Justice

by Rescue45

Starsky and Hutch seek justice with the help of some friends. This is not part of my future series.

Justice

The rain was coming down so hard in the city that even the lowest of the low were taking cover from the torrential downpour. Just yesterday the weather man said it was supposed to bright and sunny. It seemed like everyone was inside avoiding Mother Nature. Everyone that is, except Starsky and Hutch and the man they had been following for over a month.

"Hutch, why are you looking through those binoculars? You can't see anything except the rain."

Hutch was sitting in the passenger seat looking out of the rear window through the binoculars. He frowned and faced his partner. "I don't want to miss him when he comes out."

"I don't either, Buddy."

"You nervous, Starsk?"

"Of course I'm nervous, aren't you?"

Hutch handed Starsky the binoculars when Starsky reached for them. "You know I am."

"Me too, Hutch. But as you once said, it's a good thing were a couple of fish who know how to swim."

"This is different."

"Yeah, it's not just us we gotta worry about this time." Starsky saw a shadowy figure leave through the side door and waved his right hand while holding onto the binoculars with the left, "I see something, I think."

Hutch reached for the binoculars and Starsky handed them over, "Let me see."

"He's coming out the side door," Starsky said. They both crouched down in their seats.

There was a flash of lightening that was so close they could smell the electricity in the air. It was followed by a loud clap of thunder. Starsky's whole body shook. Hutch reached his hand out and patted his partner's shoulder. "It's okay, Pal."

"Was it him?"

"Yeah, but if he sees us we're dead men, let's get out of here."

"Where do you think he's headed?"

"Probably back to the hotel room like he has for the past month. Can you take a short cut so we can beat him?"

"No. I wanna follow him. Just in case," Starsky said as he watched the man get into his car. Starsky waited for the man to drive away then he started up the dark blue four-door car. He slowly put it in drive and followed the car as it turned left on the next street.

"Don't let him see us, Starsk."

"Don't worry, he won't." The car came to a stop at an old dilapidated hotel. It was owned by Moose, a rather burley man known to sell drugs to teenagers. Moose was never at the hotel himself. Moose rented an office space near the high school. It wasn't very big but it suited his purpose and he was able to run his business from it.

He left the day-to-day operations to his manager, Stanley Conner, who was totally unaware of what the owner was really up to. He was barely out of high school and took the job to save up for college.

Starsky and Hutch had been after Moose for a long time, but now the stakes were higher; higher than they had ever been. Starsky parked the car across the street but was careful to avoid parking too close to the street light. Even though it was a bleak, stormy night, they couldn't risk being seen.

Starsky and Hutch watched the man go into the hotel and waited until the light in his room was turned on and they could see his silhouette through the window.

"Okay, he's in for the night," Starsky said. He turned the engine off and removed the keys from the ignition.

Hutch stared at the cold rain falling from the night sky and sighed, "Starsk, why is it whenever we're tailing someone, it seems to rain?"

Starsky didn't reply even though he knew Hutch was right. It did seem to rain a lot at the worst times. He opened the car door and nodded at Hutch. They both made a mad dash into their hotel room. From their room, they had a direct view into the man's room across the street. The room was very basic with one very worn out mattress and a dresser. There was a small table that Hutch moved by the window. "I'll take the first watch, Hutch. You get some sleep. You didn't sleep to well last night."

"You noticed that, huh?"

"Yeah, I noticed. I watched you tossed and turned all night."

"I'll grab a quick shower before our visitor arrives then turn in." Hutch opened the door to the bathroom and said, "Thanks, Buddy." He took a hot shower. Well, at least the water was hot for the first two minutes. That was just long enough for him to wash his hair.

Starsky sat in the rickety wooden chair and picked up the binoculars that he had set on the table when he came in. He had been looking in the window a few minutes when there was a knock at the door. It wasn't an ordinary knock. It was knock, followed by a short pause then three more knocks and then a long pause and finally one last knock. Starsky grinned as he jumped up and opened the door to let Huggy in. "Hug, you are a sight for sore eyes," he said as he took one of the bags Huggy was holding.

"Starsky, you're not foolin' me. I'm not the sight for sore eyes, it's what's in that bag you want."

Starsky chuckled, "Come on Hug, you know Hutch and I are always happy to see you."

"Cause you wouldn't know what to do without me," Huggy said as he put the other bag down on the bed.

"You got that right. Whatca ya got for us in here?" Starsky asked. He reached in one of the bags and started to pull out the meal Huggy just delivered.

"Hamburgers and I hope they're still hot and dry. Man, is it ever going to stop raining?" Huggy pulled out the burgers and fries he brought his two favorite detectives.

The door to the bathroom opened and Hutch was standing in the doorway with a towel wrapped around his waist. "Thanks a million, Hug." He went back into the bathroom and emerged a couple of minutes later wearing a pair of blue sweat pants. He opened the dresser drawer and took out a matching t-shirt and put it on.

Huggy sat at the table glancing every now and then at the window across the street and Starsky and Hutch sat on the bed as they ate. "So, any progress?"

"Don't know," they answered simultaneously.

"It's not like we can just walk up to him and ask," Starsky said.

"I hear ya," Huggy replied. "How long do you think this will go on? I mean you can't have that much vacation time saved up."

"As long as it takes, my friend," Hutch replied.

"Don't worry about that, Hug. We got it taken care of. Thanks for calling and filling us in on what happened, Hug," Starsky added.

"Yeah, we owe you," Hutch said.

"Not this time, my friends. This time it's on the house," Huggy said.

Starsky stood up and reached into his pocket and pulled out the car keys and handed them to Huggy. Huggy took the keys, stood up and put the keys in his left front pocket. He took out another set of keys and handed them to Starsky. "It's a tan pickup truck. I parked it right behind the blue one you drove today. You know, I'm gonna run out of rides if this keeps up much longer."

Hutch chuckled and nodded his head. "Yeah, but we can't drive that tomato of his or my car. He'd spot either of them. Switching cars every couple of days is the only way this is going to work."

Starsky took the new set of keys and said, "Thanks, Huggy. I don't even want to know where you're getting all these cars."

"That's why I ain't telling." Huggy sat back down and went back to his meal. "I think all this may be worth it after all.

"Really?" Starsky asked.

Huggy nodded. "I finally heard that he's in. Seems he's wormed his way in and now Moose has him dealing for him. Not only that, but he's made friends with Brenner. I don't know much more than that but you know, I always got my ears open."

"Brenner, that's Moose's top flunky," Hutch said.

"Maybe Brenner will lead us to Moose," Starsky said.

Huggy shook his head. "Man the two of you have been after that gang for a while now, what makes him think he can take them on by himself?"

"He's not thinking straight right now, Hug," Starsky said.

"Can't say as I blame him after everything that's happened," Huggy said. He stood up and put his trash in one of the paper bags. "He should have let you help him."

"He doesn't want us involved if this goes sour," Hutch said. He stood up, stretched and yawned. He peeked through the curtain and saw nothing but sheets of rain coming down along with blinding flashes of light. "Let us know if you hear anything else, will ya, Hug?"

"My ears are all yours." Huggy grinned. He looked at his watch and said, "And if I'm going to hear anything, I need to get back. I'll catch you gents later."

"Thanks again, Hug," Starsky said. Huggy opened the door and left.

Starsky picked up the binoculars and sat in the chair by the window. "Get some sleep, Blondie."

"You'll wake me?"

"Yeah, I'll wake you."

Hutch slipped into the bed and pulled the cover up to his chin. He was still cold from getting so wet earlier. He was grateful for the warmth of the thin blanket and comforter. It had been a long month and he dozed off almost instantly.

