Thank you for your kind comments. I'd just like to clarify that I have used dialogue from the actual episode so I can't take credit for that

However, the thoughts are obviously my own, and where I start veering away from the episode then the dialogue becomes mine. I quite intentionally stuck with the ep as I think it is a great show and didn't need much embellishment. An expanded version, showing the two sides is what I tried for. I have not done this before but I enjoyed writing like this with the Bloodbath ep.

Chapter Five

Hutch

Both Dobey and I were feeling the tension by now and becoming easily irritated with each other. I'd brought in the box with Starsky's ID to the lab for fingerprint testing but nothing had been found. As well as evil, the goons were devious. I was fast developing a migraine headache, not to mention fighting back a major panic attack.

"Cute! They drop Starsky's I.D. right on your front seat and you don't see one damn thing!" Dobey probably didn't mean to snap but I reacted by snapping back. We were both reaching the end of our ropes.

"How the hell do you think I feel about that? He's my partner!"

Dobey snapped right back. "And he's my detective and he's now got less than nineteen hours and we're in the pitch dark middle of no place!"

Right, Captain, thanks for pointing that out to me. I sighed angrily but took Starsky's ID as Dobey handed it to me. It was an obvious peace offering.

"Want to hang on to this?"

I looked at the badge and placed it in my pocket. "Sure. I'll keep it until Starsk gets back." I refused to contemplate he wouldn't come back.

Dobey agreed. "Yeah, until then."

I grabbed the phone when it rang.

"Yeah!" I relaxed marginally when I realized who it was and I whispered to Dobey, "It's the lab."

"Talk to me." I was very anxious to hear what they had to say.

"The blood?" Dobey was as anxious as I was but I relaxed in the next moment.

"Good going, thanks very much." I replaced the phone and turned to Dobey. "The blood isn't Starsky's." I closed my eyes in relief. I knew if he'd sustained that large amount of blood loss then he would be in a very bad way by now. He still could be but somehow I remained relieved knowing the blood was not his.

"Thank God!" Dobey whispered.

I pulled myself together again. "It's from a large animal, probably a bull." Something was ringing in my mind but I couldn't quite place it.

"A bull…those damn creeps butchered it and drained its blood." Dobey was enraged.

"Captain!" It suddenly came back to me. "Simon camped his cult out on a ranch. The owner let them stay so he could get next to some of Marcus' crazy ladies but he finally asked Highway Patrol to kick them off his land because of what they were doing to his cattle."

"Ritual slaughter and mutilation of his breeding stock. That's right, I remember." Dobey opened the file drawer even as he spoke.

"It was out on route five. Starsky and I tried to get a statement from the rancher before Marcus' trial but he wouldn't see us..." I was anxiously reading through the files, trying to find the details. "'R.J. Crow, Jr... Pinyon Pine Ranch...' The round trip takes over an hour!" I started to leave even as I replaced the file.

Dobey's voice halted me temporarily. "There must be fifty ranches closer to this town! What if Simon's vampires took blood from one of them?"

I looked at him in despair. What choice did I have? "You tell me! Right now it's all we have!" I turned and ran out, the clock was ticking fast.

Starsky

I opened my eyes slowly, wondering at first why I was hurting so much. It didn't take long for the memories to come back and I realized I must have lost consciousness at some point after my screaming match. My throat felt quite raw but it was nothing compared to the ache which seeped right through me. Silence, it was silent…I never would have thought silence would be so welcoming but after the relentless assault of the voices chanting I was soothed by the quiet. I was lying on my back, the pressure on my bound arms almost unbearable now that consciousness had returned and I forced myself to lie on my side. Although I knew it was useless, I started to wriggle my wrists in an attempt to break loose. So deeply was I concentrating that I didn't hear the footsteps and when hands touched my shoulder I nearly jumped out of my skin. The hands were gentle this time and I found myself praying I had been rescued.

"Huutch?" I asked hoarsely. No it wasn't Hutch, I could see I wasn't rescued as I was turned onto my back again, this time gently. It was a strange looking girl with a vacant expression on her face. She looked gentle and frail but I knew better than to be fooled by appearances.

"I didn't think you would wake up, but you did. I'm Gail."

I swallowed hard, what next?

"Yeah... Gail... Forgive me for not rising. It's tough to be a gentleman when you're trussed up like this but I'm sure you'll understand." I made light of it, anything to hide my terror and I tried to speak normally but my throat was very sore and hoarse. I looked around my cell again, noting a wooden tub and table.

"Very nice... I always wanted to be held prisoner in a good neighborhood... I don't suppose you're going to tell me where I am..." She was staring at me blankly and I was again fighting panic, especially when I saw the large knife in her hand. I fought back my fear with an effort. I'd done with giving into my fear.

"I won't go easy, honey. You better be good with that..." I swallowed my panic as I tried to wriggle away. It was no use though, my body was far too stiff and sore. She grabbed my shirt and pulled me easily back. So much for being gentle, she had a great deal of strength.

'I won't cut you. Simon didn't dream that." Terrific, I was part of Simon's dreams. I just wish I could wake up from what was an increasing nightmare. I looked in horror as she started to cut off my shirt and ripped it off me so that my chest was bare. I could see the bruises and blood but it was nothing to the terror that was building up in me. Oh God, what now… I didn't dare wonder what they had in mind next, but I wouldn't reveal what I was feeling. Even though she was gentle, I was painfully aware that this could change with a blink of an eye. So much for a tough street cop, I was shaking with fear.

"Hey!... What're you doing?" I often sounded most arrogant when I was scared and I was terrified as the knife slid down to my jeans. Forcing myself to remain as still as possible, I still winced as I felt the fabric being cut away. I was then naked, and even more vulnerable, but still I tried to act tough, tried not to let my imagination go wild.

"Why're you doing it, Gail?" Talk to her, try to reason with her. My police training was coming back, slowly. Stay calm, keep her calm.

She paused before she answered, almost as if she wasn't sure.

"I'm going to give you a bath."

I shuddered but kept up my tough and careless act. A bath would be better than what I was starting to imagine. "Actually I really like a shower better. They got these great showers down at the Police Academy gym."

I looked in horror as her eyes glazed over and she started to haul me up. Indeed she was strong for I wasn't cooperating in anyway. Even if I'd wanted to, my body was sore and cramped. My mind screamed out in protest as she started to chant "Si-mon, Si-mon" as I was dragged towards the tub.