Hot Tomato
Deanna Jordon
Detective Sergeant David Starsky hummed as he drove to work. He had just picked up his car from his favorite mechanic and was reveling in the feel of power from the engine. His car was his favorite possession and everyone who knew him, knew that. In fact, several of the officers at the Metro Division knew him only as "the guy with the red car with the white stripe." Over the years,tarsky had taken quite a bit of ribbing about his 'stripped tomato,' especially from his best friend, Ken Hutchinson.
Starsky and Hutch, as the duo were called, usually traded weeks in what car they were going to use. Starsky almost dreaded riding in his partner's car, an old beat up LTD that would have looked right at home in any junkyard. This week was Hutch's week to drive and Starsky's baby would be left in the parking lot at the police station they worked out of. Starsky hated leaving the car there, but it was safer than leaving it at his apartment during the day.
Starsky had taken a shortcut to work that morning, just to have a little more time to test out the newest modifications to the carburetor. He turned down an alleyway and immediately had to hit the brakes as he saw a large trash dumpster being rolled across the opening.
"Damn!" he yelled as he skidded to a stop. He was still in the process of getting out of the car when two hooded, armed figures ran out of a doorway behind him.
"Hands up!" the taller of the two figures called.
Starsky slowly put his hands up in the air. He watched the two carefully, trying to find an opening that he could take advantage of. He could tell that these two had handled jobs like this before.
"Look at what we got this time!" A low, admiring whistle sounded from behind Starsky as the shorter of the gunmen walked slowly around the car.
"We've gotten some good ones with this trick, but never this good. I wonder how she runs?"
"Let's find out," his partner stated. Before Starsky had a chance to move, a gun butt was slammed against the back of his head and he pitched forward without a sound.
When Starsky awoke, the first thing he saw was his partner bending over him. "Welcome back, Starsk. How do you feel?" Hutch sat down and helped Starsky to sit up, letting his curly-haired partner lean against his shoulder.
"I'll let you know as soon as the world slows down enough for me to get my bearings." As Starsky looked around, he remembered what had happened. He jumped up and began to stagger around. "My car!" he yelled. "Those bastards stole my car!" Starsky stumbled and fell into Hutch as he looked around the alley. "I can't believe they took my car!" He yelled again.
Hutch finally forced Starsky to sit down, before he fell. "The ambulance is on its way, Starsk. Just sit still before you really hurt yourself. Now tell me what happened?"
"I don't need an ambulance, I need my car." Starsky told his blond partner, sounding very much like a preschooler asking for the newest toy at Christmas.
"You need an ambulance. You've been out for quite a while and you've got a serious gash on the back of your head. It's gonna need a few stitches. Now sit down." Hutch fished a handkerchief out of his back pocket and applied it to the curly head. He could hear the ambulance coming down the road and let out a sigh of relief. He knew that head injuries with any period of unconsciousness could have serious after-effects.
While the ambulance made it's way toward the officers, Starsky told Hutch everything he could remember. He was almost glad when he was allowed to lay down on the gurney and told to relax. Hutch promised to meet him at the hospital as soon as he had gotten the uniformed officer's report. He helped load the gurney and watched as the ambulance sped away.
An hour later, Hutch met Starsky in the hospital emergency room. The doctor had sewn up the gash in Starsky's head and had a couple of X-rays taken just to rule out any kind of skull fracture. After handing Hutch a prescription for a painkiller, the doctor discharged Starsky and told him to stay home and rest for a couple of days.
In Hutch's car, Starsky turned to his partner with one question on his mind, what had Hutch found out about his car? Hutch answered, "Your car seems to have been the third one stolen like that this week. Auto theft is working on it and have asked us if we'd like to help out. Dobey has already given his okay on it."
"Do they have any leads?"
"Just one. One of their informants said that a new group was trying out a novel way to smuggle drugs. They take stolen cars, trash 'em up a bit, and take them to Mexico. There they are repainted and hauled back to Texas with the gas tanks full of heroin."
"Trashed, they're gonna trash my car? MY car? We gotta find 'em Hutch."
"We will, don't worry. We'll get started on it first thing in the morning."
"Not in the morning, NOW!" Starsky argued.
"I'll get started now, IF you go home and sleep for the rest of the day. The doctor said you'd be dizzy for a couple of days and I don't need a partner who's gonna pass out on me just because he wouldn't sleep when he should've," Hutch told his partner sternly. He gave Starsky a fierce look that told him there was no room for any more arguments.
"You'll get right to work on it? And call me the minute you find out anything?"
"I promise." Hutch brought the car to a stop at the local drug store. He went inside and quickly had Starsky's prescription filled. After that, he drove Starsky home and put him to bed. As he left, he repeated his promise to call when he had some news.
By the time Starsky awoke that night, Hutch had returned and had started a light supper. With a groan, Starsky rolled out of bed and planted his bare feet on the rug. He grabbed his bathrobe to wear over his pajama bottoms and carefully made his way to the table. He sat down heavily, pushed his plate out of the way, and laid his head down.
"My head feels like someone used it for a football game," he groaned.
