CG CH#3

Hutch thought about the predicament that he and Starsky were in. It would be bad enough to be sent to jail as a cop, but as a pedophile, child molester? Shit. Even the prison guards would be out to get them. They would be marked men.

And they weren't even guilty. They shouldn't even be in this situation. They were supposed to be in Las Vegas on vacation. Having fun, having women and gambling.

The most gut twisting thing was that no one would even know that they were missing for two weeks. A lot could happen in two weeks. They could very easily be dead in two weeks.

He really didn't want to think about having to go to prison. But he couldn't help but think, under the best of circumstances, even if they're being missing was noticed immediately, no one knew were they would be. Hell, he didn't even know. Crazy Roy certainly had not mentioned it. Were they still even in Nevada? It was still going to take a while for someone to piece everything together.

Experimental Facility. That was another thing that struck fear in him. What kind of experiments did they conduct? Where was this place? How long would it take them to reach their destination? So many questions and no answers. His shoulders dropped and the furrow in his brow deepened.

"Hey, Hutch!" Starsky was deeply concerned about Hutch. His posture and attitude was almost one of defeat. "C'mon, partner, talk to me" Starsky waited. "Hey?"

Hutch looked up. "You do know how bad this is, don't ya, Starsk? No one's gonna report us missing for two weeks... two whole, long weeks" He dropped his head to his chest. "No one is gonna even start looking-"

"Hutch, nah, it won't be two weeks! Remember, I always call Ma every Friday-"

"Starsk, that's still six days away! And then they will wait for twenty- four hours after that, so that's still one week. Seven days BEFORE anyone even starts to look-"

"So?" Starsky cut him off "We can hold on for that long. Easy. Besides, we haven't even gotten to this Boot Camp place. Maybe we can convince someone to help us. That will be your job, ya know, you bein' a silver tongued devil and all." He winked "So, let's don't give up before we even try!"

Hutch lifted his head and looked at Starsky "Yeah, you're right Starsk, I just..." He trailed off. "We were on vacation and now... now..." He sighed.

"Yeah, I know, it ain't fair. But we'll deal with it. At least we're together. We can watch out for each other, like always, 'kay?" Starsky made eye contact with Hutch "Hey, how long does it take for hair to grow out?"

"What?!" Hutch looked at him, confused. "Why'd ya wanna to know that?"

"With the glare shinin' off that chrome dome of yours, I can't hardly look directly at ya" Starsky snickered.

"Ha! Ya better hope ya never go bald as an old man, Starsk, you've got one ugly head!" Hutch chuckled. He allowed himself to be talked out of his gloom. He could always count on good ol' Starsk to cheer him up.

"So? It goes with this ugly mug of mine!" Starsky grinned. Hutch was bantering now, that was always a good sign. They were in a real fix and it would be far better to as positive about it as possible. It would be tough, but do able.

That was one thing he learned in Vietnam. Negative thinking people generally did not last long in tense situations. They had a tendency to give up, die, the old 'self fulfilling prophecy' thing.

And he wasn't gonna let that happen to his best friend. No way, no how. Now if he could just get rid of this hangover, headache and dry mouth, life would be just peachy. Oh yeah, and the going to jail thing, yep, he could live without that too.

Hutch felt better already. Starsky was right, at least they were together and together they would think of something. They always did. Hutch held on to that thought.

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Roy clutched the steering wheel. He was seething in anger. He had almost let them get the better of him. That was what happened to the other two prisoners.

He had let them get him so mad... Well, it was their own damn fault. If they hadn't tried to escape. He would not have had to kill them. It was all their fault. If people would just do what he told them to, when he told them to do it, well life would just be a lot simpler. But NOOO.

Then there was these two. When Hutchinson had kicked him in the ribs he had nearly lost it. Had nearly pulled the trigger when Starsky – Harold had poked his head out the van door. So easy. Just a little squeeze. BLAM! Over. Sta – HAROLD would be dead. Just like the original. But, he could wait. They would have to die at some point. When? That was the big question.

He rubbed his sore ribs. Hutch – Jones, would have made a mule proud with that kick of his. Roy was sure that at least one of his ribs was cracked. 'Well, Mr. Jones would just get a little extra attention from yours truly', Roy thought, 'a little extra something for Blondie.' He would find Hutch – JONES'S buttons and then he would start pushing them. One. By. One.

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Starsky and Hutch had tried playing some games, like they would do on stakeouts but for some reason, they just felt really odd about it in this situation. Besides, on a stakeout, there were lots of things to look at. Here was just a reinforced van interior and them. And the burning need to urinate.

"Hutch, I gotta go!" Starsky whined. Crossing his legs just wasn't doing the trick anymore.

"Stop thinking about it" Hutch had his eyes closed. He was trying to do deep breathing exercises. Which were nearly impossible with Starsky breaking his concentration every five seconds. Not That he blamed Starsky. He had to go too. Badly. 'Don't think about it, just breathe, in... out... in... out-'

"Huuuuutchh! How much looongerrrrrr?" Starsky whined through gritted teeth.

