Hi All!
Again, thanks for the encouraging reviews. But, even if you haven't reviewed, I thank you for reading and (hopefully) enjoying this story as there will be more of it to come.
I had doubts about this story and whether people would accept it, so I have to thank Cheride for urging me to continue. Thanks a bunch Cheride! Without you, this story would have ended at chapter five. (BIG HUG!)
Big Thanks to Wuemsel for her invaluable input and enthusiastic support.
And to Kreek, I can't forget you pal! It's best neverto forget muses, especially the ones in human form. :- )
Lightning Chapter 9
Rosie sat huddled on the cold, damp sidewalk, sucking her thumb and rocking. She didn't know what to do. It was dark and sprinkling rain, her tears joined the raindrops that fell on her face. She got the funny feeling that someone was watching her. She looked around and saw a rabbit man. But he didn't seem like a nice Rabbit Man.
She almost expected to see bunny ears poking out the top of his hat, or maybe he had them shoved under his hat. Rosie didn't care. She slowly got to her feet and Rabbit Man moved nearer. She stepped back and stared at him.
"Hi little girl, are you waiting for someone?" Rabbit Man asked as he edged nearer. His movements were twitchy and rabbit like. He glanced around like he was about to steal a cookie from the cookie jar, just before supper.
Rosie stared at him; her tummy started to hurted her more. She remembered what Patch the Pony said "Neigh, neigh, from strangers, stay away!" And she remembered what Mama and Daddy said "If you get lost, look for someone in a uniform to help you" She looked around the dark street, but didn't see anyone, just Rabbit Man.
Rabbit Man moved closer still, twitching the whole time "Are you waiting for someone? Or are you lost?"
Rosie looked at him when he asked if she was lost, her tummy squeezed so hard it hurt. But she knew better than to talk to strangers. After all, Mama, Daddy, Cal, Uncles Ken and Dave and Patch the Pony all said not to do that, and she was already in trouble for sneaking into Daddy's car.
"You're lost. I can tell. My name is Mickey; I can take you to a phone…" Rabbit man put his hand out as if he wanted to take her hand as he drew nearer still.
"You're a stranger, I'm not supposta talk to strangers" She hugged herself as she stepped back and then noticed she was at the edge of the ring of light. One more step and she would be in the darkness. She would feel even loster in the dark… she swallowed hard and wished for Daddy to finded her.
"But I'm not a stranger; you know my name… its Mickey… like Mickey Mouse… I bet you like Mickey Mouse… don't you?" He was almost close enough… just a little closer… he controlled his breathing. She was just too cute. Don't startle her, don't make her scream…
It was dark, rainy and cold. She didn't want Mickey Mouse. She wanted Daddy and Mama. Now. Tears made everything blurry and she batted at them with the back of her hands. Her tummy really didn't like Rabbit Man. She moved to one side, trying to stay in the light.
"I was hoping you could help me, you see, I lost my puppy, so I know how you feel" Mickey stepped closer and carefully checked the area for people. Kids always fell for the 'lost puppy' story… He waited for her to ask about his puppy. When she didn't, he started to tell her about it.
"He's just a little puppy, with long brown hair," He put his hands out "about this big, he's real little. He missed suppertime" Mickey stepped nearer to his goal. This was just too perfect.
Sometimes, in this and other neighborhoods in the city, parents turned their kids out into the streets to fend for themselves. Sometimes those parents were too wrapped up in their own problems to care where their kids were. And sometimes, they just didn't care at all what happened to the kid, as long as the kid was no longer their problem. The throwaway kids were the ones he liked best of all, because no one cared what happened to them or looked for them, or missed them at all.
This little girl was cleaner then most of his prey. He nervously scanned the area once more. The streets were empty. He pulled his bottle from his pocket and took a sip to calm his nerves.
Rabbit Man smelled bad. Smelled of stinky seegars and boos. Least that's what Mama had said to Daddy one time when he came home real late. Rosie didn't know what seegars were, but she knew they were stinky and Mama didn't allow them in her house. Boos was what ghosties said to scare you. Rabbit Man also smelled like pee. She sidestepped again.
She looked around again for other people. She didn't believe he had losted his puppy either. So, he was a big liar too. Her trembling increased when she couldn't see anyone else. She popped her thumb back into her mouth and kept looking for another grown-up, but all she could seewere dark, empty streets.
