A Little Peace and Quiet
by Deanna Jordon
"Are you sure you don't mind my going?" Ken Hutchinson looked over at his dark-haired partner as he packed his extra clothes in the backpack.
"Look, I already told ya, I've got to go see my aunt this week and help her out since my uncle broke his leg. This is our vacation time. You go get lost in the woods with Kara, I'll mow my aunt's lawn a few times, and we'll see each other at work in six days. What could be easier than that?" David Starsky took another bite of the banana he had stolen from Hutch's kitchen. The two partners were officially on vacation and Starsky was helping Hutch pack for his camping trip. It was no secret that Starsky hated camping and was glad Hutch had found someone who shared his interest in hiking.
Starsky continued, "Besides, how much trouble can a guy get into staying with his aunt and uncle, huh? Don't worry about me, you just go and have a good time."
Hutch looked up and grinned. "Starsky, you could find trouble in church on Sunday morning!" The two men shared a laugh at the memory of the latest bit of trouble Starsky had gotten into. An old lady had backed her car into Starsky's prized Torino at the grocery store, and then had lectured Starsky for ten minutes on his driving abilities.
"But it really wasn't my fault! She shouldn't have been driving in the first place!" Starsky protested, feigning anger. "She didn't even have her glasses on!"
"I believe you, but I don't think she did." Hutch smothered the last of his laughter and hoisted the full pack to his shoulder. "Time to go. Kara said she'd meet me at the parking area at the trail head. When does your flight to Sacramento leave?"
Starsky looked at his watch. "Not for another two hours. I'll take a cab and leave the Torino at Huggy's. He promised to take care of it while I'm gone." Starsky stood and walked out of the apartment with Hutch on his heels.
Hutch closed the door and tested the handle to make sure it had locked. He looked around the small porch for his hiking boots. He had bought the small house the year before and enjoyed walking along the side of the canal in front of his porch. He picked up the boots and carried them and the pack to his car where he stored them in the backseat.
The blond-haired detective turned to his partner. "I'll be back on Tuesday. When do you think you'll be back?"
Starsky thought for a minute before answering. "Probably Thursday or Friday . Today's Saturday and Uncle Frank hates being laid up. My ticket is open for the return flight so I"ll stay until he gets sick of seeing me around."
"See ya then. Take care and give my best to your Aunt Rose." Hutch climbed into his car and drove away. Starsky followed in his car, telling himself that the butterflies in his stomach were just the peanut butter and banana sandwich he had for lunch, and not a fear of flying. He needed the time off as badly as Hutch did.
Both men were detectives with the Metro division and their caseload had been very busy for the last six months. At the first break in the workload, both men had put in for overdue vacation time. Starsky and Hutch had planned on going camping together until Starsky's uncle had fallen off a roof and broken his leg. Now Starsky was going to help his aunt and uncle while Hutch took his new girlfriend on the 20 mile hike.
As he drove to the airport, Starsky couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was going to happen...again.
"That was delicious!" Hutch sat his plate down on the log he was sitting on and beamed up at his companion. "Who taught you how to cook over a campfire?"
Kara sat down beside Hutch and wrapped her arms around his neck. "My daddy did. We used to camp quite a bit before he left us. Mom didn't like to camp, but my brother and I went as often as we could with friends and family." Kara shook her head and sent her long black hair flying over her shoulder. She snuggled up close to Hutch and began nibbling on his ear.
Hutch took her in his arms and began returning the favor. He was thinking that he might have to extend his vacation when she broke the contact and stood up. "Hey now..." he started to say but she held up a hand to forestall any questions.
"I'm sorry Ken. But I have to go now. And so do you."
"Go? Go where? It's dark out. We have two days to get back to the trailhead. That's the only place this trail goes to and you don't hike it in the dark." Hutch was confused by her abrupt manner.
"We don't plan on hiking in the dark." A new voice sounded from the darkness. Hutch whirled around to see a young man come over and stand beside Kara. His right hand came up with the business end of a gun staring Hutch in the face.
"Who are you?" Hutch kept his voice neutral though inside he was seething.
"Kara's brother. She did a good job getting you alone out here. Now you can die all alone, just like our father did when you killed him." The man's face was puckered up in an ugly scowl.
"Your father?" Hutch was confused.
"Jerry Tidewell. You don't even remember do you?" Kara walked over to Hutch and slapped him in the face. "You shot him. He lived but later he died in prison in solitary confinement. He was all alone. And it's your fault!"
She raised her hand to strike him again. Her brother's voice stopped her. "Don't waste your time on him Sis. He's gonna die right now."
"Do it Jer. Do it now. I want to see him die just like Dad." Kara turned to Hutch. "The only difference is, nobody'll ever find you." Her voice and face showed her grim pleasure at the thought. She turned her back on Hutch to walk back to her brother and yelled when Hutch grabbed her from behind.
"Put down the gun!" Hutch ordered the gunman.
"Don't Jerry. Just kill him!" Kara struggled to free herself from Hutch's strong grip. She managed to kick him forcefully enough to wrench herself free. She fell to the left as Hutch dived to the right.
Hutch scrambled wildly to get behind anything that would shield him from Jerry's gun. He heard the gun go off behind him and saw the bullets plow into the trees by his head. He had almost gained the cover of a large oak when a searing pain hit his left shoulder. He lost his footing and rolled down a deep depression into the gully carved out by the stream they had been camping by. He lay almost unconscious, listening to the two looking for him up above.
"Where is he?" Kara shouted.
"I don't know, but I hit him. He's hurt. Keep looking." her brother's voice answered.
"It's too dark. We'll have to wait until morning." Kara's voice sounded disgusted. "Let's go back to camp. If he's hurt, he won't be going far. We'll start as soon as it's light."
Hutch could hear the two moving through the brush, the noises they made getting fainter by the minute. When he could no longer hear them, Hutch tried to sit up. The pain in his shoulder was clouding his mind. Slowly and painfully, Hutch ripped the sleeve off his shirt and soaked it in the stream. He held it against his shoulder to try and staunch the bleeding. He used the sleeve off his other arm to tie a makeshift bandage around his wounded shoulder. By the time he had finished, he was weak and feeling faint. He desperately wanted to lie down and sleep, but fought the urge. Hutch knew that if he was going to survive, he'd have to go back to the campsite and steal what gear he could. The two had hiked almost 15 miles in the first two days and the nearest ranger station was nearly 20 miles from where they had parked their cars. Hutch realized that the only way he was going to get any help was to hike through the woods, off any trail, to the ranger station.
He remembered from past visits that the fire outlook station was nearly 10 miles west of the trail he was on. He closed his eyes against the pain in his arm and struggled to his feet. This time he was on his own. Starsky had no idea of the trouble his partner was in, and no way to find him even if he did know.
Hutch carefully got to his feet, listening for any sound that would indicate Jerry or Kara were watching him. He heard nothing and decided to make his way back to the campsite. His plan was to wait until both Tidewells were asleep then slip in and take some survival gear. He had to have food and water if he was going to be able to hike the ten miles to the fire outlook post. He could only hope that it was manned.
The moon was shining brightly through the forest canopy as Hutch made his way through the trees. His wounded arm was tied up in a sling fashioned out of the remainder of his shirt. He hoped that he would be able to get his backpack. The warm clothes he had packed would help to reduce the shock he was experiencing. Water would be easy to find if he stayed near the stream, but he had to have food. Hiking the ten miles would take a healthy man almost a day, for him, it would be closer to two.
