LOVE, HONOR & CHERISH
                                                                                         BY
                                                                                            Tooki




                                                                                       ~Chapter 1~



“How do I look?” Starsky stepped out of the dressing room, he had on a black tux and was trying to get the bowtie right. Hutch was standing in the center of a trio of mirrors checking out his own tux.
“Not bad, partner,” Hutch grinned at him. “You clean up pretty good.”
“Very funny,” Starsky said as he fiddled with the tie. “I hate these monkey suits.”
“Oh come on, Starsk, you only get married once.” Hutch said as he helped his friend with his tie.
“Well, it better be only once, I’m not going through this again.” Starsky tugged at the bowtie. “Does it have to be so tight?”
Hutch shook his head, “It’s not like you are going to spend the rest of your life in it.”
“I don’t have to wear this to the rehearsal tonight do I?” Starsky asked as he fidgeted.
Laughing, Hutch shrugged out of the jacket, “No, Starsk, your old ratty blue jeans will be just fine.”
Starsky sighed with relief as he too took off the jacket and tugged off the tie. “I can’t believe that tomorrow is the big day.”
“You guys given any thought as to where you are going to live?” Hutch asked, hoping they weren’t going to stay in Starsky’s cramped apartment where they had been living for the last three months.
“Cole has been busy with her new position with the FBI and, well, you know what our schedule has been like.” Starsky handed the jacket to a salesman who was standing with a hanger and a zippered bag to protect the tux.
“How is Cole handling the new position?” Hutch asked starting for the dressing room to change back into his street clothes.
“She has been stressed this week but I think it’s more because her parents are in town.” Starsky followed his partner.
“Are they back together?” Hutch wanted to know.
“I think Ben and Maggie are working on it.” Starsky pulled the curtain hanging on rings closed and began taking off the white shirt and black pants.
Once they were dressed and paid for their rental tuxes they stood on the sidewalk in front of the store, the bags draped over their arms. Hutch looked up at the sky, “Looks like it’s going to pour any minute.”
“Just as long as it doesn’t rain tomorrow, Cole will have a fit. I don’t know why, the wedding is inside.” Starsky said as held out the palm of his hand to check for rain drops.
“Every woman wants her wedding day perfect,” Hutch clapped his friend on the back. “Did you pick up the tickets for Cancun?”
“Cole got them yesterday, by tomorrow night we will be sitting on the beach drinking those little drinks with the umbrellas in them.”
“Speaking of umbrellas, I think we had better get these to the car,” Hutch said as he felt the first splash of rain.
“Are you coming back to my place?” Starsky asked as he headed toward his car.
“I have a few things to do, I’ll meet you at the rehearsal,” Hutch said as he held the plastic covered tux to his chest to protect it from the rain that was now falling in earnest.

Starsky and Cole had decided to forgo the large sanctuary for the smaller, more intimate feeling of the chapel. Their wedding party was small with only Hutch and Jenna standing up as their best man and maid of honor, Emma, Jenna’s three year old was to be the flower girl. They had a few close friends and family members attending which barely filled the chapel as it was. Starsky’s mother and brother, Nick, grinned at them from one of the pews, Cole’s parents were sitting in the same pew but with a little distance between them. Ben had only been out of rehab for a week. Jenna and Emma, swinging the empty basket that she would carry rose petals in the next day, entered the chapel.
“Where is Hutch?” Starsky asked as he tickled Emma under the chin.
“What do you mean, where is Hutch, he was with you all day.” Jenna answered as she looked around; everyone was there now except Hutch, she knew that she was at least ten minutes late. “Emma and I were running late because of the rain, maybe Hutch got hung up too.”
“We got our tuxes this morning then Hutch took off saying he would meet me here tonight.” Worry creased Starsky’s face.
“What’s wrong?” Cole came up behind Starsky and put her arms around his waist.
“We don’t know where Hutch is.” Starsky said
“The weather is awful, give him a few minutes,” Cole suggested unconcerned. “You know if he’s late, he got held up.”
“I know,” Starsky smiled at her but he couldn’t help being worried, his gut told him that something was wrong.
“What’s up, bro?” It was Nick standing at Starsky’s elbow.
“Hutch hasn’t shown up yet and we need him for the rehearsal.” Starsky explained.
“I’ll stand in for him.” Nick grinned.
“Thanks, but I think we’ll wait a little while longer for Hutch.” Starsky said as he started toward the chapel doors and tossed over his shoulder, “I’ll be back in a second.”
Starsky went to the front of the church and looked out into the falling darkness, if the weather hadn’t been so terrible it would have still been daylight but the clouds and rain had formed a curtain of gloom. He peered out into the rain straining to see if his partner was perhaps making his way across the parking lot but nothing was moving expect for the puddles where the rain drops were splashing. He sighed wondering why it had picked today to rain.
A woman sat in the church office typing something up, Starsky knocked on the door, she looked up and motioned him to enter, “May I help you?”
“My friend is running late, could I use your phone to give him a call?” Starsky asked.
“Why, of course, help yourself,” The gray haired woman smiled at him then went back to her typing.
Starsky picked up the phone and punched in Hutch’s number, the phone rang nearly a dozen times before he put the receiver back in its cradle. “Hutch, where are you?” He said to himself.
“I’m sure your friend is fine, I heard on the radio that traffic is backed up.” She smiled at him.
“Thank you,” He left the office and paced in front of the door, something was wrong. He didn’t want to go back in the chapel, he knew that his brother was there waiting to take Hutch’s place and he didn’t want that. Starsky wanted his friend; he hadn’t seen his brother in over two years and frankly had been surprised when Nick had gotten off the plane with his mother. They hadn’t even bothered sending him an invitation; partly because Starsky wasn’t sure where Nick was and partly because he wasn’t sure he wanted him at their wedding.
“Is everything alright?”
Starsky looked up to see Cole standing nearby. “I’m worried, honey.”
Cole came to stand close to Starsky, she looked out the door too, “Look at it out there, I’m sure he is just stuck some place. Just let Nick stand in for Hutch, he will catch up with us at dinner. You don’t really think he would expect us to wait forever do you?”
“Nick is not standing in for Hutch,” Starsky said stubbornly.
“It’s just for tonight; you know Hutch would never miss the wedding.”
“Hutch would never miss the rehearsal!” Starsky declared. He opened the door and stepped out into the rain. “I don’t know why we need a damn rehearsal anyway, how hard can it be, we stand up there and say I do.”
A look of hurt crossed Cole’s face but she didn’t say anything, she had already agreed to a wedding smaller than she wanted to please her fiancé. She had dreamed of a large wedding since childhood but Starsky’s suggestion of having it in the chapel had made sense so she agreed but she wanted the rest, the rehearsal, the dinner, the night with Jenna and her girlfriends. She could see that the whole plan was now in danger. But on the other hand, she could see his point, Hutch was his best friend and his partner, he didn’t want to do any of it without him. “How much longer should we wait?”
“All night if we have to,” Starsky stepped back in the building; his curly hair had rain droplets clinging to it.
“We don’t have the chapel all night, David, I think there is another rehearsal right after ours.” Cole turned on her heels and left him standing there staring out into the night.
All heads turned to Cole when she entered the chapel; it was clear from the expression on her face that she was upset. Maggie got up and went to her daughter. “What is it? Has Hutch been in an accident?”
Cole shook her head, “No, he’s just late and David refuses to go on without him.”
“Just give Ken a few more minutes, I’m sure he will show up,” Maggie tried to console Cole.
Cole looked at her watch, “He is nearly an hour late now, just how long do we wait. Like I told David, there is another rehearsal right after ours.”
“The rehearsal isn’t all that important,” Maggie said putting her hand on her daughter’s arm.
“You sound like, David,” Cole snapped as she jerked her arm from her mother’s touch.
“Cole,” her mother admonished. “You are acting like a child.”
Tears sprung to Cole’s eyes, she was sorry she had spoken to her mother in that tone. “I’m worried about Hutch too.” She hadn’t wanted to admit it, even to herself, but she too feared the worst. “You’re right, I know how much Hutch means to David and if we have to wait, then we will wait.”
“You need to tell David that, not me, if something has happened to Ken he is going to need all the support you can give.”
Cole hugged her mother, “Thanks, mom.”
Starsky was still pacing in front of the door stopping every now and again to stare out into the darkness. Cole stood watching him for a few moments then called out to him. Starsky turned and looked at her, “Cole, I’m sorry, I gotta go. Something has happened to Hutch; he would either be here by now or called.”
Cole put her arms around him and looked up into his face. “Let’s go find him.”
“You stay here and have the rehearsal.”
She laughed, “Without my groom? No way.” Cole ran to let the group waiting in the chapel know that she and Starsky were leaving.
Once in the car, the first thing Starsky did was call the station and have an A.P.B. put out on his partner, then they went to Hutch’s apartment only to find it dark and his car not parked out front. It didn’t surprise either one of them to not find him there. Their next stop was going to be the station but the radio went off and Starsky was informed that Hutch’s car had been found.
Cole scribbled down the address for him, “Do you know where this is?” She wanted to know.
Starsky caught his breath, “That is the address of the tux rental shop we were at today. What would his car be there for? We left at the same time.”
“Are you sure, did you see Hutch drive away?”
Starsky thought for a moment, he had been worried about getting the tux in the car before it got wet, had he seen his partner leave? He shook his head as if trying to clear away the cobwebs. “Maybe I didn’t see him leave.”
It was nearly ten p.m. when they pulled up in the parking spot next to Hutch’s car. Thankfully, the rain had finally stopped and the sky was clearing allowing them some light from the moon. Starsky tried the driver’s side door and found it unlocked, but Hutch rarely looked his door, so that didn’t mean much. But the glint of something nearly under the car caught his attention.
Starsky bent down to retrieve the item, he held Hutch’s keys up for Cole to see. “Somebody has Hutch.”


                                                                            ~Chapter 2~



A low moan escaped from Hutch’s lips as he tried to open his eyes, his head was pounding and he hurt all over. Hutch pushed himself up on his elbows and looked around his surroundings with eyes that were nearly swollen shut. He felt cold and his clothes were soaked, he realized that the dirt floor he was laying on was wet. He had no clue as to where he was. Hutch felt for his gun then remembered that he and Starsky had been picking up their tuxes for the wedding and he hadn’t been carrying it.
He lay back on the wet, muddy floor and tried to think what had happened to him. Hutch could clearly remember trying on his tux with Starsky and that it had started to rain as they left the store and then nothing. He closed his eyes forcing himself to remember, he wondered if perhaps he had a concussion.
Hutch gave up trying to remember what happened and concentrated on where he was now. It was nearly pitch black in the room he was in, he could hear the rain falling outside and thought that he heard footsteps. They sounded like they were coming from overhead. Hutch tried to get to his feet but fell back to the dirt floor, he tried once more and this time stood but the room was spinning. He grabbed onto the back of a chair to steady himself.
As he felt around in the darkness, he found other things. A dresser, more chairs, many odds and ends until he finally figured out that, along with the dampness of the room, he was in some sort of a cellar, but where and who put him there? Hutch found one of the chairs and gingerly sat down on it. His thoughts went to Starsky, he was supposed to be at the rehearsal and as dark as it was, he had clearly missed it. He knew that by now Starsky would be looking for him.
As Hutch sat, his head began to clear and the memory of what had happened slowly came into focus. He remembered telling Starsky he would met him at the church, it had began to rain so they had gone to their cars to get the tuxes out of the weather. He remembered seeing Starsky drive away, and then someone grabbed him making him drop the tux on the wet pavement.
Hutch turned around angry, “Watch what you are…” But the rest of words didn’t get out of his mouth before a fist slammed into the side of his face knocking him nearly unconscious. An arm went around him holding him up so that he wouldn’t hit the ground with the tux. He had tried to call out to Starsky, even though he knew he was gone, but he got a fist to the gut for his effort.
It was now raining in earnest; people were scurrying to get out of the weather and weren’t paying attention to the two men next to the beat up brown car. The man tugged Hutch to the sidewalk and jostled him several cars down, then opened back door and shoved him into the backseat. The man slammed the door, jumped in the front and squealed out of the parking spot nearly slamming into a woman who was trying to park her car. She waved an angry fist at the car but it was gone without the driver ever noticing the woman.