"You look like someone did. Here, sit up and have some soup. You haven't eaten all day." Hutch placed a bowl of mushroom soup on the plate and pushed it back to his friend.
Starsky looked at the soup and wondered how he could gently tell Hutch that the smell was making him queasy. He decided the best way was to say nothing at all. He got up and made his way to the couch where he sat down gingerly and held his stomach.
"What did you find out about my car?"
Hutch just smiled at his sick friend. He knew how his partner was feeling and it wasn't just from the knock on the head. "Not much. Auto theft has a couple of names to check out. And yes, I already called Huggy to see if he had heard anything. He said he'd call us here if he did." Hutch left his own bowl of soup untouched and came over to sit by Starsky. Gently, he pulled his friend's head down to his shoulder and pretended to check the stitches. The two sat quietly and soon Hutch realized that Starsky was asleep again. He slowly lowered Starsky's head to a pillow and swung his feet up on the sofa. Covering the sleeping man up with a blanket from the bed, Hutch went in to eat his supper.
The next morning dawned bright and clear. Hutch was up early, having decided to stay the night to make sure Starsky was okay. His pal was still asleep on the couch as he showered, dressed, and started a pot of coffee. The coffee had nearly finished percolating, when Starsky sat up.
"Good morning. Think you could stand a little breakfast today?" Hutch called out.
"Maybe. What time is it?" Starsky threw off the blanket and came to sit at the table.
"About eight. Do you want eggs or pancakes?" Hutch stood in front of the fridge waiting for an answer.
"Pancakes if you don't mind. I just bought mix and syrup the other day." Starsky got up and poured himself a cup of coffee. "This tastes good. Who'd you have come and fix it?"
"Watch it or no breakfast bud," Hutch warned as he dug out a skillet. "Why don't you go shower, then we'll eat, then we'll go see what Huggy has to say."
"Deal. Did anyone call last night?"
"No, but you need to call your insurance company this morning, first thing. I brought a copy of the written report so you shouldn't have any problem putting in your claim." Hutch's back was turned so he didn't see the face Starsky made at him.
"I don't want to put in a claim, I want my car back." Starsky said firmly. He left on that note to shower and change.
"I know buddy," Hutch whispered to himself as he poured milk into the pancake batter.
After breakfast, the two friends drove to The Pits, a bar and grill owned and managed by Huggy Bear. Huggy was a tall, lean black man with a flair for con games before he had become a legitimate business owner. Being respectable hadn't changed Huggy's talent for attracting news and gossip from the street. If something was happening, was about to happen, or had happened, Huggy either knew about it, or could find out about it in short order.
"What it is gents. What brings you here this fine morning?" Huggy asked as the two walked into the bar. Automatically, Huggy set them both up with coffee as Starsky began taking stools down from the bar and set them in a neat row in front of it.
"My car." Starsky said.
"I heard. Man what a low thing to happen. I hear you got beat up too. You okay?" Huggy looked at Hutch for confirmation.
"Just a couple of stitches. Nothing to worry about." Starsky answered.
"Try seven stitches and a mild concussion." Hutch corrected.
"Whatever. Huggy have you heard anything?"
"Just this morning, my cousin called me with a small newsflash. It seems that two gents calling themselves Barry Hight and Craig Morton are trying to set up a new heroin operation. " Huggy leaned forward on the bar.
"That much we got from Auto Theft. What else can you tell us?" Hutch said, sipping at his coffee. He shook his head at the taste, wondering how in the world Huggy made such good coffee.
"Well I hear tell that Mr. Hight has put out a few feelers looking for a little help in getting the cars to Mexico. He's offering to pay big bucks. You wouldn't know of anyone who needs a little work would ya?" Huggy grinned at the two men as he downed the last of his coffee.
Hutch looked at Huggy. "Would there be any way of getting me a job interview with these two gentlemen?"
"Possibly. Let me check out what their hiring process is like. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Right now, I have a delivery coming in that I've got to unpack. See you two later." Huggy disappeared into a back room leaving Starsky and Hutch to finish their coffee.
The two detectives walked into the squad room at Metro just in time for Dobey to yell their names. "Come in here. I have some news for you about our carjackers." Dobey motioned the both of them to a seat. "They just hit about an hour ago. Same M.O. except this time, they killed a man. This just went from auto theft to murder one." Dobey's face was grim.
"I have an idea, Cap't." Hutch related what he and Starsky had found out from Huggy. "I think I can get inside and stop things on this side of the border."
"What about backup? You can't take Starsky, they've seen him."
"I'll be there as backup. I won't let them see me and Hutch will be wired." Starsky spoke up.
"I still don't like it. But, we don't have any other choice right now. All right, you do what you can but you stay in touch with your partner here. One detective in the hospital is one too many. Now get out of here." Dobey dismissed them with a wave of his hand. He always hated sending his men into dangerous situations, and yet he knew that that was how the job got done. He gave the papers on his desk an extra firm push away and turned his chair to stare out the window.
Back at their desks, Starsky and Hutch were plotting out how to get Hutch into the gang's employ.
