Sorry for the wait. The family is finally gone and my home is slowly returning to normal. Hopefully I can make up for the delay over the next couple of weeks.

Thank you for all the feedback. It helps keep me going.

Chapter 8

DOBEY had been notified that his two detectives had not returned from their assignment yesterday. He knew that one of two things had happened. One: they were in trouble. Two: they dropped off the girl and took off on their weekend. He leaned towards the latter until this morning when he had learned that Hutchinson's girlfriend had called the precinct asking if Hutch had returned. Now he was convinced it was the former.

He had been on the phone with the county sheriffs from the three districts he knew his officers had traveled through. Nothing had been reported in.

"No news is good news" did not apply in this case.

He picked up the receiver and punched the intercom line on his desk phone. "Officer Croft, what have you heard regarding Officers Hutchinson and Starsky?" His brows furrowed in frustration. "Nothing? Nothing! When was the last time you checked in with the county offices?" His chest expanded with a great intake of air. "TWO HOURS! I WANT YOU TO GET OFF YOUR LAZY BUTT AND GET THE UPDATES NOW!" His voice exploded with anger and frustration. The telephone cracked under the pressure he exerted as he returned the receiver to the cradle. It wasn't the first one to receive such treatment, and it wouldn't be the last.

MICHELE grimly led the way up a narrow path neatly hidden by fallen rock and debris. Hutch never would have found it without her help. He reached out and steadied her once again as she slipped on the loose gravel. While he wanted her safely out of commission, with the cuffs she was unable to maintain balance and it was only a matter of time before she fell flat on her face. If she was telling the truth, she could be a great asset in getting out of here, and the cuffs were only a hindrance to that end. However, she was responsible for leading them into this mess, and Hutch suspected she was not telling the whole truth. She was a fine actress if she were lying though. He could see her pain in the way she walked and it was grossly obvious when she sat down. She looked as if she were barely holding herself together emotionally. He doubted she was acting. Although she had not admitted it, he had witnessed other women reacting the same way after they were raped.

Who was this Julie? Michele had told him that Julie was twelve years older than she and that she had not really grown up with her. Her mother divorced Julie's father and had remarried before Michele was born. Julie had shuttled back and forth between her mother and father until she had decided she wanted to live with him all the time. Michele was two. Michele claimed she had only recently gotten to know her sister again. She did not know what Julie had been doing since she moved away. Her mother did not talk about her much.

Hutch knew that while Julie was not the key witness in the drug case going to court in a couple of weeks, she did hold some pretty incriminating evidence. She had been involved in the drugtrade, but had wisely worked out a deal with the DA before the DA had decided to prosecute her as well. If she were helping Rob, it would explain why he and Starsk had been "handpicked" for this assignment.

"We are getting close." Michele whispered. Hutch motioned for her to stop. He listened intently for a few moments and heard nothing. He looked again at the girl in front of him and made a command decision. He reached into his left pants pocket and pulled out the keys to the cuffs.

"Turn around." Michele did as she was told. Hutch removed the handcuffs with practiced ease and returned them to their place in his pocket. Michele unconsciously rubbed her wrists and muttered a soft "thank you".

"When we get up there, I want you to stay quiet and stay out of the way." Michele nodded and looked down. "If you run, I will shoot you. Do not try to warn anybody, or I will shoot you. Are we understood?" Hutch doubted he could actually shoot to kill the girl, but he would wound her and put her out of commission if it became necessary. Michele could see how serious he was and again nodded her understanding. Still rubbing her wrists she asked gently, "Isn't there anything I can do to help?"

"No lady. You have done enough." Hutch responded coldly. She had been instrumental in the capture of his partner, and he'd be damned before he trusted her. He reflected briefly on the condition of his friend and felt fear run through his body. He remembered the pain of addiction and longing like it was yesterday. He was not looking forward to facing down his partner when he himself knew what it was like to crave relief. But the "relief" heroin provided was a farce. The price was too high.

Hutch heard a faint moan from above where he stood. Starsky. He estimated he was maybe fifty or sixty yards above him. If he could hear Starsky then those holding him could hear Hutch. He would have to take extra care in traversing the remaining path in order to maintain the element of surprise.

Hutch held his finger to his lips to indicate that he wanted Michele to remain silent. She held her finger to her lips and nodded her understanding. Hutch indicated with his gun that she should resume their ascension and he noted in relief that she seemed to pick her footing to remain as quiet as possible.

As they neared the summit, Hutch tapped her shoulder and motioned that this was where he wanted her to remain. She sat down slowly on a nearby rock. Hutch thought briefly about applying the cuffs again, but there was nothing nearby that he could cuff her to and he had nothing that would make an effective gag. He hated trusting her, but that was all he had right now. He wanted his cuffs available for Rob anyways. He did not know what he would do with the piece of trash once he had him subdued, but he suspected it would not be pretty. He looked forward to the confrontation.

Silently, he took to the path and made his way to a point where he could see but not be seen. At first he could see nothing in the clearing. The ground was flat, dusty and dry. The sun beat down on the plateau mercilessly. In the exact opposite of the valley below, very little grew here. Slowly scanning from left to right he noticed a blue sneaker behind a group of rocks. It was dusty and did not move. He could not tell if it was on a foot, or had been thrown down there. One thing he did know was that this was his partner's shoe. He was in the right area.

He checked behind him down the path that he had negotiated. Michele continued to sit quietly with her head down between her legs. He could see that she had her hands up on her head with her fingers laced together in her lifeless hair. She looked like she was going to be sick. As long as she remained quiet, he did not care.

He scanned the clearing again. He could make out a small shelter towards the back of the plateau, but he could see no movement from there. He heard a moan again and the blue shoe moved slightly and then more convulsively. His heart skipped a beat as he imagined the condition his partner was in. He wanted to go to him immediately, but he knew precipitous movement might get himself killed, and in turn, his partner. He could not see any other movement than that of his partner. Once again he looked down the path and noted that Michele had not moved. It was now or never.

Silently and with single-minded purpose, Hutch set out towards his friend. He stayed low and constantly scanned for movement around him. He did not see anything, but that was in no way reassuring. Rob and his demented girlfriend were out there, and he did not know where. Until they were firmly under his control, Hutch was vulnerable.

Finally he came to the area where his partner lay. Pity and anger fought for dominance in his demeanor. Anger ruled. Starsky lay on the ground, his face and neck burned from the exposure to the sun. His eyes were closed, but his face was animated. Fear and pain played across his features. His hands were lashed behind him and his feet were bound together with a rope laced between both his ankles and his wrists. Starsky tried to move again and then moaned as he fought against unseen demons. Hutch knelt down beside his friend and placed a reassuring hand on Starsky's left shoulder. Starsky stirred convulsively, trying to get away from the unseen pressure. Hutch risked a word of reassurance and then looked around for any movement. Nothing.

He tried to remove the bindings without success. Starsky struggled again against the ropes and his friend. "Nooo!" he shouted without opening his eyes. "No." he said again, only this time softly, defeatedly. Hutch's heart broke.

"It's ok. You will be ok. I'll get you out of here buddy." Hutch whispered.

"I don't think so Hutchinson." said a voice to his right. He looked up and saw the barrel of a rifle aimed directly at his chest.

It had been a trap.