Starsky and Cole stood in front of the tux shop waiting for it to open the next morning, the morning of their wedding. Neither of them had slept the night before and they had to explain to their guests that there might not being a wedding, at least not when they had planned for it. A car pulled up next to Starsky’s Torino and parked; a worried Jenna got out and joined them on the sidewalk.
“Have you heard anything?” Jenna asked, she looked as though she hadn’t slept, which she hadn’t. She had wanted to go out searching with Starsky and Cole but she had Emma to take care of.
Starsky shook his head; he pointed to Hutch’s car and held out the keys. “This is all we found. I’m hoping that maybe when the shop opens they can tell us something.”
As if one of the shop’s employees had heard Starsky, a man dress in a suit unlocked the door and held it open for them. “Here to pick up a tux?”
Starsky shook his head; he didn’t recognize the man as anyone that had been in the store yesterday. But he asked, “Were you here yesterday morning?”
“No, it was my day off.” He responded. “But I’m sure I can help you.”
“I really need to speak with somebody that was working yesterday, I have some questions.” Starsky produced his badge.
The man looked at the badge, then at the trio standing in front of him. He wasn’t quite sure what to think. “J-Just a moment.” He hurried in to the back room and within moments an older gentleman, whom Starsky knew was the owner, stepped out to greet them.
The smile slid from the owner’s face when his eyes landed on Starsky, “Are you here to pay for the tux your friend ruined?”
“What?” Starsky asked, “Was he back in here yesterday?”
“No, but somebody found the tux that we had rented him laying in the gutter, they were kind enough to bring it in here but it has been ruined.” The older man said.
“Did you see anybody with my partner after we left the shop yesterday?” Starsky asked, he could see that the store owner was in no mood to help him out after the ruined garment. “Listen. we believe that he has been kidnapped. His car is still out front and I found his keys in the street.”
“His car would have been towed yesterday but because of the bad weather it was impossible for me to get a tow truck. If it’s not moved immediately I will have it towed.”
“Did you hear what I said?” Starsky was about to lose his temper. “He was kidnapped.”
“I am sorry that your friend is missing but I need somebody to pay for the tux.” The man said still being uncooperative.
Cole stepped in, “Sir, I can assure you the tux will be paid for and the car moved but we need some help finding this man, so if you could be of any help or perhaps one of your employees saw something.”
The owner’s angry glare softened as he looked at Cole. “Are you the bride?”
Cole was amused that he knew, “Yes, I am and unless we can fine my fiancés partner, we wont’ be getting married today.”
A worried looked creased the owner’s face and his whole mood changed. “Oh, my dear, that would be horrible.” He went behind the counter and picked up the phone. I’ll call Tom, he was the one helping out yesterday, maybe he saw something.”
Cole looked at her fiancé and smiled, they were finally getting somewhere. Starsky, Cole and Jenna watched as the man talked on the phone for a few minutes, when he hung up he looked at them. “Tom said he did see a man with your friend, he said it looked like he hit your friend in the face but then they walked off together.”
“Did Hutch go willingly?” Starsky asked.
The owner shrugged his shoulders, “Tom didn’t say.”
“Could you give us Tom’s address?” Cole wanted to know, “We would like to question him further.”
The owner, for a moment, looked as if was going to deny her request but then scribbled the man’s address and phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to Cole.
“Thank you, sir,” Cole said, then she handed him one of her business cards, “Please send me a bill for the tux at this address. I will take care of it.”
The man looked at the card then at Cole before he took it. “I’m sorry about your wedding, Miss; I hope you find him in time.”
“Thank you,” Cole said as she was handed the slip of paper with Tom’s address on it. “I guess this is the best place to start, maybe we can get a description of the man with Hutch.”
“I want you to go get ready.” Starsky said as he took the paper.
“Ready for what?”
“The wedding.”
Cole shook her head, “We aren’t getting married with Hutch missing.”
“The wedding isn’t until five, it’s not even nine-thirty yet, that gives me seven and half hours to find Hutch.” Starsky had a determined look on his face. He leaned his forehead against Cole’s, “I am going to marry you.”
“Come on, Cole,” Jenna linked her arm though Cole’s, “Let’s go get ready for the wedding.” Jenna really wanted to go with Starsky but she knew that, at the moment, her place was with Cole to keep her calm.
Starsky handed Cole Hutch’s keys, “Can you take Hutch’s car, so that guy in there won’t blow a gasket?”
Cole nodded.

When Hutch awoke, a thin shaft of daylight was coming through one of the small windows in the cellar. He was shivering from the damp but at least he had managed to sleep on the chair so that he wasn’t lying on the muddy, wet floor. Hutch stiffly got to his feet, he was surprised that he wasn’t restrained in some fashion but he soon realized why. After a quick inspection of the room he found there were four windows, all too small for him to escape through, and there was no door directly to the outside. The only way out was a door at the top of a set of rickety starts leading out of the cellar and into the house.
He thought of yelling but had a feeling it would do him no good anyway. Hutch remained silent hoping to give himself some time to think before whoever kidnapped him decided to come down to have a look. But to his dismay he heard the door at the top of the stairs creak open. Hutch prepared himself for a fight but when nobody came down the stairs he went to investigate. He was just in time to see the door closing. On the top step was a plate and a can of some sort of soda sitting next to it.
Hutch crept as silently has he could up the creaking stairs to get a better look at what had been left for him. On the plate was a ham sandwich and a few chips, Hutch looked up at the door wearily, not sure if should eat the food or not. But his hunger got the best of him and he grabbed the plate and can of soda. It had been over twenty-four hours since he had eaten and he was starving. He only hoped was that the food wasn’t poisoned.
Hutch heard footsteps overhead as he laid waste to the sandwich and downed the drink. He listened, straining to hear voices, but it was quiet. He had to figure a way out of his prison.

Starsky was just about to insert the key into the door of his apartment when he heard a familiar voice. “Hey, Bro, what’s up?” He turned to see Nick striding up the sidewalk; a cab was waiting at the curb. “You got a few bucks?”
Starsky sighed and dug his wallet out of his back pocket, “What would you have done if I hadn’t been here?”
Nick shrugged as he took the twenty his older brother held out to him. “Be back.” He dashed off to the car handed the driver the bill and ran back. “So you ready for the big day?”
Starsky ignored the question instead asking, “Where’s Ma?”
“Back at the motel, I think she is going to have lunch with your lady’s mom.”
Starsky opened the door and held it open for his bother. Nick let out a low whistle when he saw the tux hanging on the closet door. “Can I help you with something Nick? I’m kinda busy.”
“I came to help you big brother, it is your wedding day after all.” Nick was rather surprised that Hutch wasn’t lurking around somewhere. “Where is your partner?” By the tone of Nick’s voice Starsky knew that he didn’t really care.
“He’s missing, remember?” Starsky said a bit more harshly than he had intended.
“You mean he hasn’t turned up yet?” Nick flopped on the couch and put his feet on the coffee table.
“No and I’m on my way out to talk to somebody, so if you don’t mind.” Starsky went into the bedroom to change his shirt. When he came out Nick was still sprawled on the couch. “Come on Nick, out, I need to go.”
“You mean you won’t let me hang out here?” Nick looked up at his brother.
“Christ, Nick, don’t be so difficult.” Starsky sighed; he knew is brother would be bored to death in a matter of minutes if he left him there. “I’ll drop you back at the motel, uh?”
“I don’t want to go back there,” Nick jumped to his feet, “I’ll go with you.”
“Nick, no, I have to question this guy that saw Hutch with some guy yesterday. I need to get a description of him.”
“I can help.”
“Why? You don’t even like Hutch.” Starsky opened the front door and ushered his brother out.
“Yeah, but I know you and you won’t get married unless he is there, so let’s go find him.” Nick said heading toward the car.


                                                                         ~Chapter 3~


Hutch looked at his watch, it was nearly noon, and he hadn’t heard any movement from upstairs in over an hour. He had spent his time peering out the small windows trying to get a sense of where he was, the grass was overgrown making it hard to see out but from what he could tell, they were somewhere in the woods but there was no way for him to know where. Since he had been unconscious, he had no idea how long it had taken them to get to where he was. Sighing, Hutch sat down on the chair and looked around at the small windows again; he had to figure some way to get out of the house. He knew that Starsky would be looking for him and maybe his capture had left behind some clues or somebody had seen them. After all, he had been kidnapped in broad daylight.
Hutch tried to think if he remembered any more about that day, he remembered dropping the tux when he was struck, he remembered being shoved in the backseat of a car and…Hutch rubbed his forehead as if he was trying to rub his memory but there was nothing. Had he been drugged? That was the most plausible explanation for his lack of memory. But how was he drugged, he couldn’t remember the man touching him after he had been shoved into the backseat.
The sound of the cellar door being opened brought him out of his thoughts. Hutch looked around for a place to hide; perhaps he could jump out and startle whoever was coming down, overpower them and get out. But like the last time there were no footsteps on the stairs only the sound of the door closing again. Hutch got up and went to the bottom of the stairs, once again there as a plate and a can of soda sitting on the top step. Hutch climbed the steps, and picked up the plate with another ham sandwich and chips. Instead of going back down Hutch sat next to the plate and ate figuring it was safe; he hadn’t died from the morning meal.

Starsky pulled up in front of a small house, he double checked the address then got out of the car. “You stay put, Nick.” Starsky instructed before he proceeded up the sidewalk. But just as he was ready to knock on the door he realized that Nick was behind him. “Can’t you follow simple directions?”
“Oh come on, Davy,” Nick whined like a small child.
“Fine, but keep your mouth shut, do you think you can do that much?” Starsky asked. Nick made a zipping motion across his lips and held up his hands.
Starsky rolled his eyes then knocked on the door. A little girl about five or six opened the door, the detective smiled at her, “Is your Daddy home?”
She nodded and ran down the hall leaving the door open. “Man, that isn’t too smart,” Nick commented.
“Zip it Nicky,” Starsky hissed at his brother.
Within moments the man that had waited on Starsky the day before appeared in the door way. “Mr. Starsky.” Tom Abrams said.
“It’s Detective, he’s a cop.” Nick interjected.
“Nick!”
“Sorry,” Nick apologized.
Starsky pulled out his badge to show the man, “You said you saw a man with my partner yesterday.”
Tom nodded, “Why don’t you two come in.” He gave Nick a wary look.
“Thank you,” Starsky said as he stepped into the living room. The little girl was peeking round a corner at them. Starsky smiled at her again and she disappeared.
They stood in the living room of the small house, “What did this man look like?” Starsky wanted to know.
Tom thought for a moment, “He was about your height, dark hair, on the longer side, a few days growth of beard, kind of disheveled looking. I guess what caught my attention was that I thought he hit your friend, then I wasn’t sure since he didn’t go down and they looked as though they were talking, they started walking off and the phone rang so I don’t know what happened after that.”
The description Tom had given could have been anybody, Starsky sighed, “Thanks for your help.” All this had done was waste time.
“That’s it?” Nick asked eyeing the man.
“Nick, lets go.” Starsky said grabbing his brother by the elbow to get him out of the house before he said something stupid.
They were out the door when Tom called out “Wait.”
Starsky turned around, “Do you remember something?”
“Well, not about your friend, but Mrs. Dimmit came in to pick her son’s tux up, she had picked up the tux your partner dropped so she had to have seen more than I did. Let me call the store and get her phone number and address for you.”
“That would be great,” Starsky said hopefully.
“This is all you do?” Nick asked when the man had gone to make the phone call.
“What do you mean?”
“This crap is boring, knocking on people’s door talking to them? When are you going to shoot at the bad guys?” Nick wanted to know.
“You watch too much TV,” Starsky answered. “We do more of this kind of stuff than actually chasing the bad guys. Pipe down or I’m taking you back to the motel for lunch with the girls.”
Nick wrinkled his nose but reminded quiet when the man returned with a piece of notebook paper. “This is her address and phone number.” Tom said, “I sure hope you find your friend.”
“Thanks again for your help and if you think of anything else please call.” Starsky handed him a card with squad’s number.
“Now what?” Nick asked hoping they were going to do something exciting.
“Now we go see Mrs. Dimmit and see if she remembers anything.” Starsky said walking back to the car. Nick shuffled behind his big brother, head down disappointed that he wasn’t going to get to see some action.

Cole stood looking in the bathroom mirror in the restaurant, dabbing her eyes careful as not to smear her make up. She didn’t hear Jenna come in until she spoke. “I’m sorry.”
Cole turned and smiled through her tears at Jenna. “It’s okay, I understand we probably won’t get married today and I wouldn’t want to without Hutch at David’s side but I still can’t help but be disappointed.”
Jenna wrapped her arms around her friend; they had become very close over the last year. “You guys will get married, maybe not today but it will happen.”
“I know, it’s just it was such a hard road to get here and…” Cole left the sentence hanging.
“I’m sure you will hear something from Starsky soon.” Jenna said trying to comfort her friend, “Maybe he will have some good news.”
“At least we aren’t having a huge wedding that would have been a disaster,” Jenna gave her eyes one last dab and put a smile on her face. “Let’s go meet the mom’s for lunch.”