"I'm gonna need a cover name. " Hutch said as he filled out the requisition papers for the wire. "How about Patrick Jenson. You'll need to plant a file for me. These guys might actually do a little digging."
"Already done." Starsky passed over the sheet he'd been working on. "We'll just add your name and voila, you're a small time car thief from Bakersfield who is on the run. We'll say that you're looking for a quick way out of the country. That should get these guys interested." Starsky reached for the phone and put in a call to Huggy.
Minutes later, he hung up and turned to Hutch. "Huggy will put out a few feelers and find out where our boys hang out. Tomorrow, you go into action."
"Right now, let's see if our two friends here have police records." Hutch left to go to Research and Information. He came back about fifteen minutes later with the files. Not surprisingly, both Hight and Morton had rap sheets listing burglary, auto theft and assault. In addition, Morton was wanted in connection with a carjacking in Oregon that had left a man dead. Hutch and his curly-haired partner studied the booking photos until they were sure they could recognize both men if they saw them.
The two stayed at the station all day, finishing reports so that they could give their full attention to the undercover assignment. Huggy had called and invited the two to dinner at the bar so that they could talk. At six, the detectives left and headed over to the Pits.
"Nice to see you gentlemen." Huggy brought over two beers and sat them down in front of the two.
"What have you heard, Huggy?" Hutch asked.
"Hight and Morton have been hanging out at Louie's pool hall over on 108th. A friend of mine told Hight he knew someone who needed a job that would take him out of the country for a while. If you're there at eleven, Hight will be there to talk. Otherwise, forget it." Huggy told him.
Just then, the waitress brought over three of Huggy's special hamburgers and fries. Over the meal, Starsky filled in Huggy about the identity they had built for Hutch. Huggy readily agreed to vouch for 'Jenson".
"You be careful Hutch. They burned a guy this morning. They won't think twice about burning a cop." With this word of warning, Huggy left them to attend to the rest of his customers. Hutch and Starsky finished their meal in silence, both of them thinking dark thoughts about tomorrow.
Later that night, Hutch walked into the pool hall, made his way over to the bar and ordered a beer. He had scanned the place when he had walked in and knew that Hight and Morton weren't there yet. It was nearly a quarter to eleven and Hutch figured being early could only work in his favor. He was always nervous when trying to set up a new undercover operation. He and Starsky knew their parts, but the bad guys didn't always know theirs.
Starsky was waiting in the street a block away. He was driving Hutch's car and feeling more depressed by the minute. His headache was back with a vengeance and he rubbed his eyes. He knew the awful risk Hutch was taking, and why he was taking it. Normally, any undercover work was a two-man job, but not this time. Starsky's thoughts were cut short as he noticed a car pass him and park in front of the bar. By the light of the neon sign over the door, Starsky could make out the figure of Morton. The man glanced up and down the street before entering the bar.
"Here he comes." Hutch's voice was barely audible over the wire he wore. Starsky turned up the volume on his receiver. "He's sitting at a table in the back. I'm going over."
Inside the bar, Hutch got up off his stool and walked over the table. He sat down across from Morton and put his drink down.
"Whaddya' you want?" Morton growled.
"I was told you're the man to see about a little work."
"What kinda work?" Morton leaned forward.
"I hear you're paying for someone to take a little trip to Mexico and back. I need the money and I like Mexican food."
"Who told ya I'm hiring?"
"Friend of a friend. Call a guy named Huggy Bear if you don't believe me."
"Huggy send ya?" Morton's black eyes bored into Hutch's blue ones. This was the critical moment. If Morton didn't believe him, or if he called anybody but Huggy, things could get ugly real fast.
"Yea. He knew I needed a job and sent me your way." Hutch returned the stare. Casually, but without breaking eye contact, he reached for his beer and took a long swallow.
"What's your name?"
"Jenson, Patrick Jenson. From up around Bakersfield."
Morton leaned back. He wore a grin on his face. "And you don't scare worth a damn. Good. Maybe we could use a little help. Meet me here tomorrow morning around ten. We'll talk more then." Morton got up from the table and left. Hutch watched as he walked out and heard the sound of a car leaving.
"Follow him Starsk. I'll call Huggy to pick me up. Don't lose him, just go!" Hutch knew that Starsky wanted to follow but wouldn't leave his partner. One of the advantages of a wire was that it only worked one way. As Hutch walked to the door, he saw his car go past and got a fleeting glimpse of Starsky looking right at him.
Starsky had heard all of the conversation and had the car started when Morton walked out. He had intended to pick up Hutch and then follow along, but Hutch was right. The two shouldn't be seen together in this neighborhood, even by accident, until the operation was finished. He drove away, slowing down in front of the bar to see his partner walking out, safe and alone. Once he had done that, he gave all of his attention to following Morton.
The chase ended when Morton pulled his sedan into the parking lot of a beat up building that advertised car repairs and body work. The paint was old and faded and the sign on the door read 'Out of Business.' Morton pulled up to the closed garage and honked twice. A moment later, the door was slowly raised and Morton disappeared inside. Starsky parked half a block away on the other side of the street and waited. He called in his position to dispatch and settled himself for a long wait.
