Chapter 1
James Trivette glanced over at his
partner, Cordell Walker, and wondered how to broach the subject. Not coming up
with any opening lines, Jimmy looked back out of the windshield of the Dodge
Ram that they were traveling in. They were driving through an unpopulated area
of Texas often referred to as the 'badlands'. The name was very apt thought
Jimmy as he looked out at the dry scrub grass and desert-like vista that seemed
to go on indefinitely. Jimmy took a deep breath and once again turned to look
at his partner. Again without saying anything, he returned his gaze to the
two-lane road they traveled on. Walker was a patient man, but Trivette had been
playing this particular game for over an hour and he was pretty darn tired of
it. "What, Trivette? Just spit it out!"
Trivette looked a little sheepish having been caught being indecisive.
"Well... I was kind of wondering..." His speech stumbled to a halt
and Walker shot him an exasperated look. "Trivette, we've been partnered
for nearly eight years now. You were the best man at my wedding; we've saved
each other's hides on countless occasions. What is it?"
Trivette took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. He and Walker were
best friends and he knew that Walker would do anything for him. He also knew
that Walker was a very private person and he did not answer 'relationship'
questions very willingly. Trivette considered just dropping the whole subject,
but he was struggling with his own love life or rather lack of a love life and
he was desperate for some sage advice. He finally got up the nerve to ask a
question he had never asked Walker. "When did you know that Alex was 'the
one'?"
Walker tried to hide his smile behind an irritated look. He had thought
that Trivette was heading in this direction. He had just broken up with the
latest in a series of beautiful women that he dated. He also had a birthday
coming up and Alex had commented just a few nights before that she thought
Jimmy was feeling the male version of his 'biological clock' ticking. Whatever
that meant. In a rather forced gruff voice, Walker avoided a direct response
instead asking, "what brought this on?"
Jimmy let out another woeful sigh. "I don't know. I guess just
seeing you and Alex together and now with the baby coming..." Walker
couldn't contain the smile this time, he was really looking forward to
fatherhood. He didn't comment though, he knew Trivette wasn't finished. It was
kind of ironic actually; usually he couldn't get Trivette to shut up. He wasn't
used to having to pry information out of him. "I guess I'm just wondering
if I'll ever find the right woman and if I do, how I'll know it." Walker
took pity on him and decided to open up and share a little of what he had gone
through when he had struggled to define his relationship with the beautiful,
stubborn Assistant District Attorney who had alternated between infuriating him
and flirting with him.
"Well you know, it wasn't love at first sight. I remember the first
time I saw her, I thought 'Wow, now she's a really beautiful woman'."
"Oh sure, that's what you were thinking." Trivette challenged
Walker's version of the past. Walker smiled a small smile that his beard nearly
hid, "Well, something like that. Anyway, do you want to hear the rest or
not?" Trivette held up his hands in surrender, "I'm sorry, go
on."
Walker got a far off look as he remembered. "We clashed right off.
She came at me like a pit bull in court and made me so mad. I could have
happily strangled her. Later, I couldn't think of anything but how mad she made
me. When we bumped in to each other at C.D.'s on New Year's Eve, she started
right back in telling me how rude I was. I just had an impulse to shut her up and
I really couldn't strangle her..." "So you kissed her instead. Is
that when you knew?" "No, not even close. The only thing I knew was
that I really enjoyed kissing her and that I was going to pay for a very long
time for that impulse." "Alex made it rough for you."
"That's not the half of it. Later, I tried to talk to her, but she
wouldn't let me get a word in. She was too mad to speak to me, but if looks
could kill... That wasn't the worst of it though. I could stand the silent
treatment, but I couldn't get her off my mind. I thought of her constantly. I
had it bad and she wasn't going to give me an inch of leeway." "So
that's when you knew?" Walker gave an exasperated sigh. "Trivette,
the only thing I knew is that a beautiful woman was mad at me and I couldn't
make it right. I tried everything." "Did you send her flowers?"
"Now why would I do that?" "I don't know. To say you were
sorry?" "I wasn't sorry. I was just sorry that she was so mad. She
made my life miserable. I couldn't do anything right. I didn't fill out this
form right or I was 'too physical' when I busted some lowlife." "How
long did she make you suffer?" "Forever. Well, maybe a month."
"Then what happened?" "Uncle Ray got curious about what was
causing my bad temper. He came to Ranger Headquarters one day and just sat in a
chair and watched. He said that he wanted to know what lawmen did all day long
in an office surrounded by machines. What he was really looking for was my
reaction to every female who walked in the door." "And he figured it
out." "Oh yeah. Alex walked over to my desk and threw a file on it
and fumed at me for several minutes. I don't know. I hadn't followed some dad
gummed procedure or other. Uncle Ray walked over and just charmed the socks off
of her. He had her laughing and talking about herself in minutes. And that's
when I knew that I was in serious trouble." "What?" "When I
was jealous of my own Uncle..." Trivette started to laugh. Walker cut his
eyes at him. "Uncle Ray had her agreeing to come out to the ranch to look
at a new horse he had just bought. He told her it was a wedding gift for a
young woman and he wanted her opinion on it." "Was that the
truth?" "Sort of. The horse was a gift for Morning Star, but Uncle
Ray knew she would love the horse. He just used it as an excuse to get Alex to
the ranch." Walker stopped talking, thinking back on the special man his
Uncle Ray was. He could charm a rattlesnake. He had Alex eating out of his hand
in minutes.
Trivette broke into his memories. "So then what happened?"
"Alex came to the ranch and Uncle Ray asked her to ride the horse to see
how she behaved for a woman rider. It was all a set up. We rode up to the lake
with all the fixings for a picnic and half way there, his horse comes up
lame." "Really, how convenient." "Oh yeah, Uncle Ray was a
great schemer. Of course he insisted that we continue on without him and he
boxed us both in. We rode on to the lake and neither one of us said a word. I
think Alex realized that she'd been had. Of course, she thought I was in on the
plan. Once we got to the lake, she kept as far away from me as she could."
"So how did you get her to forgive you?" "Well you know she's
never been fond of snakes, but I had to thank the one that was sunning itself
on the rock next to the lake that day. It was a rattler and it wouldn't have
minded sharing the spot, but Alex didn't see it and she tossed her hat on it.
It started to rattle and I scooped it into the hat and flung it towards the
other bank." "So then you're the hero and she went all soft on you."
"Nope. She hit me. That was her favorite hat and now it was floating at
the bank on the other side of the lake with a snake crawling out of it."
Trivette started to chuckle. "Man you couldn't win." "No and I
never will. There really wasn't a moment when I knew that Alex was 'the one' it
was a slow process and I fought against it all the way." "But there
had to be some time when you knew that you'd be together forever. That she was
the one woman for you." "Trivette, there were a lot of those moments.
The time we rescued her from LaRue when he kidnapped her and the others in the
elevator. The time she took me river rafting and..." Walker's voice
trailed off. He couldn't exactly tell Trivette what had happened that night
alone in the woods with the sound of the river and laughter turning to passion.
"I don't know Trivette, I can't tell you that some bolt of lightening
struck me and I knew. I can only tell you that despite all the arguments I had
with myself; there was a deep knowledge that couldn't be put into words. I just
knew that this lady was too special, too much a part of me. When I tried to
imagine my life without her, I just couldn't. She was in every dream and she
was always a part of every plan I made for the future, long before she knew and
long before I knew."
Trivette looked out the window and noticed that they were coming up on
the town they were headed to. They'd been called in by the local sheriff to
assist on a bust. There was a crack house that was supplying the locals with
drugs. The sheriff had enough evidence to take them down, but they wanted to
get the suppliers. Sheriff Tate thought that the 'mule' was a woman who came
twice a month on the Greyhound bus. She got off the bus and went to the house
where she stayed over night. She caught the bus back in the opposite direction
the next day. She was due to be in town later that day if she followed her
usual schedule.
Trivette looked over at Walker and realized that his friend had told him
more about his relationship with Alex in the past hour than he had in the past
eight years. He wasn't sure what had changed in their friendship. Thinking back
he decided the change wasn't related to Walker marrying Alex so much as it was
in response to the loss of C.D. Their friend and mentor had died of a heart
attack several months ago and losing him had affected all of them. Walker would
have told C.D. the stuff he had told him today. And if he were honest with
himself, he would have asked C.D. the questions he'd asked Walker today. 'I
guess we're both moving in to fill the empty spaces in each other that C.D.
left.' It was a comforting thought and one he'd have to examine later. Right
now though they were pulling up to the Sheriff's Station.
Chapter 2
Walker and Trivette were hunkered down behind a trash bin that was in an
alley across from the suspected crack house. Sheriff Tate came over the
walkie-talkie telling them that the woman they had been waiting for was
approaching on foot to the east of their position. Trivette looked out to see a
heavily pregnant woman walking toward them. She moved quickly and kept taking
quick glances to each side of her as she walked. As she mounted the steps to
the house, Sheriff Tate made the call to move in. Within moments the house was
surrounded by the Sheriff, his deputies and the two Company B Rangers. Trivette
grabbed the woman as she twirled and fled back toward the street. They both
fell and he tried to cushion her, but the fall knocked the wind out of both of
them. He kept her down on the ground and with his gun drawn, kept guard over
her. Walker burst in the front door and took out two armed men with a
roundhouse kick and a well placed elbow jab. The men fleeing from the back door
and windows were rounded up by the deputies. Three minutes from the initial
order to move in, they had seven suspects in custody including the woman
Trivette had handcuffed and had walked over to the Ram that was parked in the
alley.
It took two hours to sort out who they had busted and decide what to
charge the various offenders with. It turned out that the woman wasn't
pregnant, but rather she wore a padded suit that was filled with more than
enough crack cocaine to charge her with a felony. Two of the men in the house
were addicts who had come to make a purchase. Two were sellers who had come to
make a pickup before heading back out onto the streets. One man was an enforcer
who provided 'incentive' to those who were in debt to the ringleader, Cade
Simms. Sheriff Tate assured the Rangers that Simms and the others would be
prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. After interrogating Simms, Walker
and Trivette knew that he would never reveal his connections. They decided that
their best bet to track down the supplier whom they believed operated out of
Dallas was Darlene Harrison, the woman who had transported the drugs.
