Chapter Seven

The next couple of days, Starsky was busy with Moreno's tasks. He grew surly as he felt frustration at the slow progress he was making. Moreno obviously did not yet trust him and left Starsky to follow the orders of his subordinates, Sal being one. And Sal had not forgiven him for interrupting Sal before he could rape Ken. Sal gave him the evil eye often. Starsky knew he had to watch his step as he could sense that Sal was waiting for an opportunity to get even with him. One time Sal had given him an order contrary to what Moreno wanted and Starsky just escaped being duped. He had overheard Sal talking to a big man nicknamed Hulk and laughing about lying to Starsky. Sal had drunk too much liquor and with his early celebration, he was loud enough for Starsky, coming back to retrieve his hat, to overhear.

Starsky had a brief meeting with Dobey and had informed him. Dobey was worried and offered to pick Sal up. Starsky shook his head. He wanted Sal to make a mistake, hopefully giving him an opportunity to get on Moreno's good side. Dobey admonished Starsky to let him know if things got too risky. Starsky agreed, but Dobey could tell by the set of his face and the fire in his eyes that Starsky was lying, and Dobey left with a sigh. He was worried about Starsky and Ken.

Ken had grown restless in the cabin. Although he loved reading, the outdoors was in the Duluth boy's blood. He began to go on solitary runs and swam in the small lake located about a mile from the cabin. He then found fishing gear in the cabin and fished, finding contentment in being outdoors.

One afternoon, Starsky drove up to see Ken cooking fish over a campfire. "Just in time for dinner," Ken smiled, waving Starsky over.

Starsky was skeptical but walked over and sat down on a fallen tree. Ken gave him a plate with two fish covered in fresh herbs, a baked potato wrapped in foil, and a cup of coffee.

Nodding his thanks, Starsky took small bites at first and then in delight dug in.

Ken smiled and dug into his plate as well.

Both ate in silence until they finished. "Have I thanked you for saving me?" Ken asked.

"Yeah. No need to." Starsky turned his head and Ken's eyes widened as he took in the nasty bruise on Starsky's left cheek.

"What happened?" Ken exclaimed.

"'Ole Sal got a little drunk and managed to land a lucky blow," Starsky grinned. "He's had it out for me ever since. . ." Starsky trailed off.

"Ever since you saved me," Ken finished. "I've endangered your undercover role. I've become a complication for you. I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." Starsky got up. "If you want to help me, you can find me a raw steak for my black eye."

Ken shook his head firmly. "No way. Raw meat is not a good thing to put on your eye. I don't know where that myth started but take my word for it being the wrong thing to do – unless you want to attract a mountain lion. Come in the cabin and I'll get some ice from the ice chest and I'll see if there are some aloe plants around here. That is good treatment for a black eye."

"You a doc, too?" Starsky eyed Ken skeptically.

"EMT training and pre-med. We need to get you inside and your head elevated. Ice packs for about fifteen minutes each time."

"It hurts – do you have aspirin?"

Ken shook his head. "Aspirin can make the bruising worse – and thins the blood, so it is not good. I'll see if I have any ibuprofen."

Starsky followed Ken into the house and with his head elevated by pillows and a towel full of ice applied he relaxed on the couch. After rummaging for several minutes, Ken came back with a bottle of ibuprofen. "Here's two," he said. "This should help the pain and hopefully you can go to sleep. I'm sorry for the black eye."

Starsky glared at Ken. "I'm going to give you two black eyes if you don't stop apologizing. Talk about something else. I saw your pictures. You're a track star?"

Ken sat down on the coffee table. "I'm a good runner. State champ. Competed in the NCAA championships."

"Baseball?"

"Pitched. MVP for high school championship for Duluth High. Mick was shortstop for our team. And in college, Minnesota University, I also pitched. We won the college championship a few months ago. Mick was our shortstop there, too. I was named MVP."

Starsky looked at Ken out of his good eye. Ken sounded matter of fact, not bragging at his success. "Who's Mick?"

"My younger sister. Always wanted to be Mickey Mantle. She didn't like her real name, so we began calling her Mick or Mickey. She was also a track star, and on the swim team, just like me."

Starsky was puzzled. "They let a girl on the boy's baseball team?"

"She was the first. She was so good and proved herself in the tryouts. I think they wanted to please me at first. But then she was good enough on her own. Lots of publicity, first girl on the baseball team, in high school and in college."

Starsky was impressed. "So you're a good athlete. Dobey had said you were. Can you shoot?"

"My grandfather taught me how to hunt. I'm more used to using a rifle. I guess you're good – from 'Nam, I-I mean," Ken stuttered.

Starsky didn't want to talk about 'Nam. He closed his eyes. "I'm tired."

Ken leaned over to remove the makeshift ice pack. "I'll leave it here on the coffee table. Feel any better?"

Starsky briefly opened his eyes and stared at the earnest face. "Yeah. Thanks."

Ken smiled, lighting up the room. "Goodnight, Dave. Call me if you need anything."

Starsky watched him as he left. 'Hmmm,' Starsky thought. 'Ken wasn't just a pretty boy. His slender frame hid a talented athlete. Maybe he'll survive the jungle after all.'

Two hours later, Starsky was dreaming of a jungle and he was running from a tiger that gained on him. Ken appeared beside him, fumbling with a rifle, and the tiger, morphing into Sal pounced. Ken went down, screaming, with Starsky paralyzed and watching helplessly as Sal laughed. Sal picked up Ken's rifle and aimed it at Starsky. Bullets flew and Starsky's body jerked on the couch, waking him up. Heart pounding, he wiped sweat from his brow. He lay back with a sigh. He often had dreams about 'Nam but found this dream as terrifying as the others. It was several moments before he could go back to sleep.

TBC