Chapter 12

Starsky fought in another fight a couple of days after Mike's fight. He tried to convince Blanks to let Mike go and watch, but the answer was no. Evidently, the guards lost a lot on that fight. This fight lasted twenty minutes but Starsky emerged victorious again. During the fight Starsky definitely heard someone say, "An ex-cop will bring us a fortune." As part of the agreement, Starsky was again allowed to shower and order breakfast in the morning. Starsky asked if he could order lunch and dinner as well. Last time he forgot to ask about lunch and dinner and just had breakfast.

Starsky shared his breakfast with Mike who was very grateful for the real food. Starsky asked, "Mike, what did you do to get put in here?"

Mike put down his plate, "I sold drugs to an undercover cop. I'm not bitter about it though, getting caught I mean. I knew selling would eventually catch up to me. I was using too, but got clean in here. So in a way, I guess I'm grateful for being busted. At least I was until the fights started. Hopkins tells us he'll knock time off our sentence if we win, but the truth is he makes up stuff and adds to it. I'm supposed to get out two more years, but he's added six more because I lost those fights."

"They started about a year ago, right?" Starsky continued to eat.

"Yeah. You know I've only lost four fights in all that time."

"That's good."

Mike leaned closer to Starsky and whispered, "Maybe not. Starsky, I've heard them talking about some fights up north, in another prison. I think the guards are going to take some of us that are good fighters to fight in a match in another prison. You know, like 'our prisoners are better than your prisoners.'"

"When, Mike?" Starsky whispered back.

"I don't know."

"Do you think they'll take you?"

"Yeah, I'm the best fighter in this whole prison. That guy just caught me off guard and knocked me out when I was down."

"I saw that was a cheap shot."

"Wonder how much they'll make if we win."

"Lots from what I hear. Say, do you think your partner can help us? Isn't there something he can do?"

Starsky closed his eyes, sighed and whispered, "I can't tell him. I mean they've…"

"They threatened to hurt him?"

"They'll kill him. I can't let that happen. I'll rot in this place before I'll let that happen."

"I understand. It was just a thought."

"Mike, how'd they get you to fight? Who are they using against you?" Starsky asked still whispering as they continued to eat.

"I have a daughter. She lives with her mother in San Francisco. I've asked her mother not to visit me. She deserves better; a lot better."

"Mike, that may have been true at one time but you've changed a lot. I'm sure she'd be proud to have you as a dad."

"Sittin' here in jail? No, it's better this way. I just can't let them hurt her or her mother."

"What's her name?"

"Tabitha Star Garrison."

"I love that middle name."

"I used to call, Mandy, her mother my shining star. I guess she's about nine now. What about you, Starsky? Got any kids?"

"Who me? Na. Too busy being a cop to have any kids. I always thought one day maybe I'd settle down. All I have is Hutch." Starsky laughed, "I didn't mean that the way it sounds. It's just, well, me and Hutch go back a long way. We've been through hell and back more times than I care to count. He's always been there for me and I'll always be there for him."

"I never thought I'd make friends with a cop," Mike said.

"I never thought I'd end up in prison either."

Hutch visited Starsky and brought him more books. Starsky gave the guard the books he had finished. Hutch had his new partner with him. He was a young man fresh out of the academy. His name was John Barksdale. Starsky had never seen him before. He chuckled knowing how much Hutch would hate having a rookie as a partner. Barksdale was about the same height as Hutch. He had straight dark brown hair and brown eyes. Hutch nodded letting Starsky know that he received the message in the book. He couldn't tell Starsky everything he needed or wanted to and vice versa. They made small talk for the half hour they were allowed this visit. Hutch said he would be back the next time he could visit. Starsky told him he was glad he let Dobey get him a new partner. He choked up as he said those words and Hutch cleared his throat and gritted his teeth. Starsky had seen Hutch as the guard Harvey but he couldn't talk to him then either. At least not openly and he really needed to talk to Hutch.

When Hutch left, he noticed Warden Jefferson's car in the parking lot and he had an idea. He pulled over at the nearest phone booth and called Captain Dobey. "You really think he can do that, Hutch?"

"It's worth a shot. Look, Captain, I've got to talk to him."

"Okay, Hutch, calm down get back here and I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks," Hutch said as he hung up the phone. He headed back to the station. Hutch felt bad for the rookie who was in the seat next to him. Poor guy doesn't have a clue this is all part of an elaborate undercover operation, Hutch thought. He knew he needed to tell him soon. He just wanted to get to know this kid a little first. He needed to know if he could trust him. Hutch walked into the squad room and told his shadow to wait for him. Hutch went into Dobey's office without knocking and said, "Well?"

