Hi All,

As always, thanks for the reviews, they help me improve my writing, so each and every one of them mean a great deal to me. Well, just one more chapter to go after this one...

Hugs to the Usual Suspects, I would never have gotten this far without you guys (hugs)

Special thanks to Pony, for double checking that one scene and catching some really glaring typos.

Warning! This chapter contains a few graphic descriptions that may be disturbing to some. Oh, some words too.

"Fire on the mountain, run boys run!" Charlie Daniels

Chapter 19

Taking one last look around, Starsky grabbed a hold of Paco and began to climb the slope at an angle. It was a rather steep climb after they departed the area of where the meadow had been. He gritted his teeth against the cramps in his tired legs and forced himself up the hill. It looked like a more difficult climb each time he sawit.

Getting Hutch on the burro had been amusing, the blond's long legs dangled comically on either side of the little animal, with his feet coming to about a foot or so off of the ground. Looking for all the world like a too-big kid on a pony ride. Starsky ducked his head to hide his smile.

He looked back and watched as Hutch rubbed the back of his head again. Starsky dipped his head as he continued to walk up the steep incline; they were nearly to the top when he broke the silence that had been resting uneasily between them. "I didn't have a choice." His said in way of apology.

"I know, it's not your fault. I'm not blaming you. You did what you had to. I'm just sorry you had to." Hutch's words were spoken between pants of breath, even though he didn't have to walk up the slope himself, as Paco was doing all the work.

Hutch sounded exhausted. Starsky eyed his partner as he continued up hill. As exhausted as he felt, Starsky wiped his free hand down his face, then wiped his hand on his dirty pants leg. He swallowed dryly and hard. He had to hit his best friend. There hadn't been any other way. Just as there hadn't been any other way back in Vietnam, with Jake. Or had there been? A knot formed in his dry throat and lodged there, refusing to move.

Nam and Jake were old wounds that he had worked hard to forget. For a long time it seemed to work. The forgetting had gotten easier over the years. Other things kept him distracted. A new best friend, girlfriends, a career in law enforcement had all helped him forget. Until now, that is, he shook his head. He didn't want to remember.

"I'm sorry I'm weak."

Those whispered words shook Starsky out of his thoughts on the past and back into the present. He reached up and clutched his friend's left shoulder, giving him a gentle shake of reproach "What? You're not weak Hutch, ill, yes, injured, yes. But not weak, you're one of the-"

"-Strongest people I know" Colby mockingly finished for Starsky. "That's what you were going to say, right Husky? Or should I call you Starch? I guess it really doesn't matter with you two. You know, I never believed those rumors at the academy about you. Until today, that is."

Starsky whipped around towards the sound of Colby's voice, reaching for his gun holster at the same time. Colby was above them, partially hidden by a boulder. Starsky could just make out enough of the gun pointed at them to know it was Hutch's Magnum. His left hand moved slowly towards the holster under his right armpit. Icy fingers of fear trailed down his spine when he found the holster empty. He had lost his gun. The last time he had it was when he had taken it out to hit Hutch with. It was down the hill somewhere, buried in the ashes.

"Come on up the rest of the way, guys. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. The two of you, all to myself." Colby stepped out from behind the boulder and motioned with the barrel of the gun. "C'mon hurry it up."

Starsky gritted his teeth and complied. He glanced at Hutch and read the tension written in his face, before the blond quickly concealed it. He deliberately slipped and grabbed a handful of ashes to throw in Colby's face when he got the chance. It was a truly pitiful ruse, but it might work. He clenched the still-hot ashes in his fist. They were barely cool enough to hang on to and a combination of smoothness and grit.

"Drop 'em" Colby hissed.

"Drop what?" Starsky knew that his ploy would fail. He was playing for time and testing Colby's reactions.

"Don't play dumb with me Starsky. I hate it when you do that." Colby retorted scornfully.

The sound of the Magnum's hammer being cocked made Starsky drop the ashes. He held up his hands, palms up and out to show that they were empty of anything.