Walker and Trivette put the woman between them in the cab of the Ram and
headed back toward Dallas. Darlene sat very quietly between them. She hadn't
said anything since she was arrested. She was a very small woman with a slight
build. She was a light skinned black woman with high cheekbones, long lashes
and full lips. Trivette hadn't seen her eyes as she kept them down toward the
ground at all times. Actually, she was something of a puzzle. There was no
grandstanding, no threats, just a morose young woman who looked as if her life
had ended. Trivette felt a tug of sympathy for her and then chastised himself
for the feeling. Here was a woman who transported drugs to crack houses. When
he saw the single tear slide silently down her cheek, he knew he couldn't be
blamed for the sympathy he felt. He was human after all.
Walker looked over at Darlene and decided it was time to try getting the
woman to open up. "Well Darlene, you're looking at a lot of hard time. You
have only one chance of getting yourself out of this mess and that is to
cooperate with us. When we get to Dallas, I'm sure the DA will be willing to
offer you a plea bargain. The person we want is the one who supplied you with
the drugs. It's up to you, but if you cooperate, things will be much better for
you." Darlene kept her head down, but she managed to speak in a quiet
voice that conveyed fear as well as exhaustion. "He'll kill Samantha. I
can't cooperate, he'll kill her." Trivette gently prodded, "who's
Samantha?" "My younger sister. I have to do whatever I can to protect
her. She's all I've got." Walker and Trivette spent the rest of the
journey home piecing together Darlene's story, trying to get her to give them
the information they needed while helping the woman they discovered was a pawn
in the entire scheme.
After booking Darlene and placing her into the holding cell, Walker
drove home to the ranch and to Alex. It had been a long day and it was after
eight when he pulled up the driveway and parked behind her Sebring. He climbed
out of the cab and realized that the light was on in the barn, so he walked
over to check it out. As he stepped through the double doors, he heard Alex
talking to her horse Angel. "I know girl, mean old Walker won't let me
ride you when he isn't around and he isn't around much is he?" She talked
to the horse and fed her carrots. Ranger, Walker's horse, whinnied when he
spotted Walker and got as close as the stall door would allow him, stretching his
head and neck out toward Walker. "Well at least someone is happy to see
me," Walker said as he walked over to pat his horse and offer him a carrot
he grabbed from the bin. Alex looked up and smiled, glad to see her husband
home safe and sound. She gave Angel one last pat and walked over to hug her
husband from behind, slipping her arms around his waist and laying her cheek
against the denim of his jacket. Walker continued to pay attention to his horse
and pretend to ignore his wife. Alex continued to hold him and let her hands
wander from his waist to his chest and down again. Walker held out for as long
as he could, but it was a losing battle and he knew it. He turned in her arms
and wrapped his own arms around her, pulling her fully into him.
The two held each other for several minutes before leaning back and
looking into each other's eyes. "I missed you." Alex stated simply.
"I could tell. So I'm 'mean old Walker' who's 'never around.'" Alex
smiled and nodded in agreement. "I heard you drive up, you were meant to
overhear what I said. Walker I really want to ride and it's been two weeks
since we've had time." "I know honey. Let's plan to get off work
early tomorrow and we'll come home and ride up to the lake and have an early
dinner outdoors. "We'll freeze," his wife declared. "We'll keep
each other warm," he stated. "What do you say?"
"Okay," she agreed, "but if I get cold..." "Never
happen," he promised. The two turned off the barn light and headed up to
the house.
Walker came down from his shower to find that his wife had heated up
some dinner for him. He sat down to eat the chicken casserole dish she had
prepared earlier that evening and he filled her in on his day. "So this
Darlene is definitely willing to make a deal?" "Yeah, she's scared
and I think she'll respond best to your brand of questioning. She'll probably
give you all the information you need when you take her statement tomorrow.
Apparently her stepfather, Mike Leeds, is the one we're after. He is part of a
smuggling operation bringing the drugs in from South America. Darlene wasn't
sure from where exactly, but she has overheard enough conversations to give us
some names and other details. This Leeds character has really worked this girl
over. She's afraid of her own shadow. Darlene's mother died when Darlene was
seventeen. She has a sister, Samantha, who was only five at the time of her
mother's death and Leeds is her legal guardian. Samantha is seventeen now, but
Leeds has them so afraid that they have both stayed with him and done whatever
he wants them to. It gets pretty ugly, Darlene didn't say too much, but it
wasn't hard to fill in the blanks." "That's awful. I'll see her first
thing in the morning and see what I can do. It sounds like she and her sister
may need to be placed in protective custody for awhile at least."
"Yeah, we may have another problem though." "What's that?"
"Trivette." "Jimmy? What's wrong with Jimmy?" "Alex,
Darlene is beautiful, in a sad, 'save me' kind of way. If you'd seen the way
Jimmy looked at her after she told her story..." Alex smiled at her
cynical husband, "you never know, this could work out to be a wonderful
thing for both of them. Don't jump to any conclusions, just wait and give it,
give them a chance." "I married a hopeless romantic." Alex
raised her eyebrows at him and stated "if you're complaining..."
"Not at all," Walker knew when to stop an argument before he lost.
Chapter 3
The next morning, Alex sat in the interrogation room when Darlene
Harrison was escorted in by a female prison guard. Alex took her time surveying
the woman, sizing her up. "Darlene, I'm Deputy DA, Alex Cahill-Walker,
won't you please sit down." Alex nodded to the guard to leave the room and
she got right down to business. "Darlene, Ranger's Trivette and Walker
have told me some of your story. I've also been informed that you have declined
to have an attorney present. The DA's office is willing to provide you and your
sister with protective custody in exchange for information and your testimony
against Mike Leeds and any other key players in the drug organization. In
exchange you will be given full immunity which means that you will not be
charged if you cooperate fully. Are you willing to agree to these terms?"
Darlene looked at Alex with a mixture of fear and relief and nodded her
agreement. "Okay then. I know that this is going to be very difficult, but
if you can give me as many details of the operation as you can remember, we'll
be able to help you." Alex interviewed the woman for three and half-hours.
The story that evolved was heartbreaking.
Soon after Darlene's mother had died, Mike Leeds had begun using Darlene
to transport drugs and to 'entertain' various men he dealt with. Darlene had
been prostituted to these men and Mike used the threat of harming her younger
sister to keep her compliant. As Samantha grew older, the threat became that
her services would be used if Darlene left or refused to cooperate. Darlene
traveled around Texas often disguised as a pregnant woman as she brought the
drugs to various 'retailers'. She took busses to avoid having someone track her
down through a license plate. It was during one of these trips that Walker and
Trivette had busted her. Darlene wasn't expected back until later that
afternoon. Walker and Trivette had been staking out the location that Darlene
had given them and were waiting until they had confirmation that Mike Leeds was
inside before making the bust.
Walker and Trivette watched as a car pulled up to the auto parts
warehouse that Darlene said was a front for Leeds' drug business. "What do
you think Trivette, is that our man?" Jimmy looked through the binoculars
and then compared the heavy set black man with the picture they had to identify
Leeds. "Yep, that's him." Walker picked up the radio and said,
"All units, we're moving in." Leeds was just closing the door behind
him when Trivette slammed against it knocking the man forward and off balance.
Trivette ran in and wrapped his arm around Leeds neck with his gun drawn and
aimed at the large room. Leeds acted as an unwitting shield and Walker who came
in right behind Trivette somersaulted behind a barrel off to the right. Their
backup came in through the rear entrance and there was gunfire all around as
the men in the warehouse tried to defend their positions and the law
enforcement agents returned fire.
One by one, the men in the warehouse dropped to the ground as they were
hit or they dropped their weapons and held their hands up in surrender. As the
echoes of the gunshots faded, the officers moved in, cuffing some, checking
others for vital signs. Trivette continued his chokehold on Leeds and read him
his rights without easing off the pressure on his windpipe. There was so much
more he wanted to do to this man who had harmed Darlene and her sister, but his
ethics wouldn't allow him the pleasure.
On the way back to Ranger Headquarters to write up the bust, Walker
radioed Rangers' Sydney Cook and Francis Gage who were standing by waiting for
word to pick up Samantha at the Leeds' house. They approached the house with
caution, but there were no guards posted. Leed's had begun to believe that he
was infallible and that no one would dare come to his home. Sydney rang the
doorbell and after several moments, Gage followed up with a persistent knock.
"What do you think?" Sydney asked her partner. "Let's take a
look around and see if we can find anything. She may just be out running an
errand or something," Gage answered.
The house was located on a large piece of property in an upper middle
class neighborhood. They each took a side and walked around the large one story
house looking into windows. As they rounded the back, they saw a swimming pool
and in the pool was a fully dressed woman floating face down. Gage was closer
and he was the one who ran and dove into the water turning the woman over and
dragging her to the side. Sydney reached in and hooked her arms under the
woman's arms and hauled her out of the water. They checked for a pulse, but it
was obvious that they were too late to be able to revive her. Sydney looked at
the young pretty face that shared the high cheekbones and long lashes of her
older sister. "Who could have killed her? And why?" Sydney asked her
partner. "I don't know Syd. We'd better call in and get the coroner over here
to give us some answers."
Over an hour later, Alex parked her car at the curb in front of Leed's
house. Darlene was with her and she rushed out of the car and around to the
back. Her sister's body had been placed in a black body bag that had been
sealed. It wasn't until Darlene zipped the bag open and saw the lifeless face
of her young sister that she fell to the ground overcome with shock and grief.
Alex did her best to comfort the distraught woman, but she felt useless as
Darlene began rocking back and forth making a wailing sound of pure anguish.
Walker and Trivette arrived on the scene and Jimmy walked over to where Darlene
sat on the ground with Alex. He gently lifted Alex up to her feet and then
scooped Darlene up into his arms and carried her through the sliding door into
the house.