Mickey capped his bottle and put it back into his pocket. He wiped his mouth and took one last look around the area. This was the only streetlamp for several hundred yards, not another soul in sight. Now was as good a time as any. He grabbed her and bundled her in his overcoat, clamping his hand over her mouth. She didn't even have time to scream as he carried her off to a condemned building he had already picked out for an event such as this.
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Starsky's sleep was interrupted by the ringing of his phone "H'llo? Whozit?" his brain wasn't awake enough to comprehend what was being said to him at first. "Could ya repeat that?" He sat bolt upright when the caller repeated herself.
Hutch lifted his head off the pillow he had been sharing with Starsky. His improved dog hearing allowed him to clearly hear what was being said without getting any closer to the receiver. He rolled to his chest and stared intently as the brunet.
"Okay Edith, I be right there… okay… try not to worry… she'll be fine… I'm leaving now, bye" Starsky slammed the receiver down and leapt out of bed, adrenaline surging through his veins as he grabbed his jeans and hopped around the room with one leg in his jeans and the other leg out as he grabbed socks and a shirt, attempting to dress everything at once.
Hutch watched solemnly as his friend did manage to put everything on, though the buttons on his shirt didn't match up correctly. He went to the front door to wait as Starsky squished his feet into his Adidas without untying them.
Starsky grabbed his car keys, jacket, gun and holster then and reached for the doorknob "Move it dog! I've got an emergency here and I don't have time for this!" He nudged the dog with his foot "MOVE!"
"I'm goin' with you Starsk… I can help you find her…Hell; I've now got the nose for it!" Hutch stood his ground and pleaded with his eyes.
Starsky shoved the dog firmly "I said MOVE IT!" his impatience with the dog was growing with every tick of the clock. Little Rosie was lost in the Kingston district.
Hutch stood on his hind legs and put his paws on his friend's shoulders, this put him right at Starsky's eyelevel "And I said I'm goin' with YOU!" He could smell Starsky's fear and anger. He continued to look into the brunet's midnight blues "C'mon Starsky! You have some notion of who I really am, I can feel it! Put the pieces together, NOW!" He knew that the word 'now' had come out as a soft bark.
Starsky looked into the dog's brown eyes and wondered why he was wasting time staring at a damned drug dealer's dog "Get offa me! Ya mangy mutt!" he gently pushed the dog off and again reached for the knob.
Hutch wedged himself between Starsky and the door and did the only thing that he could think of to stop his friend from leaving without him. He lifted his hind leg, as if he was about to pee on the door. He glared up at Starsky, daring him to leave without him.
"ACK! NO! BAD DOG! Don't do that in here!" Starsky popped open the door and Hutch trotted out the door. "You had better be quick about it, I ain't got all night"
Hutch smirked to himself as his made his way down the steps to the Torino and sat down to wait for Starsky to reach him. When the brunet rounded the end of the Torino, Hutch put his paw on the driver's door.
"Hey, you're gonna scratch the paint! Take your leak, dammit! I'm kinda in a hurry here" The dog just looked at him and raised one tan eyebrow at him. Looking at the dog, Starsky suddenly felt… strange. That eyebrow thing was familiar… nah.
"Creepy dog" he muttered as he unlocked the car and he was not surprised when the dog hopped in and sat on the passenger's side. Once it settled in, it put its right front leg on the armrest and leaned back in the seat and blinked at him as if to say 'what are you waiting for?'
Starsky shook his head to clear the weird thoughts that were trying to pop in there. "You are one creepy dog" he promptly dismissed the thoughts to concentrate on a far more important one; Rosie was missing. He put the car in drive and stomped on the accelerator, the tires squawked on the pavement. Once he was a block away from his apartment, he hit the siren and slapped the mars light on the roof.
Hutch cringed as the overwhelming loudness of the siren blasted his sensitive eardrums. It took all he had not to howl in pain that the sound was causing him. He wanted to bury his ears in his hands, but his dog joints just didn't bend that way. He settled for gritting his teeth and tried to concentrate on how he could convince Starsky to let him help look for Rosie.
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Dobey was in near panic. He turned the scene of his detective's homicide over to Captain Ernie Shaw of the eighth precinct. He was heading up the far more pressing case of finding his missing daughter. What was she doing here in the first place? She had never attempted to hide in his car to go with him before, so why now?