Hutch leaned his back on the door, his lunch finished; he could hear nothing on the other side. He racked his brain trying to figure out who had grabbed him. The man had looked slightly familiar, but Hutch couldn’t put a name with the face. He wondered how long he was going to be held before the man would show his face, or was he just going to be left in the cellar to die.
Finally deciding that he couldn’t take it anymore Hutch stood and pounded on the door, when there was no response, Hutch pounded again and yelled to be let out. Footsteps sounded on the wooden floor on the other side of the door, Hutch could see a shadow from beneath the door but it didn’t open.
“Let me out of here,” Hutch yelled again, he brought his fists up to pound for a third time but the door opened and a shotgun was shoved in his face.
“Shut up and get away from the door.” A man’s voice said.
Hutch tried to get a look at the owner of the voice but the shotgun was pulled away and the door slammed shut. Hutch wasn’t sure what to do, he couldn’t stay in the cellar but without the element of surprise he would be gunned down it if tried to break down the door. His biggest hope was that Starsky would figure out where he was.

Starsky was trying his best to get a lead on Hutch’s disappearance, he glanced at his watch, it was nearly one, he had only four hours to find his friend.
“So, are we going to talk to this Dimmit woman?” Nick asked bringing Starsky out of his thoughts.
“Yeah, that is where I’m headed right now. But this time you will stay in the car.” Starsky ordered, he sure didn’t need Nick offending the woman that might help him.
“Fine, I’m bored anyway,” Nick said sinking down in the seat and putting his feet on the dash.
“Get your feet down!” Starsky commanded. “And sit up. It’s like riding around with a little kid.”
“I’m hungry,” Nick complained.
Starsky sighed, “After I talk to Mrs. Dimmit we’ll grab something okay?”
“Sure,” Nick said sliding his feet off the dash but he didn’t sit up.
Starsky pulled up in front of the Dimmit house but this house was huge with a nicely manicured lawn and expensive looking cars sitting in the driveway. “You wait here,” Starsky said hoping that his brother would actually listen this time. He got out slamming the car door and started up the sidewalk, he turned to check to make sure that Nick wasn’t following him, all Starsky could see was the very top of Nick’s head. After he was sure that he wasn’t going to be followed he proceeded to the front door and knocked. It took several minutes before the door was opened by a tall, striking woman with salon done hair and perfect nails.
“May I help you?” She asked looking Starsky up and down.
“Yes Ma’am, I’m Detective Starsky, I’m looking for Mrs. Dimmit,” Starsky pulled out his badge and showed her.
“That would be me,” The woman said as she took his badge and examined it then handed it back. “I’m very busy today; my son is getting married so if you could just tell me what you want.”
Starsky gave her a sad smile; he should be getting ready for his own wedding day not standing on her front porch. “I’m sorry to bother you but yesterday when you were picking up a tux you found another one lying in the street.”
“Oh my, yes, who would be so careless?” She said in a rather haughty voice.
“It was my partner’s,” Starsky began. “He was kidnapped as he was getting in his car, you didn’t happen to see two men standing next to a car possibly arguing did you?”
“No, I’m sorry, I didn’t,” the woman kept looking over her shoulder. “I just saw the tux lying in the rain and took it back into the shop; I think it was already ruined.”
“I hope your son has a nice wedding,” Dejectedly Starsky started down the sidewalk.
Mrs. Dimmit watched the retreating back of the detective, “Detective?”
Starsky turned around, the woman had come out on the porch, “There was a car that nearly hit me as I was pulling in, perhaps whoever took your friend was driving that car.”
Starsky instantly perked up, “Could you describe it to me?”
Mrs. Dimmit closed her eyes, “Well, let me see, it was a late model Buick LeSabre, a dark color, blue, maybe black. I know it was a LeSabre because we just bought my son and soon to be daughter-in-law one for their wedding present.”
“Thank you so much, Mrs. Dimmit.”
“I have a partial license plate, the first three numbers are 849,” She said, “I was going to call and report him for reckless driving but then I guess I just forgot about it.”
Starsky climbed the steps and placed a kiss on the woman’s cheek, “Thank you, Mrs. Dimmit, you have no idea how much you helped.” He was gone before the woman could even respond.


                                                                     ~Chapter 4~


“I just need to pick up a few things,” Cole told Jenna as they pulled up in front of Starsky’s apartment, hoping against hope that their wedding would go off that day. She hadn’t heard from him since they had talked to the owner of the clothing shop and it was nearing two in the afternoon.
As they started up the walk, Jenna pointed to a long box that was leaning against the door. “That guy of yours is so sweet sending you flowers.”
Cole picked up the box as she keyed opens the door; she tossed her purse on the couch so she could take the lid off the box. But her joy quickly turned to fear, for inside lay three black roses one of which the bud had been crushed. Cole dropped the box with a gasp and stepped backward.
“Who the hell would have done something like that?” Jenna asked horrified as she stared at the flowers. There was a small white envelope tucked in the stems. Getting a tissue, Jenna gently pulled the card from the box not wanting to smear any prints that could be on the envelope or the card. It was Jenna’s turn to gasp when she read the card.
“What does it say?” Cole said leaning over Jenna’s shoulder to read it. “Where is you fiancé? One down, two to go.” Cole looked at Jenna with a stricken look on her face. “David!”
“Don’t panic,” Jenna advised as she went to the phone and called the station to get a team to take the flowers and look around outside the apartment. Then she called Dobey’s office. It took several rings before the captain answered the phone.
“Dobey,” He said gruffly into the phone.
“Captain this is Jenna Ashford, have you heard from Starsky lately?” Jenna asked.
“As a matter of fact he is on his way in; he has some information on the car Hutch was in plus a partial description of the guy.” Dobey said. He could tell by the tone of Jenna’s voice something was wrong. “What’s wrong?”
Jenna quickly explained to the captain about the flowers waiting for Cole. “Could you radio Starsky and make sure he is alright?” Jenna asked. “We will be there as soon as the crime team gets out here.”
Dobey hung up and put in a call to Starsky. As soon as the detective answered the radio, Dobey sighed with relief, “Starsky, you watch your step, we have reason to believe that whoever took Hutchinson might be after you and Cole too.”
“Is Cole alright?”
“Yes, she and Jenna are on their way in.” Then he explained about the flowers the girls had found.

“Now this is exciting!” Nick exclaimed.
Starsky shot his brother a dirty look, “I don’t see anything exciting about this, my partner is missing and Cole and I might have targets on our backs. “How is that exciting?”
Nick shrugged, “Sorry. But this is interesting.”
“Whatever,” Starsky said as he flipped the siren on, “Put the light on the top of the car, uh, Nicky?”
Nick beamed like a young boy as he slapped the flashing light on the roof. “What’s going to happen now?”
“I don’t know,” Starsky said as he eased his way through an intersection where his light had been red. “We need to find out who has it in for the three of us.”

Cole and Jenna arrived at the station thirty minutes after the Starsky brothers. Nick was sitting at Starsky’s desk while Starsky was in Dobey’s office. Cole nodded at Nick then knocked on the captain’s door and poked her head in. “We’re here, Captain Dobey.”
Dobey waved the two women in. “Anything on the flowers?”
“We have the name of the florist but I wanted to talk to David before we checked it out.” Cole said.
Starsky got up and pulled Cole into his arms. “Are you alright, babe?”
“Yeah, but I think whoever took Hutch thinks they have you.” Cole said as Jenna handed Starsky the card, now in a plastic bag.
Starsky took the bag and read the card then handed it to Dobey. “It wouldn’t be the first time somebody confused the two of us.”
“Who would have it out for the three of you?” Jenna wanted to know. “The only case all of you have worked on was the rape case and he is in jail for most of the rest of his life.”
“I’ll put in a call to see if Colin Sanders is where he was supposed to be.” Dobey said.
“You know, there was one other case,” Cole said as she looked at Starsky; they never brought up the case that they had met on.
Dobey hung up the phone, “Sanders is locked safely away.”
“We need you to check out one more name, Cap,” Starsky said. “Doug Rollins.”

Hutch paced around the cellar almost wishing that someone would come down the stairs and confront him and then stopped to stare out one of the small windows again. He leaned on the stone wall so that he could look up at the sky which was a bright blue and he could see the tops of many pine trees. As he started to move way from the window some of the stone sill crumbled. Hutch rubbed his hand along the degenerating mortar.
He turned and searched the shelves in the dim light; spying some tools, Hutch grabbed a hammer and a screwdriver. If he could get the entire window with the framing out along with some of the stones he might be able to slip out the opening. It would be a tight fit and might not even work but it was better than standing around doing nothing.
Hutch stopped and held his breath trying to hear any noise from above but there was none. He had to wonder what the guy did up there. Hutch found a sturdy wooden box to stand on so the didn’t have to hold his arms up while he worked. Then, very carefully and as quietly as he could, he began chipping away at the mortar.
He didn’t know how long he had been working but the sound of the door at the top of the stairs startled him. Hutch quickly hid his tools and brushed way the rock dust, not that anybody could tell what he had been doing in darkness and mess of the cellar. He went to sit on the chair he had been using since he had gotten there and waited.
For the third time that day the door opened then closed again without anyone venturing down the stairs. Hutch knew that probably his dinner had arrived. He got up slowly from the chair and crept to the bottom of the stairs. Sure enough a plate and a canned soda sat on the top step. He hoped it was something besides a ham sandwich, when he reached the top step he was rewarded with a grilled burger on a bun. Hutch grabbed the plate and greedily wolfed down the meat, it was nice to have something warm in his stomach. The dampness of the cellar was beginning to seep into his bones.
After resting for a while, Hutch went back to work on the window, he managed to remove the window and the frame already and with the removal of a few of the stones of the foundation he was would nearly be able to slip out the window. It was beginning to grow dark outside and even though he knew he might be making a mistake he decided to wait until morning to finish removing the stones and make his escape.
Hutch’s arms ached as he sat down on the chair, his fingers were bleeding from the rough mortar and more than once he had slipped with the screwdriver slicing his fingers. Exhausted, Hutch leaned back and closed his eyes; he wondered what Starsky and Cole were doing. He knew he had missed the wedding, Hutch hoped that they had gone ahead and gotten married but he knew Starsky well enough to know that his friend wouldn’t tie the knot unless he was by his side.

“I understand,” Dobey said as he hung up the phone. He looked at Starsky, “Rollins walked out of prison two days ago.”
Starsky was stunned, “How the hell does that happen?”
“It was visitor’s day, his girlfriend came to see him, when the picnic was over the girlfriend was gone as well as Rollins.”
“He was on death row!” Cole exclaimed.
“Apparently, a clerical mistake was made; death row inmates are allowed visitors but are not allowed to participate in the picnic. Family members have to visit death row inmates in a locked room. I’m not exactly sure what all went down but I promise the both you that we will get to the bottom of this.”
Cole looked at Starsky, “So, do you think he has Hutch?”
Starsky shrugged, “It sure would explain a lot, wouldn’t it?” The detective looked at his Captain, “I need a photo of Rollins, I want to have Tom Abrams and Nancy Dimmit look at the photo.”
“Get two photos,” Cole said, “Jenna and I will check out the florist and see if it was Collins that ordered the flowers.”
“Cole, why don’t you sit tight and let me check that out too?” Starsky said.
“That will take forever; Jenna and I can do it.” Cole said eyeing her fiancé.
Starsky started to protest then realized she was right, he was only trying to protect her. “Alright, but you two be careful, it’s pretty obvious that he might try to get the two of us also.”
Cole nodded, “We’ll watch our step.”
They cooled their heels while they waited on the photos of Rollins, once it arrived, Starsky left; as he went though the office Nick jumped out of the chair and followed. “Hey, wait up bro.”
“Nick, you can’t come this time.” Starsky said firmly as he tucked the photo into the breast pocket of his coat.
“What am I supposed to do then?”
“Catch a cab back to your motel.” Starsky suggested.
“I don’t have any money.”
Starsky sighed and slipped his wallet out of his pocket; he pulled two tens from it and handed them to Nick. “Now you have money.”
“But I don’t want to go back there and sit with Ma,” He looked at his watch, “This wedding isn’t going off today is it?”
Starsky glanced at his watch; it was nearly four p.m. “It doesn’t look like it.” The elevator doors slid open but Starsky turned and headed back to the squad room.
“Hey, where are you going?” Nick called at Starsky.
Starsky gave one quick rap to Dobey’s door and opened it. Cole and Jenna were deep in conversation with the Captain. “Dammit, Starsky, wait until you are invited in.”
“I just needed to speak to Cole a minute.” Starsky motioned for her to follow him out of the office.
She walked over to him and took his hands. “I was asking Harold if he would break the news to the wedding guests that the ceremony is being postponed.”
“You are something else you know that lady?” Starsky kissed Cole’s lips, “I’m going to make this up to you, I promise.” He dashed out of the office.
Nick was still standing at the elevator, “Come on, Davy, let me go with you. I promise I’ll be good; I’ll stay in the car or whatever you want. Just don’t make me go back to the motel with Ma; she is starting to drive me nuts. All she talks about is you getting married and wants to know when I’m going to settle down.”
“You know that wouldn’t be such a bad idea, Nick,” Starsky said as he jabbed the down button.
“Don’t you start in on me.” Nick said.



