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: "In a Blink of an Eye" might be considered a dark tale and contains some graphic scenes and foul language that may be offensive to some readers. If this is not your cup of tea, then please refrain from sipping. Please consider yourself warned, I would hate to spoil someone's fun.

A/N: Aloha Everyone . . . my apologies for the delay in posting this next chapter. Things have been really rough since school has started and I get home so late every night. I will be taking my students to camp next week, so I thought I better post this before I forget again. Enjoy . . .

Previously on "In a Blink of an Eye":

"Are you crazy?" Hutch hissed. "Two hundred dollars? Starsk, you only have a five dollar bill!"

"I don't intend to lose, Blintz," Starsky said with a smirk.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions, pal," Hutch reminded.

"Don't worry, Blondie, I'm gonna get that gas money you need," Starsky promised smugly. "Now go sit down and drink that beer I ordered ya." The handsome brunet winked with confidence and then turned to make his way over to where the pool table stood.

The blond heaved an exasperated sigh, worry and concern etching deep grooves onto his forehead. "Thanks," Hutch nodded, as the barkeep handed him a mug of beer. Whatever was up his partner's sleeve, the tired blond prayed it would work. It would be a long walk back to Bay City if not.

~Chapter Nine~

"So I take it that you play a good game of pool?"

"Maybe. You play?"

"Some, but I . . ."

"You a gamblin' man? Wanna play a game of eight ball? "

"What are the stakes?"

"Me gettin' outta here now and you sending a glowin' report to Dobey and Internal Affairs."

"I see. And that's if you win, of course?"

"Yeah."

"And what if I win?"

"I'm here ain't I?"

(A quiet chuckle)

"I don't consider you being here my winnings, Dave, but I like your spirit! Perhaps one day I just might take you up on your offer to play a game of pool, but I think the stakes you're offering at this time might be a bit . . . unethical."

(Silence)

"Dave?"

"Yeah, whatever . . ."

(Drumming fingers on the desk)

So why don't you tell me what you think about Hutch's statement."

"What statement?"

"That the road to hell is paved with good intentions. What do you think that expression means?"

"How the hell should I know! Look, I'm sick'a all your questions, Doc. Let's cut to the chase . . . ya gonna let me get back on the force or what?"

(Silence)

"Hello? Ya even listenin' t'me?"

"Tell me about what happened when you played pool with those hunters . . ."

(Silence)

"I can sit here until you're ready. I get paid by the minute, Dave. Want that cup of tea or coffee now?"

(Silence)

"Dave?"

"Yeah, alright! Ya wanna know what happened? Ya got it! Okay? Ya got it!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-

"So, you wanna rack 'em up?" Starsky asked, "Or shall I? Wanna play a friendly game of eight ball? Or how 'bout some nine ball?"

"Jus' shut yer city slicker pie hole and put them purty balls in the triangle thingy!" Jake snapped, turning to glare at his son. "Johnny, go on and flip a coin t'see who's gonna break. I call heads!"

"Then I guess I'm tails, and I'm guessin' we're gonna play some eight ball," Starsky grinned, shaking his butt as he racked the balls and then turned to grab a cue stick. The brunet used the chalk cube, layering a thick coat of it on the tip of his stick.

"You ready, pa? Mister?" Johnny asked, flipping the coin in the air after both men nodded. The dark haired hunter caught the coin and slammed it down over his wrist. "It's tails!"

Starsky whooped with pleasure already feeling that "the win" was a sure thing. Johnny carefully lifted the rack as Starsky took position, using the white cue ball to crack dead center into the colorful racked balls, sending solids and stripes rolling all over the green felted tabletop. One of the stripe balls landed in the corner pocket. "Guess I'm stripes, just like my beautiful red and white baby back home!"

The dark haired cop grinned, shifting his eyes to connect with those of his partner who had silently moved in closer to the game; sitting alone on one of the round wooden tables that lined the entrance of the back room. Hutch winked, silently bolstering the brunet's confidence even more.

"Well, go on. We don't have all day with ya just standin' there gawking at yer blond boyfriend!" Jake snapped, "What's with you two boys anyway? You boys queer or somethin'?"

