Chapter 14

Starsky stared at the younger cop with such intensity that eventually Boone had to look away to avoid those accusations held in the deep indigo eyes. Even though Starsky was securely tied to the chair, Boone felt that the curly haired cop could be dangerous and whilst the younger man felt righteous indignation that Starsky had queered his pitch, he also felt a prickle of fear raise the hairs on the back of his neck.

'Why?' Starsky asked.

'Why not?' Boone answered. 'A cop's wage was never gonna make me rich.'

'Clay Patterdale was your partner.'

'No, he was a guy I worked with, nothing more.'

Starsky shook his head slowly. 'I don't understand.'

A blow caught the brunet across the face, snapping his head sideways so that Starsky saw stars and tasted sweet copper on his lips. He licked at the blood and tried to focus his attention onto Kim's face. The Chinese man stood in front of him, his impressive muscled body glistening with the sweat of his exercise.

'Ignore him. Answering me is more important.'

Starsky squinted up at Kim from the corner of his eye. The young Chinese was silhouetted against the bright naked light bulb dangling from the ceiling and the light lanced into Starsky's eyes setting off fire cracker pains in his head. 'What d'ya want to know?' has asked quietly.

'I know you messed with my sister.'

'That aint a question' Starsky mumbled and instantly regretted it as the side of Kim's foot came up and swept around, catching Starsky on the side of his face across the bruises he'd already had from the day before. For a moment a wave of nausea caught the brunet and his stomach churned so that he tasted bile in the back of his throat, acrid and sour. Starsky swallowed and tried to concentrate on what Kim was saying, but the whistling in his ear, that had, over the space of the past 24 hours started to die down, now came back with a vengeance and drowned out the voices around him.

Kim took a hold of Starsky's face and turned it up towards him so that the cop could see Kim's lips moving. 'You fucked Jade. Why?'

It took moments for Starsky to make sense of the question. Deep down in the pit of his stomach, a deep throb of fear had started. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. No one cop could be so unlucky. He'd paid his price almost a year ago in that police garage. He'd served his time in the hospital, so why him? Why now? He should be living to a ripe old age with Hutch by his side as they drove around handing out tickets for jay walking and illegal parking. Could he stand this ill treatment any more? Could his body truly heal another beating? Back in the alley yesterday, Kim had knocked a hell of a lot of confidence out of the brunet. That confidence had been hard fought for and hard won. He wasn't a coward. No-one could ever level that at him, but this was outrageous. His body had just healed five bullet wounds and god knows how many surgeries and now there was this yellow skinned bastard trying to rip him apart again. Could he survive any more?

Did he want to?

Through all the months of recovery, the only thing that had truly kept Starsky sane was the idea of once more getting back onto the streets with Hutch. He'd never thought about the bad times they'd had – the death of his lady; Gillian; Mad George Prudholme…..the other flakes who's personal vendettas had caused mayhem to him and his partner. It was just the idea of once again being fit, healthy and part of a dynamic team that had forced him on through his pain and fevers. That, and Hutch's constant quiet presence at his side.

Now, tied to this chair, with a mad Chinese dancing and weaving in front of him and his head feeling as though it was going to topple from his shoulders at any moment, Starsky encountered that feeling of fear that he'd never had before. Always before, in tight situations, it had been his anger that had fuelled him through. He'd garnered it to him and used it as a shield. Now that shield had failed him and pure, raw fear trickled icily through his veins.

Did it make him a coward? No, it made him a survivor who didn't want to have to go through the whole healing process one more time. The doctors had told him he'd been incredibly lucky to make it back to work after Gunther's goons had had their way with him. He'd agreed with them. Why the fuck was he putting himself into harms way once again?

It was the job. The answer floated to him on the breeze between him and Kim. It was always the job and deeper down than the fear a small voice told Starsky that however he felt…however scared….the job would always come first. Starsky steeled himself for the pain he knew would surely come and swallowed the fear down. Maybe playing along with Kim may save him some extra wounds. He'd never tried that approach before, but there was a first time for everything.

'I didn't. We talked, we kissed, but I never fucked her' the brunet said quietly. Another blow landed across the other side of his face and Starsky saw stars. Something had happened inside his mouth and his tongue explored the bloody cavity where one of his back teeth had been knocked out. He spat the molar along with bloody saliva onto the floor and tried to breathe past the fear.

'We can talk. You don't need to do this' he started.

Kim stood watching. 'The time for talk passed when you took my sister back to your bed.'