He topped the ridge and noticed a large rockslide on the other side. Colby must have stayed there during the raging fire. He snuck a look at his former friend as he pasy the boulder Colby was behind. One side of his face was red and his hair was singed. The hand holding the Magnum was also a bright-sunburned color. So, John hadn't totally escaped the effects of the fire. He smiled grimly to himself, at least he hadn't gotten away totally uninjured. But not injured enough to incapacitate him. Damn.

"Hey Hutch, nice ass."

Starsky snapped his head about when he heard that. He saw Colby swat the burro on the butt. The poor animal grunted and scooted forward to move away from the abuse. Starsky was about to say something when Hutch spoke up.

"You keep your filthy hands off my donkey, Colby." The blond ground out.

"Fine, but I bet you like Starsky's hands all over your ass, don't you?" Colby laughed.

"Shut up Colby" Starsky snarled.

Colby fired a round into the ground inches from the brunet's foot. "I have the gun; I get to tell you what to do. Not the other way around. Turn around Husky and march, that way." He pointed down into the gorge were trees stood, untouched by fire.

Starsky blinked at the trees and then looked back to the top of the ridge, trying to figure why one side was burned and the other had not. The fire had run along the top of the mountain's sharp backbone, where it stopped and followed the spine, thus sparing the eastern slope.

With little choice in the matter -for now- Starsky grabbed onto his belt that was attached to Paco's halter and headed over the top of the ridge. He could see that further down the slope, past the rockslide, towards the gorge where there were trees standing tall and unburned. That was where Colby wanted them to go. Away from prying eyes and any helicopters or airplanes that might fly overhead.

He looked far off to his left side and could see that the fire still raged. God help them if the wind changed directions and blew the fire back towards them. He carefully checked to see if the fire tent was still in his pocket, it was. That was something at least; they might just have a way out of this yet. After a shove in the back from Colby, and Starsky started down the slope towards the tree line far below.

XXXX

Hutch was very glad that the donkey had come along. It was all he could do to stay upright on Paco. He kept a firm hold on the donkey's short bristly mane to keep from sliding off the little animal. His right arm throbbed with the burn he had gotten from the fire and the original injury from the stick. Starsky had saved his life, again. He had totally panicked back there, under the tent. He let his chin drop until it rested against his chest. His head hurt, his arm hurt, everything hurt. He just wanted to lie down and not get up for a very long time. He licked his dry lips and tasted dried blood from his cracked lips.

He tried to think of a plan. A way to escape Colby, perhaps hit him with something… but Woody had been sacrificed to burn a safe place to deploy the fire shelter. He opened his eyes and his world was still dark. He closed them again. What was the point to opening them? His head just hurt so much that he felt that his eyeballs would pop out of their sockets and fall to the ground. He found that a very small part of him self morbidly wanting Colby to just do whatever it was that he had in store for them now. Just to get it over with.

Hutch was well aware that Colby would have lost patience with him by now, if he had been forced to walk. He could save his strength a little this way, but it was still work to stay balanced on the burro. He had to remember to lean forward as they climbed the slope. His upper thigh muscles were getting a work out gripping onto Paco's sides. He knew he would never have made it up the slope on his own. He scratched the furry neck in silent thanks to the beast. Starsky would have been forced to carry or drag him up. He was dead weight. A burden to his partner. A burden that had panicked under pressure. He would never forgive himself for that.

He remembered the time in that alley when he had froze, just before Gillian had been murdered. The shooting began and he found himself unable to move, or talk, despite Starsky hollering for him… to him. Starsky could have been killed that day. All because of his newly discovered love. In that moment, in that alley, he had known he could be killed. A single bullet, a lucky shot and he would have been dead. The fear of losing what he had so recently found - had locked his legs and frozen his heart. He could die and never really experienced love. Not the false love of Vanessa. But the warm and comforting love of Gillian…

Starsky could have been killed again today because of him. Only this time, panic had made him believe that only if he ran, he would survive. Reason had fled and he would have fled too, if Starsky hadn't knocked him out. He would have burned to death. If he hadn't panicked, forcing Starsky to hit him, his friend might still have his gun. Shame shoved his head down and made him hunch his shoulders.

