Chapter 13

"The virus that has infected Detective David Starsky was developed by the military. A vial was stolen by a civilian employee going by the name of Miranda Edwards, but her real name is Susan Collins. Anyone who has any information about this woman's whereabouts is urged to call the Bay City Police Department immediately. You do not have to give your name.

It is imperative that we find and arrest this woman. She has already killed four men and Detective Starsky may very well be her fifth victim." Hutch paused to let the reporters absorb the information he had just given them. Taking a deep breath he continued, "I would like to stress that the public is in no danger from this virus. Specific victims were targeted. Again, if anyone has any information that might help us find the woman responsible, please call. Thank you."

Hutch ignored the questions that the reporters starting shouting at him as he left the podium. Starsky was dying. The doctors said he couldn't hold out much longer. Hutch needed to be with his partner. He refused to let him die alone. After he found the woman responsible for his partner's murder, he would join his partner in death. His own fate had been decided the minute some lunatic infected Starsky with the deadly virus that was killing him.

Rachel, Huggy Bear, Captain Dobey and his wife, Edith, were all gathered in Starsky's room. The brunet on the bed was unaware of their presence. There was a deathly pallor to Starsky's normally olive complexion and his breathing was shallow and weak. Rachel and Edith were both offering silent prayers for Starsky and the other two men had tears in their eyes. Starsky had touched all of their lives but none as profoundly as he had Hutch. They were all losing a friend, a man that had become as close to them as a brother or a son, but Hutch was losing part of his very soul.

"How'd it go?" Dobey asked, his normally gruff voice quiet and subdued.

"About as well as can be expected." Hutch said shortly. "At least the truth is out there now and the military can't go on burying their head in the sand and ignoring their involvement in this whole thing."

"That took a lot of guts, man." Huggy said in an admiring voice. "I'd be watching your back if I were you."

"That's why Hutch did it." Dobey said "By making the information public, including the search for the woman and the military's involvement, they can't touch Hutch now. It would be professional suicide."

"What about that Colonel that helped you?" Huggy said. "Didn't he screw himself by helping you?"

"The Colonel will be just fine." Hutch said with a thin smile. "He's got his own connections that will help keep him safe from retaliation."

"Too bad none of this is going to help Curly." Huggy said sadly.

"David would be proud of all of you." Rachel said, her eyes shining with love as she gazed at her eldest son's face. "And I'm sure that you will find the woman who did this to him. My son's death will not be vain and it will be avenged."

"The woman…" Hutch said slowly, a strange look crossing his face as he tried to organize his thoughts. "A woman had to get close enough to Starsky to infect him somehow…"

"What have you got, Hutch?" Dobey asked , instantly recognizing the thought process that told him that Hutch was on to something. It had always amazed him how Starsky and Hutch could take the most minute detail and use it to solve a crime.

"The only woman who's gotten close enough to Starsky to do that lately…has been his new girlfriend…"

"Gretchen…" Huggy Bear and Rachel both said simultaneously

"Cap'n, I need an APB put out immediately on Gretchen Walker, 20036 Belaire Drive, Apartment 16." Hutch said over his shoulder, as he turned to bolt from the room. "I'm going to her apartment and to see if she's still there. Have back up meet me there!" Dobey immediately jumped to his feet and ran after Hutch to find a phone.

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"She's not there." A woman in an adjoining apartment told Hutch as he pounded frantically on Gretchen's apartment door.

"Do you know where she is?"

"She cleared out this morning. Said she was leaving town. Good riddance too if you ask me." The woman snorted, making it apparent that she didn't care for Gretchen much.

"Thank you," Hutch yelled over his shoulder as he ran back down the steps to the ground floor where a black and white unit was waiting. Pausing beside the cruiser, he said breathless, "Get all available units to the airport. She's trying to leave town. Tell them her description is on the APB!" Hutch said. He didn't wait for confirmation as he climbed into the Torino and sped away, heading for the airport with both the lights and siren blaring. His gut instincts told him that he was on the right track. Gretchen Walker was the mysterious Susan Collins, the woman responsible for four deaths and Starsky's condition.

There were four other cruisers already parked in front of the main entrance to the airport when Hutch arrived fifteen minutes later. Whenever they were after a suspect who was responsible for trying to kill, or actually killing, a cop, the whole force united in their efforts to bring them to justice.

As Hutch made his way through the crowded terminal, he was automatically drawn to loud voices at the far end of one of the check in areas. As he pushed his way through the crowd, he was pleased to see that four uniformed officers had the woman in question detained.

A thin, bitter smile tugged at Gretchen's lips as she watched Hutch's approach. Her eyes spitting fire and hatred at the big blond, she spat out, "So you figured it out. You're still too late. You can't save David!"

"You bitch!" Hutch snarled, taking a step towards her only to be restrained by another uniformed officer.

"Cool it, Hutch…she ain't worth it." The cop whispered in Hutch's ear. Hutch stopped but his body remained tensed and rigid as he stared daggers at the woman who had killed his best friend.

"That's why I saved David for last you know!" Gretchen said, rubbing salt further into the blond's bleeding heart. "I did my research. I knew he was a cop and I knew how good the two of you were supposed to be at your job. He was the only one I was worried about figuring it out. Guess I should have worried a little more about you since you're the one who put it all together."

"You got that right, lady!" Hutch hissed, his hands clenching and unclenching into fists at his side. It took every bit of self control that he had to keep from wrapping his hands around her throat. "Get her the fuck out of here!"

As the other officers led her away, Hutch swayed unsteadily and would have fallen if the officer by his side hadn't grabbed his arm. "Come on, Hutch." He said gently "Let's get you back to Starsky where you belong. You got the bitch. She ain't going no place except prison."

Hutch nodded absently and allowed the other officer to walk him back outside to where he had left the Torino. Assuring him that he was capable of driving, Hutch climbed back into the car and raced back to the hospital, praying frantically that Starsky hadn't died in his absence. He had to be there at the end, he couldn't let Starsky die without him being there.

The room was hushed when Hutch slipped into the room. Rachel was crying and Edith Dobey was dabbing at her eyes. Huggy was sitting beside Starsky holding his hand while Dobey was comforting the two women. Hutch's face turned pale, terrified that he was too late.

"He's still with us." Huggy said with a quick glance at Hutch's face as he released Starsky's hand and rose gracefully to his feet to relinquish his seat to Hutch. "But the doctor said it's just a matter of time. I think he's been waiting for you."Hutch immediately took Huggy's place beside Starsky and grabbed his hand, pressing it up against his cheek.

"I'm here, pal…I'm here." He choked out. Hutch could see that Starsky was barely breathing, his breathes shallow and spaced apart with long pauses in between. "It's okay to leave now if you have too…just walk slow okay…give me time to catch up with you…" The tears began to fall freely down the big blond's face as he waited for the inevitable, for Starsky to take his final breath.