He had been waiting for almost half an hour when the sound of the car door opening took him by surprise and he jerked around, hand reaching for his gun. He relaxed when he saw Hutch settle himself into the seat.
"What are you doing here, Blondie?" Starsky muttered.
"I brought you some coffee." Hutch handed it over, along with a bottle of aspirin. "I figured by now you could use these too." Hutch smiled that grin of his that always cheered up a room even in the darkest situation. "Huggy picked me up and dropped me off here after I called Dobey."
Starsky accepted the aspirin gratefully and swallowed two with the coffee. He hadn't been fooling Hutch about the headache having worn off on its own. He slouched down in the seat and once again looked at the garage.
"By the way, what'cha doing this weekend?" Starsky mumbled to Hutch.
"Don't know. Why?" Hutch was sitting up his seat, sipping his coffee and wondering how to get Starsky to go home. He looked at his partner. "Got something planned?"
"Yea. You remember me saying I met this new girl, Gayle, on vacation down here from Indiana? Well, she's got a friend down here with her. Whadd'ya say the four of us go out Saturday night?"
"Sure Starsk. Sounds good." Hutch looked at his watch. "Looks like they're settled for the night. Let's go home. I'll even drive." Hutch got out of the car and walked around to the driver's side.
"Sounds good to me." Starsky scooted over in the seat and leaned his aching head against the seatback. He was asleep before Hutch got the car started.
Hutch drove to his apartment. He knew that Starsky was still hurting from the concussion and didn't like the idea of leaving his partner alone yet. He woke Starsky and the two of them went into the apartment. Starsky just dropped on the couch and was out before he could even get comfortable. Hutch just smiled at his friend and spread a blanket over him. "Good night, Starsk." Hutch went to his own room and was soon fast asleep.
The next morning, Starsky groaned and rolled over, right off the couch onto the floor. He just lay there for a moment before getting to his feet. He wasn't really surprised to find himself at Hutch's place. He was surprised to find that he was fully dressed. He lifted his head as he smelled coffee.
"Hutch?" Starsky walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. He could hear the shower running in the bathroom and looked at the clock. Eight-thirty, they had to meet Morton and Hight at ten. 'Correction,' he told himself, Hutch has to be there at ten. Starsky picked up the wire transmitter that was lying on the table and checked it out. He knew that Hutch's life depended on how well it was functioning. He was still holding the transmitter when Hutch came out of the shower.
"Good morning. Feeling better?" Hutch ignored the coffee and went to the fridge. He had already made up one of his famous breakfast drinks and he drank it down, enjoying the face that his partner made at him. "You know, if your head still hurts, you should try some of this. It'll make a new man out of ya."
"I'll take my chances just the way I am, thanks." was Starsky's grumbled reply. "I'll just go take a shower and leave you to whatever that is." He ambled out of the kitchen to the bathroom. Hanging on a hook behind the door, he found a clean outfit, one of the sets of clothes he had left. Hutch had clothes at Starsky's apartment as well. Showering took only a little time and by nine, the two were ready to roll.
The first stop was the station. Dobey was waiting for them. "Come into my office." He followed the pair in and closed the door behind him. "We got a report last night that a car carrier was stolen around midnight." Starsk and Hutch looked at each other. That was while they were watching the garage.
"We were watching a garage down by the industrial park. There were two men there. One was Morton…"
Starsky interrupted, "And we didn't see the other one. Capt'n, either that truck heist isn't related to this case..."
"Or we have a third man involved." Hutch finished. He looked at his partner. "Huggy didn't say anything about another guy. Hight and Morton must be about ready to move if they're hiring two instead of one."
"Do we know for sure that they are buying the dope in Mexico?" Dobey asked.
"We think so. For right now, we're just interested in wrapping up a murder case.."
"And getting my car back." Starsky put in.
"And getting his car back." Hutch added. He looked at his watch. "We've got to go. See ya later Capt'n." The two men walked out of the office.
Dobey watched them go. He couldn't ignore the feeling in the pit of his stomach that something wasn't right. He was very attached to his two lead detectives and right now, he wasn't sure he'd see them together again.
Starsky and Hutch had discussed the plan on the way to the office. Hutch would take his car and Starsky would borrow a motorcycle from the Impound yard. The bike would be easier to conceal, and easier to tail Hutch with. The trick had worked before and both men were sure they would need every advantage they had before this operation was over.
Reaching the bar, Hutch parked right outside and looked up and down the street before entering. He caught a glimpse of Starsky as the motorcycle roared past and turned down the adjoining alleyway. Hutch put his hands in the pockets of the worn blue-jean jacket he was wearing , and entered the bar.
He had barely gotten through the door when he saw Morton playing pool with two other men. The shorter husky looking man he recognized from the photographs as Hight. The tall muscular black man he didn't know. "Hiya fellas," Hutch greeted them as he made his way over to the table.
Morton introduced Hutch to Hight , then used his pool cue to point at the newcomer. "Meet Fred Michaels. You ready to go?" Morton laid the pool cue down on the table.
