Feedback: As always, the right thing to do.
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 Notes: Thanks to Brook, Jan and Eli for all their help. They knew this was a difficult week for me and were there for me. This chapter may not happened without Brook's help. I had a hard time concentrating and she talked me through it.
Warning: This chapter has some bad language. It is not meant to offend anyone.
Chapter Fifteen
It seemed to be coming from far away, a vague voice, growing louder as time went on…
"Stop it! Starsky, let him go…You're gonna kill him…Damn it, stop it!…."
It was Hutch's voice, he was getting through, he saw the change in his partners demeanor. Starsky's punches slowed, lessened…He blinked quickly…He saw the bloody man on the ground underneath him…He returned to reality, realizing his left hand cocked back behind his head, ready to be released. He paused in the moment, time froze. He looked to Hutch, their eyes locked.
"Buddy?" Hutch pled. "Don't do this."
"Oh God." Starsky stammered as he rolled off of Martins, landing on his side and rolling to his back, staring at the ceiling and breathing heavily. He could hear the man moan and rasp next to him.
"You okay, partner?" Hutch asked gently. "It's alright buddy, I'm here."
"Hutch…" Starsky swallowed hard.
"Yeah, Starsk?"
"I coulda killed him." Starsky stated.
"Yeah, but you didn't." Hutch felt the need to remind his friend.
"But I coulda…if you hadn't stopped me, I woulda." Starsky turned on his side and rose to his knees, scouring the floor for the knife.
He found it not far from Hutch's feet. Retrieving the weapon he crawled towards his partner. Taking note of the new pains he was experiencing, now that the adrenalin had worn off. As he reached Hutch, he slowly moved around the chair and began to work on the ropes, taking care not to slice his friend's wrists in the process, both of his hands trembling. The blood still running down the side of his face.
"Starsk, look out!" Hutch yelled, a second too late.
Joey flew through the air landing on top of Starsky, the knife flying out of his hand and knocking what little wind he had left, out of him in one swift movement. He felt a tight grip seize his injured ankle, causing him to scream out, flashes of light all around him. He tried to back away from the pain, kicking at his attacker with his good leg. Joey pursued him, backing him up against the wall, retrieving the knife that was under the chair.
"You son of a bitch!" Starsky spat.
"You thought you had me, didn't you, pig?" Martins taunted, blood falling freely from his mouth and off his face. He looked at the pathetic man on the ground in front of him, he looked spent.
Hutch pulled frantically at the ropes that bound him, Starsky had loosened them, he just hoped it was enough.
Joey reached above the defeated detective on the ground, slamming his fist into the side of his face. Rearing back up he raised the knife and brought it down into Starsky's upper left arm.
"Fuck!" The brunet cursed in a senseless, mindless fit of pain as Joey yanked the weapon out of his arm.
"Starsk!" Hutch cried out, worried about his partner.
"Just like I said, I own you!" Joey smirked. The man felt no pain, or at least he wasn't showing it.
Starsky reached up with his right hand and grabbed the madman's wrist that held the knife. They struggled, the detective using all his strength to overpower Martins. In a moment of insane power he yelled out and brought his upper body to the sitting position, slowly overpowering the man in a war of wills. He slammed Joey's wrist against the wall, squeezing tightly.
Martins unwillingly released his grip on the knife, it dropping to the floor, as Starsky caught him with a right fist across the side of Joey's temple. In one swift move Starsky sprung to his knees knocking Joey to his back. The evil man scrambling to get his feet underneath him.
"You'll never own me, you piece of shit!" He said defiantly, their eyes locked.
Starsky reached down, to his right, and retrieved the knife from the ground and held it out in front of him as Joey lunged forward. The blade of the knife embedded itself in Martins' mid section. Starsky held Joey's shoulder with his left hand, and the knife in his right, their eyes met as both of Joey's hands reached for the weapon that had impaled him. His eyes grew wide, and Starsky's narrowed. The detective could feel the flow of his warm blood dripping over the knife and onto his hand.
Starsky leaned in, placing his mouth by the dying man's ear and whispered. "This is for Sandy." He said as he pushed the knife in up to the hilt. He heard a groan escape Joey's lips.
Joey's body went limp and fell on the ground beside Starsky. He could here the gurgling in his breathing, as the brunet fell backwards, to the ground right on his tailbone. Starsky's breathing was rapid, he was on the verge of exhaustion, it showed in his face, his body, his eyes. He looked at Joey laying on the ground, the life being flushed from his body.
He felt the hand on his shoulder, but never saw him coming over to him. He heard the voice…
"Starsk? It's okay. I'm right here, buddy." He looked up and locked eyes with Hutch for a brief moment, then he looked back at Joey as he took his last breath.
"I killed him, Hutch." He stuttered.
"You didn't have a choice." Hutch reassured him.
"Didn't I?" Starsky looked back at his friend, not completely clear on what just happened.
