Bloodbath, The Missing Scenes

by Sparkle731

This is a story I wrote in response to a challenge on an MSN group. This is a group of missing scenes from the episode Blood bath. Story is complete.

BLOODBATH MISSING SCENES

By Sparkle731

This story is in response to a challenge by SergeantStarskyakaHFGIRL at the MSN Group For the Love of Soul and Glaser and all things 70's.

Young men and woman sat everywhere on the steps that led into the courthouse in downtown Bay City. They were all dressed casually, and chanting in a monotonous drone "Simon, Simon, Simon, Simon.,,," They were the followers of a murderous cult leader named Simon Marcus. He was scheduled to be sentenced that morning for the murder of nine innocent victims, all tortured and hideously mutilated on Marcus' orders by his band of deranged cohorts. Eerie reminders of Charles Manson and his group of delusional supporters had the entire city in a panic during Marcus' reign of terror.

Newspaper reporters were gathered at the foot of the steps reporting on the proceedings. Several of them noticed the flashy Candy Apple Red Torino that pulled to the curb in front of the courthouse. With its bright paint job and the white racing stripe that ran across the roof and down both sides of the car, tapering to a point at the hood, the Torino was a distinctive vehicle. The doors opened and two men climbed out of the car. Detective First Class Sergeant Kenneth Hutchinson and his partner, Detective First Class Sergeant David Starsky, both well-known Bay City Police Officers. They were the two men responsible for Marcus' arrest and eventual conviction on all the charges against him.

Ken Hutchinson, known as Hutch to his friends, was a strikingly handsome man in his early thirties with a fair Nordic complexion, light blond hair, and ice blue eyes. Standing six feet one, he had the lean muscular build of an athletic. Dressed in sharply creased black slacks, a light cream colored shirt and a tan leather jacket, he could have stepped off the most recent cover of GQ magazine.

His partner, David Starsky, known as Dave or Starsky to his friends, was a complete contrast to his well-groomed partner. A few inches shorter, he had a more compact build and a confident swagger to his step. His dark brown curls and sapphire blue eyes complemented his olive complexion. He was dressed in faded blue jeans that hugged his lean frame tightly, a white shirt and brown sports jacket.

Besides being partners, the two men were also the best of friends. Their reputation on the police force was legendary. They had worked on and solved some of the highest profile cases in the city. Some considered their methods unorthodox but they got the job done.

Making their way up the steps, they pointedly ignored the newspaper reporters and the chanting of disciples gathered on the steps. The relative silence inside the courthouse was a welcome relief from the noise outside. Walking down the nearly deserted hallway, they stepped into the designated courtroom where Marcus was scheduled to be sentenced for his crimes in just a few minutes. Their commanding officer, Captain Harold Dobey, was waiting impatiently for them to arrive. All other spectators had been barred from the proceedings.

"Uh…I'll be right back." Starsky said hastily before the three men could take their seats. As he turned and hurried back out of the room, Dobey grunted and said gruffly,

"That's some superstition your partner has…going to the john before sentencing."

"Hey, all I know is every time he does, the bad guy takes a heavy fall. In this business if something works, stick with it." Hutch said offhandedly as the two men sat down on the long wooden bench in the front row.

In the corridor, Starsky hurried to the men's room and pushed open the heavy outer door, stepping inside. Walking over to one of the urinals along the wall, he unzipped and lowered his head, as men tend to do in public restrooms, concentrating on the task at hand. His head jerked up as a soft scuffing sound behind him caught his attention. Before he could turn his head to find out the cause of the noise, his head exploded in pain. His body fell limply to the floor, his eyes closed in unconsciousness.

Two men looked down at the man lying at their feet. They were both in their late twenties with long unkempt hair and scruffy beards. The taller of the two men turned to his companion and said, "Watch the door."

As the smaller man hurried to do as he was told, the other man stuffed the metal bar he had used to knock Starsky out back into his jacket pocket. From his other pocket, he pulled a small bottle filled with a thick red liquid. Hurriedly scrawling Starsky's name across the bathroom mirror, he turned to his companion. "Is the coast clear?" he demanded sharply.

