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Disclaimer: I own no one and nothing. I do this for fun not profit. But if I did own them (grin) I know how I'd use them...And how I'd let them use me…
Thanks to everyone reading it! Thanks for any and all reviews! I appreciate all the feedback I have received. You know who you are!
Author's Note: Thanks for the ideas for this story. It should be wrapped up next chapter. A couple of you will recognize your ideas in this chapter.
Chapter Sixteen
Moose had already claimed Jenny, Carlos snagged his hostage, Hutch, leaving Starsky for Mike. They heard the commotion going on outside. It wasn't long before the sound of the bullhorn resonated.
"Step outta the vehicle with your hands up!" Came the predictable command.
Moose shot one warning shot out the front of the van shattering the windshield, sending glass flying, and irritating Carlos. Jenny placed her hands over her ears, with a squeal.
"Dammit, you idiot, why'd you go an' do that?" Carlos chastised Moose, who just shrugged his shoulders, holding Jenny by the shirt tightly.
"Just stay calm." Starsky tried to mediate the situation. "Look it's over, you might as well give up, so no one else gets hurt. Don't make it worse on yourselves." He bartered unsuccessfully.
"Shut up! Just shut up! I need to think." Mike commanded, waving his gun around in every direction.
"Let the hostages go, and come out with your hands up." The voice from outside bellowed.
"Look, at least let the girl go." Hutch pled. "You still got Starsky an' me."
"I ain't lettin' her go, no way." Moose insisted.
"I said shut up!" Mike yelled at the top of his lungs.
Both Starsky and Hutch could tell he was close to losing it. That would definitely be a bad thing. The last thing they wanted was for any one of the three gunmen to lose their cool. There's nothing more dangerous than a madman armed, in a confined space. Julie looked at Starsky, taking a deep breath. He nodded slightly at her, trying to reassure her with his body language. He could see the fear in her eyes.
They sat quietly for several minutes. The silence made everyone even more nervous. Hutch could feel his pulse pounding in his head. The pain was still consuming him.
"Look, I know things are pretty bad right now, but killing any one of us will just make it worse. If you cooperate, we could ask the judge for a little leniency, on your behalf." Hutch offered.
"We've already committed armed robbery, kidnapping, murder, resisting arrest, fleeing the scene of a crime, assault on a police officer, an act of terrorism, grand theft and illegal parking. How much leniency do you thing they'll give us?" Mike retorted. "The way I see it, we got nothin' else to lose."
"Except your life. Not that that's worth a whole hell of a lot right now. Lettin' us go now, could save your sorry ass the death penalty." Starsky pointed out.
"Ya' know, he's gotta point." Carlos replied. Starsky was encouraged to see one of them was listening to him, even if it was Carlos.
"Yeah, well I'm not so sure I wanna spend the rest of my life looking through bars." Mike chimed in.
"It beats the alternative." Carlos rebutted.
Moose was being very quiet. That in itself, bothered the detectives. It was hard to get a read on where he was at. Hutch was observing Moose's facial expressions, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Every time they mentioned letting the hostages go, Moose would tighten his grip. Jenny's face strained under his hold, she sucked in the air through her teeth, making Hutch look over at her.
"Hey, lighten up on her big guy." Hutch requested. Moose glared intensely at Hutch, pulling his gun from beside his waist and holding it to Jenny's head.
"Lighten up?" He mocked Hutch. Moose loved the helpless victims. They couldn't do a thing to stop him.
Both Starsky and Hutch tensed in anticipation. Julie snapped her head around staring right into Moose's eyes. She was trembling.
"If you're gonna blow my god damn brains out, than do it dammit!" Starsky and Hutch looked at each other with wide eyes. Julie didn't take her eyes off her captor. "Just stop screwin' with me!" She screamed at him.
That was the last thing they had expected from her. They thought that she might be pushed over the edge, but her reaction would have been a total melt down, crying hysterically, begging for her life, that sort of thing. Not this.
"Jenny, calm down." Starsky urged her. He didn't think testing Moose's limits was the best idea right now, his eyes darting from her to Moose and back. This could turn from bad to worse at any second.
Moose was trying to stare her down, his gun hand shaking.
"Let it go." Mike ordered Moose.
