Summary: A student from the "Dallas School for the Deaf" is kidnapped.

Disclaimer: The following story is based on the characters of the TV Series "Walker, Texas Ranger". The characters belong to CBS Productions, Top Kick Productions, etc., but the story is mine. ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. (No copyright infringement is intended.)

"This is going to be like taking candy from a baby." Sandra said as she and Brian followed their new found prey out of the 'Dallas School for the Deaf'.

"You're sure about the money?" Brian asked.

"Oh yeah. I checked his bank account personally."

"How'd you get the information?"

"He had to fill out the papers when he admitted his son."

"How old's the kid?"

"He's ten. Lost his hearing in an accident recently."

"When do you want to do it?"

"Tonight."

****

Trivette squirmed at his desk. "Trivette, what's up with you this morning?" Gage asked, noticing Trivette's fidgeting.

"Nothing." He replied hastily.

"You act like you have ants in your pants." Sydney chimed in.

Trivette stood. "If you must know, I let Erica do my laundry and I think I'm allergic to her detergent."

"Um. Erica did your laundry." Gage commented.

"Yeah, she did my laundry, so? I'll be you and Sydney to your laundry together."

Sydney stared at Gage for a minute. "No way!"

"Oh, come on, you two have been living together for months now. You expect me to believe that you don't do your laundry together."

Sydney and Gage looked at each other, shaking their heads. "No, we don't." They replied in unison.

Trivette stomped off shaking his head. When he reached his desk, he turned to them. "OK, I'll bite, why don't you do your laundry together?"

"She likes more starch that I do." Gage laughed.

Trivette's phone rang, interrupting the conversation. "Hi Walker. Yes, they're right here. Ok, we'll see you in a few minutes."

He hung up the phone. "Hey guys. Hold off on lunch. Walker's on his way in and he needs to see all of us."

*****

Walker met with the other three Rangers when he arrived. "We've got a kidnapping."

"Who?" Sydney asked.

"A ten-year old boy, Daniel Davis. His father had just enrolled him in the Dallas School for the Deaf."

"Is it an inside job?" Gage asked as he unconsciously tugged at his right ear.

"It looks that way. The parents have been contacted and the kidnappers are requesting $250,000.00 by the end of the week or they'll kill Daniel.

It was now Gage's turn to fidget in his seat. "So, how did we get involved?"

"We have the means and the people to pull off an effective sting operation." Walker stared at Gage. "I know this makes you uncomfortable Gage and I'm sorry, but I believe that everything happens for a reason and maybe your losing your hearing earlier this year was to prepare you for this case."

Gage nodded his head. "What do you want me to do?"

"The extortionist has to be on the inside. We're going to have to fake another accident and have it appear that you've lost your hearing again and aren't dealing with it too well."

"That shouldn't be too hard." Gage said sarcastically.

"It may be harder than you think. You'll have to block out all sounds and not react to anything you hear." Walker replied.

Gage nodded. "I understand all of that Walker. I've been there, remember?" He stood up. "Is there anything else right now?"

Walker shook his head. "No. I'll get with you and Sydney a little later and we'll stage your accident."

"We don't have to do that." Gage said flatly.

"We need to have a concrete reason for you being there."

"I know." He got up and walked out.

"Sydney, what's up with him?" Walker asked with concern.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." She left the room, following Gage.

"Hey! What's wrong?" She asked as she found him standing out in the hallway, against the wall.

He shook his head slightly and smiled at her. "Nothing. I just, I . . "

"You don't have to do this, you know."

"Yes I do. That kid is missing and no one knows who took him." He put his arm around her shoulders. "Let's go get some lunch."

"OK. I'll just be a minute." Sydney came back into the office and grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair.

"Where are you going?" Trivette asked.

"Gage and I are going to grab some lunch."

*****

Daniel sat in the corner of a small room, rocking back and forth. He was blindfolded and his small hands were tied in front of him. He was crying softly.

"Can't you shut that kid up!" Brian yelled at Sandra.

"Stop and imagine how scared he is. He can't hear and he can't see with that blindfold on."

"Well, it's probably for the best. At least he won't be able to recognize us when we let him go." Brian scoffed.

"Brian, don't be so naïve. We can't let him go." Sandra replied.

"Why? You just said that he can't see us and he can't hear us."

"But he has seen me at the school and he knows I was the last one with him before he blacked out. He can identify me."

"Sandra."

"Enough. I don't want to talk about it any more. We should have the money by Friday night and we'll decide then what to do with him."