Starsky set the binoculars down and walked around the small room. He glanced at Hutch sleeping on the bed. He grinned and shook his head. Hutch always looked like a little boy when he was sleeping, especially when he was really tired or sick. "Sleep, Buddy, you earned it," he whispered. He went back to his seat by the window and picked up a deck of cards and started playing solitaire.

When Hutch woke up, he was lying on his back and opened his eyes to see Starsky's hairy arm across his chest. He groaned, "Starsk?" There was no answer, not that he really expected one. Starsky always was a heavy sleeper. He tried to push Starsky's arm off him but it was heavy and didn't move very much. "Come on, Starsk," he said a little louder.

"What, I'm sleeping?" Starsky mumbled without opening his eyes.

"Yeah, you're sleeping. I thought you were going to wake me."

Keeping his eyes closed Starsky mumbled, "I was but you were sleeping so soundly, I didn't have the heart to wake ya. Besides, he hasn't gone out at night the whole time we've been watchin' him. We both needed a good night's rest." Starsky opened one eye, "Hi, ya Buddy."

"Hi yourself. Will you please get off me?"

Starsky removed his arm from Hutch's chest and yawned. Hutch rolled out of the bed and walked over to the window. He carefully peeked out of it into the room across the street. "Well, at least it quit raining."

"What time is it anyway?"

Hutch glanced at his pocket watch and said, "It's six."

"AM!"

"No, it's six at night. I let you sleep all day. Yes, it's am."

"It just so happens that I crawled into bed at four and…"

"I see him. He picked up his jacket."

"Okay, okay," Starsky said as he leaped up and put a shirt on.

"No, wait. He sat back down."

Starsky finished buttoning his shirt. "Hutch?"

"Yeah?"

"I think it's time."

Hutch looked at his partner, "You know he'll be mad."

Starsky picked his shoes up off the floor, sat on the bed and began tying them. "I know but he's in and I just don't want him to think he's alone. It's too dangerous and he's not thinking too clearly right now."

"I was thinking the same thing." Hutch opened the door and made a sweeping motion with his hand for Starsky to leave first, "After you."

Chapter 2

Last night, the man Starsky and Hutch were following shut the door to his room and used the small chain to lock the door. "A fat lot of good this is going to do if someone wants in," he mumbled. He tossed a brown bag from the deal he made earlier along with the keys on the bed and sighed. He went into the bathroom and used the towel that he left hanging on the rack to dry his face and hair. He looked at his clothes and saw he was so wet the water was dripping and making a puddle on the floor. He lifted his right foot up and shook it then he shook his left.

He put the bag in his suitcase beside another bag that was already there from a previous purchase and covered it with one of his shirts before taking a quick shower. He let the hot water run over him as if it would somehow wash away all the pain and sorrow he was feeling.

After his shower he thought the warm, dry pajamas he changed into felt nice. He sat on the bed and stared at the phone. He wanted to call his wife. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to hear her sweet voice telling him that everything was going to be okay. He wanted to hold her tight and tell her how much he loved her. He knew that if he called her she would be in danger and so would his two children.

He stood up and paced in the small room. "I said I wouldn't call you boys. I promised I would take care of this myself. It isn't your fight, it's mine." He stopped pacing and sat back down on the bed and looked at the ceiling. "Elmo, I sure wish you were here. You always could keep me from going off the deep end and doing foolish things." He grinned. "I guess that's why I like Starsky and Hutch so much. They remind me of us. You'd like them too." He smiled at the memory of his old friend. His heart still hurt when he thought about his best friend and partner but his mind cherished the memories he held onto. "I know. I know, I've always told them my number one rule is no private parties." He looked up at the ceiling as if someone was speaking to him.

He stood up and looked out of the window. He saw Mother Nature showing the city that she was in charge. Earlier this evening he thought the rain couldn't possibly come down any harder, but it was. And it was a cold rain that was blowing sideways. He was glad his business for the night was over and he could stay in his room warm and dry.

Staring at the rain, his mind drifted to the day a little over a month ago when this all began. His eldest child and only son, Cal, had came home from school and told him that his best friend, Luther, overheard Stan Brenner and Moose talking about killing someone that was stealing some of their merchandise. The next day, Luther was found dead from an apparent overdose. Cal had gone to his house to pick him up for school and found Luther lying on the living room floor. Luther's parents had already left for work.

Tears fell down his face and he leaned his head against the cold window as he remembered the call he received from Cal that morning. He also could not forget the screams of pure raw emotion when he told Luther's parents and younger brother. It was devastating for the entire family. He promised them that he would personally see to it that the men responsible would be found and brought to justice.

He hit the window so hard he almost broke it. "Justice. What kind of justice can I give someone who was murdered at seventeen?" He shook his head and sat on the bed. He removed his glasses, rubbed his temples and squeezed his eyes shut. He felt as if his mind had been fighting with his heart since the murder. His heart was telling him to make sure Brenner and Moose could never hurt anyone ever again. It didn't care if that meant he had to violate a few of their rights to make sure that happened. His head was telling him to slow down, take a deep breath and do things the legal way. His head wanted him to make sure he had enough on them that they would never see the outside of prison walls again. He thought of Edith and his two kids and knew he could never face them again if he handled this case as a vigilante instead of a police captain. Deep down inside, he was glad his head won the battle.

As he drifted off to sleep, he recalled the look on Edith's face when he told her he would be going away for an undetermined amount of time. She had been his wife, a cop's wife, long enough to know that he couldn't tell her what he was up to. He didn't have to; she knew full well that he was going after the men responsible for Luther's murder. She didn't need to know the details. She didn't want to know them.

When Captain Dobey woke up the next morning he opened his suitcase and looked inside the little brown bag he was given the day before. The thought of buying that junk churned his stomach and he had to choke back the bile that was rising in his throat. He folded the top of the bag down and put it back in his suitcase. He covered it up with his shirt and put the suitcase under the mattress. Moose thought he had found buyers for his junk but in reality, Captain Dobey had been keeping it to use as evidence against Moose and the rest of his men.

He was concerned at first about going undercover because he had been off the streets so long but got back into the swing of things pretty quickly. What he hadn't counted on was the emptiness he felt without his old partner by his side. He struggled with those feelings almost as much as he fought with the battle between his head and his heart.

He changed his clothes, unlocked the door and sat on the bed. When there was a light knock on the door he said, "Come in guys, it's open."

Chapter 3

Starsky and Hutch pulled their guns. Starsky stood on the right side of the door and Hutch stood on the left. "I said come on in. Don't worry, I'm alone."

"Captain, you okay?" Hutch asked.

"I'm fine, Hutch." Captain Dobey could tell that his men were leery about entering the room so he got up and opened the door and when he did he found himself staring at a Beretta and a .38. He was expecting that so it didn't faze him in the least. He would have more surprised if they hadn't drawn their weapons. "Get in here, will ya? And put those things away."

Starsky and Hutch let out a sigh of relief and slowly put their weapons back in their holsters as they entered the room. "But how'd you know it was…" Starsky started to ask.

"Oh please, Starsky. I was a detective long before you were out of diapers. I've known you two have been following me for weeks now." He sat on the foot of the bed. "I gotta tell you, changing vehicles every other day was a nice touch. I wonder how many more Huggy could have come up with."

"You knew?" Hutch asked.

"From day one. You started following me on a Tuesday after I left Perky's Bar. You were driving a white four-door sedan."

Starsky chuckled and glanced at Hutch, "He's good."