                                                                         ~Chapter 5~



Hutch woke with a start, the sky was just beginning to lighten and he wasn’t sure what woke him. His whole body was stiff and his hands ached from the work he had done on the window. Hutch stood and looked at the opening, a cool breeze blew back his blond hair and he took a deep breath of the freedom that was waiting just on the other side. Before he got to work Hutch went to the bottom of the steps and listened, trying to hear any movement from above but there was none. He didn’t want to get caught chipping away at the window should the door open for the morning meal that was sure to be coming soon.
Content that he could work for at least a few minutes, Hutch went back to the window and picked up the screwdriver he had been using to chisel the mortar away. He worked for nearly thirty minutes before he finally was able to break away the last few bricks allowing him enough room to slip out the window. Hutch flopped down on the chair exhausted.
There was a noise at the top of the stairs, Hutch froze, what if his captor came down the stairs this time? He cursed himself for not working into the night and leaving long ago. But like the last three times, the door opened, the sound of a plate being sat down on the stop step and the door closing again was what he heard. He breathed a sigh of relief, the door being shut meant two things; one, that whoever it was, was not coming down the stairs and that they weren’t suspicious of his activity in the cellar.
Slowly Hutch got up from the chair and walked to the bottom of the stairs again and peered up, a plate and what looked like a steaming cup of coffee sat in its usual place. Hutch was tempted to climb the stairs and eat the food left for him, he was starving, but he knew that he couldn’t waste any more time. He had to get out before his luck ran out.
Hutch grabbed the chair he had slept in for the last two nights and pushed it against the wall under the window. He gingerly put his foot on the seat, then added more weight; sitting on a chair was a little different than standing on it. He eased more of his weight onto the chair, wishing he could use the box he had been standing on but it wasn’t high enough for him to hoist himself up and out the window.
With the chair holding, Hutch put his palms on the rough bricks and pulled his torso up and onto the ledge of the window. He looked around, ready to duck back in the cellar if he saw movement, but the area around the cabin seemed devoid of people. Hutch pulled his legs through the enlarged window onto the dew wet grass which instantly soaked his shirt and pants. He shivered in the cool air as he got cautiously to his feet and looked around again.
Pressing his back against the coarse wood of the cabin Hutch made his way toward the front and peered around the corner. He saw a black Buick LeSabre sitting in the gravel driveway but the porch on the front of the cabin was empty, save a couple of old rocking chairs. Hutch eased away from the front of the cabin and moved toward the back hoping there were no windows where he could be spotted running into the woods.
His luck was holding out, the back of the cabin was nothing but a solid wood siding, so with a final glance over his shoulder Hutch sprinted toward the woods. He slipped on the wet grass and went down once but finally made it to the cover of the trees. Stopping to catch his breath Hutch looked back at the cabin, there was no one following him. He sat down in the heavy foliage waiting for his breath to return to normal.
Finally, Hutch scrambled to his feet and disappeared into the trees, having no idea where he was or which direction to go he decided the best plan was to get as far away from the cabin as he could then figure out how to get to a phone and help.

“You are staying in the car this time, Nick, and if you move I’ll take you straight to Ma.” Starsky commanded.
“Okay, okay,” Nick held up his hands as if to ward off his brother’s words.
Starsky pulled up in front of Tom Abrams’ house again, he tucked the photo of Doug Rollins in his coat pocket and got out of the car. “Stay put.”
“Geez,” Nick mumbled as he watched his older brother walk up the sidewalk and knock on the door.
Mr. Abrams himself opened the door; he was surprised to see the detective back again. “Detective, I have told you everything that I know.”
“I understand that, Mr. Abrams, but we have a photo of a suspect that I would like you to take a look at.” Starsky handed the photo of Rollins to the man.
Tom Abrams studied the photo for a few seconds. “Yes, I think this is the man, but he wasn’t this clean shaven. His hair was longer and he had a few days of beard growth but…” Tom paused and then started nodding his head, “I’m sure this is the man I saw.”

Meanwhile Cole and Jenna made their way to the florist where the black roses had come from. A young woman was behind the counter, she was on the phone taking an order, she glanced up and nodded at the two women. “That will be delivered within the hour, sir,” She replaced the receiver and ripped the order she had written up from a pad of paper. She poked her head in the back room and yelled, “Margie, rush order.” Then she turned and smiled at the women. “I’m sorry, how may I help you?”
Cole pulled Rollins’ photo from her purse and handed it to the young woman. “Have you seen this man before? Possibly yesterday?”
She took the photo Cole held and looked at it. She shook her head as she handed it back, “Sorry, I can’t help you.”
“He would have bought black roses.” Jenna said as she slipped her badge from her back pocket and held it out for the woman to see.
The woman’ who had a name tag had ‘Tara’ written on it, looked startled to see the police badge. She wiggled her fingers at Cole wanting the photo back. “Let me look again. I do remember the roses, it’s a pretty unusual request and we don’t usually have them, but some socialite had a black and white party and ordered dozens of black and white roses. The distributor sent us too many black roses; I was pissed because she wouldn’t take them off our hands. I was wondering what I was going to do with a dozen black roses when this guy came in and asked for them, he bought the whole dozen and asked for extra boxes.”
“Is this the man?” Cole wanted to know.
Tara squinted at the photo, “Well, now that I look at him closer, maybe, but the guy that came in here was pretty scruffy looking, longer hair, stubbly beard and he looked like he had been sleeping in his clothes.”
“Did he leave an address, credit card number, anything?” Jenna asked
Tara shook her head, “He paid cash and I was so happy to unload those roses I didn’t ask any questions, heck I even threw in the extra boxes.”
“Thanks,” Cole said trying to hide her disappointment.
Jenna handed her a card, “If you can think of anything, anything at all, please call.”
Tara took the card, “I will, sorry I couldn’t be more help.”

“You going back to that lady’s house?” Nick asked, he was beginning to get bored sitting in the car.
Starsky slid in behind the wheel of his car, “I need to know if this is the guy in the car she saw driving away.”
Mrs. Dimmit was more than annoyed when she saw the detective standing near the fence in her backyard. Her son had just been married and the reception was starting to go into full swing. With her lips set in a scowl the woman dressed in a flowing pale blue dress walked quickly to where Starsky was standing. “This is my son’s day, I thought you understood that.”
“And this is about my partner’s life,” Starsky said matching the determined look on Mrs. Dimmit’s face. “I just have a quick question then you can get back to the party.”
“Fine.”
Once again Starsky pulled out the photo of Rollins’, “Is the man that nearly hit you?”
Sighing, Mrs. Dimmit took the photo and looked at it. “I really didn’t get a good look at him, just through the passenger side window and it was raining. But…this could be him, hair was longer but maybe.”
“Thank you, I hope your son has a long marriage,” Starsky said and was gone.
When Starsky returned to the car Nick was holding the radio microphone, “This is Nick Starsky.”
“Give me that!” Starsky said grabbing the microphone from his brother. “Zebra Three, Detective Starsky.”
“I have a patch through from Captain Dobey.” The voice said.
“Starsky,” Dobey said on the other end.
“Cap, I’m pretty sure it was Rollins that has taken Hutch.”
“I’m not surprised; guess who the car is registered to?” Dobey said looking at the name and address on slip of paper.
“Who?”
“Anita Rollins, Doug Rollins’ mother.”
“You got an address?”
Dobey quickly rattled off the address of Anita Rollins.

Hutch was standing near a deep ravine when he heard a branch snap somewhere near him. He whirled around but didn’t see anything, he held his breath so he could listen carefully but there was not further noise. As he let himself start to relax a voice spoke, “So, Detective Starsky, how does it feel to be hunted?”
The detective spun around again, he still did not see anyone. “Who are you?” The only response was a wicked laugh.
“Show yourself,” Hutch yelled, he was startled when a man stepped from the brush only a few yards away, he was holding a rifle. There was something familiar about him and a slow recognition dawned on Hutch’s face, “Rollins?”
“Give the man a cigar.”
“But you are on death row, how…”
“Does it really matter, Starsky? I’m here to settle the score with you, your partner and your fiancée.” Rollins asked.
He had him and Starsky confused but Hutch wasn’t about to tell the madman his mistake. Maybe if he went along with him he would leave his partner and Cole alone. “How do you think you will get away with this?”
“I probably won’t, and I don’t care, you all have destroyed my life, I’m on death row so when I’m caught they will just string me up.” Rollins gave his evil laugh again.
He advanced on Hutch making the detective step back, the earth around the edge of the ravine was soft and Hutch nearly lost is footing. Rollins lifted the rifle to his shoulder and aimed directly at the detective before him. Hutch had nowhere to go, he looked around franticly knowing if he didn’t make a move quickly that Rollins was going to shoot him.
Hutch glanced over his shoulder; the bank of the ravine was steep and covered with rocks and stumps that would surely kill him as quickly as Rollins’ rifle, but he didn’t want to give the man the satisfaction of shooting him. Hutch inched closer to the edge of the drop off, he let his left foot slip backward but as he did he heard the deafening sound of the rifle go off.
Hutch was rolling, falling and bouncing off the boulders and stumps as he made his descent down the steep side of the chasm. After what seemed to be an eternity Hutch came to rest at the bottom, half laying in a small stream that cut its way through the forest floor. A small thread of blood mixed with the water and began turning the stream a crimson red.


                                                                              ~Chapter 6~


Cole and Starsky stood on Anita Rollins’ porch, Mrs. Rollins had been furious at Cole during the trial saying that Cole had sold her son out. Hesitantly Cole reached up and depressed the doorbell; they stood cooling their heels for several minutes and just as Cole was about to ring again the door opened.
Mrs. Rollins was wiping flour from her hands as she pulled the door open. She was smiling and started to apologize for taking so long to answer the door but when Anita saw who it was the smile slid from her face. “What do you want?”
“Mrs. Rollins we are looking for Doug,” Cole said.
“He is in jail where you put him.” She said in a short clipped voice.
“Doug walked away from the facility four days ago.” Cole explained.
The look of surprise seemed genuine on the older woman’s face. “He’s out?”
“He’s not exactly out, he escaped,” Starsky said.
Anita’s eyes swung toward the detective, her expression harden further as she recognized the man that helped put her boy in prison. “Escaped?”
“Yes, ma’am, so he hasn’t contacted you?” he asked.
Anita shook her head no.
“What about your car Mrs. Rollins?” Cole wanted to know.
“My car?” Anita seemed dazed.
“Yes, don’t you have a black Buick LeSabre?”
“Y-yes, but it was stolen a couple of days…” Anita stopped mid sentence and looked at Cole. “Doug took my car?”
“It appears that way, he was spotted in it the day he kidnapped my partner.” Starsky said.
Anita looked uncertain, “He wouldn’t do that.”
“We have had three different people identify him, Mrs. Rollins, and he sent Cole three black roses, one of which was crushed. We believe they represent Cole, my partner and me, and since one of the roses was crushed…”
“I-I don’t know…” Anita stammered, she didn’t want to think ill of her son. Deep in her heart she knew that he must have been guilty after hearing all the testimony at the trial but she couldn’t let herself believe it. Now, with this new information, she wasn’t sure what to believe.
“Did you report your car stolen?” Cole asked.
“I-I” Anita stammered
“You knew Doug escaped.” Starsky said as he was trying to control his temper, all he wanted to do was find his partner so he could get married.
“No, I had no idea.”
“Then why didn’t you report your car stolen?” Starsky demanded.
Anita Rollins shrugged and stared at her hands, “I just though maybe Doug had taken it and I didn’t want anybody to find out.”
“Mrs. Rollins, you aren’t making any sense, you said you didn’t know Doug escaped but yet you think he took your car?” Cole frowned at the older woman. She actually like Doug’s mother, she had been to the house several times for dinner. Anita had been widowed for ten years and often invited Cole to dinner and even shopping a few times. “Anita,” Cole said in a soft voice, “Please, help us.”
“I-I’m sorry,” Mrs. Rollins stammered and closed the door in their faces.
Starsky raised his fist to pound on the door but Cole stopped him. “Let it go, even if she does know something she won’t tell us.”
“We can make her.”
“Do you really want to ‘make’ her talk?” Cole wanted to know. “Are you going to grill that woman? Break her down? Use your good cop, bad cop routine on her? I think she has been through enough.”
“And what do you think Hutch is going through right now?” Starsky stormed at his bride to be. “For all we know that bastard might have already killed him. And we are next. Damn it, Cole, we have to find out where Doug might have taken Hutch.”
“I know that, but brutalizing that woman is not the way to do it.” Cole walked off the porch and toward the Torino. “There are other leads.”
“What other leads?” Starsky shouted as he followed her toward his car. “There are no other leads. That woman and her car are our only leads and you know it.”
“I will not have any part of going after Anita Rollins; if you do, then you are on your own.” Cole held up her hand and looked at the engagement ring Starsky had placed there then she pulled it off and put it in the palm of his hand. “You aren’t the man I thought you were.” Cole turned and walked down the sidewalk instead of getting in the car.
Starsky stood glaring at her back then he looked at the ring in his hand. He closed his fist on the diamond and stalked into the street and opened the car door. Starsky only glanced backward once before he got in the car and sped off.

