Feedback: I rely on your feedback to keep me going. Thanks to all of you who read and review on a regular basis. I do appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I make no money from this. Starsky and Hutch do not belong to me, I just borrow them, and promise to return them in the same condition I found them in. My characters do belong to me, and I can use them as I see fit, until they start fighting back.

Author's Note: Now, is where it starts to get fun. I usually post faster than this, but it's been a busy week. Sorry about that…

Chapter Five

It was 4 am, a week had gone by since they had met with Sandy. Starsky was sleeping heavily when the ringing on the telephone led him back to consciousness. He fumbled for the receiver.

"Hello?" He grumbled.

"Starsky?" The voice replied.

"Huggy?" Starsky asked blinking rapidly, then trying to hold his eyes open. "This had better be good!"

"Listen, I need you to come over to my place."

"Why?" He cleared his throat.

"I can't tell you why, but it's important."

Starsky looked at his clock on the nightstand. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Please?" Was all Huggy needed to say for Starsky to realize it really was important to his friend.

"Give me fifteen minutes." He hung up the phone. With in seconds, it rang again, he quickly retrieved the handset.

"I said I'll be there!" He snapped thinking it was Huggy again.

"Starsk?" Hutch's voice responded.

"Hutch? Whatta you want?"

"Dobey just called, we got another body."

"Jeez. You gotta be kidding me? Same M.O.?" Starsky questioned.

"The very same. Get this, they found her in the alley behind Huggy's place."

"What? Huggys?… Hutch, Huggy just called me. He wants me to meet him at his apartment."

"What for?" Hutch inquired.

"Wouldn't say, just that it was important. Ya' think this body's Sandy?"

"God, I hope not. Whatya wanna do?"

Starsky was now sitting on the side of his bed, rubbing his face. "Why don't you head down to the Pits. I'll swing by Huggy's, see what's up with him, an' meet up with you down there."

"Sounds good." Hutch said before hanging up the phone.

Starsky got dressed quickly and headed downstairs, thankful that he had just gotten his car back the previous day. Merle truly was a genius when it came to mechanics and auto body work. The car was as good as new.

The dark haired man made excellent time. Within fifteen minutes he was pulling up in front of Huggy's modest apartment. He could see the light on in the living room of his friend's place. He climbed the stairs and sharply knocked three times on the door.

"Open up Hug, it's me." He yelled through the door.

He waited patiently, but there was no answer. He knocked again…Nothing. Starsky turned the door knob, opening the door slightly.

"Huggy?" The brunet called out to his friend. Again, there was no answer. He felt a chill climb up his spine, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand at attention. With his left hand, he pulled the Beretta out of it's holster, pointing it straight up in the air and placing his back against the door jamb. With his right hand he slowly swung the door open wider.

"Huggy?" He called out again making sure his body was not exposed in the doorway. He grasped his weapon tightly in both hands, keeping it raised to his shoulder and pointed upwards. He looked up into the air, wishing his partner were here.

He heard a rustling sound followed by, what sounded like, a gasp for air…

XXXX

Hutch pulled up to the entrance of the alley. He climbed out of his car, zipping up his jacket. The scene was all too familiar, Hutch was taken by a strong feeling of déjà vu. The yellow crime scene tape, the flash bulbs going off, the flurry of activity, even the tan coroner's van.

As he approached the body covered with the crisp white sheet, he tried to push the fear he was feeling into the back of his mind. Was this Sandy? Did Martins find out about her meeting with them?

Once again, Hutch found himself kneeling next to the deceased girl. With his right hand he pulled back the sheet. The body was not Sandy. She was around the same age, with short auburn hair. Her face housed multiple bruises. The blonde's attention was drawn to the shiny necklace she wore. He picked up the silver heart-shaped pendant, holding it between his thumb and forefinger, he read the inscription:

'Friends 4ever, love, Sandy'

He had the nauseating feeling that this was the girl Sandy had talked about, her best friend. But why did they kill her? Was it something she did, or was it something Sandy had done? He remembered Sandy saying that he would make the other girls pay for her actions. His hopes of ever seeing Sandy alive, were quickly fading.

Hutch could already hear the coroner's report; eight ribs, both knee caps, fractured jaw…This guy, or these guys, had to be stopped, and soon! He looked up into the night sky, wishing his partner were here. Hutch returned to his car and grabbed the radio, speaking clearly and slowly.

"Dispatch, this is Zebra 3."

"Go ahead Zebra 3."

"Patch me through to Detective Starsky's vehicle."

"10-4...Go ahead Hutch."

"Starsky, this is Hutch, do you read me?"

No response. He repeated his request with the same results. He must still be at Huggy's. Hutch thought to himself.

"Dispatch, Zebra 3 here." Hutch again beckoned Mildred.

"Go ahead Zebra 3."

Patch me through to 555-2374, over." Hutch requested, giving Mildred Huggy's number.

"10-4 Zebra 3, stand-by."

XXXX

Starsky could hear the phone in Huggy's apartment ringing, as he entered. He brought his weapon down in front of him, carefully aiming it in the direction he was headed. He checked to make sure no one was hiding behind the door before proceeding. He cautiously continued into his friends place.

"Huggy!" Starsky said in a rough whisper. He heard a moan coming from the direction of the kitchen. As the detective passed through the dining room, he saw a pair of feet on the kitchen floor.