Walker went to Sydney and Gage to try to discover what had happened. He
was so certain that they had acted quickly enough to protect Samantha. The
reason they hadn't staked out Leed's to try to catch even bigger fish in their net
was that they were afraid it would endanger her. "What have you found
out?" he asked the two younger Rangers. "It looks like a suicide
Walker. We found two empty bottles of pills on the kitchen counter. One was a
prescription muscle relaxer and the other was a pain medication. Both were
prescribed to Mike Leeds. Apparently he suffered from chronic back pain."
"Any idea why she would do this?" "Just speculation, but the
M.E. said that there were signs that she had been raped. She said that she
would give us more details on possible who and when after she gets the body to
the morgue." "I can guess who. Damn." Walker was so angry he
wasn't able to see straight. If only they had gone ahead and arrested Leeds
last night. Maybe Samantha would still be alive. The rest of the rats would
have gone into hiding, but a young girl may have been saved. Walker turned on
his heel and walked away from the officers and technicians gathering evidence.
Darlene had started to shiver and Jimmy looked at Alex, "she needs medical
attention." Alex nodded her head in agreement, "let's take her on in
to emergency." Darlene was unresponsive as Jimmy again scooped her up and
carried her out to Alex's car. They nearly walked into Walker as they reached
the curb. "We're taking her in," Trivette stated as Alex opened the
door for Trivette to lower her into the front seat. Alex handed him her car
keys, "you go ahead and drive her, Walker and I will follow in the
Ram." Walker nodded in acknowledgement of the plan and the two vehicles headed
to the Emergency Clinic.
The doctor came out of Darlene's room and approached the three people
waiting for news on her condition. "I've given her a sedative and she's
sleeping. She's been through a lot. She's underweight and shows signs of chronic
stress." "From what we know of it, her life has been hell," Alex
agreed. "Well, we'll keep her here over night, but truthfully, what she
needs is a vacation and a healthy diet." Walker thanked the doctor and he
left to attend to his next patient. "Did you hear that? She needs a
vacation. Instead we're going to ask her to relive every detail of the
nightmare she's endured the last twelve years. Over and over again. Then we're
going to put her on the witness stand and let some defense attorney tear her apart."
Trivette kicked the chair in frustration. "Easy Trivette. We'll do
everything we can to protect her." Walker wasn't sure who the words were
meant to comfort, his partner or himself. "We'll also get her into
counseling. I think she's a good candidate for living at HOPE House until she
can get her life into some sort of order." Alex referred to the center
that she had established and helped run. There were some live-in rooms
available for battered women and their children as well as others who required temporary
shelter. "We can't move her to HOPE House until we're certain she's not in
any danger," Walker stated. "I know, but if we're not going after any
other associates of Leeds, it won't take long to do that." "I'm not
going to do anything that puts Darlene in danger, she's lost more than anyone
should in two lifetimes." Walker looked at the other two who nodded in
silent agreement.
Back at Ranger Company B Headquarters, Walker, Trivette and Alex met up
with Sydney and Gage. They filled them in on Darlene's condition and Sydney
shared a glance with her partner who had changed into dry clothes as soon as
they had arrived. "We found a suicide note that Samantha wrote to
Darlene," Sydney stated. Trivette looked up; "Did it give a reason?"
Gage jumped in, "it was short and to the point. It simply said, 'I can't
be the lock on your cage now that I've had a taste of the hell you've endured.
Fly away and be free.'" "That pretty well seals it. Leeds must have
raped her and Samantha couldn't live with what he had done to her and what he
forced her sister to do. She must have been aware that Leeds used her to make
Darlene do his bidding." The others nodded in silent agreement. "But
how is this going to affect Darlene? Now she not only has to live with her
sister's suicide, but she also has to live with the fact that she did it to
save her." Jimmy was clearly deeply affected by the horror that Darlene
had survived and all that she would have to accept and deal with. "We'll
do everything we can to help her Jimmy. That's a promise." Jimmy looked at
Alex and tightened his mouth determined not to state the obvious 'too little
too late'.
Alex rode home with Walker later that day in the Ram, leaving her car in
the parking garage at work. They rode in silence; each filled with their own
thoughts and concerns. When they reached the ranch, Alex suggested they go
ahead with their planned horseback ride. Walker looked skeptical, he really
wasn't up to it, but she was insistent. The sun was setting as they reached the
lake and their favorite picnic spot. Alex laid out the thick blanket on the
ground and set out the thermos of soup as well as the bread she had packed. She
had a second thermos of coffee and sliced Kiwi fruit for desert. Walker
gathered wood and built a fire within a ring of stones to help keep them warm.
They were both wearing thick jackets to ward off the winter chill, but it was a
fairly mild night.
They ate in silence and then Walker backed himself up against a tree log
and Alex shifted so that her back leaned against his chest. They sat and
listened to the night's sounds. The occasional splash of a fish in the lake,
the breeze rustling the few remaining leaves in the trees, the scamper of
nocturnal animals over the dried leaves on the ground. Walker breathed in a
deep breath of cold air and looked up at the clear sky that seemed too full to
hold all of its stars. He squeezed his arms tighter around Alex and spoke
quietly into her ear. "You were right. I needed this. If I had gone
straight into the house I would have kept all my frustration pent up. Being out
here helps put things into perspective. Uncle Ray used to tell me that 'Life is
bigger than the individual, but that doesn't make the individual any less
significant'. It's hard to see that inside four walls." Alex leaned her
head back against him. "A young woman died tonight and the man who is
responsible is in jail. Life is
bigger than we are and we can't control it. Bad things happen and blaming
ourselves or second-guessing ourselves won't change anything. We all agreed
that we should wait to take down Leeds and his operation today. That decision
was made based on the best information we could gather at the time. We knew
that Darlene wasn't expected back until late today. We should have had that time
to gather information and make the best plan possible. If we had tried to
arrest Leeds last night, or earlier today, one of the officers may have been
hurt. Instead, you made a plan and took precautions. None of us could possibly
know that Leeds was going to force himself on a young woman he had
raised." Alex paused; waiting to see if anything she had said to Walker
had gotten through. "I guess all we can do now is help Darlene as much as
possible," Walker said in a resigned voice. "I think Jimmy will see
to that. He seems to be quite taken with her." Alex shivered slightly as
she spoke and her teeth were starting to chatter. "Okay, we'd better get
back. I don't want you to get chilled." Walker leaned forward and got to
his feet, pulling his wife up to stand in the circle of his arms. "If I
don't say it enough, I love you," he said before he placed a gentle kiss
to her lips. Alex's eyes glistened with tears. "You say it everyday. You
don't always say it with words, but you always say it."
Back at the hospital, Jimmy sat next to Darlene's bed and watched her
sleep. He felt a tremendous responsibility to this woman. He didn't know if it
was fate or just coincidence that he had been questioning whether or not he
would find the woman of his dreams and then he met Darlene. Like Walker said,
there wasn't a bolt a lightening, but he felt drawn to her and responsible for
her happiness. She had had a rough time of it, but he was going to do
everything in his power to see that she would have a happy life from today on.
Chapter 4
It had been just over a month since her sister had died and Darlene was
making strides toward building a new life for herself. James Trivette was a big
reason for the turn around in her life. All the testifying was behind her and her
stepfather had been convicted of raping her sister in addition to the drug
charges. Jimmy had helped her move into her own apartment earlier that week.
Alex had wanted her to move to the HOPE Center for a time, but she was adamant
that she wanted a place of her own. She also had refused the counseling and
support groups offered. If she needed to talk to someone, she had Jimmy and he
was enough.
Today was his birthday and he was picking her up to take her to the
Walker's for a birthday party. They had kept the guest list small and she was
sure that Jimmy had asked that they do so because of her. He was so considerate
and caring. If she had to think of one thing wrong with him, it was that he
treated her so very carefully. He hugged her and kissed her on the cheek every
so often, but no matter what she tried, she couldn't get him to do anything
more. She planned to change that tonight though. She had her own birthday
surprise planned for him when he brought her home.
Walker had the barbecue grill hot and ready for the steaks that
marinated in the dish on the picnic table. Alex had potato salad, baked beans,
fruit salad and punch laid out on the same table. Desert would be the ice cream
cake that was in the refrigerator. There was upbeat Country Western music
playing and a definite festive atmosphere surrounded the friends who had
gathered at the ranch. Jimmy introduced Darlene to Carlos, Trent, Phil and his
wife Kim. Josie was there from the HOPE Center and Sydney and Gage were there
as well. Jimmy had many friends, but they had chosen to limit the numbers and
keep it a more intimate setting.
Sydney stood next to Walker at the grill and talked to him as he placed
the steaks on to start cooking. As the marinade dripped onto the hot coals,
smoke rose from the grill and Sydney waved her hand in front of her face and
wrinkled her nose. Trent laughed and said, "smoke follows beauty."
Gage walked up and added, "and Beauty was a horse." Which earned him
an elbow in his stomach from his partner. Alex walked out from the house
carrying an aluminum bucket that was filled with ice and beer. It was almost
comical to watch every male there rush to her aid. She just laughed though and
patted her pregnant abdomen that she could no longer conceal in the sweatshirt
she wore. "Next thing you know, Walker will open doors for me. Chivalry
isn't dead you just have to be pregnant for it to show up." Walker gave
her a mock glare and the others laughed knowing he wasn't big on opening doors
and sending flowers. Alex had complained loud enough and often enough
throughout their courtship for them all to know she considered it a flaw in his
character.
The party went well with old friends catching up on each other's news.
Everyone made Darlene very welcome and after they ate, they began telling
'Jimmy' stories. Many of the stories involved some woman or other he had been
dating at the time. Darlene wondered as they tried to remember each woman's
name, or if they couldn't, how they picked out a distinctive characteristic to
describe her to the others. Jimmy finally put a halt to it all when he demanded
his cake and presents.
Josie who was on an assigned mission from Alex, managed to corner
Darlene and ask her some fairly probing questions. Jimmy got a worried look in
his eye when he saw the mini powwow, but Alex intervened before he could make
his way over to her. "Well Jimmy, how are things going between you and
Darlene? You seem to spend a great deal of time with her, but you rarely talk
about her. Frankly, I thought you'd be coming to me for some sisterly advice.