Hutch lay still even though he felt like his shoulder was on fire, he was certain that Rollins had hit him. He knew he was banged up from his fall down the steep embankment and that he had many cuts and bruises and probably a few broken bones but his shoulder felt like it was nearly torn off.
He could still hear Rollins hurling insults down to him and threatening Starsky and Cole, saying he was going to do the same thing to them. All Hutch wanted to do was climb back up and kill the man with his bare hands but he knew his only chance was to play dead and hope that Rollins didn’t decided to waste another bullet on him.
“How does it feel?” Rollins yelled his voice echoing in the narrow valley. “How does it feel to have your life ripped away from you?” He aimed the rifle in the air and pulled the trigger.
Hutch flinched but didn’t hear the whiz of a bullet and knew he hadn’t been struck. He could hear birds in the woods take flight and small animals scurry for better cover. All he could do was lay and wait for Rollins to either get bored or try to navigate the steep ravine to see if he was truly dead.
Finally, after what to seem to be an infinite time, Rollins gave a final kick to some rocks near the edge to the ravine, hurled a few more insults at the detective and was gone. Hutch, still afraid to move for fear that Rollins might come back, laid quietly; holding his breath from time to time straining to hear anything that might sound like foot falls but he heard nothing.
Hutch jerked awake, he wasn’t sure if he had fallen asleep or had gone unconscious. Carefully he looked around, moving as little as he could, the water he was laying in was blood red and he knew that his wound was still bleeding although the coldness of the water had slowed down the blood loss. After assuring himself that Rollins was really gone Hutch rolled over, the pain that shot through his shoulder nearly made him pass out. He gritted his teeth and force himself into a sitting position so that he could survey the damage that had been done to his body.
Once Hutch was sitting up he could tell that he probably had a few broken ribs since it hurt to breath but he was sure he hadn’t punctured a lung. His jeans were soaked in blood and he could see through tears in the material that he had many gashes in both legs. What Hutch was most concerned about though was his shoulder. He reached over with his left hand and tore away his shirt on his right shoulder, he could see where the bullet entered his body but had no way to know if it had been a though and through. He ached all over, he couldn’t see his face but he knew it had to be a mess, as were his arms.
Using what strength he had, Hutch tore a few strips from the bottom of the light cotton shirt he had on to bind his shoulder in hopes of stopping the bleeding and stabilizing it enough so that he could hopefully get up and walk out of the woods. He had to find a way out; he had to warn his partner and Cole.

Starsky pulled up and parked in front of the station ignoring the no parking signs, only then did he open his hand where Cole had placed the ring. He had been holding it so tightly that the diamond had cut his hand. He hadn’t been angry at Cole or even Anita Rollins; he was scared to death that his partner, his best friend was all ready dead. How could Cole not understand that? How could she just walk away when he needed her the most? Starsky sat in the car staring at the ring; he would have probably sat there for a long time if there hadn’t been a knock on the window.
He drug his eyes toward the window and saw Cole peering in at him. Starsky closed his fist on the ring again and got out of the car. He jammed his hand into his pocket depositing the ring and climbed the steps to the station. Cole followed, “David.” She called out to him but Starsky didn’t stop.
She finally caught up with him at the elevator; Cole gingerly put her hand on his back. “What?” Starsky asked.
“I…” Cole began but the rest of the words didn’t come. What was she supposed to say? She had acted badly and knew it; she also knew that Starsky would not have been unduly hard on Mrs. Rollins either. Why she had exploded she didn’t know herself and why had she given him the ring back?
The doors of the elevator opened and Starsky stepped inside, he looked at Cole as they started to slide shut. Cole caught the door stopping it from closing. “David, we need to talk.”
“I don’t have time right now.” Starsky said, his eyes not wavering from hers.
Cole pulled her hand back allowing the doors to close; she couldn’t help but feel the doors of their relationship had closed as well.
Cole went to the front desk and called a cab to take her back to Starsky’s apartment, she wasn’t sure if she should pack her stuff and leave or hang around until he finally came home and talk it out. She wasn’t sure if there was anything to talk about. Cole wondered how she was going to tell her mother that the wedding was off and it was all her fault.
She walked down the steps just as the cab pulled up to the curb, Cole got in and leaned over the seat to give the driver Starsky’s address, then changing her mind gave him Hutch’s instead. Maybe she could come up with a clue, or maybe Doug would show up at Hutch’s, especially since it seemed he had the two detectives mixed up.
The door to Hutch’s apartment was standing open when Cole climbed the flight of stairs; she started to call out the detective’s name then though better of it. Cole pulled her gun from her purse and slipped into the dim apartment, it was nearly dusk outside. They should have been on their honeymoon, not fighting and trying to find Hutch.
The apartment seemed empty and Cole let her guard down, she knew it was a mistake the moment she heard the sound of a gun cocking. Cole spun around; she was looking down the barrel of a rifle, the same rifle Rollins had used on Hutch. “Doug!”
He left out a small laugh, “I thought you were a better agent than that. You never let your guard down, never. That cop is making you soft.”
“Where is Hutch?” Cole asked forgetting that Rollins thought he had Starsky.
“Hutch?” he was confused. That was when he realized that he had mixed up the detectives, but it didn’t matter he was going to kill them both along with Cole. “He is dead, just like you and your boyfriend are going to be.”
“But why?” Cole wanted to know.
“You ended my life, now I’m going to end yours.” Doug snarled at her.
“You ended your own life; I had nothing to do with it. You know what you were doing was wrong. You should have turned in Masters as soon as he approached you.” Cole decided she was going to have her say. She knew she was dead; there was no way that Starsky could possibly know where she was. “You were a good agent, what happened, Doug?”
“I guess I got a better offer.”
“What? Money? Is that what Masters offered you?
Doug shrugged, “And a higher position in the agency.”
“You honestly didn’t think you were going to get caught? The whole thing was so sloppy. I was suspicious from the beginning. You should have stuck to being the good guy; you were a whole lot better at it.”
“Just shut up will ya?”
“Do you know what you have done to your mother?”
Doug flinched, “You leave my mother out of this.”
“You put your mother right in the middle of this, you stole her car. She is going to be picked up by the police and hauled down for questioning. They think she helped you escape.” Cole said stretching the truth a bit, although she wasn’t sure what was going to happen to Mrs. Rollins.
“She didn’t know anything about me escaping.” Doug yelled as he poked the barrel of the rifle into Cole’s chest.
Cole held her ground. “You will be back on death row and your mother will be in jail as an accessory.” She decided to see if she could push more of Rollins buttons possibly distracting him enough so that she could get away.
Rollins stepped away from Cole and put his finger on the trigger of the rifle. The blast in the room was loud as it echoed off the walls; Cole closed her eyes as her last thoughts were of her groom and almost wedding day. Then next thing Cole felt was someone pulling her into their arms. Cole’s eyes flew open and looked into Starsky’s bright blue eyes. Doug Rollins lay dead on the floor of Hutch’s apartment.


                                                                                    ~Chapter 7~


Upon trying to stand, Hutch realized that his left ankle was either broken or badly sprained. He took a deep breath steeling himself against the pain of all his injuries, as he looked around for a branch that he could use as a crutch. He was just thankful it hadn’t been his right ankle or he would have been stuck. He couldn’t have supported his weight on a crutch with his right shoulder. Finally, after hobbling a short distance using the assistance of trees, he was able to find a branch long enough that he could use.
The light was beginning to fade in the dense forest and Hutch knew that it wouldn’t be long until it would be too dark for him to safely move through the woods so he began looking for a place that he might hold up overnight. A rumble came from above and cursed his luck as it sounded like a storm was moving in. He had to get to high ground, if there was a lot of rain the small stream that he was following could quickly raise and he could be trapped in the ravine and drowned. He was going to have to try and climb up the steep side of the embankment.
Two things worried him, the strength that he was going to need to get up the side and that fact that Rollins could be waiting for him to show his face again. Maybe the man was laying in wait and this was just his way of torturing the detective. Hutch decided that if he went up the steep grade sideways, using the trees and bushes as support, that he might be able to make it to the top before the storm hit. He just wished that he could get a break.
After a few slips and one misstep that caused him to hit his ankle, sending sharp pains up his leg, he finally crested the top of the ravine. He fell onto his back breathing in great gulps of air, a few raindrops that had made it though the tree cover splashed in his face. He relished the cool drops and opened his mouth hoping to catch a few to quench his thirst. A crack of lightening, sounding much closer, got Hutch up on his feet and moving to find shelter before the storm hit with a vengeance.
He was hoping that if Rollins was still out there that the storm would send him back to the cabin and that it would give him a head start when the storm abated. The wind began to pick up and the rain was falling in sheets, not even the tree cover could protect him from being drenched. Lightening flashed overhead as the sound of thunder filled the air. He franticly searched for a place to get out of the weather but there was none to be had.
Hutch kept moving best he could, dodging limbs that were being knocked from the trees by the heavy wind. At last he spotted a large boulder that cropped out of the ground, it wasn’t much but at least he could shield himself from the force of the rain and wind. He lowed himself to the ground and huddled next to the rock. Hutch checked his shoulder, which was still bleeding, he knew he had to get help soon or he would die from blood loss or infection.

“You, you killed him David,” Cole had pulled herself free of Starsky’s arms and was kneeling next to Doug Rollins’ body. “How are we going to find Hutch?”
Starsky pulled her to her feet. “He was going to kill you.”
“But you killed our only hope.” Cole said as tears where streaming down her face. “I didn’t want to live at Hutch’s expense.”
Starsky pulled Cole from the floor and into his arms again both of them forgetting the stupid fight they had.
“We will find Hutch.” Starsky said as he reached for the telephone to report that Rollins had been shot and killed.
They waited until the uniformed officers and the crime lab got to the scene, Starsky was relieved of his gun and both of their accounts of what had just transpired were taken down. Then they were instructed to go directly to the station so that they could be interviewed again.
The news of Doug Rollins’ death and the kidnapping of Hutch were all over the radio and television before Cole and Starsky got back to the station. Dobey met them at the door as they entered. “Are you two okay?” Was Dobey’s first question, his next was, “Do you know where Hutch is?”
“Sorry, cap, but he wouldn’t say and left Cole with the belief that Hutch is already dead.” Starsky said but his eyes were filled with anger not grief.
“And you think Hutch is alive?” Dobey asked knowing the look on his detective’s face.
“Yes.” Starsky said simply.
“Cole?”
Dobey, Starsky and Cole turned around at the sound of the voice. Rita Rollins was approaching them hurriedly. “Mrs. Rollins, I’m so sorry about Doug.”
Tears stood in the older woman’s eyes as she looked at Cole, “No, I’m the one that is sorry, if I hadn’t been so blind to my son’s faults then maybe he would still be alive. But maybe it isn’t too late for your friend.”
“Do you know where Doug took my partner?” Starsky asked.
“I might,” Anita Rollins answered, “You must know that I did not have anything to do with my son’s escape.”
Cole put her hand on the woman’s shoulder, “Please, Mrs. Rollins, just tell us where you think Detective Hutchinson might be.”
“We have a family cabin, when Doug’s father died years ago we stopped going there, but it was always Doug’s favorite place to go and from time to time he would spend the weekend there. That is the only place I can think that he might have taken the detective.”
“Could you give us the directions?” Starsky asked.
Mrs. Rollins nodded as Starsky handed her a pad of paper, she quickly wrote down the directions and handed it back to him. “Doug knew that area very well.”
“Thank you,” Starsky said as he planted a quick kiss on the older woman’s cheek.
“Please, let me know if you find him.” She called after Cole and Starsky.
They were nearly to the door when one of the officers from the Rollins’ shooting entered the station. “Where do you think you two are going? Have you given your statements yet?”
“What we gave you at Hutch’s apartment is going to have to be good enough for now,” Starsky said. “We might have a lead to Hutch’s whereabouts.”
The officer only hesitated for a moment, “You need help?”
“All we can get,” Starsky said. “If Hutch isn’t in this cabin we will have to search the woods and that could take a while. Rollins could have stashed him anywhere.”