*****

"Gage!" Sydney yelled, finally tapping his arm to get his attention.

"Sorry. What?"

Her eyes softened. "Talk to me."

"About what?"

"About whatever's bothering you."

"What makes you think something's bothering me?"

"Francis, don't start that with me."

He turned back to his lunch, without answering her question.

*****

Trivette met Walker halfway across the room. "Walker, I just got the background check on all of the employees at the 'Dallas School for the Deaf'. Do you want to take a look at them with me?"

"Sure. Let's spread them out here." He cleared a spot on his desk.

They were still reviewing the records when the slamming of the office door drew their attention to Gage.

"What?" He asked.

"A little easier on the door, please." Trivette said as he turned back to the task at hand.

Gage shook his head as he went to his desk. "What was that all about?" Sydney asked.

"What was what all about?" He asked innocently.

"Why did you slam the door?"

"I didn't. I guess it slipped out of my hand."

Gage's back was facing Walker and Trivette. "Gage, do you and Sydney want to join us over here?" Sydney got up and headed towards Walker's desk.

"Gage!" Trivette shouted and then threw a pencil at him, hitting him on the arm.

"What?"

"Do you want to join us?"

"Oh, sorry. I was working on this report and . . ."

"Gage, just get over here." Sydney rolled her eyes.

The four of them reviewed all of the files. Gage laid the ones he didn't recognize in a separate pile. "I'll double check these at home, if that's ok."

"That's fine." Walker said. "Gage, can I talk to you for a minute, in private."

"Sure."

They entered one of the interrogation rooms and closed the door. "Alright, what's going on with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Drop the act. I know you didn't hear me earlier when your back was facing me. What's going on?"

Gage's head slightly dropped. "I have an ear infection.”

"How bad?"

"Dr. Allen doesn't know yet. I saw him yesterday for a follow up."

"I thought your follow-up visit for the surgery wasn't for another three months."

"It wasn't, but my ear was beginning to hurt, so I had him move it up. He said everything looked really good, except for the ear infection. I'm taking antibiotics for it and he's hoping that will clear it up."

"If it doesn't?"

"If it doesn't, I'll be permanently deaf in my right ear within a couple of months."

"Why didn't you or Sydney say anything?"

"Syd doesn't know and Walker, I'd like to keep it that way."

"We'll have to re-think this case. I’m not putting you in there if there's even the slightest chance of further damage."

"I'll be safer in there than anywhere else. It's like you said, everything happens for a reason."

"I didn't know about this when I said that."

"It's true though, isn't it?" He looked up at Walker.

"You have to tell Sydney."

"I'm not ready to tell her yet. Walker, I love her, but I won't be a burden to her and if I lose my hearing, even in just one ear. . ."

"I know what you're saying, but it isn't fair to put her in a situation without knowing all of the facts. If you go in undercover, you're on the job and she needs to know what you know."

"I'll think about it."

*****

"Trivette, you and I are going to meet with the Davis' and see if we can turn up anything else. Gage, you and Sydney go home. You need to get your things together and let me know in the morning how you want to play this."

"Thanks Walker."

"What does he mean let him know how you want to play this? I thought we were going to stage an accident."

"Come on Syd, let's go home. I'll tell you all about it there."

Following a very quiet ride home, Gage unlocked the apartment door and Sydney immediately pelted him again with questions. "Gage, what's bothering you? You haven't been yourself for days and I'm beginning to get worried. Please tell me what's going on."

"I will."

"You said that we didn't need to stage an accident to get you into the facility. Why?"

He stared at her lovingly for a moment. "Syd, I have a pretty severe infection in my right ear. I went to see Dr. Allen yesterday."

"And?" She asked. Gage could hear the worry in her voice.

"I'm taking antibiotics to hopefully clear it up, but for now, I can't hear out of it at all."

"So, you couldn't hear me at lunch today." He shook his head. "You said 'hopefully the antibiotics would clear up the infection'. If they don't?"

"There's nothing else Dr. Allen can do. The surgery was experimental and they don't know about long term results."

"You mean you could permanently lose your hearing in your right ear?"

He nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I couldn't. I was hoping it would just clear up and you wouldn't notice, but instead if progressively got worse."

Sydney looked hurt. "I thought we were best friends. I thought we could talk to each other about anything."

He stroked her cheek. "I'm sorry. I just didn't want to worry you."

She smiled slightly. "What now? Is Walker going to keep you on the case?"

