Better Late Than Never REDUX -- Chapter 4
It turned out that Mark and Juliet both lived in a gated community not far from Sydney's house, so she and Gage agreed to meet at her place after dropping off their respective charges.
After depositing Mark in his car, Gage walked Sydney and Juliet to where Sydney had parked.
"How is Mark going to get his car home?" Juliet asked.
"That's Mark's problem, not yours," Gage said. "He'll have to find someone to bring him back here to get it and he'll have to decide whether or not to tell the truth about why he needs the ride. I hope he makes the right choice."
"So do I," Juliet replied as she climbed into the passenger seat of Sydney's sedan and closed the door.
Alone in the parking lot, Gage and Sydney hugged each other close.
"I've missed you," he whispered against her ear, his warm breath sending a tingle down her spine.
"We've been in the same building all evening," she said, looking up at him.
"I know. I meant, I missed holding you ever since the dance ended."
"Oh. Me too," she said, reaching up to kiss him tenderly on the lips.
After savoring the taste of her for several seconds, Gage asked. "Hey, Syd, are you hungry?"
"You know, Gage, if you and your insatiable appetite weren't so lovable, I might be insulted that you're thinking about food right now," she said, trailing her finger down his nose and across his lips to the point of his chin.
"Well, there's hunger and then there's hunger," he said, his eyes darkening with passion as he emphasized his point by weaving his fingers through her hair and pulling her in for a bone-melting kiss.
The power of their mutual desire shocked them both. Gage's blood was on fire as he ran his hands up and down the velvety back of Sydney's dress, all the while imagining the moment when he would watch all that velvet slide away and reveal her silky skin. Sydney felt as though she couldn't hold him tight enough, couldn't be close enough to him; she ached to be part of him. Only when it simultaneously dawned on them that they still had Mark and Juliet for an audience were they able to untangle themselves from one another.
When his lips released hers, they stood staring into each other's eyes, dumbstruck.
"Oh, my," was all Sydney could manage.
"Syd, that was amazing. You are amazing," Gage said, holding her close again. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too. More than I ever thought I could love anybody," Sydney answered, surprised at how easily the words came to her, especially since she had tried for so long to deny her feelings. She had realized tonight that locking her heart away didn't keep it safe, only imprisoned, and finally being able to say out loud that she loved him felt like flying free and coming home all at the same time.
They gave each other one last squeeze before Sydney stepped away and walked to the driver's side of her car.
"So how does Chinese sound? I could stop at Golden Moon on the way to your place." Gage said, focusing on his stomach again.
"Actually, it's been so long since dinner that some moo shoo pork sounds fabulous. And don't forget the egg rolls," she said as she settled herself in the driver's seat.
"When have I ever forgotten the egg rolls? And even if I did, Mr. Chen knows our orders by heart and he never forgets," Gage called over his shoulder on the way back to his car. When he heard Sydney's car start, he turned around and flashed the sign for "I love you," smiling when she returned the gesture.
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"Ranger Cooke?" Juliet piped up on the drive to her house.
"Yes, Juliet?"
"What was that symbol you and Ranger Gage made with your hands when he went to his car?"
"It's American Sign Language for 'I love you'," Sydney answered.
"You mean sign language like deaf people use?"
"Exactly. Gage lost his hearing for a while a few months ago and he had to learn to communicate as a deaf person before his doctor would agree to try an experimental surgery to restore his hearing. We both learned sign language at the Dallas School for the Deaf."
"How long have you two been together?"
"That depends on what you mean by 'together'," Sydney said, smiling.
Juliet looked at her quizzically.
"We've been partners with the Rangers for about two years, but we've been a couple, officially, for about three hours now."
"So just tonight? At the party? Wow! That is so romantic," Juliet gushed.
"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Sydney agreed. Romantic, she thought. Now there's a word I never thought would apply to any part of my life.
"Mark and I have known each other for a long time. His dad coached my brothers in football. But we just fell in love last year."
"Juliet, I know this is none of my business, but how can you be sure Mark is really in love with you and not just interested in your…in having…," Sydney stammered, not wanting to embarrass the girl.
"Sex?"
"Yeah, that," Sydney said, exhaling loudly.
"I could ask you the same question, Ranger Cooke. I mean, look at you. Anyone with eyes can see how sexy you are. How do you know Ranger Gage isn't just interested in 'you know what'? Why do grown-ups always assume that teenagers can't possibly know what love is?"
"Usually it's because we've been teenagers and we've learned, often through painful experiences, that what we thought was true love often turned out to be less about love and more about raging hormones. Your parents, or your brothers, and even Ranger Gage and I, aren't being condescending. We're just trying to spare you the painful parts."
"Did that speech work when your parents gave it to you?"
"Probably not as well as they would have wished, but I've come to realize they were right. Look, Juliet, you don't have to listen to a word anyone says, but if you are as smart as I think you are, you won't be completely reckless with your future – or with Mark's, for that matter."
"I hear you loud and clear, Ranger Cooke. Oh, this is my block. My house is the white one on the left with the basketball net in the driveway."
Sydney parked the car in front of the house and Juliet got out. "Thanks for the ride, Ranger Cooke. Have a wonderful life with that handsome partner of yours."