The smell of wood smoke reached his nostrils before he caught sight of the camp. Hutch crouched in the bushes, near enough to see the camp clearly, but too far away to be illuminated by the dying campfire. Neither Kara nor her brother were in sight. Snoring from the tent convinced him that both were asleep. He spotted his backpack beside the log he had used as a seat for dinner that night. It was closed and didn't appear to have been rummaged through. Hutch knew that he had a supply of dried fruit and jerky in one of the pockets as well as the canteen and warm clothes. He decided to risk walking up to the camp to retrieve it.
Crouching down to make a smaller shadow, the blond man made his way as quietly as he could to the fire. The warmth from the remaining embers was welcome on his bare chest and arms. Hutch had to concentrate on his walking. The shock and loss of blood was making him weak and he was afraid he would fall and awaken his attackers. Hutch crept forward till he could grab the pack. He clutched it under his good arm and silently made his way back to the safety of the shadows.
Hutch carried his prize back to the ravine he had fallen in. It offered some shelter as well as a ready source of water. He was glad of the moon's brightness as he opened his pack. The first thing he removed was his heavy wool sweater. His hands shook with pain and exhaustion as he struggled into it. It was awkward trying to fit his injured arm into the sleeve but he kept at it. Once that was done, he explored the interior of the pack for a second pair of socks. These he wore on his hands as mittens against the cold night air. He missed the warmth of his sleeping bag that was in the tent. Jerry Tidewell had probably taken it for his own.
Next was the canteen. He filled it with water from the stream and drank just enough to quench his thirst. Refilling it, he put it back in the pack and slung the pack to his back. He wanted to put as much distance between himself and his would be killers as he could before the sun came up.
As he started out, Hutch wished mightily for Starsky's help. He tried to tell himself that he could make it on his own, but deep inside, his heart didn't believe what his head was telling him.
"Hey Starsky! You're back early. What happened? Your uncle kick you out?" Huggy Bear looked up in surprise as the dark haired detective bounded into the bar. "You weren't supposed to be back for two more days."
"Yeah, I know. Uncle John is doing just fine though and ran me off." Starsky accepted the cup of coffee that Huggy handed him. "Besides, Hutch and Kara are due in today and I wanted to hear all about the camp out." Starsky grinned at his black friend as he sipped at the coffee.
"Yeah, I hear that." Huggy wiped the bar with the rag he was holding. "They should be in by noon. Hutch said he'd bring her by here for lunch."
"Noon huh? Well, that gives me two hours to go home, unpack, and get back here. Got my keys?" Starsky put his cup down and reached out his hand for the car keys that Huggy fished out of the pocket of his denim jacket.
"How'd you get here?" Huggy asked.
"I took a cab from the airport." Starsky picked up the small duffel bag from the floor and started out the back door. "I'll see ya later Hug. Thanks for watching the car for me." With that, Starsky was gone, the roaring sound of the Torino's engine marking his departure.
Hutch made his way through the darkness, trying to find his way along the rocks and small trees that bordered the stream. He knew from the map that the stream ran by the fire outpost tower he was headed for. His arm was throbbing with pain and the cold night air was slowly stealing what strength he had left. After traveling nearly an hour, Hutch gave up and sank down into the leaves. He was so tired that he fell instantly into a deep sleep.
Daylight found him still sleeping. The sunshine through the trees shone brightly into his eyes. He stirred briefly, then bit back a scream as he tried to move his left arm. He struggled to sit upright and peeled back the makeshift bandage. The wound was bleeding again and was hot to the touch. Infection had set in and Hutch knew that he needed medical help. He had to settle for pouring cold water over the open wound and binding it back up with the same bit of bloody cloth.
He reached for his pack and found the pocket where the dried fruit and jerky should have been. The pocket was empty, the small tears proving that a mouse or squirrel had made off with the food. Hutch hung his head and took a deep breath. He settled for another drink of water before standing up and slinging the pack to his back once more.
Hutch knew that his only hope lay in finding help at the ranger's fire outpost. Starsky was due back tomorrow and would start a search, but Hutch wasn't sure he had that much time. The Tidewell's would be searching for him. He looked around the terrain and found that the stream he was following was taking a northerly turn. He didn't have the luxury of simply following it to the station through all of its twists and turns. He headed off due west, hoping against hope that he could mask his trail.
As Hutch set out to the station, he couldn't know that the Tidewell's were already on his trail.
"He's hurt. He can't get far. The only manned station up here is the station down on Oak Knob road. It looks like your "friend" is headed for the fire outlook on Manson Ridge. He won't find anything there but maybe a mouse or two. The rangers stopped using it last year when they bought the second helicopter." Jerry looked up at his sister with a mad gleam in his eye.
"I don't care. We have to find him and finish him off." Kara crossed her arms over her chest as she looked down at her brother in the ravine. "Hutchinson cannot leave this forest alive. He killed Dad, and by everything holy, I intend to kill him." Her words were low and filled with fury.
"We'll get him. He can't travel fast with a bullet in him. Even if he did get his pack last night. That's just more weight for him to try to carry. I've found his trail, let's go and get this over with." Jerry and Kara started downstream, following the trail that Hutch had left.
"Good morning Captain! Have you seen Hutch around?" Starsky greeted Captain Dobey. He had been surprised, then worried when Hutch hadn't returned home the day before.
"I haven't seen him. Wasn't he due back yesterday?" Dobey asked, a worried scowl creasing his dark face.
"He never showed up at his apartment. I was going to call the ranger station to see if they've heard anything." Starsky said, trying not to let his own feelings of worry into his voice. "He probably just had car trouble somewhere along the way. You know how that heap of his breaks down."
"You're probably right. See what the ranger station has to say. If you don't get anything there, try the county sheriff's office up there. They might have something. And try not to worry Starsky, Hutch can take care of himself. I mean after all, how much trouble can he get into on a camp out with a pretty girl?" Dobey allowed a big smile to crease his face. He knew how much the two men cared about each other's safety.
"Thanks Cap'n," Starsky said as he sat down at his desk and picked up a sheet of paper. Hutch had drawn him a map of the trail he intended to take. Starsky found the number of the nearest ranger station and dialed the number.
"Oak Knob Ranger Station. Pete Jackson speaking." answered the ranger on duty.
"This is Sergeant David Starsky with Metro P.D. My partner, Ken Hutchinson went hiking three days ago and hasn't returned. Have you had any reports of trouble up there?"
"Which trail was your friend on?"
"Let me see here, according to the map he left, he and his girlfriend were going to hike the Manson Ridge Loop trail. He was supposed to be back here yesterday but he never showed up." Starsky said to the ranger.
"Well, Sergeant, we haven't had any reports of trouble and no one has reported any traffic accidents. Let me run up to the trailhead and see if his car is still there. Tell me what he was driving." The ranger wrote down the information on Hutch's car as well as a description of Kara's Ford Pinto. "Ok I've got it. I'll call my dispatch office on the radio as soon as I find out anything. Dispatch'll call you. Give me the number where you can be reached."
Starsky gave him the numbers for the station, his home, and Huggy's bar. Jackson thanked him and hung up. Starsky sat at his desk, looking at the map, and felt a knot of dread begin tightening around his heart.
Hutch stumbled as he slowly made his way through the dense underbrush. He had been forced to leave the stream due to heavy undergrowth and was trying to find his way back. His arm throbbed with each beat of his heart and hunger pains had begun clawing at his stomach. He finally decided that the stream must have made a turn while he was fighting the underbrush. Now he stood and looked around him.
