Thank you for your comments and messages. Again, the dialogue is straight from the episode and I've just tried to fill in the spots by including their thoughts. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter eight

Starsky

Oh God, how it hurt when I opened my eyes again. How many more times could I expect to wake up after the goons finish with me. I blinked back tears of pain. I almost wished they'd just get it over with. I don't think I had any part of my body that wasn't hurting and my forehead where it had been scorched was excruciating. I was bound securely again, not that I needed to be. I wouldn't get too far, my one chance for escape was over. I looked up as Gail pressed a glass to my lips. I blinked blearily at her, doubting whether I could drink it.

"Please, try and speak to me..can you hear me?" Her soft voice showed concern and I tried to respond.

I nodded weakly as I tried to speak, "Water…can't swallow…" She kept the glass gently on my lips, encouraging me to try. I managed to swallow some and lay back against the wall.

"Better?" She asked me softly. I sensed her concern but she was obviously too far under the influence of Marcus to be of help.

"Yeah, sure, terrific, let's send out for pizza…" I had barely finished the sentence when the first pains hit. Oh God, what now. I twisted violently, trying to curl up against the agony as the knife-like pain shot through my body. I started dry heaving but I had nothing in my stomach to throw up. Help me, please help me, thoughts or words, I wasn't sure as the pain ripped through me. Screaming, someone was screaming. Was it me again? Then it started to ease and I found myself limp and gasping for breath. God only knew what would have happened to me had I drunk all of the water. I heard Gail speak as I tried to catch my breath again.

"What's wrong with you? What's wrong with him?" Her tearful voice showed her dismay. I was breathing heavily, gasping still as I tried to answer.

"I… I…. don't know…. water…." Even though the red hot agony had eased I was still writhing, praying for release and I could feel the sweat pouring off me.

"Please tell me what's wrong…" Gail's voice floated through but I couldn't speak anymore. "You put something in his water and didn't tell me!" Her voice ended up as a wail. "Why does it always have to be so cruel?" I winced for her as one of the freaks slapped her hard. She landed in my lap, sobbing softly.

"Simon dreamed you would stay with us. Now you dream how it was when we first took you. Dream that all over again." She whimpered at the words but I couldn't comfort her. I was sweating profusely and trying to recover from the sudden and vicious onslaught of pain.

"No…no…no dreaming… no…" her whispered words. "Si-mon…Si-mon…Si-mon…" I winced as I felt strong hands lifting my head and I stared into the evil cold eyes of one of the freaks.

"You'll be better by sun-up, pig…and when you do, you die.." I closed my eyes against the word that seemed to reverberate around me, "die".

Hutch, where are you, babe? You're gonna be too late.

Hutch

I was so tired as I sat with Dobey in his office. My entire body ached from weariness and my heart was aching. These freaks were dangerous lunatics and violent and bloody and I knew they'd be lashing out at my partner. I bit down on my lip as I contemplated some of the bodies in their wake. Mutilated…bloody…destroyed. I knew Starsky wouldn't go down easily but the thought didn't bring me comfort. It would just mean he'd have to endure more pain. But they wouldn't go down easily either, they would all pay if Starsky was killed. I've never been a believer in vengeance but nothing the law would do to them would be enough if they butchered Starsky. My partner, my best friend. How I loved him. Did he know that? Did he realize how much he meant to me, or would he die alone and frightened, not understanding what his friendship had meant to me? I teased him so much, gave him a hard time, played tricks on him. Did he understand that he was my strength? That I was nothing without him? That I'd give my right arm to swap places with him, to spare him any more pain? That I was doing my best to find him? Had he given up on me? Or was he holding on to the hope I'd find him. I pulled myself together as I realized I hadn't heard a word Dobey said to me. He looked at me sympathetically as I sat back to study the clues. It was all we had.

"It's all a game... Simon loves games. Begin at the end meant start where he was finished. Whatever he says he dreams is him telling us his plans, so the words are clues... We just don't know the key." I rubbed my forehead slowly, trying to force myself to concentrate.

My thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Huggy. "Man, how time flies when you're hoping go get lucky! Seems like five minutes ago I started hitting my contacts in the street and it's morning already."

"What'd you come up with, Hug?" I knew if anyone could find out anything, it would be Huggy. He loved Starsky too, although he'd never admit it.

"Nada, zippo, zero, naught, goose-eggs, nix!" Not exactly words I wanted to hear, but I wasn't surprised.

"Just say "nothing", turkey! We'll get your message!" I was surprised by the note of annoyance in Dobey's voice. I knew that Dobey had some problems with Huggy at times but he usually managed to hide his feelings. I suppose the tension was getting to us all.

But Huggy was never daunted. "Some of us favor colorful speech."

"That's it!" I was suddenly hit with inspiration. "Synonyms! The bastard talks in synonyms." I pressed the recorder play button which had the tape of my last conversation with Marcus. I was sure I was onto something and I went on to explain to the puzzled Huggy. "Words that mean the same thing as other words! You were just giving us synonyms for the word "nothing".

"... and only the faithful keep the flame... the faithful and heavenly Polaris." Marcus' evil voice flooded the room. "You think you got me to say it, don't you?... You didn't! I wanted to tell you that, pig! My dream is your fantasy. That's my message..."

"My "dream" is your "fantasy"! Fantasy is a synonym for dream. That's got to be the key so let's start with synonyms for these words..." I was excited, even though I knew we had a long way to go. We went through the words, slowly growing frustrated but I was convinced we were onto something.

"My dream... I dreamed of a temple of the First Kingdom. A temple forever barred for man's sake where only the faithful keep the flame... the faithful and heavenly Polaris..."

"Polaris is the north star. Heavenly star... Heaven... sky... sky star..." It suddenly clicked and Dobey and I exchanged glances.

"Starsky!! You did break Simon's code but what's the rest of his message?" Dobey was growing excited.

"The zoo!" I looked up at Huggy's voice.

"What are doin' out of one?" Dobey's annoyance was evident.

"Wait, Captain... Huggy, what about the zoo?" I wasn't prepared to overlook anything at this point.

"That's what I been trying to recollect. The place where them drug dealers used to cook up their junk. They had their lab stashed out at the old Civic Zoo!" Huggy was triumphant.

"The zoo!... that's it! A temple of the first kingdom. The kingdoms are animal, vegetable and mineral. Barred forever for man's sake... cages to keep the animals from attacking people! They've got Starsky at the old zoo!" I was almost dizzy with relief but I flashed a quick grin at Huggy as Dobey and I ran out of the office.