"That's why they pay him the big bucks." Hutch sat on the edge of the bed followed by Starsky.

"What I don't know is how the two of you found out about any of this."

"A Bear whispered in our ear," Hutch said.

"I thought you two were on vacation."

Starsky casually walked over to the window and mumbled, "So did we."

"I'm sorry, guys."

"Hey, it's okay, Captain. Mind filling us in on what's going on?" Hutch asked.

"Not so funny when that shoes on the other foot is it?" Captain Dobey chuckled a little.

Starsky grinned, "I guess we deserved that."

"Captain?"

"Okay, okay. I take you heard about Luther?"

"Yeah, and we know that Moose ordered Brenner to kill him. But what we don't know…" Hutch said.

"Is what you're doing here," Starsky finished Hutch's thought.

Captain Dobey bowed his head and rubbed his hands together. He stood up and started pacing. "I know this was stupid. I just wasn't thinking too clear, ya know. Luther was only seventeen." The big man's voice was low and there was a tone of sorrow when he spoke. "He was a good kid. He was Cal's best friend. He stayed at our house a couple of weeks before. He never hurt anyone. Dam it, he was a good kid. And…" Dobey couldn't finish his sentence. He sat back down and took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his face. Starsky and Hutch could see the emotional turmoil their captain was going through. It was written all over his face.

"We know he was, Cap'n," Starsky said. He put his hand on Captain Dobey's shoulder. "How's Cal?"

"After the funeral he went to his room and locked the door and wouldn't come out for two days. When he finally talked to me, he wanted answers." Captain Dobey started pacing again, "I didn't have the answers. I didn't know what to tell him so I promised him I would make sure Moose and his men would never hurt anyone again."

"And they won't. We'll get them, Captain. But it's got to be legally, so it sticks. You know that," Hutch said. He voice was low and soft. He felt the captain's pain. Heck, he'd met Luther and a lot of other kids just like him. And he knew it could have easily have been Cal that had been murdered. The thought of it made him sick to his stomach. Luther was so young and had his whole life ahead of him.

"Cal was running late that morning. If he had been at Luther's ten minutes sooner…" He wiped away a tear and bowed his head as his voice started to crack. Starsky and Hutch eyes met briefly and they lowered their heads. They knew their captain and he was hurting. They knew the best thing they could do right now was to let him talk. Captain Dobey slowly raised his head. "Now he thinks it's all his fault. He thinks somehow if he wasn't running late that morning, he could have prevented it."

"Yeah, and he could have been killed along with Luther. Tell us what's goin' down tomorrow," Starsky said.

"I didn't want to get you two involved. I could lose my badge over this and…"

"And nothing. We're involved now so tell us. You know you can't do this alone and we're not about to let you," Hutch said.

Captain Dobey stared at his two favorite detectives a minutes then said, "No, I don't suppose you would. I guess I've known that all along. I think that's why I let you follow me so long."

"What's the next step?" Starsky asked.

"Moose and his goons know me as Sam Hawkins from Chicago. I bought some stuff from him and have worked my way in. I don't know how much they trust me but I'm being introduced to his right-hand man tomorrow. I did manage to overhear Brenner saying something to Moose about needing to replace the last one."

"Did he happen to say who that was?" Hutch asked. Captain Dobey shook his head no.

"Here's a sample of the goods." He stood up and took the suitcase out from under the mattress. He opened it and took one of the brown bags that had been hidden inside and tossed it to Hutch.

Hutch caught the bag, and when he looked inside he saw it was full of heroin. He sighed and handed it to Starsky. "What about Edith and the kids? Where are they?" Hutch asked his captain. Starsky looked inside the bag and tossed it back to Hutch who handed it back to the captain. Captain Dobey carefully folded the bag back up and put it back in its place in the suitcase.

"They're at her sister's. They'll be safe there. Cal says Moose doesn't know Luther told him about the murder. I was trying to find out more when Cal…" He paused a moment before continuing, "When he found Luther. It's my fault; I should've had them picked up as soon as Cal told me what Luther said."

"Cap'n, don't do that to yourself. You know as well as I do, that they'd be back on the street by now."

"Starsky's right, Captain. They would have been on the street in an hour."

"I know. I know. Tomorrow, I meet his right hand man and maybe I'll find out more about the murders."

"It's dangerous, Cap'n," Starsky said.

"You think I don't know that!?"

Hutch gently patted Captain Dobey's shoulder, "Hey, take it easy," he said in a soft reassuring voice. "Are you sure Brenner and Moose don't know who you are?"

"I'm sure. But the two of you better stay out of sight. You can believe they know who you are."

"Yeah, we've had a few run-ins," Starsky said.

"And that's putting it mildly," Hutch added.

"What time's the meeting tomorrow?"

"Krantz's bar at 2100."

"Until then?" Hutch asked.

"Until then, I'll lay low. From what Brenner's said, I think Moose is trying to find more buyers."

"I'm sure he is, especially since Hutch and I busted the last three." Starsky said. His stomach made a noise that reminded everyone of thunder from last night's storm. Starsky grinned. "I guess I'm hungry."

"I could use some breakfast too," Captain Dobey said.

"Why don't the two of you stay here and see who comes and goes and I'll grab something…ummm suitable." Hutch said.

"No. No way, Buddy. You'll come back with some wheat germ, bran muffins," Starsky said frowning.

"You know, that sounds like a good idea, Partner." Hutch grinned.

Hutch started toward the door but Starsky grabbed his arm. "Oh, no you don't. I'm going. I'll come back with some real food." He opened the door, turned around and added, "I'll bring you back a cardboard box, Partner." Starsky didn't give Hutch or his captain time to react, he quickly closed the door.

Hutch saw the stare his superior was giving him. "What?"

"You said that just so he would go, didn't you?"

"Who me?" He asked pointing at himself. "Captain, would I do something like that?" Hutch chuckled.

Chapter 4

The previous night's rain gave way to a beautiful full moon the next night. Captain Dobey walked into Krant's bar at 2100. He saw Brenner slowly stand up and walk toward a door that led to a private room. As he walked into the room, he saw Moose sitting at a table with a man who had neatly trimmed, dark hair. The man had a thin moustache and wore a dark blue business suit.

Brenner pulled out a chair, "have a seat Mister Hawkins." Captain Dobey sat down never taking his gaze off the man sitting next to Moose. He was sure he had seen this man before but when and where he couldn't recall.

"This is Wayne Hollister, my newest associate," Moose said as the captain sat. "Mister Hollister, this is Sam Hawkins. After tonight, you'll be making all your arrangements through him." The two men reached across the table and shook hands. Neither of them spoke a word, instead they looked at each other as if they were sizing the other one up.

The name Hollister didn't ring any bells for the captain, but he was positive that he had seen this man before. He felt a bit of relief when Hollister didn't seem to remember him. "Just in time too, I found a new buyer." Captain Dobey said as he sat back down.

The men sat around the table in the small room ironing out the details of the sale to Captain Dobey's new buyer. When all was said and done, Captain Dobey was the first to stand up. Just as he was about to open the door that led out into the bar, Hollister stopped him and shook his hand again. He said he was looking forward to working with him. Captain Dobey thought he saw Hollister twitch an eye ever so slightly as he released the tight grip he had on the captain's hand.

Captain Dobey couldn't leave quick enough to suit him. He kept a close eye on his rearview mirror to make sure Starsky and Hutch were following from a safe distance. When he reached the hotel, he got out quickly and went to his room making sure Starsky and Hutch were the only ones following him.

