Chapter Two

Hutch

I was stunned and sickened by the evidence of Starsky's abduction. The thought of my partner in the hands of those sick nuts was horrifying in the extreme. But I had to focus, I couldn't allow myself to panic, not yet. Starsky's life depended on me keeping my calm and finding him. It was very difficult but I had to keep control.

I heard Dobey shouting in the background, "I don't care how many units you have to pull off patrol! One of my men's been kidnapped! I want everything inside a ten-block radius shut down tight and an APB on Starsky out pronto!"

I closed my eyes momentarily but quickly pulled myself together as Dobey and I made our way out of the courthouse. There was no sign of the freaks--they'd disappeared as completely as my partner had.

A jerk of a reporter tried to stop us and he was lucky I didn't break his neck.

"Captain, what's going on? What's more to the point--what's happened to Simon Marcus' followers?"

Dobey probably sensed my rage for he pushed me gently but firmly forward.

"No comment at this time!"

I was already at boiling point with frustration, rage and fear. I couldn't understand how Starsky could disappear so completely. So much for the security in the court. The amount of blood was sickening to me but I tried not to think about it. Focus, Hutchinson, focus.

"Nothing from the basement to the roof! How about you?" I had to ask, even though I knew Dobey would tell me if he heard anything.

He didn't seem to mind and answered me calmly enough. "Clean. But I told them to search the place all over again."

I was suddenly angry, angry with the poor security, angry with Marcus and his goons and even angry with Starsky. How could he let himself be grabbed? How badly had he been hurt? My anger against Starsky disappeared as suddenly as it came. The blood was a vivid reminder that Starsky might not have had a chance to fight. I had to put my thoughts into words.

"Starsky's too good a cop to let those creeps snatch him without a hell of a fight! Somebody might've heard something."

I regretted saying it, when I heard Dobey's response.

"Maybe he never had a chance to make noise. I got the lab boys going over the mens room. They'll find something to go on in all the blood..."

I bit back sudden tears. If all the blood had been Starsky's…

"If it's Starsky's, it won't matter…" I suddenly had to swallow hard, "Nobody could lose that much blood and live. At least not for long." I closed my eyes in despair. My grim thoughts were interrupted by the Bailiff calling me.

"Detective Hutchinson! A call came in for you in Judge Yager's chambers. You can take it here."

I grabbed the phone the Bailiff was pointing to. I nodded to Dobey to indicate he should put a trace on the call and I heard his whispered orders.

I took a deep breath and spoke as strongly as I could. "Put Starsky on, scum! I want to know he's all right!"

"He can't talk right now, pig, and it's up to you whether or not he ever talks again." I went cold at the threat, although it shouldn't have come as a surprise.

I gathered my strength again. No point letting these freaks know how terrified they had me feeling. "You know we're not going to spring Marcus so save the threats! If anything happens to Starsky there won't be a hole deep enough for you to crawl into. I'll find you, I'll find your friends and you'll pay hard!" I meant every word, if they killed Starsky I would go after each and every one of them.

"No more talk! Just think on this-- if you sentence Simon Marcus, you sentence Starsky. To death!"

I lowered the phone as I heard the click indicating the call was over.

Dobey was asking me a question and I had to refocus to hear. "No time to trace it. What'd they want?"

I smiled sadly. "The moon."

It was time to face the Judge and find out what, if anything, he could do to help. The news wasn't cheering.

"Gentlemen, it's a cliche, but justice delayed is justice denied. Simon Marcus has exhausted every stall tactic and appeal to avoid his day of reckoning but his string has run out. I can't allow an act of terrorism to save him from the orderly due process of law, no matter what the consequences!"

I was beyond speech at that moment, but Dobey took over for me. I was seeing pictures of Starsky, dead and mutilated. That seemed a lot more important to me at the moment than the lofty ideals of justice. But Dobey was arguing our case.

"Neither can we, Your Honor. We're not asking you to back off."

The Judge softened slightly as he realized we weren't trying to influence him.

"Then what is it you want? This case has drawn national attention. I will not take any action which might be construed a sign of judicial "softness"."

I then spoke up, finding the strength to speak up for my partner. "You don't have to take any action. Just give us time. As much as you can to find Starsky."

The Judge considered for a couple of minutes before responding. "You have until ten a.m. tomorrow morning! I'll pass sentence then regardless of the outcome of your search, but I hope you're successful. I pray you are!"

I watched the Judge walk off, yes I prayed we'd be successful too. Everything depended on it. My best friend depended on it.

Dobey pulled himself together first. "It's almost eleven. That leaves us less than twenty-four hours. I'll get a task force set up at division. Where do you want to start?"

I knew there was only one place to start. "At the bottom of the barrel--with Simon Marcus, himself."

Starsky

I opened my eyes to find my head was pounding. At first I was disoriented, unsure of what had happened. When I realized I was in the back of a van, arms and legs bound securely, I remembered the attack, and I felt sick. I'd been abducted by Marcus' goons. Oh, Hutch, I hope you're onto this, babe. I had no idea how long I'd been unconscious for, or how long we'd been driving. My head was throbbing and I couldn't exactly say I was functioning on all cylinders. A blindfold had been tied tightly around my eyes and I couldn't see a thing. My entire body was aching and I realized they must have beaten me up, even while I was out of it. The last thing I remembered was being grabbed in the john.

When the van stopped, I felt myself being hauled up which caused my sore body to protest even further. I started to feel dizzy with pain and nausea, but I wasn't dragged too far. The rough hands suddenly dropped me and I landed on a cold floor, amidst the sinister chanting of "Si-mon, Si-mon." I groaned as I fell, vaguely wondering what was going to happen now. Whatever it was, I didn't intend to go quietly. I winced as I felt cold water being thrown over me, but it did have the effect of clearing my mind and reviving me just a little. I tried to roll over, to get on my knees. I wanted to get away from the insidious chanting. I could feel the evil presence and hear the footsteps as they circled me, coming in closer each time. But my wrists and ankles were bound, I couldn't escape, and I also couldn't see them. The chanting was relentless and I fought back in the only way I had.

"You're wasting your time...! You freaks hear me? Grabbing me ain't going to get you a fixed parking ticket!" I was going to go down fighting and anything to stop that chanting. But the chanting continued on, not missing a beat as I yelled at them in both fear and anger.

"And you can forget the mumbo-jumbo! I'm not one of your usual victims. What's the matter --you run out of children to molest, so you had to pick on a cop? Well, you can save the floor show! I'm not going to beg for mercy! Before you snuff me, I'm going to make it cost you something!" I launched myself towards the chanting, but they easily avoided me and the chanting didn't even slow down. I was getting desperate, and afraid, but I wasn't going to show them the fear which was building in me.

"I know you're out there! I can smell you! What's the matter? Afraid?" I gasped in pain at the sudden kick but strangely I thought of it as a victory. I was getting to them. Hutch always told me my mouth would land me in big trouble one day but I never listened to him.

"Untie me, you cruds! Just untie one hand!" I gasped again as I felt more kicks and blows falling on me, and I was unable to protect myself. Oh, Hutch, help me please, but then I lost coherent thought as my world became full of pain and unseen terror and the flurry of blows and monotonous chanting continued.