Hutch dropped his head, tapping his forehead against the side of his partners head, squeezing his shoulder tightly in support, than releasing it. He rose to his feet, pacing the room, looking around frantically. He disappeared, out of sight, into the other room.
He was looking for something, but what it was, Starsky wasn't sure. The only thing Starsky happened to be sure of, was that he felt nothing, he was numb, physically and emotionally. He leaned his back against the wall, and took deep even breaths, trying to slow his respiration rate. He looked back down at Martins, he still felt nothing…
Hutch returned with his Magnum in one hand and a dish towel in the other. He dropped to his knees at his partners side, examining the new knife wound, wrapping the towel around his arm.
"Hutch?…" Starsky said feebly, his words cut off.
"Yeah, partner?"
"I don't feel so good." Starsky looked at his friend as his eyes rolled back, and his head lolled to the side.
"Whoa buddy, where ya' goin'? Stay with me, Starsk." Hutch pled as he supported Starsky's weight, assisting him to the ground. He was afraid Starsky was going into shock, the color of his face paled.
Hutch desperately kept talking to his partner, trying to keep him with him, but to no avail. Starsky was out, and Hutch was alone.
He heard the kitchen door close, the voices of Tommy and Ricky coming through the kitchen.
"Honey, we're home." One of them called out.
Hutch quickly took cover, Magnum in hand, his back planted firmly against the wall, by the doorway.
Tommy passed through the doorway first, with Ricky following close. He came to an abrupt halt just inside the room, as he absorbed the scene before him. Joey's body laying on the floor, across the room. They quickly moved towards him…
"What the hell…"Ricky started to say as Hutch fell in behind them.
"Don't move!" He ordered, his voice not wavering. Tommy was at Joey's side already, feeling for a pulse.
"He's dead, Ricky." Tears began to well up in the younger man's eyes.
"That's right, my partner killed him…" Hutch stated. "I wish I could take the credit, but I can't. Now put your hands up, and don't move." He reiterated.
"Your scum of a partner, killed our brother?" Ricky growled through clenched teeth.
"Your brother?" Hutch repeated. "Joey was your brother?"
Both felons raised their hands level with their shoulders, obeying Hutch's directions, who kept looking back, checking on his partner, who had yet to move.
"We'll come back, you know that don't you?" Ricky spoke for both of them. "And when we do, he's the first one we're coming after." He tipped his head in the unconscious detectives direction.
"I'd think twice about that, if I were you! You come after him, you better take me out first." The tall Nordic warned, the desire to protect Starsky ever present in Hutch's voice.
Hutch reached down by the chair and retrieved the extra rope left behind when they had bound him there.
"Turn around." He instructed.
After binding their hands securely behind their backs, maybe even tighter than really necessary, he corralled them out to the van, fastening them to the metal interior of the vehicle, before returning for his partner.
Once back inside the house, he again knelt next to Starsky, noticing how tired and fragile his friend now appeared to him.
"It's over, buddy. It's all over." He said encouragingly as he grabbed the big lug by the arm and hoisted it around his neck, drawing his friend up into whats's known as the fireman's carry.
He let out a grunt as he took the full weight of the dark haired man onto his shoulders, and stood upright, carrying him out and placing him in the passenger seat as gently as possible, strapping him in with the seatbelt.
He went around to the back of the vehicle and addressed Ricky.
"Keys." Hutch demanded.
"Fuck you!" Ricky responded.
Hutch reflexively back handed the man, splitting his lip with his knuckles.
"Shut up, and tell me where the key are asshole." Hutch repeated his demand, getting no response from the filth sitting before him.
He decided not to waste anymore time playing games, he moved to the front of the van. Opening the door, he leaned in under the console and pulled the wires. He knew how to hot wire the vehicle, he just wasn't as fast as Starsky would have been at it.
"Hang in there, partner." He said out loud.
After a few minutes, the engine came to life…"Ha!" Hutch exclaimed in triumph.
He jumped behind the wheel and headed straight for the nearest hospital, talking to his partner the whole way as if he were awake…
"We did it Starsk, you did it…It's gonna be okay, buddy…Martins is dead…You kept your promise…" He clearly expected his friend to answer him, but that didn't happen.
To Be Continued…
Feedback: As always, the right thing to do.
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 Notes: Thanks to all who have continued to read and review this story. Also thanks to everyone for sticking with it.
Keep an eye out, what seems to be over for now, may just come back later on, with a vengeance…
Epilogue (Six Months later)
It had been six months since their ordeal with the Martins brothers. Both Ricky and Tommy had been sentenced to life in prison without parole. That held more in it for Ricky than it did for Tommy. About two months after they were sentenced, Tommy had been killed in a prison fight. Ricky murdered the prisoner responsible for his brothers death, sealing his fate. After going to trial on that murder charge, and being found guilty, he was transferred to San Quentin's death row, only weeks earlier.
For Hutch, he recovered quickly from the ordeal, but for Starsky it had been a different case altogether. He had spent nearly a week in the hospital, after having surgery to repair his badly damaged ankle, which required two months of physical therapy, just to get him back where he needed to be.
