She got off the floor and sat on the edge of the couch next to him, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. "That fire is pretty warm," she said to stall. He just stayed quiet, watching her, sensing that there was more.
"My best friend," she began again, her voice thick with emotion, "lived about a half a mile away down a trail through the woods. I'd walked that almost every day of my life. When we were twelve, her older brother was seventeen." Gage began to tense, guessing where this might be going. "I was headed home one evening. It was still light out. I heard a noise." Tears began to trickle down her face. "The next thing I knew, there he was. He grabbed me and pinned me against a tree, hands groping. Somehow before it got much farther I managed to get my knee up and get him where it hurts. I ran the rest of the way home. Some would say I was lucky. But you don't have to be raped to be violated." Sydney reached for a box of tissue on the end table. Glancing at Gage she saw that he was hurting for her, unsure of what to say or do.
"I got home, ran through the door crying. My parents were both home. My mother was worried, but my father was angry. I didn't know why. They cornered me on the couch trying to find out what happened. I finally told them. Then came the worst part. My father started swearing. I thought he was going to kill him. But he turned on me and said, 'What did you do to make him think that was okay?' I was stunned."
"Oh, Syd. I'm so sorry," Gage said. He put his hand out and gently rubbed her back.
"That was the day I decided to become a cop. I wanted to stop people who did that sort of thing. I stopped trying to please my father, stopped caring what he thought altogether. I learned I had to fend for myself. I learned how to compartmentalize my feelings and be detached. I learned to not trust anyone with my heart. It may have helped me do my job, but it's also kept me alone. To this day, I still feel like I have to work just a little bit harder to prove myself."
"Did you ever reconcile with your father?"
"No. He died the year I graduated from high school. My mother passed two years later. Since then, I've pretty much cut myself off from my family. So there you have it. My story. I've never told anyone everything before." She was still staring at the fire.
"Syd, I'm so sorry for what you've been through. Thank you for telling me." Gage hesitated briefly before continuing. "I want you to know that you're the best partner I've ever had, and the best friend. I'm proud to be teamed with you. I know it won't make the pain go away, but I want you to know that."
"Thank you, Gage. That means a lot."
"Syd? You do know you can trust me, don't you?"
"Yes. I know." Then after a pause she said quietly, "Gage? Would you hold me please?"
Without a word he put his hand on her shoulder and gently pulled her back. She scooted until her back was against the couch. With her hands in her lap she leaned against his right side and put her head on his shoulder as his arm encircled her waist. They sat quietly for a few minutes, watching the flames dance, as her silent tears subsided. Then Gage started talking softly about the weather for the upcoming week. Before Syd knew it her eyes were getting heavy. Through the fog of drowsiness she heard Gage's voice.
"Syd?" she heard just above a whisper. "Syd? Are you asleep?" Then just before sleep engulfed her she heard, "I love you, Sydney Cooke."
Gage could tell that Sydney was asleep. He waited a few minutes to be sure, then slowly pulled away from her. Quietly he broke apart the last few smoldering logs in the fire, smothering them with ash to help them die. Standing at the end table he made sure both guns had the safety on, and then tucked his into the back of his shorts and hers into the front. Carefully he picked her up and carried her to her room, laid her gently on the bed and pulled the covers over her, and then set her gun on the nightstand. He watched her for a moment to be sure she had settled in, and then kissed her softly on the forehead.
"G'night, Shorty," he whispered.
"G'night, Gage," mumbled Syd from her slumber.
Gage smiled softly, returned to his room, and went to bed.
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To be continued.