Sure, she had wanted to go with him before, but she would ask and one time she had raced out to the car and climbed in to wait for him. Both he and Edith had been firm when explaining to her about why they could not permit it. She hadn't asked to go with him in months. He unconsciously hugged Southpaw tighter.
He and several officers had asked people in the crowd if they had seen her, or knew which direction she had gone. No one recalled her. Or, more frightening to Dobey, would admit to seeing her.
He couldn't remember ever being so afraid in his life. His little baby girl, lost in one of the most crime-ridden parts of town. The lump in his throat would not go away. His mind was an unending train of torment as various scenarios clacked over the railroad tracks of anxiety that were building in his brain.
He had debated with himself for a few moments on whether to bring Edith here or not. But he knew she would drive here herself, regardless of what he wanted. Knowing that, he had sent a squad to pick her and Cal up and bring them here. That way, she wouldn't be trying to drive here and possibly get into an accident on the way. He also knew that he desperately needed her and Cal to be with him.
He wanted to call on Starsky, but decided that he needed his rest and with Hutch still in the hospital… Someone shouting his name interrupted his thoughts.
"Cap'n Dobey!" Officer Kramer trotted up and informed him that additionalpolice officershad arrived, as well as the media.
Dobey sent a prayer up as he hustled off to coordinate the search "Please God, protect my little girl"
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When Rabbit Man grabbed her, Rosie had been too scared to move. The man's heavy breathing made her tummy ache like it had never ached before. She was all wrapped up in his smelly old coat and he held her so tight she could hardly breathe.
Rabbit Man was making her even loster then she had been before. She didn't know what he wanted. But she knew he wasn't gonna help her get back to Daddy or have her help him finded his losted puppy. She started to say her prayers, 'cause that's what Mama said she should do if she got scareded by the boogey man that her brother Cal had told her liveded under her bed.
She had to think the prayer 'cause Rabbit Man still had his hand over her mouth. If she struggled too much, he would put his hand over her nose too and make it so she couldn't get air. 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep and if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take' That prayer was supposta make her feel better, but she didn't wanna die before she waked.
She then heard a police siren over the sound of Rabbit Man's breathing. She tightened her body as the siren came closer. She felt Rabbit Man freeze in his tracks and could feel his twitchy movements get even twitchier.
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Mickey froze for a moment as he heard the siren. He almost wet himself when he recognized the car in the distance. The red and white Torino couldn't have been anymore frightening to him than if Death himself came walking up to him with scythe in hand. He backed into an alley and waited to see where it was going. He exhaled in relief as the Torino kept going down the road.
He gave a little laugh and shook his head at his own foolishness. There was no way that Starsky and Hutch knew he was back in town, let alone that he was kidnapping a throwaway kid. It wasn't really kidnapping though. It was just trash left on the streets, he was just gonna use it a little and throw it back. No one would know or even care.
He laughed again at himself and continued on his way. He had some plans for it. He felt the warm rush of power surge through him. He inhaled it. Power wasn't something that he felt very often. His mother ruled his home with an iron fist and a broken broom handle. He drank to get away from the failure that was his life.
But when he picked up trash, he held all the cards and all the power. He craved that power almost as much as he craved booze. Power and control. Control and power. He sped up. The building he had in mind was just one more block down the street.
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Starsky's mind was in turmoil as he approached the scene. Edith had been difficult to understand, she had been crying so hard. But from what he gathered, Rosie had stowed away in Dobey's car and ended up at the scene of Detective Bentley's homicide. Why she had stowed away was a mystery to him, until he had looked over at the dog.
Rosie stowing away had something to do with that damned strange dog, 'Uncle Ken' she called him. He gave it a glancing glare and returned his focus on the road ahead. Why did she think that dog was Hutch? He glanced at it again. It was reclining in the rider's seat, leaning its back against the seat and looking back at him. It was too dark in the car to tell, but Starsky had the feeling that it had yet again raised one tan eyebrow.
"WOOF!"
The bark started Starsky and he stomped on his brakes just in time to keep from going through a red light. A semi truck drove through the intersection. He looked back at the dog "Uhhh, thanks…" The expression on the dog's face made its message clear 'Keep your eyes on the road, dummy!'