He nodded. "Yes. I convinced him that the 'Dallas School for the Deaf' was probably the safest place for me to be."

"So what about a cover story?"

"We don't need one. I'll go in as myself and let them know about the ear infection, but maybe exaggerate it to being in both ears. That way I can still have access to my meds. If you'll come to the school to keep me company, like you did last time, we'll both be able to snoop around."

"Umm. That's a toughie. I don't know if I can find time to visit you or not." She laughed.

Gage smiled. "You'd better. Just promise me that you'll smack me if I start to treat you the way I did last time. It just kills me that I was so hateful to you after all you'd done for me."

"You were angry and scared. You had every right to lash out."

"Yeah, but not at you."

He put his arms around her. "Just promise me that you won't let me talk to you like that again." He paused. "Unless it enhances our cover."

"You've got it. If you'll promise me that the next time something's bothering you, even if you know it will make me worry, you'll talk to me."

"It's a deal, shorty."

"So, when do you leave?"

"Probably tomorrow afternoon. Walker won't want to risk tipping any of the school personnel off by calling them, so we'll go in on our own."

"Mmm. If you go in tomorrow, I'll be in bed alone tomorrow night." She slid her hand from his shoulder down his chest and began to remove his belt.

"Go on. I'll be right there." Sydney went ahead into the bedroom. As soon as she was out of sight, Gage put his hand up to his ear again.

*****

Sandra brought Daniel's food to him. She lightly touched his lips with her finger and let him smell the food and then brought the spoon to his lips. He gratefully ate the soup and when he was finished, he drank a full cup of water. "Thank you." He said quietly.

Sandra touched his shoulder lightly and then returned to the other room where Brian sat drinking a beer. "Why did you give them a week to get the money? I hate this sitting and waiting. We could be in the Caribbean right now, soaking up the sun."

"Patience, my love." She straddled his legs and then forced her mouth down on his.

*****

"Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Davis. Please let us know if you think of anything else that might help us find Daniel." Trivette stated as he and Walker left the Davis' home.

"Well. What do you think, partner?" He asked Walker as they climbed back into the RAM.

Walker shook his head. "It has to be an inside job. Whoever took Daniel had to know about the Davis' financial situation and had to know that Mr. Davis was about to inherit some money. He said he had only told a handful of people and all of them were connected to financial situations, one being the 'Dallas School for the Deaf'.

"When does Gage go in?"

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"What kind of accident is he going to have?"

"He's not. His right ear is infected and he can't hear out of it."

"That should work." Trivette responded, thinking Walker had just come up with a feasible cover story.

Walker looked at him for a moment. "I'm not making that up. He told me earlier. He has a severe ear infection. His doctor has him on antibiotics and hopes that will clear it up."

"And if it doesn't?"

"He'll be deaf in his right ear. Permanently."

Trivette's mouth dropped slightly. "Does Sydney know?"

"Not as of this morning. I tried to convince Gage that he needed to tell her, especially with them going into this situation."

"Do you think he will?"

"I hope so."

"Man." Trivette shook his head in disbelief. "What else is going to happen to him this year?"

"Don't even ask that, Trivette. It's like inviting trouble."

*****

The following morning, Walker and Trivette were at work before anyone else. "Have you heard from Sydney or Gage this morning?" Trivette asked, looking at his watch.

"No, I haven't."

Just then, they entered the office, laughing. "Sorry we're late. Traffic was something this morning."

Walker stared at Gage for a moment. Something in his stare prompted Gage to speak. "She knows everything." He nodded towards Walker.

"Good. I told Trivette yesterday."

"Good. Now that everybody knows, I guess it's time Syd took me back to the 'Dallas School for the Deaf'. Did you two find out anything useful yesterday from the Davis'?"

"Mr. Davis will be inheriting a small amount of money soon and he's only disclosed that information to a small amount of people, all connected to financial situations." Walker stated.

"The 'Dallas School for the Deaf' was one of them." Trivette finished.

"So it has to be someone on the inside with clearance to view the financial records of the student’s families." Sydney noted.

"Exactly. Now the two of you just need to get in and find out who has access to those records."

"OK. Are we ready Gage?" Sydney asked as they all turned to Gage who had his eyes squinted shut and was once again pressing his hand to his right ear.

Sydney put her hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're up for this?"

He nodded, but Walker and Trivette both noted the pain on his face.

"Let's go." He said as he tried to ignore the pain in his ear. Looking back at Walker and Trivette, Sydney shrugged her shoulders and the two of them left.