Starsky grinned, "Ya know what? Before we go on any further, my friend and I wanna see the cash first. Need'ta see with our own eyes if you down-home boys really have that kind of money on ya. Two hundred dollars is a lot of dough t'be playin' with."

"Ya sayin' I'm a liar, boy?"

"I'm sayin' I wanna see the greens before the game goes any further." Starsky reiterated calmly, feeling the sudden tension from the hunters. "No money . . . no game."

"How much y'gots on ya, Bobby?" Jake snarled, snapping his fingers at his friend who dug out his worn wallet, drawing out 2 twenties, a fifty dollar bill, and three five's. "I got a hundred five on me, Jake. M'wife's gonna skin me alive if you lose this. We needed t'fix the washer and the heater with this hea money."

"Shut yer whinin', Bobby. I ain't meanin' t'lose to this purty boy." Jake sneered as he, snatched the bills from the red-headed hunter. "Johnny, how much ya gots on ya?"

"Just thirty one dollars 's all, pa." Johnny said, fishing out the greenbacks and giving it to his father without hesitation, a worried look deepening the color of his hazel eyes. "'Tween me and Bobby, that's only a hundred and thirty-six dollars."

"Ya need to come up with sixty four dollars, Jake," Starsky grinned, as the older hunter frowned, looking perplexed as he raised his eyes to the ceiling to do the mental math.

Jake fished out his wallet, pulling out the loose bills from its worn pocket. "Gots here only twenty-four bucks, dammit!" the hunter snapped, slamming his dollars on the face of the table. "Shit!" Jake swore, glaring at Bobby. "I thought you said you had a pocketful of money, nearly two hundred bucks on ya?"

"Well I was roundin' t'the nearest two." Bobby replied stupidly, his face reddening with anger as Jake swore at him again.

"Well, that makes a hundred and sixty dollars between the three of ya," Starsky grinned, "At least it's over half. I'm still in, if you are." The dark haired cop plucked the collected bills from the hunter's hand and gave them to the barkeep who had come into the back room a while ago to watch the game with interest. "Joe here, is gonna hold the money for us while we play. Keep things fair and all." The brunet winked at the the bartender who nodded solemnly and grabbed the loose bills, expertly organizing the dollars into neat stacks by the order of their worth.

"Alright, let's get the game rollin' then," Jack snapped, "Yer stripes and I'm solids, so hurry the fuck up."

Starsky grinned as he perused the setup on the table, glad the ignorant backwoodsmen didn't ask to see his cash up front. Smirking at the angry hunter, the curly haired cop sauntered around the pool table and called his shot, "Eleven ball in the corner pocket."

Starsky's eyes shifted to his partner's once more, smiling as he saw Hutch nod encouragingly. Flexing his shoulders and cracking his neck, Starsky leaned over his cue stick and took aim; watching as the cue ball rolled effortlessly across the felted surface to sink the striped ball into the corner pocket.

Joe whistled and chuckled as he waved the money in the air. "Looks like yer old lady's gonna skin ya alive, Bobby!"

"Shut yer trap, Joe," Bobby growled. "Jake's gonna whoop this city slicker's ass."

"Nine ball in the side pocket," Starsky called out, the yellow striped ball easily sinking into the middle pocket to the snickering glee of the bartender.

"Fuck!" Bobby and Jake swore together, both hunters moodily watched as the brunet maneuvered expertly around the table.

"Twelve ball in the corner," Starsky said, angling his stick so that the cue ball pocketed the purple striped ball.

"You hustlin' me, boy?" Jake accused, angrily tipping back his head to swallow down the contents of his mug, slamming the empty glass down hard upon the edge of the pool table.

"Watch the merchandize, Jake," Joe warned gruffly, "Or you're gonna be owing me more than just two hundred dollars!"

"Shouldn't drink so much, Jake," Starsky advised with a wink, "It fucks up your coordination." The brunet grinned and sashayed around the table attempting to do a difficult bank shot, sinking the blue striped ten-ball into the said side pocket.