The forest looked the same in all directions. He could no longer tell from which direction he had just come. The afternoon sun gave him the only direction he had, west to the fire outlook tower, he hoped. A couple of times he had been sure that he had heard voices behind him and he had hidden until he was sure that he wasn't being stalked by the Tidewells. Hutch gave in to the weariness and sat down, digging out the canteen of water as he did.
Hutch drank slowly, knowing that the water was all he had unless he could find the stream, or another one, soon. He unbound the makeshift bandage around his shoulder and grimaced at the site of the red, raw wound. Definitely infected. Hutch wasn't sure if he would be able to stay clearheaded enough to find help if the infection spread. Already, he could feel his fever climbing as his body fought to heal itself. He poured a little of the water on the open wound and clenched his teeth against the pain. Shakily, he rebound the bandage and tried to get to his feet. It wasn't easy with his left arm in the sling and the right arm holding on to his pack. Regretfully, he dropped the pack, keeping hold of the precious canteen. With increasing unsteadiness, he set off again, hoping against hope that help could be found and soon.
Starsky pounced on the phone as it rang at his desk. He had been sitting, unmoving for the last two hours as he waited for the phone to ring. Now he listened as the ranger station dispatch reported that Hutch's car was still parked at the trailhead along with two other vehicles. One, he recognized as Kara's car, the Chevy truck he didn't. Starsky wrote down the license number of the truck and thanked the dispatch operator. The ranger station had put out an alert on Hutch and Kara as being lost in the woods. A search and rescue team was being assembled but it would take at least two more hours for the team to be rounded up, outfitted, and deployed to the trailhead. After that, it was anybody's guess as to how long it would take to find Hutch. Manson's Ridge trail was a twenty mile loop with numerous caves, secondary trails and two high waterfalls. It would take time to search the trail itself without checking all of the other possible hazards on the trail. And if they had left the trail for some reason...well, the rangers didn't want to think about that possibility unless they had to.
Starsky looked at his watch and sighed. It was just after two in the afternoon. It would be five at the earliest before he heard any news at all. He put his head down on his desk and prayed for his partner's safety.
Kara stopped and dropped her pack on the ground. She pulled out her canteen and took a long drink of water before handing it to Jerry. He had also stopped and looked at the ground before them.
"So where did he go, Mr. Hotshot Tracker?" Kara asked, her voice mocking her brother's efforts to read the tracks that Hutch had left.
"Shut up! This ground is so dry, you can't see nothing. He can't be very far ahead of us though. Besides, I've got a better idea." Jerry dropped his pack and pulled out a box of matches.
"What are you going to do with those? Burn down the whole forest just to get one lousy cop?" Kara was shocked. As badly as she wanted to see Hutch dead for her father's sake, she couldn't see starting a fire in the tinder box of a forest.
"Look!" Jerry grabbed Kara's arm tightly and brought his face within inches of her's. "We promised Dad to take care of Hutchinson. This way, they can't trace his death back to us. Nobody'll find him until he's a pile of soot. Now help me pile up some of this brush." Jerry released his sister and bent down to start gathering up a big pile of dry underbrush. Kara rubbed her arm and slowly began to help.
Jerry looked at the four mounds of brush and nodded in satisfaction. There was no way that Hutchinson could escape this time.
Starsky lifted up his head and picked up the phone again. He called the ranger dispatcher back and asked for directions to the trail head. With the directions in hand, Starsky raced out the door to his car. He was on the highway headed out to the forest before Dobey even knew he was gone.
An hour and forty-five minutes later, Starsky pulled the Torino up beside a ranger jeep parked in the gravel lot. A carved wooden sign showed the way to the Manson Ridge Trail. A tall, slender black man in a ranger uniform got out of the jeep and headed over to Starsky.
"I'm sorry sir, this area is closed. We have a search and rescue unit coming in." The ranger said as he walked towards the agitated detective.
Starsky fished his badge out of his pocket and help it up. "My name's Dave Starsky. I think we talked on the phone."
"Yes sir." The ranger smiled as he held out his hand. "I'm Pete Jackson. I've covered some of the trail but I'm waiting for the search and rescue team. The leader needed some extra time to get off work to come up here. They should be here inside of the next half hour." Pete motioned for Starsky to follow him to his jeep. Once there, the young man took out a forest service map and spread it out over the hood of his jeep.
"This is the path the trail takes. You can see how rugged it is. There are four different shorter trails branching off as well as the two waterfalls. We have an old fire watching tower about 15 miles in and 10 miles west of the trail, but there hasn't been anyone posted there for two years."
"How long does it take to walk the trail?" Starsky asked nervously.
"That depends. If he had a lady friend with him, they might have wanted to go slow and see the sights. If it was a short weekend, they might have hurried along. There are five established campsites and another dozen likely places to pitch a tent. It'll take time to check over the trail. If they went off the trail for any reason, then ..."
"Then we might never find them," Starsky finished for him.
"I'm sorry, but it has been known to happen." The ranger clapped a hand on Starsky's shoulder as they continued to pore over the map.
Hutch fell as he tried to force his tired body to climb over yet another downed tree. He had lost track of all time and direction. The sun was getting lower in the sky and he wasn't sure he would survive another night in the open. His canteen was empty, and in his weakened state, he hadn't been able to forage for food. He lay on the ground and felt the world begin to revolve around him. He rolled over on his side and gave in to the nausea that was building in his stomach.
When he had finished, Hutch used the trunk of a small tree to pull himself to a standing position. He oriented himself as best he could and started off again. Barely a minute later he stopped and sniffed the air. The unmistakable smell of smoke was coming up the side of the hill he was climbing. Hutch looked down the ravine he had just climbed out of, and gasped in horror at the flames licking at the trees below him. He forced his tired body to run, hunching his shoulders to protect his head as he went.
"Chopper 10 to Unit 15. Come in please," the radio in the jeep blared.
Pete picked up the mike. "Unit 15."
"Pete, I've got smoke in a ravine just east of Manson Ridge. It looks like a
small area so far but the brush down there is really dry. What's the status of your search team?" Starsky could hear the worry in the helicopter pilot's voice.
"They haven't gotten here yet. Can you fill a bucket and try a water drop? I'll call in the fire to dispatch." Pete answered.
"Can do. No sign of your missing hikers. Sorry." The pilot signed off and Pete looked at Starsky with haunted eyes.
"You up for some hiking?" Pete asked.
"You bet. Let's go." Starsky said.
"I've got some extra gear in the jeep. Why don't you see if one of those pairs of boots will fit you while I call in the alarm. Take a pack and two canteens as well." Pete directed as he raised the mic to his face.
"Unit 15 to Dispatch. Chopper 10 reports smoke just east of Manson Ridge. What is the status of my SAR team?"
"Dispatch to Unit 15. Your team checked in here half an hour ago. They should reach your position in 15 minutes. Fire dispatch has been notified. Expect the first units in an hour," a female voice replied.
"Unit 15, understood. Chopper 10 has started water drops at the scene. Send in two additional choppers. Have all teams start from Manson Ridge Trailhead and Bald Knob. Notify headquarters that I am starting search." Pete listened as the dispatcher sent out the additional messages.
"Unit 15. IC says to sit tight Pete. Your SAR team will lead the search. You can join them once they're there. Do you have a Detective Starsky with you?"
