Disclaimer: This story was written purely for entertainment and is not for profit. It is not meant to trespass in any way on the holders to the rights of Starsky and Hutch.
Warning: "Episodes" might be considered a dark tale and contains some graphic scenes and foul language that may be offensive to some readers. This story also revolves around a paranormal/metaphysical genre; if this is not your cup of tea, then please refrain from sipping. I would hate to spoil someone's fun.
--oo Episodes oo-
By: Shawne 'til dawn
. . . CHAPTER 9 . . .
Hutch threw his car's gear into park and walked up the familiar stairs to his partner's apartment. He opened the door with the spare key Starsky had given him when he had first moved here. The place was quiet and empty, strangely reflecting what Hutch was feeling inside. Without Starsky at his side, the blond felt like he wasn't complete, like he was missing his arm . . . or his heart. "Maybe both,' the blond thought silently to himself. His mind drifted once again to his partner, wishing he could be there to comfort him when he awoke from the anesthesia.
Shutting the door with a sigh, Hutch walked over to the couch where the small, black backpack still sat, quickly opening it up to look within. The blond took out the few, neatly folded articles of clothing, a small bag of toiletries, a little travel clock, a brush, and a wallet. It was obvious that Mari traveled very light.
Picking up the wallet, Hutch opened it, seeing the few dollar bills and coins that she carried. He silently wondered how she managed to survive on so little, surmising that she probably took odd and end jobs in whatever state or town she ran to, earning just enough to keep her going . . . to keep her safe.
Hutch took out the plastic photo sleeve, seeing a picture of what was obviously Mari's family. She looked so young in the picture, smiling confidently, her dimples appearing under her high cheekbones, hair shining, falling becomingly around her heart-shaped face. She looked secure and happy, so different from the woman who had sat on this very same couch just the night before.
Hutch's pale, blue eyes skimmed over the faces of her parents and her older sister who was also very beautiful in an exotic way. The blond quietly wondered what had happened to this girl's family. Where were they? Why weren't they looking for Mari? Behind the picture in another plastic sleeve was Mari's driver's license. Hutch took this out, reading her full name softly, "Mari Miyamoto." The license had been issued in Washington State. Hutch got up and made a quick call to the station to check up on the information he had gleaned from the few things in Mari's bag.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The window of the battered LTD had been left opened, enticingly beckoning anyone to look inside. Mari silently wondered why people would tempt fate and be so foolish as to leave their cars and themselves vulnerable to attack. Didn't they even know that predators lurked about, looking for opportunities like this?
Her mind drifted back to another girl who was murdered in Washington by the bastard that hurt David. That young girl had been foolish enough to leave the window of her car down, as she dashed into the library to quickly return some overdue books. Upon returning to her vehicle, she jumped in and drove off, never suspecting that someone would be hiding behind the seats, crouched down low with a knife in his hands, never once thinking that this would be her last day on earth. Mari shuddered and focused her attention back to Hutch's car.
She thought briefly back to last night, joyfully amazed at how the tall blond had actually listened to her, calling his captain to arrange a safe house for David with a medical team on hand, ready to help him. She smiled; hope once again shining in her brown eyes, as she thought of the dark haired detective. Perhaps now, he would be safe and that image of him, his dark blue eyes filled with pain and horror would be something of the past.
She mulled over that for a minute, silently wondering if the image she kept seeing of the David came from his attack last night in the narrow street. Sometimes her 'episodes' and dreams were not always very clear to interpretation, but her heart told her that the dread she felt whenever she dreamed of David's eyes had something to do with death, and she knew for certain that David was still very much alive.
She quietly looked up at the windows to David's apartment, knowing Hutch was within, probably going through her meager belongings. She had come back to claim them herself. It was time she left . . . staying here in Bay City would only endanger David again, and in his weakened state, he would be no match for the demon who haunted her dreams and followed her like a ghost.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Yeah . . . I see," Hutch said, "And nobody in the town of Blaine, Washington knew what became of her since she left the foster home she was put in?" Hutch asked, his heart heavy and sad for what Mari had endured in her childhood, "I see . . . this town . . . Blaine . . . this sits near the border of Canada right? Yeah . . . okay . . . wait a minute," Hutch said as he fished his notebook and a pencil from his back pocket.
The blond quickly scribbled down notes to himself, "So her last place of employment there was at a local eatery called, 'Sam's Haven?' Yeah . . . okay. Look, is Dobey in yet? No, no it's okay. I'll be in shortly myself and talk to him personally . . . yeah, thanks for the info." Hutch hung up the phone and looked up to see Mari standing hesitantly in the open doorway.