"Do you think he's going to be alright?" Trivette asked.

"I hope so. He's sure not going to have to fake the pain of an earache."

Walker replied.

*****

Gage stood still for a moment on the steps of the 'Dallas School for the Deaf' before he let Sydney take his hand and walk inside.

"Good morning, Ranger Gage and Ranger Cooke." Ms. Hamilton greeted them as they entered. "Ranger Gage. It's good to see you. I wish it were under better circumstances." She signed as she spoke.

"I'm sorry we're late." Sydney replied, also signing as she spoke.

"You're fine." Ms. Hamilton responded. "Let's get you settled." She looked at Gage.

"Thank you." He replied, both audibly and in sign language.

When they entered Gage's room, Ms. Hamilton once again turned to them. "I was very sorry to learn about your ear infections. How are you feeling?"

"My ears hurt. Thanks for asking." Gage signed.

"Why don't I leave you to get settled. Let me know if you need anything. Dinner's at 6:00 and Ranger Cooke, you're welcome to stay as late as 9:00 tonight."

"Thank you." Sydney signed as Ms. Hamilton left.

Gage closed his eyes tightly and covered his right ear with his hand.

"That bad uh?" Sydney said as she noticed his movement.

He nodded. "See if you can find my pills please."

She rummaged through his bag until she produced the bottle of pills. "Here." She handed him one and poured him a glass of water.

"Grab the phone directory and let’s see if we can match these files to their names and departments." Gage suggested.

They both lay across the bed, comparing the names they had to the directory.

An hour and a half later, Gage had fallen asleep across the file he was reviewing. "Honey." Sydney nudged him. He quickly turned, startled by her touch. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." She signed as she spoke. "Why don't you grab a pillow and get comfortable?"

"Syd, you don't have to sign all of the time. I can still hear out of my left ear."

"Yes, I know." She signed, "But if I don't sign all of the time, I'm afraid that I'll forget and just talk to you when someone is around."

"OK, point taken." He signed back as they both lie back on the pillows and fell asleep.

Gage woke near 6:00 p.m. and found Sydney sitting at the small desk going over the files. She turned towards him as she heard him wake. "What time is it?" He asked.

"Almost 6:00."

He put his hand on her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "What are you doing?"

"I've found a couple of discrepancies on two of the personnel."

"Who?” He asked as he joined her at the desk.

"Michael Brentwood is listed as a P.E. Teacher in the files, but as an administrator in the directory."

"Maybe his position changed."

"Maybe, but it's worth looking into."

"Who else?"

"Sandra Evans. The files list her as a Secretary to the Admissions Director, but the directory lists her as an Admissions Assistant."

"Still could just be a position change."

Sydney nodded. "I know, but so far, it's all we have to go on."

"We'd better get down to dinner." Gage signed.

"OK."

*****

"Walker, it's 6:00, did you expect to hear from Sydney and Gage tonight?" Trivette asked.

"I had hoped I would, but I didn't really expect it. They won't even have a chance to look at anything until tomorrow."

"How late can Sydney stay?"

"9:00 I think. She might call Alex tonight to let us know how things went."

"Let me know if you hear from her, OK. I'm a little worried about Gage." Trivette replied.

"Me too."

*****

"Ranger Gage, Ranger Cooke." Ms. Hamilton signed as she approached them when leaving the cafeteria. "Are you all settled in?" She directed to Gage.

"Yes ma'am." He signed.

"Good. I'll see you in class in the morning. You should still remember most of your signing and we can focus more on your acceptance of your disability in place of learning how to communicate."

He stared at Ms. Hamilton for a moment. "I will hear again." He replied in a defiant tone.

"But if you don't, you need to learn to compensate for your loss."

Something in his stare, made her back away. "Why don't you go rest for now. We'll talk about this in the morning."

"Syd, I hate lying to her." He signed when he was certain that no one else was around. "She was a tremendous help to me when I was here before and I would really like to clue her in on why we're here."

They entered Gage's room. "I don't have a problem with that, if you're sure she's not involved."

"Ms. Hamilton? No way!"

"OK. How about I meet you here at 8:00 in the morning, before your first class and we'll talk to her together?"

Gage smiled. "That'll work."

"In the meantime, I want to do a criminal background check on Michael Brentwood and Sandra Evans."

"It's late. You're planning to go back to the office?"

"I have to. Something about the name Sandra Evans is clicking with me, but I don't know why."

