Huggy pulled the yellow bug up against the curb, a few hundred yards from the farmhouse. He had seen Peter's car pull into the driveway of the rundown house. He had sat in the car for a moment or two before getting out and going inside.
Huggy felt a knot in his stomach as he sat in the car, staring at the old building. He wasn't sure what his next move should be. He was not a cop; neither did he know much about the man he had followed. He knew for certain that it was Alex Drew, judging by the description Dobey had given him. He continued to sit in his car, lightly drumming his fingers on the steering wheel until something inside him told him he had to get out and take a look. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew he had to take a look at the building, to see what Alex was up to.
After only a few more seconds of hesitation Huggy opened his door and got out of his car. He made his way across the lawn, over to a half open window with a small crack in the corner and crouched down under it. He listened at first, but all he could hear was the running of, what sounded like water.
"Talk to me Alex," A familiar voice said frantically" 'what are you doing?" Huggy knew that voice, but he shook his head. It couldn't be who he thought it was. To be certain he raised his head up enough to peer through the bottom of the window. What he saw was enough to throw him right off his feet, but his trembling legs forced him to stay crouched down.
Starsky was hanging by his wrists in the middle of the room. He was looking a little worse for wear, but he didn't appear to have any serious injuries. What shocked Huggy most about the scene, apart from Starsky being alive was Alex Drew dousing Starsky in gasoline.
Huggy didn't wait around to see what else might happen, he jumped to his feet and frantically searched the area for a phone box. He needed to contact Dobey and tell him to bring help. It was hard to see in the quickly darkening world, but Huggy ran along the street, searching desperately.
He got lucky, a few hundred metres away he found a phone box and as he approached it he prayed it would work and that he had a dime on his person.
Digging into his pocket Huggy pulled out a dime and threw himself into the phone box. He picked up the receiver, slotted in his money and dialled the number. After only a few rings a woman answered.
"Hi, I need to speak to Captain Dobey, this is Huggy Bear" The woman, who Huggy assumed was his wife, told him to hang on a moment. Huggy bounced on his heels while he waited.
"Huggy, what can I do for you?" Dobey asked down the phone.
"You ain't gonna believe this Cap, but you need to get a police car, a fire truck and for good measure an ambulance down to the old Whiskins farm yard. I found Alex Drew" Huggy heard Dobey mutter something inaudible under his breath.
"What do you need the fire truck and ambulance for, is he holding hostages?"
"You could say that Cap, but you won't believe who."
Alex Drew finished dousing Starsky in gasoline and moved on to himself after creating a few trails around Starsky that would lead to himself.
"Why are you doing this?" Starsky asked, wishing he'd get an answer instead of the blank looks Alex kept throwing at him.
"There's nothing left," He said throwing the empty can in the corner. "There's nothing left to do" He reached in to his pocket and pulled out the box of matches. He stared at them for a moment, as did Starsky.
"Look Alex, you don't have to do this, there must be some way to help you" The only reply Starsky received was a snort.
"Help" He muttered. "No one will help me" He opened the box and selected a match at random.
"I'm sure there's some way of getting you help, this is not the only way out" Starsky didn't like how desperate his voice sounded, but it was a true reflection of how he felt. He didn't want to get burnt alive, that much he was willing to admit to himself along, but he also had a genuine desire to help this man. He was a victim of his own paranoia.
"There must be someone who can help you" Alex let out a grunted laugh with no real amusement attached to it.
"There's no other way out. The moment the government knows where I am they'll lock me away" He looked up from the match. "Do you really think they care about my well being, all they want to do is lock me up, keep me away from society. That is only my future" Starsky knew Alex was right, but he wasn't willing to give up yet.
"Maybe Captain Dobey can help you, he could talk to the government officials for you, convince them to help you" It was a long shot, but Starsky took it. In all honesty there was nothing Dobey could do, but Alex didn't necessarily know that.
Alex paused a moment, his blank stare aimed at the floor. Starsky hoped his was finally getting through to the man, but his eyes shot up and his griped the match tighter, almost snapping it in two.
"It's all pointless anyway" He said, "My life ended when my wife's did. No words are going to change that" Starsky had no more to say. He had grasped at his last strew and that had now slipped through his fingers. He tried thinking of some other way to get through to Alex, but there was nothing left to say and Alex knew it.
Starsky closed his eyes and allowed himself to focus on his partner; still blindly clinging to the hope that Hutch was looking for him.
The shattering of broken glass brought Starsky's eyes to snap open. A rock landed on the ground by his heels, leaving a broken window in its wake.
Alex dropped his match out of surprise and went over to the window. He stuck his head out to take a look around, but in the darkness he could barely see a thing. He thought about going outside to look around, but he decided against it. What did it matter? No one was going to stop him. He went back to the spot he had occupied and took another match from the box.
"There's always time to back out," Starsky said, using his last desperate plea. Alex held the match against the box and struck it. The fire flared up and burned brightly in front of Alex's face.