"Sure thing," Hutch told him.
"Come on. We have a van out back." Morton led the way out the back door of the bar. Parked in the alleyway was a beaten up tan van without windows. Morton climbed into the driver's seat as the other three climbed into the back of the van. As the van drove off, Hutch heard the welcome roar of a motorcycle behind them.
Hutch couldn't see out of the van so he had no idea of where he was being taken. He looked at Michaels and gave a lopsided grin. No one was talking as they sat on the bare metal floor of the van. Hutch fancied he could hear the occasional sound of a motorcycle and knew he wasn't alone.
Starsky had no trouble following the van. The motorcycle helmet he wore concealed his features so he was in no danger of being recognized. He was careful to stay as far back as possible and took connecting alleyways to wait on the van when it turned at various intersections. He was surprised when the van didn't head for the garage he and Hutch had staked out earlier. Instead, the van headed for the outskirts of town. The buildings were few and far between, and the driveways they passed were dirt-covered. Clumps of trees and bushes dotted the landscape.
Twenty minutes later, the van pulled into a junkyard. The gates were open, but at the entrance, one of the van doors opened and Starsky could see Hutch jump out and pull the gate shut. A heavy chain and padlock secured the opening. Starsky could only watch and wait now. He hid the bike behind a thick cluster of berry bushes across the road, and crouched down beside it. He pulled a pair of binoculars from his jacket, and a walkie-talkie from his pocket. He could hear his partner talking to the group.
"Nice place you got here. Now what?" Hutch was surveying the area as he and Michaels were led to a dilapidated metal shack in the center of the yard. A car carrier stood out from behind it. All around him he could mounds and mounds of cars in various stages of disrepair. Piles of tires, debris, and the solid outline of a car crusher filled the west side of the yard. The east side was taken up by a long, low, metal shed with wide doors.
"In here. We'll fill you on what we've got." Morton opened the door and all four of the men went in. The only furnishings were a card table and four chairs in the center of the room and a counter that ran along the back wall. Hutch sat down in one of the chairs and leaned back, the perfect picture of relaxation.
"Okay, here's where the game get interesting. "Hight said. "We've got six cars. Two are total wrecks, three are drivable, and one is a chase car for the truck. Tonight we'll drive across the border into Mexico. There's a little rancho about twenty miles in. That's where Morton and I will pick up the heroin. From there, we come back here. Michaels, you and Jenson will take the gas tanks off the cars. We'll hide the stuff there. You will also work on the cars we stole to make them look like junkers. Add a few dings, knock out a window or two, spray them with primer, take a sander to them, you get the picture."
Michaels spoke up, "You want that done to all four cars?"
"No" Morton spoke up. "The Torino we'll just splash on enough paint to make it unrecognizable. Like I said, I'll drive it to make sure the path is clear for the car carrier. Michaels will drive that with Jenson." Morton went on to point out which route the group would take out of state to El Paso, Texas.
Hutch realized that the plan had changed from what Huggy had been able to find out. He relaxed just a bit as he realized this could be easier than he had feared.
Outside the fence, Starsky was feeling a bit better as well. He planned to catch Hight and Morton as the two came back to the junkyard with the drugs. He also knew that soon, he would be getting his beloved Torino back. He turned his attention back to Hutch.
"When do you leave?" he heard Hutch ask.
"As soon as I show you guys were the cars and the equipment are. Come on." Hight led the way to the metal building outside. He opened the doors and Hutch could see the Torino sitting in the entry way.
"Nice car. Be a shame to have to wreck it." Hutch couldn't resist saying. He kept his grin inside as he pictured his partner's face at his words. He watched the others picking up tools to begin work. Hutch laid a hand on his partner's car, almost apologizing for what he knew was going to happen to it.
For two hours, the four worked to disguise the bright red Torino. Brown primer paint was applied, a sander was taken to the trunk, the fenders were removed, and the license plate was replaced. Hutch couldn't believe it was the same car by the time they had finished.
"O.K., we'll be leaving now." Hight told Michaels and Hutch. "We'll be back in about three hours. You make sure those cars are ready to go. "
"How are you going to get that much dope across the border?" Hutch asked.
Morton turned around to him with a wide grin on his face. "I have a brother-in-law working with the border patrol. We'll stuff the stuff in the seats and in the trunk. You can help us repack it when he get back." With that, Morton and Hight got into the Torino and left as Michaels opened the main gate.
Hutch and Michaels got to work on the other cars. Hutch talked as he worked until Michaels told him to shut up. Hutch still continued to whistle or make other noises so Starsky would know the transmitter was still working.
Outside the gate, Starsky had settled himself for a long wait. He knew that he and Hutch had enough evidence to arrest Morton and Hight for car theft and murder, but both wanted them on the drug charges as well. Starsky changed the channel on his walkie-talkie and filled in Dobey on the situation.
"Stay close. When they get back, let me know. We'll move in while they're repacking the heroin. We don't want them to spot us too soon or we'll lose them and Hutchinson." Dobey advised the young officer. He knew that Starsky wanted to be inside the fence to keep an eye on his partner.