The smaller man jumped slightly at the sound of his voice and nodded. "There's nobody in the hall. They all went outside to help quiet down the others." He said. As pre-arranged, the crowd of Marcus' followers gathered outside the courthouse had started a disturbance to drawn the uniformed officers inside the building out and away from the men's room.

Kneeling down, the man in charge grunted slightly as he grabbed Starsky's limp body and threw him over his shoulder in a firefighter's carry. The smaller man opened the bathroom door for him to pass through and the two men hurried down the hallway towards the rear stairway with their prisoner. A black van with heavily tinted windows was parked just outside the rear entrance to the courthouse.

The smaller man hurried to slide open the side door so the other man could throw Starsky's body inside. The two men climbed into the van and closed the door. Working swiftly, the smaller man tied Starsky's wrists behind his back with a piece of heavy rope, then did the same with his ankles. When he was satisfied that the knots were secure, he wrapped a dark blue scarf around the unconscious detective's eyes, tying it in a knot behind his head.

"Good job, Nathan." The taller man said. "You've done well. The pig will pay for taking the master from us."

"Thank you, Luke." Nathan said with a pleased smile. Luke was Simon Marcus' second in command, the Keeper of the Flame. Marcus spoke directly to Luke in his dreams and Luke commanded the rest of the disciples to do Marcus' will. It was an honor to be included on this mission to capture the pig who had stolen Marcus from them.

The two men climbed into the bucket seats at the front of the van with Luke sitting behind the wheel. The engine roared to life as Luke carefully eased the van into the street. He drove carefully through the downtown streets, obeying every traffic law diligently. Once they were outside of the city limits, he reached for the CB to make the call notifying the police of their demands. Free Simon Marcus within twenty-four hours or Detective David Starsky would die.

After delivering their ultimatum, Luke drove to their hiding place, the sacred place where the ritual would be carried out according to Marcus' dreams. When he arrived at his destination, Luke and Nathan climbed out of the van. Nathan pulled open the side door and grabbed Starsky's legs, pulling him roughly out of the van. The unconscious man moaned softly as his body hit the ground with a hard thud.

Smiling thinly, Luke drew back his feet and kicked the fallen detective in the ribcage, relishing his power over his defenseless captive. Several more vicious kicks followed to the unconscious man's stomach and torso until Nathan said anxiously,

"Don't you think that's enough? You don't wanna kill him before the ceremony."

Luke turned to glare at the smaller man maliciously. "Don't ever question me again!" He snarled "Or you can take his place!" His eyes narrowed as Nathan cowered before him, his eyes widening with fear. Satisfied that his control was intact, Luke said, "Get his feet."

Luke grabbed Starsky under the arms and Nathan grabbed his bound legs. They carried him through the hidden entrance to the tunnel that led down into the huge underground cave. In the main cave, the rest of the faithful followers were gathered. Some of the women were cooking stew over an open fire, while others were milling around, chanting softly to themselves or helping themselves to the abundant supply of drugs that the cult used to keep them under control. Some of the coven were curled up in fetal positions on the hard cold ground, sleeping.

Nathan and Luke dropped Starsky's battered body to the ground in the center of the cave, close to the fire. As soon as he awakened, they could begin. Until then, Luke went in search of a warm body to release the sexual tension that resulted from the thrill of capturing the detective as Marcus had decreed.

It was a couple of hours later before Starsky began to moan and move his head from side to side, struggling to regain consciousness. The first thing he became aware of was the cold dank air and the unpleasant aroma of unwashed bodies, stale urine, burning wood, and smoke. Panic clawed at his throat when he opened his eyes and couldn't see anything until he realized that he was blindfolded with his hands and feet securely tied.