You used to. I think I'm starting to feel hurt." Alex gave him a mock
pout. Jimmy looked at her and despite the teasing way it was said, he realized
that she was right. He always consulted her about the women in his life and she
had given him some very valuable advice in the past. "Actually, you could
help me with something," he said. "Oh? What is it." "A
while ago I asked Walker how he knew that you were the right woman for him."
"Jimmy are you that serious about Darlene?" "It's not that.
Actually, we had this conversation before I met her." Alex nodded,
"okay so what did he say?" "That's just it. He told me about how
you two met and how you wouldn't speak to him except to yell at him and how
Uncle Ray tricked you into going riding to the lake and then said his horse was
lame and left you two to picnic alone." Alex was smiling at the memory.
"So what's your question?" "Walker said that after he threw your
favorite hat and a snake to the opposite bank, you hit him." Alex
chuckled, "I did. Not hard, but I did hit him. It felt good too."
"So how did you two ever become friends?" "Oh Jimmy, there was
no way I was going to be able to resist the guy. I was fighting myself as much
as I was him. When he walked clear around the lake to retrieve my hat, I almost
gave in, but when he asked me not to blame Uncle Ray for meddling, I caved. He
spoke of his Uncle with such love and respect, I just couldn't stay mad at him.
We ended up having our picnic and just talked for hours. The sun was setting
before we realized the time. By the time we got back to the ranch house, we
were friends. Good friends. There was no turning back after that. He could make
me so mad, but I could never hold a grudge against him after that day."
"So when did you know that Walker was 'the one' for you?"
"Dalton Reed." "What?" "You remember him don't
you?" "Of course, but you were talking marriage to Dalton."
"No, Dalton was talking marriage. I was busy realizing I might have blown
every chance I had with Walker." "Spill." "You remember
when Walker got injured and I took him rafting?" "Yeah, Walker
mentioned that too. He said that it was one of the times he realized how much
you meant to him. Wait, that was the first time you two..." Alex gave a
nod confirming his suspicion. "We were so close on that trip. It was like
we were a couple and for the first time we both admitted it. Then we came back
to our real lives and Walker ran as fast and as far as he could. He barely
acknowledged me. When he did, he acted as if I was a just one of the gang. I
was hurt and confused and I did something so incredibly stupid..."
"You took up with Dalton where you had left off." "Yeah, it took
Walker a very long time to forgive me. But to tell you the truth, it made me
realize that if I couldn't be with Walker, I didn't want to be with anyone. I
spent nearly a year rebuilding his trust in me. I didn't date anyone, even
casually. I just waited until he finally started to believe that I would never
again do anything to hurt him." "Wow, I never knew. I saw the things
you're talking about, I just never knew why they had happened."
"Jimmy, Darlene is a wonderful woman, but she has scars that go very deep.
She's refused help to deal with them and I just want you to know that she may
not be able to have the kind of committed relationship you seem to want."
"So what do I do?" "I don't know Jimmy. Ask yourself if it's
Darlene you're falling for or if it's the situation. You're a good guy and you
would never hurt her on purpose, but be aware that she's never had a 'normal'
relationship and it may be beyond her ability to have one. At least for
now." Jimmy looked at Alex and knew that as hard as it was to hear what
she was saying, she spoke from her heart. She did want him to be happy and she
would support whatever decision he made, but she also had a lot of experience
dealing with abuse victims. She knew what she was talking about. He reached out
and hugged her, kissing her on the cheek, he whispered into her ear,
"thanks, Sis." Alex kissed him back and then stepped back from him
landing in her husband's arms as he walked up behind her and placed his hands
possessively around her, rubbing her distended tummy. "Hey partner, unhand
my woman," Walker joked to his friend. Trivette grinned and said,
"she's all yours. I'm off to claim my own." He turned and went to
rescue Darlene from Josie.
It was dark when Trivette pulled into the parking lot of Darlene's new
apartment complex. He parked his car and then got out and ran around to open
the door for her. He helped her out and walked her to her door with one hand
pressed into the small of her back. Darlene had never felt so treasured. Men
had always used her for their own purposes before Jimmy and she was awed by the
feelings he evoked in her. As they reached her door, he took the key from her
hand and opened the apartment door for her. Then he stepped in and turned on
the light. There was an unspoken invitation in her eyes and he walked into the
apartment with her and closed the door behind him. Drawing her into his arms,
he held her and gently stroked his hand down her back. Darlene leaned her head
back and looked into his eyes. Jimmy couldn't help himself; he leaned forward
and gently explored her lips. Minutes passed as they stood locked together,
tasting and touching each other. Jimmy broke the kiss at last and stepped back,
his breathing ragged. "Wait here," Darlene said and left the front
room heading to her bedroom. Minutes later she emerged wearing a very revealing
lavender Teddy. "I thought I'd give you you're birthday gift now,"
she stated boldly. Jimmy shook his head and gulped. "Darlene, I can't
think of a more beautiful gift, but I'm not going to accept it, not yet."
Darlene looked stricken, "what?" "You have been through so much,
I need you to be sure that you're ready. I want to take things slowly and I
want us to both be very very sure before things go any further." She
stepped toward him her arm outstretched, but he held up his hand to stop her.
"My convictions are hanging by a thread here Darlene. Please don't come
any closer. I'll call you tomorrow and we'll get together and talk. Thank you
for today. I'll let myself out." With that, he turned and exited through
the apartment door closing it with a distinctive click. Darlene stood for
several minutes in the middle of the room as tears cascaded down her face.
The woman who watched James Trivette drive out of the parking lot had
anger and vengeance in her eyes. He hadn't stayed with that wimp Darlene. Good,
she was no where near woman enough for him. He should know that. He didn't even
seem to see her; he looked right through her. She would have to change that.
James Trivette had made her suffer, laughing and talking to his friends,
holding hands with that damsel in distress Darlene. She'd show him. He would
know who she was and he would take notice before she was through with him.
She'd start with his friends though. He seemed to spend far too much time with
them. Time he could be spending with her.
Chapter 5
Alex sat in the office at HOPE House reviewing the expenses for the
month. It wasn't her favorite task, but it was a necessary one and since Walker
had been called in to work on a Sunday, she might as well get it done. Josie
walked in with a cup of tea and set it in front of Alex. Alex looked up with a
grateful smile and gestured for her to sit down. "How does it all
look?" Josie questioned. "Really good, as always. It never ceases to
amaze me how you run so many varied programs and still maintain such a strict
budget. Are there any areas you feel we need to be spending more funds
in?" "Well actually..." Alex smiled encouragingly. Josie ran the
center on a day to day basis and she had a finger on the pulse of everything
the center did. She was a great manager and she made sure that the money that
was spent was put to the best possible use. They were in a strong position
financially and could afford to expand the services they offered. "I'm
seeing a need for some of our families with special needs children to have respite
care. They put so much of themselves into taking care of these kids that it can
cause enormous strain on the other family members and on some of the
marriages." Alex nodded her head in agreement. "But many of these
kids require services that we just aren't equipped to provide here at the
center." Josie agreed, but she had an idea. "We have some older
teenagers and college students who could be trained to work with the kids in
their own homes. I'm talking about being at the house in the afternoons so moms
can go out grocery shopping or visit with a friend for a couple hours.
Babysitting in the evening so mom and dad can go to dinner or catch a movie.
It's so hard to find trustworthy babysitters these days. Just think of the
added strain of leaving a special needs child with someone. Most of the parents
just stay home and it's not healthy for anyone." Alex considered what
Josie suggested, "so we hire some responsible people, give them the
training they need and run a free babysitting agency for families with these
special needs kids?" "That's the idea. What do you think?"
"I think it sounds like a great idea. Can you write up a proposal with
cost projections that we can present at the next board of director's
meeting?" "I'm on it." The two women smiled at each other and
continued discussing people who may be interested in this type of specialized
babysitting.
Alex turned the subject to Darlene. She was interested in what Josie had
been able to find out in her conversation with her at Jimmy's party. "She
is someone who is very scarred. I honestly don't know how she is able to
function. I tried again to get her to come to the center. I even suggested she
volunteer here. I told her that we could help her find a job when she felt
ready for one, but she turned me down on both counts. I worry about people who
bottle up so much. She needs to find an outlet for all the emotions she
has." "I agree. I talked to Jimmy and I told him that I didn't think
she was ready to embark on a committed relationship. I think he understood and
he seemed ready to listen to my advice. Whether or not he takes it..."
They both jumped when they heard a loud crash and breaking glass. They ran out
of the office into the front hall where a baseball lay on the floor and the
window lay in shards all over the floor.
Josie ran to get a broom and dust pan while Alex stepped out on the
porch to look for the culprit. She walked back in to help Josie. "Whoever
it was must have taken off, there's no one out there." "Probably a
neighborhood kid who got scared when the ball broke the window," Josie
surmised. Alex leaned down and picked up the ball. There was writing on it and
she turned it around as she read out loud, "Stay away from him."
Josie looked up, "that's odd." "And a little frightening. I wonder
who this could be intended for? You haven't been seeing anyone new have
you?" Josie looked chagrined, "not this week." Alex smiled at
her expression. "I think we should tell Walker about this and I'm going to
call the Security Company and ask them to increase the number of times they
drive by here." "I hate to waste money on security when it could be
used for better things." "I know Josie, but it's a necessary evil.
This is most likely directed at one of the women we have sheltered here from
her abusive husband. If the husband knows where she's staying, this could just
be the beginning." Josie agreed and she finished sweeping up the broken
glass while Alex called the security company and their repair man to come out
and replace the glass.
Walker and Trivette drove back toward headquarters. Walker kept looking
at his partner and decided that he had better ask. "Okay Trivette, you've
been acting like a bear with a sore paw all day. What is it?" The problem
with asking Trivette a question is that he usually answered, in detail.