"I'll wait right here Capt'n." Starsky promised. Dobey rolled his eyes, he'd heard that ONE before and it always meant trouble.
Starsky settled himself comfortably for the long wait. The ache in his head had finally subsided and the day was pleasantly warm and peaceful. he could think of hundreds of other ways he had done stakeouts and rated this one way at the top.
Three hours later, he could hear the unmistakable roar of his Torino. He watched as the car disappeared inside the junkyard. He contacted Dobey to tell him to get things rolling on his end. He then resumed his vigil listening as the seats were ripped out of his car and the repacking operation got underway. He decided to get a better vantage point, and silently approached the high fence surrounding the junkyard.
Around the back, Starsky found a pile of tires he could use to scale over the fence. He connected an earpiece to the walkie-talkie so he could still hear Hutch and then tucked the unit into the pocket of his light jacket. He easily climbed the fence and disappeared inside.
He made his way slowly to a point just across from the garage. He could see Hutch, Morton, and Michaels, packing the small heavily wrapped bundles into the gas tanks of the stolen cars. He looked around cautiously for Hight. All he could see where the two real junked cars already on the car carrier. The three stolen cars were on lifts inside the garage, ready to have the gas tanks reattached. The job was just about finished, when Starsky heard something that made his blood run cold.
Starsky froze as he heard a footstep behind him, followed immediately by the sound of a gun being cocked. He tensed up, waiting for the bullet that would end his life.
"Get up real slow hero," a voice said. Starsky recognized the voice as belonging to Hight. As Starsky began to rise, Hight brought the gun down with a sickening thud against the back of Starsky's head. Starsky was unconscious before he hit the ground.
Inside the shed, Hutch, Michaels, and Morton were just about finished repackaging the drugs. They had hung the gas tank back on one of the cars when they heard the door open. They turned to see Hight walk in with Starsky, hands cuffed behind his back, thrown over one shoulder. Hight dropped Starsky on the floor and pointed his gun at him. "Here's a little present for you, Detective Hutchinson." Hight lifted his gun to cover the blond man.
Hutch stood very still and slowly lifted his hands out to his side. He didn't want to do anything that would endanger his life or, more importantly, Starsky's life.
"How'd you find out?" Hutch asked evenly,
"Michaels. It seems you and your partner busted his brother for armed robbery a year or so ago. We figured it was better to catch you this way than to have to lose all our money. Now, you're our ticket to Texas. As long as we have you, the cops won't dare hassle us." Morton answered.
"It won't work. Cops don't deal. They'll catch you and put you away so fast, your head'll spin for a week," Hutch said grimly. He hoped that Dobey was listening on the wire. So far, his captors hadn't thought to check him for a transmitter.
"We'll see." Morton searched the shed and soon came up with a long strand of nylon rope. He used his pocket knife to cut it into segments and proceeded to tie Hutch's hands behind his back. Hutch was pushed down onto the floor and his feet were bound as well. Morton used the last piece of rope to bind Starsky's feet. Hutch was lying face to face with Starsky and he tried to see the extent of his partner's injuries. There was a long gash on the back of his head and Hutch could guess what had happened. He lay back quietly and listened to the three plan their escape.
"Michaels, you go ahead and finish the cars. We have to assume that the cops will be here soon. As soon as you're done, put Blondie here into one of the cars and load them on the carrier. The cops won't risk killing him just to catch us." Hight said.
"What about the other one?" Michaels asked.
"A junkyard is a dangerous place. People have accidents in here all the time -- sometimes fatal accidents. Say by having a pile of cars fall on your head." An evil grin punctuated his words. The three looked at their trussed up captives then walked off to finish their work, leaving Hutch to contemplate his future.
Hutch scooted over as close to Starsky as he could get. "Hey buddy, can you hear me?" Starsky lay quiet, his face pale and blood from his head wound starting to pool around his face. Hutch knew that Starsky needed medical help badly. He fervently hoped that Dobey was on his way.
Half an hour later, the three were ready to leave. Michaels walked over to Hutch with a handkerchief in his hand. Before Hutch could utter a protest, he was gagged, picked up, and carried outside. Michaels dumped him into the trunk of one of the cars and locked the lid down. Hutch could hear the car start up and drive up a short, steep ramp. The engine shut down and a car door slammed. He could hear Morton and Michaels fasten the car down with chains. He struggled against his bonds to no avail. Exhausted, he lay quiet to conserve his strength.
Outside, he could hear shouted orders. The voice was too far away for him to catch the words. A closer voice, Hight he thought answered. "Just dump him anywhere. Use a prybar to rock one of those car piles. He'll be buried so deep, no one will ever find him."
The next sound that Hutch heard was a tremendous crash of falling metal. Hutch closed his eyes in despair and tears welled up in his eyes. He lay in the darkness, paralyzed by fear as much as by his bonds. The crashing cars he had heard could only mean that Morton and Hight had carried out their plan to bury Starsky. Tears burned in his eyes and he began to struggle even more to undo the rope that bound his hands behind his back. He could feel his wrists begin to bleed with the motion. Suddenly, a new sound filled the air.