Instinctively, he spent a few minutes trying to loosen the rope around his wrists but soon gave up. It was tied too tight. All he got for his efforts was scraped skin and rope burns. Breathing heavily through his nose, he tried to access the situation. His heart pounded frantically in his chest when he came to the conclusion that he had been kidnapped by some of Marcus' psychotic followers. As if to confirm his suspicions, the insistent chanting began, filling the air around him. "Simon, Simon, Simon, Simon…"

Starsky gasped, his aching ribs protesting violently, as he struggled to his knees, turning his head blindly towards the sound of the chanting voices. Now, fully aware, his mind registered the pain of a beating someone had obviously given him while he was unconscious. His chest hurt and he couldn't take a deep breath without pain. Obviously, he had some cracked or badly bruised ribs. His head ached and he could feel dried blood on the side of his face. The muscles in his stomach were tender and sore, tightening up in response to any sudden movement.

"I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE!" Starsky yelled at his captors defiantly. "I CAN SMELL YA! WHY DON'T YOU CREEPS UNTIE ME! HUH? YOU AFRAID TO TAKE ME ON IN A FAIR FIGHT?"

His taunts were ignored as the chanting continued in the same monotonous tone, the sound raising Starsky's anxiety level and irritating the hell out of him. But, it wasn't in his nature to show fear, instead he responded with more defiance and taunts.

"COME ON! UNBLINDFOLD ME! LET ME SEE YA! WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? GRABBING ME AIN'T GONNA GET YOU ANYTHING EXCEPT TIME IN A JAIL CELL RIGHT BESIDE MARCUS! WHAT'S THE MATTER? YOU AIN'T GOT NO CHILDREN TO MOLEST SO YOU HAVE TO SNATCH A COP?"

"Shut up, pig!" a voice hissed dangerously close to his ear, startling him. "You will learn not to take the Master's name in vain…"

A vicious kick to his mid-section made Starsky gasp in pain. Unable to see it coming, he couldn't deflect the blow or defend himself. He fought to pull air into his tortured lungs as more blows began to fall on his body. Hard kicks, punches to his face and head with fists, and heavy blows from what felt like baseball bats and chains. Unable to fight back, Starsky curled into a fetal position trying to protect the more vulnerable parts of his anatomy from as much injury as possible while the cult members ruthlessly beat him back into unconsciousness.

Starsky slowly forced his eyes open, swallowing back the bile that rose in his throat. As his head slowly cleared, he realized he was leaning against one of the stone walls of the cave with his hands still tied securely behind his back but at least his feet were free. He could feel the blood running down the left side of his face and his battered body screamed out with pain from his new injuries. He wondered how much more abuse he could take at the hands of the crazed cult followers. A movement to his left caught his attention.

A young girl with long reddish-brown hair, dressed in a simple white gown instead of the black robes with the inverted red cross on the front worn by most of the cult, was sitting there. She was watching him carefully, her hands hidden in the folds of her gown.

"I didn't think you'd wake up but you did." She said in a soft, amazed voice. "I'm Gail."

"Yes…Gail." Starsky said weakly. "Hope you'll forgive me for not rising but it's hard to be a gentleman trussed up like this." He let his eyes sweep around the interior of the cave. "I always did want to be held prisoner in a good neighborhood." He looked at the young girl again. "I don't suppose you want to tell me where I am…" His words trailed off as the girl slowly pulled a long bladed knife from the folds of her gown. She caressed the blade of the knife absently, a far away look on her face.

"You better be good with that. I ain't gonna go easy." Starsky said with more confidence than he actually felt.

"I won't cut you." She reassured him with a faint smile. "Simon didn't dream that." She reached out and pulled loose Starsky's tie.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a concerned voice, trying to pull away with no place to go.

"Taking your clothes off." Gail told him as if he should know that already.

"Why?" Starsky asked nervously, trying not to flinch as she used the knife to cut open the buttons on his shirt.

""I'm going to give you a bath." She told him simply.

"Actually, I prefer showers myself. They have great showers at the Police Academy Gym."

"You must have a bath to purify you before the ceremony." Gail said softly, as she continued to cut away his shirt.

"What ceremony?" Starsky asked anxiously, cringing as the blade of the knife slid against his bare skin.

"You'll see soon enough." She said "You're the Black Knight…this is your destiny."

