(sorry for the re-reposts - damn stupid typos!)

Chapter Twelve

At the end of the alley Hutch found a back door standing ajar. Heart pounding, he eased up to it slowly from the side, staying low until he was abreast of it. It was then he noticed the smeared blood on the wood panel and his urgency increased. With an outstretched hand he pushed the door the rest of the way open, cautiously peered inside, and then darted in.

He found himself in a large gutted out building which looked like it had once been offices or storage spaces that had undergone varying degrees of renovation, but had since been abandoned. Some of the walls were still intact, others the plaster had been removed, exposing the skeletal lattice frame work beneath. Still others were completed stripped down to the supportive framing. Trash littered the floor and the stench of urine hung stagnant in the air.

The interior was dim, filled with many shadows that Hutch knew could easily lurk hidden danger. Knowing he was alone without back-up, he listened cautiously, his mind sharply focused, as he moved methodically through the building, the magnum poised in front of him, his other hand raised defensively up. Pale blue eyes keenly scanned the interior for any shift of movement as he stayed close to the walls and peered around corners carefully but quickly as he searched for his injured partner.

Hutch had covered most of the ground floor when he heard a noise off to his left. He spun around a corner and found two junkies huddled together on a tattered bare mattress. They looked at him out of glazed eyes that suddenly turned in fear as they saw the magnum pointed directly at them. Hutch held his other hand palm up to them in assurance before drawing his forefinger to his lips, indicating they be quiet.

The two junkies nodded, hugging each other close as the tall man with the big gun moved away.

Tucked at the end of a hallway, Hutch found a narrow flight of stairs and on the first few steps noticed several drops of fresh blood. He ascending quickly, hoping, praying he'd find his partner in time.

~S/H~

Before Huggy got far, an unmarked unit arrived on the scene and to his surprise Detective Marcello climbed out.

"Heard the shots fired call over the radio. What's going on here?" Marcello demanded.

Huggy quickly explained the situation.

"Where's Detective Hutchinson?"

"He went in after his partner," Huggy replied

A black and white unit pulled up behind the sedan. Scowling, Marcella barked off orders to the two uniformed officers who joined them. "Hutchinson needs back up. You two get the perimeter secured outside. I'm going in to help."

~S/H~

Voices below kept him moving upward until he was forced to climb several flights.

Winded and in pain, he sought refuge in one of the many gutted out rooms which branched off from the service stairwell. He slid to the floor in a corner and he tried to slow his breathing down.

His right hand was covered in blood as he tried to stem the oozing flow coming from his left bicep. He pressed his head against the wall from the pain.

The creak of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs made the hairs on the back on his neck spring up. He gripped the gun tightly in his hand.

"You really think you can run, Rudy? That you can hide? There's no where to go, no where to escape. Just give up. It'll go easier on you."

He withdrew deeper into the shadows, afraid, not sure anymore if the voice was real or in his head. The only he did know was he wasn't going back to Cabrillo, not ever.

~S/H~

Marcello moved quickly once inside the building. His instincts that the two detectives must have been working undercover all along drove him forward. He still didn't know how much they may have figured out, but it didn't matter, his thoughts only on a single objective, to find Hutchinson and his injured partner.

~S/H~

Hutch followed the small spotted blood trail until he'd reached the third floor and thought he heard a noise.

Like the first floor, most of the walls on this level were gutted out, some completely removed. Maneuvering around boxes and scattered debris, under his weight, the floorboards creaked and popped loudly making him cringe, while a few sagged uncomfortably beneath his steps leading Hutch to the assumption the whole damn floor was probably rotted out beneath him.

A scuffle of sound off to his right made him swing around and duck down. Briefly he saw a flash of movement but he couldn't immediately tell if it was Starsky or one of the three men chasing him. Silently he backed away, hoping to come around to the other side for a better look.

The sudden blast of unexpected gunfire splintered the wood near his face and made him drop to the floor and quickly scoot behind several boxes. Getting onto his knees, he returned fire with a couple of rounds but knew he missed, the gunman having already disappeared somewhere back into the shadows.

~S/H~

Marcello heard the shots and made his way up the stairs. He entered the upper level, staying low but moving purposefully. When he rounded one of the walls he stopped short as he saw the glint of steel first from the gun, the outstretched hand and face as the tall blond detective moved out from behind the concealment of boxes.

Marcello assessed the situation quickly, then drew his weapon. Hutchinson was almost directly within his gun site, only partially blocked by a beam. He could clearly see the man's face as he spotted his target. Marcello hesitated briefly, but knew he no longer had any options left.

He shifted his stance bringing the man into his sites. His finger closed around the trigger.