'I'm telling the truth. I didn't fuck her. I wanted to, but….' This time the blow was so severe that the chair Starsky was tied to overbalanced and fell sideways, taking the cop with it. His head struck the floor and sparkles of new pain danced behind his eyes like fireworks. Starsky let out a groan, or he thought he did, but the whistling in his left ear had gone…..and so had the rest of his hearing. He knew people were saying things and he knew people were around him but something had happened to him and he seemed to be watching the world from a grandstand some way off. He saw what was happening to him as though it was happening to someone else and he flinched as strong hands set the chair, and him with it, back onto its feet. Kim hovered in front of his field of vision and the young Chinese man's lips moved, but Starsky heard no sound other than a muffled hiss. The cop shook his head slowly from side to side but other than the increased feeling of wanting the throw up, nothing else happened. Finally Kim seemed to become tired of talking to Starsky and receiving no feedback. Fists and feet didn't seem to work, although a few more blows landed on Starsky's chest and arms, adding to his pains. Kim finally took hold of a fistful of Starsky's hair and pulled the brunet's head back so that they could see eye to eye. Starsky fought with consciousness and concentrated on Kim's lips. He managed to make out "You might wish I'd finished you off, but Boone seems to be such a fan of yours, I couldn't deny him his enjoyment. You'll never fuck my sister again. Maybe you won't fuck anyone again".

Kim walked out of the room without a backwards glance, leaving Boone and Starsky alone.

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Hutch shook himself out of his shock and made a better sweep of Starsky's apartment. The furniture had been thrown around and overturned and it was obvious there had been a scuffle of some sort, but there was no blood. Whoever had taken Starsky had tried to overpower him and had succeeded without having to resort to too much violence. Hutch swallowed hard. That could only mean drugs and the blond man's hand went to the crease of his left elbow, feeling for the needle tracks that had healed so long ago. Dammit Starsk.

Jade stared open mouthed at the mayhem in the room, her hand up to her mouth in shock. 'Dave' she whispered again.

'Your brother. Where would he have taken Starsky?' Hutch asked.

Jade turned to him. 'I know my brother has connections, but he wouldn't do this' she said, although her voice did not hold much conviction.

Hutch snorted. 'You stand there with that pretty face all bruised and bloody and tell me that Kim would beat his own sister, but he wouldn't harm my partner? C'mon lady! Where? Where would he take Starsky?'

Jade's hand wandered over the bruise on her own face. It was true. Deep down she knew her brother had killed, but as a good Chinese girl it was never her position to challenge the males in her house. Tradition dictated that the women were seen, but never heard.

Up until now.

Jade cringed as she thought about the times she'd remained silent, even though she knew Kim was a criminal who may have murdered and the woman realised that the time for secrets had long since past. She had given her brother a pretty speech about how America was so different from the old country and yet she had kept quiet and done nothing when Kim had been running the Dragons. Enough!

'I don't know' she replied.

Hutch grabbed her shoulders and turned her gently. He took one of the photographs of Starsky and him from the floor, the glass cracked in the frame, and held it up to her. 'This is the guy you were with hours ago. Take a good look. If you truly have feelings for him, if you even just like him, you'll think and think hard. There must be somewhere that Kim goes? Some place he and the gang hang out?'

Jade looked at the photograph. Starsky looked happy, carefree and he had his arm around Hutch's shoulders. He was full of life and to think that he may now be at Kim's mercy made the woman's heart stop for a second. She licked dry lips.

'He doesn't tell me much. It's not my place to know, but….. I don't know. I can't think.'

'There must be somewhere' Hutch coaxed. 'A private room? Another building? It would have to be away from the restaurant I think. Somewhere you or your Mom and Dad wouldn't necessarily go.'

'There is a warehouse' Jade said thoughtfully. 'It's not far from the restaurant I don't think, but it's where Kim says he keeps all the provisions for the kitchens. Kim does the ordering and runs it. I've never been there. We seem to have everything we need at the Royal Phoenix.'

'Where? Where is it?' Hutch asked.

Jade looked at him, wide eyed. 'I don't know. Truly I don't. I'm sorry…..oh God! Kim will kill Dave and it's my fault. I should never have gone out with him.'

Hutch snorted. 'Don't blame yourself. I've never known a girl who could resist Starsky's charms. Ok, so we don't know where this warehouse is. Do we know where Kim is?'

Jade shook her head. 'At home? I don't know. After we fought I walked out and phoned first Dave and then you.'

'Fine. If the only one who knows where my partner is is your brother, then we find Kim.'

'He won't tell you.' Jade whispered.

Hutch whirled and stared at her. 'Then he doesn't understand what me and Starsk are all about. One way or the other he's gonna tell me where my partner is. Or one of us will die in the process.'