"Terrific." Starsky muttered, as she pulled the pieces of cut shirt away from his body, tossing it aside. Starsky tensed as her hands reached for his belt buckle. Before he could protest, strong fingers wrapped in his curls and jerked back his head. He found himself staring into the cold, merciless eyes of the disciple they called Luke.

"I'd cooperate if I were you, pig." Luke hissed. "We can make this easy or we can make this hard." Luke used his grip on Starsky's hair to force him to his feet. Starsky didn't resist. He knew there were too many cult members around for him to put up any kind of fight and win. As long as he did what they wanted, he could buy more time for Hutch to find him and he had no doubt that his partner would find him.

Starsky felt Gail unfastening his jeans and then shoving them down over his slender hips, along with his bikini briefs. As the clothes pooled around his ankles, a sharp tug on his hair by Luke encouraged him to step out of the discarded clothing, leaving him nude and vulnerable. Starsky wasn't modest or shy. His nudity didn't bother him but he generally preferred to choose when he got naked in front of an audience.

He cried out in pain as Luke suddenly took his other hand and reached down to squeeze his testicles, almost bringing Starsky to his knees in agony. Fighting back the nausea that threatened to overcome him, he bit back the obscenities that came to mind as he fought to remain standing. "Now let's have your bath." Luke hissed, giving Starsky a rough shove forward.

Starsky stumbled down one of the tunnels, following Gail, and closely followed by Luke. The tunnel opened into a large clearing with lush thick grass. A large wooden tub sat in the middle of the clearing beside a small tree. Steam drifted up from inside the tub.

"Get in." Luke ordered, stepping back and watching closely as Starsky awkwardly obeyed, not an easy task with his hands still tied behind his back. He hissed softly as he slowly eased his aching body down into the hot water inside the tub. Actually, the water felt soothing to his numerous bruises and other injuries. He closed his eyes momentarily and allowed himself to relax in the water. When he opened his eyes, Luke was gone and Gail had moved around to stand behind him. Starsky felt her using a sponge to gently wash his body, leaning over the side of the tub to reach her hand into the water to reach his hidden parts.

"Ya know, Gail…" Starsky said, as Gail poured a bucket of water over his head to rinse off the soap. "I think I'm through with showers. I really like being in deep water. It loosens everything up." He suddenly shoved himself to his feet and whirled around "Especially the ropes!" His eyes widened in surprise. Gail was gone. Glancing around to make sure he was really alone, Starsky grabbed the towel draped over the side of the tub and wrapped it around his waist as he climbed out of the wooden vat.

One of the heavy black robes with the inverted red cross on the front was hanging on one of the branches of the tree. Grabbing it, Starsky quickly slipped it on and belted the red sash that was used as a belt to hold the garment closed. Shaking his wet curls out of his face, he slipped into a nearby tunnel, carefully making his way down the long narrow corridor. Every sense was on alert for danger as he tried to move silently through the cave. There seemed to be an endless maze of tunnels, branching out in every direction.

The tunnel he was following suddenly opened into a smaller cave. A loud roar startled Starsky, forcing him to take a step backward. His eyes widened in fear and alarm when he saw a large brown Bear rearing up on its hind legs in front of him. Starsky's mouth felt dry as he bent down and picked up a rock from the ground. He knew it was a useless weapon against the large animal but it was all he had.

"Welcome, Pilgrim." Luke's voice filtered down from above his head. Starsky glanced up to find Luke standing on a ridge directly above him, looking down into the enclosure with a smirk. "Welcome to Simon's dream." He sneered at the rock Starsky held in his hand. "Don't get him angry. He bites."

"So do I." Starsky growled, keeping a watchful eye on the Bear. Suddenly, he heard the chiming of a bell somewhere in another part of the cave. He watched in amazement as the Bear dropped to all four feet and lumbered away into the darkness. He glanced back up at the ridge above his head but Luke had vanished too.

Letting out a long drawn out breath, Starsky dropped the rock at his feet and continued down the tunnel to his right. Without warning, a flash of fire suddenly appeared in front of his face. Starsky cried out in pain as he felt the flame burn the right side of his face. Luke's laughter filled the air.

