Disclaimer: I do not own the guys; I just tend to play with them a bit…
Dedication: To many of my friend's that inspire and sometimes push me to write…THANK YOU ALL!
Warnings: This one may be a bit dark at times and some scenes of torture lie ahead…The views of this story are in no way reflected by the author!
A/N: This one is drawing to a close, just a few more chapters, I want to thank ALL of you that have been reading and reviewing through out. Feedback is important to a writer. Special thanks go out to my partner in writing, Brook, with out her, I may not even be writing right now, so thank you!
No Turning Back
Chapter Twenty-Four
Hutch was already climbing out of his bed as he looked over at Starsky who was doing the same.
"Just where in the heck do you think you're going?" Hutch asked the brunet.
"Same place you're goin', after the kid." Starsky answered, sitting up and then closing his eyes quickly as the room started to spin.
"You're not going no where, you're in no condition." Hutch protested as Starsky looked up at him through his brow, a crooked smile washing over his face.
"And your fit as a fiddle right?" Starsky asked as Hutch winced in pain as he walked to the closet to retrieve his clothing that the nursing staff had placed there. "We go together Hutch, Me and Thee 'member?"
Their argument was cut off by the shrill ringing of the phone as Starsky reached for it, picking it up before it had a chance to ring a second time, speaking directly into the mouth piece.
"Starsky." he answered as his gaze looked up at Hutch, who was already looking at him.
"Billy? Where are you son? Are you okay?" Starsky started firing off the questions while Hutch made his way across the room, standing next to the brunet as Starsky tilted the receiver out for both of them to share.
'I'm…m sorry, I didn't mean to get caught…we didn't see them…" Billy's shaking voice broke both of the men's heart to skip a beat. 'Please don't be mad at me…"
"It's okay Billy, we're not mad, neither of us are…are you okay?" Starsky asked.
'M'fine…but…but m' scared…they said they're gonna hurt me or my Pop unless you two come…alone."
Starsky raised his dark lashes, his eyes connecting with Hutch's, "Where are you kid?"
"I don't know…"
Both detectives heard a commotion and a few gasps from the young man before another voice spoke into the phone.
"Listen here, an' listen good Jew boy!" The deep ominous voice growled. "I'm gonna give you and your partner one more chance to save this fucking kid's life! You hear me?"
"We're listenin'" Starsky struggled to control his emotions as he listened to their demands.
"We want both of you…alone…to meet us in San Diego, at the California/Mexico boarder. Right at the last exit before the check point there is a rest area, pull in there and wait, we will contact you."
"That's over a 2 hour drive from here," Starsky tried to keep the man talking, trying to talk him out of waiting for the exchange, "Why don't we just make the trade now, me for the kid." Starsky offered, earning him a stern glare from his partner in protest.
"No! This is not a negotiation…you hear me? Now you and that fucking Jew lovin' blond partner of yours had better head downstairs, there is a cab waiting for you…his fare has already been paid and he's been instructed to drive you to San Diego, but that is all he knows. There will be other vehicles watching you two, an' if they even suspect a tail, we throw the kid outta the car right onto the freeway! You got that asshole?"
"Yeah, I hear ya'" Starsky sighed heavily, his heart beginning to race as his mind was flooded with memories of the past few days and the pain and torture he was forced to endure.
Hutch noticed as his friend's hand stated to shake, taking the phone from Starsky's grasp, he spoke slowly and clearly into the mouth piece.
"We'll be there, but let me tell you something…you and your friends had better not touch a hair on that kid's head, or you all will be answering to me! You got that?" Hutch attempted to sound threatening as he received a roar of laughter from the other end of the line and then it went dead.
Both Starsky and Hutch looked at one another, the look of fear and worry evident on both of their faces. Hutch held his blood stained clothes in his hands as Starsky looked at them and then at his attire.
"What about me, where're my clothes?" Starsky asked as he swallowed hard, trying to control the pain and the medications that were surging through his veins.
"I don't know that they saved them Buddy." Hutch answered as he looked over at Dobey who was standing there in amazement.
The large man didn't have a chance to speak one word before both detectives laid into him.
"Cap, m'gonna need some clothes." Starsky spewed as Hutch interjected.
"We need to get outta here right now Cap…think you can help us out?" Hutch asked as the look of confusion washed over the black man's face.
"Just what in the Sam hell is going on here?" Dobey asked in a state of shock with all the commotion that was occurring in the room that he expected to be quiet and peaceful.
"Cap, they got Billy…they wanna make a trade…the kid for us." Hutch explained as he set the clothes on his bed, grabbing his jeans. Leaning against the bed, he bent over and pulled on one leg at a time, using his right arm, wincing every time he moved the wrong way.
"Excuse me…" Starsky butted in as both men looked at him, his hands waving the entire length of his body, "Can I get some help here…? I need some clothes."
"I can't let you two go out on your own." Dobey protested.
"Yeah, well it doesn't look like you got much of a choice Cap, unless of course, you want a dead kid on your hands." Hutch protested as he sucked air in through his teeth, fighting through the pain as he removed his hospital gown.
"Clothes please!" Starsky pled, sitting against his own bed, still feeling too woozy to move about comfortably.
Dobey looked at the brunet, sighing heavily as he made his way to the door, opening it and rushing out. Hutch looked back at Starsky as he fought to put back on his blood stained shirt.
"You feelin' up to this partner?" Hutch asked, watching Starsky's head roll slightly.
"Do I look like I'm feeling up to this?" he mumbled, staring down at his lap, "we ain't got much of a choice, just like you told Dobey…" The brunet raised his head to lock reassuring eyes with his best friend, "They'll kill him if we both don't come…he saved our asses Hutch, we owe him."