"You are one weird dog" Starsky proceeded cautiously through the now clear intersection.
"Speak for yourself and keep your eyes on the road. I have no desire to be literally- caught dead - in this striped tomato you call a car"
"Leave my car outta this" Starsky muttered as he once again accelerated down the street, the scene was just one more block up and to the left. He could already see other squads and the light show that they were making from here.
"Starsk! You heard me! Hey buddy, look to the right if you hear me again…" Hutch waited but his friend never looked at him. For just a second there he seemed to get through to the brunet. Maybe, just maybe, it would happen again. If he could have crossed his fingers, he would have.
Starsky pulled the Torino over and got out and the dog darted out the door before he could close it "Hey! Get back in there!" He opened door wide and pointed inside.
"No! I can help. I'm gonna help, whether you want me to or not" Hutch shook his head for emphasis. He began to look around for Dobey.
"Hey dog, you'd better stick close… why do I even care?" Starsky scratched his head and closed the car door, then proceeded to look for Dobey.
Hutch heard Dobey long before he saw him; this was due to his reduced height. He pressed his body as close to Starsky's leg as he could. He was back in the Kingston district where people thought he had attacked them.
Starsky pushed his way to his captain's side and listened as Dobey barked instructions and orders. Dobey looked terrified. Starsky couldn't fault him for that. He waited impatiently for a break in the conversation so he could talk to Dobey. The big man had acknowledged him with his eyes, but kept talking.
Hutch, unnoticed by everyone slipped up next to his captain. He recognized the teddy that Dobey was holding, well, more like crushing, to his chest. It was Southpaw. Hutch sniffed the teddy. He could clearly detect Rosie's little girl scent; that of baby shampoo, crayons, glue and finger-paint. He remembered that scent from under the rose bush in Dobey's backyard. He could find it and follow it. Now, if only he could get Starsky to follow him… how could he do that though?
Starsky bounced impatiently on the balls of his feet; he needed to do something, anything and he needed to do it now! All this waiting around when little Rosie was out there, somewhere in the crime filled streets…
A movement caught his eye and he watched the dog sniff Southpaw. The dog looked him in the eye and looked back at the teddy. Then again back at him. The dog lifted its paw and touched the teddy, then touched its nose with its paw. The dog did it a few more times, all the while staring him directly in the eyes. It was like it was telling him that it had Rosie's scent and could follow it.
Hutch watched as Starsky stared at him "C'mon! Put it together! Hurry!" He closed his eyes and sighed with relief when he finally saw Starsky nod once "FINALLY!" He threaded his way out of the crowd, the brunet on his heels. Once they were away from the crowd, Hutch stopped.
Starsky knew he should be getting his head examined by the police shrink and the sooner, the better. For he was following a drug dealer's dog that had told him, through a sort of 'Lassie' sign language, that it could follow Rosie's scent. He knelt next to the dog "This had better be good" he looked about to see if anyone was watching him.
"I can do this, Starsk, I've got her scent… okay, I've never done this before, but I have to try" He put his paw on Starsky's knee "Thanks for believing me enough to give me the chance, I won't let you or Rosie down" He gave his friend's hand a quick swipe with his tongue. He would never do that as a human, it would never have occurred to him to ever do so. But as a dog, it seemed like a natural thing to do. "Follow me"
Starsky stood up and watched as the dog trotted over to Dobey's car, its nose to the ground, sniffing. It circled the car once, moved towards the crime scene, where all that was left of where the detective had fallen was a chalk outline on the ground and a slowing drying patch of blood. He would morn Bentley later. Rosie needed him now.
Hutch could easily smell the coppery scent of the dead detective's blood. He dropped his head in respect, sighed and continued on with his search. It was more difficult then he expected. The scent didn't stay in a straight line; it drifted away from where Rosie had walked. Other scents mingled and distorted her scent, but he kept at it. He HAD to find her. No other option was acceptable to him.
Starsky waited and watched the dog work. It would stop and look back at him as if to beg him not to give up on it. It was trying. It circled the scene a couple times and then started to move out of the area, it looked back at him as if to say 'Follow me!'