Pete raised his eyebrows at Starsky as he said yes.
"Please inform Detective Starsky that his R and I team has identified the second car as belonging to a Jerry Tidewell." the voice continued.
"Understood Dispatch. I'll pass that information along. Unit 15 out." Pete hung up the mic and turned to Starsky. "Did you catch that?"
"Yeah. The name of the girl Hutch is up here with is Kara Tidewell – must be a brother or something." Starsky dismissed the information with a wave of his hand. "I found everything you mentioned. Just let me lock up my car and I'm ready to go."
"We have to wait for the SAR team. They should be here in just a minute or so. The team leader is a friend of mine. He practically lives in these woods. He'll find your friend. He's a... " Pete broke off as three vans pulled into the graveled parking lot. "Speak of the devil, here he is now."
Starsky just looked in amazement as he saw who was getting out of the passenger side of the lead van. "Johnny!"
"Johnny Gage?" Starsky looked at the dark haired man who had just gotten out of the van. He walked over quickly and shook hands with the young paramedic with whom he had worked with while chasing a murder suspect. "What are you doing here?"
"I lead the SAR team. That's why it took so long to get here. First, I had to get someone to cover my shift, then I had to wait for Bob to get to the station, then get my gear together and finish up calling the rest of the team. By the time I was done, it was getting pretty late. What are you doing here?" Johnny walked to the back of the van and opened up the rear doors while he was talking. Swiftly, he began pulling out backpacks, rope, climbing gear, and other rescue equipment. As the other members of the team began collecting their packs and equipment, he strapped on one of the heavier looking packs as he looked at Starsky for an answer.
"Hutch is the one you're looking for. He and his girlfriend are overdue. They were supposed to be back early yesterday but he never showed. That's his car right over there." Starsky pointed out the ragged looking Ford LTD. "What do you need me to do?"
"Just stay here. We'll see what..." Johnny was interrupted by Pete.
"We've got a fire just below Manson Ridge. I called it in and dispatch is sending out the cavalry. I had Chopper 10 make a water drop and he's available for SAR duty too. He's made a couple of passes already and hasn't seen anyone. The trees are really thick down there though so he could have missed someone if they were injured." Pete led the way back to his jeep and the pointed out the location of the fire on his map. "Camp crew will stage out of Bald Knob. How do you want to play this one?"
John looked at the map as he considered his options and plan of rescue. "I've got twelve people with me and another eight or nine coming. With the fire, we need to get into that area as quick as we can. Can you call the chopper in to pick up half my team here? Drop them in this clearing on the far side of the ridge. They can skirt the north end of the fire and check these two trails as well as the main loop. I'll take my team and have the chopper drop us at the seven mile mark." Johnny consulted the map and his watch. "We've got enough time before full dark to make it to the abandoned fire outlook if we hurry." Now John turned to Starsky, taking notice of the hiking boots and pack that the detective wore. "It's no use telling you to stay here, is it?"
"Not a bit. That's my partner out there. I'm not about to just sit on my hands while he's in trouble." Starsky's face was as set as stone. John knew better than to try and talk him out of it. He had worked with both Starsky and Hutch about a year earlier and knew how deep the bonds of loyalty and friendship ran between the two.
"Done. Just keep up with me okay?" John grinned at his friend as Starsky nodded. He knew that nothing would keep David Starsky from finding his partner. Starsky then went over to his car and John turned back to Pete to coordinate the chopper pickups and assign his crew to their respective teams. While the rest of the team were double-checking equipment and passing out hand held radios, he checked the rescue and medical supplies in his own pack. He grabbed an extra radio for Starsky and jogged over to Starsky's red and white Torino.
"You're still driving this thing? You must like being a target." John kidded the young detective. He vividly remembered his own experience with the Torino.
"It's better than that red box you ride around it." Starsky shot back. His back still remembered the uncomfortable seats in the rescue squad. Dropping the joviality, Starsky squared his shoulders and stepped closer to the lanky paramedic. "I just found out from Captain Dobey that the girl Hutch is with is the daughter of a man Hutch arrested about ten years ago. The other truck over there belongs to her brother. The brother has a record for attempted murder. Kara and Jerry Tidewell might not be the all American kids if you get my meaning."
John looked into the deep blue eyes and breathed deeply. "You think they might be the reason for Hutch's disappearance? But they're in there as well. Wouldn't they have gotten out and just left him?"
"Maybe something went wrong. I know Hutch, and he ain't the kind to stand still if he's in trouble. Hutch can handle himself really good, but..." Starsky's voice trailed off.
"But there's always a first time, right?" John asked softly. He gripped Starsky's shoulder tightly, "Don't worry, we'll find him." John looked up as he heard the helicopter approaching. "Our ride's here. Let's get going."
With a motion of his head, John led the way over to the landing helicopter. He and Starsky climbed aboard with the other six member's of Johnny's SAR team. When all were aboard and buckled up, the helicopter lifted off and headed out over the dense forest canopy.
"Just hold on Hutch. I'm coming to get ya buddy." Starsky whispered as he watched the unbroken canopy of trees pass below him.
Hutch fell to his knees as he looked at the locked gate in front of him. He had finally reached the tower only to find it surrounded by a high wire fence and a locked gate. A sign on the gate stated simply, "Closed. No trespassing." Hutch groaned in weariness and disappointment. His last hope for help was gone.
The fire was moving slowly though the smoke was spreading thickly. He was at the highest point on the ridge and could see the fire down below him. The marvelous vista that he remembered from his earlier visit to the site was gone, replaced by a crawling stream of flames and dense gray smoke. "At least," he thought to himself, "the rangers will find my body. I'm sorry Starsk. I just can't make it anymore." Hutch gave in to the pain and weariness and collapsed at the foot of the gate, never hearing the whirling blades of the helicopter as it passed overhead.
"Now where do we go, genius?" Kara's tone matched the mocking look in her eyes as she turned to face her brother. "Face it, idiot, we're lost."
Jerry turned on his sister. "Shut up!" he yelled, his face red and perspiring from the heat of the fire. "I said I'll get us out of here. That damn cop has got to be dead by now." Jerry dropped his pack and took a drink from his canteen. He looked around at the ravine they had been following for the past several hours. They had found Hutch's pack at the bottom of the ravine and Jerry had made the decision to follow it to search for the injured detective. The fire he had set had also decided to follow the ravine instead of climbing as he'd intended.
Kara looked at her brother with narrowed eyes. "I told you this wouldn't work. How the hell are we supposed to get out of here? We have to backtrack at least an hour to get back to a trail we can use to climb back up."
"I said shut up!" Jerry slapped Kara across the face and stood staring at her, his chest heaving with suppressed anger. Kara put a hand up to her cheek and stood silently, shaking with fear and her own anger. Jerry stepped back and picked up his pack. "Come with me or not. It's up to you. I don't give a damn." With that, Jerry walked off, never looking back to see if Kara was following.
Jerry started walking back the way they had come. He hadn't thought that Hutchinson was in any shape to climb out of the ravine, but he must have managed it. That meant the only place for him to be heading was the closed fire lookout tower. If they hiked fast, they would be able to make it in just under a couple of hours. And when they found him... Jerry grinned at the prospect of finishing off the detective face to face.