"I sent two uniforms to bring the warden and Starsky here. I just talked to the warden and they'll be here in a few minutes."

"What excuse did Jefferson give for taking Starsky out?" Hutch was pacing back and forth in front of Dobey's desk.

"Hutch, I'm sure he came up with something that sounded valid. Will you sit down and relax."

"Relax, Captain? I haven't relaxed since this whole thing began."

Captain Dobey left his office and handed Hutch's temporary partner, John Barksdale, some money and asked him to go to the cafeteria. He told the young man what he wanted him to bring back.

Captain Dobey entered his office to find Hutch more relaxed sitting in a chair. "I'm glad to see you're a little more relaxed. I sent your partner to get something for Starsky to eat from the cafeteria."

"He'll appreciate that. I know he hates that prison food." Hutch stood up and started pacing again. "What's taking them so long?"

"Hutch, please, sit down and calm down. He'll be here."

A couple of minutes later the door opened and Hutch jumped up. The disappointed look on his face didn't go unnoticed by his shadow. "I'm sorry, Sergeant. I just wanted to bring Captain Dobey the lunch he requested." The young man turned and started to turn the door knob.

"Barksdale, come back in," Hutch said in a soothing low voice. Barksdale turned back around and stood so straight and tall it reminded Hutch of having to stand at attention when he was in the academy. "Barksdale, have a seat." Hutch pointed to an empty chair. "It's time you know what's really going on. First let me say I'm sorry for the deceit."

"What deceit?"

"Son, you are part of an undercover operation," Captain Dobey said.

The young man's eyes lit up, "I…I am? Really?"

"Yes, really. Oh what the hell, I may as well tell you the whole story. Now you can't tell anyone. And I mean anyone what we're about to tell you, understand?" The young man eagerly nodded. "Starsky was, is, and will always be my partner," Hutch said.

"But he's in jail," came the confused reply.

"He's not guilty of anything. It's all a set up," Captain Dobey said.

"Starsky is working undercover in the jail as an inmate to see who is organizing fights among the prisoners."

"And I'm undercover as his replacement. Wow. I can't believe I get to be on something like this for my first assignment!"

"Yes. We needed someone who doesn't know Starsky and someone we could trust. I'm sorry we didn't tell you all this in the beginning," Hutch said.

"I won't let you down, Sergeant. Or you either, Captain."

"Please, call me Hutch from now on."

"Okay, Hutch. And I can really… I mean you'll let me help?"

Hutch looked at Captain Dobey who shrugged and he grinned and said, "Sure, why not?"

"Just tell me what you want me to do. I know not to tell anyone else, but what can I do?"

The door opened and Starsky came in with Warden Jefferson. Starsky was wearing handcuffs and the uniformed officer removed them at Captain Dobey's request then they were excused. "Barksdale, we'll talk about that later, okay?" Hutch said. Barksdale nodded and started to leave. "Barksdale, I'll let you know when I want you to leave. For now you can stay. You're in this as much as we are now." Barksdale couldn't have been happier when he sat in an empty chair. After Hutch gave Starsky a thorough looking over for new injuries and exchanged hellos, Starsky sat in one of the empty chairs and Hutch sat on the arm of the same chair. That's how it should be, Captain Dobey thought.

"Is that food I smell? I mean real food," Starsky asked.

"Yes, Sir, I brought it from the cafeteria," Barksdale answered.

"Just call him Starsky, Barksdale," Hutch said.

"How'd you get out with him?" Captain Dobey asked Warden Jefferson.

"I said you were sending a car for him to meet with you. I told Hopkins I approved it even though it was out of the ordinary for a prisoner to leave. I said you needed to talk to Starsky about some old case he worked on. He seemed to buy it."

Starsky opened the bag that Barksdale handed him. He pulled out a hot pastrami sandwich and his elbow hit Hutch's knee. He frowned at his partner and said, "Hutch, sit someplace else, will ya? I'm trying to eat here."

Hutch glanced at Starsky trying to stuff as big a bite as he could of the sandwich and stood up, "Yeah, okay." Not seeing an empty chair in the small room, he sat on the corner of Captain Dobey's desk.

started eating a cold cut sub sandwich when Hutch reached out his hand and lifted Starsky's chin up. "What happened?"

"Hutch you saw that the other day when you visited me. You know what happened. But I won that fight. I've won two fights now. I'm going to lose the next one and…" he took a bite of the sandwich and started chewing, "from what I saw they did to Mike the last time he lost it isn't going to be pretty. I'll get through it though. Hutch don't come see me for a while."