"You're one lucky bitch." He spat in her face as he spoke, lowering his gun back to his side. Starsky and Hutch were able to breathe again. He pushed her back into the wall of the van. Truth was her rebellion through him off guard. He never had a victim actually try to stand up against him. He felt momentarily violated. Julie felt momentarily satisfied.
Jenny was breathing hard. Starsky caught her eye and winked at her, understanding her mood and approving of the way she handled that, but not wanting her to do that again. His heart couldn't take it.
Hutch tilted his head back resting it against the driver's seat behind him, closing his eyes. Starsky could tell that his head was throbbing.
The anonymous voice behind the bullhorn spoke again. "We've got all night, we're in no hurry. You're not goin' anywhere with the hostages. You might as well give yourselves up."
Mike started to lose it. He hit the side of his head with the butt of his gun in frustration. "Why won't they just shut up?"
"They're not gonna go away. They're gonna stay right outside till this things over." Starsky informed him.
"Let's give up. I don't wanna get myself killed, Mike." Carlos beseeched him.
"I ain't goin' to jail for nothin'." Moose piped in.
"Who in the hell asked you?" Carlos rebutted.
Starsky and Hutch knew that it was a good sign that they were fighting amongst themselves. Anything to break up their strength would be advantageous for the trio.
"Knock it off, both of you." Mike commanded.
"Come on Mike, you don't want it end like this, do ya'?" Starsky probed.
Letting out a heavy sigh Mike raised his head and his voice. "We're comin' out!" He yelled out to the officers outside. "Don't shoot!"
"What the hell are you doing?" Moose asked. Carlos let out a gasp of relief. He really wanted this to end.
Jenny, Starsky and Hutch exchanged hopeful glances.
"Listen, you're gonna wanna leave your weapons in the van. Go out, one at a time, through the back doors. Make sure you keep your hands in plain view at all times." Hutch gave them instructions.
Carlos and Mike nodded, acknowledging the directions, Moose just grunted.
"Well, I ain't goin' first, that's for sure!" Moose objected.
"I'll go first." Carlos offered, handing his weapon to Mike.
"Don't shoot. They're coming out!" Starsky yelled to the awaiting crowd outside.
"Keep your hands were we can see 'em." The bullhorn rang out.
Hutch nodded at Carlos. Moose was sitting closest to the back doors, so he opened the left one, swinging it out wide. Carlos scooted along his rear end to the back of the van. He looked back over his shoulder briefly, than stood on the ground outside with both hands reaching for the bright blue sky above, somewhat exaggerated. They could hear the instructions Carlos was receiving.
'Step away from
the van. Turn around. Drop on your knees. Interlock your fingers
behind your head.' They heard multiple footsteps, a muttled
groan and the clanking of the cuffs. 'We have one in custody.'
"Ok you're next." Starsky said to Mike. "Nice and slow."
Mike imitated Carlos' movements, heading for the back of the vehicle. He handed his and Carlos' weapons to Moose and stepped out.
The voices and commands from outside made the four left inside the van feel like they were in the middle of a deja-vu.
Starsky and Hutch both looked at Moose.
"Your turn Moose." Hutch urged.
"Give me a minute!" Moose's hesitation made the two detectives rightfully nervous. The offender was still sitting awfully close to Jenny. Starsky reached out to Jenny, but before he could rectify the situation, Moose reached over and grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her into his clutches.
"Let me go!" She fought.
"Shut up, bitch!" He cursed.
"Moose!" Starsky lunged forward, but was a fraction of a second too late. Moose had pulled her from the van, holding her in front of him, using her as a human shield, with his back pressed against the vehicle.
"I'll kill her, I swear!" Moose shouted at the crowd surrounding him.
'Drop the weapon. Don't do this. There's no way out!" The megaphone blasted.
Starsky and Hutch exchanged very worried looks.
"Dammit Moose, let her go!" Hutch shouted causing a flash of pain shooting through his temples. He had to close his eyes and wait for the wave to retreat.
They both wanted, so badly, to jump out of the van and help her, but doing so would either get her or their heads blown off.