Gage put his arms around her waist, brought her close and kissed her. "Do you really have to go now?"

"Gage, we're not in college and I won't be caught in your dorm room as an overnight guest. Yes, I do have to go now." She kissed him again. "You'll be OK, won't you?"

He smiled as he nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

"OK. I'll see you in the morning." She signed as she stood in the doorway.

"I love you, Syd." Gage signed.

"I love you too." She signed back.

*****

Sydney entered the quiet office and went straight to her desk. She clicked the computer on and was taken off guard when her phone rang. "Ranger Cooke." She answered.

"Sydney. I thought I might find you there. Did you two have time to check on anything?" Trivette asked.

"As a matter of fact, we did. We compared the files to the school phone directory and found two discrepancies. I thought I'd come back here and run them."

"Anyone I might know?"

"Michael Brentwood and Sandra Evans."

Trivette shook his head. "Michael Brentwood doesn't ring any bells, but Sandra Evans. That name sound familiar. Do you want some help tonight?" He offered.

"Well, I can't imagine Erica would like the thought of you burning the midnight oil."

"Ah, but Erica is out of town for the next two days."

"Sure. I could use the company."

"Good. I'll be right over."

Trivette called Walker before he left his house and told him what Gage and Sydney had found out and that he and Sydney would run the names tonight and see if either had criminal backgrounds.

"Let me know if you come up with anything."

"Will do." Trivette replied and then hung up.

*****

Gage really wasn't sleepy, but he really didn't want to go to the 'main room' either. He didn't want to have to talk to anyone or to have to face anyone right now. His thoughts should have been on the case, but he seemed to drift to his own problems.

"What if this infection doesn't clear up?" He thought. "What if I do lose my hearing permanently in my right ear?" He lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "I don't want to be a burden to Syd, but I don't want to lose her either." He sighed, heavily. "God, what am I going to do?"

Finally he fell into a fitful sleep.

*****

Trivette entered the office and found Sydney sitting at her desk, staring at the computer screen. "Here, you go. A large Cappuccino for you and a double Latte for me." He sat the cup in front of her.

"Thank you." She replied, graciously.

"Any luck?"

"Michael Brentwood has no record, not that I can find anyway."

"How about the other one, Sandra Evans?"

"I'm waiting for her files to process. It's taking a while, so either she has a record or we have a computer problem." She smiled up at Trivette.

"We do not have a computer problem! I'm sure of that!" He stated defensively.

"My guess is she has a record."

As soon as Sydney finished her sentence, the computer screen moved with a flurry of activity. Sydney whistled as a lengthy record came into view.

"Wow! With a record like this, how did she get a job at a school?" Trivette commented as he read the charges and convictions.

"They're short staffed and probably didn't do a thorough back-ground check." Sydney replied.

"There it is." Trivette pointed at two consecutive charges. "She was acquitted on kidnapping charges in June of '97 in Waco."

"Why was she acquitted?"

"Lack of evidence."

"Can you access the actual court records? Or the transcripts of the trial?"

"Probably. It'll take a while, but I should be able to do it."

"We need them and I don't think we have time to wait for Alex to get an official subpoena for them."

"I'll get with Gage in the morning. We've decided that we're going to let Ms. Hamilton know what's going on. Gage said he can't stand lying to her."

"He's not exactly lying. He does have an ear infection."

"Yes, but not in both ears and he's not completely deaf like he was last time."

"Can he trust her?"

Sydney nodded. "Yes and she may be able to tell us how Sandra Evans was hired and how she moved into an administrative position so quickly."

*****

Sydney knocked on Gage's door at 7:55 the following morning. He opened the door to find her smiling at him.

"Hey Syd."

"Good morning. Are you ready to meet with Ms. Hamilton?"

"Give me just a minute." He stepped into the bathroom and ran his fingers through his hair one more time. "OK. Let's see if she's available."

Sydney knocked on the office door. Ms. Hamilton answered on the first knock. "Ranger Cooke, Ranger Gage, what a surprise." She signed.

"Can we speak with you for a moment?" Sydney signed.

"Certainly."

Gage and Sydney both sat down in front of Ms. Hamilton's desk. "Ms. Hamilton, I don't feel right not telling you exactly why we're here." Gage started.

She stared at him for a moment, stunned that he wasn't signing. "Either you're reading lips extremely well, or you can hear." Her expression changed from its usual softness to one of betrayal.