"How do you feel now, Starsky?" Luke sneered. "Is this more like it? I am the keeper of the flame. Simon dreamed we would get together."

"You're nothing." Starsky spit out, his right eye watering from the pain of the burn on his face. "You're a bunch of losers and freaks! But you'll never make it! You hear me! You'll never make it!"

With a strangled cry, Luke thrust his torch at Starsky, who instinctively jumped back out of the way. He stumbled and fell to the ground, on his back, as Luke loomed over him, thrusting the torch at his face again. Starsky grabbed a tree branch lying beside his left hand and used it to block the thrust of the torch. Raising his knees towards his chest, he kicked out with his feet, knocking the other man off balance. As Luke fell to the ground, Starsky scrambled to his feet and turned to stumble down another tunnel.

At the end of the tunnel, he spotted a set of stone steps that seemed to lead above ground. As he started to climb the steps, Starsky saw the hint of daylight overhead. Breathing heavily, his injured ribs aching and making it difficult to breath comfortably, he slowly trudged up the steps, pausing in the open doorway that led to freedom to catch his breath.

Suddenly, he felt fingers wrapping in his hair, jerking back on his head as the cold metal of a gun barrel pressed against the side of his throat. One of the disciples grinned at him maliciously and snarled, "You'll never make it, sucker! We're not nothing! We're your executioners!" Jerking backwards on Starsky's hair, the man threw him back down the steep flight of steps.

Starsky ended up in a crumbled heap at the bottom of the steps, stunned and hurting. His left wrist was bent at an awkward angle, caught between his body and the bottom step. He felt rough hands grabbing him and pulling him to his feet. He cried out involuntarily, cradling his injured wrist against his body protectively. Two more disciples held his arms securely, keeping him upright as Luke stepped out of the darkness of the tunnel.

Smiling thinly, Luke drew back his hand and viciously backhanded Starsky across the face, snapping his head sharply to one side, and opening a deep gash in his left cheekbone. Starsky spit out the blood he felt gathering inside his mouth from biting the inside of his cheek. He stumbled over his own feet as the men drug him back down the tunnel towards the main cavern.

As they drew closer, Starsky could hear the insistent chanting from the rest of the cult members. He resigned himself to the additional abuse he was certain he was about to receive for his actions. He realized that it had all been a sick game. They had never intended to allow him to escape.

A knee to his groin sent Starsky to his knees and then to the ground where he curled up in a ball, his nuts feeling like they were filled with crushed glass. Instinctively, his hands cupped his groin protectively, the pain of his injured wrist momentarily forgotten. Starsky heard Luke's laughter echoing in his ears as he began to retch. He felt hands grabbing him and pulling him upright. His hands were forced behind his back and tied securely, then Starsky was slammed against the wall of the cave where his body sagged in defeat.

Starsky sat there, trying not to pass out, as the pain in his groin slowly subsided. He lifted his weary head when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. Gail was kneeling beside him, holding out a tin cup. She carefully put the rim of the cup to his lips and he drank deeply, grateful for the cool water that soothed his parched throat and dry mouth.

"Thanks…" he muttered "Let's send out for Pizza." A hiss escaped his lips as a sharp cramp suddenly twisted his stomach into a knot.

"What is it?" Gail asked in an alarmed voice. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Starsky gasped in a ragged breath as the agonizing cramps in his stomach intensified. "The water…"

"You put something in the water!" Gail said accusingly, turning to glare at Luke who was slouched against the wall beside Starsky and watching her. "You put something in the water and you didn't tell me! Why must it always be so cruel?"

Starsky grunted as the cramps bent him double. His gut felt like it was on fire and his muscles felt like they were twisted into knots. The pain made it hard to concentrate on what was going on around him. Vaguely, he was aware of Luke saying something to Gail in a soft, soothing voice. The girl sobbed softly as she curled up on the ground at Starsky's feet and began to chant Simon's name.