Starsky watched the ground fly underneath as the helicopter made it's way over the landscape. They had passed the fire outlook tower and had circled it, hoping to find some sign that someone was there. The smoke from the fire was making it hard to see and the decision had been made to fly to the next drop off point. Crews were hiking in to fight the rapidly growing fire. It had apparently started in a ravine and was making it's way through the dry forest. So far, the wind had been still but it was forecasted to begin picking up later that evening. He checked his watch again, it was just before six in the evening. At this time of year, sunset would be around 9:30 with full dark hitting around 10:00. As he stared at the setting sun, Starsky said a silent prayer for his partner.
When the helicopter touched down a few minutes later, Johnny and Starsky were the first ones out. They watched as the other six members of the SAR team climbed out, then John exchanged a few words with the pilot. Starsky couldn't hear what was being said over the roar of the still whirling blades but did see the thumbs up given by the pilot as John shut the door and jogged over to where the team waited for him. Everyone hoisted up their packs and stood ready as the chopper left in a swirl of leaves and debris.
"Okay, listen up. Incident Command just reported that the fire is changing direction. Instead of following the ravine down to the lake, it's started climbing. We're only about three miles from the tower. We'll head there first and start a search grid from there. Keep your shelter pack where you can get to it in a hurry if you have to. You all know that a fire can flash over at any time, especially if the wind starts picking up. Starsky, you stay close to me. I'll show you how to use the shelter as we go. Everybody, keep your eyes open, your radios handy, your buddy close, and your shoes tied." The last brought a sprinkle of laughter from the assembly. "Had to see if you were listening." John smiled. "Let's go."
Johnny set a brisk pace as the team moved through the forest on the faint trail. The roar of the fire could be heard down in the ravine as they wound through the trees. Smoke was rising up to meet them as the fire slowly climbed the steep hill. He knew that the visibility would continue to get worse and the smoke would soon begin to irritate their lungs. He hated doing SAR work during a fire. The team carried shovels to help fight the fire if need be, but all devoutly hoped that they could beat the flames.
Hutch fought his way back to consciousness as the smoke burned his throat. He sat up, coughing, trying to clear his throat enough to breathe. Memory returned quickly as he heard the roar of the fire below him. Shakily, he got to his feet, holding onto the fence for support. Though he couldn't see the flames yet, he knew the fire was close. He knew he had to leave, get clear of the flames, but his abused body refused to move. When the pain once again flared in his shoulder, he sank back down to the ground and leaned his head against the fence. He sighed and closed his eyes. A single tear made it's way down his face. "I'm sorry Starsk. I tried, I really did, but I can't do it, not on my own. I'm sorry." Hutch continued to mumble as he lapsed into a stupor, not truly unconscious, but not awake enough to register the sounds of the fire coming closer and closer.
Starsky felt as though his feet were made out of lead by the time he saw the outline of the fire tower in the darkening sky. The group had been walking at a fast pace for the last hour. The smoke was thickening up and the terrain was steep in several places. Johnny had only called for two breaks during the forced march and Starsky was hoping he'd call another one soon.
"How ya holding up, Starsk?" Johnny asked, almost as if he could read the tired man's mind.
"I'm okay. Is that the place?" Starsky asked, pointing to the tower.
"That's it. We should reach it in about twenty minutes or so. I know you're tired, but we've got to hurry. That damn fire is picking up momentum." Johnny told him. "You remember how I told you to use your shelter right?"
Starsky favored him with a broad grin. "You sound just like Hutch. Yes, I remember how to use it. I just hope I don't actually have to use the thing."
"Me too. I've used it before, and it ain't fun." Johnny turned to check on the rest of the group. One by one, the four men and two women waved to indicate they were okay and to continue hiking. A loud pop from the ridge ahead caught everyone's attention and the group halted, nerves tensed and ready for action.
"That's it! The fire's headed this way. Mark, you and the others start back. Starsky and I will go on to the tower. If we don't find Hutch there, I'll call the copter for a pickup." Johnny instructed the others as all of them watched the wall of flames top the path up ahead of them.
"You can't be serious!" Mark said. He was a small man but seemed not to mind the heavy pack on his back, or the grueling hike. "You can't go through that. You'll fry in minutes."
Johnny turned to him and saw the agreement in the eyes of the others. He stayed silent for a moment before speaking. "Ok, what do you want to do?"
Mark glanced to his teammates who were standing almost shoulder to shoulder with him. All of them nodded their heads in agreement to an unspoken vote. "We stay here and keep a trail open for you. We've got enough gear between all of us to get to the tower. Beside's that, if you find him, you're gonna need help just getting him out of here. So, it's up to you boss. It's either all of us, or none of us. What's it gonna be?" Mark could see the acceptance and gratitude in Johnny's eyes.
"We all go. You know what to do." As one, all six of the SAR personnel sat down their packs and removed the folding shovel that was fastened to the back of each one. As they re-shouldered their packs and began the laborious job of shoveling a fire break, Johnny led Starsky out of the way. He took the shovel from Starsky's pack and showed him how to use it to scrape the grass down to bare earth. Starsky began to work at a feverish pace.
Johnny reached for his radio. "Team 1 to IC."
"IC to Team 1. What'cha got John?"
"We've got the fire climbing the ridge and heading for the Manson Tower. My team and I have started a firebreak to reach the tower. Have any of the other teams found anything about our missing people?"
"Negative, John. Best guess puts them headed up towards you. I'll order a water drop for your position. Watch for the chopper. Radio back and let us know how successful it is."
"10-4. Team 1 out." Johnny reattached the radio to his belt and joined his team at the fire line.
"IC is sending in a water drop. When you hear the chopper coming hunker down and get ready. Starsky, you stay by me. I'd hate to lose you over this hill." Johnny instructed his friend. His tone said that he wasn't joking. Starsky stared into John's worried eyes for a long moment before agreeing.
Kara struggled up the side of the ravine after her brother. The two had not spoken for nearly an hour as they fought their way up the side of the steep hill. The fire was getting closer and Kara was becoming more concerned with escape than revenge. After the earlier incident, she wasn't ready to tell her brother that she was ready to quit. Grimly, she continued to climb, watching closely for hand and foot holds in the slippery dirt. Jerry had decided not to backtrack all the way to the trail, choosing instead to make a path to the top of the hill. He had rapidly disappeared from view in the gathering smoke and Kara was left alone to make her way to the top.
With a final push of her foot, Kara managed to clear the final lip and stood on top of the steep hill. She found Jerry sitting, waiting for her with his gun in his hand. She stood very still, not sure if the gun was for her or not. She looked him in the eye and raised her chin slightly. He pointed the gun at her and squinted one eye to look down the barrel at her. With an exaggerated grim smile, he lowered the gun and stood up. Kara allowed herself to release the breath she was holding and walked over to him.
"How far to the tower?" she asked casually.
"About five, ten minutes." he answered just as nonchalantly. "Ready?"
"Let's just hope we find him there. I'm ready to get out of here. Forest fires aren't on my list of vacation spots." Kara hitched up her pack a notch and stared at the dense smoke in front of them. Jerry didn't reply, just resettled his own pack and started out once more, Kara following closely on his heels.
Hutch had fallen into a stuporous slumber, oblivious to the approaching fire. He was feverish from the infection settling in the gunshot wound. The lack of water and the enforced march had taken their toll on him as well, leaving him practically helpless. He could hear what was going on around him, but lacked the ability to recognize or respond to it. Occasionally he would stir slightly and call out for Starsky -- sometimes to save him, and other times to apologize.
Jerry Tidewell held up his hand as a signal for Kara to stop and listen. She heard a faint cry and cocked her head to listen closer. Recognizing the voice, she was only a step behind her brother as he broke into a run.
