Sorry for the delay... but some things went terrible wrong in real life...thanks for waiting!!!

Chapter 7

A ghostly silence lay around the scene, interrupted only by short radio calls and quiet murmuring. Captain Dobey sat in the SWAT team's van and lost in thought stared out in the dark rainy night, the dreadful pictures of the last hour all too clearly before eyes.
But the worst was that Nat had to watch everything.
It was bad enough that he didn't know what was happening to his mother, but to watch how an obviously seriously injured man still had to endure more torture was hard to understand. How could the soul of a child handle this? Dobey was glad that now Minnie Kaplan was looking after the distraught boy. But before Minnie could bring him to a car and get him a hot cup of tea and some rest, Nat begged Dobey again not to send him away. He had to know what was going on with his mother.

After the dispatcher had tried unsuccessfully to get the Commissioner on the phone for several times Dobey was furious and he decided to make the next important decisions on his own initiative. Maybe this decision would cost him his job, but he couldn't sit around and watch a lunatic bomb a bank in the air and maybe send so many people to death. Especially if that included two of his best men.
He had no other choice, and he would have to live with the consequences. First he had cleared the adjoining buildings and got the people to safety without too much fuss, so the bank robbers knew nothing of it.
Dobey breathed deeply and paged through the ground plan of the bank. Someone had got the bank manager out of the bed and he had immediately promised his unlimited help. He had given Dobey the plan and also the confirmation that two employees were in the bank, unfortunately one of them a pregnant woman. This case was getting from bad to worse; at least six people were in the power of the kidnappers, including two of his detectives.

From the outside the bank was very hard to observe, there were three offices, all in the rear part of the bank. But there was no access from the front or from the back of the bank. No window, no back door that could be stormed, and because the kidnappers threatened with a blast, it wouldn't be possible anyway. The bank's supervision camera had been cut by the robbers; there was no chance of getting a picture of the inside of the bank. Dobey's only hope was to ask the manager to provide the ransom and he himself would look after the getaway car and would drive it if necessary. His thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice.
"Captain Dobey... What do you think you're doing here?"
Dobey looked up and looked in the angry face of the Commissioner.
"You get me from an important meeting with the town council and now I find out that you're talking with the bank robbers and agree with all their demands. Since when do we negotiate with criminals, Captain Dobey? And since when do you ignore my orders?"
The police chief voice was getting louder with every word and his whole posture showed that he was used to the fact that everybody obeyed his orders.
"Chief Walters", Dobey briefly cleared his throat and sorted his thoughts. "With all due respect sir, but we're not talking here about rules. Our biggest problem is the greatest possible disaster. The most important thing is that the lives of several inoccent people are in great danger. How will you explain to the council that a whole street in Bay City was blown up by some criminals, without even one attempt to contact the kidnappers? Two of these hostages in the bank are my men who risk their life for the citizens of this town every damned day. And two dozen police officers who would risk their life for each other, too. I would just react in the same way as if one of them were there in the bank, sir. One of my men is seriously hurt and the kidnappers are threatening to kill him if their demands are not met. But I will not allow this!

I would never sacrifice one of my men! Never!

We are sitting on the top of a volcano and I don't want to be the one who lights the fuse, Sir!"
During his emotional speech Dobey stood up to his full size and didn't let the grizzly haired man out of sight, his deep-brown eyes full of fury. Chief Walters drew a deep breath, his face turned deeply red. Everybody thought that the Commissioner would let out a furious tirade any minute, but nothing happened. An icy silence ruled between both men, neither would step down. Suddenly the men and women present began to murmur their approval. Somebody clapped their hands, other followed. Everybody had listened to the loud dispute between both policemen, and it was clear that the applause was for let his eyes wander through the rows of the police officers, then he stretched himself.
"Be quiet!"
Immediately the applause died down. Walters fixed the Captain for a moment then he said with a firm, but astonishingly gentle voice:
"Captain Dobey, I don't want to lose any of these men and women here and, so help me God, if this is the last decision I make as a Commissioner of Bay City... Nobody, I repeat: nobody has the right to sacrifice a human life without a reason! I don't want and can't take over responsibility for that! But I think that you, Captain Dobey, you're completely right in your opinion! I agree with you that we have to negotiate with the kidnappers. Get your men out there, and that is an order!"
Dobey nodded appreciatively to Walters, in silence he held out a hand to his Chief and both policemen shooke hands in mutual respect. The remaining onlookers applauded once again.
"Okay, Captain Dobey what do we know about the kidnappers? Who are these guys?"