Luke leaned in so he could peer into Starsky's eyes and hissed, "And you dream too, pig. Dream and make it good for at sunrise, your dream is ending and so is your life. You're going to die." He laughed as he straightened up and walked away, leaving Starsky alone with his misery and pain. Another cult member stepped forward and gently helped Gail to her feet, leading her away.

For the next three hours, Starsky was lost in a world of pain. The cramps ripped through his body, making him moan. The cramps were accompanied by severe nausea that made him dry heave, his stomach trying to force up something that wasn't there. By the time the cramps and nausea finally started to ease, Starsky was exhausted and only semi-conscious.

Starsky's curls were plastered to his head with sweat and the heavy robe wet with urine where his bladder had released involuntarily during his convulsive cramps. His aching body screamed out for rest and his eyes closed wearily.

Starsky had no idea how long he'd been asleep when a sharp pain across the small of his back jolted him awake. He moaned as the cult members began beating him again, using whatever they could get their hands on. He welcomed the darkness that pulled him into its comforting embrace and away from the pain.

The remaining hours between darkness and sunrise blurred together in Starsky's mind as the cult members devised more tortures to subject him to. He drifted in and out of consciousness, growing weaker and weaker. He was vaguely aware of more beatings, getting burned on his left hip, and being bitten several times. Pain became his only reality as his mind teetered on the edge of sanity.

The bright morning sunlight found him outside and above ground. He was on some kind of platform with his hands stretched above his head and tied securely to the mental frame that surrounded the platform. As his vision cleared enough for his eyes to focus properly, he saw six of Simon's followers gathered in a semi-circle around him. Each of them held a different weapon. An axe, a chain, a baseball bat, a cleaver, a hammer, and a metal rod. Starsky knew that he was only minutes away from the final torture that would end with his death.

Gail was standing in front of him, the long bladed knife cradled in her hands. There was a vacant look in her eyes as she raised her head to gaze at him.

"What's going on?" Starsky asked her, his voice rough and husky from the screams that had been ripped from his throat during the night. "Oh, I see…Been this way before…"

"They're all watching." Gail whispered vacantly. "Simon dreamed they would watch."

"You're going to kill me." Starsky said, watching as Gail shook her head slowly, looking dazed and confused. "Yes, you are." He repeated "And your friends are all gonna watch."

"No, I'm not going to kill you. Thou shalt not kill…" Gail said in a broken voice, her eyes brimming with tears. "Not kill…thou shalt not…" She looked back into his eyes. "They're all watching. Only make the first stroke."

"Gail!" Starsky said desperately, hoping to reach the confused woman. "You don't have to do this. It's not you." Starsky swallowed hard, his voice taking on a pleading tone, "Please…"

"Just make the first cut," Gail repeated, tears falling down her pale face. "Just the first cut…"

"Cut him! Cut him! Cut him!" the followers chanted before resuming their chanting of their leader's name.

"No…please…" Gail cried out, as she raised the knife above her head. Starsky turned his head and closed his eyes waiting for the pain that would signal the others to begin their attack. The pain never came, instead he felt himself starting to fall forward, his hands suddenly free. It took him a moment to realize that instead of cutting him, Gail had cut through the rope around his wrists.

A blur of movement beside him startled Starsky for a moment until he recognized the flash of blond hair. Hutch was there. Hutch had found him. He was safe now. Chaos immediately broke out as the cult members realized what was happening and tried to close in to finish the ceremony. The disciple wielding the meat cleaver swung it at Starsky, barely missing the dark-haired detective, who managed to roll out of the way. He wasn't so lucky when it came to avoiding the iron bar. Starsky screamed in pain as the bar slammed down against his left shoulder, immobilizing his left side.

More bodies suddenly swarmed over the platform as uniformed officers arrived, grabbing and disarming the murderous cult members. Then Hutch was there at Starsky's side, gently pulling the smaller man into his welcome embrace. Starsky grabbed the front of Hutch's leather jacket, holding on tightly, as he rested his head against the broad shoulder of his partner.

"Oh…Hutch…" Starsky whispered, collapsing in his partner's arms.

"It's all over." Hutch soothed him, gently rubbing Starsky's back through the robe. "It's all over."

