Francine stared down at the young man sleeping in her bed. She knew it would take a while for the sedative to wear off. A dark-haired beauty with a great figure, Francine had learned early in live how to get her way. She went unerringly after anything she wanted, and in almost every scenario, she got it; except for reuniting with her son, and her resolve to drive Lena's memory from Hans. She did not want to share him with another woman, even a dead one. And now she held the fate of his two children: a Lena lookalike, and the handsomest man she had ever seen, in her hands. It was rare Francine's plans changed and taking Ken Hutchinson as her lover meant keeping his sister alive. She had not counted on her attraction to him.

Francine began to pace, good and evil warring within her. If she were to present Hans with his children by Lena, Hans would probably be so grateful to her, she would be set for life. But both were Lena's children and not hers.

She could go only for revenge, killing the Lena lookalike; take Ken as her lover and not let Hans know that he had two children. Let Hans feel the hurt she often did when he could only think of Lena while she had an affair with a younger, gorgeous man that happened to be Hans and Lena's son. That thought sent a strange thrill through her body.

Hans would know the minute he saw Mickey that she was Lena's daughter. Francine wanted Mickey killed for many reasons, but that was the main one. As for Ken, it became hard the minute she set eyes on him what his eventual fate would be. She could not control her instant attraction to him just as she was unable to control her love for Hans. Francine hated not feeling in control. Love was messy and unpredictable. Well, like Scarlett O'Hara, whom she resembled, she would think about that tomorrow. Today, unlike Scarlett, she would have her Ashley.

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Mickey lay on her mattress, tears and sobs erupting from her body as her brother was taken from her. She wanted Stan to discount her. Once he had left, locking the door, Stan seeing her as no threat in her floral dress and heels. Mickey knew her outfit gave her a more helpless look. She did not move for a few minutes just to make sure Stan had left. Then she wiped her tears and changed from the floral dress to her jeans, shirt and shoes; throwing the hated pink heels at the wall. She would make them pay for taking Kenny and underestimating her. While Kenny was with her, she was afraid he might be killed protecting her. If Kenny had been able to subdue Stan and Frank; they could have escaped. But he was hampered by fear for her safety. She had found a nail file when changing and retrieved it from under the mattress where she had hidden it. Jed had shown her how to jimmy a lock and she began to try. It took several attempts while Mickey's frustration was building until the lock gave. She gave a quick look around the corner and slipped out, determined to get away and find Ken before Francine . . . she couldn't bear to finish the thought and dashed around the corner. She had been unconscious when brought in and had no idea where she was or what the building was like. She would need to orient quickly.

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Stan popped the tab on his second beer as he relaxed on a couch in the makeshift breakroom. He contemplated ordering a pizza or two. Frank would probably forget to bring him back one, he would be ogling Francine's new lover. Stan snickered at the look on Frank's face when Francine announced her plans to take Ken for her new lover. Frank would never be able to touch him now; no one messed with Francine.

Stan had been puzzled when Francine claimed that Mickey was not beautiful. He thought, especially dressed in the pretty floral dress and pink heels, she was pretty. He was frustrated with Francine's new orders not to touch her. He knew Francine wanted her dead.

He decided to order pizzas, his own preference with every kind of meat and pineapple. The pizza shop was close, and he could drive there in five minutes. The Hutchinson girl could not escape her room and was probably still crying her eyes out. He walked out and got into his new white Ford, smacking his lips as he anticipated the pizzas.

Starsky's frustration and desperation grew with each minute that passed. He was driving east down 16th Street. Big Ben had helped him check out a couple of buildings, but they were clearly closed. Come on, Blondie, give me a sign, give me a sign. His stomach rumbled and he grumbled, "I could sure use about five pizzas."

Red's face lit up. "Pizza. Stan loves pizza and I know his favorite place. Turn left here for a mile and stop at Paul's Pizzeria."

Grumbling about another dead end, Starsky nonetheless obeyed. Fear made him hungry and he could use some pizza. He could hear Hutch mocking him saying, "Everything makes you hungry. Sleeping makes you hungry. Even eating makes you hungry."

Starsky would always come back with, "Yeah, not everyone fasts for two days like you, nature boy. You're the weird one."

"Starsky?" Big Ben broke in. "Let's check in out."

"I'll do it," Red offered. "Paul knows me. He wouldn't be suspicious if I went in."

"I'll go with you," Big Ben announced. "I have spent a lot of time ordering pizza here as well."

Before anyone could get out of the car, a man came out of the front door, whistling and carrying two pizza boxes.

"That's Stan," Red whispered.

Stan quickly started the car and headed north.

"Follow him!" Big Ben suggested.

Starsky pealed out, but after sighting the white Ford two cars ahead kept a safe distance, not wanting Stan to think he was being followed.

He needn't have worried, Stan was busy eating a slice and trying to drive. Five minutes later, he reached the front door of the building.

"Let me go in first," Red suggested. "He won't be suspicious seeing me."

Big Ben and Starsky frowned at each other.

"All right, but we'll be right behind you and I won't hesitate to kill you if you deceive us."

Nodding, Red opened the front door.

"Red!" Stan greeted; mouth full of pizza. "Why are you here?"

"Francine said something about a party?" Red stated tentatively.

"Some party," Stan snorted, pizza dribbling on his shirt. "Taking pictures and recording the brother and sister act."

"Where are they?"

Stan stopped eating for a moment and frowned at Red. "Francine change her mind and send you to kill the girl to test your loyalty?"

"She wants me to check on her and watch her squirm since I turned on her when she was trying to arrest Francine."

"Can I see her now?" Red tried to make the request casual.

Stan, having eaten half a pizza while talking, got up reluctantly. "Okay, you have to watch your step, this place has a lot of booby-traps. Francine was going to let them escape and see how well they handled the traps. That would be entertaining."

Starsky and Big Ben quietly walked behind Stan. "Then you'll be very, very careful leading the way," Starsky said, pointing his gun.

TBC