Hutch found the scent and he could smell when it changed a little. Fear mingled with Rosie's scent now. Something had frightened her, her scent changed and moved away from the crime scene. He suspected that she had seen the detective's body. Poor Rosie. He looked back to make sure Starsky was following him, he was.
He followed the scent; wind had pushed it up against walls, along trash and other debris. He now knew why dogs moved back and forth while tracking, because the scent had moved. He looked back occasionally to make sure Starsky was still following him. He was.
Then Hutch found a spot that had a lot of scent. He lifted his head and looked about, almost expecting to spot her; there was so much scent here. He was standing under the only lit streetlamp for several hundred yards. He could smell Rosie's tears and fear. He could smell something else… no… someone else. The scent was… familiar to him… disliked by him… He sniffed harder, trying to place the scent. It mingled with Rosie's. The scents combined and overlapped.
Starsky watched the dog work the scent. It moved around in the light of a streetlamp and as it did so, it alternately whined and growled. Rather like it was worried and angry. Kinda like he was feeling right now. What possessed him to do this? He should head back to the command post and be part of the proper search, not be off by himself with a drug dealer's dog. He looked back the way he had come.
Hutch untangled the scent as best he could. He came to the conclusion that someone had picked Rosie up and was carrying her, not good! He heart hammered hard in his chest.
"Starsk, this way!" he started off in the direction of the mingled scent, but stopped when he didn't hear his friend behind him "Starsky! This way"
The dog barked and Starsky looked around, the dog was halfway down an alley, looking back at him. He looked back towards the way they had come, then back towards the dog. Be part of a proper search? Or strike out on his own with a drug dealer's dog? Never one to be conventional, he ran after the dog and he could swear he could hear it say 'This way'. No two ways about it, he needed a shrink. He pulled out his gun and flicked the safety off.
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Mickey shoved the broken board out of the way and pushed into the darkened building. Once inside he paused to listen for any sound of movement, when he was sure that there wasn't anyone else in the room, he moved to the little room that he had set up. He had found an old mattress and placed it in the windowless little room. When he finished, he would drop the trash into a hole that went clear into the basement. No one would ever know about it.
Rosie felt Rabbit Man carrying her up some steps, the place smelled like Cal's sweat socks after he got done with basketball practice. She had to get away from Rabbit Man. She would wait until he put her down and then she would run.
Mickey closed the door behind him and unwrapped it from his coat. He had made it a rule to never to call the trash by anything else but by 'trash' or 'it'. When he picked it up, it belonged to him. That was the power he had, he could take away its identity and make it stop breathing.
Watching the trash slowly stop living and knowing that he was the reason, made him feel good. That was why he poisoned dogs and cats whenever he could. It was all about power and control. He did that in between picking up trash.
In the outside world, most people were taller then he was, stronger. But in this cloistered space, he was supreme ruler. He was the one who controlled everything. The trash would be doing all the flinching and the cowering that he normally did on the outside.
He had some car batteries hooked up to a light bulb, he made the connection and the little room was lit in a soft glow. He unwrapped his trash and set it on its feet. It was time.
The smelly coat was taken off and Rosie looked around. The room was dimly lit and Rabbit Man leaned against the door. She looked around for another way out; she didn't see one. She looked back at Rabbit Man "I want my Daddy"
Mickey smiled. The trash always made demands… at first. Pretty soon it would be begging him for favors. His smile widened.
Rosie stared at Rabbit Man and he stared back at her.
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Hutch sniffed the ground; the sprinkling rain fell on his back, unnoticed. The trail was fresher now; at one point his quarry had become very afraid. Hutch looked up and down the alley, he than stood in the spot where the scent was strongest and he could see the road Starsky had driven down to get to Dobey. Had the bad guy seen the Torino? It was possible, with the mars light and siren wailing, it would get anyone's attention. He went back to the trail.
Starsky watched the dog move around in a seemingly aimless pattern and once more wondered just what the hell he was doing here. He determined that he would follow it down just one more alley, than he was heading back. Who was he fooling anyway? No one, not even himself. What the hell was he thinking any way? Following a damned dog.
The damn thing was probably just leading him to its owner's stash of drugs. He snorted. That would be ironic. He could just imagine trying to explain how that happened and he could imagine just how people would react to it.