"What took you so long?" Starsky said in a choked, emotional voice.

"Nice looking nightgown you got there, buddy." Hutch said lightly, his arms tightening around his injured partner. He looked into Starsky's pain filled eyes and said softly, "Do you think you can stand up for me?"

Starsky nodded slightly, not trusting his voice to speak. Hutch carefully helped him to his feet and started to guide him to the waiting ambulance that was parked a short distance away, surrounded by black and white cruisers. Starsky stumbled and almost fell, too weak to walk. Without a word, Hutch slid one arm around Starsky's shoulders and his other arm under his knees, lifting the smaller man up into his arms and carrying him the rest of the way. Starsky slung his right arm around Hutch's neck and rested his head against him, feeling safe at last.

He jerked in pain as Hutch gently laid him down on the portable stretcher sitting beside the ambulance. Starsky closed his eyes as the paramedics began checking out his various injuries and checking his vital signs, making sure he was stable enough to transport to the hospital. Hutch stood to one side, watching his silence as the paramedics calmly categorized the bruises, cuts, bite marks, burns, and other injuries that covered Starsky's body. Hutch fought to control his rising temper as he listened to the abuse his partner had endured during the past twenty-four hours.

Finally, the paramedics loaded the stretcher into the back of the ambulance. Without a word, Hutch climbed into the back of the vehicle beside his partner. Luckily, the two paramedics had dealt with the two partners in the past and knew the close bond that they shared. They knew that Hutch's presence would help to keep Starsky calm so they had no objection to the blond detective riding in the back of the ambulance with their patient.

Hutch sat as close to Starsky's side as he could, holding the dark haired man's hand the entire way to the hospital. Comforted and secure with Hutch at his side, Starsky gave up the struggle to remain conscious. But, even in his unconscious state, Starsky was not at rest. His head turned from side to side on the stretcher and his fingers clutched at Hutch's hand desperately. Soft whimpers of pain escaped from his lips periodically. Hutch was relieved when they finally arrived at the hospital.

Hutch was forced to remain in the waiting room as Starsky was rushed into the emergency room to be treated for his numerous injuries. Operating on automatic pilot, Hutch filled out the various forms about Starsky's medical history and his insurance information. Then he waited, pacing the floor anxiously, his eyes darting towards the emergency room every time the doors swung open.

It wasn't long before he was joined in his vigil by Captain Dobey and Huggy Bear, who waited with him for news on Starsky's condition. It was almost two hours before a doctor finally stepped into the waiting room and said, "Family for David Starsky?"
"Right here." Hutch said, straightening up to his full height and stepping towards the doctor. The doctor looked at the three men approaching him with a startled look. Two black men and a tall blond man. None of them resembled his patient enough to be any relation.

"May I ask how you gentlemen are related to Mr. Starsky?" he asked cautiously.

"It's Detective Starsky." Hutch corrected him. "I'm Detective Hutchinson and he's my partner. This is our commanding officer, Captain Dobey and this is a close friend."

"Does Mr. Starsky have any immediate family in the city?" the doctor asked

"Just an Aunt and Uncle." Hutch told him in an annoyed voice. "Look, I have medical power of Attorney, so you can tell us how my partner is right now, or I'm going in there and find out myself."

"No need for that, I assure you. I'm Doctor Benson and I treated Mr…uh…Detective Starsky. He was a very lucky man considering his injuries. Do you mind if I ask what happened to him?"

"He was kidnapped by a bunch of crazies who wanted to kill him." Hutch said shortly. "Now, please tell us how he is!"

"I'm sorry. Of course." The doctor said apologetically. "He has several severe contusions and abrasions. He also has a second degree burn on his right cheek that came dangerously close to his eye. There was also a gash on his left cheek that required six stitches to close." The doctor paused for a moment before continuing. "He also has a third degree burn on his left hip in the shape of an inverted cross and several bite wounds to his torso. There is also evidence of some trauma to his genital area causing some swelling and tenderness. His most serious injures were all internally. He has a slight concussion, three cracked ribs, a severely bruised left kidney, and there was some internal bleeding from damage to his spleen. He's in surgery right now having that problem corrected."