The game continued with Starsky sinking another ball in before missing his last shot. The hunters hooted as Jake finally got a turn at the stick. The older man walked around the table choosing a difficult shot to impress his opponent. The solid green ball stood about a foot away from remaining striped ball near the side pocket.

"Ya sure you wanna go for that one?" Starsky asked, dark blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "I mean, it's a difficult shot. Ya might miss."

"Shut yer face, boy," Jake snarled, "Don't try t'jinx me. Yer lookin' at a legend when it comes to the game of pool, ain't he boys?"

Bobby nodded nervously, wringing his hands together as he watched his friend lean over and angle his cue stick, aiming at the green six-ball.

Everyone held their breath as the cue ball rolled across the table, sinking both the solid and the striped ball into the side pocket.

"Fuck, Goddammit!" Jake yelled, slamming his stick down upon the pool table.

"Shit, Jake," Bobby whined, "Y'done helped the boy t'get his last ball in!"

"Yessiree, he sure did!" Starsky chuckled, shaking his bottom as he did a little jig around the table. Lining his cue stick up, the skillful brunet easily sunk the black eight ball into the side pocket after he called out the shot, to the groaning and whining of the hunters.

"Thanks, Joe." Starsky chuckled, as he snatched the money out of the bartender's hand. "Boys, it's been a pleasure doin' business with ya'll," the brunet gloated as he sauntered by the bearded men, leaving them red-faced and glaring.

Hutch stood with a smile as his partner neared him, but the smile soon turned to an angry glare as he saw Jake grab Starsky from behind and slam the brunet hard against the wooden wall. "Starsky!" the blond called out, as he ran to the back of the room to render aid to his friend who was now surrounded by the burly hunters.

The curly haired cop grunted as his chest connected to the unforgiving wall, the breath expelling from his lungs in an audible whoosh. "You little shit," Jake snarled into his ear, "Y'aint gettin' our money, y'hear me? Y' hustled us and we ain't lettin' ya leave here in one piece." The older man whipped the brunet around and brutally kneed Starsky in the stomach then shoved the winded cop against the wall once more.

The brunet grunted in pain, his abdominal muscles screaming out at the abuse it just took. Shaking his head to clear his vision, Starsky ducked at the last minute as Jake drew his fist back to connect with the solid wood of the wall behind him.

As Jake clenched his bleeding hand and howled in pain, Bobby grabbed Starsky before he could get away; the redhead hunter using his weight to push the smaller man to the floor, only to feel himself being lifted forcefully from behind by the tall blond who swung his large fist, connecting with Bobby's bearded jaw.

A loud booming sound stilled the ruckus and all eyes turned to Joe who held a smoking shotgun pointed to the ceiling. "That's enough, all of ya!" The bartender nodded to the hunters, "Now I watched the game, and Curly over there won the it fair and square, Jake."

Joe looked over and watched as the tall blond helped his dark haired partner to his feet. "Now you boys, take your money and get the hell out."

"Thanks Joe," Hutch said, as he and Starsky made their way to the front door of the establishment. Both detectives stopped dead in their tracks and turned to look over their shoulders as they heard a familiar 'click'.

Joe cocked the shotgun and pointed it at the older hunter who attempted to move towards the retreating duo. "Nope, ain't gonna let ya make a bigger fool of yerself than ya already have, Jake. Now I told those boys they can leave here, but yer gonna have t'stay for a spell. Sit yer asses down at the bar and I'll get some beer for ya, on the house." The bartender turned his gaze back the light haired cop, "And you, y'bes get yer friend outta here and do it fast!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"You okay?" Hutch asked, turning to eye his partner who rubbed his tender middle.

"Yup, 'm fine!" Starsky smirked, raising the handful of bills to his nose, taking in a deep whiff of the green-papered currency. "And do you know why? Because I love the smell of money!" the brunet said excitedly. "Man, did you see me back there, Hutch? I smoked that idiot!"

"Yeah, and you nearly got yourself killed in the process." Hutch said, his eyes squinting in the dark; the headlights of the LTD lighting the slippery winding roads as the old windshield wipers strained to clear away the heavy amounts of water that continued to steadily fall against the glass.