"Stop. Police. Lay down your weapons." The voice belonged to Captain Dobey. Hutch began to call as loudly as he could through his gag. Then he heard Morton's response.
"We've got your man. He's hidden real good. You give us any trouble and we'll kill him. Now back off or you'll be just as dead as that black haired cop of yours." Hutch could hear the venom in Morton's voice. Now he could hear Hight talking to Michaels.
"Get the blond one. We'll show them we mean business." Seconds later, the top to Hutch's prison was lifted and the rope around his ankles was cut, allowing him to stand. He was roughly dragged out to a clear spot in the middle of the yard. Michaels held him roughly from behind as Hight pointed a .357 at his head.
Morton was similarly armed and faced the line of cars and officers that had responded to Starsky's call for backup. Hutch could see at least four cars outside the opened gate and at least a dozen uniformed officers. Each one held his or her weapon pointed dead center on the small group in the junkyard.
"Let Officer Hutchinson go and lay down your weapons. This is your last warning. We will use force if necessary." Hutch could tell that Dobey would do exactly as he had threatened.
"You listen here cop! One move from any of you and Blondie here ends up a puddle in the ground. " Hight moved his gun closer to Hutch's face. Hutch glared at the man, his eyes full of fire for him and what he had done to Starsky.
Without warning, Morton opened fire on the officers in front of him. All of them ducked down behind the cars for cover. Morton began to laugh as he watched. "Keep your heads down or die!" Hutch looked closely at Morton. Was he imagining it, or was the man under the influence? If he had been using, Hutch didn't have the slightest doubt that Morton would kill everybody he possibly could without thought for himself.
Hutch looked over at Hight who seemed to be watching Morton more than he was watching his prisoner. In a split second decision, Hutch threw himself forward, twisting at the same time to break Michaels' hold on him. As he did so, he heard a volley of shots from both sides. Hutch made himself as small a target as possible on the ground.
Seconds later, it was all over. Morton and Hight were laying on the ground and Michaels had his hands locked behind his head. Officers began to rush in to secure the scene, making sure not to step on Hutch. Once it had been established that the two downed men were dead, and Michaels had been arrested, Dobey himself bent down to cut Hutch's bonds and remove the gag from his mouth.
"You okay Hutchinson?" The captain's voice was gruff but sincere.
Hutch ran his tongue around his mouth to try to rehydrate it before speaking. "I'm okay Capt'n, but Starsky... We gotta find him. They buried him under a pile of cars out here." Hutch ran off to search for a recently toppled pile.
Ten minutes later, he was sure he had the correct pile. The smashed remains of no less than ten cars had filled the narrow aisle between one pile and the next. Hutch lay down on his stomach and tried to peek under the bottom car. He had no luck but continued to call his partner's name loudly. "Starsky!! Starsk can you hear me!! Answer me dammit! Where are you?"
Hutch felt hands try to pick him up and guide him away. He shook the hands off and lunged forward toward the pile again. "Listen to me! Detective Hutchinson! We'll find him but you have got to move and let us work!" Hutch finally realized who was talking to him. It was a fireman in a turnout coat and hat. Behind him were another five men. "Go stand over there and let us do our job." The man, who Hutch realized was the captain, handed Hutch over to Dobey who had materialized by his side. The Captain then began detailing his men to securing the pile, and assigning one of his men to climb into the giant crane with the magnet.
Using the magnet, it took only twenty minutes to clear the pile of cars. As the last car was lifted away, Hutch could make out the still form of Starsky, still bound, and laying motionless on the ground.
Hutch looked in horror at the scene in front of him. He tried to run to his partner's side, but Dobey grabbed him by both arms and spun him around till they were face to face.
"Let me go!" Hutch screamed. "I've got to get to him. He needs me."
"Hutch, listen to me. You've got to let the paramedics do their job. You'll just be in the way. Starsky needs them to help him. He needs you to stay out of the way for a while." Dobey looked at the wild eyes of the blond man. He couldn't tell if his words were having any effect or not. He shook Hutch gently. "Listen to me."
Hutch forced himself to relax. He knew that Dobey was right. There was nothing he could do for Starsky. He could feel the tears begin to roll down his face. He looked over at where the knot of men were gathered around Starsky. He took a step in that direction. He had to be close -- he needed to see for himself. Dobey, realizing that Hutch was calmer, let go of him, but stayed by his side.
Suddenly a shout arose from one of the paramedics. "He's alive! Get the gear. We need a backboard, trauma kit, O2..." Hutch lost the rest of the conversation as he absorbed the news. Alive! Starsky was alive! He watched as the men placed Starsky on the backboard and started all the necessary procedures for the injured man. The world seemed to slow down and focus only on the activity around Starsky. Hutch couldn't take his eyes off his partner as he was carried toward the ambulance.
One of the paramedics stopped in front of Hutch and Dobey. "He's hurt, but he's alive and holding his own. I understand you're his partner." Hutch could only nod. "Would you like to ride in with us? He's shown some signs of regaining consciousness and it might be good for him to have someone familiar nearby."