"I'm sorry. You're right. I can hear, well, not entirely. I do have an ear infection and I can't hear out of my right ear, but I can hear fine out of my left one."

"Why the deception, Ranger Gage?"

"We're investigating the kidnapping of Daniel Davis and we're pretty sure someone here at the school is responsible or at the very least involved." Sydney responded.

"That's not possible. All of our personnel are put through a very rigid background search before they're hired."

"Is it possible that a few slipped past that background search?" Gage asked.

Ms. Hamilton thought for a moment. "Well, I know one of the new Administrative Assistants was hired on pretty quickly and I can't imagine that the paperwork actually went through that fast." She once again focused her attention on Gage.

"Ranger Gage. I'm very glad that you can hear, but I wish you and Ranger Cooke had trusted me enough to tell me all of this before you came. I was on vacation when Daniel was kidnapped. I understand that it happened just outside of the gates of the school. I know Daniel and I know that he wouldn't have left the school grounds with just anyone. This had to be someone he trusted."

"Did Daniel trust Sandra Evans?" Sydney asked.

Ms. Hamilton nodded. "He liked her a lot. She took up some time with him the day his parents came to check out the school. He took up with her right away."

"What do you know about Sandra Evans?" Gage asked.

"Not much. She seems nice, but she keeps to herself."

"Why do you think she was hired on as a new Administrative Assistant so quickly?"

"We're very short staffed this year. We need more teachers, counselors and administrators. I imagine her records spoke for themselves and with her personality; the administrative group saw no reason to push the background check. You should speak with Mr. Conklin, the Dean of the school to get the exact reasons." That said, she stood. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a class to teach." She smiled slightly, but Gage still got the feeling that she was miffed.

Gage and Sydney both stood. "Ms. Hamilton." Gage said as he touched her shoulder. She turned to face him. "I truly am sorry that we deceived you. I appreciate everything you did for me several months ago and I just hope you can understand that Sydney and I were just doing our job."

She nodded. "I do."

"Our main objective is to find Daniel and bring his kidnapper or kidnappers to justice."

“I understand that and if there’s anything I can do to help, I would like for you to let me know.” She signed.

“Thank you.” Gage signed back.

*****

Gage kept his cover by going to class while Sydney went upstairs to see if she could meet with Mr. Conklin. She checked with his secretary and was told that he would be with her in a moment.

“Ms. Cooke?” He asked as he stuck his head out of the office door. Sydney stood and approached the office. “Is there a problem with Ranger Gage?”

“Oh no. He’s in class. I wanted to speak with you about your staff.”

“Everyone’s treating you well, I trust?”

“Everyone is treating us fine. I was wondering what you could tell me about Sandra Evans?”

He cocked his head and pursed his lips. “Sandra Evans is a very nice woman. She’s diligent in her work and seems to have a genuine concern for the students. Why do you ask?”

“Can you tell me how she was promoted so quickly to Administrative Assistant?”

“She’s proven herself over and over. Her work is impeccable and again, she gets along well with the students.”

“How is she set financially?”

“Ranger Cooke. Will you please tell me what this is all about? I know Sandra Evans well and I would want to know if she’s in any kind of trouble.”

“What kind of trouble would she be in?”

“You tell me.”

“I never said that she was in any trouble. Do you know something that I should know?”

He began to look a little nervous as he sat in his desk.

“Mr. Conklin, do you know if Sandra Evans is having money problems?”

“She recently came into an inheritance. She was able to pay off a great deal of her debt, but I believe she still owes a substantial sum.”

“What can you tell me about the kidnapping of Daniel Davis?”

“Nothing.” He said defensively. “That took place off of school grounds.”

“Surely you must know something. He was a student here. Didn’t you talk to his parents?”

“Of course. Our students and their families are of the utmost concern.”

“Then I’ll ask again. What can you tell me about the kidnapping?”

He signed. “Daniel was a shy young man and he wouldn’t have gone off of the school grounds with just anyone.”

“Where was Sandra Evans the day of the kidnapping?”

“I don’t know. The kidnapping happened after 5:00 and I’m certain that Ms. Evans would have already left the grounds.”

“Could she have been involved?”

“Sandra? I doubt it, although she would be about the only person Daniel would have trusted enough to leave the grounds with.”

“Thank you for your time.” Sydney stood up to leave. “Mr. Conklin, where might I find Sandra Evans now?”

“She should be in her office. It’s down the hall, second door on your left.”

“Thank you.”