He opened the door when Starsky knocked and shut it so quickly that the door almost hit Hutch in the face. "Captain, what's wrong?" Hutch asked as he put his hand out to stop the door from closing.

"Moose introduced me to his right hand man tonight."

"And?" Starsky asked.

"He was someone I recognized."

"Who?" Hutch enquired.

"Who? I don't who! Moose introduced him as Wayne Hollister but that's not his real name. I don't remember who he really is, but I know I've seen him before."

"Cap'n, maybe it's time to pull out," Starsky said. He sat at the table and looked inside an empty brown bag.

"Not a chance. I'm not giving up yet," Captain Dobey said.

"You can't be hungry again," Hutch said.

"Yes, I can," Starsky replied. He balled up the empty bag and threw it in the trash can. "So how can we find out who this Hollister really is?"

"What'd he look liked," Hutch bent down and put the bag in the can, shaking his head as he did.

"He was in his late fifties, tall, thin, had a moustache and dark hair. No visible scars or tattoos that I could see." He was disgusted with himself for not being able to remember the man and sat in the chair by the table.

"What about his voice," Hutch asked.

Captain Dobey shook his head, "Nothing unusual about that either."

"When do you have the next meeting?" Starsky asked.

"That stadium on Seminole Drive on Wednesday at midnight. I told them I found a new buyer. Hollister's the runner. I uh…uh…I don't have a buyer."

"Today's Thursday so that…"

"Starsk, it's Friday."

"It is?"

"All day, Buddy."

"Oh, well then we have three days to find out who the Captain's mystery man is."

"And to find a buyer," Hutch added.

"That too."

Captain Dobey stood up quickly and said, "I know. I remember who he is now!"

"Don't keep it to yourself, who is he?" Hutch asked.

"His real name is Joe Armstrong and if he's with Moose then we've stumbled onto something bigger than a small time dealer."

"Who is he?" Starsky asked.

"The last time I saw him he was working with drug enforcement."

"You mean he's a federal agent?" Hutch said.

"If he's not, then he's switched sides. And I can't believe that." He sat back down and sighed. "Elmo and I met him while we were working undercover. It's coming back like a dream. It was so long ago. Our covers had been blown and he's the one that saved us."

"Do you think he remembers you?" Starsky asked. "Hey, I'm still hungry," he added.

"No you're not," Hutch said. "Captain, do you think he still works for the feds?"

"Yeah, I do, Hutch. I know he remembers me."

"That should work to our advantage. Now we have a friend on the inside." Starsky said as he picked up the phone and started dialing.

"You're not calling Huggy to bring you something are you?" Hutch asked.

"Course I am. I'm hungry." Starsky said as he finished dialing. He sat on the edge of the bed with the phone on his lap. He talked to Huggy while Captain Dobey and Hutch talked about Armstrong and his interest with Moose.

"Maybe Moose is bigger than we thought after all. I mean, the feds have never been interested in him before," Hutch said.

"Yeah, bring some donuts or somethin' for the morning too, will ya?" Starsky said into the phone. Hutch frowned at his partner and shook his head.

"Maybe, but I want him," Captain Dobey said.

"We'll get him, don't worry about that Captain. We'll get him for murder." Hutch noticed the worried look his captain had on his face.

"Hutch, we have to be careful. I mean really careful now. We can't do anything to jeopardize Armstrong's cover."

"And we won't. What did you tell Moose?"

"I told him I found a buyer that's it. We decided Hollister would meet me and the buyer at the warehouse on Wednesday."

"You said it yourself; Starsk and I can't go in."

"I know that, Hutchinson!" Captain Dobey raised his voice. He sighed, "I'm sorry, Hutch, this whole thing as me on edge. I don't even know why I said I had a buyer."

"It's okay, Captain. We'll work something out, we have two days."

"Love ya, Hug," Starsky said before he hung up the phone. He smiled and put the phone back. Hutch looked at the black phone that was now on the table then he looked at Captain Dobey and raised his eyebrows.

"You mean use…no way," Captain Dobey said as he shook his head.

"Wha…" Starsky started to speak but Hutch shot him a look that told him not to say anything.

"It's perfect, Captain."

Chapter 5

Huggy was wearing a light purple shirt and pants that matched. The pants had sparkling-white sequins down the sides and the jacket he had on was dark purple and had different color sequins on it. To top off his flashy outfit, Huggy was wearing a pair of pearly white cowboy boots with the same color sequins that were on his jacket. He half-walked, half-danced as he headed to Captain Dobey's hotel room, stopping once to twirl completely around. "Yeah, I look good," he said to himself as he made his way down the narrow hallway.

"What the Sam Hill is that you're wearing?" Captain Dobey asked when Huggy came in and twirled around.

"Oh this, this is just something I threw on," he answered as he took off the dark sunglasses he was wearing. "I like to make a statement."

"A statement that says what?" Hutch asked.

"I'm ugly and my momma dresses me funny," Starsky chuckled. He and Hutch shared a glance then turned their heads to hide their giggle.

"You're just jealous 'cause no matter what you put on, you'll never look this good."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it," Captain Dobey answered. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Huggy? You know you don't…"

"Does a pig squeal? Does a dog bark? Does a cat meow and do Starsky and Hutch always look so ugly?" Huggy asked.

Starsky and Hutch grinned and shook their heads. Huggy had always been there for them and they could count on him to do just about anything they asked him to. Going undercover with Captain Dobey hoping to get Moose to admit to killing a seventeen-year-old kid was asking a lot. "You're one of a kind, Hug," Starsky said as they got ready to leave.

Starsky and Hutch left the room first and headed toward the Torino, or tomato as Hutch referred to it. Captain Dobey and Huggy left five minutes later. As they were walking toward the parking lot Captain Dobey asked, "What are you driving?"

Huggy smiled smugly and said, "Only the best." He put his hand on the captain's shoulder.

"Move it, Huggy." Huggy removed his hand. "And don't forget I'm Sam Hawkins from Chicago."

"Sam Hawkins, got it. And this dude Wayne Hollister is really Joe Armstrong a fed, right?" Captain Dobey nodded. "I'll be," Huggy stopped walking and rubbed his chin with his hand. "Who should I be?"

"The way you're dressed, a disco ball," Captain Dobey answered. Huggy frowned at the remark.

Huggy stood motionless for a couple of minutes then said, "I know, I'll be Antonio." He straightened his collar and added, "No last name."

"Antonio," Captain Dobey said as he nodded his head, "Yeah, I think that will work. You got the money I gave you?"

Huggy patted the outside of his jacket. "You know Huggy ain't about to lose no money." They continued to walk outside and Huggy stopped in front of a shiny, black limousine. "And here it is." He pulled the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the driver's door. "I like to travel in style."

"I can see that. Whatever you do don't - and I mean don't - ever tell me where you came up with this."

Huggy pretended to zip his lips. "I wouldn't tell you if I could."

"What about a driver? No one drives their own limo."

"It's a loaner." Huggy said. It was more of a question than a statement.

"I guess that will have to work," Captain Dobey grunted.

Huggy pushed a button and unlocked the passenger door. Captain Dobey eased himself in. He stretched his feet out and smiled. "I could get to use to one of these."

"Don't be getting' too comfortable I have to give it back to my cou…I mean I have to return it tomorrow." Huggy started the engine and drove off.

"Don't forget when Hollister hands you the stuff, the only thing you need to do is hand him the money and then we split. I don't know what kind of cover he has going and I'm not about to blow it."

Huggy patted the envelope that was in his jacket, "You got it. I don't want to stick around any longer than I have to. Say, where did you come up with the dough? I mean, I know you didn't get it from the department."

