MIND CONTROL
CHAPTER THREE
Hutch cast a worried glance at his partner as he slipped on his shoulder harness and shrugged into his lightweight jacket so the weapon nestled under his left armpit would be concealed. It had been over a week since the decision had come down from the review board about Starsky's future on the Bay City Police Department and the curly haired half of the duo had fallen into a deep depression, appearing to have lost interest in almost everything. For the first time since the shooting, Starsky seemed to be giving up.
He refused to talk about it with Hutch, storming into his bedroom and locking the door securely whenever Hutch tried to bring up the subject. Finally, Hutch stopped pushing so hard. He didn't know what to do for Starsky, how to ease this pain that wasn't so much physical as it was emotional and mental. All he could do was pray that Starsky would come around eventually and then the two of them could discuss their plans for the future realistically.
"What are you gonna do today, buddy?" Hutch asked as he prepared to leave for work.
"Nothing." Starsky muttered. This had been his standard reply to the same question for the past week.
"Oh, come on, Starsky." Hutch said in an exasperated voice "Why don't you get out of the house? Take a walk on the beach? Get some fresh air."
Starsky stared at Hutch sullenly for that suggestion and then turned his attention back to the drone of the television, effectively putting up a 'no trespass sign' and shutting Hutch out.
"I won't be home tonight until after midnight." Hutch told him as he looked around to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. "I'm pulling a double shift. I've got court all day and then I'm covering for Hamilton so he can go to the hospital to be with his wife. She just had surgery." Starsky grunted, the only acknowledgement that he had heard Hutch talking. Hutch sighed heavily and headed out of the door to go to work before he was late. He made a mental note to call the counselor Starsky had been seeing since the shooting and ask her advice on how to help his friend cope with this latest crisis in his life.
After Hutch left for the day, Starsky went back to bed and slept until noon. Since the shooting, sleep had become an effective way for him to escape from reality when the pressure got too be too much for him to handle. An insistent message from his full bladder forced him out of bed and into the bathroom to relief himself. He leaned one hand against the wall to balance himself as he stood over the commode. When he had finished, he washed his hands and shuffled into the kitchen to find something to eat for lunch.
He was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when someone knocked at the door. Starsky frowned absently. He didn't get many visitors these days, especially while Hutch was at work. Leaving his partially prepared sandwich on the counter, he walked over to the sliding glass doors that opened onto the front deck of the cottage. Through the glass, he saw four men standing on the deck, all dressed in military uniforms. He was startled to recognize one of them as an old friend from the Academy, John Colby. Starsky's 'cop radar' immediately kicked in. John Colby had been sent to prison two years ago after Starsky and Hutch had discovered that he was working as a hit man who had been hired to kill a government witness in an upcoming trial. He had lied to Starsky and Hutch, using their previous friendship, to help him discover where the government had hidden the witness to protect him until the trial. It had been the direct testimony of the two former friends and detectives that had sentenced Colby to prison for twenty years.
Cautiously, Starsky opened the door, every sense heightened and on full alert for potential danger. Colby smiled at his former friend and said heartily, "Hi, Starsk. Glad to see you up and around after what happened."
"What the fuck do you want, John?" Starsky growled, standing in the doorway to keep the men from entering the cottage. "You're supposed to be in prison."
"I guess you haven't heard. I won my appeal and they let me out for good behavior." Colby said easily. "I heard about what happened to you and just thought I'd see how you were since I was in the neighborhood."
"I'm fine." Starsky said sullenly "So now you can go. I don't have anything to say to you."
"Well, actually, my friends here would like to talk to you." Colby said, indicating the other three men with him. "They've got a job offer you might be interested in."
"I don't think so." Starsky said firmly, taking a step back and reaching out to close the door. Before he could, Colby shouldered his way inside, followed closely by the other three men. Starsky's eyes darkened dangerously as he glared at the intruders. "I said I'm not interested." He repeated "Now get the hell out of here."
"Sergeant Starsky," said one of the men briskly "I'm Major O'Conners. United States Army. We've reviewed your military records and your police file. We could use a man like you working for us as an advisor on an upcoming mission."
"I said I'm not interested. Now get the fuck out of here." Starsky said, starting to lose patience with his uninvited guests.
"Come on, Dave." Colby wheedled "You don't owe the police department anything. They tossed you out on your can. You could at least listen to what the Major has to say."
"I assure you, Sergeant, we can make it worth your while. We're willing to pay you three times as much as you were receiving as a police officer and all you have to do is help my men plan a strategic rescue operation in Viet Nam."
"You have to be out of your mind!" Starsky snarled "You're crazy if you think I want anything to do with Viet Nam! That part of my life is dead and buried!"
"So is your career as a police officer." Colby pointed out sarcastically. "So what have you got to lose?"
"SHUT UP!" Starsky yelled, his temper flaring. He regretted his outburst immediately as a fiery pain tore through his chest and made him wince. Wrapping his left arm around his torso protectively, he stood his ground and stared at the four men in front of him. In a cold, deadly voice that he usually reserved for the bad guys, he said, "I'm only going to say this one more time. I…am…not…interested." He spoke each word clearly, emphasizing each syllable deliberately. "NOW GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE BEFORE I CALL THE COPS!"
"What are you gonna do, Davey? Call Hutch? The white knight to the rescue?" Colby said with a smirk. "Hell, you don't owe him anything either. He just stood by and let them almost blow you away."
Immediately Starsky attacked, his left fist smashing into Colby's jaw and sending him to his knees. Before he could continue his assault, one of the other men stepped forward, pulling a gun from beneath his jacket and smashed it against the base of Starsky's skull. Starsky's eyes rolled back in his head as he collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Colby pulled himself to his feet with a scowl. He pulled back his foot and viciously kicked the brunet in the ribs, pulling a groan of pain from his unconscious victim.
"Damn, I forgot how hard the little prick could punch." Colby said, rubbing his aching jaw as he glanced at his companions. "I told you that he wouldn't go for it."
"Well, then I guess we go to plan B." Major O'Conners said grimly. He looked at the other two men. "Get him out to the van and give him a shot to make sure he stays out for a while." He glanced at Colby "You follow us in that jazzed up car of his. I'll call headquarters and have them meet us at the Canyon with Private Bixler."
The two men nodded and grabbed Starsky's limp body, carrying him out of the cottage and towards a nondescript brown van parked in the driveway. Colby grabbed the keys to the Torino which were hanging on a peg board near the front door and hurried outside to the red and white vehicle. The Major stayed behind long enough to make two phone calls before joining the rest of the men outside. He climbed into the van and they left the secluded cottage with the van in the lead and Colby following in Starsky's Torino.