Hutch knew Starsky would be thinking of a plan right now. It would be rash. Starsky tended to get ever more reckless when options ran low. Starsky's motto should be 'when in doubt, do something' and his friend wasn't too picky about what that 'something' was. Nor would he be much of a back up for him in his current condition.

Well, he might be down by one sense, sight, but he still could hear, smell and feel. And right now, he smelled burning wood. 'Oh that's brilliant Hutchinson; you're in a forest fire. Keep that up and you may make detective one day' he rolled his eyes, the pain of doing that nearly knocked him off the donkey. 'Note to self- do not roll eyes- I almost knocked myself off my ass with that one. I wonder how many ass jokes or puns I can get in before I die?' Hutch felt a smile trying to form on his face. 'Hey, that's an idea; I could goad Colby with those puns until he makes a mistake, or just plain kills us.'

"Hutch? How're ya doin' up there?"

Starsky's concerned voice broke into Hutch's thoughts. A hand rested on his left knee, giving it a little squeeze. Hutch forced himself to smile wider. 'What's a little false bravado among friends?'

"Fine, never better. Great view from up here. You should try it" Hutch could feel Starsky's eyes on him and knew what he was thinking. He gave his head a little shake to let Starsky know that he still could not see. "Or better yet, you try it, Colby." He turned his head slightly in the direction of where he had last heard his former friend.

"No thanks ladies. I like being able to see. Ol' Doc Matwick sure knows his stuff. I'll have to tell him that, when I get back to civilization."

"I can make the travel arrangements" Starsky replied amiably "It'll be like old times. You in jail, us putting you there… Good times, good times."

Hutch wished he could see the look on his partner's face. He could easily picture it in his mind, a dangerous mix of humor and hostility, spoken with that Cheshire grin of his on his face.

"Perhaps you should be joining me in jail, Starsky. While digging up some information on one of my hits, I located and read your military records. I found out something very interesting."

"Yeah, and what's that?" The words were spoken with a nonchalant air. But Hutch could hear the hidden tension in Starsky's voice.

"Hutch, did you know that Starsky was investigated for the murder of one of his army buddies?" Colby's tone was light and conversational.

Hutch did not need his eyes to tell him that Colby was smiling.

"I can't believe you never told Hutch about this one Starsky. But I can tell from both of your faces that you didn't. Oh joy! Hutch, you gotta listen to this one. It seems the Viet Cong shot down Starsky's platoon. Their Hueys crashed in thick jungle. The few remaining soldiers, including your best buddy Starsky here, pulled their injured buddies out of the wreckage. They were deep in enemy territory, surrounded by VC-"

That was when Hutch heard sound he had never heard before. A sound that was a cross between a banshee shriek and what could only be soul-deep agony. Paco stopped walking and stood in place, shivering beneath him. It was several seconds before the blond realized it was Starsky making that sound. And it was a sound he never wanted to hear again.

XXXX

The last thing Starsky had heard was Colby talking about Nam. Then it started. For the first time, he could feel the flashback begin. He could hear a cacophony of sounds, the drone of helicopters, rifle shots, grenades and always, always the screams of the injured and dying underlining it all.

The real world and the one made of bad memories started to slip sideways and melt together. It was bad timing. The worst. Colby could, hell, would use it to his advantage. NO! Starsky yelled at himself. He couldn't let it happen, not now… not NOW! His mind screamed and his throat released the sound that his brain made.

The sound stopped when he felt a familiar, comforting hand on his shoulder. A gentle squeeze and reality snapped swiftly back, firmly into position.

When reality refocused its self, the startled expression on his former friend's face was the all the opening Starsky needed. The next moment, he was lunging at Colby. The suddenness of his attack stunned the gloating Colby and he knocked the Magnum from John's hand. He continued his frontal assault, grabbing John around his neck, trying to subdue him.

