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Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Chapter 6

There had been no sleep again that night. Hutch had the number traced down to a phone booth. That knowledge brought many questions and caused his already out of control fears to run wild. Assumptions and unsubstantiated conclusions flooded his exhausted mind. Either someone who knew Starsky was missing was messing with his mind or Starsky was in real trouble. The latter of the two was the one that kept him awake. Looking at the clock, he sighed. No use staying in bed, it would be daylight soon.

Although he was awake, the ringing phone startled him. "Who would call at this hour?"

"'Lo." he barked.

"Hutch?" Huggy's voice was hesitant.

"Oh, sorry, Hug." Hutch apologized. "It's been a long night."

"That's okay, I understand. I thought you'd wanna know this ASAP." Huggy began. "I just got a phone call myself. Got another number for ya."

Hutch tried to control his racing emotions. This could be another rabbit trail. "Do you know who called?"

"No. Just an old lady is all I know." Huggy replied.

"Probably the same one that left the last number." Hutch concluded.

"It was." Huggy confirmed. "Told me she was wondering why you didn't call. Thought you'd be more interested in the information she had for you."

"I did call!" Hutch yelled.

"Relax, Hutch. I told her that." Huggy tried to calm his frantic friend. "I got the number from her and it's different from the one you've been calling."

"God, Huggy. What's going on?" Hutch sighed. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Me too." Huggy agreed. "Seems I shoulda heard somethin' by now. The grape vine is usually pretty hip."

"I think I'll trace this number before I call. Maybe save some time." Hutch reasoned.

"Good idea. Let me know how it goes." Huggy replied.

Hutch wrote down the number then called the station. He was going to get to the bottom of this. Now.

ooooooo

Mama Jade returned to her small house as the sun was breaking. She was immensely satisfied with her efforts. She knew Huggy Bear would have called Hutchinson by now and interrupted his tossing and turning. It was his turn to grieve and lose sleep. She had been grieving for six years. The taste of revenge was more satisfying than she could have dreamed.

Checking on her patient, she found him restlessly sleeping. She reined in her compassion, telling herself she could not let him get to her. Although her uncaring attitude toward him went against her very nature, she had to remember that all of this was for Calvin. When this was over, she would finally be at peace.

Her instincts were hard to overcome as she found herself rinsing out a cool rag to put on his head. He jolted when the cool rag touched his fevered forehead. "Hutch?" he asked, confused by fever and pain.

"You want Hutch?" she asked. "He will be here soon, I promise." she assured, her heart beat racing at the thought of him being here in this very room. She longed to see the horror on his face when someone he loved was taken from him. He would soon know how she felt.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sleepy voice. "Mama Jade?" Moses mumbled.

"What are you doin' up?" she asked tenderly. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't. He did." Moses said, pointing at Starsky. "He was moaning and I didn't know what to do. I'm scared for him."

"Don't be. He's strong." Mama Jade lied. She was worried about the attachment Moses had developed for the detective. She had to figure out a way to pull this off without Moses getting hurt. He was so innocent he would not understand. All he knew was that he liked David Starsky and wanted him to get well. She would definately have to consider Moses when the time came.

"You go back to bed. I'll take care of him. Don't worry." she patted him as he left.

Looking back at Starsky, she knew she would have to act fast. He wouldn't last much longer. His fever was high and his shoulder wound looked infected. As weak as he was, she feared he didn't have over two more days.

Mama Jade's conscious nagged her. She could save him. She could even get him to a hospital. It wasn't too late. But, her hatred and bitterness was stronger than her conscious and the desire for revenge won the battle. She stopped her ministrations and walked out of the room. She must speed up this plan before he died and ruined everything. It was time.

oooooo

Hutch was furious. The number Huggy had given him was to a phone booth on the other side of town, impossible to track down.

"Hutch!" Dobey called from his office. "Huggy, line one."

Reaching for the phone, Hutch hoped this was a good sign. "What you got, Hug?"

"Maybe the break you wanted." Huggy sounded excited. "Got a call from a friend. Said he saw somebody dumpin' some bloody bandages out near the tracks. Maybe somethin', maybe nothin'."

"Does he know who it was?" Hutch asked, hope rushing in for the first time since the nightmare began.

"Yeah, he knows." Huggy answered. "But, and I mean but, he won't say unless he knows this person won't get in trouble."

"I just want Starsky. Tell him no questions asked!" Hutch guaranteed.

"Let me handle this." Huggy suggested. "I don't want to spook this guy."

"Hurry, Hug." Hutch pleaded.

"You know I will, Blondie." Huggy laughed, trying to assure Hutch. "I want this as bad as you do."

"I know you do." Hutch sighed. "Just a little nervous."

"I understand. I'll be in touch." With that, Huggy hung up.

Hutch dropped into his chair. Allowing himself to hope that maybe this was it. Maybe Starsky would be here with him soon. But then, something Huggy said finally registered. Bloody bandages. "God Huggy, please hurry."

Time seemed to crawl while Hutch waited for Huggy to call. Waiting was not one of his strengths, but right now, it was all he could do.

When the phone rang, he was shocked to find it had only been an hour since he talked to Huggy. It seemed like it had been all day. "Talk to me, Huggy." Hutch answered impatiently.

"Meet me at The Pits and don't tell a soul. Got that?" Huggy asked.

"On my way." Hutch slammed the phone down, grabbed his jacket, and was gone. "I'm coming, Buddy. Hold on!"

Arriving at The Pits in record time, Hutch rushed in the back door, nearly knocking Angie, the waitress, down.

"What's your hurry, Gorgeous?" she asked seductively.

"Where's Huggy?" Hutch asked.

"Well excuse me. He's in his office." she responded sharply.

"Sorry, Angie." Hutch softened. "It's been crazy lately." he tried to smile.

"I can help you with all that tension, sweetie." she flirted.

"I'll take a raincheck," he said as he squeezed her hand.

"I'm holdin' you to it!" she said to his back as he rushed toward Huggy's office.

"This could be my lucky day." Angie said out loud as she returned to clearing the bar.

Huggy came out of his office as Hutch was going in, nearly colliding with the flustered man. "Whoa, Hutch. Slow down!"

"Sorry, Huggy. Can't help it." Hutch said, out of breath. "What you got?"

Pulling Hutch aside, out of the flow of traffic to the bathroom, Huggy whispered, "We gotta take this slow and careful or this guy is gonna spook. He sure is nervous about talkin' to you."

"Huggy, if Starsky's hurt, we need to get to him as fast as we can. It's been nearly three days!" Hutch said, trying to control his volume and his panic.

"I told you, let me handle this." Huggy insisted as he squeezed a tense shoulder and waited for a response from Hutch.

"You handle it, but handle it now." Hutch said forcefully. Then softer, "Please."

Shaking his head and smiling, Huggy said, "Let's go, Blondie. I sure pity anybody who gets in our way."

Walking out the door toward Hutch's car, Huggy hoped they weren't too late.