Walker Ranch - Later That Night

As John walked into the house he knew something had to have happened and thinking it might be his dad he quickly rushed into the living room. Sitting on the sofa was his dad with Uncle Corbett right next to him talking to somebody in front of them. John shifted his weight to see a man in a suit and tie on the rocker by the door. Something had to have happened, but what?

"John, come on in!" His dad waved him forward with a smile on his face. "This is Agent Knowles from the FBI."

Corbett's jaw flexed showing his frustration. "He wants to know about me."

John shook his head. "I don't understand, what happened? Why is the FBI investigating you, Uncle Corbett?"

Agent Knowles held his hand up then sighed heavily. "Billings was killed in his cell, possibly from another Texas Ranger. We need to make sure that anybody who has contact with your father has a clean background." He leaned forward, got a pad of paper and pencil from the coffee table then motioned for John to sit down. "How long have you known Mr. Williamson?"

"It's Walker now…." His dad held his hand up to stop his brother from arguing. "What? One month ago I got my name changed, remember? All of us did." He waved towards John with a shake of his head. "It's Corbett Ezekiel Walker now. Get it straight."

John ignored his uncle's outburst to talk to the agent. "I have known him well over six months. He's become part of our family and I know my dad along with Alex trust him dearly." John shook his head. "Who killed Billings?"

"I can't give you a name." Knowles took a deep breath and jotted down the information given to him by John. "Where is your brother?"

"Michael? He's on duty right now, won't get off till midnight." His voice faded as Michael came into the house looking all frazzled. "Mike!"

Michael snapped his head towards John visibly relaxing. "I got called at work saying that I needed to come to the ranch house ASAP. I'm glad to see it wasn't an emergency." He closed the door behind him then took a look around. "Where is Ray and Angie?"

"At an unknown location right now. I'm sorry, but we can't say." Alex's voice held a lot of emotional pain as she spoke. "Unfortunately we just don't know who to trust anymore." Her voice faded as his dad started to mumble incoherently while attempting to stand up. "Cordell, settle down."

Knowles quickly glanced around obviously confused as to what was going on. "What the hell is wrong with him?"

His dad eventually got to his feet, but John could see he was very unsteady. John saw his dad's knees buckle and swiftly got up to help lay him down on the ground. It always tore at his heart when his dad had a seizure, especially this type. Thankfully he started to calm down enough for Corbett to get him more comfortable on the floor.

Corbett knelt next to Walker, his face showing deep concern for his brother. "Bro, you just had a seizure." He glanced up at John and Michael. "Help me get Cordell into the guest bedroom."

"Sure, sure." John gently pulled on his father's right arm while Michael took hold of his left. As they did so dad began to fight them. "Dad, just take it easy."

"No…I'm fine…." His dad's voice was slightly slurred as he continued to mumble.

Michael shook his head. "I hate when he has these seizures. The hands shaking I can handle, but this…." His voice faded away as he cleared his throat. "Let's go dad, you can rest in the room."

XXXX

As Walker's sons and brother helped him into the room, Alex went to get a notebook she kept in the dining room. She jotted down the time, duration of seizure and what type before returning back to the living room. Here, she spotted Knowles taking down his own notes with a grimace across his face.

Knowles glanced up then back down at his notebook. "What happened?"

"It was a seizure." Alex's voice showed her frustration. "It has nothing to do with Corbett." She sat down in front of the agent as Michael came out of the guest bedroom. "Because of his brain injury, Cordell suffers from three major types of seizures. The most common is the simple partial seizures then on rare occasions complex partial seizures and tonic-clonic or grand mal. What you saw just now was a complex partial, not sure what triggers them, but I really don't like them."

"I see…." Knowles took a deep breath. "And this happens daily?"

Anger rose inside Alex and she quickly stood to her feet. "I've had enough, Agent Knowles. Right now we have four Rangers along with police officers watching over the ranch house. If you don't have any more important questions to ask, then leave."

Michael went to Alex's side with a smile, so similar to Walker's on his face. "If I were you, I would listen to the lady."

"Fine, fine." Knowles stood, put his notebook back in his suit coat then took out his car keys. "I'll be back tomorrow."

When the agent left, Michael let out a curse then slumped back onto the couch. "Most people don't understand dad's seizures. They always think the body has to shake, just wish more people thought differently." He glanced over as Corbett and John came out of the guest room, both with long faces. "How is dad?"

John nodded. "Resting for now, not exactly tired just out of it." He took a quick look around then let out a chuckle so similar to Walker's it caused a shiver to trace down Alex's spine. "I can see somebody chased off that agent."

Alex shook her head. "I'm really starting to hate FBI agents." She took a deep breath, stood up then made her way to the guest bedroom. "You three can get something to eat. I have a feeling it's going to be a long night."

She made her way into the guest bedroom to see her husband laying on his back, hands laced across his chest. It was so reassuring to not see the casts or sling on his arm, it showed everybody he was finally on the road to healing. Slowly she sat down next to him, carefully taking his right hand into hers and giving it a squeeze.

Walker rolled his head, his one good eye slightly glazed over. "What happened? Is everything all right? My sons…."

"Everybody is okay, just rest cowboy." She ran his hands across his shaved scalp. "I bet your tired, why don't you sleep."

"I'm tired of sleeping all the time…." His voice faded as he attempted to get up from the bed. "Something isn't right. Help me up, Alex."

Alex shook her head, but then a strange, fluttering sensation inside her stomach had her heart racing. She swallowed hard then glanced back to see Corbett had made his way back to the guest bedroom, his face showing deep concern. It was a look she had seen in Walker's face numerous times when his "Cherokee Sense" kicked in. Sometimes it amazed Alex on how similar Walker and Corbett really were.