The storm raged on as Hutch huddled close to the boulder, but it gave very little protection as the wind kept shifting, causing him to be soaked by the rain. His arm was beginning to go numb; he tried to wiggle his fingers without much success. If he wasn’t found soon, he would probably lose his arm or worse.
“Starsky, where are you?” Hutch cried out loud above the crashing of the thunder.
He thought about getting up and trying to find his way to a road or even find a path that could lead him to help but with the driving wind and rain it would be impossible and the likelihood of him being hurt further was a great. So Hutch decided that his best bet was to wait out the storm and hope he was still alive come morning.

It was pitch dark and a storm was still raging as Starsky and Cole pulled up in front of the cabin that Anita Rollins had given them directions to. It was hard to tell what kind of shape it was in with the darkness and storm enveloping them. They both got out and dashed to the cover of porch, Starsky tried the doorknob and it turned easily, stepping inside they looked around the dark cabin. Cole flipped on the flashlight and splashed it around the room. Not much furniture remained in the cabin, a table stood next to one of the windows along with a couple of chairs. The kitchen had some provisions which they could tell had been newly purchased. A brown paper sack still sat on the counter near the sink and the sink was filled with dirty dishes. A coffee pot was on an old stove, Starsky touched it but it had long gone cold.
“HUTCH!” Starsky yelled out to be heard over the rain beating on the roof; they both listened but didn’t hear an answer.
There were two doors leading off the main living area, Cole lead the way with the flashlight, Starsky opened the door slowly only to find a bed with a sleeping bag thrown across it. The second room had nothing in it.
Defeated, Starsky glanced around the room wishing that it was daylight so that they could see better; he knew they had to be missing something.
“Hey, over here,” Cole called out; she had found the door leading to the small cellar. Neither of them had noticed it in the darkness.
Starsky held his breath as she opened the door, Cole trained the light on the steps that led into the musky darkness. First thing they noticed was a plate with uneaten food and a cup of coffee sitting on the top step. “Hutch has to be down there.” Starsky said vaulting down the stairs without waiting for the light.
“David, be careful,” Cole warned as she followed, shoving the plate out of the way with her foot.
“Hutch, I’m here, where are you?” Starsky called for his friend but still the only things he heard was Cole’s footsteps as she descended the stairs and the rain hitting the ground outside.
As Cole reached the bottom of the stairs Starsky took the flashlight from her and aimed it around the room. He saw nothing but junk that had come from the upper part of the cabin. “Where is he?” Starsky demanded angrily. “I’m sure that Rollins had to be keeping him here, why else would there be food on the steps?”
“Maybe he escaped.” Cole suggested.
“Then why haven’t hasn’t he contacted us?” Starsky wanted to know.
“What if Rollins got to him first?”
Starsky turned and looked at Cole in the dim light that the flashlight was giving off. “Hutch is not dead.”
“I didn’t say he was, maybe he is just lost in the woods.” Cole said wanting to be supportive but fearing the worst.
“How did he get out?” Starsky asked, “It didn’t look like there was a scuffle upstairs.”
Cole took back the flashlight and took a second look around the cellar, “There!” she exclaimed pointing to the window that Hutch had chiseled out.
They moved closer to inspect the window. Starsky picked up the screwdriver that Hutch had been using. “Looks like he made the opening bigger so he could slip out.”
Cole nodded in agreement, “So where did he go from here?”
Starsky shrugged and started back up the stairs, “We have got to find him. Hutch could be hurt out there.”
Cole followed him back to the first floor. “We can’t go looking now. Its pitch black and storming, all we will do is end up lost ourselves.”
“I can’t just sit here and wait.” Starsky said kicking at one of the two chairs.
“You have search teams standing by to help at a moment’s notice, let’s just wait for daylight.”
Starsky sighed and sat down in the chair he had just kicked. He knew that Cole was right, they would never find Hutch out there now. He had never felt so helpless in his whole life.
Cole looked at her watch. “It’s two a.m.; it will be daylight in about four hours.”
“And what do you suggest we do until then?”
“Sit and wait,” Cole said.
Starsky nodded then said, “Let me radio Dobey so he knows what is going on and can send the search teams at dawn.”


                                                                            ~Chapter 8~


Just as the first hint of daylight graced the sky the storm thankfully broke. It had been a long four hours sitting in the dark cabin for Starsky and Cole but even a longer night for Hutch who was now nearly unconscious. The weather and his wounds had taken their toll on his body, he had tried to stay alert but as a chilled settled into his bones, it became harder and harder to believe that he would be found.
It was only sheer exhaustion that finally made Starsky sleep; he hadn’t closed his eyes since Hutch had gone missing. His head lay across his arms that were folded on the table. For most of the time Cole had stood by one of the windows staring into the darkness and rubbing her now empty ring finger. Their fight had been forgotten at least for the time being and she wondered if they would ever get married, it always seemed like something was pushing them apart so maybe they just weren’t meant to be together.
As the sky began to lighten Cole crossed the room and laid her hand on Starsky’s back, “David.”
Starsky jerked out of his uneasy sleep and looked around unsure of where he was, then it all came flooding back to him. He looked up at Cole, “Why did you let me fall asleep?”
“You needed the rest, besides there was nothing else to do but wait, so you might as well have gotten a little sleep.”
“Did you sleep?”
Cole shook her head no.
Starsky looked out the window, rain dripped from the eaves of the cabin but it had stopped and he could make out the tree line in the growing light. “It’s time to get out there and look for Hutch.”
Cole wanted to tell him to wait for the rest of the searchers, who were surly on their way, but she knew it was no use. But as they stepped out onto the porch they heard the sound of several cars approaching. The search party had arrived, the first car was Captain Dobey along with Jenna, who leaped out of the car and ran toward the pair standing on the porch. “Any luck?”
Starsky shook his head. “Hutch was here, looks like he escaped into the woods.”
“We’ll find him,” Cole assured Jenna.
Starsky was surprised to see Nick get out of the car and follow Dobey to where they were standing. “What are you doing here, Nick?”
“I came to help.” He said casting his eyes to the ground. Even though he had never really liked Hutch, he didn’t want anything to have happened to him.
“Thanks,” Starsky said as he stepped forward to pat his brother on the back.
Starsky and Cole walked around to the side of the cabin looking for the window that Hutch had escaped from. Jenna followed as they explained to her what they had found the night before. They found the window quickly; Starsky squatted down inspecting the ledge of the window and the surrounding ground trying to get a feel for which way his partner might have gone. But the storm had washed away any trail that Hutch might have left.
Cole surveyed the trees, “So which way first?”
Starsky stood and ran his hand through his curly hair. He knew Hutch and as he pondered the choices he pointed at the stand trees behind the cabin. “That way, I think any other way he would be afraid of being spotted.”
“Alright then, let’s get this show on the road.” Cole said as a large group of officers gathered around them.
They split up into five groups, each taking a slightly different direction, walking slowly and keeping their eyes on the ground so as not to miss anything that might be important. As their group, consisting of Starsky, Cole, Jenna and Nick moved in to the soggy dim forest, Starsky called out to Hutch. They all stopped and held their collective breath in case the missing detective called back, but the only sound that met their ears was that of water dripping from the leaves and hitting the ground.

Hutch, now unconscious and tucked under the boulder, shivered involuntarily. The wound in his shoulder was still seeping blood and his ankle was swollen badly and turning an angry shade of purple. There was movement in the leaves and a small mouse came to investigate the human lying still on the ground. The mouse sniffed at the fingers that were lying out stretched, then crawled in the palm of the hand and sat on its haunches waiting for the hand to move, when it didn’t, the mouse continued on up the arm until the tiny beast was sitting on the detective’s chest.
A nearby noise caused the mouse to freeze with only its whiskers and nose twitching to indicate that it was alive. Its head, with its beady black eyes, shifted in the direction of the noise. The sound grew louder as if someone or something was moving careless though the woods, the sound of branches snapping alerted the mouse further and it scampered into a small hole under the boulder.
Suddenly, a black bear lumbered into sight, the bear stopped and sniffed the air, the scent of blood heavy on the rain cleansed breeze had nearly driven the bear mad. He put his nose to the ground and sniffed the leaves as he moved closer to the unconscious Hutch. His prey was close, the bear wondered if he would have to fight off another predator to take the prize. It wouldn’t be the first time he had stolen another’s kill.
The bear was not overly large, not as large as some of his kin, he was still young but he was big enough to kill. The bear moved closer to where Hutch lay and sniffed the fingers that the mouse had only moments before. The bear smelled the mouse but the bigger prey is what he was intent on. Moving even closer, the bear nudged the unmoving quarry and was puzzled for a moment as he reached up a rather large foot, a foot that he would someday grow into and pushed not so gently on the chest of the human. A grunt emitted from the human but no movement. The bear leaned closer, pushing his snout close to the human’s face; he breathed the scent in deeply. The animal grabbed the already shredded shirt and tugged. The body moved a few inches before the material gave way and bear had a scrap of cloth in its mouth. Tossing away the material; the bear went in for a better hold on his quarry.

Without knowing exactly when Hutch had escaped, it was impossible to judge how long he had been on the run. Starsky stood in the dense forest perplexed as to where they should look. He called out to his partner several more times and they could hear other groups also yelling for Hutch. As the day wore on forest rangers joined the search but it was Starsky that found a bloodied piece of cloth that he was sure was part of the shirt that Hutch had been wearing the last time he had seen him.
Starsky went down on his knees clutching the bloody torn swatch, for the first time he allowed himself to think that his partner might be dead. Cole put her hand on his back but knew there were no words to comfort what he was feeling.
A ranger who had just caught up with them asked to see the scrap of cloth. After examining it for a few moments and even sniffing the nearly shredded shirt he shook his head, “Looks like your partner might have had a run in with a bear.”
The color drained from Starsky’s face and others in the group gathered around to listen to what the ranger had to say. “See how the edges of the material have been shredded like this? And smell it,” He held it out for Starsky to smell, “That musky smell is bear.”
“Does this mean my partner has been attacked by a bear?” Starsky wanted to know as he stared at the blood covered fragment.
The ranger shrugged, “Could be your partner took his shirt off and the bear found it and shredded it, or…”
“Or the bear attacked my partner.”
The man nodded, “If he was already hurt the scent of blood could have attracted the bear.”
“We have got to find Hutch!” Starsky said franticly.
“Everybody needs to take it easy, it’s obvious there is a bear in the area and they can be dangerous,” Advised the ranger.
Starsky stood on the edge of the ravine where Hutch had slipped and fallen, “Hutch where are you?” he said more to himself than anyone around him.
“We’ll find him,” Nick said knowing that his past actions toward Hutch made his words sound empty and hollow.
Starsky turned and looked at his brother and gave him a weak smile. “Yeah, we will,” But he had to wonder if his partner would still be alive when he was found.
They set off in what Starsky hoped was the direction that Hutch might have gone having no idea that he had fallen to the bottom of the ravine and had to make his way up again. There were no signs that Hutch had even been the way they were going except for the bloody shirt and the bear could have carried and dropped it from anywhere in the forest. The storm had washed away all evidence that could have helped them locate Hutch.

The bear’s teeth closed around what remained of Hutch’s shirt and tugged him from under the boulder until he was out in the open, then the bear inspected its quarry. Hutch emitted a soft groan which caused the animal to stop and look at the man quizzically. The bear nudged Hutch’s head, which flopped to the other side, if it had been truly hungry, it would have torn into the man’s flesh without a second thought but it hadn’t been that long since the animal had feasted on a fox. It was more fun to play with its catch than to eat it. The bear put its foot on Hutch’s chest and gave a little bounce which caused Hutch to groan again. It smelled the detective’s face again as if trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. Its sharp claws dug into Hutch’s skin as it drug its foot across his chest leaving long gashes that began to bleed.
Hutch was completely unaware of what was happening to him. It was only a matter of time before the detective would succumb to his wounds, the elements, and of course the bear. The bear walked the length of the detective’s body smelling as he went, then the bear grabbed Hutch by one leg and pulled thinking that he would take the human to his lair for safe keeping.

At first Starsky didn’t realize what he was looking at, thinking that perhaps he had found more of Hutch’s clothing he hurried to a thicket of bushes and small trees. He was horrified when what was flapping in the breeze was what was left of Hutch’s shirt and it still clung to his nearly dead partner.
Starsky froze for only a moment, then he let out a cry so everybody would know that he had found Hutch. He scrambled through the bushes, getting cut and scratched as he shoved limbs out of his way. Hutch was in such a mess Starsky scarcely recognized his friend. The still unconscious detective was caught inside the thicket where the bear had unsuccessfully tried to drag him through.
“Hutch,” Starsky called to his partner softly as he held his head in his hands. He didn’t try to feel for a pulse for Starsky feared the worse.



