19

"It's not like that at all!"

Starsky's voice was a bit brutal but he soon talked as usual, amused and mocking. After all, Hutch had been teasing him all morning about Tessa and his last remark about his partner being with his head in the cloud since they met the young woman did trigger the usual "falsely-molested-Starsky" mode.

"It's just that she is in the middle of a snake pit and we'd better close this case before these guys close their claws on her if they ever find out who she really is."

"Seems that she managed pretty good by herself until now."

"That was before we made a big entrance in the circus!"

"Starsky, don't get nervous. I think our covers hold pretty good." Hutch tried to be as reassuring as he could but he could see it had no effect on his figgeting partner.

"Yeah... I think you're right." Starsky stayed pensive for a moment, his eyes staring in front of him in the void. "Still, there is something about this Rico one, I don't like him."

Hutch let out an amused sigh.

'Hey, I don't think it's written anywhere we're supposed to stand the bad guys, let alone like them."

"Sure." the brunet detective answered absent-mindedly. He was reading a note that their Captain had handed them earlier, about the Fuentes gang. Alejandro Fuentes' file was pretty clear to understand, though the reason for his coming to Bay City instead of remaining in Miami was not a hundred percent logical. There was nothing special about Ricardo Mendoza, except the fact that he sound like the logical heir to the throne. Sebastian was obviously the perfect muscle man close to Alejandro. There was something about Perkins though, but Starsky could not precisely put his finger on it.

"What do you think about Perkins?" he abruptly asked to his blonde partner.

"What should I think about him? He is big, tough, not really friendly at first sight, and I don't think a second look would change anything. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know... there's something... like he is not clean."

"Starsk... he is not supposed to be clean. He is on the wrong side, remember?"

"I know, but... I feel..." he was tapping with the tip of his fingers on his belly "something here."

"Another gut feeling, maybe?" Hutch gently laughed. But he knew better. He knew that his partner had some sort of pendulum inside his stomach and this had helped them in many occurrences to find solutions to difficult cases faster than expected.

"Yeah..." Starsky's voice was almost inaudible, he was lost in his thoughts, staring at Perkins photograph, searching for a clue.

"Okay, don't worry, this will be over in no time. And then you can ask her out for dinner."

"Yeah..." Starsky had not reacted to the last remark, totally absorbed by his contemplation of the picture in front of him.

"And maybe a candlelight dinner?" Hutch went on sotto voce.

Suddenly, his partner snapped out of his reverie and stared at him with sparkling eyes.

"Hutch, you're too weird."

"I know," the blond detective confessed humbly. "But you like that about me, otherwise you would have filed a request for another partner."

Saying so, he stood up, took his jacket.

"C'mon, dreamer, we've got a lunch to grab, some clothes to change and some bad guys to meet."

Starsky closed the file, put it away, snapped his fingers and followed his blond partner.

"Lunch... magic word... I'm starving."

"No kidding!"

Hutch was all smiles inside. If there was one thing that could warm his brunet partner's heart, it was definitely food.

S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~

"WHO DID THIS?"

Alejandro Fuentes hardly shouted, in any occasion, but right now he was more than furious. When he saw Tessa's face and the bruises she had tried to hide under a generous layer of foundation, he suddenly became enraged. Without telling the young woman he was pretty sure of the guilty one, he wanted to hear it out loud from her.

Tessa did not know how to react. If she told about Rico's brutal behavior and harassment, she was afraid Alejandro might react very violently, although he had never shown a bad temper. She just felt he kept a terrible reaction power, down deep inside. And his reaction might jeopardize the whole operation. Unless they all killed each other in retaliation... then there would not be a need for a police operation after all.

If she did not tell him the truth, on the other hand, he might suspect she was involved in another relationship. And she would be the one at risk. The dilemma was not hard to solve.

"I just had an argument with Rico and... I talked back a bit harsh, I guess. You know how he is... well, quick-tempered. I won't happen again"

For sure, never again, because in a couple of days, we will get rid of you all, once and for good.

"Don't try to find excuses for what he had done to you, Tessa. I will not accept this from anyone who tries to hurt you. Ever!"

Alejandro's voice raised as he was looking at Tessa and tenderly reached for her cheek with his hand.

He was thinking of his lost love and felt a violent urge to exit the apartment and hit Rico very hard, to teach him some manners. But he felt his presence near Tessa was more important right now. He would have plenty of time to deal with his brutal nephew later.

Tessa did not move and tried not to cry in front of him. Not out of pain or fear. But of rage to be stuck in such a dramatic scenario which she wanted to escape as soon as possible.

She needed to calm him down, for the sake of Starsky and Hutch's plan. She looked at him and managed to smile, only a little smile, because the pain was still sharp on her skin.

"It's okay... I'll be all right."

Al gently smiled at her and carefully caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, trying not to revive the pain.

"I think it's better for you to stay here tonight. Just relax and try to forget about this... if you can.""

"But... The Rose?"

"Forget it for tonight, all right?"

Al's tone was more than a piece of advice, it almost sounded like an order and Tessa felt it would be better indeed if she stayed away from all of them for a few hours.

"As you wish." she replied obediently.

Al approached her face and softly put a kiss on the unhurt cheek, gave her a last reassuring glance and left without another word.

S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~

"Who do think you are, little coward?"

Al's voice was admitting no reply, even though he just asked a question. Rico was standing tall, defying, his chin raised. His fists closed, but he didn't make a move. He had learned over the years to master his emotions and right now, he didn't want his uncle to have any clue that maybe, just maybe, he could be the dominant type. He decided to keep a low profile and lowered his eyes.

"I… I'm sorry, she was just… pretty insulting and I… couldn't control myself for a moment."

"You'd better watch out, next time, I'll deal with you myself, 'cause I'm fed up with your manners, Rico. You hear me?"

"Yes."

Rico's voice was blunt.

"Good. Now get lost. I have matters to take care of and I don't want to see you for the rest of the day."

Rico tried a faint smile, falsely acting like a spoiled brat who's been caught.

When he sat in his car, he put his hands on the wheels, squeezed real hard until the knuckles turned white. His breath was fast. He was enraged, feeling more than ideas of murder down deep inside. And the bodies he had in mind were parading in his soul: his uncle, Tessa… and these two guys who thought they had the perfect undercover story. Yeah, for sure, Burnett and Collins would be the perfect excuse for he was planning to do next.

S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~ S*H ~