"Why not!"

"Because if I'm right, when I lose the next fight…well, let's just say you ain't gonna like seeing me. I don't think they'll let you see me anyway."

"Then why lose?"

"I gotta know, Hutch. I gotta know what they're putting these prisoners through. I know Mike got beat up, but he doesn't know who did it and I gotta know who."

"We don't have much time, gentlemen," Warden Jefferson said.

"Yeah, right. Okay, here's what I found out," Starsky told them all about Mike and his daughter. Hutch said he would track them down and bring them someplace safe. Starsky told them what Mike had heard about the fighting taking place up north but he didn't know where or when. He was sure they were only going to take the best of the prison fighters. Starsky's plan was to lose the next fight but win the rest of them if he could. Staying undercover was the only way to find out everything they needed to know. Starsky gave them the names of the guards he saw at his fight and at Mike's. He also told them that Mike had asked if there was some way Hutch could do something about the fights. Starsky said that he told Mike the guards were using his friendship with Hutch to keep him fighting so he couldn't tell Hutch anything.

"Do you think you can trust this guy Mike?" Captain Dobey asked.

"I'm not sure yet, Cap'n. I'm trying to make friends with him. I'll keep working on it. I'll try to send you more names and messages in the books."

"Good. That was a good idea, Partner."

"I have them from time to time, ya know."

Hutch laughed, "I know. I did background checks on Hollister and Middleton as well as Sam Logan. Hollister and Middleton were hired just under a year ago. And guess what?"

"They came from a prison up north, probably same as Blanks," Starsky said.

"Close. Would you believe all three of them worked at different prisons? He didn't wait for a reply, "Blanks worked at San Francisco, Hollister worked for a prison in San Diego and Middleton worked in Sacramento before coming here. But get this-this is the best part-all three of them worked at Pine State prison before moving to the other prisons. They worked the other prisons a little over a year then moved here."

"Well, if that doesn't sound fishy, nothing does," Starsky commented.

"Do you mean to tell me, Hutchinson, that all those prisons are somehow involved in this fighting ring?" Captain Dobey asked."

"I think so, don't you?" Hutch turned his gaze to Starsky.

"Sure. Sounds logical to me. Why not? Let's say those three go from one prison to another and set up fights within each prison. They find out who the best fighters are then when they're all set they'll have one big fight. Strickland, Marshall, Hollister, Middleton and Blanks will know who the best are they've seen everyone fight."

"Right. Then they bet on the sure winners and clean up," Hutch finished Starsky's train of thought.

"That sounds like it would take quite a lot of time to set up. How much do you think they're making? I mean is it worth it?" Barksdale asked.

Hutch frowned a moment. "The kids right, it is a lot of work for just the five of them. And we still don't know how Hopkins figures into it."

"Maybe Hopkins started it. Or just maybe this isn't the first area they've pulled this off, Hutch," Barksdale said.

Hutch patted Barksdale's head and said, "I have a hunch, and if it turns out to be right, you get to be my new partner. I'll get printout of places they've worked going further back." He ran out of the room before Starsky could reply.

Barksdale looked stunned, his mouth gaped opened. He closed his mouth and said, "He's kidding, right?"

Starsky nodded, "Yes, he's kidding. But I do think you're on to something. And if Hutch is thinking what I think he is, which I know he is 'cause we do that, read each other's minds…"

"Starsky," Captain Dobey interrupted.

"Uh?"

"Shut up," Dobey said with a smile.

"You mean they may have done the same thing someplace else?" Barksdale asked.

"It wouldn't be that hard. Federal prisoners are transferred all the time. Even across state lines. If they've been doing this a while, there will some prisoner transfers on record. One or two might be a coincidence, but if there are very many it will show us which prisons they've been working. This fighting ring may be much larger than one or two prisons," Starsky said.

"I feel like such an idiot," Warden Jefferson said. He lowered his head.

"You shouldn't. You called us in as soon as you suspected something. That's what you should've done," Captain Dobey said.

"If we're right, these men have been doing it for years. They're real pros at it," Starsky said trying to make the warden feel better.

"If I may ask, sir, when did Hopkins come to work for you?" Barksdale asked.

"Hopkins." He had to think a few moments, "Hopkins has been with me for four years now. I can't believe he's involved. I know he is, I just can't believe it. I'm sorry I didn't notice this sooner. Detective Starsky, please be careful. I'd hate to see anything happen to you or your partner."

"That goes for me too. Don't do anything stupid, Starsky," Captain Dobey said.

"Hey, come on, Cap'n. It's me and Hutch you're talking about."