"Well ya see it's like this, it all started when I was looking for my captain's lost daughter. I had 'Machete' Mike's dog – he's a drug dealer - Anyway, I was using his dog to track down Rosie. Huh? How I did I know to use the dog? Well, it used 'Lassie' sign language and told me it could follow her scent, so I follow the dog and instead of leading me to Rosie, it led me to 'Machete' Mike's private stash…Hey, what's that net for? No, really it's the truth, honest, ya gotta believe me…"
They would lock him up quicker then quick. He rolled his eyes at himself. This was a waste of time. He holstered his gun, turned around headed back to the command post.
Hutch followed the scent to a door that was nailed shut, he pushed it with his nose and it moved easily. The scent was even stronger inside the building. He pushed through the door and followed the scent some stairs. He scanned the area, his improved night vision allowed him to see the entire area. He turned his ears and listened.
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Rosie watched Rabbit Man. She didn't move. She wanted him to move so she could get to the door and get out. He finally started towards her in a crouch. She waited until he was really close then slammed her head into his pee pee as hard as she could. He let out a yelp and made a grab for her. She knew hitting a pee pee hurt. She had accidentally hit Cal there onced.
She ran to the door and tried to open it. It didn't wanna open and then she remembered that sometimes doors had locks. She could hear Rabbit Man approaching, she managed to get the door unlocked, and she opened it and ran out. It was dark, but she made herself run into it, the dark would hided her from Rabbit Man.
Hutch heard a man gasp and the sound of feet running on a wooden floor above him. He dashed up the steps, adrenalin giving him strength and made any pain that he had been feeling, disappear "Starsky, this way, c'mon!" He leapt up the stairs.
Rosie darted down the hall. She didn't know where she was going; she just knew that she had to keep running.
"You little BITCH!" Mickey had finally gotten his breath back after the trash smashed his balls. It was gonna pay for that. He ran out into the hall, he heard her running and bolted after her.
Hutch gained the top of the landing and could see the man "MICKEY!" he slammed into the little weasel, knocking him to the floor "Your ass is MINE now!" he snarled into the weasel's twitchy face. "Starsky, get up here! I found 'em! You are so gonna get it now Mickey! When Starsk tells someone to move to another city, he means it… Starsky! Where the hell are you?" Hutch snarled again in Mickey's face "Where's Rosie? Where is she, fink? You twisted little pervert…"
Rosie kept running until she hit a wall in the dark, she let out a scream, thinking that Rabbit Man had caught her. She backed way from the wall and the floor cracked beneath her. She screamed louder this time as the floor crumbled and fell away.
Hutch bounced off of Mickey and darted down the hall in the direction of the scream. Maybe Mickey had an accomplice, and where the hell was Starsky? "Rosie! I'm coming honey, just hold on!"
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Starsky was on his way back to the command post when he heard the big dog bark. He almost kept walking, but couldn't make his legs go forward. The dog barked again, louder this time. He looked over his shoulder in the direction of the sound. He dropped his head "I better not regret this" and ran back towards the sound.
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Rosie was hanging on for her life. The crumbly wood dug into her belly and her legs dangled and she found that if she kicked them, it made her slip even more "H-help!" she didn't care if Rabbit Man heard her, she would even be happy if he came and pulled her out of the hole in the floor. She slipped a bit "HELP!"
Hutch spotted Rosie down the dark hall and slowed down. He didn't know if the floor would hold him. If a little girl could fall through, so could he. But, being a dog did have its advantages; his weight was spread out over four legs and he wasn't as heavy as he was in human form. "Rosie, hi there sweetie… You're safe… Uncle Ken is here now" he edged forward slowly, feeling for weakness in the floor.
Something was moving towards her in the dark, she couldn't see it. Then she heard a small woof "Uncle Ken! You camed for me!" Rosie started to cry, sobbing with relief.
"Yeah, Rosie I did, hang on honey, I'm comin'" Hutch lay on his belly and scooted forwards carefully. He hoped that Starsky would show up soon and help.
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Mickey slowly got to his feet; he didn't want the dog to come back. He hoped it would attack the kid instead, he hoped it would eat it. The little bitch had hurt him. It was a vicious dog and it had snapped and snarled at him, its massive teeth clicking a hairsbreadth from his neck. He had been terrified that it would rip his throat out.
