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Starsky vs Hutch

Chapter 7

Starsky once again lay on the table as Charlotte applied herself to his massage. "I have a new assignment for you," she said quietly. "A man called Hutchinson. He's a cop."

She felt Starsky tense and poured more oil between his shoulder blades. "Remember what I told you?" she asked, concentrating her efforts on the knots of tension beneath her hands.

"Yeah," Starsky drawled. "Cops are bad. I am not a cop. I am not bad any more."

"Well done, David. This cop is the worst of them all and you must eliminate him."

The small voice in Starsky's mind tried to protest but to no avail.

"He used to call himself your partner and your friend but he abandoned you when you needed him. You were lost and he deserted you. Now he is getting too close to our little enterprise and we need to dispose of him before he hurts us. And he will hurt you if he gets the chance."

Charlotte continued with her poisonous lies and Starsky could feel his anger beginning to grow. "I'm going to enjoy killing this one." he thought.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Hutch, White and Hogan had spread the word around their informants that they were looking for a black sedan driven by a woman, along with a sketchy description of the male passenger. Although most were too scared to cooperate openly, the detectives were aware that word was spreading and all three felt that they were closing in on their quarry.

They had spent a quiet evening at Huggy's, enjoying the opportunity to switch off for a few hours. Hutch found himself liking the two older men more and more as he spent time with them. He had always respected them as cops but now he was getting to know them as men.

Not for the first time he wished that Starsky was with them. He became more introspective as he tried to think of new ways to find out what had become of his partner. He was reluctantly beginning to think that Starsky was dead, although his heart refused to believe it.

At around ten White and Hogan said their goodbyes and left to go home. Hutch moved to the bar and stayed another half hour chatting with Huggy.

As was his habit, Hutch left by the back door and made his way to his car. As he was pulling the key from his pocket he was pushed violently from behind to crash into his car, face first. He felt his nose break and blood pooled in his mouth as a succession of blows to his kidneys made him grunt in pain. As he began to straighten and turn, a kick to his knee sent him to the ground.

Hutch looked up at his attacker, unable to make out his features in the darkness. He staggered to his feet, his right leg trembling as he tried to put weight on it. Although at a disadvantage from the surprise attack there was no way Hutch was going down without a fight. And he knew this was a fight for his life.

His assailant sprang forwards in a flurry of blows which drove Hutch back against his car. He could feel himself weakening but launched his own counter-attack, landing punches to ribs and face, satisfied to hear the other man grunt in pain.

"This guy's good," Hutch thought as he parried the blows coming his way.

Grasping his opponent they fell to the ground, rolling around in the muck, exchanging more punches. Hutch attempted to use some of his long forgotten college wrestling moves and he knew a few tricks that Starsky had taught him, but his opponent seemed to anticipate his every move. They came apart and got to their feet, both breathing heavily. As the man danced away out of reach, the light from a passing car illuminated the alley for a split second.

Hutch gasped. "Starsky?"

Starsky leapt forward again landing a punch to Hutch's already broken nose that made his vision blur.

He backed away unable and unwilling to hurt his partner. "Starsk? Please, buddy," he mumbled, spitting out the blood that once again filled his mouth. "It's me, Hutch."

But the Starsky Hutch knew was lost in his own mind, barricaded in the fortress he had constructed. The Starsky confronting him was consumed with blood-lust and filled with the murmurings of his mistress. He pressed home his advantage ruthlessly.

Hutch fell to the ground, overcome with sadness for his friend, and slipped into unconsciousness.

Starsky stood over him fingering the knife in his pocket, feeling a strange reluctance to finish the job. As he flicked open the blade, the door to the bar opened flooding the alley with light.

"What's goin' on out here?" came Huggy's voice. "I'm gonna call the police! Get outa here!"

Starsky spared Hutch one more glance before he ran to the waiting car and Charlotte sped off.

Huggy Bear crouched beside Hutch's body. "Hey, you OK, man? Let's get you up and take you inside, huh?" A moan answered him. "Hey, come on, fella. Up ya get. Ya can't stay here, dig?"

Rolling the man over Huggy gasped as he realised it was Hutch. He ran to the open door and shouted to Diane to call the cops and an ambulance. "Tell them 'officer down', that'll get 'em here quicker."