*****

Sydney glanced at her watch, it was almost time for Gage's class to end. She decided she'd wait for him before going to Ms. Evans' office.

Gage noticed Sydney in the hallway and left the classroom as soon as the class was dismissed. "Hey you." He spoke and signed.

"Hi. How did class go?"

"Fine." He stared at her for a moment. "What did you find out?"

"I spoke with Dean Conklin. So far, everything is pointing to Sandra Evans. No one seems to know very much about her. All of the kids seem to really love her and Daniel trusted her." Sydney paused. "She was also having money problems, kept pretty much to herself and was very secretive about her life."

"Um." Gage responded. "Have you tried to talk to her yet?"

"No. I was waiting for you." She lightly punched him in the arm. "How's your ear?"

He shook his head slightly. "It still hurts, but not quite as bad. I have an appointment with Dr. Allen in the morning. Want to go with me?"

"You know I do."

"Hey, I was just thinking. Before we talk to Sandra Evans, why don't we get Trivette to check into her finances and see who she owes money to."

Sydney nodded. "Good idea."

*****

Early in the evening, Sydney received a call from Trivette. "Sydney, I've got that information you wanted. It looks like Sandra Evans is really into gambling. She's into Billy Barnes in a pretty big way."

"Billy Barnes? Haven't we busted him for running an illegal gambling ring here in Dallas?"

"One in the same."

"Thanks Trivette. We're going to try to talk to Sandra now."

"Hey, how's Gage?"

Sydney smiled. "He's hanging in there. Trivette, I've got to go. I'll talk to you later."

"OK."

"I only got part of that conversation. Billy Barnes is involved in this?" Gage stated.

"Indirectly. Sandra Evans owes him money."

"Barnes is the kind that breaks bones first and asks questions later especially where money is concerned."

"I'd heard that about him."

"Let's get to Sandra."

*****

Sandra Evans sat at her desk, mulling over the paperwork that seemed to be mounding up by the second. She jumped at the knock on her door. "Who is it?" She barked.

"Sandra, we're Texas Rangers. We'd like to speak with you for a moment about the kidnapping of Daniel Davis."

Sandra composed herself, determined to appear as helpful as possible with the investigation. She opened the door. "Come in Rangers." She motioned to two chairs across from her desk. "Please, have a seat."

"Thank you." They both sat down and Sydney stared at Sandra for a moment. "Ms. Evans, what can you tell us about Daniel Davis?"

"Daniel was a sweet kid. Very timid, but smart."

"Do you have any idea why he would have left the school grounds with a stranger?" Gage asked.

"He wouldn't have." Sandra shook her head.

"Who here at the school would he have trusted enough to leave the grounds with?" Sydney asked.

"Really just me and maybe Mr. Conklin, unless he was forced."

"What do you mean forced?"

"Well, if someone really wanted to take him, they could have just entered the gate and took him."

Sydney nodded. "Ms. Evans, how are you set financially?"

"That's a bit personal, isn't it?"

"Ma'am in a case like this, nothing is personal. Our goal is to find Daniel Davis and his kidnapper or kidnappers and bring them to justice."

"Now, let's try it again. How are you set financially?" Sydney repeated the question.

"I don't like your tone or your insinuation that I might be involved. I'd like for you to leave."

"Would you rather we arrest you and take you downtown to question you?" Gage asked.

Sandra glared at him. "No!" She answered hastily.

"Then I suggest you start talking."

"I am not now 'nor have I ever had financial problem."

Gage and Sydney glanced at each other. Then Sydney leaned over onto Sandra's desk. "What about gambling problems, Ms. Evans? Have you ever heard of Billy Barnes?"

Sandra stuttered, realizing they knew more that she thought. "I, uh, I. Ok, ok! I was into Barnes pretty heavily, but I paid him off. I don't owe him anything now!"

*****

It was near 2:00 p.m. when Sydney and Gage finished talking with Ms. Evans. "What do you want to do now?" Sydney asked.

"I'm hungry." He signed.

"Me too, but we had probably better keep an eye on Ms. Evans. She looks like she's ready to bolt."

Gage nodded in agreement. "We can do both, if we get takeout."

They sat in Sydney's car, eating burritos and watching the door of the school. Just when they were beginning to think they had been wasting their time, Sandra ran out the door and jumped into her car, quickly leaving the parking lot.

"Show time!" Gage said as Sydney cranked the car and they followed Sandra down the street.

"Call Walker and Trivette." Sydney said as she sped up to keep up with Sandra, but still slow enough to not be recognized.

