Chapter 5

Just before midnight two days later, Starsky got out of a cab and went to the back door as Huggy was locking up for the night. Huggy let him and said, "He's upstairs." Starsky took the stairs two at a time and opened the door to find Hutch already waiting for him. Hutch stood up and the two men laughed. "I think we really have everyone fooled, Hutch." Starsky said.

"Let's just hope it stays that way until we find out who's pulling Ray and Andy's strings."

Starsky let out a chuckle, "Yeah, if they find out we've been playing them instead of them playing us against each other, we're gonna be in some serious trouble."

Huggy poured two beers and followed Starsky upstairs. He knocked on the door. Hutch opened the door for him, "Thanks, Hug."

"Anything for my favorite detectives. Man, I got to say the two of you are the talk of the town."

"You hear that, Hutch? We're the talk of the town."

"What kind of talk, Huggy?"

"The word on the streets is that the two of you are so mad at each, other you'll do anything to upstage the other one. Everyone knows you can't stand to even look at each other. And if I didn't know this was all an act I would believe it."

Starsky and Hutch looked at each other and grinned. "What else did you find out?"

"I've heard a couple of names you two might be interested in." Huggy went on to give them the names of the two men that might be involved in the fight over Big John's area. Starsky and Hutch shared information with each other on the latest shipments they had been told about by Ray and Andy. They drank a couple of beers and had a good time being their old selves. It had been over a week since they had the chance to get together. Besides Huggy and Captain Dobey, no one else knew everything they had done since becoming promoted was all carefully orchestrated. They knew each other's every move all along. Even the promotions were their suggestion. Hutch laughed when he told Starsky that the Chief almost called it off when he saw how upset Starsky was. He told Starsky he should have seen the look on his face when Starsky stormed out and slammed the door. Just before Starsky's cab arrived to take him home he looked at Hutch and said, "Yeah, you're laughing with me now, but tomorrow you'll walk by and frown without saying a word."

Hutch laughed and said, "It won't last much longer, Buddy. I'll be in at 0800." Starsky's cab came and Hutch drove home.

It was 0300 when Hutch was awakened by someone shaking him. Before opening his eyes, Hutch could tell there were at least three people in the room. He knew fighting was useless and he was probably just going to be taken to another little meeting. "Oh, goody, I was wondering when I would get to see you boys again." He said as he opened his eyes and blinked.

"Get up. You're coming with us."

Hutch recognized that voice as Ray's. "No, really. I sure didn't think you were here for a cup of coffee." Ray slapped Hutch which surprised him and he began to worry about what was really going on. "Now, Ray, that wasn't necessary. I'm getting up." Hutch started looking around for his pants. He found a pair on the floor and put the shirt on that was next to it.

"Hurry it up. The boss doesn't have all night," Ray said, rather impatiently.

"If I had known you boys were coming over I would have dressed for the occasion," Hutch said sarcastically as he reached for the socks and shoes that were also piled up on the floor.

Hutch started to reach for his shoulder harness with his gun in it Ray put his hand on Hutch's arm, "You won't be needing that. Let's go." Hutch shrugged his shoulders and followed Ray outside. There were two men behind him which made him nervous. Hutch was blindfolded as soon as he was in the car. He was sitting in the middle of the back seat with a man on each side of him. He had no way out and no way of knowing what was about to happen.

Hutch was taken to an empty boxcar and handcuffed to a chair. His feet were tied to the legs of the chair. As soon as he was secured, Ray hit Hutch in the face so hard Hutch almost blacked out. As the blood dripped from his mouth to the floor, Hutch asked, "What's this all about? I've done what you asked. I kept my men away from the bus and train station when you told me to. I can't help it if someone's feeding that low-life, ex-partner of mine information."

Ray laughed as he slugged Hutch in the stomach so hard Hutch doubled over. "What more do you want from me?"

"I expect you not to let anymore of my merchandise fall into the hands of the police. I'm going to let Ray here teach you a lesson, and if you live, you'll keep that ex-partner of yours away from my stuff."

"You don't have to this. I'll keep him away. I've been trying to find out who's feeding him the information. If you kill me, you won't have anyone on the inside to help you."

"I'll take my chances. Right now, you're not helping me either. Goodbye, Lieutenant."

Hutch was beaten until he blacked out as Ray laughed as he delivered each blow. When he woke up, Hutch was still blindfolded. He wanted to make sure he was alone and remained very still and listened to every sound he could. He couldn't hear Ray's laughter anymore nor could he hear the sounds of anyone breathing or moving. He was sure he was alone. Alone in a hot boxcar and he hurt everywhere. Hutch was sure he had at least two broken ribs. He spit blood out of his mouth and a tooth fell on the floor with it. He struggled to get free, but was not successful. His only hope now was that his men would somehow find him.

Hutch was supposed to be at the station at 0800 and it was past 0900. Dobey knew it was unlike Hutch to be late. He stepped out of his office and looked around the squad room. He noticed that Conner Blanks, one of Starsky's men and Brandon Miller, one of Hutch's men, both looked like they had been in a fight. Blanks had a black eye and Miller had a bruise on the side of his face. The men put their heads down as they noticed Dobey had seen them. Captain Dobey also noticed the tension in the room. He knew it was time to put a stop to it. He was about to say something to the two men until he saw Starsky open the glass door to the squad room. He stopped Starsky before he could step inside. "Starsky, I need to see you a minute."