"Don't you worry about where the money came from!" Captain Dobey hollered. His face tensed up and the large vein on his neck stuck out.

"Sorry, Captain. I didn't mean to…"

Captain Dobey sighed and changed his voice to a low, much calmer one, "I'm sorry, Huggy. Just between us, it's mine. Mine and Edith's. I took it out of our savings account. Edith knows all about it but I don't want Starsky or Hutch to know, okay?"

Huggy nodded, "I hear ya. It's cool."

"Thanks."

Huggy pulled slowly into the parking lot on the back side of the stadium. There was only one other car in the lot. The man going by the name Wayne Hollister opened the driver's door and stood in front of his car. Huggy parked a respectable distance away.

"Looks like it's show time," Huggy said as he got out of the limo.

"Yep. Remember, he's a cop."

"That's what makes me nervous," Huggy smiled.

Captain Dobey was relieved to see that Hollister was alone. Hollister slowly approached the captain and Huggy. Hollister didn't know if he could trust the tall, thin man standing next to the captain. "Can I see you a minute, Mr. Hawkins?" Hollister asked.

Captain Dobey nodded and whispered to Huggy, "Wait right here a minute." Huggy nodded as the captain walked a few feet away with Hollister.

"Harold Dobey, or should I say Captain Dobey I sure hope you haven't switched sides."

"Not hardly. And uh," the captain pointed at Huggy, "he's with me. Should I call you Armstrong or Hollister?"

"Better keep up the cover, Hollister will do for now."

"I guess you'd better call me Hawkins then."

"Okay, Hawkins, let's not waste any time. I know about your son's friend, Luther. I've been with Moose and his men for some time now. The man Luther overheard Moose admitting to killing was an agent. We need to talk more but not here."

"Do you of a place called The Pits?"

"I've never been inside, but I know where it is."

"Can you meet me there say about 0200?"

"Yeah, I guess. Do you think the owner will let you in after closing?"

Captain Dobey chuckled and nodded in Huggy's direction, "He's the owner."

"You mean he's not a cop?"

Captain Dobey broke out in laughter, "Him, an officer. Not hardly. He's a good friend."

"The Pits at 0200 it is then."

"I'll be there. I have a couple of detectives that'll be with me."

"Starsky and Hutchinson, I presume?"

"How'd you know about them?"

"They're your number one boys. I make it my business to know as much as I can about anyone I'm associated with."

"We'd better get going." Captain Dobey turned toward Huggy and called him over. Introductions were made and the exchange of money for heroin took place.

Chapter 6

Huggy opened the back door when he saw Starsky pull up in the Torino. Captain Dobey got out of the passenger seat and pulled the back of the seat forward so Hutch could get out. "Is he here yet?" Captain Dobey asked.

"Not yet," Huggy answered. He closed the door. "The room upstairs is all yours as long as you need it."

Starsky reached his hand out and patted Huggy's shoulder, "Thanks, Pal." The trio headed up the stairs.

It wasn't long before the door to the small room opened and Armstrong walked in. Huggy was carrying a tray of beers for everyone. "Hutch, can you and Starsky lock up? I got to be in early to let my venders in."

"Sure thing, Hug, and thanks again."

"Stay as long as you want," Huggy said as he left the room.

"Joe Armstrong I'd like you to meet Detectives Dave Starsky and Ken Hutchinson."

"Starsky, Hutch, this is Joe Armstrong. He saved me years ago."

"I'd like to thank you for that," Hutch said as he shook hands with Armstrong.

"Like I told you this afternoon, I'm sorry about Luther. I know you want Moose to go down for his murder. Moose admitted to me the next day he ordered Brenner to kill him." Armstrong sat in the empty chair next to the police captain.

"If you knew about, then why hasn't he been arrested?" Starsky asked.

"You're going after his supplier, aren't you?" Captain Dobey asked.

Armstrong sighed and slowly nodded. "I've been working on this for six months now. Captain, if you and your guys will help me I think we can get what we're both after."

"How's that?" Hutch asked.

"I'm in pretty deep now. Moose trusts me. What I need is for you to get your man Huggy to make a large purchase. Moose is low on merchandise right now and a big deal will flush out his supplier."

"Do you have any idea who that supplier is?" Starsky asked.

"He's kicked around the name Ben Morris. Either of you ever heard of him?"

"Isn't he from back east?" Starsky asked.

"Yeah, he's from New Jersey. He moved to our good city about a year ago. Made a big name for himself."

"That's the one. Our intel says he's the main supplier to the whole city. If we can get him, we can make pretty big dent into the stuff coming into the city," Armstrong said.

Starsky glanced at Hutch and both men nodded at each other. "Okay, we're in. But…"

"Hey don't forget, I'm sittin' right here. This is my operation," Captain Dobey said.

"No one's forgetting about you, Cap'n," Starsky said.

"How could we," Hutch added. "Starsky and I can't be seen by Moose or any of his men. He knows us too well."

"Yeah, he's made that clear. I don't know what the two of you have done to him but I gotta tell you, he's got it in for the both of you," Armstrong said.

"We go back a few years. Hutch and I have busted just about every runner he's had this past year."

"Trouble is, we can't get enough on Moose to bring him in," Hutch added.

"Like I said, this could work to both our advantages."

The four men sat around the small wooden table working on a plan for a couple of hours. Captain Dobey was not happy about using Huggy again, but he would be crucial.

"And you're sure Huggy will agree to it?" Armstrong inquired.

"We're sure," Starsky and Hutch said in unison.

"He even borrowed his cousin's jackhammer… Ouch. Hutch, why'd you kick me?" Starsky bent down and rubbed his left shin. Hutch frowned.

"I knew it! I knew you two were the ones that tore up that sidewalk," Captain Dobey yelled.

"Starsk, he didn't know about that."

"Well he does now and the two of you…" Captain Dobey said.

"It was Hutch's idea. He said it was a stroke of genius as I recall," Starsky said with a smirk.

"A stroke of genius that may get the two of you walking a beat again. We'll talk about it later."

Starsky and Hutch looked at each other and bowed their heads turning them away from the captain's glare. They knew he wouldn't forget it anytime soon.

"Who's going to break the news to Huggy that we need him again?" Hutch asked.

"We are, dummy," Starsky said. He stood up and stretched. "If we're done here, I'd like to hit the hay."

"I sure hope we can wrap this up soon," Armstrong said.

"You and me both," Captain Dobey replied.

"I'll see you and Huggy in two days at the underpass. Hopefully, we'll be able to make a deal big enough to bring Morris out of hiding." Armstrong said as he stood up and stretched.

"You're sure your men will be there?" Captain Dobey asked.

"They'll be there, don't worry. They've got orders to stay out of sight unless something goes down."

"Starsk and I won't be too far away either."

"And your men know Huggy's with us, right?" Starsky asked.

"They know. Don't worry, he'll be fine."

"I'm counting on you, old friend," Captain Dobey said. He stood up and pushed his chair in.

"I'm counting on you guys as much you're counting on me, don't forget."

Hutch smiled a half grin and said, "We won't."

"I got one more question for you," Starsky said.

"What's that?"

"If the Captain here has been hanging around Moose for a month now how come he hasn't seen you before?"

"I can answer that, Starsk. Moose doesn't want his employees to know each other. That way if one gets busted…" Hutch started.

"He can't rat out the rest. Yeah, I figured it was something like that," Starsky finished what Hutch was about to say. 86

"Exactly, and Moose is very particular about who he introduces to whom," Armstrong added.