"Here we are wasting our time following up on some stupid tip that Frank
Boyd is back in town and coming up empty. I'm dirty and I'm tired and I'm
hungry. I had a date and now, because of some unreliable source, I've had to cancel
it." "Trivette, I'm sure Darlene understood. Call her when you get in
and ask to take her out to dinner. After you shower, man you are dirty. You
stink too." "I'm not the one who said, 'Trivette, why don't you go
down the alley and see if you can get a better view'". "Well yeah,
but I didn't sic that dog on you." "No, but it was you who laughed
when I jumped into the trash bin to keep from getting eaten." "Hey, I
scared the dog off and rescued you didn't I?" "Don't talk to
me." "Trivette, you were in a bad mood before you dove into last
weeks leftovers. Is something going on between you and Darlene?" Trivette
fumed for a few more minutes and then filled Walker in on the previous nights
events at Darlene's apartment. He didn't go into great detail, but Walker got
the picture. "Hey, I took my share of cold showers when I first started
seeing Alex. You're right, it can put you in a foul mood, but the wait can
definitely pay off in the long run." "It's not that. I'm not a
teenager who can't control his hormones. Darlene was really hurt last night. I
told her that we would get together today and talk about it. I don't want her
to feel that I'm rejecting her. It's just that Alex said that I really needed
to take it slow with Darlene and I just have to believe that she knows what
she's talking about." "You're right Trivette, Alex does know what
she's talking about. I wish I had been able to express myself to Alex back when
we were getting serious. I made some big mistakes just by not telling her how I
felt and why I acted the way I did. If you can sit down with Darlene and let
her know why you put the brakes on, she'll understand." "I hope
so." Trivette was visibly happier after his talk with Walker and Walker
was glad he'd made him get things out and talk about them. Alex sure was having
an effect on him.
Walker dropped Trivette off at headquarters and then went to pick Alex
up at HOPE House. He was concerned when he heard about the baseball incident
and he called a friend at the Dallas Police Department to send a squad car out
to investigate. He asked that the ball be dusted for prints and that the
husbands of the women currently at HOPE House be investigated. It was nearly
two hours before the Walkers we're able to head home. Alex leaned back and
closed her eyes. "What's that smell?" she asked. "Trivette dove
into a trash bin today." "What that man won't do for attention."
Walker smiled and explained what had happened. He also told her about his
conversation with him about Darlene. "I'm glad he listened. I spoke with
Josie today and we both agree that Darlene is just not ready for the type of
relationship Jimmy seems to want." "Maybe we can double date. I was
thinking we could all go out to a nice restaurant and have dinner together. I
think things might be easier for Trivette if they did things in groups. I know
how hard it is to be alone with a woman when it's all you can do to keep your
hands off of her." "Oh you do do you? Any woman in particular?"
"I'll tell you about her when we get home." He looked over at his
wife and they shared a knowing look.
Jimmy arrived to pick Darlene up just after seven. She was dressed in a
high-necked royal blue dress that hung to her knees and lay smooth against all
her curves. Darlene was underweight, but like a fashion model, it could be made
into an advantage for showing off clothes. Jimmy presented her with a bouquet
of mixed flowers and reached over for a chaste kiss on the lips. After placing
the flowers in water, they left for the jazz club Jimmy had planned to take her
to.
They were seated in a corner booth where they were able to talk and just
spend time together. Jimmy explained that he was very attracted to her, but
that he felt that she had been through so much that she needed time to heal
before starting something new with him. He wanted to see her, but he wanted to
keep their relationship casual until she was better able to deal with all that
a serious relationship could entail. She tried to insist that she was fine, but
he mentioned her sister Samantha and the tears fell immediately, proving his
point. He asked her to dance and held her in his arms and swayed to the melody
the saxophone played. He took her home early, he had to work the next day, and
he left her at her door with just a sweet kiss goodnight.
The woman watched for the
second night in a row as James Trivette drove away from Darlene's apartment
complex. So he had spent more time with that sorry excuse for a woman. Well she
had scared that Josie woman at the HOPE House today. She was sure that her
message had been received loud and clear. Stay away from James Trivette, he's
mine. And she had already set things up for that know it all DA woman.
Chapter 6
Monday afternoon found Walker, Trivette, Sydney and Gage all staking out
a run down motel waiting for Frank Boyd to show himself. Boyd had been muscle
for Sean Ransom, a fence who dealt only in high-end jewelry. During a sting
operation, the Rangers and DPS had managed to infiltrate his organization and
arrest several people. Frank Boyd had escaped and had gunned down a police
officer in the process. The young officer had died and Boyd had gone down into
Mexico to escape capture. He'd been spotted by three separate sources back in
Dallas and the latest information was that he was holed up in the motel. The
Ranger's surmised that he had money stashed somewhere in Dallas and he had come
back to get it before relocating permanently. The day crept by with the
Ranger's all getting anxious to get this particular creep into custody.
Walker looked at his watch and said, "Trivette, let me borrow your
phone." Trivette handed the cell phone to Walker who walked away for
privacy and then punched in a very well known number, Alex's direct line.
"Alex Cahill-Walker," she answered. "Have I told you how sexy
your phone voice is?" Walker teased. "A few times. As I recall, there
were a few other things about me that you find sexy." "You better
believe it lady." "Let me guess. You're calling to say that you're
running late and I should head home without you." "I find your
intelligence sexy too. We're still staking out this motel waiting for Boyd to
show and I have no idea how late I will be." "Okay, I'll be waiting
when you get home." "I'm counting on it. I'll refresh your mind about
all of the other things I find sexy about you." Alex smiled as she hung up
the phone. When had Walker gotten so forward? It used to be that getting Walker
to flirt with her had been like pulling teeth. Whatever had caused the change,
she was grateful. It was nice to know that her husband felt comfortable enough
with her to say the most outrageous things. Last night he had made love to her
and then lay on the pillow next to her telling her exactly what she did to him
when she touched him a certain way or made a certain noise. Alex felt
electrical impulses running all through her body at the memory.
She finished up the file she was working on. Actually, it was
information in the Leeds case that they hadn't pursued. They had enough on
Leeds to convict him to a long sentence without this information and expediency
was more important than thoroughness in this case. Getting things resolved for
Darlene's sake was the least she felt she could do. She had never pushed a case
through so quickly or agreed to dropping so many charges that she knew would
take time to prove. She was preparing to forward all of the information to the
DEA. They had other open cases that might be helped by some of the information
contained within the file. She closed the file and placed it into the
preaddressed envelope and then put the whole thing into the outgoing mail bin.
She picked up her purse and turned off the office light and closed the door on
her way out.
Alex walked to the parking garage where her Sebring was parked. It had
been nearly a week since she had driven it. Her schedule had coincided with
Walker's more often than usual lately. She had a feeling that it wasn't just a
coincidence that this happened. Her caseload was made up mostly of routine
cases and she suspected a certain redheaded Ranger and her boss, the DA, of
collusion. It wouldn't be hard to prove and if she didn't get an interesting
case to sink her teeth in soon, she may just cause a bit of a stink. For now
though, it was nice to have a break. Alex got into the car and it started right
up. She put it in drive and headed home.
Alex's first fifteen minutes of her drive home was on city streets
through stop and go traffic. She was glad to leave the city behind and be able
to pick up speed as she drew nearer the ranch. As she approached the last
intersection before the turnoff to the ranch, she pressed the brake to slow for
the red light. Nothing happened. Again she pressed the brake pedal and then
pumped it. Her car didn't even start to slow. Alex pulled the emergency brake
and pulled the gear lever down into a lower gear, but her efforts didn't slow
the car enough and she went through the red light. A minivan was in the
intersection and Alex turned the wheel sharply to avoid it. The Sebring swerved
and for a brief moment balanced on two tires. It then careened off the road
into the ditch that paralleled it. The nose of the car jumped the ditch and
slammed into the bank, leaving the front two wheels spinning in free air as the
bumper hung onto the bank.
The driver of the minivan was a young mother with two children strapped
into car seats on the middle bench seat. She hit the brakes and swerved when
she saw the car heading towards her. She was able to slow the minivan and pull
safely to the shoulder of the road. Kristin Craigg checked that both her
children were all right and then headed over to check on the driver of the
Sebring. The car still hung in the air and she wasn't able to get to the
driver. She could see that an airbag had deployed and all she saw was the blond
hair of a woman driver. A pickup truck approached the intersection and Kristin
flagged it down to ask if they had a cell phone. Jed Perkins was a neighbor of
the Walkers and he recognized the car. He used his cell phone to call for
emergency vehicles and then he climbed the ditch to check on the wife of his
longtime friend and neighbor Cordell Walker.
By the time police and an ambulance arrived, Alex had regained
consciousness and was able to give them answers as to what happened and what
hurt. Her primary concern was for her unborn child and she made the young
officer promise to get word to Walker. She was taken to the hospital emergency
room where she was hooked up to monitors, examined and treated.
Sydney was the first to spot Boyd as he walked out of a bottom floor
motel room with a baseball hat pulled low onto his forehead. She nudged Gage
and pointed. She and Gage walked towards Boyd squabbling about the price of the
room and how long they would need it for. Sydney was dressed like a
streetwalker and the motel advertised hourly rates, so she fit right in. Gage,
who posed as her perspective 'date', was even less conspicuous in his torn
T-shirt and jeans. As they neared Boyd, they each grabbed an arm and stated
"Frank Boyd, you're under arrest." Boyd had been employed as muscle
for Sean Ransom for a reason. Sydney's hands could not encircle any part of the
thick muscular arms and Boyd had spent time as a wrestler. He was able to get
out of the holds the two Rangers had on him and turned to fight. Walker and
Trivette moved into position, but they let Gage and Sydney handle the hand to
hand combat. They were both more than capable of dealing with Boyd and they had
known the slain officer personally. Boyd wobbled, but he didn't fall down until
Sydney leapt up against the wall of the motel and pushed herself off, turning
in midair and coming at his face with both feet at full force. Once Boyd was on
the ground, Gage cuffed him and read him his rights. Sydney was somewhat out of
breath, but she couldn't resist the chance to gloat a little. "Sorry Gage,
I thought you were in trouble there and felt the assist was necessary."
Gage glared at her, but didn't retaliate. Let her have her fun, he always
managed to find a way to even the score between them.