                                                                         ~Chapter 9~


Cole stepped forward and pulled Starsky away from Hutch so that the search and rescue team that had caught up with them could work on the battered detective. A helicopter was waiting in the clearing by the cabin to whisk him away the moment he could be loaded on. Four men, two of which were carrying a metal gurney, began to work on extracting Hutch from the brush he was tangled in. Starsky and the rest of the search party stood by helplessly as Hutch was worked on.
Jenna started to take a step toward the gruesome scene but it was Nick that stopped her, pulling the young woman in his arms so that she wouldn’t see what bad shape the man she loved was in. Jenna dissolved into tears as she clung to Nick for support.
After getting Hutch stabilized he was rushed through the woods, it was just beginning to rain again as the group broke into the clearing and headed for the helicopter. Starsky waited while his partner was loaded on, as he was about to get aboard himself when Cole grabbed his arm. “There is nothing more you can do.” Cole said.
Starsky shrugged off her hand. “I can be with him.” Starsky climbed in the chopper without looking back.
Cole shielded her eyes as the helicopter lifted off. Jenna, still clinging to Nick, yelled out, “Take care of him.”
After the chopper was gone, Cole headed to Starsky’s car, as she was starting to get into the drivers seat Nick appeared next to her. “Would you like us to go back with you?”
“Sure,” Cole said dropping the car keys in Nick’s hand, “Would you mind driving?” Not waiting for an answer Cole climbed in the back seat leaving the front for Nick and Jenna.
Once they were on the road, Jenna swiveled in the seat and looked over the back at Cole, “Are you alright?”
Cole was being uncharacteristically quiet. She was a take charge type of person but now she was huddled in the back seat as they sped down the highway toward whatever hospital Hutch was being flown too. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Cole responded but she didn’t convince Jenna and made her wonder if there was more going on than Hutch.
It was when Cole raised her left hand to brush back a stray hair that Jenna noticed that her engagement ring was missing. “Cole what is going on?”
“What do you mean?” Cole said jerking her hand from her face knowing exactly what Jenna was referring to. She hadn’t told anybody that she had given Starsky back the ring; she had hoped that they would talk it out and she would have it back on her finger before anybody noticed.
“Your ring, where is your engagement ring?” Jenna asked as Nick glanced in the rearview mirror.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now,” Cole said as she stared out the window not seeing what was flying by.
Jenna frowned but turned around, she glanced at Nick but he seemed as surprised as she did. “How much longer?”
Nick shrugged, “You tell me I’m not from around here.”

Starsky sat next to Hutch watching his chest move up and down as the men worked on him starting IV’s and checking his vitals. Starsky started to take Hutch’s hand but then stopped for fear of hurting him. “It’s okay,” One of the men said, “You can talk to him if you want to.”
Starsky nodded as he gently picked up Hutch’s hand, it was so cold…too cold. “Hey, buddy, we finally found you. It wasn’t easy but we did it,” Starsky said as he leaned close to Hutch’s ear. “You hang in there; I didn’t go to all this trouble to find you just to have you die on me.”
“How much longer?” Starsky addressed the two men
“We should be there in about twenty minutes.”
“How is he?” Starsky wanted to know.
“We won’t really know until a doctor examines him.”
Starsky was sure the man knew more than he was telling him which scared the detective.

Starsky was in the waiting room staring unseeing at a magazine when Cole, Jenna and his brother came through the door. “How is he?” Jenna asked.
“I don’t know,” Starsky said, a combination of sadness and tiredness etched on his face. “They have been working on him since we landed.”
“I’m going to get some coffee,” Nick said, “Anybody else?”
“Sure,” Cole said, “Thanks, Nick.”
“What about you, Jenna, Davy?”
Starsky shook his head but Jenna nodded and said, “I’ll come with you.”
After they were out of the room Cole sat down next to Starsky, “Hutch is going to be alright.”
He nodded mutely.
“About the other day,” Cole began. “I’m sorry I blew up like that.”
“Not now.”
Cole took a deep breath and leaned back on the couch, she tried to take his hand but Starsky got up and walked to the doorway to look down the corridor. He needed to make sure Hutch was okay before he even thought of anything else.
Starsky stood in the hall looking through a window at his partner, after the doctors had finished setting his broken ankle, wrapping his ribs, and taking care of the multiple cuts and claw marks they had settled him into a room on the sixth floor. Starsky watched as a nurse checked his partner’s vitals and wrote them in his chart, then she hung it on the end of the bed and opened the door. “Can I see him?”
“Are you family?” she asked.
“I’m his partner, same thing.” Starsky said giving the woman a pleading look. He needed to be in the room with Hutch, he had to let him know that he was there for him.
The nurse sighed. “Don’t be too long. He needs his rest.”
Starsky nodded wordlessly and pushed the door open. Hutch actually looked better than when they were on the helicopter. His color was better and the blood had been cleaned off him. “Hutch,” the name was said in a bare whisper.
“Yeah.”
Starsky was surprised that his partner was even awake. “You’re awake.”
“Kind of wish I wasn’t, I feel like crap.” Hutch still had his eyes closed but the corners of his mouth curved into a small smile. “Where is Rollins?”
“Dead, he was going to kill Cole, I shot him.”
Knowing his partner Hutch said, “Its okay Starsky, you found me anyway.”
“I-I didn’t think you were…” The words caught in Starsky’s throat when he tried to say alive.
Hutch tried to laugh but his ribs hurt too much. “I wasn’t sure I was alive either. I had this dream a bear showed up.”
“It wasn’t a dream, a bear tried to drag you off for dinner. I don’t know if our yelling scared him off or you getting stuck just made the bear give up.” Starsky said trying to keep his voice light.
Hutch’s face turned serious, “Thanks, buddy, for not giving up.”
“Never.”
The door to the room opened at the same nurse poked her head in. “It’s time for you to go, the detective needs his rest.”
“But…” Starsky started to protest.
“Go head, Starsk, I swear you look worse than I feel.” Hutch gave him another small smile. “Go home and get some sleep, I’ll still be here in the morning.”
Cole stood up as Starsky entered the waiting room, Nick and Jenna were no where to be seen. “How is he?”
“Okay, considering,” Starsky said as he flopped down in one of the chairs. He was beyond exhausted. “He’s worried about me, thinks I need some sleep.”
“He’s right you know,” Cole said as she moved toward where he was sitting. She was unsure as to what to say to him, he obviously wasn’t interested in talking about the two of them. “Why don’t we go home for awhile? I’m sure if there is any change the hospital will call.”
She was surprised when Starsky nodded his head in agreement with her as he got up. “Alright, for a while.”
Jenna and Nick entered the room carrying steaming cups of coffee. Jenna looked at Starsky, “Ken alright?”
Starsky put his arm around her shoulders, “Yeah, he’s going to take a while to heal up but he’s going to be fine.”
“Can I see him?” She wanted to know.
“A nurse just chased me out; I think we should come back tomorrow.”
Jenna nodded but the disappointment was evident on her face.

Starsky had just stepped out a hot shower when Cole entered the bathroom with towel in hand. “Feel better?”
“With about a weeks worth of sleep.” Starsky took the towel she offered. Cole turned to leave but he grabbed her arm. “You can’t hand me your ring back every time I do something that you don’t like.”
Cole turned sadden eyes on him, “I know, I was an idiot. This whole thing had dredged up so many bad memories about Doug, it put me on edge. But that was no excuse for what I did.”
“I know we have some things to talk about but I just can’t do it now.” Starsky said, he was barely able to hold his eyes open.
Cole nodded, “When things calm down we will talk.” She followed Starsky into the bedroom and watched him as she slipped on a pale blue pair of pajama bottoms and crawled into bed. She stood there awkwardly wondering what she should do. Cole figure that Jenna would put her up if need be. When Starsky didn’t say any more to her she went to the closet and pulled down a suitcase.
“What’s the suitcase for?” he asked watching her through half closed eyes.
“I figured I would go stay with Jenna,” Cole whispered.
Starsky patted the spot next to him. “You don’t need to do that.”
“Are you sure?” Cole edged toward the bed. “I know things are up in the air with us.”
“We have stuff to work out, that doesn’t mean I want you to move out.” Starsky said as he pulled the covers back for her.
Cole took a deep breath, tears stood in her eyes as she smiled at him. “Alright, but I really need a shower.”
Starsky nodded but he was nearly asleep.

It was just after midnight; Hutch was sleeping soundly when there was an irregular blip on the heart monitor that Hutch was attached to, it was followed by several more then the line went flat as an alarm sounded to alert the nursing staff that their patients heart had stopped beating.



                                                                           ~Chapter 10~



Hutch’s room was crowded with doctors and nurses trying to revive the dying detective. “Clear!” one of the doctors ordered has he applied the paddles to Hutch’s bare chest trying to shock his heart back into action. Nothing happened, “Again.” Still nothing…


Starsky’s eyes opened, it was still dark in the bedroom and he wondered what time it was, Cole was snuggled close to him breathing softly as she slept. He twisted his head to look at the clock, it was just after midnight. He closed his eyes knowing that he still needed more sleep but a feeling of dread began to fill his body. Hutch is fine; Starsky thought to himself, his partner had been fine when he had left him but what if he wasn’t now.
Starsky started extracting himself from Cole; he didn’t want to wake her. He had to call the hospital just to put his mind at rest, then maybe he could go back to sleep. Finally, he got Cole moved over and he was able to get out of bed, silently he went into the living room, first he dialed information to get the number to the hospital then placed the call.
After getting the initial spiel from the desk, Starsky asked about Hutch’s condition. “Sir, it’s the middle of the night,” The voice on the other end answered.
“I’m aware of that but I need to know how he is doing.”
“Just a moment I’ll have to put you through to the nurse’s station, my information isn’t updated.” The voice sounded slightly annoyed, “Unless you can wait until morning.”
“Put me through,” The pleasantry dropping from Starsky’s voice. He was tired and had a bad feeling something had happened to Hutch. He was tempted to jump in the car and just go to the hospital but he knew they wouldn’t let him see his partner.
“Just one moment.”
The phone rang a dozen times before it was finally picked up. “Sixth Floor nurse’s station.”
“This is Detective Starsky, you have my partner Ken Hutchinson there, room 615 I believe, could you tell me his condition?” There was dead silence on the end of the phone, “Hello?”
“I-I’m sorry, did you say the name was Ken Hutchinson?” Theresa Wigging asked, knowing full well who the detective had asked for. She was trying to stall, it wasn’t the kind of news you really wanted to give over the phone.
“Yes, I just need to know that he is okay.” Starsky said not like the sound of the woman’s voice.
She took a deep breath, “Detective Starsky, I think it might be a good idea if you got down here. We aren’t sure what happened but your friend’s heart stopped beating, we have been working on him but he is not responding. If there is anybody else who would like to be here, you need to call them.”
Starsky sat stunned; he mumbled a few words and hung up the phone. Hutch was dying and he had to be there, he would not let him die alone. Starsky jumped up from the couch, rushed into the bedroom and flipped on the light not caring if he woke Cole. He yanked open drawers and began pulling out clothes.
Cole sat up in the sudden brightness and squinted at Starsky, “What’s going on?”
“Hutch is dying.”
“What?” Cole leaped out of bed.
“I had a bad feeling and called the hospital, they said his heart has stopped and they are working on him.” Starsky said heading out of the bedroom as he slipped a shirt over his head. “I have to go to the hospital.”
“I’ll come with you.”
“I don’t have time to wait; it might already be too late.” Starsky grabbed his keys and was gone before Cole could say anything more. She quickly began throwing on her own clothes then stopped and sat on the edge of the bed. She picked up the phone and dialed Jenna, she needed to know.

Starsky didn’t bother to stop at the main desk when he entered the hospital he went straight to the elevator and up to the sixth floor. He didn’t have to look at the room numbers to know which one was Hutch’s room. There was a steady stream of men and women dressed in white going in and out of his partner’s room.
As Starsky approached the door a nurse stopped him. “Are you Detective Starsky?” Starsky nodded. “I’m Theresa Wigging, we spoke earlier.”
“How is he?”
“I would rather the doctor talk to you but I can tell you that his heart is beating on its own again.” Nurse Wigging said.
“Thank God,” Starsky slumped against the wall.
“I don’t want to give you false hope; he’s not out of the woods yet. He is being taken downstairs to ICU.” The nurse said.
“What happened, he was fine when I left.”
“The doctor will be out in a few minutes, you need to speak with him.” She said, as she started to walk away she put her hand on his arm. “Think good thoughts.”
Starsky nodded woodenly.