Chapter 7

Huggy fidgeted as Hutch wrapped the white Velcro straps from the bullet proof vest around his waist. "Are you guys sure I have to wear this thing? It's cramping my style."

"Huggy, you don't have a style and yes, you have to wear this. Moore can't be trusted as far as we can throw him," Starsky said as he put the last Velcro strap in place.

Hutch handed Huggy his long sleeved white shirt, "Come on Hug, Starsk and I are just concerned about your well being." He patted Huggy on the back, "We'd hate to see anything happen to you."

"That makes two of us," Huggy said buttoning his shirt.

Starsky handed Huggy the black vest and mumbled, "Three. That makes three of us. Now look, any signs of trouble and you get out of there, got it?"

"Don't worry; disappearing when there's trouble is my specialty."

Starsky smiled when Huggy put on his jacket, "I gotta tell ya, Hug, I like this suit much better than that…uh whatever it was you had on the other day."

Hutch rubbed his chin and had a serious look on his face, "Hug, are you sure…"

"I'm sure I wanna do this, Hutch." He turned and looked at Captain Dobey, "Luther was a good kid, Cap'n. He deserves justice."

Captain Dobey and Huggy otherwise known as Sam Hawkins and Antonio met Moose and Wayne Hollister whose real name was Joe Armstrong at the designated time at the underpass. Antonio shook hands with Moose as Hawkins introduced him. Antonio opened the suitcase containing the money for the deal. He showed it to Moose. "The merchandise," he said as he closed it.

"I see you don't waste any time," Moose said.

"I like to get down to business. My customers are waiting," Antonio replied. On the outside, Huggy gave the appearance of being calm, cool and collected but on the inside he was a nervous wreck. He knew how easily a drug deal could go south and the sooner it was over with the better.

Moose opened his black case that contained the merchandise. "I can get as much of this as you want."

"Good, cause I want more; a lot more." Antonio glanced at the black case then took a deep breath. "I have a buyer who wants double this amount, can you accommodate him?"

"When?" A smile came across Moose's face. He had never made a sale this big before and was eager at the chance. He had wanted to prove himself to his supplier and move up in the organization.

"Is tomorrow too soon?"

"If you can come up with the cash, I can come up with the stuff."

"Cash is no problem. I can get what I need."

"How's four behind the high school sound?"

Antonio didn't bat an eye but agreed to the deal. He sighed quietly as he handed the case containing Captain Dobey's money to Moose. Sam Hawkins watched carefully as his money exchanged hands. He wondered if he would ever see it again. Moose handed Antonio the merchandise and said, "It's going to be a pleasure doing business with you."

"Likewise," Antonio answered. He turned around walked to the car followed by Sam Hawkins. Antonio wanted to make a hasty retreat and get as much distance between him and Moose as he could. He wanted to put his foot on the gas as fast and as hard as he could. Instead, he kept his calm, cool demeanor and drove slowly away.

Wayne Hollister drove Moose back to his office near the school. Moose went into his office and Hollister followed him. Moose sat in the big black leather chair behind the desk and Hollister sat in a smaller chair in front of the desk. Moose picked up the phone and said, "Hey Wayne, this ought to make him happy." He dialed a number that Hollister couldn't see, leaned back in the chair and put his feet on the desk.

"Yes, sir, it should."

"Who knows maybe after tomorrow, I'll finally move up and you'll be running things. How's that sound?"

Hollister smiled and answered, "That sounds just fine, sir. Just fine."

"I got a big order for you. I got a buyer who needs it by tomorrow." There was a short pause, "No, no. I can move twice as much as I did today." Hollister was straining to hear what Morris was saying but he could only hear Moose. "Tonight, sure I can meet you just tell me when and where." There was another short pause. Hollister closed his eyes and took a deep breath hoping he could hear where and when Moose would be meeting Morris. "I'll be there." Hollister heard and he opened his eyes. "You tired already?" Moose asked.

"I think I'm coming down with something. I've been tired all day," Hollister said and he faked a yawn.

"It's going to be another late night I'm afraid. Morris doesn't like to do business during the day. We're meeting him at two."

"A.M.?"

Moose chuckled, "Yeah, a.m."

"Where?"

"Don't know. He's going to call about half an hour before he gets here and tell me then."

Hollister yawned again, "Will you be requiring my services before then? If not, I told Sam I'd meet him for a couple of beers then I'd like to get some rest before tonight."

"You and Sam have become good friends. I just introduced you a few days ago."

"We're not really friends. I just don't like drinking alone, ya know?"

Moose waved his hand and said, "Yeah, but be here by midnight."

"You got it, Boss. And thanks."

Chapter 8

Hollister got in his car and slowly drove away. He made sure he wasn't being followed. He was pretty sure Moose trusted him, but he didn't want to take any chances. He told Sam Hawkins earlier that he would try to get away and meet him at Perky's Bar around 1800. He took his sunglasses off as he entered the dimly lit bar. The room was full of smoke and he could just barely make out the shadow of the captain sitting on the last stool at the end of the bar. He slowly made his way to the empty stool next to him and sat down. "Sam," he said as he nodded.

"Wayne, good to see you," Sam replied. A waitress came by and Sam ordered a beer for Wayne.

Hollister looked around the bar and couldn't help but smile briefly when he saw his best friend and fellow agent, Mark Sweeney, sitting at a nearby booth. Since going undercover, he had been very careful not to make contact with anyone in his department except by phone once a week. Seeing his friend was a welcome sight even if he couldn't risk talking to him.

"Starsky and Hutch met him today at the underpass and asked him to join them for a couple of beers," Captain Dobey said.

"Here you go, gentlemen," the waitress said as she placed two beers in front of them. Sam thanked her and she drifted into the crowded bar.

Hollister looked around the bar for anyone associated with Moose or his men. Not seeing any of them, he felt relieved. "I'll have to remember to thank them. We're gonna need all the help we can get tonight." He leaned closer to Sam and whispered, "Morris is coming into town tonight to deliver the goods. I don't know where but it's taking place at 0200. Morris is going to call him round 0130 and tell him where. I'm supposed to be back at the office by midnight."

Sam whispered back, "That complicates things a bit. We can't set up a bust if we don't know where."

"The good news is that Morris trusts Moose, they've been together a long time. I don't think either of them suspect anything." Hollister glanced at his friend again and noticed Starsky and Hutch sitting in the both with him this time.

"That's good to know. We'll hang tight until you leave and follow you."

"I guess that's the best we can do. You'll tell Sweeney?"

"He'll be there."

It was another cloudy, dark night but it appeared as if the rain was going to hold off until morning. Hutch parked at the corner of the street so they would be able to see when Hollister and Moose left. "Tell me again why we had to take your car. I hate this car." Starsky picked up a piece of paper from the dash and tossed into the back seat. He glanced at the trash that had been piling up.

"Do you mind, Starsky," Dobey called from the back seat.

"Sorry, Cap'n. Hutch you really otta…"

"Don't go there with me, Starsk. And we're taking my car because that tomato you drive sticks out like a…like a tomato on wheels."

"Starsky, Hutch, I never got around to thanking you for everything and…"

"Captain, you don't have to thank us. There's no way we could let you do this alone," Hutch said.

"Still, this is going way above the call of duty and I won't forget it."

"It's okay, Cap'n. Like Hutch said, we wouldn't want to miss all the fun and excitement," Starsky added.

"I know I don't act like I appreciate the two of you very much…"

"Captain, you're not just our Captain you know. You're our friend now let's get this jerk before he kills anyone else."

