SOP Disclaimer: I do not own Starsky and Hutch and do not intend to infringe on the rights of those that do. This is for entertainment purposes only.
Hutch desperately searches for Starsky when an undercover setup goes horribly wrong.
Blood, Sweat, and Tears
by dnjlwilson
Hutch was not happy. He knew Starsky had cheated on the coin toss. He wasn't exactly mad that he had cheated, he was mad because Starsky beat him to it. Hutch had been known to cheat a time or two and now he knew how Starsky felt. Mad as hell.
The toss was over a case. A case where there was only room for one of them. They were teamed with some young buck from vice. How anyone that young could make Lieutenant was beyond them. Ryan Kimbrough was all mouth, full of himself. He knew just enough to be dangerous and he was in charge. The bad part was, to Hutch, Starsky would be at his mercy.
Starsky and Hutch had been working with Kimbrough for two weeks now. According to Kimbrough, they had been working for him, not with him. He was that kind of guy. Hutch was amazed that Starsky hadn't decked the kid. Yet. They had worked hard, got this buy set up and now Kimbrough was insisting he be in on it. Starsky tried to explain to Kimbrough that his presence might spook their suspects. These guys didn't like anything new, and they were used to Hutch, not Kimbrough. Well, naturally, the kid pulled rank and won. He was in on it, no argument.
Hutch still remembered the look on Starsky's face when he took the coin out of his pocket. "Call it."
"Heads." Hutch said.
Before Starsky even looked at it, he said, "Sorry, tails."
Hutch looked at Dobey. No help there. "Starsk."
"Hutch." Starsky interrupted, "Fair and square."
"It wasn't fair and you know it!" Hutch replied.
"Enough!" Dobey yelled. "Hutchinson, sit down!"
Hutch looked at Starsky, who was smiling smugly. Hutch glared at his partner, earning him a free view of Starsky's tongue. The natural response from Hutch, of course, was the one finger salute.
Dobey was incensed. "Will you two stop acting like ten year olds for God's sake?"
"Sorry, Cap." Starsky offered.
Dobey somehow missed the sincerity in the detective's voice. "Can it!"
"Yes, sir." Starsky said obediently, irritating him even further. Dobey then glared at Hutch, silently demanding a response. "Yes, sir." Hutch replied, defeated.
Choosing to stop while he was ahead, Dobey continued with laying out the operation.
Thirty-six hours later, Starsky and Kimbrough were parked in a dark warehouse loading zone, waiting for the deal to go down. The only light was a dim street light nearly 200 feet away. They were both wired for sound, connected with the make-shift command post several miles away.
Starsky had quickly grown tired of Kimbrough's conversation. It had amounted to nothing more than crowing about all the accomplishments in his career and even a little boasting about his accomplishments with some to the women they both knew at the station. Starsky had just about had all he could take when he noticed headlights behind them.
"Show time." he whispered, speaking more to the wire than to Kimbrough.
"Let's rock and roll." Kimbrough said, slapping Starsky on the back.
"I can't believe he said that." Starsky whispered into the wire, knowing Hutch would hear him.
Hutch looked at Dobey and they both smiled. They knew how hard it was to work with a green kid who thought he knew everything and Starsky would have more trouble than anyone he knew. Hutch hoped Kimbrough's cockiness didn't get them both in trouble.
Starsky watched as the car pulled up behind them. He started to exit the car, but Kimbrough grabbed his arm and said, "We go when I say." Starsky took a deep breath and punched down the reply that was on the tip of his tongue. He didn't want to start anything with Kimbrough right now, but the time would come soon.
Watching the car in his side mirror, Starsky said to Kimbrough, "We need to be in position before they walk up to the car."
"We have plenty of time, Detective. Hold your horses." Kimbrough's tone of voice was like he was speaking to a child.
Starsky's response was inaudible over the wire, but Hutch was pretty sure of what his partner said.
"Let's move slow, Detective." Kimbrough commanded.