"Not even! I had them under my control the whole time!" the brunet bragged. "And I got your gas money to boot and then some, so quit your worryin', Hutchinson!" Starsky wagged his brows and fanned the dollars at his blond counterpart who snorted softly in the dark.

"Well, you're lucky old Joe had a shotgun behind the bar," Hutch said, his pale blue eyes lifting to look in the rear view mirror at the twin pinpoints of lights a mile or so behind him. "Anyway, it'll be good to get home and out of this rain."

"Yeah," Starsky sighed as he pulled the ends of his jacket together to ward off the chill of the car's interior. "Turn on the heater, would'ya? I'm freezin' my ass off in here."

Hutch leaned over and obliged his partner's request, straightening to peer into the rear view mirror once more, to check on the other car's progress. Grooves of concern marred the blond's forehead as the distant lights drew ever nearer.

Ever perceptive of his partner's every nuance, Starsky eyed his blond counterpart in the dark. "What?" The brunet turned to look over his shoulder at the car that speeded up behind them. "We got company?"

"Looks like it." Hutch mumbled, his foot pressing on the gas pedal as he spoke, the old LTD bitched loudly as it begrudgingly picked up speed.

"Maybe it's just another traveler wanting to get home real fast." Starsky said hopefully, sitting up straighter as he turned to the front, his senses now on high alert.

"Or some pissed off hunters wanting to get their money back." Hutch replied drolly. The blond shifted his eyes once more to the mirror, able now to discern the make of the car behind them. The Scout continued to pick up speed, cutting the distance between the two cars in half.

"Hutch!" Starsky called out as the LTD swerved on the slippery surface. "Watch the damn road!"

"Shit!" Hutch swore softly under his breath as he righted his car only to have the wheel slip again from his hands with the sudden jarring bump they received from the Scout that had swiftly crept up behind them.

The LTD swerved once more and Hutch fought for control of the wheel, speeding up as he did so to avoid another jarring blow from vehicle bearing down on them. "What are you doing?" the blond snapped, ducking his head to avoid a foot in his face as his partner struggled to crawl over the front seat.

"Gettin' your gun," Starsky shouted back, unzipping Hutch's duffle bag to draw out the large cannon. The brunet could see Jake and the others through the front windshield of their car; the Scout was that close now. Another jarring jolt had the brunet violently slamming his right shoulder and head into the side door and window, the glass webbing in cracks with the brutal impact.

"You okay back there?" Hutch called out, worry and concern adding a harsh sharpness to his otherwise soft and gentle voice.

Starsky winced, lifting his hand to the side of his head where a trickle of warmth ran down his temple. The brunet blinked back the black spots that swam before his eyes, clearing his throat before he said, "Yeah, jus' . . . jus' keep drivin'."

"What are you planning to do?" Hutch questioned, pale blue eyes never leaving the winding road ahead as he sped up once more to avoid another collision with the Scout that tailed his ass.

"M-Maybe I can take out one of the tires," Starsky said, blinking back the dizziness he felt as he rested his arms along the ridge of the backseat and took aim at the vehicle that followed closely behind them.

"Are you crazy? Get back in the front and put on your damn seat belt!" Hutch ordered, his voice rising with the panic he felt as he glanced in the rearview mirror once more, Seeing the larger vehicle bearing down once more upon them made the hands of the blond slippery with sweat. "Starsky!"

The sudden lurch of impact made Starsky lose hold of the gun and slam headfirst once more to the floor of the car as the LTD spun crazily over the slippery surface of the wet road. Though Hutch fought valiantly for the wheel, the LTD made a sickening sound as crunching metal reached the ears of its occupants; the vehicle's already battered body ripping violently and crashing through the guardrails, tumbling head over heels to the shallow ravine below where it lay right side up in the dark of the night, still and broken, like a lifeless doll that a thoughtless child had carelessly forgotten or thrown away.

To Be Contined . . .

*Please excuse any grammatical mistakes or typos . . . this chapter hasn't been beta'ed except for a quick read through by me . . . thanks for being understanding. 