"Where do you think Sweeney is?" Starsky asked as he turned around and looked behind them.

"He said he'd be driving a dark blue four door…oh wait I think that's him now, look." Hutch pointed to a car that had just turned the corner and continued its way down the street. Starsky and Hutch ducked down in their seats to avoid being seen in case it was someone else. Hutch lifted his head just enough to see the driver as he drove by. "That's him."

They waited two hours before the front door opened and Hollister and Moose drove away. Starsky picked up the walkie talkie and keyed the mic, "Space rangers to ground control, we have lift off."

Hutch frowned as he turned toward Starsky, "Space rangers?"

"We had to be somethin'."

Hutch shook his head chuckling to himself and continued to follow Hollister. It was twenty minutes before the car came to a stop at an empty train station in the downtown area. They saw a silver Porsche already parked. Starsky looked behind them to make sure that Sweeney had followed them. "Sweeney's right around the corner."

Hutch put the car in gear and turned off the engine. "I sure hope we can end this tonight. I don't how much more the captain can take."

Captain Dobey picked up his walkie talkie again and said, "Remember, nobody moves until Hollister - I mean - Armstrong lights a cigarette."

Armstrong got out of the car and opened the passenger door for Moose. The two walked toward the Porsche and Morris emerged from his car and started walking toward Moose. "Morris, you got the goods?"

"First things first, who's this?" He pointed at Hollister.

"Wayne Hollister, he's my right hand man. Those two detectives Starsky and Hutch busted my last assistant. Wayne Hollister, meet Ben Morris." The two men shook hands.

"Moose, I don't have all night where's the money?"
"It's in the car, I'll get it," Hollister said and he turned around and walked back to the car. His heart was pounding. Months of undercover work was about to end. One way or the other it was all going to end tonight. He was nervous, excited, and anxious all at once. He had to remember to breathe as he walked to the car and opened the back door. He took one last deep breath, reached in and put his hand on the suitcase full of money. With his other hand he felt his front pocket to make sure the cigarettes and lighter were there.

Ben Morris did not arrive alone. One of his men was sitting in the passenger seat and opened the door as soon as Hollister started walking back with the money.

"Hutch," Starsky whispered.

"I see him, Starsk," Hutch said.

"We can't do anything until the exchange," Captain Dobey added.

"We know that, Captain." Hutch and Starsky said at the same time. They were worried about the extra man Morris brought and wanted to get a little closer in case there was trouble.

"Captain, we're going to move up don't do anything just yet," Hutch whispered. Captain Dobey nodded.

Starsky picked up the walkie talkie and said, "Hutch and I are moving up…" He was interrupted by a single gunshot. "Move in, move in," he yelled as he keyed the mic on the walkie talkie.

Hutch took off running when he saw Armstrong hit the ground. Hutch took a couple of shots at the man by the Porsche that shot Armstrong. Mark Sweeney ran to Armstrong who was curled up on the ground in the fetal position as blood pooled on the ground. Starsky was following Hutch and they ran to the man Hutch had just shot. Hutch kicked the gun away as Starsky rolled the man over and saw that Hutch shot him in the left shoulder. "You'll be all right," he said as he pulled his cuffs out of his jeans.

Captain Dobey drew his gun and ran toward Moose. What none of them knew was that Brenner and a couple more men had been hiding on the other side of one of the empty buildings and when Armstrong was shot, they saw the police moving in. Brenner saw Captain Dobey running; it was more of a cross between a jog and a fast walk than an actual run. He took aim and whispered, "No good lousy pig." He pulled the trigger and the captain hit the ground. He managed to roll under an empty train car before passing out.

There was a lot of yelling and more shots were fired before it was over. Starsky finished putting the handcuffs on the man who shot Armstrong and told one of the agents, "He's the one who shot Armstrong, he's all yours."

"Thanks, I got him," the agent replied.

Hutch saw Sweeney kneeling on the ground next to Armstrong. "Starsk," he said as he nodded in that direction.

"Oh, no." Starsky said as they both headed toward the fallen agent.

"How is he?" Hutch asked kneeling beside Armstrong.

"I don't know, it looks pretty bad."

Hutch took off his jacket and put it under Armstrong's head. "The medics are on the way. Hey, Armstrong, can you hear me?"

"Did we get em?" was the weak reply Hutch received.

"Yeah, we got em. Hang in there, help's on the way."

"It's over, Armstrong. It's over."

"What happened? I mean why did they shoot?"

"I don't know, but we'll find out," Hutch said.

"I saw that shot you made, Hutch. Not bad," Sweeney said. He removed his shirt and used it to apply pressure to Armstrong's abdomen.

"I've had a lot of practice."

"Where's Dobey?" Armstrong asked very weakly.

Sweeney looked around and said, "Don't know. Haven't seen him."

Starsky and Hutch looked around. The agents had everything under control. Moose was being put into a patrol car and Brenner was lying dead on the ground. Morris and the others were being handcuffed. Hutch asked, "Yeah, where is Dobey?"

Hutch was getting worried now and patted Sweeney on the shoulder, "We'll be right back." He stood up and yelled, "Captain Dobey!" There was no answer.

"Let's spit up. We gotta find him, Hutch." Starsky went to his left and Hutch went right.

The right side of Captain Dobey's face was lying in the dirt. His eyes fluttered when he heard Hutch frantically calling him. He felt weak but managed to yell, "Hutch, I'm over here."

Hutch heard the captain call back and found him in the dirt. "Starsk, over here."

"Hutch did we get em?"

Hutch opened Captain Dobey's jacket to reveal the gunshot wound he had in his abdomen. His captain had lost a lot of blood and he was amazed the man was conscious. "We got them, Captain. Brenner's dead and the others are under arrest."

Starsky ran over to them and slid to a position next to Captain Dobey. "You're gonna be alright, Cap'n." Starsky said as he looked at Hutch for reassurance. Hutch shrugged his shoulders and removed his shirt and used it to control the bleeding. "I'll get a medic," Starsky said. He patted Captain Dobey on the shoulder and added, "I'll be right back."

"Hurry," Hutch whispered as he kept pressure on Dobey's wound.

Starsky quickly found Captain Dobey a paramedic and it wasn't long before the captain was being loaded into an ambulance and whisked away to the hospital.
"He's gotta be okay," Starsky said.

"He'll be fine, Starsk. He'll probably be up and yelling us by tomorrow." Hutch wasn't sure if he meant that or if he was just trying to reassure him and his partner. "What about Armstrong?" Hutch asked Starsky as they headed toward the car.

"The paramedic said they think he'll be fine. He woke up as they were putting him in the ambulance."

Hutch smiled, "That's good. Hey what happened? I mean why did they start shooting?"

"Sweeney said the guy that shot Armstrong recognized him. Turns out he arrested him a couple of years ago."

"Really?"

"That's what Sweeney said."

Chapter 9

Hutch was pacing in the waiting room. The captain had been taken to surgery before he could see him. The nurse just came out and told them that it wasn't looking good. The captain's blood pressure was dropping and they were having a hard time stabilizing it. Hutch stopped pacing and sat down next to Starsky. "Starsk?"

"Yeah, Buddy."

"Should we call Edith and let her know what happened?"

Starsky took a sip of his coffee, "No. No calls. Let's go get her."

"It's a two hour drive, ya know."

Starsky rubbed his forehead and sighed, "I hate to leave too, Hutch. Hey, what about calling the state police? I'm sure they'd pick her up and bring her here. Her and the kids."

Hutch's face lit up briefly, "That's not a bad idea, Partner."