In the dim light from the little room, he could see it was a Doberman, like the one he had tried to poison the other day, maybe it was the same one, though this dog didn't have a collar on it. It was like it had remembered him and wanted revenge. He had wet himself in his terror.
Mickey carefully made his way down the dilapidated staircase and headed out the door. He heard the sound of running footsteps. Someone was running towards him from the alley on his left. He went in the opposite direction, slipped behind a dumpster and hid.
The person had apparently not heard or seen him, but continued his way towards the building that Mickey had just exited. When the man entered the building, Mickey stood up and ran down the alley, trying to put as much distance as he could between himself and the scene of his crime.
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Starsky slowed down and eased his way into the building, keeping a low profile. He could hear sobbing coming from upstairs somewhere. It had to be Rosie. He tiptoed to the stairs and ascended them cautiously, gun at the ready.
Hutch continued to edge forward on his belly "Okay honey, grab my neck and I'll pull you out, I'll help you, c'mon…"
Rosie made a grab for Uncle Ken; she was glad that he hadn't been the man under the covers that Daddy was looking at before. She slipped further into the hole and she let out a frightened squeal.
Hutch thrust forwards and grabbed her hooded jacket in his teeth, then tried to scramble backwards to pull her from the hole. He dug in with his toenails trying to gain purchase on the wooden floor. He yanked harder, but she wouldn't budge. Her clothing must have hooked on something. He continued to pull backwards but he didn't have the weight or the leverage to pull her out "Starsky, where are you? I need you buddy"
Rosie wrapped her arms around her rescuer's neck and hung on as tightly as she could. "Don't let me fall! Help me Uncle Ken!" She squeezed his neck so hard she was nearly cutting off his air, tears streamed down her face.
Starsky snuck as quietly as he could up the old stairs, keeping to one side. He could hear Rosie's muffled sobbing. He squinted into the darkness, trying to pierce it with his eyes, he could see that a light was coming from a room down the hall, but there wasn't enough light to illuminate the rest of the hall.
Starsky had to take a chance "Rosie… is that you?" the whisper was barely audible. He moved slowly in the direction of the muffled sounds.
Hutch heard Starsky and sighed in relief "Rosie, Uncle Dave is here, he can help" He gave a little woof. "C'mon Rosie, call out…he can't see us, it's too dark here" He felt the material of her jacket rip a little, fear rose in him "Please honey, call him, your jacket is ripping" Her weight shifted and he was pulled an inch towards the hole. He could feel himself slipping closer to it.
Rosie looked past Uncle Ken's head and saw Uncle Dave in the dim light of the open doorway "UNCLE DAVE! Help! We're gonna fall!"
"Who is 'we' Rosie?" He moved out of the light and edged to the sound of her voice, he wanted to know if anyone was with her. He hadn't seen the dog, hell; he couldn't really see anything once he left the dim light of the doorway.
"Uncle Ken and me, you gotta help, I felled in a hole, he caught me, but…" Rosie let out another squeal of panic as more fabric ripped and she slipped down a bit more.
"I'm comin' just keep talking so I can hear you, it's too dark to see where you are" Starsky moved as quickly as he safely could. He wouldn't do either Rosie, the dog or himself any good if he caused the floor to give way.
"C'mon Starsk" Hutch's thought was cut short as he slipped some more.
"I'm comin', don't get your underwear in a bunch" Starsky muttered as he got down on hands and knees so he could spread out his weight, it would also get him a better feel for how sturdy the floor was.
"I'm not wearing any underwear, Starsk, all's I've got is this fur coat. Would you mind hurrying it up a bit?" He carefully tried to shift his weight backwards. He couldn't do it. Rosie weighed nearly as much has he did right now.
Starsky was close enough to hear Rosie's and the dog's breathing. He put his gun away and lay down flat on his belly and began to crawl towards the sound of panicked pants. He than made contact with a furry leg "Don't be startled and drop her dog, it's just me," Under his breath he muttered, "it's times like this when I really miss my partner" he kept in contact with the dog, working his way from it's hind end to its head.
Hutch's improved hearing easily picked up the minuscule sound "Yeah? Well, it's times like these when I really miss opposable thumbs"
Starsky finally reached the dog's neck and grabbed Rosie's little arms "Okay Rosie, you have to let go of the dog now so I can lift you out of that hole" He felt her release her tight grip on the dog "Good girl! I gottcha" He pulled her away from the hole and scooted backwards with Rosie in his arms.