I'm sorry…

~S/H~

"Hutchinson! Get down!"

Hutch heard the shout coming from his right.

It was followed immediately by the loud explosion of gunfire and a second later its return from the opposing direction, trapping Hutch where he dropped to the floor on his belly in between. The volley of bullets whizzing over his head lasted only a few seconds before Hutch heard a strangled cry followed by crash and looked over to see a figure fall out of the shadows onto the ground.

He looked in the opposing direction and to his surprise found Detective Marcello standing about ten feet away, the gun poised in front of him.

Hutch's eyes widened as Marcello approached.

Slowly the detective lowered his weapon.

Hutch's brain quickly reverted to auto pilot and went to the fallen man's side, kicked the gun out of the way. But he needn't of bothered. The gunman stared back at him out of dead eyes, blood quickly pooling around his neck.

Marcello didn't say anything as he stared down at the dead man, his gun held loosely in his hand.

"Thanks. I owe you." Hutch said a little hesitantly, sensing something in Marcello that was off.

The older detective merely blinked.

"Hey? You okay?"

Marcello nodded, still staring at the dead man. Hutch frowned.

"You know him?"

Again Marcello nodded. In a flat, dead voice he replied. "His name's Tony Luciana. Six years ago he used to be my partner."

"Your partner…" Hutch said stunned.

Marcello started to stagger and it was only then did Hutch notice the crimson stain coming through the older man's jacket. He started to sink to the ground. Hutch grabbed him, eased him into a sitting position.

"You're hit!"

Marcello brushed him off. "It's alright. It ain't bad. Only a flesh wound in the side."

He then grabbed Hutch by the front of his jacket, eyes glittering in pain but with urgency in his voice. "Go find your partner, Hutchinson, before the others find him."

Hutch hesitated.

"Go, damnit. I'm all right!"

Hutch nodded, still not completely sure just what had happened here but at the moment he didn't have the time to process it. He took one more glance at the older detective before he took off.

~S/H~

Alerted by the gunfire, several uniforms arrived on the third floor within minutes, their guns drawn and right alongside them was Marcello's partner.

At the sight the older detective sitting slumped next to the body, Johansen raced over to his partner. His eyes widened in shock as he stared at the dead man laying in a pool of blood, recognizing the face of Marcello's former partner from the picture in Marcello's desk. He had finally made the connection between the name found in the background reports on Maas with Marcello's old partner.

His mouth turned grimly down but said nothing as he addressed the detective's wound.

"Guess you figured it out, huh?" Marcello winced under the younger man's ministrations.

"I-I'm sorry, Frank," Johansen said awkwardly to both the question and the pain he was inflicting.

"Me too," Marcello replied, great sadness in his voice. "I just wished I'd been wrong."

"Where's Hutchinson?"

Marcello looked up at the young detective. "You need to go help him, Sam. Help him find his partner. Later…we'll talk."

Johansen nodded. He went to get up, but Marcello grabbed him by the sleeve, his grip remarkably strong. "You be careful, kid, you hear me? I'm getting too damn old to break in any more partners."

For the first time in eight months the younger detective saw acceptance and acknowledgement in the older man's eyes. With a nod of assurance, Johansen took off.

~S/H~

The gunfire coming from the floor below startled Starsky who retreated further back and accidentally bumped into several poles propped against the wall. They toppled over and clattered loudly as they hit the floor.

He heard someone shout. "This way! He's over here!"

In the dim lighting he could see the two figures entering the room, moving towards him. He scrambled backwards from his hiding place and crawled under a section of scaffolding into another room, his progress awkward and slow from his injuries.

Using the wall as leverage, he pushed himself back into a standing position, but remained bent over as his ribs protested and his head felt like it was ready to explode.

He could hear his pursuers moving further into the room, closer and all his he could think of was being caught, strapped down and becoming Matwick's next guinea pig. Shakily he gripped the gun still in his hand as he back further away, searching for another avenue of escape.

~S/H~

Hutch had ascended to the next floor. He stopped, listened then heard the echoing sound of running feet down the corridor to his left. He quickly took off in that direction.

~S/H~

Miguel spotted the injured cop. "There he is!"

He fired off a round which splintered the wood above the cop's head as he leaned against the wall. The curly haired man ducked out of sight.

Miguel quickly moved around hoping to cut his escape off. For a second he couldn't see anything, then saw him trying to retreat back. He carefully took aim again. He never got off the second round though as a very large, very tall and very solid object suddenly slammed into him.

~S/H~

The impact sent both men into a pile of clutter.

Hutch felt the magnum knocked out of his hand as he landed in a tangled pile of arms and legs.