"Thanks, Juliet. I'm sure I will," Sydney replied. She waited until Juliet opened her front door, waved once more and closed the front door behind her before heading for home. As she pulled away from the curb, her cell phone rang. She checked the caller ID and smiled.
"Hey, Gage, what's up?"
"I just dropped Mark off at his house. Did you know he is THE Mark Fitzgerald?"
"You mean the star quarterback from Liberty High School who already has a full ride to Texas A&M? That Mark Fitzgerald?"
A second or two of stunned silence on Gage's end was followed by, "Juliet told you."
"No, she didn't. You aren't the only one who reads the sports page, you know."
"I wonder if you will ever cease to amaze me," Gage said, admiration evident in his voice.
"Don't bet on it," she said, adding, "Speaking of betting, how much money did Trivette win on us anyway?"
"Twenty bucks."
"You did get it from him, didn't you?" she asked, knowing full well Gage would have found a way to spoil their friend's fun and exact a little revenge.
"What do you think I'm using to pay for the Chinese food?"
With that, they both laughed out loud.
"See you soon, Gage."
"Uh, Syd, one more thing. Could you leave the dress on until I get there?" he said, making no attempt to hide his excitement at being alone with her and that dress.
"Sure, babe, but can I ditch these murderous shoes?"
"Yes, and I'll even throw in a foot rub after dinner."
"Oh, Lord, you do love me!"
"More every minute. See you soon, honey," he said sweetly and snapped the phone shut.
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As soon as Gage drove up to the front of the Golden Moon restaurant, his cop instincts kicked into high gear. The only other car in the parking lot was a dark blue Camaro, which was parked across three parking spaces instead of in one. As Gage exited his car, he noticed that the Camaro's engine was running with no one inside.
Moving cautiously, his eyes and ears alert for any sound or movement out of the ordinary, Gage approached the windowless front door of the restaurant, turned the knob and slowly pulled the door open as he stepped behind it. Using the door as a shield, he pulled his gun from the holster on the back of his belt and slid the safety to 'off.'
In one fluid motion, he pointed his gun in front of him, stepped into the lobby area and pulled the door shut behind him. His gun and his gaze moved in sync around the room from left to right, finally settling on the counter where the cash register sat, the cash drawer open and empty. From behind the counter, a thin ribbon of blood flowed toward him.
Still leading with his weapon, he approached the front of the counter and peeked over the top to find the restaurant's owner, Mr. Chen, lying semi-conscious and bleeding from a chest wound. Ducking around the counter, Gage checked for a pulse.
"Mr. Chen?" Gage whispered, aware that the thieves were probably still in the restaurant somewhere.
"Ranger Gage?" The elderly man coughed softly, cringing from the pain in his chest.
"Lay still, Mr. Chen," Gage said, holstering his gun and quickly searching for something to use to staunch the blood flow. A stack of folded napkins sat on a table nearby. Gage dove out into the open, grabbed a handful of napkins and dove back behind the counter all in a matter of two seconds. He wadded up the napkins, placed them on Mr. Chen's wound and pressed down hard.
"Can you hold this here, sir?" he asked.
Mr. Chen nodded. As he reached up to grab the makeshift bandage, his bloody fingers closed on Gage's arm.
"Mai Lee?" he said weakly.
"Your niece? I didn't see her. Was she with you when they came in?"
"They grabbed her…went to kitchen…" was all the wounded man could say before he passed out.
Just then, Gage heard a woman scream and the sound of a fist hitting flesh.
Gage ran toward the kitchen doors, gun drawn. He looked through the round window in the door hoping to be able to size up the competition. Mai Lee lay motionless on the floor, her blouse torn and her skirt askew. Two men wearing black ski masks stood near her, one holding a 9mm pistol in his gloved right hand. The other one was undoing his belt.
"C'mon Johnny. She's out cold. Let's just get out of here. We got money to buy you a live girl now," said the smaller man. Gage noticed his eyes were blue and full of fear. He held the gun like he wished he didn't have to.
Johnny's voice was like cold steel, "Out cold works for me. It's Tex that likes a fight." Johnny was taller and skinnier than his frightened accomplice, but he didn't seem the least bit scared.
"Where is Tex anyway?" the little one asked, looking toward the kitchen doors.
Gage ducked back away from the door, grabbed his phone and dialed 911.
"What is your emergency?" the operator asked.
"This is Ranger Francis Gage. There's an armed robbery in progress at the Golden Moon restaurant on Greenville Avenue near Mockingbird, three assailants, one gunshot victim with a chest wound and a possible sexual assault victim. I need an ambulance and DPD backup pronto."
"They're on their way, Ranger Gage," the operator answered as he hung up.
Just as he stood up to look back into the kitchen window, a tingling sensation crawled up his neck – the signal that someone was behind him. Before he could turn around, something hard and heavy collided with the back of his skull, sending a white-hot burst of pain through his head. He staggered forward and slumped against the wall beside the kitchen door, turning just enough to see Tex, a masked man the size of an all-pro linebacker, holding a large cast-iron wok. The last thing Gage heard before the world went black was the sound of approaching sirens.
End Chapter 4.
Author's Note: Whoops, I just realized I didn't give this chapter or Chapter 3 a title, like I did for Chapter 2. Chapter titles? We don't need no stinking chapter titles. Right?