Then he ran back to try and comfort his stricken friend.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

As Huggy had predicted, the call of 'officer down' had speedily brought the emergency services to the alley behind his bar. Hutch was beginning to stir when the paramedics arrived but had not roused enough to argue about going to hospital. Huggy spoke briefly to Diane then climbed into the ambulance to accompany his friend.

On arrival at hospital Hutch was whisked away to the emergency room leaving Huggy to book him in at reception. He folded his lanky frame into a chair to wait for news. As he expected Captain Dobey arrived soon after, having been informed by the attending uniforms, and he was swiftly followed by White and Hogan.

It seemed like hours later a doctor came out to see them. All four men stood in unison. "How is he?" Dobey asked gruffly.

"Nothing too serious," the doctor replied. "His nose is broken and he's badly bruised but he will be fine." A collective sigh of relief greeted this. "I'd like to keep him in a couple of days as he had lost consciousness but also to check his kidney function as he has severe bruising in that area."

"When can we see him, doc?" Huggy asked.

"He's being moved to a room right now. I'll get a nurse to let you know when he's settled."

Captain Dobey shook the doctor's hand and they all sat back down to wait for the nurse.

A short while later a nurse came to take them to Hutch's room. White and Hogan waited outside while Huggy and the captain went in.

Hutch lay back on the pillows with his eyes closed but he cranked them open when he heard his friends enter. Dobey took in his appearance, schooling his face not to reveal the shock he felt. "What happened, Hutch?" he asked gently.

"He got the drop on me, Cap'n." Hutch looked disgusted with himself and his eyes slid away from his captain's. "He came up behind me, mashed my face on my car and kicked my legs out from under me. I...I...I tried to fight back but..." Hutch's voice died away. Then he looked at Dobey and Huggy with tears in his eyes and said hesitantly "Cap...it was Starsky...it was Starsky."

Both men stared at him in bewilderment. "He didn't recognise me...just kept hitting me and hitting me...like a man possessed..."

Captain Dobey took a breath. "Right, Hutch. White and Hogan are outside. I want you to give them a statement. Then you're going to get some rest and start healing." Hutch started to object but Dobey stopped him. "That's an order, son. There's nothing you can do tonight. Talk to White and Hogan and get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning. Huggy?"

"Yeah, just a minute, Captain." Huggy placed a hand on Hutch's shoulder and gazed into his pain filled eyes. "We'll find him, Hutch. We'll find him and bring him back. I'll call in some favours and we'll find him."

"Thanks, Hug," Hutch whispered watching him and Dobey exit the room.

A few minutes later White and Hogan entered the room. "How're ya doin'. Hutch," White asked. "Dobey says Starsky did this to ya?"

"Yeah," Hutch said unsteadily. "Look, guys, can we just get this over with?"

"Sure thing," said Hogan getting out his notebook and pen.

After Hutch had told them all he could remember, Hogan stowed away his notebook saying "You get some rest, Hutch. We'll go and talk to Huggy."

"Yeah, well you guys take care. Chances are if they're after me, they'll be after you too. We must be getting close."

"We'll put a guard on your door just in case," said White.

Hutch rolled his eyes but didn't have the energy to argue. He struggled to get comfortable and eventually fell into a restless sleep haunted by nightmares of Starsky trying to kill him.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Charlotte was furious when Starsky told her Hutch was not dead. "You'll have to do it again!" she shrieked. "He's got to die!"

"Why?" Starsky asked, wishing he understood why this one was so important.

"Because I say so," she hissed. "Because he's a cop and he's getting too close. Cops are bad, remember? Remember what I told you?"

Starsky closed his eyes. "Yes, Charlie. I remember. Cops are bad. I am not a cop any more. I am not bad any more," he intoned.

"Good," she said, visibly calming down. "Good boy. You have done well but you must complete your mission. Rest now and I will get Jackson and Whitman to find out where he is. Then we can make plans."

Starsky let out the breath he had not been aware he was holding, relieved that he was not to be punished as he had feared. This was the first time he had failed and he had dreaded what might be done to him in retribution.

He showered and tended to the cuts and bruises inflicted upon him by his latest victim, the first he had received. Then he went to bed, his dreams punctuated by visions of the tall, blond cop.

TBC