They exited the car slowly, keeping their hands visible and away from their weapons.
"Hutch." Starsky whispered. "We got five guys. Mason is here, but I don't know the others."
"Easy, Starsk." Hutch whispered to himself. He knew Starsky was not liking this set up. God, he wished he was with him.
"Howdy, boys." Mason said cheerfully as he walked up to the car. Looking at Starsky and pointing at Kimbrough, he asked, "Who's he?"
The guy with the cash, Mase." Starsky smiled, trying to keep his cool.
"I don't like this. Where's the blond guy?" Mason asked, getting agitated.
Thinking quick, Starsky replied, "He got a hold of some bad stuff. Couldn't make it."
Hutch glanced at Dobey, smiling. "I told you he was a good liar undercover."
"You shoulda come alone." Mason said angrily.
Picking a bad time to join in, Kimbrough said, "I don't trust him with my money. Now do we deal, or do I walk?"
Hutch felt his stomach tighten. This wasn't good. Starsky would be in a world of trouble if Kimbrough didn't shut his cocky mouth.
Starsky tried to calm Mason down. "Lighten up, Mase. The cash speaks for itself." He then gave Kimbrough a very hard look. It was ignored.
Kimbrough took over. "I can cut this deal anywhere. You've got thirty seconds, then I'm out of here."
Starsky felt the anger from Mason as he glared at him. "Who do you think you're talking to?" Mason hissed as he pulled a pistol from his jacket.
"Come on, Mase." Starsky cut in. "He's just a little out of practice with this sort of thing. He usually gets dumb guys like me to do his dirty work." Starsky cut another look at Kimbrough. Again, he was ignored.
"Shut up and let me handle this." Kimbrough said to Starsky. "You can wait in the car."
Starsky could hardly keep his hands off of Kimbrough's throat. With incredible self control, he calmly said, "No need for that, sir, I'll be good."
Hutch looked at Dobey. "Cap, we gotta move. Kimbrough's gonna blow this."
Dobey though for a moment and shook his head. "We wait. Give it a few more minutes."
"Cap, that's Starsky in there with that idiot!" Hutch pleaded.
Before Dobey could respond, they heard Mason yell over the wire. "I don't care who the hell you are or how much money you have. I don't do business with anybody I don't know!"
Starsky stepped forward, trying to control Mason's rage.
"I oughta kill you for bringin' him!" Mason yelled at Starsky, as the other men walked toward them.
Kimbrough suddenly panicked with the deteriorating situation. His inexperience showed as he backed up and pulled his gun. "Hold it! Police!"
Starsky, caught off guard by Kimbrough's blunder, was too late to pull his pistol. Mason shot Kimbrough twice, then aimed at Starsky. "Freeze, pig!"
Obeying instantly, Starsky held up both hands. "Easy, Mason."
"Easy? You set me up!" Mason yelled.
The men surrounded Starsky as Mason felt for his gun. Starsky froze when Mason found the wire.
"You are a cop!" Mason was furious. He jerked the wire from Starsky and threw it across the dock. "You're good. I'll give you that. I didn't have a clue you were a cop. Now, pick up the money and come with me. You're gonna get us out of this mess."
Picking up the briefcase, Starsky caught Mason just under the chin as he swung it upward as hard as he could. Mason's goons began firing, hitting Starsky low, just above his right hip. Still on his feet, Starsky began firing back as he turned and ran for cover. Another slug hit his shoulder blade and passed clean through, exiting below his collar bone. He staggered slightly but kept running distancing himself from the two men who were right behind him.
He felt his warm blood running down his chest to his stomach from the shoulder wound and wondered how long he could keep this up. He had to ditch these guys somehow. Finding an alley, heavily littered with trash, he swung in and dove under the debris. Gulping air into his burning lungs, he fought the nausea that threatened to take his consciousness. He lost the battle and sank down to the filthy street, unaware his pursuers had passed him by.
TBC
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