"That's what worries me," Captain Dobey said.

Hutch came back with a computer print out. "Okay, here's every place Hollister, Middleton, and Blanks have ever worked going back ten years. Looks like they met five years ago working as security guards at…"

"Let me guess, a sports arena specializing in boxing matches," Starsky said.

"Yep, you got it, Partner. Here it says they were fired from that job for…"Hutch started to say.

"Enticing the participants to fight outside the ring," Starsky added.

"Do they talk like that all the time?" Barksdale asked Captain Dobey.

"Yes, and it gets worse," the captain replied.

Starsky and Hutch ignored the remarks and looked at the computer printout. "Hutch, they worked together at Pine State then they went their separate ways. I also think Strickland and Marshall started off just betting on the fights but Blanks and the others recruited them. The other guards are just making money off the fights."

"They're just as guilty in my book," Warden Jefferson said.

"'Course they are and we'll bust them when all this goes down. But they're not the main targets," Hutch added.

"We can't put a man in every prison, what do we do? How can we stop this?" Warden Jefferson asked.

"I don't know that we can," Captain Dobey answered.

"We can sure as hell try. Captain, don't pull the plug on this just yet. If I'm right, they're going to make a move pretty soon," Starsky said.

"Yeah, they're going to move you to some other prison and I won't be able to find you," Hutch said.

"I bet Minnie can pull up the records of every prisoner in federal prisons throughout the state," Starsky said. He took a gulp of his drink, "If they move me, it'll have to be on record."

"Starsky, I can't let you bounce around from prison to prison," Captain Dobey added.

"I don't think you'll have to, Cap'n. In the last five years they have only worked at these five prisons. I think that's as far as it goes."

"Right now we don't have any proof of it going beyond the federal prison here in Bay City. But if I'm right, they're setting things up for one big fight night. And that will probably be Pine State," Starsky said.

"Why Pine State?" The warden asked.

"Because that's where they started," Barksdale said.

"Right, Barksdale," Hutch said.

Starsky looked at Barksdale, "Keep that up and he really will trade me for you."

"Let me get this straight, you two clowns want me to sit back and hope Starsky gets taken to Pine State prison for one big fight night?" Captain Dobey asked. Barksdale chuckled when Dobey called them clowns.

"Not me, Captain. I think we oughta bust the lot of them right now and end it," Hutch said.

"That won't stop it, Hutch. We have to wait until the big night. Just have Chris Harvey work more and I'll slip you info when I can. I can't back out now I'm in this too deep. Hutch, you gotta let me finish this. I don't think it will be much longer."

Hutch sighed, "You sure, Starsk?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm sure. I guess I need to win as many fights as I can after all. Forget the bit about losing one. Right now I'm a hot commodity and I need to keep it that way."

"If Hopkins asks for me to sign papers for prisoner transfers, do you want me sign them?"

"Yes," came the simultaneous reply from Starsky and Hutch.

"Sign the papers, make a list of the prisoners and call Dobey right away," Hutch said.

"Then what?" Barksdale asked.

"I visit Starsky in Pine State. If and when there is a fight, we'll move in. The prisoners from the other institutions will be there." Hutch said.

"And hopefully with their cooperation, we'll be able to bust everyone involved," Starsky added

"I'll get a job as a guard there as soon as I can and work it from the inside. I've already checked and they are hiring guards."

"Will you be Chris Harvey again?"

"No. I'll change my looks and name."

"Can I do something? I could be a guard too," Barksdale was eager to help.

"Sure Hutch'll come up with something," Starsky said.

Hutch nodded at Captain Dobey. The plan was set. If Starsky was transferred, Hutch would know where to look for him. He didn't like it, but Starsky was determined to go through with it. As soon as Starsky was moved, Hutch would get a job as a guard.

Captain Dobey had two uniformed officers escort Warden Jefferson and Starsky back to prison. Starsky was handcuffed sitting in the back seat with the warden. When they arrived at the prison, Blanks was asked to take Starsky to his cell. The warden left after Starsky was taken to his cell.

"So, Starsky, had a nice day out, did ya?"

"Yep."

"Where you'd go?"

"I'm not at liberty to tell you," Starsky replied.

Blanks slammed Starsky into the wall and punched him hard in the stomach. Starsky leaned forward and moaned from the blow. "I hope you had your fun, funny man, 'cause guess what?"

"Not tonight."

"Yep. Be ready. You're fightin' at midnight. I don't need to remind you what happens if…"

"I said I'd fight and I will. I don't go back on my word. I'll be ready. Just leave my partner alone."