"Mari?" Hutch said gently, walking slowly towards the door so that he wouldn't scare her off, "Hey . . . I've been worried about you . . . Starsky too . . . he wanted me to find you."
"Really?" Mari said softly, feeling a slight crack splinter the wall she had wrapped around her heart for so long. Could it be possible that someone really cared about her? "David . . . is he okay?" she whispered, her heart told her he was, but to hear it from Hutch would validate her feelings.
"He's fine." Hutch replied, keeping his voice gentle and soothing, "They operated on him earlier. Although he lost a lot of blood, the knife thankfully missed his vital organs. They've sedated him to keep him still, but he should be coming out of it shortly. I'd like to be there when he gets up and I know he'd like to see you again . . ."
Mari bit her lower lip in indecision. She wanted to see David and make sure he was fine, if only for one last time, but fear kept her back, "I-I don't know Hutch . . . I just came in here to get my things and tell you that I'm leaving . . . I was hoping you would tell David goodbye for me." She said softly, her eyes dropping sadly to the floor.
"I'm sure Starsk would want to say goodbye to you himself . . ."
"I have to leave now," Mari interjected softly, looking the detective in the eye, "If I leave Bay City, then the demon will leave too. He will follow me wherever I go. He mustn't find David when he's weak and unable to protect himself."
"Listen to me Mari," Hutch said earnestly, cautiously walking up towards her until he was standing next to her, his blond head towering above her. "You cannot keep running forever. I mean you're good at slipping away, becoming one of the shadows, but you're tired, and one day you'll slip and he'll find you. You need to let us help you . . . l-let me take you into the station and introduce you to my Captain. He'll put you under protective custody . . ."
"No!" Mari said, eyes wide with terror, "No . . .please Hutch, just give me my bag and I'll go . . ."
"Mari," Hutch said gently, his voice soft with compassion, "I know . . . I know about your family . . . about what happened . . ." The blond cop watched as Mari slowly backed away from him, her haunted eyes widening in fear. She quickly turned to run out the door, but Hutch grabbed her slender arm, pulling her into his strong embrace, feeling her slight form trembling in his arms, as she finally gave way to quiet tears, emptying her heart, releasing the burden of the pain and grief and abject loneliness that she harbored these many long years.
"Shh . . . it's okay . . ." Hutch soothed, running his calloused hands down her long, dark, silky hair, feeling his shirt becoming damp with her hot tears. "You're not alone anymore Mari . . . Starsky and I are here with you now, let us help you."
Mari looked up into eyes the color of the sky as they hovered above her, feeling Hutch's thumb as it gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. Taking a deep breath, Mari nodded slowly . . . maybe they could help her. God, she was so tired of running and to feel someone actually holding her . . . she couldn't even recall the last time she had been held like this. To be touched by someone warm and kind . . . to be embraced by another human being . . . she had forgotten what it felt like . . . forgotten what it was like to be cared about . . .
"Okay," she finally whispered, nodding hesitantly, seeing the tall blond man smile reassuringly, and taking refuge in his soft blue eyes. "Okay . . . I'll go with you to the station."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
He sat unmoving for hours watching the comings and goings from the small house, tucked away in an inconspicuous rural neighborhood. He smiled, his yellow stained teeth gleaming dully from the waning sunlight that managed to trickle through the thick leaves of the hedge that he hid under. Did they think he was that stupid? Did they think that he wouldn't be able to find that no good punk? He had waited at Memorial Hospital for a while, doubling back to the cop's neighborhood after realizing that they weren't gonna bring him in.
He cautiously drove by the narrow road. Some black and whites were still there, but the ambulance was gone. He parked down the road, angrily slamming the heels of his hands on the steering wheel of his rented car. Breathing heavily, he forced his mind to relax . . . sending out his "feelers" as he silently searched. It was only a matter of minutes before he honed in on the direction his nemesis had taken, and though he didn't clearly "know" where the curly haired detective was, he knew he would find him. It was only a matter of time. Somehow that cop had become as linked to him as Mari was.
He clenched his fists as silent rage overtook him again, hearing the soft gasps of the cop as he taunted him on that narrow road last night, "You think . . . she would ever be yours . . . asshole? She was . . . never yours. And yeah . . . just in case you're wonderin' . . . she was damn good!"
A jealous rage overtook the large man as he lay stomach down on the ground a good distance from the house he had been watching. He had seen the doctors and medical people leaving with their equipment some time ago. He watched as the blond cop, and then later on, a large black man left the house, taking into account, the three plain clothed cops still left within the structure. He grinned to himself, his gray eyes glimmering in the dark, shady spot he hid in, "Soon pig . . . very soon . . . you'll never get a chance to touch my Mari again."
To be continued . . .