"That we do." Hutch agreed as he pulled his jacket over his arms. "But m'worried about you, you went through a lot of shit there Starsk, and I need to know if you'll be able to put it behind you for now."
"Well I'll tell you what…when I figure that out, you'll be the first to know." Starsky stated solemnly.
It wasn't long before Dobey returned, carrying some clothing folded over his arm, he approached the brunet's bed, setting the white t-shirt and denims next to him.
"Got these from the lost and found, unclaimed items, they launder them here in site and then donate them to the Salvation Army. I convinced them that you are a worthy cause." Dobey explained to the two. "I would be remiss in my duties if I did not advise the two of you against this action you are about to take, but I also know that my advice would be ignored, so for whatever its worth, I object."
"Dually noted Cap." Starsky sighed as he himself, struggled to get dressed in the borrowed clothes.
Starsky looked up at Hutch who was still trying to rearrange his clothing and his harnessed arm to a somewhat comfortable position, "You ready Blintz?" the brunet asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Hutch answered, looking up at Dobey who had retrieved two weapons from under his jacket.
"You'll be needing these." The black man offered as he held out his hand, a gun each of them, one that Hutch would be comfortable with and one that the brunet was accustomed to.
Each detective took their weapons and placed them in the back of their waistbands, pulling their shirts down over the top to cover them. The tall blond eyed his swaying partner.
"You sure you're up to this Gordo?" Hutch asked, his face masked with deep and genuine concern as he stepped closer to him.
"We don't have much of a choice, do we?" Starsky answered as he stopped and braced himself against the foot of the bed briefly.
Hutch was in about as good of shape as Starsky was, the medications from his surgery almost out of his system completely, at least to the point where he could function reasonably well. His should screamed in pain and hot searing agony, but he wasn't about to take any type of pain medications now, not when he and his partner were about to enter a world of danger and unknown. They were both going to have to be alert as possible, and try their best to watch each others backs. Hutch knew that it may be left more up to him, then his brunet partner. He knew that mentally and physically, this would be pushing his friend to his limits and then some.
"M' gonna have three unmarked vehicles following you two." Dobey began to explain, but found himself quickly cut off by Hutch's sharp tone.
"That's outta the question cap. They've got their own guys following us, and if they even suspect that we're being tailed, they're gonna toss Billy out on the freeway, and they're not gonna bother to slow down." Hutch explained, his pleading eyes locked on his Captains, begging for understanding. "You put tails on us, and you're signing that kids' death warrant…don't you see that Cap?"
Dobey pretended to weigh his options, knowing that he really had none. Sighing heavily, he handed a walkie-talkie to Hutch and then headed for the door. "At least take this with you." He advised as he left the room and headed downstairs to make sure that no one followed the two men.
Hutch looked back at his suffering friend, "Listen Starsk, if anything heavy goes down out there, I want you to hit the deck and stay there, you hear me?"
"What, now you think you're my mother?" Starsky joked, trying to fake his best half smile, but failing miserably. "Okay, okay I hear ya…" the brunet finally conceded as he pushed away from the hospital bed and stood straight up, pausing briefly as the room came to a stop, and then taking his first step towards the door, feeling Hutch's large hand on the small of his back for support.
Both detectives did away with the customary wheelchair dismissal that was protocol in hospitals as they made their way to the elevators and down to the lobby. Outside, right in front, waiting in the patient pick up and drop off drive thru area was a yellow cab. Both Starsky and Hutch looked both directions, scanning the area, their senses on heightened alert as they walked towards the cab. Hutch reached out and opened the back door, holding it open as Starsky slowly climbed in, grunting and inhaling sharply in discomfort with even the slightest of movements. Hutch tried to mask his own discomfort as he joined his partner in the back seat, sliding in beside him, without a word spoken the cab driver pulled away from the curb and made his way through the crowded streets of Bay City and onto Interstate 5, headed south towards San Diego.
The middle-aged man behind the wheel attempted to make small talk as they made their way south,
"It's a nice day dontcha think?" The man asked, Hutch noting his thick Midwest accent.
"Just perfect…" Hutch noted as he watched his partner grimace as the taxi swerved into the lane next to them, the driver over correcting by pulling the wheel and swerving back. "Couldya take it easy?" the blond asked with a tone of irritation in his voice.
"Sorry Buddy…didn't mean to do that you know?" The cabbie snapped back, locking eyes with Hutch through his rear view mirror. "So what takes you to San Diego, business or pleasure?" he nervously continued to try and make conversation.
"Business." Starsky grunted, dismissing the man abruptly.
About 2 hours and 20 minutes into the drive, the cab slowed down, merging to the right side and taking the exit for another freeway, the 8 headed east. Confused, both detectives looked at each other, knowing that they were instructed to head to the San Diego/Mexico border and the direction they had just taken was away from that location. Hutch leaned forward, speaking over the seat.
"Um excuse me, but I think you took the wrong turn." He explained to the driver, concern washing over his face.
The man lifted his clipboard off the front seat, checking it before speaking to him. Turning his head to the side, he spoke to his passenger in the back, "No, I don't think so, dispatch has instructed me to drop you two off at Mission Beach, that's exactly where I'm headed."
Starsky poked his head out the window, looking at the large green freeway sign that clearly read: BEACHES
"Well, he's gotta point there, that's where we're headed alright." He whispered to his partner, both detectives sat back, not comfortable with the uneasy feeling trying hard to bore its way inside both men by the sudden change of plans.
To Be Continued…