Chapter Four

Starsky had been lucky. He hadn't lost consciousness. But now he clung to an outcropping, its jagged edges painful to his hands, his feet dangling in the air, a fiery pit beneath him. His car had exploded on impact. Starsky could feel the heat and his life slipping away. He wouldn't be able to hold on forever.

It was a straight drop down into the fiery pit. And no way to climb up. Starsky could see that from the illumination the flames provided. He would need someone to drop him a rope or something. Little chance of that happening with only Red up there.

His fear of heights sent cold shivers up his spine. He had the feeling that he would just let go, throw himself into the fire. It was an irrational fear shared by many with his phobia. Now it chilled him. All was lost if he died.

Above, he heard his name being called frantically.

"David, David, are you there?"

It was Red. And the man knew his name. No surprise there, but still somehow disconcerting.

Starsky considered his situation. He was hanging on, but for how long? His only hope was Red.

He looked up, saw him running back and forth, calling his name as he looked down the embankment. Red had the upper hand. He could just run off and when Starsky's body was found, they would identify it as an accident. Red wouldn't even have to lie. He could just walk away.

"Terrific," he murmured. He was about to die. Then he decided against it and pushed the thought out of his mind.

"I'm here," he shouted up and listened as Red moved further away. For a moment, Starsky thought Red had gone back to his car and would take off. But a moment later he was back.

"I'm going to send a rope down. You think you could grab it?"

Starsky wasn't sure, but he had to at least try. He could feel the heat coming from beneath him but didn't look down. He felt a little dizzy, too.

"I can do it." He shouted.

He was practically hyperventilating when the rope appeared. He grabbed it, pulling himself up, his hands sweaty. At the top, he saw Red. The man looked relieved to see him.

"Thank God, Thank God," Red murmured, collapsing to the ground next to Starsky. They were both breathing hard. Neither spoke.

Starsky looked at him. He could see the strain around his eyes. He'd saved him, but why? It would have been easy to have just left him there. There was no way he could have continued hanging on.

"I thought you were dead for sure," Red said.

"Thank you," Starsky said, catching his breath and looking at Red with narrowed eyes. He couldn't figure him out. The whole cat and mouse game they had been playing for almost a week had to be related. Didn't it?

Red stood up, then leaned down, grabbing Starsky's hand and pulling him to his feet. "I'm Roger Anderson, but everyone calls me Red." He looked Starsky over. "You look okay, but maybe we should get you to a doctor."

Starsky shook his head. "Don't need one."

Red regarded him gravelly but headed for the car. "Well come on, let's get in the car. It's cold out here."

Starsky stood there for a moment. The man had just saved his life, but he still didn't know if he could trust him. He didn't want to get in the car, but it was obvious he had no choice. His car was still lighting the night skies as it burned, the chemical smell hanging heavily in the air.

Red stood at his car, looking at him questioningly. "You got a better idea?"

Starsky looked down the road. Maybe he could wait until sunrise, when there was a better chance that people would be on the road. But that would mean wasting precious hours. Besides, who in their right mind would pick up a man who looked the way he did?

"Well?" Red said.

And Starsky got in the car.

Red looked at him once they were inside. "You sure you don't need a doc?"

"Yeah! I'm sure."

Then the car took off, dust blowing in their wake.

"How long did it take for you to figure it out?" Red asked, sparing him a glance.

"That you were following me?"

Red sighed. "I know you saw me. I mean, I was trying to hide, but you're an expert. I should have known you would see me. You scared the crap out of me when you started chasing me."

Starsky didn't reply, just looked straight ahead.

"You're one heck of a detective," Red continued. "I'll give you that. I'm just glad I decided to double back when you left Route 66. I almost kept going. But I just had a feeling."

"Thank you for saving me back there."

"I owe you." Red replied, but it didn't make sense. Why would he owe Starsky anything? Was it possible that Durniak had added a little private protection to his favor? But that didn't make sense. Josh Durniak wouldn't keep something like that a secret.

In the distance, lightening flashed and the distant sound of thunder followed. They were driving into a storm.

"We need to get inside before the storm hits," Red said. There's a diner up ahead."

Starsky considered his options. He could pull his gun, force Red out, and continue on his way. It would be like commandeering a civilian's car. Wouldn't it?

Or maybe the best course was to get answers. Besides, it wasn't a good idea to drive in blinding rain.

"I don't know what's going on, but I know you need help. That's why I've been following you," Red said. "I could see it in your eyes the minute I laid eyes on you."

Starsky let out a breath and agreed to the stop. It was time to get answers.

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The diner was short on ambiance, with its dark interior and booths that sported torn fabric. They sat in the back across from the window. Sheets of rain slid down the window, thunder booming as lightening flashed. They both had hot mugs of coffee and were the only customers.

Starsky was living a nightmare, but he wanted to wake up. He'd been living in the Twilight Zone for too long.

The old waiter came back to the table and asked if they needed anything else. Both men demurred and he shuffled back up towards the kitchen, disappearing behind the counter.

Starsky eyed the red head. The man was staring into his steamy mug of coffee. He seemed nervous, like he was afraid to look at the brunet. They'd been there nearly a They'd talked about sports teams, the weather, everything, but not the subject most important. Starsky had wanted to access the man's demeanor before getting to pointed questions. He'd already figured out he was harmless but didn't want to let on. He still needed to be certain. Couldn't go anywhere anyhow with that storm out there.

A trickly of sweat ran down the side of Red's face, even though it was relatively chilly inside the diner. Starsky said nothing, but kept his eyes cold, unreadable, the way he would treat any criminal he was about to question. He wasn't sure if he was the good cop or the bad cop.

Maybe it didn't matter.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Red asked.

Starsky sat bat in his seat. "You tell me?"

"How would I know?"

Starsky waited, saying nothing. He could see it made Red nervous.

Red put sugar in his coffee and stirred slowly, his eyes lowered. "I did save your life," he murmured.

"Why?" Starsky countered. "Wouldn't it have been easier to let me die. Easier for your pal, or have you decided to switch teams in the eleventh hour?"

Red frowned, clearly not following. "What are you talking about, David?"

Starsky leaned forward, so close that he could smell the coffee on Red's breath, see the pulse beating wildly at his neck. "I don't have time for games. My partner's life is at stake."

Red looked confused. "Partner. Partner. What's this got to do with Ken?"

Starsky slammed his hand on the table, coffee spilling on the table. "Don't play with me. Not now. You won't like how it'll end."

Red shook his head. "I don't see what this has to do with your partner."

"Yet, you know his name."

"You guys are celebrities, especially after you took your badges back. Everybody knows who Starsky and Hutchinson are."

Starsky took in a breath and let it out slowly, accessing the man, realizing his earlier mistake. Red was a random fan. Someone who probably wanted to be a cop. Someone who clipped newspaper articles about law enforcement. A dead end.

"You…you don't recognize me?" Red asked.

Starsky stared at him. His car was burning in a pit. He was still miles away from his destination. And this man was playing guess who.

Meanwhile, the doppelganger was still in Bay City pretending to be Hutch.

TBC