"Huggy?" He saw his friend laid out on the cool linoleum, moving slightly. Another moan escaped his lips. Starsky quickly knelt by his friend's side. "Huggy, you okay?" He said lightly slapping his friends cheek. "What the hell happened to you?"

Huggy's head wagged from side to side as he began to come around, mumbling something unintelligible.

Starsk? Is that you man?" He finally said, his voice barley audible.

"It's me, Hug. What happened here?" The brunet asked as he helped his friend sit up, propping him against the kitchen cabinets. Huggy winced as he gingerly rubbed his hand across the back of his own head, assessing the damage.

"I'm not sure…Sandy was here, she was freaking out…" Returning his gun to it's holster, Starsky grabbed a kitchen towel off the wall, wetting it in the sink and handing it to his friend. "…she told me that they were gonna hurt her friend, Lisa…man, she was scared Starsk. Looked like they had some fun on her too…She wanted me to call you guys…"

"Where's she now?"

"I dunno. There was a knock at my door. I thought it was you, so I opened it…Three guys came bustin' in, that's the last thing I remember."

"You gonna be okay?"

"Are you kiddin'? With my hard head?" Huggy responded.

Both men heard a noise coming from the bedroom. Starsky pressed his finger against his lips, quieting his friend, and again pulling his weapon.

"Can you get up?" He whispered, lending his free arm for assistance.

Huggy got both of his feet underneath him and started to rise. With a directive hand from Starsky, he remained hunched over with his head low. "Go on, get outta here." Starsky instructed. "Get to my car, use the radio…tell them you have a Code 9...Get in touch with Hutch, let him know what's going on here. Whatever you do, stay down an' outta sight."

The curly haired detective covered the thin black man with both his body and his weapon, as he made his way out the front door. Once his friend was safely outside, he returned his attention back to the bedroom.

With his Beretta out in front of him, he slowly made his way to the closed door. Standing against the wall to the left of the room, he used his right hand to turn the knob, swinging the door open in one swift motion, and returning to his original position, his back flat up against the wall, gun aimed at the ceiling. If there was someone in the room, he was hoping to catch them somewhat by surprise.

Leading with his weapon in both hands, the brunet rotated around, taking a stance in the doorway, feet spread wide apart, ready for an attack. It was dark in the room, but with the light from the living room, he could barely make out the shadow of someone lying on the floor at the foot of Huggy's bed. He slowly approached the figure, taking it step by step, moving his head around the room, searching for demons in the dark.

Finally, he was on one knee next to the motionless form, he could tell by the petite size and long dark hair, the figure before him was female. Turning her over confirmed that it was Sandy. His heart leapt into his throat.

He felt her carotid artery in her neck, he was relieved to find a strong, even beating pulse. He could see the bruises on her face. Her left eye was swollen and discolored by the bruising. Sandy's right cheek also housed the same magenta shades, and her lip was split and fat with dried blood on the corner of her mouth.

As he attempted to evaluate her injuries, he heard a noise behind him, but before he could turn around to face his attacker, he felt a sharp pain to his temple as everything faded to black.

XXXX

"I'm on my way, Huggy." Hutch exclaimed as he threw the mike to the radio across the front seat of his car, jumping in, simultaneously starting his engine. Throwing the mars light on the roof of his vehicle, he sped away from the alleyway screeching his tires. He had already calculated that his ETA was approximately twenty minutes. The thought of all the possible things that could happen to his partner in twenty minutes, crossed his mind. He had to shake it away. He hoped there were other responding units that were closer to his friend than he was. This was going to be the longest twenty minutes of his life.

XXXX

Joey Martins stood over his victims smiling wickedly. Ricky and another Neanderthal type man named Tommy, joined their boss, admiring their handiwork.

"Get them downstairs an' in the van." Joey ordered.

Ricky and Tommy picked the dark haired detective up with little effort. What they lacked in brains, they definitely compensated for, in strength.

Joey bent down grabbing Sandy roughly by the arm, pulling her limp body closer to his. "It's time to go home an' play, bitch!" He spat as he lifted her into his arms, following the other men through the living room and outside, hitting her head against the wall on the way.

Joey was like a cat, and poor Sandy the mouse. Just like the other women, he wouldn't kill her immediately, for the same reasons a cat would allow the mouse to live for awhile, so it has something to play with, to terrorize and brutalize.

Once downstairs, they approached a white paneled van. The side door was already open and Starsky was tossed in looking like a rag doll. Ricky and Tommy climbed in besides the detective, rolling him onto his stomach. Ricky picked up a roll of duct tape, while Tommy positioned both of Starsky's arms behind his back. Ricky wrapped the tape around the man's wrists and hands in a continuous never ending fashion, repeating this action on Starsky's ankles.

As soon as the detective was secure, Joey threw Sandy's frail and limp body in the van, causing her to land right on Starsky's mid section. She let out an involuntary groan. Ricky rapidly grabbed her relentlessly by the hair and shoved her over to the side of the van next to Starsky.

Joey climbed into the driver's seat as Tommy joined him, taking the passengers seat. With in seconds, the vehicle was peeling away from Huggy's apartment.

Starsky's car sat momentarily alone in the quiet night until Huggy's head popped up from the front seat where he was hiding. He helplessly watched the van pull away with both of his friends in it. What did he get Starsky into? He thought to himself.

He knew Hutch was on his way, and would never forgive himself for not making it in time. This was gonna be the longest twenty minutes of his life…

To Be Continued