Seconds later, the pair stopped at the sight of Hutch sitting on the ground by the locked fence. Jerry stopped and stood quietly fuming as his sister went to Hutch's side. "He's alive." Kara said flatly.
"Not for long. Move out of the way." Kara stepped back behind her brother. She watched impassively as Jerry raised the gun and pointed it at the helpless man. "Good bye Sergeant Hutchinson. See you in hell."
"Nooooooo!"
Involuntarily, Jerry looked to his left to see Starsky and a bunch of other people emerge out of the smoke. He swung his gun around to cover them, as Kara stepped behind her brother, standing on tiptoe to see over his shoulder.
Starsky stopped and motioned with his hand behind his back for the others to stop as well. The smoke was rising and flames were visible only yards away from the tense scene. "Put the gun down," Starsky said gently. He stepped forward, stopping only when Jerry pulled back the hammer on the gun.
"Stay right there. I'll blow you away too." Jerry cautioned.
"You can't get away, Jerry. The fire has all of us trapped. Put the gun down, we can all get out of here alive. There's no other way out." Starsky slowly let his pack drop from his shoulder to the ground. He still held the small, folding shovel in his left hand. He wanted to drop it, have his hand empty for the chance to reach his gun. The look in Jerry's eyes told him that the man was tired, edgy, and deadly serious.
"I'll leave when I'm damn good and ready, cop. You and your boy scout troop are too late. Hutchinson's as good as dead, and so are you."
"Why?" Starsky's simple question seemed to take the gunman by surprise.
"Why what?"
"Why is it so important to you to kill my partner? Is it worth getting yourself killed over, getting your sister killed over?" Starsky could hear Johnny murmuring to the other members of the SAR team to take slow, tiny steps back into the smoke. Good, he thought to himself, give this guy a lot fewer targets -- good thinkin' John.
Kara stepped forward to answer for her brother. "Hutch killed our father. He has to answer for that."
"Who was your dad? How is Hutch responsible for his death?" Starsky used the question to take a quick look at his injured partner. Hutch appeared to be unconscious, totally unaware of the unfolding drama in front of him.
"Your partner sent our Dad to prison where he was killed. Dad wasn't a fighter, your partner knew that. Dad couldn't defend himself." Kara yelled back.
"Who was your dad?" Starsky repeated. While trying to keep the gun trained on himself and not his partner, Starsky was also trying to keep Jerry from shooting any members of the rescue team. He took another step forward, then another, hoping that the team members where finding shelter in the smoke.
"Stop right there!" Jerry held his arm straight out in front of him, the gun shaking in his tight grip.
Starsky knelt down slowly and dropped the shovel, raising his hands out to his sides. "I'm not going anywhere. Tell me about your dad."
Once again Kara took up the story. "Our dad was Jerry Tidewell, Sr. He used to work for a man named Vincent DePaul. Dad was just an accountant, but he went to jail anyway. Your partner there made sure of that." Kara said, her words dripping venom.
Starsky now knew who the two were. Tidewell Sr. had been the business manager for one of the largest drug rings in the city when he and Hutch had first joined the force. Hutch's first undercover assignment had been to gather information on the groups business keeping. He had helped gather the information that had led to the arrest and conviction of the top five members of the ring. Tidewell had tried to bribe Hutch into "forgetting" his involvement with the gang. Hutch had testified to the fact and Tidewell had gotten an additional five years added to his sentence. Immediately after the trial, Hutch had made detective and he and Starsky were finally assigned together as partners.
"Hutch was only doing his job. Your dad was in the wrong business. Hutch was just doing his job." Starsky could hear the faint sounds of the helicopter returning. An idea began forming, he hoped he would have time to make it work.
Hutch roused, thinking that he had heard Starsky's voice. He told himself that he was dreaming, that Starsky was in Sacramento, then he opened his eyes and saw Starsky standing in front of him, with Tidewell pointing gun at his partner's head.
Hutch's eyes widened as he took in the scene before him. He fought to stay conscious, biting his tongue to keep from calling out Starsky's name. To call attention to himself now would only get his partner killed. Moving only his eyes, Hutch surveyed the scene. The only other people in sight were Kara and a man standing several steps behind Starsk. He could see the flames from the fire eating their way closer to everybody.
Starsky was standing only a few feet in front of Tidewell. As much as he ached to rush to Hutch, he didn't even dare to look at his partner. He knew that Hutch was alive, for now he would have to trust that simple fact. The sound of the approaching helicopter was growing louder, bringing the promised water drop.
"I know what you're doing." Jerry stated matter of factly. "It won't work. I don't care if I die, I promised Dad that Hutchinson would die first -- now." Jerry swung his gun back to Hutch and smiled, a satisfied glow settling in his eyes.
"No!" Hutch watched in disbelief as Starsky jumped Jerry just as the helicopter dropped it's load of water on the fire. The sound of a shot rang out as Hutch let himself fall flat on the ground. The dropped water struck, sending waves of pain over his body. Dimly, he could hear a woman scream, and a man shouting Starsky's name. Hutch fought his way back to the edge of awareness and opened his eyes, looking for Starsky. Where Starsky and Jerry had been was now a stream of water rushing over the edge of the nearby ravine. "Oh my God! Starsky!" Hutch shouted as loudly as he was able.
Hutch continued to call out Starsky's name as he struggled upright. A pair of hands caught him, forced him to stay on the ground as a voice called his name. Hutch fought to free himself from the iron grip that held him. He didn't notice another pair of hands joining the first until one of the hands grabbed his chin and forced his face up. Hutch stopped struggling as he saw who it was.
"John Gage? What are you doing here? Never mind, you've gotta help -- Starsky went over the edge with..."
"I know Hutch. But I've got to get you out of here first. That fire was slowed down by the water drop, but it's building up again fast. We've got the helicopter coming back for you. You go up, then I can look for Starsky. Do you hear me?" Johnny kept his hand on Hutch's face, forcing him to look at the young paramedic. "Do you understand me Hutch?" Johnny repeated.
Hutch's eyes searched Johnny's. "I've got to go after him. He's my partner," he said, almost pleading to be allowed up.
"No Hutch, not this time. Starsky made me promise to take care of you and that's what I'm gonna do. You're badly hurt. Starsky would want you taken care of first." Johnny spoke to Hutch like he would a small child. He knew that the combination of injury, shock, dehydration, and exertion had taken their toll on the blond detective. The injured man wasn't rational and Johnny's first responsibility was to get him to safety. Only then could he start a search for the victims of the water drop.
Hutch stopped struggling and sagged into the strength of the arms holding him. "Find him please John, just find him." Hutch sank back into unconsciousness, never hearing Johnny's answer.
The remaining members of the SAR team had come out of the woods and were busily rigging a climbing rope and harness. Mark had taken hold of Hutch from the other side and now took Johnny's pack and started digging out the first aid equipment it contained. John laid Hutch down gently and contacted the helicopter, requesting a rescue basket to collect Hutch. While he did, he looked around for Kara.
Kara was nowhere to be seen. Johnny started to get up, but Mark beat him to it. "Stay with him. I'll look for the girl and make a decent down the hill to look for the other two."
"No, I have to go. I know Starsky -- he saved my life once and now it's my turn. You ride with Hutch to the hospital." Johnny's hands were busily stuffing rescue gear back into his pack. "There's more gear on the chopper. Contact IC and tell them what happened. I'll be back soon." John stood up to go, but was stopped by a hand on his arm.