"Sure, Cap'n," Starsky said as he stepped back into the hallway.

"When was the last time you saw Hutch?"

Starsky looked around, "Last night we met upstairs at Huggy's. He received some information about another shipment that's due to arrive at the docks tomorrow. And Huggy finally got lead on who might be behind this whole thing. He gave us two names to run down. Hutch and I are going to look into it today." Starsky noticed the worried look on Dobey's face, "why? What's wrong?"

"Hutch is late."

"Late. But Hutch hates being late for work. Did you call his house?"

"Who do you think you're talking too, some rookie? And no, he didn't answer the radio either. I was just on my way to tell you."

"Sorry, Cap'n."

"There's something else, Starsky."

"What's that?"

"Did you notice Blanks and Miller?"

"I noticed they're here along with most of the guys."

"Starsky, they've been fighting. It's time."

"It has gone on too long. Hutch and I know the janitor, Richard, bugged our offices and apartments. We're betting he's the one who bugged your office too. I'll get the men to meet in the meeting room across from you office in say five minutes."

"Okay, I'm going to get Simmons and Babcock to pick up Richard. Get all of them in the meeting room and try to get Hutch on the radio again." Dobey nodded toward the men in the squad room. Starsky had six of his men in this morning and Hutch had four at their desks working on reports.

Starsky went back into the squad room as Captain Dobey headed down the hall. Both men were worried about Hutch. Starsky stood next to Blanks and said, "Okay, Captain Dobey wants everyone in the meeting room now."

His request was met with grunts and groans from the men. "I mean it move it!" Starsky's men started shuffling their chairs away from their desks and standing up. He looked at Hutch's men, "I mean everyone. That goes for you guys too. It's about Hutch."

Starsky heard one of Hutch's men, it sounded like Miller, say, "Like you care about Hutchinson." Starsky ignored the remark.

The men filed in the meeting room and sat around the big rectangle table. Starsky stood at the head of the table. As he was waiting for Captain Dobey to return he said, "Look, guys, things are not what they've appeared to be. Hutch and I never had a falling out. We've been working together undercover to find out who killed Stratton and Martin. Our offices and apartments are bugged so is Captain Dobey's office. We couldn't risk telling anyone else because we didn't want anyone else in danger."

"So you're still friends?" Blanks asked.

Starsky smiled, "Hutch and I will be friends until one of us is six feet under. We know now that it's a war over Big Johns territory."

Captain Dobey opened the door and all eyes turned toward him. "I'm sorry, Starsky. I still couldn't get him on the radio."

Starsky said, "I'll go his house. Miller, do you think you and your guys can pick up Ray? Morris you and Freeman pick up Andy. Blanks where's your partner?"

"He's got the flu, Sir."

"Okay. Blanks and the rest of you follow me to Hutch's place."

Miller had a surprised look on his face, "Who's Ray?"

"I told you, Hutch and I have been working together on this since the beginning. Ray Jenkins has been giving Hutch information. Andy Vaughn has been giving me information. That's how you guys have been able to make so many arrests. Hutch and I had to appear to be fighting so Andy and Ray would continue to feed us the information. We had to let them think they were playing us against each other."

"You've been the ones playing both sides against each other this whole time," a very surprised Blanks said.

"Now you're catching on. I'm sorry we couldn't let you all in on it."

"Why did they kill Stratton and Martin?" Someone asked.

"They were killed because they refused to play the game. They were friends and wouldn't go after each other. That's why Hutch and I had to act like we were mad at each other. Hutch is closer to me than my own brother and always will be."

Hutch's men were looking at Starsky as if they were unsure if they believed him or not. They had seen a lot of scorn and discontentment between the two former partners for over a month now. Not once had any of them seen Starsky or Hutch so much as look friendly at each other. They weren't sure if they believed him or not. Dobey said, "Starsky's right. Nothing will ever come between the two of them, now get going."

Starsky screeched to a halt in front of Hutch's apartment. He saw Hutch's car in front and he ran up the stairs. Starsky told the men to stay put while he checked out Hutch's place. Starsky ran up the stairs and banged on Hutch's door. When there was no answer, he searched for the spare key above the door frame. He couldn't find it so he took out the key he had to Hutch's place and unlocked the door. He quickly searched every room and found no sign of Hutch. He did see Hutch's gun on the back of the door where he usually hung it. He ran back downstairs and heard Captain Dobey calling for him on the radio. Captain Dobey said that Ray had been picked up and Miller was on the way to the station with him now. They were still looking for Andy.

Starsky and his men headed back to the station. Starsky asked Dobey to let him interrogate Ray alone. Captain Dobey was hesitant at first but finally agreed after Starsky stared him down. Dobey trusted Starsky not to cross the line and lean on a suspect too hard, but he also knew he didn't have Hutch in there to pull him off Ray if things got out of hand. Still, Starsky made a promise and Dobey gave in.