"I have no idea, Starsk, no idea at all" 'It must suck to have the bladder of a five year old' Hutch thought.

"Starsk, please, just try the deep breathing? Please? It really helps." Hutch was trying to convince himself as well as his friend. 'God, my head hurts. I got that fuzzy hang-over tongue, dry-as-the-Mohave-desert thirst and a full freaking bladder... Shit! Now he's got me thinkin' about it.' Hutch mentally groaned.

"Aw, hell! I'll try anything!" Starsky snapped. "Gimme some directions here, c'mon, hurry!"

'Finally!' "Okay, close your eyes and inhale" Hutch took a breath as well and held it.

"Got it, inhale! Now what?"

"Starsky, ya can't talk and hold your breath"

"I do it at the morgue"

"What? How...? Never mind, umm... right... Can we get back to the breathing exercise?"

"What's stoppin' ya? Inhale! Got it"

"Now HOLD your breath"

"Holding, got it" Starsky gritted his teeth and tightened his crossed legs, 'God, I gotta pee, bad, hold it, hold it'

"STARSKY!"

"WHAT?! I'm trying to hold my breath here!" 'That ain't all I'm holding...'

"You can't hold your breath and talk at the same time! Dammit! It's impossible! Now close your mouth and your eyes – NO PEEKING!-"

"I AM NOT PEEING!"

"I SAID PEEK-ING not PEE- ING, DAMMIT!" Hutch snapped.

"OKAY! Inhale; hold breath, eyes closed... Now what?"

"RELAX!" Hutch bellowed.

"Hutch, I can't relax with you yelling at me like that" Starsky pouted.

"I'M NOT YELLING"

"Um, okay, hollering" 'Geez, what a grouch!'

"I'm not hollering!" Hutch said through gritted teeth.

"Are too" Starsky frowned.

"Oh, no Starsk, you are not, repeat, not going to get me into a childish argument with you" His right arm tugged ineffectively at the cuffs. If he could have, Hutch would have shaken his index finger in his friend's face.

Starsky grinned widely and arched an eye brow at Hutch "Too late!"

Hutch opened his mouth and promptly closed it. Starsky was right. "Dammit!" He admitted defeat with a grin, which faded nearly as quickly as it had started as he felt the van slow and then stop.

They both tensed up. Play time was over. They heard the driver's door open and close. They looked over at the sliding door waiting for it to open. Several long minutes passed before the side door slid open.

Roy poked his head in the van. "Hi guys!" He made his voice as cheery as possible to put them at ease. Just looking at Starsky and Hutch irritated him. They were so confident. So in control... So bald. He had to chuckle at that. Not so in control now, were they?

"We're gonna take a little break now. You must be so tired, after sitting on your ass for the last few hours." Roy smiled at the pair.

Hutch looked at Starsky and they began to communicate silently. They conveyed their fear and growing dread. Then they conveyed their willingness to help each other as much as possible. And it only took a heartbeat to do all of that.

Roy felt something in the air. He didn't like it. The duo had exchanged a quick look and were again focused on him. A united front. He made up his mind and stepped up into the van.

He pulled his billy club from the ring on his belt and stood there, lightly smacking the palm of his left hand with the club. Down the club would go, he would grab it with his left hand for a few seconds, then twist the club, release it and start all over again.

"Jones, you kicked me before, you're not allow to accost a guard" Smack, twist, release, lift "It's gonna cost ya" He faked a jab at Hutch, then whirled around and cracked Starsky in the ribs.

"NOOO!" Hutch tried to stand but his cuffed wrists were firmly clipped to the ring behind him. Sitting was his only choice.

Starsky "uffed" loudly as the club caused the air in his lungs to be harshly expelled. Pain radiated around his ribcage. He gritted his teeth and glared up at Roy.

Roy looked back at Hutch "You see Jones, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction" Smack, twist, release, lift "You kicked me. I hit him. Oh, wait, you used both feet..." Smack, twist, release, lift. Roy turned to hit Starsky again.

Starsky kicked at Roy's legs with his shackled feet and managed to connect with Roy's right leg.

Roy staggered a bit, caught himself then stood up. "That is the last time that will happen" Roy ground out as he pulled out his service revolver and pointed it at Hutch. He looked at Starsky "Do you understand me?"

Starsky nodded.

"I'm sorry Mr. Harold, I didn't hear you"

"Yeah, I understand"

"Again, nicer this time" Roy squeezed the trigger slightly.

"Yes, sir, I understand you" Starsky dropped his eyes 'Better then you know' He didn't want to give into Roy's demands but there was no other way to keep Hutch from being shot before his eyes.

"Good boy Mr. Harold. Now, the same goes for you, whatever you do, I will punish Jones for it. Do you understand, Mr. Harold?"

"I understand, sir"

"Mr. Jones?" Roy looked over at Hutch.

"Yes, sir, I understand you" Hutch whispered.

"Very good. I see we finally understand each other" Smack, twist, release, lift. "Now, where was I before all this unpleasantness started? Oh, yes... I remember"

Smack

Twist

Release

Lift

TBC