"I do get them from time to time."

"You know we'll have to call her. If they just show up it will scare the hell out of her. Besides, I'd rather she hear from us that he's been shot."

"You're right."

"Why don't you go check on Armstrong and I'll make the call. I'll call Edith to let her know they're coming."

Starsky saw Sweeney sitting in a chair with his head lowered. He handed him a cup of coffee, "Here."

Sweeney raised his head and took the offering, "Thanks, Hutch."

"Nope. I'm Starsky, my partner's Hutch."

"Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. It happens all the time," Starsky said as he sat next to Sweeney. "Fact is, there are worse things I could be called than Hutch." He smiled as he saw his partner on the phone. "But uh…don't tell him I said that, okay?"

Sweeney smiled, "It'll be our secret. How's your captain?"

"He's in surgery. He lost a lot of blood but he's tough, he'll pull through. What about Armstrong?"

"About the same as your captain."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Starsky. We didn't know Smith was even out of jail let alone working for Morris."

"That's his name? The one who shot Armstrong."

Sweeney nodded and took another sip of his coffee. "You know Armstrong's been married for over twenty-five years."

"Captain Dobey too. Hutch is calling his wife now. She's staying out of town. We're gonna have the state police bring her here."

"Good idea."

"What about his wife?"

"Field supervisor is bringing her. They should be here in about half hour."

Edith was asleep when her sister knocked on her bedroom door and slowly opened it. "Edith, it's detective Hutchinson on the phone for you."

Edith's heart started racing. She knew if Hutch was calling instead of Harold he must have been hurt. Her hands were trembling and she hesitated before reaching for the phone. "Thank you," she whispered to her sister. She put the phone up to her ear, "Hutch, please tell me…"

"Mrs. Dobey, Edith, he's been shot and he's in surgery. Now the state police are on the way to pick you and kids up and bring you here."

She closed her eyes and her lips quivered as she said, "Hutch, tell me the truth, how is he?"

Hutch took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was a cop's wife and she was a strong person. Hutch knew she deserved to know the truth, "Edith, he's lost a lot of blood. The nurse said his blood pressure was dropping. But he's…"

She sniffed and held her head high, "Thank you, Hutch, for telling me the truth."

"Edith, listen to me. Listen to me good. Captain Dobey's strong, he's a real fighter he'll pull through."

She forced a smile, "The kids and I will be there as soon as we can. Thank you." She hung up the phone. Her sister pulled her close and they embraced each other. Edith cried on her sister's shoulder for a few moments then she stood up straight and wiped away her tears. "The state police will be here to take us to the hospital."

"How is he?"

"Harold will be okay." She made that sound more like an order than a statement.

"I'll get the kids cloths out."

Cal was sleeping on the couch in her sister's den. Rosie was asleep in a fort that Cal had made for his sister out of a couple of chairs and a blanket. She sat on the floor next to the couch and stroked her son's hair. "Cal," she whispered.

Cal slowly opened his eyes, "Mom?"

"I need you to wake up now." Her voice was soft and gentle. It was so soft that it alarmed her son.

Cal sat up quickly, "What's wrong, Mom?"

"I need you to get dressed, quickly now."

Cal nodded, "What about Rosie?"

"I'll wake her." She didn't want to say the words. She didn't want to tell her son that his father had been shot and was fighting for his life. She didn't really have to - Cal already knew.

"Mom, he'll be okay." He started walking to the bathroom. His aunt met him in the door way and handed him his clothes. "Thanks." She nodded. She had Rosie's clothes in her other hand and handed them to Edith.

Rosie started crying as soon as she realized why her mother woke her up so early. "Edith, go get dressed. I'll take care of her," her sister said. She put Rosie on her lap as Edith went to her room.

Edith and the kids walked through the waiting room doors and saw Starsky and Hutch sitting down. They had fallen asleep and their heads were leaning against each other. Rosie yelled when she saw them, "Uncle Ken, Uncle Dave!"

Starsky and Hutch woke up instantly and sat up straight. "Rosie," they said in unison. Hutch stood up and picked the little girl up. "You're getting so big. I won't be able to pick you up much longer."

"I am eight now, you know."

Hutch smiled at her, kissed her cheek and put her back down. "How's Harold?" Edith asked.

"The doctor came out a few minutes ago and said that he made it through surgery. He said we can see him in a few minutes," Hutch answered.

Cal mumbled something they couldn't understand and walked away. Starsky glanced at Hutch and said, "I'll talk to him." Hutch nodded.

Starsky put his hand on the young man's shoulder when he approached him. "You're Dad's gonna be okay, Cal."

"No thanks to me," Cal said barely above a whisper.

"You don't think…you can't possibly think this is your fault." Cal shrugged his shoulders.

"Calvin Elmo Dobey!" Starsky's voice was a whisper but it was a loud whisper with a tinge of anger in it.

"You don't understand, Uncle Dave."

"Then make me understand." He led Cal further away from the others.

"I asked Dad…I…I wanted him to go after Moose."

"Sure you did. But your Dad would have went after him anyway after what he did."

"He didn't go after him because I wanted him to?"

"That may have been a part of it, but not the only reason. Look, your Dad and an undercover Federal agent just busted one of the biggest drug rings this city has ever seen. And you should be proud of him."

Cal lifted his head and looked at Starsky right in the eyes, "I've always been proud of my Dad. I love my Dad, Uncle Dave."

"Look kid, things happen in this line of work. You ought to know that by now. You're not to blame. I promise." Cal looked at his mother and sister as they were talking with Hutch and sighed. "They don't blame you either, Son."

Cal smiled, "I guess you're right. I'm sorry."

"You got nothing to be sorry for. Let's get back so you can see your dad."

Cal opened the door for his mother and little sister. They were followed by Starsky and Hutch. Captain Dobey was awake and smiled when he saw his family enter the room. "I'm okay, guys."

"Dad, I love you," Cal said. He leaned over and hugged his dad.

Captain Dobey put his arms around his son and hugged him back, "I love you too, Son." He smiled at Edith.

"Captain, Sweeney told me that Joe Armstrong is going to be just fine. He'll have to spend a few days in the hospital but he's fine," Hutch said.

"That's good news," the captain replied.

There was a knock on the door and Hutch opened it. Huggy came in, "Antonio would like to see Sam Hawkins."

"Huggy, even you are a sight for sore eyes," Captain Dobey said, smiling.

"How are you, Captain?" Huggy asked. He put the flowers he was carrying on the windowsill.

"I'm going to be fine, Huggy. I'd like to thank you for everything."

"This time it was my pleasure. I'm just glad you got him off the streets."

"Speaking of streets, I believe I remember something being said about a sidewalk…"

"Captain, I'm glad you're going to be okay. Starsky and I have some paperwork we gotta take care of, don't we, Buddy?" Hutch grabbed Starsky's shirt and tugged at it as he headed toward the door.

"Ummm, yeah. A lot of paperwork. We'll see you at the office in a few days." Starsky said as he and Hutch made a mad dash for the door followed by Huggy.

"Oh, one more thing, cap'n."

"What's that, Starsky?"

"Hutch and I don't want you think that you have anything to worry about with the chief."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What my partner is trying to say, Captain, is that we talked to the chief and as far as he's concerned you went undercover because Moose knew us too well."

"So he doesn't know I went off on my own?"

"Nah. Besides, Hutch and I could never let you do that."

"You boys went to bat for me?"

"Of course we did. So maybe you could uh forget about that sidewalk," Hutch said.

"Yeah, go on get out of here. And take Huggy with you."