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The situation in the bank didn't ease up. The problems became bigger and bigger and the possibilities of a solution smaller and smaller. Starsky had crouched on the floor, his back leaned against the wall, his eyes closed. He was so dreadfully tired. His brain seemed to be made of cottonwool, even incapable of a clear thought. But now he had to pull himself together; if it was only about him, everything would be easier but unfortunately it wasn't only him. His best friend was shot and seriously injured, a pregnant woman could give birth at any time and a cashier wasn't far away from losing his nerves.
And then there was Hutch.
Hutch always was the constant in his life, his compass, the one he always had been able to count on. He had watched over everything and...he was there, always! Like that night in that Italian restaurant, when Starsky was practically dead, with a bullet in his shoulder. But Hutch had saved his life and the lives of all the others. Completely alone, without help.
But this time everything was different. This time Starsky was alone, nobody was there to help him and he was the one who had to look after everything; but he felt as if he lost the thread. Hutch was miles away from being any help, even if he had wanted it. Over and over again he drifted in and out consciousness; instead of better he was going from bad to worse.

He thanked God for sending him Reeba and Granny. The old lady was calm as could be, she kept her temper and she mastered every new disaster with her own serenity and Starsky wished Granny could give a little bit of it to him.
And then there was Reeba; this young woman with the big brown eyes and the almond colored pony tail.
She was an enigma.
On one side strong as a rock and then again vulnerable and anxious like a new born bird falling out of its nest. Just now she again proved her whole strength and together with Granny tried to calm down the pregnant Gladys. They had laid the upholstery of the armchairs and all still available cushions on the ground and had built a simple bed. After that Starsky and both women had laid down Gladys on the floor as comfortably as possible.
Martin was no big help. After the gruesome incident outside the bank and what had happened afterwards, the young man had a complete nervous breakdown. Now white as chalk he ran around the office like a startled chicken incapable of calming down.
'Excellent', Starsky thought. 'That's exactly what I need now!'
Reeba had examined Gladys as well as she could, now she got up and went over to Starsky. Exhausted she dropped down beside him on the ground.
"My God, every twelve-hour shift in the hospital is easier to handle than this here!" She smiled wryly putting her head against the abdomen and sighed quietly. "The waters haven't broken yet, but she's in labor. As long as she lays still and doesn't get upset everything will be all right. But she also urgently needs something to eat; all of us do. Her blood sugar is too low; probably this is the reason why the labor's had started. Granny's great, without her help..."
"Yes, I know..." Starsky kept quiet for a while then he looked at Reeba. "Damn, we have to get Gladys and Hutch out here, right?"
Reeba nodded slowly. "It's their only chance; Gladys herself is doing very well, but Ken...he has lost a lot of blood, I'm not sure if his left lung has collapsed, but I couldn't hear any respiration sounds, not to mention the shock..." She sighed again. "If he wasn't so strong and you weren't with him...he wouldn't have survived it, David."

Starsky bit down on his lower lip, his eyes gleamed with moisture as he glanced over to Reeba.
"Yeah...I know... I'm scared that he won't make it this time. I ...I ... in my whole life I never was so scared like today. And in this morning I was so angry with him... I'm such an idiot! I yelled at him that I needed a new partner, because of his bad moods ...God! I'm not ready for something like that... can't lose him yet ... he can't die Reeba, please!"
"Oh shut up! Always the same old story!" Very suddenly Martin stood in front of him, he choked at his words. In a flash he clutched Starsky by his collar and pulled him to his feet, his eyes glittered wildly.
"You are to blame yourself; you and your partner have gotten us into this whole mass. If you hadn't appeared, everything would be over long time ago. The criminals would have got their money and we would be free. But you had to play the hero, like your damned partner... The police, your partner...to protect and to serve..." He gave out a hysterical laugh and firmly pressed Starsky to the wall. "You should protect us and what do you do?! Moaning here around like an old woman and crying about your oh so important partner! He's done, he's dying! Now is the time to look after the living! Finally, I want to get out! I can't do this any more..." He flung Starsky across the office and hammered with his fists against the door.
"Get me out of here... I want to see my wife again... damn ...get me out, now!"
Shaken with sobs he fell on his knees. Starsky struggled to his feed and together with Reeba he tried to calm the angry man down. But suddenly Martin whirled around and rushed again at Starsky. Reeba yelled out in horror.

"You and your damned friend are responsible for it if we die here..."
He gripped his hand around Starsky's neck and began to squeeze, his face a mad mask. Starsky tried to defend himself against Martin and pushed his knee in Martin's groin several times. Martin's strangling grip became weaker and he slumped. With a clean left cut Starsky hit him in the face; Martin fell to the ground without a sound. Starsky tripped aside and hit the ground, too. He heard the women screaming; he sat up laboriously and struggled for air.

