The Next Years

Chapter One

Growing Fast

Part One

Seventeen-year-old Mikey Starsky was looking for his twin sister, Shelly. He wanted to talk to her about his decision before talking to his parents. He was hoping to get her support and help in approaching them. He knew she was home. He just needed to get her alone. That was always a difficult thing with such a large family.

"Shell, will you walk with me to the park? I have something important to talk to you about."

"Sure Mike, just let me get my shoes on. I have something to run by you too."

They walked through the park together for about fifteen minutes before Mikey started talking. "I know that Mom and Dad want us to go to college. I really don't want to. When I graduate, I intend to apply to the Police Academy."

Shelly stopped, "Oh boy, this is going to be interesting. Remember when I said I had something to run by you too? That's it. I don't want to go to college either. I want to go to the Police Academy too."

Mikey shook his head, "I really should have seen this coming. You know, Dad only has himself to blame. All the time he takes making sure we can defend ourselves against anyone and handle a gun was bound to point us in that direction."

Shelly chuckled, "Uncle Ken did the same thing and Gabe is in college."

"Gabe doesn't count. He is going to college for Criminal Justice. He plans to enter the Police Academy when he graduates. He thinks it will give him an edge moving up in the ranks. He has always been super smart. I think I will do better just going straight in. Have you ever thought of doing what Gabe is doing? You are just as smart as he is."

"Oh Mike, you make it sound like you think you aren't smart."

Mikey looked away, "I am not as smart as you and Gabe are. You can see that in the difference in our grades. That doesn't mean I think I'm dumb. I know I have good instincts though, at least that is what Dad always says."

Shelly put her hand on her brother's shoulder. It always bothered her that he compared himself to Gabe the way he did. It was true that Gabe was very smart. He was probably the smartest kid she knew. Mikey was just as smart, in other ways.

"Mike, smart comes in all different shapes and sizes. Gabe has a lot of book smarts, that's true. He does not have the same common-sense smarts you have. I think that is why Dad and Uncle Ken are such good partners. They are both smart, in different ways. They, oh I can't think of the word, they fit together."

"I think the word you are looking for is complement Sis, they complement each other. I know we won't be partners once we graduate, but we would fit together just like they do."

Shelly looked at her watch, "Well, Dad should be home by now. Shall we get this over with?"

The twins were heading back home when they noticed a child running. Normally, a child running in the park would not catch their attention. This child appeared to be about five and looked terrified.

"Shelly, see if she will come to you. I am going to try to see what she is running from."

Shelly got right in front of the little girl and crouched down to be less intimidating. She opened her arms, inviting the child to her, and quickly found herself with a handful of hysterical child. She rubbed her back and tried to sooth her while looking for her brother's return. Only a minute later, Mikey was running towards her full tilt.

"Get home, take her with you. Tell Dad some people have been shot here. Hurry!"

Shelly was scared. She secured her hold on her little charge and turned towards home. She looked back just once to see if Mikey was following. Her stomach flipped when she realized he wasn't. She wanted to go back to make sure he was alright, but he was very clear about her taking the child to safety. He was right, her first obligation right now was the child.

She got near the house in just a few minutes and started yelling for her dad as soon as she got close. She was not even to the gate yet when her parents, her aunt and uncle, and all the kids, came pouring out. She got to her father and nearly dropped the little girl. He grabbed the child and her uncle held her up at the same time.

Her Dad started firing questions at her, "Shelly, what happened? Where is your brother? Jessie said you left together almost an hour ago. Who is this child?"

"I don't know! We were walking in the park talking when we saw her running. She looked so scared. Mikey went to see if he could find out what she was running from. He ran back at me telling me to get her here. He said some people were shot. When I looked back he was gone. I don't even know if he is OK!"

Starsky handed the little girl to his wife. He and Hutch exchanged a look, then both went back into their houses. A minute later they were back, armed.

Starsky looked at Terry, "Call it in Babe, if Mikey said someone has been shot, we are going to need back-up."

Starsky put his hand on Shelly's shoulder. "Can you show us where this happened?"

Shelly was happy he asked her. She was afraid she would be made to stay at the house. "Yes sir, I know right where he went"

They followed the teen to the park. They were almost to the other side of the park when Shelly stopped.

"The girl came running from behind those bushes. That is where Mikey was when I started running home."

Starsky nodded back the way they came, "Go home."

Shelly crossed her arms, "I want to be sure my brother is all right. You don't know what is going on over there and I might be able to help. I will stay here, but I won't leave yet!"

Starsky looked at his obstinate daughter, then at his partner.