"Take care John. I am not pulling overtime for you again." Mark smiled to take the sting out of his words. "Looks like Sara's got the lines ready. Go, but be careful."
"Hey, I'm always careful." Johnny said, his lips quirked into the impish grin that was widely known in the firefighting community. He hoisted the pack to his back and walked through the mud, hearing Mark establish contact with the chopper as he went.
"Ok Sara," he called, "you ready?" Johnny stood by one of the two women in the group. Sara had donned a climbing harness and stood at the edge straddling one of the two ropes leading down into the ravine.
Sara grinned, her short dark hair framing her small face. "I've got two lines run down for us. Amy and Rick are on my line. You'll work with Greg and Tim." Sara said as she waited for him to adjust his own harness. "This'll have to be fast. The fire is already starting to build back up and it's gonna start getting dark fast with all this smoke."
"Tell me about it. Ok, let's go." John double checked that the four on the lines were ready, then he and Sara climbed slowly and carefully down the steep hill. About halfway down, Sara found Kara, unconscious, trapped in an exposed tree root. Working quickly, she and John roped her to Sara's back for the climb back up.
"Ok, you're ready. I'll go on down and see what I can find. " John told her.
"Gotcha boss." Sara put a hand to her mouth as she shouted up. "Climbing!" The rope tightened around her as she and her burden were pulled to the top.
Johnny watched for a few seconds before continuing on down. He reached the bottom and unclipped his safety harness from the rope. "Starsky!" he yelled into the smoke. No answer was forthcoming, not that he had expected one. The paramedic studied the waterfall mark on the hill and followed it for just a few minutes before finding Starsky and Jerry lying motionless on the edge of the rocky stream bed.
Johnny stripped off his gloves and felt Jerry's neck for a pulse, noting the angle of the victim's neck as he did. He was saddened but not surprised when he found Jerry was dead. Pushing his feelings to the side, Johnny climbed over a rock to reach Starsky. Starsky was lying on his side with his legs in the cold water. Johnny found a pulse and set about to determine what other injuries Starsky had sustained. To his surprise, he found no broken bones, just numerous small cuts and abrasions.
Taking out his first aid kit, John examined Starsky's eyes, relieved to find them reacting normally. Starsky's pulse and respiration rate were also in the low-normal range. A bump on Starsky's forehead convinced the firefighter that his victim had a concussion but no other major injuries. Now, he just had to get him out of the ravine.
Johnny raised his radio antennae to call topside and let them know that he had found the two missing men. "John to Team 1, come in." Silence. "This is John. Come in Team 1." Again nothing. Johnny examined the radio and found no faults with it. He put it down and busied himself with applying a cervical collar around Starsky's neck and bandaging a few of the larger cuts. When that was accomplished, he took note of Starsky's pulse and other vital signs again.
Straightening up, the lanky young man was amazed to see how close the fire had come. The water drop hadn't managed to knock it down for very long at all. Working against time, Johnny pulled out the fire shelter blanket and unwrapped it. He pulled Jerry's body into the stream to protect it as best he could before curling up under the shelter blanket with Starsky.
Johnny could hear the fire approaching as the temperature inside the blanket soared. The roar of the fire pounded into his skull as he wrapped himself around his unconscious victim. He lost track of time as he huddled under the meager shelter and waited for the fire to cross over him and Starsky.
On top of the ridge, Mark worked as quickly as he could to apply a dressing and a splint to Hutch's left arm. The helicopter returned and sent down a rescue basket. Mark and the others loaded the unconscious Hutch in and watched as he was hauled up into the hovering chopper. Minutes later, the basket was dropped again for Kara.
"We've got them Team 1. I've got orders to take'em straight to County General. I'll be back as soon as I can." the pilot radioed.
"Team 1 to Chopper 10. Just take care of the cop for me. He's a friend of John's and he'll be asking about him." Mark replied.
"Will do Mark. Chopper 10, out." The helicopter slowly rose and then applied full power to reach the hospital with its precious cargo.
Mark walked to the bluff edge where Sara was standing with the others. "Shouldn't we have heard from John by now?" he asked.
"We should have. There's no telling how bad those two are hurt. John's not answering his radio. It may have a defective battery or something. I'm going back down to look for him." Sara decided. She looked over the bluff again and drew back just as quickly. "Shelters!" she shouted. "That fire's picked up steam again. It's gonna flash over on us! Get back! Get back!"
Mark led the way back to the tower at a dead run, pulling out his fire proof shelter as he ran. He folded up on the ground under the shelter after making sure the five people with him had gotten their protective gear out and were wrapped up tightly. He keyed the mic on his radio.
"Team 1 to IC. We have a flash over at Manson Tower! We have three people trapped in the ravine below us, condition unknown. Can you send us some help?"
"Can do Team 1. I have hot shots in the air. Give them about ten minutes to reach you. Chopper 18 is making a second water drop. Warn your people." the radio responded. "IC out."
"Team 1 out." Mark lifted up the edge of his blanket just enough to yell out the warning. He had just barely gotten back under when he felt the searing heat and heard the roar that meant the fire was on top of them. He suffered in silence for nearly four long minutes before he felt the terrific impact of the promised water drop. Instantly, the heat and noise were banished and Mark carefully edged his way out from under his shelter.
"Everybody okay out here?" he checked. A chorus of yells assured him that he hadn't lost anybody else. A quick check of the surrounding forest confirmed the fact that the water had done it's work. No flames were to be seen, though the smoke was even more intense.
"Let's go to work, Mark!" Sara called out. "I hope John got to them in time. That flash started from down there." She didn't voice the rest, that if John hadn't been able to cover up, they would be retrieving ashes instead of their friend.
Mark just nodded grimly. "IC says there's a bunch of smoke jumpers headed this way. My guess is they'll head up the trail to lay down a new line. We'll concentrate on finding our missing people." Mark led the way to the edge of the bluff and looked over.
"Ok, Rick, you and Amy are on Sara's line again, Tim and Greg will handle mine. Let's go to work people." Quickly, the ropes were replaced and two new climbing lines were thrown over the edge. Mark and Sara let themselves over the edge gingerly, feeling the loose dirt beginning to crumble and fall away under their boots.
They took their time getting to the bottom, painfully aware that a fall or a mudslide would do more harm than good to the men trapped below. It was with a sigh of relief that both reached the bottom safely and unclipped their climbing harnesses from the lines. Mark radioed up that they were down while Sara scanned the immediate area.
It only took a few moments to find Johnny's shelter. Sara and Mark tugged at it, carefully unwrapping the men inside. To their relief, both were alive but unconscious. Mark started assessing Starsky while Sara checked over Johnny.
"What've you got Sara?" Mark asked.
"Just a little heat. He should be waking up any time now. How's he?" Sara answered as she looked up.
"Got a good concussion but nothing seems to be broken. John got the collar on and bandaged up the worst cuts. Let's get John on his feet then get out of here."
Sara had already pulled an ammonia capsule out of her pack and was waving it under the paramedic's nose. In seconds, it had the desired effect.
"What the...get that thing away from me," Johnny protested weakly. He raised his hand to get rid of the offending smell.
"Welcome back." Sara grinned as she replaced the capsule in her pack.
"Thanks." Johnny sat up gingerly. "How long was I out?"