Reeba had hurried to his side and now knelt before him.
"Can you hear me? David?" She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. "Hey, officer, you still with us?"
Starsky seized the fingers and held on tight.
"Yes...I'm still there... no reason to go away. God... he's completely mad." He gasped.
"No, he's not mad. He's only afraid, just like all of us." Reeba answered in a flat voice and looked over to the now unconscious man.
Starsky struggled to his feed." It's time that we consider a plan, Reeba. We have to..."
"Yeah ... w-what you need, is a brain... that's doing all the work for you!"
A tiredly whispering voice interrupted Starsky and both looked up in surprised. A pair of sky-blue eyes looked at them.
"Hutch ... you're awake!" Starsky exclaimed enthusiastically. "How do you feel?"
"Tired... but I think...being better. What about you?"
"Well...I feel great, but you look awful...white as a sheet, you're in much pain? Reeba has removed the bullet and has stopped the bleeding; you're as good as new!"
Hutch thankfully looked at Reeba and smiled weakly. "And why do I feel like a bomb... exploded in my chest? What did she use... a pneumatic hammer or what? Feels like she moved my guts from... one side to the other!" He pressed a hand over his chest and quietly gave out a loud groan. "Jezz...Starsk... tell me...something new...what happened to Martin?" He glanced over to the still unconscious man. "What do you do to him? Isn't your charm enough any more, or what... did you have to beat up poor Martin, mh?"
Starsky noticed how speaking exerted Hutch and that he was still in excruciating pain, but he was so glad to hear his friend's voice again. So he tried to distract Hutch a bit, so that he could better endure the pain.

"Hey, you are Prince Charming and I'm the bad boy, you remember?"
"Yes...sure, Starsk ...what ever you say..."
"Hey, wait until we are out of here and Dobey see the mess you got yourself in then you feel better immediately!"
Hutch suppressed a laugh about that thought and grimaced painfully. "Please, don't make me...laugh, breathing is quite...difficult enough... So, do you have any new ideas? Remember... Dobey will put us on traffic duty for the next two weeks if we mess up here, so any idea?" Hutch restlessly slid round on the sofa to get into a more comfortable position. Reeba pushed some cushions behind his back, until Hutch was propped up in a half seated position, leaning on his side.
"This is better...breathing is easier now, thanks!"

He again glanced over at Reeba and relaxed. "Good work...I'm sorry about the trouble..."
"Sssht, take it easy ... here drink this, you are completely drained." Reeba passed a mug of water to him and raised his head to help him with the drinking. "Not too fast ... I don't want you sick. What about pain?"

"Don't ask me…feels like my chest is on fire, but I'm glad that you... removed the bullet."
She smiled again and her eyes sparkled. "Why don't I always have such well-behaved patients?"
"Because otherwise... they would fall in love with you!" Hutch winked and suppressed a coughing fit.
"Hey partner, be careful! Remember, nurses have very long needles!" Starsky wagged his finger at Hutch. Reeba blushed in embarrassment and to distract herself she checked Hutch's dressings. "Huh ... looks very good ... Now you Supercops what's your next step?"
Starsky snorted. "A conference!"
Hutch distraughtly looked at him.
"A what?!"
"I'll speak with Cole, maybe he'll make a deal."
"What deal? What do you mean?"
"Well, I'll try to exchange you and the others for a getaway car. Good idea, right?"
"No, bad idea, you're crazy! Your head has got hit more than I thought!" Hutch tried to sit up but screamed out in pain and fell back. "Damn... he rather will see in hell... than allowe one of us to go. As he already... said, he needs us."
"The only one he needs is me, Hutch and you know it, and I will absolutely not admit, that he puts his hand on you, Gladys or..."
"Stop talking..." Reeba said resolutely. "One heroic deed in a day is enough and you see what happened. We must think of something better."
Starsky shook his head and got up, Hutch's hand still firmly in his.
"If you have a better idea, than tell it to me. But until then we do it my way!"
"You damned... pigheaded mule...! Your mother will tear me in pieces if she heard about it!"
If he didn't feel so dreadfully tired and weak then he would have talked out Starsky of this mad idea with all his power. He would have argued with him, maybe even fought with him, but he didn't have enough strength to shout at him. So he softly reached for his partner's hand and firmly looked into the familiar deep blue eyes.
"Be careful, partner. And what I wanted to say...to you, I get used to your... constant turning up late, I didn't need a...new partner, you understand?"
Starsky felt a knot in his throat; he swallowed and enclosed their both hands with his left. "As I already said, you stick with me, Hutchinson ... me and thee, like always! "
"Yeah, like always."

Once again Starsky briefly squatted beside Reeba. "Please look after this blond Viking here, but be careful, he can be a pain in the ass, sometimes heis pigheaded like a mule!" He got up and grinned suddenly. "And he's afraid of needles!" Reeba laughed drily.
"Yes, if I need to I will tie him up!"
Starsky went to the door and hammered with his fist against it.
"Hey, open the door; I want to speak with your boss!"