Trivette's cell phone rang and he answered it. "Walker, there's an
Officer Miller on the line for you." Walker gave him a puzzled look,
trying to place the name and took the phone. "Ranger Walker, I'm sorry to
have to call you like this, but your wife has been in a car accident and she's
been taken to St. Matthew's Hospital. She's banged up, but she was conscious
when she left here." "Thank you, I'll be right there." He turned
to his friends and said, "Alex has had an accident. Trivette, you stay and
help with the arrest, I'll be at St. Matthew's". With that, he spun around
and raced to his truck. He turned on the lights and raced to the emergency
room.
Walker flew into the emergency room and a nurse who recognized him
pointed him to the curtained area where Alex lay. "Alex, honey, are you
all right?" Alex had managed to contain her fears and pain, but when her
husband looked at her with such love and concern, she felt the tight control
she had held in place snap. "Oh Walker, the baby..." Walker looked
stricken as his gaze went to her abdomen. "We lost the baby?" he
choked out. "No! No Walker, we didn't lose the baby, I'm just so afraid
that the baby may have been injured." Walker sank back onto the stool next
to the bed. He was grateful that it was there, because nothing could have kept
him standing at that moment. He was clutching Alex's hand and tears streamed
down her face. Dr. Martin walked in and came to reassess his patient.
"Well Mrs. Walker, I don't think you have any broken bones. There is some
bruising on your chest from the airbag and the friction burns on your forehead
and chin are also from the airbag. Thank God, your car was equipped with an
airbag. That seems to be the only damage." "And the baby?" she
asked. "All seems fine. I plan to admit you overnight to be sure that you
don't have any cramping, but the monitors we've had you on indicate no signs of
premature labor. The best thing you can do is relax. Actually, that's an order.
The more you relax the better you and your baby will be. We'll get you up to a
room soon and then I want you to do whatever it takes to relax and go to
sleep." "Thank you doctor," Walker said. Doctor Martin nodded
and smiled and then hurried out as he was paged to another trauma.
Alex lay in her hospital bed, her hair combed out around her head by her
attentive husband. She had managed some broth and a glass of milk and now she
lay back on the pillow utterly spent. The trauma of what happened to her still
evident in her blue eyes. Walker sat next to her bed holding her hand with his
other hand laying gently cupping her abdomen and their growing baby. Walker
closed his eyes, bowed his head and prayed. He thanked God for the miracle that
was his wife and the miracle that was their child. He prayed that they would
both be all right and he prayed that they would be kept safe. When he looked
up, there were tears glistening in his eyes. "Walker, we're going to be
all right." His wife lay her free hand over the one on her abdomen.
"We're all going to be all right," she reassured her husband.
"Yes," he agreed and then he leaned forward and kissed her lips very
gently. He smoothed his hand over her abdomen and leant over and kissed her
there too. "Go to sleep now, I'll be here when you wake up." Alex
closed her eyes and eventually drifted to sleep. Once he was sure she wouldn't
wake up, Walker got up and walked out into the hall looking for the people he
knew were waiting for news. "They're both fine. She's going to be sore for
a while and she'll stay here overnight, but they'll both be fine." His
voice shook as he gave the news to Sydney, Gage and Trivette. Then he looked at
them and said, "she said that her brakes were gone. Any news on the
condition of her car?" Trivette answered, "the brake line had been
punctured. She leaked brake fluid until there just wasn't enough in the line to
build up the pressure she needed to stop." "Was it sabotage?" "It looks that way."
Walker turned to Sydney and Gage. "There was an incident at HOPE House
yesterday when Alex was there. We thought it was related to an abuse victim,
but now... Someone may be after Alex. I want you two to talk to Josie and then
follow up on the DPD investigation into the matter." "We'll do boss,
you just look after Alex," Gage responded. He and Sydney turned and walked
away. Trivette looked at Walker and said, "I'll follow up on the car.
Where was the car before today?" "It's been at the parking garage at
work since the middle of last week. Thursday...no Wednesday I think."
"Okay, I'm on it. Give Alex my love." "I will and thanks."
Trivette slapped his partner on the shoulder and left. Walker returned to his
wife's bedside.
Walker determined that Alex was not up to the double date with Trivette
and Darlene that he had proposed. Alex was resting at home with the week off to
be certain she healed completely. She was sore and stiff, but each day she felt
a little better and she was so grateful that the baby hadn't been harmed that
she had actually been fairly cooperative with her restrictions. Walker had
agreed to a compromise though. They invited Trivette, Darlene, Sydney and Gage
out to the ranch Friday evening for dinner. Sydney, who was a very good cook,
had volunteered to come out early and prepare the meal. Alex had very little to
do as Sydney took over her kitchen and made an authentic Mexican dinner. Walker
insisted on setting the table and even managed to bite his tongue when his wife
sat on the stool and told him which side the forks went on and where to place
the candlesticks. Sydney found a great deal of humor in the scene being acted
out in front of her, but wisely kept silent. Walker may treat his wife with kid
gloves, but he wouldn't do the same for Sydney.
Gage, Trivette and Darlene arrived within minutes of each other and the
three couples sat in the living room and visited before moving into the dining
room for their meal. In keeping with the theme of the dinner, Alex had put on
Latin guitar music that softly accompanied their conversation. There was a lot
of laughter and Sydney was complimented on her cooking by everyone. Walker made
a comment that with Sydney as the chef, there would be no fear of food
poisoning, which earned him a cloth napkin in his face that had been launched
by his wife. Sydney revised her opinion; Alex didn't always manage to get away
with everything. Gage went on and on about how Sydney was going to make some
poor man a great wife. He said that between her style in dress and her cooking,
her future husband was in for quite a treat. Sydney looked puzzled until Gage
clarified that he was referring to the hooker outfit she had worn to take down
Boyd. Score one for Gage.
Trivette laughed and joked with his friends and was glad that they had
made Darlene so welcome. They went out of their way to include her in the
conversation and were careful not to spend too much time talking about past
events that she hadn't been a part of. There was an unspoken pact between them
that work was not to be discussed and whenever someone touched on a work
related subject, another would quickly redirect the conversation. The evening
ended late, Sydney had volunteered Gage for the clean up committee and she was
the first to head home. She had to coach the girl's soccer team in a game the
next morning and wanted to get home at a reasonable hour. Trivette went over
and gave her a hug and told her that she could invite him over for a home
cooked meal anytime. He and Darlene were the next to leave and Gage, who had
done a great job cleaning the kitchen, left last.
Walker and Alex sat on the couch in the living room and listened to the
guitar music. They discussed the evening and decided that it had gone well.
They didn't entertain often and when they did, they limited their guests to
close friends. "Sydney and Gage are still in the 'keeping score' stage,"
Alex observed. "They're partners who spend a great deal of time together,
they have to have some way to release the tension." Alex laughed at her
clueless husband. "They're falling in love with each other and they're
doing everything they can to hide it." "Alex, you're such a romantic.
They're good friends who would die for each other; there's a difference.
Anyway, partners who fall in love with each other don't generally last."
"Why is that?" "I don't know. I guess it's just too hard to be
together that much and in such intense situations. I remember when I had that
crush on Trivette..." "Oh you!" Alex pinched his chest.
"Ow," was his only response. "Speaking of Trivette," she
began, "what do you think of him and Darlene?" "That worries me.
She worries me." Alex lifted her head from his chest to look at him.
"Why do you say that?" "I don't know if I can put it into words.
She just seems to go some place. It's like she leaves. Her face is
expressionless." "I know, I saw it too. I wish she would get counseling.
She has been through so much." They fell silent and just held each other
and listened to the music. "Tired?" He asked after a while."
"Mmm... Yes," she agreed, "but not too tired." She looked
up into his face with a suggestive smile. "Honey I don't think you're up
to anything strenuous just yet." "Why not let me be the judge of
that? I've missed you this week." Walker capitulated; there wasn't really
any doubt that he would. They turned off the lights and the music and headed up
to their bedroom.
Chapter 7
Sydney raced up and down the soccer field, coaching and cheering on her
team. The friends and families of the players sat on the bleachers or on
blankets around the field. It was an enthusiastic crowd and a close game. No
one noticed the woman who approached Sydney's bag that she left lying on the
bench. No one paid attention as the woman picked up the water bottle and opened
it. Sydney's team scored a goal as the woman poured something into the water
and replaced the lid. She had walked back behind the bleachers and left before
Sydney ran over at half time and drank down the refreshing water. Gage arrived
near the end of the game. He had promised Syd that he would bring pizzas and
sodas for the team. They won the game by one goal and descended on Gage.
"Hey girls, I'm not Elvis, you don't have to maul me," he jokingly
complained. "And whatever you do, don't ask him to sing," Sydney
added. Gage glared at her and then passed out the pizza and drinks to the
jubilant winning team. It didn't take long for the food and drinks to disappear
and people packed up their things and headed home.
Gage stayed to help Sydney collect the gear and stow it into the trunk
of her car. As Sydney stood up from bending over placing things in the trunk,
she stumbled and grabbed at Gage for balance. "What's wrong Syd?" he
asked. "I don't know, I feel dizzy." Gage looked into her eyes and
saw that her pupils were fully dilated even though it was a bright sunny day.
"Syd did you take anything?" "What?" "Did you take any
medicine?" "No." "What have you eaten today?"
"Just oatmeal for breakfast and a slice of pizza." "Did you
drink anything?" "Just my water." "Where's the water
bottle?" She pointed to her bag in the trunk and then started to laugh.
Gage took Sydney's keys from her and helped her into the car. She alternated
between yelling, laughing and crying. Clearly she was high on something, but it
wasn't much fun as far as he could tell. Gage drove her over to the emergency
clinic and by the time he got there, he was barely able to handle her. "I
think she's been drugged," he told the admittance nurse. The nurse
immediately called security and it took three men including Gage to get her
into restraints. They drew blood and Gage gave them the water bottle to test.
She had a very rough time of it and it was verified that she had been drugged.
Her water bottle tested positive for a very strong hallucinogenic that was
fairly new on the streets. Gage had called Trivette and the two men took turns
staying with Sydney until she finally came down from the drug.
The hospital kept Sydney overnight and Sunday morning Gage drove her
home. She was utterly exhausted. More than anything though, she was furious.