Hutch scrambled to get back to his feet but had no time to look for his gun as he saw the second suspect already coming at him with a knife.

He barely missed the sweep of the blade as it arched at him.

He backed up, grabbed the first thing he could, which turned out to be a bucket and lobbied it at his attacker.

Hutch ducked the next swipe and pushed himself into the open, into the center of the room.

The man smiled, circling him.

Hutch grabbed a three foot piece of PCV pipe. With his attention focused on the swinging blade arcing at him, he didn't see the second man getting back to his feet and coming at him from behind.

He jumped on Hutch's back, grabbing the detective in a strangle hold around the neck.

Hutch struggled to get the man off him, to breath, as the knifeman moved in.

"Hold it, police!"

In the next instant he heard a shot and the man holding the knife suddenly spin as the bullet impacted with his shoulder.

Hutch immediately dropped the PCV pipe, and threw his elbow backwards. It landed into the second suspect's ribcage.

The man grunted.

Hutch then grabbed him by the wrist and in a move Starsky would have been most proud of, flipped him over onto his back. The man didn't get back up.

Marcello's partner quickly secured and handcuffed the knifeman who lay doubled over.

Hutch shouted out to his partner, who had disappeared again. "Starsky! Starsk! Where are you?"

"Go ahead. I've got these two," Johansen assured.

Hutch nodded and took off.

He spotted Starsky retreating back down the hallway and then up another set of service stairs.

He ran after him.

The stairs led up to the roof which was about as cluttered as the interior with various sheds and junk stored in piles.

Hutch saw Starsky staggering towards the other end of the building before he disappeared around a corrugated metal shed.

As he rounded the shed he spotted his partner leaning against the wall, holding onto to his left arm which was covered in blood. Instinctively Hutch moved towards his injured friend, grateful, relieved to have finally found him.

"Starsky! Thank God I found you!"

Starsky's head snapped up startled. His eyes widened and Hutch knew instantly he had made a huge mistake as his partner panicked and backed up along the far end of the structure, and then to Hutch's horror, out onto the outer flat perimeter of the roof.

Starsky stumbled, his breathing heavy and his eyes showed both his desperation and fear as he sought an avenue of escape. When he realized he had backed himself into a corner though he sagged against the side of the metal corrugated wall in a half crouched position and shakily raised his blood soaked hand as Hutch tried to advance.

"Stay back!"

"Starsky?"

"Don't come any closer!" his partner ordered.

And it was then Hutch saw the gun gripped tightly in his partner's trembling hand.

Hutch froze.

His partner sank weakly to his knees. "Stay the fuck away from me!"

Immediately Hutch held his hands, palms up to show his partner they were empty. "Babe, it's me. It's Hutch."

Starsky continued to scoot backward, unaware that he was moving ever closer to the edge of the building. Hutch's heart leapt in his throat.

"Starsky, don't move. Don't move!"

The gun shook in Starsky hand. "I said get back!"

Hutch was forced to take a few steps back, his own panic welling within him. "Buddy, put the gun down…It's me. Hutch. Please, l-let me help you."

Starsky shook his head. The stained crimson hand trembled. He blinked several times, his face contorting in obvious pain while rivets of sweat ran down the injured man's forehead. His eyes looked wild, almost feral.

"No…I'm not going back!"

"Back?" Hutch asked, perplexed.

Starsky gripped the gun tightly, his whole body tensely poised, yet shaking with the same fear as earlier, clearly afraid of Hutch as if he were seeing him as someone else.

It was then he recalled the girl had called him Rudy.

Rudy? Light dawned in his eyes, followed by shock and sick dread as he looked at his frightened partner cowering away from him. Surely it couldn't mean?

"Babe, d-don't you know who I am?" he asked in a choked voice.

Starsky sneered. "Oh, I know who you are! I know who you all are. You and Switeck and Jackson…and I know why you're here too! He sent you…sent you to bring me back!"

Oh God! Oh my god…

In his confused state, suddenly Hutch realized Starsky really thought he was Rudy Skyler!

Hutch's heart was pounding in his chest. "Please babe, you don't understand. You're just confused."

"I said stay back or I swear I'll blow you away!"

Starsky was breathing raggedly, clearly distressed, clearly afraid.

Suddenly Starsky gripped his head and swayed. His left foot shifted outward, closer to the edge of the building's flat top roof.

Color drained from Hutch's face and cold fear ran down his spine.

Oh, God, he's going to fall!

"Starsky, don't move!"

Aware of the gun still aimed at his chest, Hutch was far more afraid at the moment for his partner's safety. He had to remain calm, had to somehow get through to him.