The only sound that Starsky now heard was white noise, a staticky hiss of an off-the-air TV station.

Colby broke his hold with a karate move; a slight turn of his body, a swift outward thrust with his forearms and Starsky's hold was broken. He went in for the attack again, but Colby sidestepped and landed a solid punch to his ribs. Air rushed out of his lungs. He lunged at Colby again and received a kick to his chest for his trouble.

But Starsky managed to grab hold of his opponent's right leg before he could pull it back. He held on and stepped back, pulling Colby with him. The hit man lunged forward, hopped up and kicked Starsky in the face with his left foot, snapping his head sharply to the right. He maintained his grip on Colby's right leg and twisted the foot hard while pulling backwards to keep the man hopping.

Embroiled in their battle, the combatants didn't feel the wind change direction, nor did they see the smoke thicken or smell the scent of burning wood growing heavier with each lungful.

"Starsky!"

Tunnel vision socked Starsky in; he heard nothing except the pants of breath and the 'whomp' of his fists connecting with Colby's body, or John's connecting with his. 'He's goin' down!' was Starsky's only thought. And his mind repeated it over and over, that mantra kept him battling on, even though his body wanted to quit.

Somewhere in the distance, he thought he could hear someone calling his name. But he continued trading blows with the man until something large and furry crossed into his vision and snapped him out of his tight world where only he and Colby existed.

The creature loomed above him and Starsky stopped fighting. His worldview changed and expanded, enlarging until he could see that the creature was a bear.

Colby took advantage of his momentary distraction and punched him, knocking him down. Starsky's butt hit the ground and he froze for a long second, his mind struggling with the sudden change in dangers.

Starsky could only stare open mouthed at the new threat as it moved closer. The bear moved in slowly, silently and stopped about twenty feet from them, directly behind Colby.

Colby smiled as he bent at the waist and placed his hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. But he kept his eyes locked on the brunet sitting in the dry grass in front of him. "Ha-" He caught his breath and tried again "Had enough?"

Starsky, his eyes locked on the animal, he struggled to get the word 'bear' out. But his lips refused to cooperate, gaping open and shut like a fish out of water.

Question furrowed Colby's brow "What's wrong with you Husky? Huh? Cat got your tongue?"

Starsky tried again "B-bear" he managed to whisper.

"What? A bear's got your tongue?" The hit man shook his head, but kept his eyes on his opponent.

"Behind you" Again the words were little more than a whisper.

Colby straightened up and laughed, "Shit Starsky, you think I'm dumb enough to fall for that old trick?"

"It's not a trick Colby; there is a bear behind you."

"Right, and the second I take my eyes off of you, you are going to throw something at me. Good God, do you have any idea how many times I've done that same thing? You got me with that screaming thing already. But that's the last time." His voice was thick with sarcasm.

"I see it too Colby" Hutch's voice joined in.

Colby laughed louder "Oh give it a rest you two, Jesus Christ, Hutch, you're blind and now you're backing up whatever your little buddy says. Just like you two always did. My God, you must think I'm stupid."

Starsky slowly got to his feet and edged over in Hutch's direction. He kept one eye on the bear and the other on Colby. "Yes, I think you're stupid for not believing me."

He had one experience with a bear before and this bear was even bigger than that one. He tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry to cooperate. He finally gained Hutch's side, not sure what else he could do. He had no gun, no weapons, not even a rock to throw at the large animal that was standing so quietly behind Colby. If it charged, they were screwed.

Colby's eyes flitted from one of the partner's to the other.

Starsky could tell what John was thinking. Was there really something behind him? Should he chance a look? What would he and Hutch try if he did look? Starsky slowly held his hands up, palms towards Colby. He then pointed behind Colby once more. "I'm not armed and we're several feet away from you… look behind you… trust me, there is a bear."

Colby did trust people. He trusted them to act in their own interest.