"Walker, it's Gage. We're following Sandra Evans, hoping she'll lead us to Daniel. We're just turning right on Elm now. Looks like she's heading towards the airport."

"Alright Gage, we're on our way."

Sydney followed Sandra out past the main airport terminal and towards an abandoned hanger. Gage turned to her. "Slow down. We don't want to get close enough to spook her." Sydney let off of the gas and they watched Sandra drive into the old hanger.

"Park it here and we'll go the rest of the way on foot. Let me call Walker real quick."

Gage pulled out his cell phone again. "Walker. It's Gage. We're at DFW." He gave Walker the directions to the abandoned hanger and hung up.

"Walker wants us to carefully check it out, but if Daniel isn't in any immediate danger, he wants us to wait for he and Trivette. They're about 10 minutes out."

Sydney nodded. They quietly approached the side of the hanger. They could hear Sandra's voice and that of a man. Gage put his finger to his lips and darted his head around the corner for a quick peek at the inside.

When he turned to Sydney, he held up two fingers, indicating that there were only two people inside. Sydney nodded. They stood quietly and listened to the ensuing argument.

"That's it, we're not waiting any longer. Bring the kid out here and I'll kill him myself!" Brian yelled.

"That's not part of the deal!" Sandra yelled back. "We'll have the money tomorrow and we'll let the kid go."

"Hey doll, you were the one worried about the kid recognizing you!"

"I know, but I thought of a plan. We'll get the money first and leave directions on where to find him. By the time anyone locates him, we'll be out of the country."

"Sandra, if the Rangers are onto you, we can't risk leaving behind a witness. The boy has to die and I'd rather do it now, while we know they haven't figured out where we are."

The man paused. "You did make sure you weren't followed, didn't you?"

"There's no way I was followed."

Gage and Sydney looked at each other and smiled slightly.

"Bring the kid out here. There'll be less mess to clean up."

The hanger grew quiet for a moment and then they heard feet shuffling, followed by several frightened sounds. Gage's eyes darted from side to side as he carefully listened with his left ear. He motioned to Sydney to go to the backside of the hanger and when he could see her from his position, he crept inside the hanger with his weapon drawn.

Brian heard movement on both sides of the hanger. "Weren't followed, uh?" He glared at Sandra.

"Hold it right there! Texas Rangers!" Gage shouted as he and Sydney entered the hanger from opposite ends. "Drop your weapon!"

Brian held the gun to Daniel's temple. "Come one step closer and I'll shoot him. I swear I will." He held his arm around Daniel's neck and pulled him to one side of the hanger. "Now, drop your guns and back away!"

Gage dropped his gun slowly and Sydney followed suit. He motioned to Sydney with his eyes toward a metal pipe on the ground. She slightly nodded.

Sydney worked her way behind Brian and quickly grabbed the pipe. In one swift motion, she plowed the pipe into Brian's back, causing him to drop the gun and release Daniel all at once.

Gage retrieved his gun and pointed it at Brian while Sydney focused her attention on Sandra, who had made a feeble attempt to escape. "Sandra. That's far enough." Sydney stood in front of her and Sandra gave up.

Moments later, Brian and Sandra were in handcuffs and Gage ran to a very frightened Daniel and removed his blindfold. Daniel's eyes were wide with fear, but Gage put his hand on his shoulder, smiled and signed to him. "Hi Daniel. My name is Gage. I'm a Texas Ranger and this is Sydney, she's a Ranger too."

"Really?" Daniel signed.

"Yes. Really. Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine and no, I'm not hurt."

"Good. I'll bet you're ready to see your parents though, right?"

"Yes." Daniel nodded vigorously.

"I think that can be arranged." Gage smiled as Daniel put his arms around his neck while Sydney, Walker and Trivette looked on.

*****

"Well, Ranger Gage. It looks as though the antibiotics are doing their job. That infection is clearing up quite nicely. You should be back to normal within a few days." Dr. Allen smiled after examining Gage's ear.

"Thank you Dr. Allen." Gage shook the doctor's hand.

"You're quite welcome."

Sydney stared at him as he hopped down from the examination table. "So, back to normal, uh?"

"Yup, that's what I heard."

"That's not possible."

"Syd." Gage responded with surprise.

"You were never normal to start with." She raised her eyebrows and punched him in the arm.

"Oh, ha, ha, very funny." He replied as they walked down the hallway, hand in hand.

THE END