"You son of a bitch!" They heard Jenny exclaim as a loud gun shot pierced the air simultaneously with Jenny's scream…
To Be Continued
Chapter Seventeen
Four shots followed the one that had made Jenny scream. Starsky and Hutch thought that meant one thing; Moose shot Jenny and then was shot himself. They looked at each other with faces filled with distress.
They knew they couldn't rush out of the van for fear of startling at least one, of the dozens of armed officers outside the vehicle.
The two strained their ears to try to make out the noises going on around them. They heard the thump of someone hitting the ground.
"You inside the van, stay where you are."
They could hear the sounds of several pairs of footsteps approaching them.
The second of the rear doors swung open. Two SWAT officers, wearing bullet proof vests, had their automatic weapons trained on the duo. Once they were convinced the vehicle was clear of opposition they lowered them.
"You two okay? Need any medical attention?" The one on the right inquired.
"No, were fine." Hutch replied as they headed for the exit.
"The girl…is she okay?" Starsky was afraid, but asked anyway.
The officer on the left looked to his side and then back at Starsky.
"I don't know, they're checking her out now, sir." He responded. Starsky cringed; he hated being called sir, it made him feel old.
Once they were out of the van, they could see the commotion to their left. Several officers were huddled around, concentrating on whatever was in the middle of their circle.
Hutch sat on the bumper of the van. Standing up so quickly made his head spin, leaving him nauseous, and the bright sunlight nearly blinded him with pain. Starsky placed his hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze.
"Stay put, I'll check on Jenny." He said, than he looked at one of the officers. "Get a medic to check him out, would ya'." The officer nodded and ran off to retrieve one.
Hutch placed his head in his hands. Starsky took a quick look around, surveying his surroundings. He saw Mike and Carlos, handcuffed and being placed in the back of a police car. He felt his stomach turn and his knees shake slightly as he headed to the circle of men on his left. The walk seemed to take forever, everything moving in slow motion. A split-second before he reached them, he felt his stomach rise into his throat, nearly choking him.
Several officers parted way to make room for the detective. As he looked to the ground he saw Moose's body lying there with vacant eyes, staring directly at him. It made the hair on his neck stand at attention. As he looked to Moose's feet he saw Jenny sitting there covered in blood.
"She won't let us help her." One of the nameless officers told him.
Starsky rushed to her side, cupping her cheek in his right hand and her bloodied arm in his left.
"Jenny? You alright honey?" He said quickly, trying to eye her over. He couldn't immediately see any obvious wounds, but she was visibly shaking. "Lie down Jenny, just lie down." He tried to ease her back, his voice trembling slightly.
"It's okay, I'm alright." She said.
Starsky looked around him. "Somebody get me an ambulance!" He shouted, the trembling in his voice, gone.
"I…I…shot him." She stuttered.
"What are you talkin' 'bout?" Starsky asked looking deep into her eyes. "You shot him?"
Then it hit him. Jenny was covered in blood, but it wasn't her blood, it was his.
"What happened, Jen?" He asked, but she was unable to speak. One of the SWAT officers stepped in to fill him in with all the details.
"When the suspect exited the vehicle with the victim," Starsky hated when they made it sound so procedural, "we observed them making their way towards the right side of the van. He had the victim in a choke hold, placing her in front of him for protection."
"Yeah, yeah. Get on with it." Starsky tried to hurry him along.
"The victim grabbed the weapon in the perpetrator's hand, they started struggling with it." It sounded to Starsky like a damn police report was being read to him. "The weapon discharged; at first it was unclear who had been injured. When the she moved away from him, they both appeared to be injured. Then she fell to the ground and the suspect raised his weapon at her. That's when we opened fire, taking the suspect down."
The officer attempted to continue his oral report of the events, but Starsky waived him off. He sat on the ground facing Jenny. She was staring at Moose's body. Without a word he reached out taking her by the shoulders and pulling her into his arms. Her head was on his chest as he gently stroked her blond hair.
"It's over Jenny. It's all over." He whispered in her ear, but he knew it was far from over for her. She had a long road to recovery ahead of her. He just prayed she was strong enough to take the journey. Again he looked up, asking for help from that invisible source. Jenny sobbed quietly.
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Jenny, Hutch and Starsky rode to the hospital together in the ambulance. Jenny sitting on the stretcher, and Starsky and Hutch sitting on the metal bench to the side.