"Who could have done this?" she fumed. "I think the answer to
that will be found when we figure out why?" "St. Matthews is going to
start turning us away. First Alex last week and now me." Gage looked over
at her and said, "maybe that's it. We know that the HOPE Center was
attacked, then Alex's car and now your water bottle. What do the three things
have in common?" "I don't know. It hurts to think." Gage looked
at her with sympathy. "Look, you get some sleep, we can come at this
tomorrow with clearer heads. No pun intended. I'll make myself at home in your
living room and you can call me if you need me." "Gage, I can take
care of myself," she protested. "I know, but I'll feel better.
Okay?" Sydney caved in, she just didn't feel like arguing the point, her
head was pounding.
Monday morning the Ranger's got together with Alex and reviewed the
events of the past week. "I don't think the baseball was meant for
me," Alex stated. "Walker, you dropped me off and picked me up, no
one knew I was there. It wasn't even a scheduled visit." "So who was
the target?" Trivette asked. "All the husbands of the women there
have alibi's and there weren't any prints on the baseball," Gage informed
them. "Well the assault on Alex was clear and now the one on Sydney was
also direct. So what do they have in common? Besides the obvious. Is there a
case that involved someone at the HOPE Center, Alex and Sydney?" Walker
asked. "Well there have been several and Sydney does coach the center's
girls soccer team, so there's that connection." Alex supplied. "It
looks like we have some research to do," Sydney stated. She looked a
little wan, but determined.
Trivette went over to Jenny; the receptionist who took all of the calls
for the Ranger's when they were out. He asked her to research any calls that
had concerned HOPE House or any of the cases of people associated with the
center. As he walked away, Jenny shook her head, 'typical, he asks me to do a
mountain of work that will mean overtime and he doesn't even notice the new
outfit I spent way too much on', she thought. Trivette went to work at his own
computer researching police records on persons associated with the center. In
her office, Alex was busy doing the same thing, researching cases that she had
worked on for people involved with the center. It wasn't until the end of the
day that they got a call that made them refocus their attention. Trent called
and informed them that he and Carlos had been the victims of some sort of
prank. He told Walker that their office had been ransacked and 'stay away from
him' had been spray painted on the wall. Trent was unaware of the other things
that had been going on, he was just having a casual conversation with a friend.
He was as puzzled as everyone else about what could be happening and why. They
narrowed their search down to cases that Trent and Carlos had assisted in
investigating that involved HOPE House, Alex and Sydney.
Two days later, they were no closer to an answer. Walker and Alex were
meeting Trivette and Darlene for dinner and had invited Kim and Phil to join
them as well. When Alex asked him how things were going, Jimmy told her that
Darlene was still trying to get him to move their relationship to the next
level. He was having trouble being alone with her and had taken to seeing her
only in public places. He didn't share the details with Alex, but Darlene
seemed insistent on getting him to bed. He wasn't certain if she was just
trying to prove something to herself or if she really felt the need to express
herself in a physical way. Until he was certain, Jimmy had put the brakes on.
The three couples met at an exclusive French restaurant that was known
for great food and a sophisticated ambience. Kim shared a story about how she
and Phil had gone out to dinner last weekend, but when their meals came, they
were full of slivers of glass. Walker and Trivette exchanged looks and filled
the couple in on what had happened to their other friends recently. Darlene was
the one who pieced together the connection. "All of the people who have
been targeted were at Jimmy's birthday party," she said. "You're
right. We've all been concentrating on our work lives, what if it has something
to do with our personal lives?" Alex suggested. "Darlene would notice
that the people who have all been injured in some way were at my party, because
that's where she met several of you. The rest of us must just be too close to
see the connection," Jimmy observed. "The only ones who were there
who haven't been targeted are you, Gage, Darlene, and myself" Walker told
Jimmy. "Maybe Darlene should come and stay at the ranch until we figure
out who's behind this." Alex was concerned that Darlene wouldn't be able
to defend herself against an attack. Frankly, she wanted to invite Jimmy to
stay as well, but knew he wouldn't accept. Darlene declined the invitation,
insisting that she felt safe at her apartment.
Later that night when Jimmy took Darlene up to her apartment, she again
asked Jimmy to stay with her. He was tempted, he offered to stay on the couch
if she was nervous staying alone, but she declined. In fact, she seemed angry,
almost in a rage, but she got herself back under control and saw Jimmy out.
The woman watched Trivette leave Darlene's apartment, and grinned to
herself. Obviously Darlene was not a threat to her. What was wrong with the
woman that she couldn't get a good-looking healthy male like Ranger James
Trivette to stay the night? Whatever, it wasn't her concern, she had others who
were getting in her way and they had to be eliminated. She planned to warn
Ranger Gage tonight. He would be sure to get her message. She took out the
photo album that she had been putting together. Each picture was of James. She
had been following him and taking his picture for weeks now. He was completely
unaware that she had been close to him so many times. She flipped through the
pages gazing at each picture. Her anger started to grow, as she looked for
pictures of James alone. There seemed to always be someone else in the photo.
Usually it was Ranger Cordell Walker. He consumed far too much of James' time.
She had warned the others, but Ranger Walker was going to have to be taught a
permanent lesson. She would have to plan very carefully to eliminate him from
the picture all together. Had she been a rational woman, she would have known
that following James and his partner would inevitably cause her to
inadvertently take pictures of Walker. She wasn't a rational woman.
Chapter 8
The next morning Gage left his apartment and headed down to where he
parked his prized possession, his Classic Ford Mustang Convertible. Walker had
called him last night and filled him in on the latest theory about who was
included on the list of persons the unknown perpetrator was targeting. He was
on the short list and Walker wanted him to use extreme caution at all times. He
planned to do a thorough examination of his car before he started it. As he
rounded the corner and saw his Mustang, it was obvious that a thorough
investigation was not going to be necessary. His beautiful car had been
vandalized. The upholstery had been slashed and the words 'Stay away from him'
had been spray painted on both sides of the car. 'He's mine' was painted on the
hood and trunk. Gage called headquarters and informed the others of what had
happened. A crime scene team was sent out to try and get evidence. The only
thing they found was a packet of the same drug used on Sydney stashed in his
glove compartment. He arranged to have his car towed to a body shop and Sydney
took him on in to work.
At Ranger Company B Headquarters nine people sat around a conference
table discussing recent events. There was a grease board in the front of the
room and on it was written all the guests at Jimmy's birthday party at the
Walker's Ranch. Beside each name was the crime that had been committed against
them. There were obvious links between the crimes and there were only three
names with nothing written next to them. "Well," Trent began,
"it's reasonable to assume that one of the people who hasn't had something
done to them is our suspect." "That makes no sense, we know that Walker
and Trivette aren't guilty," Kim stated. "Thanks for the vote of
confidence," Walker joked. "I'm sure Darlene isn't behind this, she
just doesn't have it in her," Trivette stated. "No, I agree. She's a
victim, she's not the vindictive type," Alex added. "Well if this was
a crime novel, I would say that someone on the list who has been victimized did
so to throw us off," Phil suggested. "But this is real life and we
all know each other too well to even go there," Sydney finished. "Maybe
we need to figure out who the 'him' we're supposed to stay away from is,"
Carlos suggested. "Well, Walker and Trivette are the two obvious ones
since they haven't been targeted yet," Gage proposed. "The fact that
Alex was at the head of the list suggests that it's probably Walker," Kim
said. "But I wasn't the 'head' of the list. If we assume the baseball at
the HOPE Center was meant to warn Josie off, then she was the first," Alex
rebutted. "I'm getting dizzy, we seem to just go 'round in circles,"
Phil stated. The others all nodded in agreement. The round table discussion
continued, with no one coming up with anything conclusive. The consensus was
that Walker and Trivette needed to be extra careful and since Darlene refused
to move out to the ranch, Trent and Carlos were assigned to guard her apartment
building when Trivette wasn't there. The group broke up and got on with the
business of the day.
Trivette and Walker had gotten a call to follow up a possible lead in
the Frank Boyd case. One of his known associates was spotted at a bank trying
to get into a safety deposit box. Alex, who confronted the DA about her recent
caseload, was assigned the case. The DA tried to argue with her, but she wasn't
his top trial lawyer for nothing. He was afraid that Walker would be upset,
this was exactly the kind of high profile case Walker had asked him to not
assign her. He needn't have worried though; Alex had taken care of Walker. She
told him that she didn't think she would be in the mood to make love until she
got a case that challenged her. Walker wasn't sure if she was bluffing, but
decided not to risk it. Alex loved her job and she was good at it. It was naive
of him to think he could protect her from the uglier side of it. That would be
like her making sure he was assigned to parking violations. Alex had gotten a
judge to sign the search warrant to open the safety deposit box and Walker and
Trivette had gone out to find if there was money stashed in it. When they got
there, they found that instead of cash, there was over two hundred thousand
dollars worth of stolen jewelry.
As they walked out of the bank, they nearly ran directly into Darlene.
She was wandering with a vacant look in her eyes and it was several moments
before she focused and realized who was standing in front of her. Walker
continued on with the evidence to the Ram and let Trivette speak to her in
private. "Darlene are you all right?" "Mmm...Oh yes I'm
fine." "What are you doing here?" Darlene looked puzzled and
then defiant and finally resigned. "I applied for a job a couple blocks
from here and then I just decided to go for a walk." "You shouldn't
be out alone. I'm worried for you. I asked Trent and Carlos to help keep an eye
out when I'm not around. They must have arrived after you left." Darlene
looked decidedly angry now. "You assigned someone to spy on me? You're
sounding more like my stepfather everyday." Jimmy was taken aback. Darlene
had never been so forthright and angry. "They aren't spying on you.