"Don't know. We got caught in that flash over up on top of the hill. You had to have been under it for at least 10 minutes before it got up to us. You must have passed out from the heat and smoke. Why didn't you call us?" Sara looked at him quizzically.
"I tried but my radio went out on me. How's Starsky?" Johnny turned to Mark.
"A little worse for wear, but he'll make it. Did you find that other guy?" Mark asked as he rigged a second rope to tie Starsky to his back.
"Yea, he didn't survive the fall. I put him in the water when I saw we were in trouble." John looked down at his boots as he broke into a coughing fit.
"We'll come back for him then. Right now, we need to get you two topside." Mark pulled out his radio again.
"Mark to Team 1. We've found them. Be ready to haul us up."
"Gotcha Mark. We'll be ready." Amy's voice responded. "Do you need a stretcher down there?"
"We'll have to send one down for retrieval. John's okay and I can carry Starsky. Call IC and arrange for pickup will ya?"
"10-4 Mark. We'll be standing by. Out." Amy's voice cut off as Mark replaced the radio on his belt.
"Let's go. John you climb up first. Sara can follow you. I'll follow with this guy once you two are up top." Mark instructed. Johnny was too tired to argue and agreed to the arrangement. He and Sara took their places on the ropes and were quickly pulled up. Sara then called back down that it was Mark's turn.
Mark spoke to the unconscious man on his back. "You just hang tight pal. We'll have you out of here and to the hospital in a jiffy." Mark continued to talk to Starsky as they were hauled up to the top. No answer was forthcoming though, a fact that caused Mark and Johnny a considerable amount of worry.
Starsky still had not regained consciousness by the time he and Mark reached the top of the hill. Mark set about collecting a new set of vitals on him while Sara called for a second helicopter. Johnny was feeling better and pitched in to help Mark. He used Mark's radio to call the First Aid tent at the base camp on Bald Knob. He reported Starsky's condition to the doctor on duty and was instructed to start an IV while they waited for the helicopter.
While they were waiting, Tim and Greg assembled the stretcher from Johnny's pack and went back down the hill to collect Jerry Tidewell's body. It was a somber group that was ready to leave by the time the helicopter arrived. Johnny, Starsky, and Jerry's body were loaded aboard via the rescue basket and flown off to County General Hospital. The rest of the team would hike back to the original drop off point and wait for their turn to be picked up. All of the members of the group had enough hiking experience to hike the three miles in the darkness.
As the chopper made it's way over the fire area, Johnny could see the areas where it was still going strong. He knew from experience that it would take nearly a week of work to put out the fire, if the weather cooperated. He looked over at the stretcher with it's covered burden. He was glad he was a fireman because he would never understand what drove people to commit such violent acts towards another human being. Johnny placed his hand on Starsky's arm, needing the contact to assure him that his friend was still alive.
At the hospital, the doctors took Starsky into a treatment room and told Johnny they would let him know what they found out. Johnny was left standing in the hall, unsure of what to do next. He wasn't used to being treated like a normal visitor. He looked around for the admitting desk and asked about Hutch.
Hutch was being prepped for surgery to repair his shoulder. He'd lost quite a bit of blood and was very dehydrated but was expected to make a full recovery. After a doctor had checked Johnny out and pronounced him fit, the nurse on duty took pity on him and showed him to the doctor's locker room, giving the smoke and trail dust covered paramedic a set of scrubs to change into. Johnny showered quickly, changed, and made his way to the doctor's lounge. He stretched out on the couch to wait for news on his friends. Intending to just closing his eyes briefly, he fell into a deep, exhausted sleep. The nurse came in to ask if he wanted anything to eat and found him sleeping. With a small smile on her face, she retrieved a blanket and gently covered Johnny's sleeping form.
Around six the next morning, the same nurse entered the lounge to find John still sleeping. Shaking her head, she poured a cup of coffee from the pot on the counter and sat it down on the coffee table facing the couch. She sat down next to it and reached out a hand to shake the sleeping man.
"It's time to wake up," she said softly.
Johnny awoke with a start. He looked around, confused, and instinctively reached for his turnout pants and boots, until the events of the previous day came flooding back to him. "Good morning," he managed sleepily as he sat up and swung his legs to the floor, never noticing the blanket that fell off his shoulders.
"How do you feel?" she asked as she handed him the coffee.
"Much better now. What time is it?"
"About a quarter to six. I thought you'd like to know about your friends. Mark said to tell you as soon as we knew anything." Another broad smile crossed her dainty face.
"You know Mark?" Johnny asked as he took another sip of the coffee.
"I should -- he's my brother. My name's Marcie." She held out her hand to the paramedic. "Mark called me late last night to check up on you. Why didn't you tell us at first that you lost consciousness out there? Dr. Grains only found out when the IC called in to check on you."
"It was just the heat. Mark never told me about you." John's head was still fuzzy from exhaustion. He put down the coffee cup and ran his fingers through his shaggy mane of dark hair.
"You never asked." Again that smile. "Beside's which, Mark has enough to worry about with his own family. Now come on. You have to eat and then I'll take you to see your friends."
"How are they?" Johnny asked as he followed her out the door. "Breakfast can wait. I want to see them now."
"No. They're still asleep. You eat first, then I'll take you to them. I will not have you spreading rumors of how we let you starve after you risked your life to safe those two." Marcie's tone was light and teasing. No amount of protesting from John would convince her to change her mind, so John gave in and had a hearty breakfast in the hospital cafeteria where Marcie had left him.
John had just finished eating when Marcie returned. "Ready to see them?"
"You bet. And thanks." Johnny turned on his famous grin. "I really mean it."
"You're welcome, John. Your friends are in Room 345. Take the elevator and turn right at the nurse's station. The nurse in charge up there is Cyndy Stevens. She's expecting you. See you around." With that, Marcie walked off, as John waited for the elevator.
The anxious man had no trouble finding room 345. He knocked lightly and heard a strong voice invite him in. He entered to find both Starsky and Hutch sitting up eating their breakfasts. "Hey guys! How're ya feeling this morning?"
"Johnny! Starsky said you were the one who found me, but I couldn't believe it. How did you track us down?"
For the next hour the three men exchanged news. Johnny related the tale of the rescue and the fire, including Jerry's death. In return, he found out that Hutch's injury wasn't as severe as it had looked, and Starsky had a mild concussion. The prolonged unconsciousness had been due to exhaustion, stress, and dehydration. Both men would be released from the hospital in two or three days.
Finally, it was time for Johnny to say goodbye. Mark came to collect him and take him back home. Both firemen left, promising to call and check up on the detectives before they left the hospital.
After the visitors had left, Hutch turned to his partner. "I don't know why you came home early, but I'm sure glad you did."
"My uncle didn't need me and I had the funniest feeling that you did. Man, don't you ever scare me like that again. I told you camping was hazardous for your health!" Starsky was only partially joking. Starsky felt his breath catch in his throat when he thought back to how he had felt during the long hours that Hutch was missing. How could he tell his best friend about the emptiness in his gut, the fear in his soul that he would never see Hutch alive again, and the feeling of complete helplessness.
Hutch saw the unspoken emotion in Starsky's eyes and once again wondered at his good fortune to have such a man for his friend. He knew that Starsky would walk through hell to save him, and this time Starsky had done just that. He said the only thing he could, "Thanks buddy. You saved my life. I wasn't sure I was gonna make it this time."
Starsky just grinned at him. Words weren't needed. The friendship they shared said everything for them. The "Me and Thee" team was back together again.