Hutch shrugged his shoulders, "Don't look at me, she's your kid."

He turned back towards Shelly, "I don't have time to argue with you. We WILL talk later. You stay right here unless I call you. Right here! If you hear any gunfire, you WILL run home. No argument!"

She nodded. "Yes sir."

Just as her father and uncle disappeared around the bush Shelly felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun, not knowing what to expect. It was her cousin Gabe.

"I don't know if standing up to your dad like that was a bad idea, or brilliant. It was fun to watch though."

Shelly gave him a sideways glance, "You are not funny. Hey! Where are you going?"

Gabe looked over his shoulder as he walked away, "he told you to stay here, not me. I am going to find out what is going on."

Shelly stamped her foot, and then got embarrassed that she was acting like such a kid. She was glad Gabe had already turned around and didn't see it.

She wasn't waiting long before she heard noise behind her. She turned around to see her Poppy headed her way, along with a half dozen uniformed cops.

He reached out to hug her, "Where are they, child?"

Shelly pointed in the direction they had gone, just as Mikey came running from behind the bushes. She noticed blood on his clothes.

"Poppy, Dad says we need ambulances. There are two adults and a kid in a car over there that have all been shot."

"Don't worry, we have medical on the way." He pointed at one of the men, "Camden, stay here with these two. The rest of us are going to see what the situation is. Direct medical that way when they arrive."

Now Mikey was upset, "But Poppy …"

"Don't you 'but Poppy' me young man. No reason for you to go back over there."

With that, Captain Dobey and his five officers headed towards where Mikey had come from.

When Dobey rounded the bushes he was astonished at the scene. The car was half up on the sidewalk and had hit a tree. He could see a figure in the front seat covered by a jacket. Starsky and Gabe were in the back seat with a boy that looked to be about ten. Hutch was on the ground next to the driver's door with a man who was not moving. He went over to the blond detective.

"What do you have here, Hutch?"

Hutch glanced towards the car hoping the boy could not hear him. "Mom in the front seat, didn't make it. This is Dad, don't think he will either. Boy in the back seat, name is Oscar. He is hurt, but it doesn't look too bad. He is worried about his parents and sister. He said a car came up beside them on the highway and he heard a lot of popping sounds. Dad told them to get down. He is one brave kid. He took one in the shoulder and still pushed his sister to the floor and laid on top of her. He didn't see anything else. Then the car crashed into the tree. He only realized then that his leg was hurt and he couldn't run. I think it broke in the crash. He opened the door and shoved Julie out, that's the sister, told her to run until she found a cop. Well, she found a cop's kids anyway."

Dobey was shaking his head, "Have you found anything to indicate why this happened?"

"Captain, we have only been able to try to save Dad and keep Oscar calm. We have not had the chance to look for anything else."

Dobey turned to the officers that followed him. "Sanchez, you look through this car and bag anything that might tell us who these people are and why they were targeted. Dooley, see if you can find anyone who saw what happened. Johnson, backtrack and see if you can figure out where they were when the shooting started. Carson and Flemming, get this area roped off. It is a crime scene."

As he finished giving instructions the medics showed up. They took over for Hutch, but barely a second later, one of them shook his head at him. They continued to try to revive the man without much hope of success.

Hutch walked over to his boss, "The kid doesn't seem to know anything, and we aren't going to get any answers from the parents. I am going to help Sanchez. Hopefully there are some answers to be found in the car."

Dobey went over to the other side of the car. He found Starsky and Gabe in the back seat with a young boy.

"What do we have here?"

Before either of them could answer, the boy spoke up.

"My parents are dead, aren't they?"

The Captain gave him a sad look, "Yes son, they are."

They all saw tears begin to stream down the boy's cheeks.

"Is my sister safe?"

Starsky put his hand on the kid's shoulder, "Yes, she is at my house. She is not hurt."

The medics started trying to get them to step back so they could treat the boy.

Dobey and the partners got together at the rear of the car. Hutch had some paperwork in his hands.

"According to the registration for the car, they were Jacob and Emily Fountain. I sent Sanchez to radio in and get R & I working on it. Seems to me, if this was a hit of some kind, one or both of them will have a record."

They all turned to watch the medics take Oscar passed.

Starsky spoke up, "I told them to go by the house to get Julie. Those two need to be together right now, and she should be checked out anyway."

Gabe had stayed near Oscar until they took him away. He walked up to the men now.

Hutch put his hand on his son's shoulder, "We are going to pick up your cousins and head home. Looks like your uncle and I are headed to work."