Hutch looked at Dobey for permission first, then trotted off after the paramedic. He hopped into the ambulance and sat down in the forward jump seat. After he had secured his seatbelt, the ambulance got underway and he took a good look at his unconscious partner.
Starsky's head was bandaged and a rigid collar held his neck steady. The cuffs had been removed and a sling held his right arm tightly to his chest. An oxygen mask covered his face, and an IV needle had been inserted into his left arm. His skin was pale, but he seemed to be breathing without difficulty. As Hutch watched silently, Starsky began to moan and tried to move around.
Hutch laid his hand on his partner's forehead, the only part of him that he could touch. "Hey hold on partner. You're gonna be all right. I'm here, just relax." Hutch kept murmuring reassurances until Starsky sighed and seemed to sink into a light doze. Hutch looked at the paramedic and asked what injuries Starsky had received.
"He has got to be the luckiest man alive," the paramedic told him. "The bottom car only grazed him. He was apparently able to get close enough to the edge that he wasn't hurt that badly. The rest of the cars balanced out the one and it just barely touched him. His right arm is dislocated at the shoulder, but more than likely that was from being dragged or dropped while his hands were cuffed behind him. He has a good size gash on the back of his head, and probably a concussion. But there again, it seems to be from something other than the falling cars. Do you know if he was beaten or anything?" Hutch told him about the episode in the garage.
"We'll know more once we get him into the hospital." The paramedic looked at his watch, taking Starsky's vital signs once again.
Ten minutes later, the ambulance pulled up at the emergency entrance to the hospital and Starsky was whisked into one of the treatment rooms. Hutch tried to follow him, but a nurse stopped him and gently guided him to the waiting area. She promised to send word as soon as she could. Hutch settled down into the seat and closed eyes in silent prayer.
A hand on his shoulder woke him. He startled awake, surprised to see Dobey sitting beside him. The doctor who had awakened him grinned down at him. "You can see him now if you like."
"How is he?" Hutch asked anxiously.
"I have never heard of a man being buried under 10 cars and come out of if with only a dislocated shoulder. He does have a slight concussion but that comes from getting hit in the head with a pistol twice in one week." The doctor consulted the chart he was holding. "We're going to keep him for tonight and he can go home tomorrow afternoon if nothing else shows up."
Hutch shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you. Where is he now?" The doctor indicated the room and walked off. Hutch and Dobey walked into the treatment room and were amazed to see Starsky sitting up in the bed. He was still pale and his right arm was immobilized in a sling. He grinned widely at seeing Hutch and the captain.
"How ya doing pal?" Hutch asked coming to the bedside.
"My head hurts. Other than that, I'm okay. Did we win?"
"Yea partner, we won. I sure thought you'd cashed out on me. Don't you ever scare me like that again." Hutch squeezed Starsky's good hand.
"I keep tellin' ya, it ain't my fault. I didn't do this just for fun, ya know." Starsky yawned hugely.
"Go to sleep Starsk. I'll be here when you wake up." Hutch held on to his hand as Starsky settled himself to sleep.
The next day, Hutch opened the door to Starsky's room. "Anybody here call a taxi?" he called as he entered.
"You're late," Starsky said, grinning. Hutch could tell that Starsky was definitely feeling better. He helped Starsky to get dressed and was just finishing tying his shoes when the nurse came in with the discharge papers and a wheelchair. Starsky favored the nurse with one of his multi-watt grins.
"Lookie here Hutch. The best looking nurse in this place coming to take me outa here."
"Yea, well pal she's just glad to be getting rid of you. You've been loafing around here and she has work to do." Hutch followed the nurse and Starsky down the hall to the elevator.
"Naw, Tara here's gonna be my nurse the next time someone dumps a pile of cars on my head, ain't ya sweetheart?" Starsky turned around in the chair to grin at his nurse.
"You bet. Now you take good care of that arm. And if you get to feeling dizzy or sick..." she began.
"I know, lay down and call you." Starsky smiled again as the elevator came to a stop and they went to the front door.
"Maybe you can call me anyway. You take care now." Tara bent down and kissed Starsky on the cheek before helping him into Hutch's car. Hutch closed the passenger door and went around to slide in behind the wheel.
Hutch drove towards Starsky's apartment at a leisurely pace. He could tell that something was bothering his friend. Finally, Starsky spoke up.
"Hey Hutch"
"Yeah Starsk?"
"Where's my car?"
"Starsky, you know the drill. Your car was used to smuggle drugs into the country. It's evidence now. You should get it back after the lab boys have gone through it."
"There won't be anything left! I've seen the pieces those guys leave. There's not enough to make up a whole car!" Starsky closed his eyes and laid his head back against the head rest. He didn't see the sly grin that crossed Hutch's face.
Minutes later, the car stopped and Hutch shut off the engine. "Home sweet home buddy."
Starsky opened his eyes and looked out. There in front of his apartment building was his car, restored to original condition, with Huggy Bear and Merle the Earl, his mastermind mechanic friend, standing beside it.
"Welcome home, Starsk."
"