Starsky looked past John to the large light brown bear. It was much larger then the black bear that Simon's followers had put in that cave with him. Whenever Colby moved, the bear shadowed his movements. Out of the corner of his eye, the brunet could see Colby watching him, judging whether he should take a chance and look behind him. The man came to a decision and glanced over his shoulder.

"Shit!" John slowly turned completely around to face the animal.

Starsky quickly collected his scattered wits and then slowly grabbed the belt that was attached to Paco's halter. He needed to get his friend away from that bear. He tugged on the burro's lead. The little beast's legs were locked in fear. Starsky tugged harder on it, pulling Paco away from Colby and the bear. The animal moved reluctantly, as though it knew fast movements might draw the bear's attention to them. The brunet yanked on the lead, he needed to get Hutch out of there, now.

"Starsk?" Hutch rasped quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Is there really a bear?"

"Yeah" That answered that question. Hutch was still blind. Starsky closed his eyes for a second as his spirits fell a little. For just a few moments there, things had been looking up for Hutch to regain his sight. He ground his teeth together.

"Damn. I can smell the fire again and the wind's changed directions. The bear's probably just tryin' to get away from the fire and is confused." The blond supplied helpfully.

Starsky looked over his shoulder and watched the bear and Colby for a few seconds. "I don't think so. That bear is shadowing Colby. It seems to be stalking him… like in the movies, but this one is quiet, not snarlin' an' such." He reached up with one hand and smoothed down the curling hairs that were straightening and rising on the back of his neck, he pulled the donkey further away.

"Colby is in real trouble then." Hutch's voice was tight.

"Is there anything we can do?" Starsky was enraged about what Colby done to Hutch, and who knew how many others the man had injured or killed. John had become a stone cold killer, but no one deserved to be killed and eaten by a bear. Not even Colby.

"Not unless you've got my Magnum or something bigger." The blond's voice was heavy with regret.

The Magnum was lost; it would take more time than Colby had to find it. "What about playing dead? Wouldn't that work?"

"That bear is in hunting mode. If Colby lies down, it'll just start eating him." Long fingers clutched the burro's stiff mane; they whitened as his grip increased.

Starsky managed a hard swallow. "Okay… what about if I get a really big stick or a rock?"

"It'll most likely attack and kill you and then go back to Colby." The blond head shook slowly and regretfully.

Starsky's lips thinned. Then it would get Hutch. He pulled Paco a little further down the gorge. He continued to watch as Colby moved very slowly away from the bear. He edged further up hill towards were the first tendrils of fire were snaking through the undergrowth. The fire was above them on the hillside, consuming the trees like a hungry man at a banquet. He saw Colby's plan. Get close to the fire. The fire would keep the bear away.

He remembered Wag's words 'Only bears and fires run faster up hill' and moved down hill, towards some rocks at the far end of the gorge. He could feel the wind blowing passed him, towards the fire. Behind him, the sound of the fire began to build.

If the fire moved like it had before when it had caught them in the meadow, Colby was a dead man. Starsky yanked hard on Paco's halter and finally managed to get the little burro to break into a trot. "Hang on Hutch!" He hollered belatedly as he dragged the animal and Hutch further from Colby and his lonely dilemma - the bear or the fire.

When Starsky came to a rocky slide, he stopped and looked back. The fire looked like it was alive. The flames whipped and danced. The sound rose, escalating to a now familiar roar. A tendril of orange-yellow flame shot out, like the tongue of a fire dragon and enveloped Colby in its flaming jaws. A horrified Starsky could not look away as the burning man continued to take a few steps forward, then as a wind-up toy winds down, Colby first went to his knees then his chest, finally landing face down in the dirt.

Starsky looked away and closed his eyes for a moment, fighting the violent urge to puke. He reopened them and watched as the bear turned and ran from the fire.

Starsky took his cue from the bear, turned and ran as well, hauling hard on the burro's lead rope. Paco lost his reluctance to move and nimbly made his way down the rocky slide, with Hutch hanging on for his life.

TBC