"I'm coming my dear," He said softly and let go of the match. It hit the ground and ignited the gasoline. The fire crawled along the floor and up Alex's pant leg eating away at the material as well as his flesh. Starsky closed his eyes and wished he could cover his ears to block out Alex's screams. The smell of burning flesh assaulted his nose and for a moment he feared he'd throw up. He opened his eyes slightly and found Alex's body lying crumbled on the ground, already burnt enough so that no one would recognise him at a glance. The fire worked it's way around the body, eating up anything it found and made his away across the floor, towards Starsky.
He no longer cared about dislocating his arms anymore; he had to get away from the fire. He fought against the ropes, his eyes never leaving the trail of fire. Smoke weaved its way around him and he coughed as he inhaled it. The viscous coughing didn't stop Starsky from struggling against the restraints; in fact it increased his struggles. He stopped briefly to catch his breath, but with all the smoke wafting into his face he couldn't get any air and carried on choking. He continued struggling against the ropes, but it was short lived. He felt something pop in his right shoulder followed by a sharp pain. If it weren't for the choking smoke he would have screamed. He stood perfectly still and closed his eyes. He could feel heat climb up his trouser leg and he knew the fire had finally reached him. He tried tiptoeing away from it, but his injured shoulder wouldn't allow any movement. Between coughs Starsky managed to let out a sigh. This was it; Hutch wasn't coming to save him, not this time. It was too late.
Suddenly he felt hands on his arms and fingers fiddling with the ropes around his wrists.
"Hold still, sir" A voice came from very close to his ear "We're going to get you out of here, just hold on a second" The fingers finished there job and Starsky's body sagged down towards the floor, but it was caught by the two men dressed in heavy black rubber. Starsky recognised them as fire fighters, but he could hardly focus on them through the smoke. One of them lifted Starsky's body up over his shoulder and headed through the burning building.
Dobey paced the length of the lawn, his eyes never leaving the blaze before him. He felt a pang of déjà vu. Had it only been twenty-four hours since he last stood before a burning building waiting for someone to emerge.
When he had heard Huggy tell him that Starsky was still alive, being held captive by Alex Drew Dobey had refused to believe it could be true. He had seen the body, read the medical reports and there was still a part of him, which refused to believe it until he actually saw Starsky for himself. He prayed that if Starsky was still in the building that he would be carried out alive, Dobey honestly didn't think he could take seeing Starsky die twice in such a short space of time.
"We got a survivor," A fire fighter from in the building yelled. Dobey stopped his pacing and waiting impatiently.
The two fire fighters emerged from the building, one of them carrying a body over its shoulder. Dobey recognised the dark curls straight away and he was relieved to see the man was moving. The fire fighter didn't let Starsky down until he was stood next to a gurney, which was waiting out side the ambulance. He carefully dropped Starsky onto the gurney and let the paramedics take a look at him.
Dobey made his way over to his officer and sighed deeply at the sight him.
"Thank God" He said under his breath.
The paramedics placed an oxygen mask over Starsky, who was still coughing harshly. They prepared to start an IV too, but Starsky struggled against them, trying to get up, but his weak arms were making it hard.
"Just relax, son." Dobey said, placing a hand on Starsky's shoulder. "Let them help you" Starsky ignored Dobey's gentle words and continued trying to sit up.
"Hut…ch" He managed to get out through hacks "…want…Hutch" He had tried saying. 'Want to see Hutch" But it couldn't quite get all the words out.
"It's all right, you can see him after you've been checked out" Starsky shook his head and managed to get himself sitting up, but it caused a lot of pain in his shoulder, which he ignored best he could.
"He…thinks I'm…dead," He gasped. "I need to see him"
Dobey thought back to the condition Hutch was in last he saw him and it brought a lump to his throat. He hated to think what Starsky's reaction would be.
"There is time to tell him after you've been checked out, you look like Hell" Dobey said sternly. Starsky shook his head.
"I won't let him…believe I'm dead…" He coughed harshly "for a moment…longer" Dobey sighed. He was about to offer to tell Hutch himself, but he knew in Hutch's current condition he wouldn't believe anything he said, seeing Starsky would be the only way to help him.
"All right, but on one condition" He said firmly, pointing a warning finger in Starsky's face. "If you can get out an entire sentence without a single cough I will personally drive you to Hutch, okay" Starsky nodded. He took the oxygen mask away from his face and took slow, tiny breaths.
"You sure you want just a sentence, think I could manage a whole speech" Starsky said without coughing once, although his voice was raspy.
"All right, I'll take you to Hutch, but straight afterwards you're going straight to the hospital. It's obvious to even me that your shoulder is hurt along with your head" Starsky would have shrugged Dobey concern off, if it weren't for his injured shoulder.
"They can wait. Hutch first" Dobey nodded and helped Starsky stand up and walk over to Huggy's waiting car.
TBC