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"Oh, sergeant Starsky, what an honor!"
Cole sat at his desk, his feet rested on the tabletop. The small desk lamp gave a dim light and the room looked very small.
Cole nodded to Starsky and pointed to a free chair towards him. "Please, take a seat, what can I do for you?"
"Thank you, but I'll stand." Starsky crossed his arms over his chest and fixed Cole with his eyes.
"I want a deal."
"A deal? Now, this sounds interesting. Go on, you make me curious."
"My life for that of the remaining hostages."
Cole lifted an eyebrow and then knitted his forehead.
"Interesting thought, but inacceptable. As I already said, both of you are my security; the others are a welcome extra income."
Starsky sighed and tought.
'Okay, we need another strategy here.'
"Come on Cole, you want to get out of here, right? But you really don't believe that there's somebody out there interested in your demands, do you? Two dozen well armed policemen standing there outside; the bank is surrounded, so how long do you think you can make it here without food, without sleep? Do you believe anybody cares for the hostages or for us? We're only policemen, replaceable. You want to blow up the bank? The houses around are evacuated a long time ago. Two-weeks clearing work, in one year there'll be a complet new building. But you..." Starsky's finger touched Cole's chest. "But you will be dead then! Then the one million dollars of ransom won't help you anymore!"
Cole's face remained inscrutable, but Starsky could tell how Cole's brain was working behind his forehead. This round went to him!

Cole was quiet, but his brain worked at full speed. Maybe this Detective was right and he had pushed the game too far. Just suppose, the Captain out there had only played his whole game and now he already planned an assault of the bank. What it would cost to let this Detective think he would comply with the deal. At long last only he could win, he escaped with all hostages or with one, the price he would get for this should compensate for everything. Moreover, he loved playing cat and mouse, but he didn't like to be the bait.
He would play, but he would keep them all in suspense, since they should be played according to his rules. Starsky should not think that he deliberately had come on this deal without conditions.
The nerve-breaking jingling of the phone made both men start. They stared at the phone and changed wordless looks. The phone rang for another 7-8 times, and then it remained quiet.
"Look, look, Big Brother is watching you!" Cole laughed cynically and didn't let Starsky out of sight for a second. "You offer me your life for that of the other hostages is that right?"
Starsky nodded silently.
"And you believe that I would agree with this proposal?"
Again a nod.
"Now, I have to disappoint you, detective! If I let your partner go, you would be too dangerous for us. I have eyes in my head. You would do everything for your partner and you would never allow him to suffer. So, as long as I have him, I keep you on a string. On the other hand, with the explosion up you might be right of course. So I think there's no reason that we must let things get so far. Maybe I should take this pretty cashier outside...Gladys is her name, isn't it ..."
"You son of a bitch...Cole, she's pregnant ... and she is in labor, you really want half a town have to watch you lay violent hands on a pregnant woman?"
Starsky stepped forwards and clenched his fists in fury.
"A ...a ... a, Detective", Cole lifted the weapon and directed it at Starsky. "Not a step further...now you see what I mean... that's the reason why your partner stays here!" He stopped talking, as he expected an answer.
'Brilliant, Starsky, exactly what you wanted to avoid! Don't let yourself be provoke by him! Like your mother always told you, think before you speak!'
Starsky took a deep breath.
"Well Cole, you want to get out of here, you want the money and you want the car, then you must be ready to pay something for it, co-operative and at least let the women go. They will be ready to go along with your demands if you make the first step, believe me. And besides, you will lose nothing. Offer them the hostages as an exchange and ask for something to eat for us. We had nothing to eat for hours; hungry people make mistakes, and this is something you can't afford right now.
Then you release the remaining hostages and get the car and the ransom. You will see, as soon as you take the first step, then they will come towards to you."
Starsky looked at Cole, his eyes flickered, now this was the only chance he would get. He had leaned out of the window so far and had thrown down a bone to the dog. The question was whether the dog liked the bone or not. Cole was quiet a long time before he answered.
"I'll think about your proposal, we still have some time left."
Starsky already had an answer on his lips, but this time, he swallowed it. This damned guy loved to irritate his victims up to the max; hopefully he would soon have the opportunity to pay Cole back for it.
"Come on, bring him back." Cole nodded to Rick. Starsky silently turned round and accompanied by Rick he went back to the office. When they had almost reached the office door the phone rang again.
"Detective Starsky, wait a minute I think I have already made a decision!"
He heard the click of the trigger and stopped suddenly.
What had this sick brain thought up now, what game did he want to play now?

TBC