"When can I see him?" Hutch asked anxiously.

"Not for a couple of hours yet. He'll be admitted to the ICU for at least twenty-four hours and then I'd like to keep him for a few days just to be on the safe side." The doctor smiled briefly. "But, he will recover. It's just going to take some time. If you want to wait upstairs, the ICU is on the sixth floor."

"Thank you." Hutch said gratefully, turning and walking towards the elevators without a backward glance. Captain Dobey and Huggy followed him. The three men stepped into the elevator and rode in silence to the sixth floor.

As they settled in the waiting room, Huggy walked down the hallway to the vending machine to get them all some coffee.

"Well," Dobey said slowly, "I guess I'll wait with you until Starsky's settled in his room."

"I want a twenty-four hour guard on his door." Hutch said fiercely. "I don't want to take a chance on any of those crazies getting anywhere near him again."

"Hutch, that's not going to happen, they're all in jail." Dobey pointed out.

"I don't care!" Hutch snapped sharply. "I still want a guard there!"

"All right. Consider it done." Dobey said. He looked at the blond half of his best team of detectives and said, "He was lucky this time. It could have been a lot worse."

"Yeah, I know." Hutch said with a dejected sigh. "I could have gotten there too late and he could have been mutilated like the rest of Marcus' victims."

"But, he wasn't." Huggy said, returning with the coffee in time to hear Hutch's words. He handed a cup of coffee to the big blond. "You found him in time. That's all that matters. So don't go off on some guilt trip, Blondie. You did the best you could with what you had to work with."

"You both heard what they did to him!" Hutch snapped. "Marcus created those mindless monsters! None of them have a soul or a conscience!"

"Marcus is the real monster." Dobey said gruffly. "He's the one who took the people that nobody cared about and turned them into a bunch of mindless robots, so strung out on drugs, that they believed he was their God. And he's going to pay for his sins! You need to remember that."

"Right now, you need to be there for Curly." Huggy said "He's gonna need you to help him deal with what they did to him."

"I know." Hutch said in an exhausted voice. He could feel the start of a migraine coming on from the stress of the past twenty-four hours.

A short time later, a nurse came over to tell that Starsky was settled into a room and they could see him for a few minutes but then they would have to leave for the evening. Captain Dobey and Huggy both declined, telling Hutch to go and see his partner.

Hutch slowly walked down the hallway and entered Starsky's room. Starsky looked so fragile and weak lying there on the bed with the right side of his face and his wrists covered with heavy bandages. There were dark smudges under his eyes and, even in his drugged slumber; his face was drawn with pain.

"Hey, Buddy," Hutch said softly, gently clasping Starsky's right hand. "You're gonna be okay now. You're safe and those crazies aren't gonna get to you again." He took a deep shuddering breath and continued, "They're gonna kick me out of here but I'll be back first thing in the morning. Try to stay out of trouble, will ya?" He stayed for a few more minutes and then quietly left the room.

EPILOGUE

After spending three days in the hospital, Starsky was released. Hutch insisted on staying with him until he recovered from his injuries. The nightmares started the first night he was home. He woke up screaming and fighting invisible demons that only he could see. Hutch finally climbed into bed beside him and held him close until he finally calmed down and went back to sleep.

The nightmares continued relentlessly for almost a month before they finally started to fade away. Starsky learned to deal with lingering reminders of his ordeal. Irrational fear would overwhelm him without warning and he only felt safe and secure when Hutch was by his side. The panic attacks left him irritable and short tempered but slowly, his confidence returned as the painful memories of his captivity faded. Thanks to some excellent medical care, the only scar he had to remind him of the ordeal was the surgical scar on his right flank and a scar from the skin graft on his hip where the cross had been burned into his skin.

Simon Marcus was sentenced to life in prison without any possibility of parole and most of his followers received lengthy prison sentences for their part in Starsky's abduction. After extensive psychiatric care, Gail was returned home to her worried parents where she began a new life. And Starsky returned to the job he loved with Hutch securely by his side.

THE END