Darlene there is someone out there hurting the people I care about and that
could very well include you." "You mean I may be included in the list
of people you care about?" "You know that isn't what I meant. I do
care about you and I don't want you to be a target." "You forget
Jimmy. The world I come from. I can take care of myself. I survived much worse
than a baseball through a window and glass shards in my dinner." "I
know that. But I want that to change. I don't want you to have to look over
your shoulder when you go for a walk. I want you to feel safe and to be
safe." Darlene released a pent up breath. "I'm sorry Jimmy. You're
right. I shouldn't have snapped. I'll walk back to my car and go straight
home." "Why don't I get Walker to give you a lift?" "No,
thanks. I want to walk. I don't like to be cooped up in my apartment all
day." "Is that why you're out job hunting? I thought we decided that
there was plenty of time for that." "I know. I just feel that I've
had my life on hold for long enough, I want to start fresh." Jimmy nodded
in understanding and then gave her a quick hug and watched her walk back the
way she had come.
"Everything all right?" Walker asked as he got into the cab of
the Ram. "I don't know. That was a very odd conversation. The closer I get
to Darlene, the more I think Alex and Josie are right. She needs help. More
help than I could ever hope to give her." Trivette had finally spoken the
words aloud. Walker understood that it was a difficult admission to make. It
was nice to live in a fantasy world where good intentions could fix everything.
Unfortunately, reality had a way of butting in. On the way to log in the
evidence, Trivette phoned Trent who was at Darlene's apartment complex and
filled him in. He asked him to give him a call when she had arrived and to keep
out of sight, as he didn't want to give her a reason to get angry again.
That evening as Walker headed home, he got a call from dispatch. The
message was that a woman had called and sounded distressed. She had stated that
Trivette was in trouble and needed him to come to 9547 Caballo St. Walker told
dispatch that he was on his way. As he turned around and headed toward the
address given, he pondered the possibilities. Trivette may very well be in
trouble and he might be the one the person was focusing on. On the other hand,
it might be a set up and Walker may be the target. He would proceed with
caution, but if it was a set up, it was a clever one. The person behind it must
know that Walker would never take the chance of leaving his partner hanging. As
Walker neared the address, he slowed and surveyed the area. It was a planned
residential neighborhood that had seen hard times. The houses had been built
just prior to the recession and hadn't sold. The builder had filed bankruptcy
and the landscaping had never been completed. The people who had finally moved
in had bought the houses at rock bottom prices. There was gang graffiti evident
on several houses, abandoned cars parked in yards and a feeling that everyone
here had just given up any attempt of making things better.
He parked his Ram outside of the address given. The house was in total
darkness and there weren't any cars parked in the driveway. Walker's Cherokee
blood came to the fore and he felt the prickle at the nape of his neck that
acted as an early warning device. Danger! Walker went around the house and
tried looking into the windows. The rooms were mostly empty with a few
mattresses here and there. A flophouse or a crack house he surmised. Either
way, it was empty and abandoned. He entered the house through the rear with his
gun drawn. Suddenly, a blazing light blinded him and he ducked and rolled
instinctively. A gunshot sounded and a bullet entered the door behind where he
had just stood. Walker rolled out of the light and behind a washroom sink. The light
had been switched back off and he was again plunged into complete darkness. He
saw nothing but spots before his eyes, so he closed them and relied on his
other senses. Footsteps retreated. They sounded light, the gunman was either a
slight built man or a woman. Walker followed the sound, still in a crouched
position. He gauged where the person was standing and came at them in a low
rolling tackle, knocking the person onto their back. Walker disarmed the person
and reached to turn on an overhead light. What he saw left him speechless.
Darlene lay there glaring up at him with venomous hatred. She was
dressed differently than her usual conservative attire. She wore form fitting
black leather pants and a scoop-necked red satin blouse. Her face, especially
her eyes, showed the most dramatic difference. "Darlene?" Walker
questioned, still trying to process what he saw. "Don't call me
that!" the woman spat at him. "Darlene is a victim. A scared brown
mouse who couldn't stand up for herself if her life depended on it. I'm
Darla." Walker quickly processed the information. "Well Darla, you're
under arrest for attempted homicide. I have a feeling there will be several
more charges to add." Walker heard backup in the form of Gage and Sydney
arrive. They looked as stunned as Walker felt, but were professional enough to
keep their questions to themselves. Walker handed over Darla/Darlene to them
and went out to his truck. He managed to reach Trivette and Alex and asked them
to meet him back at headquarters. There was a call from Carlos stating that
Darlene had somehow slipped past him and he wasn't able to find her. Walker
told him that she was with him and told him not to worry, that his assignment
was over and he would fill him in the next day.
It was more like a week before they had pieced together the entire
story. The psychiatrist, who had examined Darlene to determine if she was able
to stand trial, filled them in on the missing gaps. "Darlene lived a
sheltered life until Mike Leeds entered it. Unfortunately, her mother died
before realizing the type of man she had married. Darlene had been thrown into
a world she didn't understand and couldn't handle. The persona of Darla was a
defense mechanism her mind created to deal with the chaos her life had become.
True Multiple Personality Disorder is extremely rare, but Darlene and Darla are
two distinct personalities. There may be others, but I haven't discovered them
as yet." "So this isn't a result of her arrest, her sister's suicide
and the subsequent trial?" Alex asked. "No, this happened long before
any of you met Darlene. In fact, I would say that the Darlene persona was much
more in control during all that happened after her arrest. She didn't need
Darla as much. She was the victim and you all recognized that and gave her what
she needed to stay in control. But Darla had been the dominant personality for
too long and tried to reassert control. Based on some of the things Trivette
said, I would say that she had broken through a few times, but you didn't recognize
her, because you had no way of knowing she existed. She was the one who was
overcome by jealousy of anyone who took Trivette's time away from her. She was
even jealous of Darlene, but because Trivette kept the relationship platonic,
she didn't feel threatened and wasn't forced to act on it. The photo album we
found shows that she stalked Trivette for weeks. The second wardrobe of
lingerie and suggestive clothing found in Darlene's apartment all belonged to
Darla. Darlene was unaware that she existed. She blacked out and then made up
stories to cover her lapses in memory. "Like the time we bumped into her
coming out of the bank. She said that she had been job hunting," Trivette
said. "Yes, Darla realized that she was about to be caught, so she let
Darlene take over because she had years of experience covering for memory
lapses." The group of friends who listened to the explanations were all
stunned by the information. "Where did she get the drugs and the
gun?" Sydney questioned. "Darla undoubtedly had connections. There
are people that she knows that Darlene has no knowledge of. Part of the reason
the information Darlene was able to give you was so sketchy was that she
sincerely had gaps in her knowledge of the seedier side of her life."
"So she isn't responsible for the things she did," Gage said.
"No, she is legally insane. Pursuing any charges is fruitless. She belongs
in a psychiatric ward where she can get the professional help she so
desperately needs." Alex nodded in agreement, "I'll see to it."
After the debriefing, the group all exited the conference room not speaking,
just absorbing the shocking news.
Walker and Trivette were again traveling on a two-lane road through the badlands. This time they were headed down to the border crossing to pick up two armed robbery suspects who had been captured by the border patrol while trying to flee into Mexico. It had been several days since they had learned about the two personalities that inhabited one body. Trivette had been quiet and nothing any of the friends said or did had been able to make a difference. Alex had spoken to Walker before he and Trivette left and made him promise to try and get their friend to talk about what had happened. Walker had aborted several earlier attempts, but was determined to stick to his guns this time. "Trivette, remember when you asked me when I knew that Alex was 'the one?'" "Yeah." "Well there's something I didn't tell you." Trivette came out of his morose fog and looked at Walker. "What?" "You remember that singer who came to town, her ex-husband was abusive and wouldn't leave her or their daughter alone?" Trivette thought back and then recalled Walker had fallen hard for the woman. It was the only time he'd seen Walker show interest in any woman other than Alex. "Yeah, I remember. What was her name? Mary?" "Marilee." "Marilee, yeah I remember, she was a looker and boy could she sing." "Yeah, but that's not what attracted me to her. I'd been getting closer and closer to Alex, a stubborn, independent woman who didn't need anyone." "Are you kidding? Alex has always needed you." "No Trivette, she didn't then and she doesn't now. We love each other and neither one of us can imagine life without the other. But Alex is a survivor; she's able to take care of herself. When she lets me take care of her, it's a privilege not a necessity. Marilee wasn't like that. She needed someone to solve her problems for her. Looking back, that's what attracted me. I enjoyed being the knight in shining armor. It made me feel good to be that needed by someone. It was a hollow feeling though. When Marilee left, I was sad that what could have been wasn't going to be, but I was also relieved. I needed a stubborn, independent woman who could stand up to me, lean on me when she needed, but also be there to support me when I needed her." "Alex" "Alex," Walker agreed. "She is everything to me. I don't ever doubt that we will be together always. I am absolutely certain that we were made to compliment each other. She's soft where I'm hard and I'm strong where she's weak. The reverse is also true. We butt heads because we both have opinions and we're willing to defend them, but we also know that there isn't anything more important than our relationship. We just fit together like two puzzle pieces." "Is this supposed to make me feel better?" Jimmy asked. Walker chuckled, "you had already admitted that you couldn't fix what was wrong with Darlene, even before we knew the extent of the damage. You questioned the relationship from beginning to end. It wasn't right; she wasn't 'the one.' I know it's little comfort now, but there is someone out there and when you meet her, you'll know it and you'll be glad you didn't settle for being someone's 'white knight'." Walker looked over at his black partner and his face split into a grin. It was an infectious grin and Trivette answered it with one of his own. "Figuratively speaking," Walker clarified. "That type of relationship is great, but for such a brief period of time. A true lasting relationship is one built on a partnership." Trivette mulled over what Walker had said and truthfully, he acknowledged, he was right. He was sad that Darlene was as broken as she was, but he realized, he wasn't truly in love with her. Not the ever after type of love he saw in both Alex's and Walker's eyes every time the other walked into the room. "How'd you get so smart about this stuff?" Trivette asked. "I had a great teacher and she's at home right now waiting for me to get back to find out if I carried out her orders and had a heart to heart talk with you." Trivette actually laughed this time, he could just imagine Alex greeting Walker with a kiss and then grilling him. Trivette pulled out his cell phone and dialed Alex at the ranch. "He did as ordered and I feel better," was all Trivette said. "He's learning," she answered. "Tell him I love him and bring him home to me safe and soon." "We'll do," Jimmy promised and then hung up. He relayed the message and then the two Rangers turned their attention to the job at hand.