But his physical injuries still healed faster than his emotional ones did. This was one case that he let get to him, he tried not to, but it did…It took him the longest, to get past what had happened to Sandy. What he and Sandy had to go through, both together, and separately. His outlook on mankind, and life in general, sunk into a deep gray abyss, and stayed there for some time.
Slowly the upbeat, childlike detective returned to normal, or at least what was considered normal for him. He had both Hutch and the department psychiatrist to help him find his way back. This was the first time that what had happened to him, required a 'shrink', as he used to refer to them as, to help him through it. Mind you, it wasn't his idea to see the therapist, it was required by the department, but in the end Starsky was glad that it was.
Once they located Sandy's body, Starsky and Hutch both made sure she received a proper burial, compliments of the dynamic duo, complete with a beautiful headstone, compliments of Captain Dobey and Huggy Bear. The first Jane Doe they found in the alley was never identified. No one came looking for her, no one seemed to care that she was gone. No one ever cried for her…
It was a long time before Huggy was able to send Starsky or Hutch into anymore leads or information, for fear of some elaborate set -up happening, and him losing his two best friends once again. It took awhile for Huggy to get over his feeling of betraying them, but over time, they convinced him that he had no part or fault in it.
XXXX
Dobey called both Starsky and Hutch into his office. He knew what affected one of them affected the other.
"Yeah cap', what'd ya' wanna see us about?" Hutch asked the large round man, as he sat across the desk from him.
Starsky immediately headed to the water cooler, retrieving a paper cup, and filling it with the cool liquid. He placed it to his lips, turning the cup bottoms up and downing the contents quickly, squashing the cup in his left hand and throwing it at the trash can, for a two point score. Dobey watched him, clearly irritated by his childish behavior, but glad to see it at the same time.
"Sit down, Starsky." Dobey directed the brunet.
Starsky shrugged his shoulders and took his seat, obeying his superior officer. "What is it cap'? You make it sound serious."
"I'm afraid it is, son." He said looking at his finest pair of detectives on the force.
Hutch looked up at Dobey who took a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and dabbed his face.
"I just got word from head quarters…" He paused sighing heavily.
"Yeah?…And?…" Starsky baited him to continue.
"And it seems there had been a major malfunction in the transfer of Ricky Martins…" His words dropped off as he looked to the detectives for a reaction.
"Major malfunction? What is that supposed to mean?" Hutch furrowed his brow.
"They just informed me that it seems he escaped during that transfer to San Quentin."
"Cap', that transfer took place almost three weeks ago…" Starsky begged for an explanation. "Why the hell are we just findin' out about it?"
"Looks like there was some major cover up that happened with this. The guard that was responsible for the escape, knew someone pretty high up that worked at San Quentin. He managed to get his Martins' taken off the roster. Nobody had any record for him, so no one knew he was missin'."
"How'd they finally find out?" Hutch had to ask the question both men were thinking.
"Well it looks like Martins was on some pretty heavy psychiatric medications at the first prison. When the pharmacy called to transfer the prescriptions, and San Quentin couldn't find any record on the inmate, all hell broke loose."
"And that's when you heard about it…"Starsky surmised. "T'rriffic."
"Now see here, I've got every available man out looking for this convict! But we have no idea where he's headed, or what he's up to."
Both detectives looked at each other, remembering Ricky's threat to come after Starsky in revenge for his brothers' death.
"Until he's caught," Dobey continued, "I want both of you watching each others backs, and looking over your shoulders. You got that?"
"Yeah, Cap', we've got it." Starsky answered with a short terse voice. He knew this wasn't his captains' fault, but that didn't make it sit any easier. Dobey was just lucky Mama Starsky had taught her son not to shoot the messenger.
Both Starsky and Hutch rose from their chairs and exited the office, Starsky holding the door open for his tall partner, then following right behind. Hutch made sure to keep an eye on his friend, watching his every move. Body language, facial expressions, even hand gestures. He knew the brunet well enough to be able to tell what was going on in his head without either one of them saying a word.
He could tell what Dobey had just said was weighing heavily on the brunet. His body was tense, his posture had straightened. Hutch could see the muscles in Starsky's jaw flex and release as he clenched his teeth.
"Hey, you're not worried about this guy, are you partner?" Hutch asked his friend, drawing him in closer, speaking in almost a whisper.
"Me? No, I'm not worried about him. I just can't stomach the fact that he's out. I feel like I'm letting' Sandy down. What if he gets to someone else?"
"You know this ain't your fault, you kept your promise. You can't help it if some asshole, let the piece of shit get away…He'll turn up again."
"Yeah, I know buddy. No offense, but that doesn't make me feel any better…" Starsky grumbled as he sighed and looked around the squad room.
"Starsk, you know he said he's comin' after you first…" Hutch reminded him.
"Yeah, but with you watching my back, he don't stand a chance." Starsky winked at his partner as he slapped his back in a vote of confidence.
The End (For Now)