Guarding Hope

The waitress came back with our drinks. “Your food will be out in a minute, fellas.” She gave Gage a wink, then headed back to the kitchen.

“Hey, what is it? You got that smell going on or something? Are you testing some bull pheromones?” Dax teased his buddy, shaking his head and then taking a drink of his Coke.

“Fuck off. I can’t help that you’re a bunch of old bastards.”

“Well, you’re the retired one. So how’s your mama?”

“She’s good. She’s got a boyfriend. He’s the rancher down the road. He’d been eyeing her for the past ten years, but she wouldn’t give him the time of day after my father. She finally caved.”

“About time. Old Fred Willard has been pining for her for years.”

“I can’t believe it.” The guys erupted into a hearty chuckle.

The waitress came over with a large tray and passed out the plates for each of the guys. With Dax wearing his badge and TJ in uniform, they knew that more than likely they didn’t have much time before heading back in, so the service was quicker for them.

“Thanks for coming out, Gage. We know it’s a long drive in.”

“Well, I ain’t got a job at the moment, so I’ve got time to kill.” The guys talked about the job between bites. Everything went smoothly for another twenty minutes before Dax’s phone went off.

“Chambers.”

“We need you here at the office.”

“On my way.” He ended the call and tossed his napkin on his plate. “Sorry, guys, but I have to get out of here.” Dax reached for his wallet, but Gage stuck out his hand, stopping him.

“I’ve got this.”

Dax nodded after a moment, accepting without a fight. “Fine. I’ve got the next time.”

“Take care, Dax.” Both men said as he left the table. He waved them off and headed out to see what the problem was.

TJ stayed for another ten minutes when his phone went off. “Sorry, bud. I’ve got to go too. I’m still on duty for another four hours.”

“No problem, TJ. I’m going to finish up my food and head on back.” The men stood up, and TJ dropped the tip on the table.

“Don’t argue with me on that.” He smirked and walked away. Gage had loved hanging out with the guys. They had done it over the years as they worked on cases together. Gage stared out the window while chewing on a bite.

“Did you need anything, sir?”

Startled, he answered after he swallowed hard. “No, thanks. Just bring me the check, please.” He smiled up at her, hoping that his brash tone didn’t frighten the woman.

She returned the smile and said, “Sure thing, sir. Here you go.” The waitress set the bill on the table for him and started picking up the mess from the table. He slipped his card inside then waited for her to return with it.

In five minutes or less, he was out of the restaurant and searching for his missing woman. He knew that it was fruitless since she’d more than likely left, but the urge was something he couldn’t shake.

After twenty minutes more of looking around, he decided to head back home. Gage lived just outside of Austin in Jollyville, which was still over a two-hour drive at this time of day. He was about ten miles from home when he thought a stop at the local gas station for some beer would be a good idea, so he headed that way.

Chapter 5

“You have to find her,” an angry Baxter Cummings hollered at Daxton Chambers with his face turning redder with every word he spat out. The sweat coated his forehead and made Dax wonder if Cummings needed to be checked for cocaine use. He pounded his meaty fist on the desk, shouting out his impatience. “You’re the damn Texas Rangers.”

Hope Cummings had gone missing just this morning and it wasn’t a Texas Ranger issue, but Mr. Cummings sure felt like it was. Daxton knew that Cummings had people in the PD that looked the other way, so why did he have to be upsetting his lunch with this?

“Calm down, Cummings. Take a seat.” Dax gestured to the seat in front of his desk. This was the reason he had to leave his meal with his friends who he hadn’t seen in a while. The well-dressed, angry gentleman unbuttoned his suit jacket, then sat down on the chair with a loud huff.

“Now, how old is your daughter?” Dax tapped his pen on the blotter on top of his desk, feeling a deep annoyance with the man in front of him. He’d known Cummings in passing over the years, but he’d never trusted the man. Rumors of illegal activity circulated about him over the years, but the police could never pin anything on him, including dealings with drug lords like Alfonzo Navarro. Well, it helped that they weren’t looking that hard.