B Note: B I'm glad to know you haven't gotten confused. I had planned to explain what was going on in the third chapter, but I'm glad you all realise that Starsky is not dead and the part at the end is just Hutch dreaming.

The silence between them lasted longer than either had intended. Starsky was still trying to get his head around what his kidnapper was saying.

" I Dead! I ain't dead I " Was his first thought.

"Could you run that one by me again?" Starsky asked. The man didn't reply, but he moved around the room a bit. Starsky's vision cleared enough so he could make out other things in the room. It was a very basic, a chest of draws in the corner and a built in cupboard near the door. Only a small lamp sitting on top of the chest of draws provided any light, the main light hanging from the ceiling appeared to not have a bulb in it.

"I said you're dead," The man repeated. Starsky stared at him, but he still couldn't get a good look at his face, so he examined his clothes.

"Well I see no scythe or black cloak. So tell me another tale, one I'll believe" The man remained where he was standing by the door.

"To the outside world you are dead, or more importantly, to your partner." Starsky's whole body tensed at the mention of Hutch.

" I Hutch thinks I'm dead I "

"How...why...who are you?" So many questions and only one mouth to ask them.

The man moved a little closer, enough so Starsky could see him better in the semi darkness. It took him only a feel seconds to recognise the captors face.

"Alex Drew" He said. The man nodded.

"You remember me, now let's see what else you remember" Starsky felt his headache get worse as he forced himself to remember the man before him. Alex Drew's wife had been accidentally killed when he and Hutch while trying to apprehend armed robbers. Neither of the detectives knew exactly that Alex had done for a living, but whatever it had been it allowed him access to some of the most sophisticated weaponry there is and he had used such weapons to take out the two officers who had been with Starsky and Hutch that day. Alex had gone after them, but they had managed to catch him and the last thing Starsky heard he was in a high security mental asylum for the criminally insane back in Washington.

"I remember you," Starsky said; as he turned his head away so he could no longer see Alex.

"Good, cause I certainly remember you and your partner and what you did," Alex said calmly, but with a slight edge in his tone.

"I remember you killed two police officers and tried to kill me and my partner," Starsky said, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible.

"You killed my wife," Alex stated.

"So you killed two officers and now you're faking my death, why?" Alex didn't reply. He stared at Starsky for a moment, his fingers lightly drumming against his leg.

"You and your partner are close, I read your files, been partners along time since the academy," Starsky resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He knew all about his file, seeing that it was his.

"Yeah we also used to have chilli cook outs on weekend, but do you mind getting to the point," Alex's hands balled up into fists, but his expression remained blank.

"Making your partner believe you are dead is a much better punishment than killing him" Alex moved to crouch down in front of Starsky. "Now he is suffering the way I'm suffering"

" I Hutch is suffering I " Starsky swallowed hard against the rising sickness he felt in his throat. The thought that Hutch was suffering was enough to make Starsky scream, but considering the situation he forced himself to keep it together.

"So you killed the two cops, you're...punishing Hutch. Why fake my death, why not just kill me" It might have been Starsky's imagination, but he thought he saw Alex smile ever so slightly.

"I said earlier that I'm the one asking the questions." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the torch he had used earlier. "Your job now is to answer them." He turned the torch on and shone it into Starsky's face. Instinctively, Starsky narrowed his eyes, attempting to turn from the light. His left eye was forcefully opened and the light was held mere inches from his face.

"I want to know who you work for?" Alex asked. At first Starsky wasn't sure if he'd heard the question right, the light was making his head throb worse.

"What?" Starsky gasped over the pain.

"I I said /I , who do you work for" Alex snapped sternly. The light faded away briefly only to come shooting back. Starsky tried to fight the hand that kept his eye open, but it was futile, the hand refusing to yield.

"Captain Dobey, but you know that" Alex pushed Starsky's head back against the wall not hard enough to knock him out, but hard enough to make his headache worse and the light shining in his eye wasn't helping matters.

"I want to know who gave you your orders to assassinate me, was it Dobey, did he organise it?" Alex tried to keep his face as emotionless as possible, but his voice couldn't do the same. Starsky didn't answer the question. His pounding head was making him feel sick and he was desperately trying to stop himself from throwing up.

"Who hired you?" Alex asked firmly.

"No one hired us," Starsky finally managed to say.

"So you and your partner were in it alone, is that it?"

"No, we were not trying to kill you" Starsky snapped unwisely. Alex let go of his eye, but moved on to the other one.

"You expect me to believe that"

"No one was trying to kill you," Starsky said firmly "Your wife's death was just an accident, we told you that at the time" There was silence. Alex kept the light shining in Starsky's right eye. The pain was getting to the point where he feared his head would burst if the light didn't leave him in peace.

"Who hired you?" Alex repeated blankly. Starsky wondered if staying quiet would be a better answer, so he refused to speak. He let his mind wonder on to Hutch, hoping and praying that he some how knew that Starsky's death had been faked. He was a good detective, he had to somehow find out the truth and save him. It was a tiny glint of hope, but it was enough to stop Starsky from losing himself in panic.

"I know other ways to get you to talk" Alex said as he clicked off the torch and put it back in his pocket. Starsky's shut his eyes once his right was released and felt the pain in his head ease up a little. He heard footsteps right by him, but they got lighter and lighter until they were no longer heard. Starsky cracked one eye open, but all he could see was a red and yellow ball in front of his eye with darkness surrounding it. He closed his eyes again and sighed deeply. Whatever else Alex Drew had in mind didn't matter, not as long as Starsky clung on to his slither of hope.

TBC