Chapter Three

Starsky stilled his heart, waiting, the sound of footsteps echoing across the wooden planks. Starsky was pointing his gun at the end of the alley, his finger on the trigger, hoping against hope that he wouldn't have to shoot. Suddenly an animal sprang out and ran into the streets, before continuing on its way. Starsky had no idea what it was, but it was the size of a raccoon.

He moved further into the alley, letting the darkness consume him. Footsteps retreated, then started back in his direction. Red was looking for him. He pictured the person walking past the old saloon, advancing at a quick pace. A moment later the area outside the alley was illuminated with a beam from the flashlight. It was time to move.

Starsky pushed himself back even further, until he was crammed in a corner, a rat scurrying out making him jump.

If Red was coming in one direction, Starsky needed to go in the other direction. He moved to the opposite side of the alley, slowly, hoping the soft dirt would muffle his movements. Then, he took off, stopping only when he reached the car which sat idling in an alley. It was the same dark blue car Red drove.

Starsky reached in his pocket and took out the flashlight, slanting the beam inside the car's interior. No sign of a car phone or a CB radio in sight. Just a half-eaten burger, some sports paraphernalia, and a few empty cups thrown in the back seat.

Starsky heard footsteps coming in his direction and moved away from the car, concealing himself in a corner, grateful for the darkness. Red soon appeared, climbed into the car and took off, the car light revealing his face for an instant. Starsky ran back to his own car, got in, and started his pursuit.

Now, the hunter was about to become the hunted.

SSS ******************************SSS

An hour later, they had made their way back to Route 66. Starsky hadn't bother to douse his headlights. He wanted Red to be aware of his presence. Maybe even to fear him. He was holding the cards now. No more pretending that he was oblivious to his presence.

But Starsky knew he was playing a dangerous game. True, Red could no more call someone for help than he could. And they were miles to the next town. But a cornered animal would do anything to escape.

So, what would Red do if he was following someone and now found himself being followed by the same man?

Well, Starsky would see. And if Red tried to make a phone call, he would confront him. Bluff him. He had the entire Durniak family at his beck and call. He'd hated using them, but this was for his partner. He was willing to take his chances with the criminal family he grew up with.

Joe Durniak had once been a close friend of his father. His dad had grown up with him, lived in the same neighborhood, but not the same world. Joe lived in a world of drugs, prostitution, made his fortune in the dark world of crime, where there were no rules other than not getting caught.

Starsky's dad was a man of rules, a man who wanted to rid the world of the Durniaks and make the world a better place to live. He'd died trying to do that.

Now, both men were dead. But the legacy of Joe Durniak lived on in his brother, who had immediately taken over his empire upon his brother's death. It was that man Starsky approached with his request.

He needed to find out who had been following him.

Josh Durniak asked no questions, respecting the relationship his brother had with the Starsky family. Starsky had made it clear that he would do nothing illegal to repay him and Josh had said it was a favor owed to the Starsky family. "My brother loved Rachel," he'd said. "His last request was to look out for her." and Starsky hadn't explored why his mother had been so important to Joe. Instead, he went home and waited for answers and felt crazy, scared, stupid all at the same time.

Shortly, Durniak came back with answers. Yes, he was being followed by at least four men and one woman. They were not connected with organized crime but appeared to be amateurs. Starsky could believe that because it had been too easy to spot them. They always kept their distance, but it was like watching the Keystone cops.

There was no information on who had hired them, but Starsky had already figured that out. Two of them worked as janitors, the other two were waiters and the woman was a nurse. All had quit their jobs recently.

The woman had been seen around the precinct a few times and was known to have traveled to Illinois several times, always heading to a home on the North Shore in Illinois. Her parents lived in Bay City.

Starsky was told not to ask questions about the intel, to merely accept the answers. It was the only payment Josh Durniak required. Starsky was more than pleased with the terms. It had given him another piece of the puzzle and sat him on the road to Illinois.

Starsky considered the people who were following him. Why hadn't they tried to kill him?

It was a question that haunted him. His mere existence had to be a threat. The man himself had to feel threatened. Yet, here he was, weary, tired, and maybe a little bit out of his head, but still alive. It made no sense, unless the man hoped to make it look like something that happened in the line of duty.

Starsky pulled in a breath, turning the heat up. He was almost there, a matter of hours. Then, this would all be over. No more suspecting everyone.

The hardest part was being alone. He would lose it after a long case. He'd go home, crawl in bed, and literally break down, crying like a baby. He had no one to talk to, no one to share his suspicions. And he thought he was losing his mind. But Durniak had proved that he was being followed. That wasn't in his head. It was real. Wasn't it?

Unless Durniak was behind it, revenge for his brother's death? Starsky and Hutch had been assigned to protect the man, afterall. They'd failed miserably and he had ended up dead.

But people in Josh Durniak's line of business didn't play games. They hired someone to kill you and that was all.

Sometimes Starsky thought he was out of his head. It nagged at him constantly. That's why he'd come up with the Kira idea. He needed proof.

She was the woman of his lust. Blonde, beautiful, tough, with a sexual appetite equal to any man. She was a distraction with a purpose. Even during the case, Starsky knew that he would use her. And he felt guilty for it. He reminded himself that she was a cop, and this was a case. She was undercover in more than one way. She just didn't know it.

So, he had let it be known that he was in love with her. And waited.

And now he was confident. No more doubting himself. Most of the time.

Starsky turned on the radio, looking for a station that played music that would help sooth his frazzled nerves. Nothing. Static on every channel. He turned it off.

Then Red picked up speed, Starsky following. The man was running like a scared rabbit. He slowed down as they crossed a bridge. But as soon as it was cleared, he took off, dust kicking up in his wake.

Starsky wanted to slow down, but Red was driving like a crazy man, moving at breakneck speeds, too dangerous for the road. Now they were driving up an incline, but he wasn't slowing down. Gone was the confident Red, in his place was a desperate man and he was running.

And Starsky wasn't about to let him go. Not with what he knew. Not with what could happen. So, he drove faster, faster, a rollercoaster ride on an old dirt road. And then it happened. An animal skittered in front of Starsky's car, white eyes glowing for a second. Instinct made him swerve to avoid hitting it.

Then it was down, down, the car moving at unimaginable speeds bouncing over rutted roads, flying into the air, jarring his insides.

It is said that your life flashes before you when you're about to die; Starsky's did so now. Hutch and him having beers at Huggy's. Hutch in Huggy's upstairs room, coming off drugs, Starsky cradling him in his arms. Them sitting on the floor, getting drunk after Terry's death.

Hutch pinned under his car, fighting for survival.

It was the memory of Hutch pinned under the car that propelled him to open the door and leap into unending darkness.

TBC