After several hours, and much convincing on Hutch's behalf, they were finally released. Anytime someone is hit over the head and loses consciousness, not once but twice, the standard of care would be to keep the patient over night for observation. But Hutch protested vigorously, and of course, Starsky backed him up, knowing how much they both hated hospitals. The dark haired detective did have to promise to keep vigil over his partner, making the doctors, reluctantly, agree to send him on his way.
Heidi had met the trio at the hospital, as soon as she was finished giving the police her statement. After Jenny had been thoroughly examined by the attending physician and she had spoken to the investigating officers, Heidi agreed to take her home. The staff at the hospital put her in contact with the various organizations and support groups to help her deal with her ordeal.
The four of them sat in the lobby of the hospital. The room had a sitting area, allowing the four of them to rest and talk. It had definitely been a long harrowing day. Heidi and Hutch were to one side.
"Looks like I owe you a rain check for a meal." Hutch said smiling at her.
"Yeah, and I promised you, I'd give you a second chance. " She said as she looked over at her cousin, who was staring out the window. "But I think I really need to concentrate on Jenny for now. I need to do everything I can to help her."
Looking over at the young woman, Hutch concurred. "That's completely understandable." He said trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.
Starsky was sitting next to Jenny, observing her distant stare out the huge window. He leaned towards her, keeping his voice down. "You doin' okay, kiddo?" He asked, genuinely concerned about her.
"Yeah." She replied, taking a deep breath and letting it out. "I will be!" She stated,
confidently, turning to look at him.
"I know you will be, 'schweetheart'." He gave her a wink. He paused, and then thought back over the days events, making him shudder. "You know I'm really proud of the way you handled yourself today. And if you need anything, anything at all, I want you to call me." Jenny knew that he really meant that, he wasn't just saying it.
"I never did get a chance to thank you." She said to him.
He looked at her curiously. "Thank me for what?" He said furrowing his brow.
"Earlier, in the bathroom, I really lost it. You brought me back." Her eyes were tearing up. She was looking intently into his. "I don't know what I would have if you weren't there, thank you."
He felt the moisture welling up in his own eyes as he smiled at her. He nodded in acknowledgement of what she was saying, but he couldn't accept her gratitude. He felt responsible for allowing it to happen to her in the first place. That was something he'd have to work on.
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The flight from San Diego to Bay City was, for the most part, uneventful. Both Starsky and Hutch were looking forward to getting back to work. Vacations were highly over-rated. Their plans included, chasing down a few perps, taking a few hardened criminals off the streets, and squeezing info out of Huggy Bear. Ah, Bay City had it all!
The flight attendant was a slim, very attractive blond by the name of Heather. Hutch had been eyeing her since they taxied the runway in San Diego. Starsky was sitting in the aisle seat, with Hutch occupying the center. Heather approached the detectives. "Can I get either of you two gentlemen another drink, before we begin our descent?" Although she was asking both of them, she was clearly giving Hutch her undivided attention. Hutch raised his index finger, signaling one more Heineken for him. She smiled and looked to his friend. Starsky declined her offer. Heather sauntered off to retrieve the tall blonds' drink.
The dark, curly haired detective was busy checking out the beautiful red-head sitting across the aisle from him. Up until that moment, he really hadn't noticed her. He wasn't sure if it was the drinks he had already consumed, or the excitement of almost being at their home, that was making him feel down right giddy. Letting out a big sigh, he rested his chin in his hand, with his elbow on the arm of his seat, staring puppy-eyed at the stranger. Seeing this young stunning woman sitting just a few feet from him gave him reason to smile.
They both had the strangest feeling of Deja Vu.
He jabbed Hutch with his elbow. "Hey, Hutch," he said looking sideways at her, "Check her out. I sure hope she lives in Bay City!"
Just then the woman looked up and saw him staring at her. He nervously raised both his eyebrows and gave her his best smile. He was trying to look irresistible, but ended up looking more like an awkward, geeky school boy. She politely smiled back and quickly lowered her head back to the magazine in her lap, trying to avoid any further contact. Hutch recognized this and tried to stop his friend from making a complete ass out himself, but it was too late.
With all his 'boyish' charm he leaned toward her. "My name's Starsky, Dave Starsky," he stated...
The End