Hutch heaved a sigh of relief and scuttled backwards and then stood up.
Starsky released the breath he had been holding and sat up, Rosie wrapped herself around him like a barnacle and buried her face in his neck "It's all right now sweetie, Uncle Dave's gottcha now. You're safe" He patted her legs and arms "Do you hurt anywhere?" He felt her shake her head 'no' against his neck "Okay then, let's get you back to your Daddy… he is so worried about you"
The big dog limped up to him and leaned against his leg. He reached down and rubbed its head "Thank you, I'm sorry I ever doubted you" His thanks was heart felt and the words were a little choked as he whispered them.
"I forgive you, you curly headed moron" Hutch leaned harder against Starsky's leg "Just don't cut it so close next time, okay buddy?"
Starsky got to his feet and headed back the way he came. He paused briefly at the open door to the little room and peered inside. No one was there, but the sight of the old mattress on the floor made him feel distinctly nauseous. He knew then that someone had snatched Rosie and brought her here. He gave the little girl a gentle squeeze
Hutch peered into the little room as well. Mickey had to be caught before he had a chance to try this again on some poor child. He should be caught and soon. Preferably tonight, if at all possible. He wondered with a shudder, just how many other children the little snitch had attacked. He felt the hair on the back of his neck raise up.
"How did you get here Rosie?" Starsky asked as he made his way back down the staircase.
"Rabbit Man bringed me" she quivered in his arms and squeezed his neck harder.
Starsky leaned back a bit and looked into her face "Rabbit Man? Who is Rabbit Man?"
"He's a bad man, he smells like seegars and boos and pee. He grabbeded me and bringed me here" she buried her head in his neck "He scareded me real bad, then Uncle Ken knockeded him down and kepted me from falling down that hole in the floor"
Starsky felt her little body shake and he hugged her "It's time to take you back to your Daddy and as soon as we get you back to him, the dog… I mean 'Uncle Ken' and I will go catch Rabbit Man" As he carried her down the steps he asked her for a description of the 'Rabbit Man'. He was angry with himself for not following the dog, if he had, he might have caught the Rabbit Man in the act. Now they would have to search for him. The perp was likely to be miles away by now. Dammit!
The little group left the building and headed back to the command post. The brunet felt the dog nudge him in the leg; he looked down at it and watched as it sat down then touched its nose with its paw. Starsky smiled at it and nodded. The dog would sniff out the perp for him.
The dog gave him a look that clearly said 'follow me next time'
Starsky chuckled "I will" and the dog raised a tan eyebrow at him, clearly mocking him.
"Damn right you will, dummy. Let's just get Rosie back to Dobey" Hutch was limping again now that the numbing influence of adrenalin was gone. But it didn't matter, Rosie was safe. Soon, with just a little bit of luck, Mickey would be caught tonight as well. Then he could concentrate on convincing Starsky of who he really was. 'Maybe I could get some chalk and write on the sidewalk or something' he mulled over the possibility as they continued to the post.
They were nearly back to the command post when Hutch caught a fresh scent of Mickey. He dropped his head and inhaled sharply. The scent was very fresh and had a tinge of urine in it. Mickey has pissed his pants when Hutch had snapped his fangs in the little finks face. Served him right, Hutch thought. He sniffed again, the little creep was close.
Hutch cast about, looking for the little fink, the scent was so fresh and hot that he half expected to see Mickey at any moment. He kept on the scent, there wasn't any way that the fink was gonna get away from him this time. That was when he spotted Mickey.
Hutch even from a distance he could recognize the little perp's twitchy walk; he seemed to be headed in the direction of the command post. Perfect. Hutch decided that he would chase Mickey to the post and hold him there until Starsky arrived with Rosie. She would identify him and Mickey would be cuffed and stuffed and in jail by the time the sun rose in the morning. He took off after Mickey, determined to capture him.
Starsky saw the dog bolt off into the night "Hey! Where d'ya think you're goin'?" he sped up as fast as he could after the dog, but he was carrying Rosie and she slowed him down considerably. The dog ran down the sidewalk in the direction of the command post. 'Where is he off to now?' Starsky wondered as he slowed his pace. There was no way he couldhope to keep up with the dog.
TBC