He dropped his voice very softly to the tone he reserved strictly for his partner. "Please listen to me, babe. You're not Rudy Skyler. You're name's David…David Starsky."

The curly haired man shook his head, the gun trembling in his hand.

"Someone attacked you, buddy and h-hit you over the head and you're just a little confused right now."

"No!"

"I'm t-telling you the truth. You're David, not Rudy. You're David Starsky and I'm Hutch, your partner."

"Partner?"

"Yes, babe. We're cops. Don't you remember? Detectives. We were on an undercover assignment at Cabrillo."

"No you're Hansen, the intern. He sent you. Sent you to bring me back!"

"No babe. Hansen was only my cover character I was playing at Cabrillo. Just like Rudy Skyler was yours. They were just roles we were playing in order to find out who was murdering some of the patients."

Starsky frowned.

"Do you remember, Starsky?" Hutch coaxed. "Don't you remember our assignment?"

"Matwick…"

"That's right. It was Dr. Matwick. He was experimenting with psyche drugs on the patients."

"No! Matwick said I-I was sick….said I killed someone, said I needed to be restrained, punished," the confused man countered.

"He was lying partner. He found about about us. Found out we were cops. Tried to kill us both, but you caught him Starsky. You caught him."

Starsky continued to hold the gun on Hutch. His left foot was mere inches from the edge. If he made just one more move…No!...Somehow, somehow Hutch needed to get through to him before…..Oh God…he couldn't think about it, the what ifs.

Hutch crouched down at eye level to his partner, hoping to appear less intimidating, yet in a way he could spring if he needed to. One hand reached beseechingly to the frightened man. "Starsky I would never lie to you, never hurt you. You know that d-don't you?"

"Just stay away! Stay away from me."

Hutch ignored the gun and focusing his attention only on the dark frightened eyes staring back. "You're my partner, Starsk, and m-my best friend. I've been looking for you all night, all day buddy. I've been so worried about you…Please, babe. Please put the gun down. I know you don't really want to hurt me. You don't really want to hurt anyone."

Starsky twisted his head as if he suddenly had trouble focusing. The gun dipped slightly, then rose again, uncertain. Hutch could see the inner battle playing within his confused partner.

"No, it's a trick. I remember. I remember you tying me down, putting the gag on me."

"Ah, Starsk! It was just part of our assignment, an act. I w-would never deliberately hurt you. You're the most important thing in my life!"

"You left me…"

Hutch flinched.

"I know buddy. I didn't want to, but if I had stayed, it would have blown our cover."

Starsky rubbed his forehead. "Can't think…everything is mix up."

"I know it feels like that right now, but I'm not lying to you, babe. We've been partners for a long time, friends for a long time. Me and you and even that stupid stripped tomato you call a car."

Starsky sagged a little further, his foot almost touching the edge of the roof. Hutch breath caught in his throat.

Starsky held his head, moaning pitifully "Hurts."

"I know babe. I know it hurts. Just don't move, babe, please. Just don't move. Let me come to you. Let me h-help you."

The gun shook in Starsky's hand, his tired eyes unknowingly pleaded for help.

Hutch moved a tentative step forward. "Everything's going to be okay, buddy. I'm here now. You don't have to be afraid of me."

The gun rose again, hesitated then lowered a little more. "That's it babe. That's it."

Cautiously he inched closer, keeping his movements as non-threatening as possible while his own heart raced, afraid any sudden move would startled him and make Starsky bolt.

When he was within six feet, suddenly two uniformed officers rounded the corner, weapons drawn. Hutch caught their advance just out of his peripheral vision and tried to wave them back, but he knew it was too late, Starsky had seen them.

Overwhelming panic hit him as Starsky scrambled backward. In horror, he saw the blue Adidas sneaker slip off the edge.

It was enough to throw his already injured partner off balance and with a startled cry Starsky pitched sideways.

"NO!"

Hutch sprang towards him just Starsky's left leg slipped over the edge. The gun dropped out of Starsky's hand as he tried desperately to grab and claw at the ledge seeking purchase as his right leg followed the momentum. It bounced then disappeared from sight as Starsky's torso followed. For a second it looked like he was able to lock his forearms against the ledge and brace himself, but his weight prevented him from succeeding. His forearms dragged against the cement as his body slid.

Hutch leapt the remaining distance into a head first dive. His fingers just brushed his partner's hand as Starsky cried out, eyes completely dilated in abject terror, before he fell out of sight.

"NOOOOO!…" Hutch's screamed pierce the air, pierced his soul and ripped his heart in two as he stared at the empty space left behind…

TBC...