Corbett gingerly made his way into the room, his left leg barely being able to get an inch off the ground. "Something isn't right, Cord. It's too quiet, even the DPS officer in the living room has his hand on his gun."

Walker swallowed hard then attempted to get up again. "The kids…"

"Safe and secure, bro. John and Mike are still here though." Corbett tried to hide a grimace as he moved forward. "You just rest, Cord. If you keep moving, you'll pull out your stitches."

Alex could see her husband trying desperately to keep alert, but after several more seconds of trying he fell into a deep sleep. Unfortunately in about an hour she will have to wake up Walker so he can take his nightly medications. Thankfully he has been doing better and only needed to take a once daily anti-depressant which so far seems to be working.

The DPS officer stepped into the room with a shake of his head. "Ranger Holston just did a quick check and so far nothing out of the ordinary."

"Which means we could be overreacting." Corbett nodded. "I'll stay here with Cordell. John and Mike, why don't you stay here for the night."

The Next Morning

When Walker awoke he wasn't exactly too sure what had happened to him or where he was. He slowly sat up, cringing as it caused a stabbing pain in his side. Carefully he traced his tongue around his month and was happy when he felt no recent injuries. Usually during a grand-mal seizure he would bite his tongue or the lining in his cheeks leaving painful cuts that would heal into thick scars.

The sun was barely peeking through the windows, but he could make out a form sleeping on the floor next to him. He rubbed his face and was surprised to feel his eye patch had been taking off. If he really wanted to he could have another surgery to the eye orbit, but right now he has other things to worry about.

"Hey Cord, how's it going?" Corbett sat up and let out a loud yawn. "Get any sleep?"

"Yeah, I did actually." Walker glanced at his brother to see him running his hand through his Mohawk. "You ever going to shave that?"

Corbett shook his head. "Nah, it's really growing on me."

"You know, the Cherokee don't really have Mohawks." Walker gave his brother a wink then glanced at the clock. "It's only six o'clock. You should get back to sleep."

"Nah, I've been sleeping off and on through the night." He gradually stood and grabbed a bottle of water from on top of the dresser. "Here ya go, take a drink."

Walker did just that, happy to quench his dry mouth. "What happened last night?"

"You suffered a complex partial seizure. You started mumbling and you tried to get up numerous times to check the ranch out." He saw Walker cringe and smiled. "Don't worry, nothing happened and everybody is safe."

Corbett limped towards the rocker chair then slumped down. "How's the side?"

"Good. How's the leg?" Corbett laughed then gave Walker a shrug. "Are my kids here?"

"Ray and Angie are still at a secure location. Mike and John are sleeping in the living room." Corbett took a deep breath. "Cord, how do you feel about all this? From what you've told me, the Rangers was your life…."

"It sickens me that a Ranger would betray his own men." Walker shook his head, his heart aching once again at what Billings had done to the Company. "Never would have thought something like this could happen…." A noise outside from the living room drew both the men's attention to the door. "What the hell is happening?"

Corbett slowly went to the door, but before he got it to open a man in a ski mask burst through it. "Oh, what now!"

The ski mask man waved a gun at Walker and Corbett as barreled his way past Corbett. "On the ground now!"

"I can't believe this is happening again!" Corbett took his cane and shoved it straight into the attacker's stomach. The man doubled over in pain allowing Corbett to slam the cane into his face. "I'm sick and tired of your people trying to kill us! This is getting very old, very fast!"

Walker gradually got up, his senses now heightened so much he could actually hear John and Michael arguing with somebody in the living room. There was a loud commotion, a thud then another man appeared in the doorway, this one much bigger than the last.

"Walker! Man, you are so pathetic looking!" This man laughed as he shoved Corbett right in the shoulder. "Both of you kneel on the floor right now."

"What about my sons? Are they okay?" Walker straightened his shoulders and went up to the second man. He looked straight into the man's dark, green eyes and shook his head. "Not you, Dobney. Why?"

Dobney shook his head as an evil grin spread across his face. "The Rangers weren't paying me enough." He tore off his ski mask then waved the gun once more at him and Corbett. "Now, kneel or my men will kill your sons."

Corbett waved at his left leg. "Well, I can't do that now because one of your men already tried to kill ME!" Walker could see the back of Corbett's neck turning deep pink and knew he was witnessing his brother's unbridled temper for the first time. "Now listen here, Dobney you are a disgrace to the badge! You should have never have called yourself a Texas Ranger!" He spat on Dobney's cowboy boots. "Filthy traitor."

The ski mask man smirked then violently kicked Corbett in the left leg sending him to the ground. "How does that feel!"

"Makes me want to kick your ass if I could!" Corbett writhed on the floor in obvious pain. "Man you are so lucky right now that I can't move!"

Walker knelt next to Corbett then looked up at Dobney. "Where are the officers?"

"Oh, those guys?" Dobney gave Walker a shrug. "Two of them are dead, itchy trigger finger. As for the rest, they are either hurt or knocked out."

"You son of a…."

Walker smacked his brother on the head to get him to shut up. "That mouth of yours is going to get us into trouble!" For a brief moment he felt guilty for hitting his brother. "I'm sorry…Just try to relax."

Dobney took hold of Walker as the ski mask men moved in behind Corbett. The man placed his pistol just inches away from Corbett's scalp then pulled the trigger.

"NO! Not again!" Walker pulled at the man's grip on his arms. "Corbett!"