Cole found Starsky pacing the ICU hall; she walked up to him and pulled him into her arms. “Ken?”
“He’s alive, for now.”
“What happened, I thought he was going to be alright.” Cole said as Starsky clung to her.
“I talked to the doctor; he said that Hutch’s body had been through so much that his heart just stopped. They don’t think he had a heart attack, but they are running tests now.” His voice was so soft that Cole could scarcely hear him.
“It’s going to be okay,” Cole soothed.
“I don’t know, maybe not this time.”
“Starsky?” Jenna ran down the hall, her face streaked with tears; once again Starsky had to explain what he knew. “I just don’t believe this.”
“We will know more in a while, at least he is alive.” Starsky said as much to comfort himself as Jenna and Cole.
The three sat silently in the waiting room for nearly three hours before the doctor finally came to find Starsky. “Detective Starsky?” Dr. Standforth asked, peeking his head into the waiting room.
Starsky jumped to his feet. “That’s me. How is my partner, doctor?”
“It’s been a long haul but he is stable now and breathing on his own.” The doctor perched on the arm of one of the chairs. “We still don’t know what caused his heart to stop beating. He will have to be watched very closely, Detective Hutchinson will remain in the ICU until we are sure he is on his way to a complete recovery.”
“How long?” Starsky wanted to know.
The doctor shrugged, “I wish I could tell you detective. But sometimes we just don’t have the answers. I’m sorry I can’t give you more.”
“So it could be a while?”
“I’m afraid so. We are still running some tests; we should have the results shortly.”
“Dr. Standforth?” A nurse poked her head in the room; she was holding a file folder in her hand. “The tests.” The look on the woman’s face was enough to frighten all those sitting in the waiting room, including the doctor.
“Excuse me,” Dr. Standforth got up and followed the nurse down the hall.
Starsky craned his neck round the door, straining to hear what they were saying but they were both talking in hushed tones. He could see the doctor reading the chart and shaking his head. The doctor glanced in his direction and Starsky stepped back into the waiting room.
Dr. Standforth nodded a few more times at the nurse; he tapped the folder on the palm of his hand then headed toward the waiting room. Starsky, Cole and Jenna were all standing waiting on his return when the doctor walked in. “Let’s have a seat.”
“It’s bad?” Jenna asked.
“Yes,” Dr. Standforth said with out mincing words. “But it is treatable; I don’t think it’s too late.”
“Doctor, please,” Starsky said.
“Detective Hutchinson had acute heart failure due to a virus that attacked the heart muscle. I can only guess that perhaps it had something to with the bear attack, or it could have happened when he was shot and the wound was not immediately treated. We will probably never know.”
“That fast?” Starsky was stunned.
“Yes, it had to have entered his blood stream. Some viruses can be very invasive.”
“He will be put on a combination of medications. We will hope that this alleviates the problem, if not and there has been permanent heart damage, he might need a transplant.” The doctor measured his words carefully as he said them, knowing what kind of reaction he would probably get.
Jenna burst into tears; Cole put her arms around the young woman to comfort her and looked beseechingly at Starsky. He needed to make this alright, although she knew there was nothing he could do.
Starsky nodded slowly as he took in everything the doctor was saying. “So, bottom line, Hutch might die?”
“Yes.” Standforth said. “We will do all we can but ultimately it will be up to his body to do the work. We can only give him the medications and pray they work.”
“How long will it be before we know?”
“Several days at the most, if he does not respond to treatment he will be put on the donor list immediately.”
“What are his odds of getting the heart he needs?” Cole asked.
“There is a long list and not that many organs. I don’t want to get anybody’s hopes up, it could be years.”
“Can you keep him alive while he is waiting for a heart?” Starsky asked.
“With medication, yes, for a while but not indefinitely especially if his heart is badly damaged. But let’s not get a head of ourselves; we need to see if the medication works first.”
The doctor stood and put a hand on Starsky’s back. “Hang in there.”
“Can I see him?” Starsky asked.
“I’m afraid we can’t let you in the room right now, but you can see him through the glass.” The doctor looked at Starsky apologetically. “Maybe in a couple of days we can let you in.”
“Alright,” Starsky said but he wasn’t happy that he wouldn’t be allowed to speak to his friend or be by his bedside.

Starsky stood in the hall staring through a glass window at his partner. He didn’t look like himself and only last night Hutch had looked as though he was on the mend. Now he looked as if he was on death’s door. “If we had only found you sooner, it’s my fault.” Starsky said softly as he put a palm against the window, a single tear ran down his face as he watched the nurses in the room where he wasn’t allowed to be.




                                                                           ~Chapter 11~



“You are going to make yourself sick,” Cole said, she had just returned to the hospital after going home to shower and change. She had begged Starsky to come with her but he refused. “It might be days before they let you in to see Ken. You can’t just sit here in the waiting room.”
“Yes I can,” Starsky snapped stubbornly. “Look what happened last time I left.”
“Honey, that wasn’t your fault,” She sat down on the couch next to him. “It would have happened even if you would have been here.”
“But I would have been here.”
Cole sighed; she wasn’t sure what to do anymore. Her parents needed to get back home and she figured that his mother and his brother needed to get back as well. She didn’t know if they were even engaged anymore, he hadn’t brought up the ring she had given him back. Cole stood, “I need to go see my parents, I’m going to tell them that they might as well go home there isn’t going to be a wedding right now.”
Cole hoped that she would get a reaction out of Starsky but he only nodded, “Sounds like a good idea, I need to call Ma, I haven’t talked to her in a couple of days.”
Again Cole sighed and sadness filled her heart, she was afraid that she had lost the man she loved because of her own stupidity. Without saying anything further she started out of the waiting room, in the hall she met Nick Starsky.
“Is my brother in there?” Nick asked her.
Cole could only nod for she was afraid if she spoke she would cry.
“What’s going on with you two?” he wanted to know. He remembered the conversation with Jenna in the car right after Hutch was found so he knew they were having some sort of problem.
“I’m just stupid that’s all,” Cole said in a tight voice as her eyes filled with tears. “I got mad at David and gave him the ring back.”
“Have you tried to talk it out, you still love him don’t you?” Nick asked as he started to put his arm around her shoulder but she shook her head knowing she would really start bawling if he touched her.
“Yes, he just has other things on his mind and doesn’t want to talk about it now.” Cole answered. “I can wait but my parents need to get home.”
“Yeah, I was coming to talk to Davy to tell him that Ma needs to get home. I was going to stay if he wanted me too.”
“I think he is going to need somebody and for the time being it doesn’t look like I’m the one.” Cole said sadly.
“Once Hutch gets better, he will come around.” Nick said.
“And what if Ken doesn’t get better? Then what? I don’t think David will survive if he dies.” It hurt to think that Starsky cared more for Hutch than he did for her, it was very obvious that she would always play second fiddle to Starsky’s partner. “I’ve got to go,” Cole dug in her purse for a tissue, dabbed her eyes and hurried away.
Nick turned to watch her go. He knew how she felt; he had always felt second to Hutch. He stood in the waiting room door and watched his brother. Starsky was sitting with his head back and eyes closed, he looked almost ill.
“Davy.”
Starsky opened his eyes and looked at Nick. “Don’t start on me.”
Concern filled Nick’s face as he joined his brother, “Why would I?”
“I know you don’t like Hutch.”
“But I don’t want him dead,” Nick said then he took a deep breath. “And…and it’s not that I don’t like Hutch, it’s that I’m jealous of him.”
Starsky squinted at his brother through blood shot eyes. “Jealous?”
“Come on, you and Hutch are closer than you and I ever were and you know it.” Nick said.
“Oh, Nicky,” Starsky sounded so defeated that Nick put his arm around his brother’s shoulder.
“Its okay, Davy, really it is.” Nick said trying to comfort Starsky. “You got your own life, maybe it’s my fault I’m not part of it.”
“I guess both of our lives fell a part when pop died.” Starsky in a strained voice, his emotions were just below the surface nearly ready to boil over.
“You need to make things right with Cole,” Nick abruptly chanced the subject.
“Cole?”
“Yeah, you know your fiancée, the woman you were about to marry when everything went haywire?”
“I can’t deal with that right now.” Starsky dropped his head into his hands. “When Hutch is okay then we can see what will happen. I just don’t know if we were ever meant to even be together let alone get married.”
“What are you talking about?” Nick asked. “You two are crazy about each other.”
“But does that make a good marriage?” Starsky wanted to know. “We have had so many ups and downs in our relationship I just don’t know if we would last if we got married.”
“You need some sleep, you don’t even know what you are talking about,” Nick said.
“Nicky, you don’t know everything.”
“Then tell me, I think it’s about time I find out what has been happening in your life.”

Hutch felt as if his eyelids were glued together, no matter how hard he tried he could not make them open. He felt drained, as if no strength was left in his body and he wondered what had happened. Something happened, he knew it, he could tell. He could hear the nurses talking softly at the foot of his bed but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. Then he wondered where Starsky was, he moved his hand groping for his partner who he knew was always at his bedside but he came up with nothing but a hand full of generic hospital blanket.
Then he felt a warm hand come over his, Hutch relaxed, Starsky was there, he knew that he wouldn’t leave him. He tried to open his eyes again but without success. He wanted his partner to know that he was awake, so finally with much effort, he managed to get out “Sssstarsky.”
The nurse holding Hutch’s hand looked over at another nurse, “Our officer is awake.”
“That’s a good sign, what did he say?”
“Sounded like Starsky.”
“That is his partner.” The nurse holding his hand was informed. “I think I should get doctor Standforth.”
“I’ll stay with him in case he opens his eyes.”

Starsky was dozing while Nick was reading Ladies Home Journal when Dr. Standforth stepped into the waiting room. Nick nudged his brother. Starsky’s eyes popped open and he jumped to his feet when he saw the doctor. “Is Hutch alright?”
“He is asking for you.” The doctor said. “But he still hasn’t opened his eyes yet. I’m thinking that if perhaps you come in and talk to him that you might get him to come completely awake.”
“I didn’t realize he was in a coma,” Starsky said worriedly.
“He’s not really, it has more to do with the medication that he’s on.” Standforth explained. “So, if you could come with me, one of the nurses will get you suited up.”
“Suited up?” Starsky enquired.
“Gown, gloves, mask, we don’t want to take a chance with the condition he’s in that you might pass something to him, even the slightest cold could be deadly.”
After Starsky had everything on the nurse led him to his friend’s bedside. He was taken aback at how bad Hutch looked. He had looked fairly well just the day before but now Hutch looked as if he were on death’s door. Starsky pulled up a chair and sat down next to the ailing detective. “Hutch, I’m here,” Starsky took his hand and squeezed it gently. Hutch curled his fingers around the hand in his. “Hutch, open your eyes and talk to me.”
“Starsk.”
“Come on, buddy, open your eyes, let me see those baby blues.” Starsky coaxed.
Once again Hutch tried to open his eyes and this time he was able to open them slightly, just enough to see Starsky’s smiling face. “Starsk.”
“There you are,” Starsky tried to sound chipper. “Don’t you think it’s about time you wake up?”
“W-what happened?” Hutch asked his eyes opening wider. He noticed that he was now in a different room and there were more machines attached to him.
“You just had a little set back that’s all,” Starsky said, he didn’t know how he could possibly tell his normally healthy partner that he might be dying.
“What aren’t you telling me?” Hutch asked in a weak voice.
“I think your doctor could explain it better than I could.” Starsky answered.
“It’s bad isn’t it?”
“Hutch, let me go get the doctor,” Starsky got up to flee the room but Hutch held onto his partner with surprising strength.
“I want to hear if from you, partner.” Hutch looked into Starsky’s eyes. “From you.”
Starsky let a breath of air and sat down. “I’m not a doctor, Hutch.”
“But you know the gist of it so tell me.”
He closed his eyes, “Your heart stopped beating last night.”
“Did I have a heart attack?”
Starsky shook his head no, “You have a virus that has infected your heart. The doctor thinks it might have come from the scratches the bear inflicted on you.”
“But it’s treatable right?”
“Yes, if it was caught in time the medications they are giving you should do the trick, but if not…” Starsky stopped; he himself could not get his head around the fact that Hutch might need a heart transplant.
“If not what?”
Starsky hesitated for a few minutes then the words came spilling out of his mouth. “You will need a heart transplant.”
Hutch looked at Starsky, the words would not come. Heart transplant? His career would be over and he knew that he would spend weeks, month or possibly years in the hospital waiting for a heart. He would have to wait for someone to die in order for him to live.
“Say something, Hutch,” Starsky said as he leaned closer to the bed. “The medication will work, I know it will.”
“And if it doesn’t then I’m stuck waiting for a heart that might not come in time.” Hutch said, he looked away from his partner and stared at the wall.
“I shouldn’t have told you.” Starsky said clinging to Hutch’s hand.
Hutch looked back at him, “No, I’m glad I got the news from you.”
“We are going to fight this, buddy, I’ll be right here by your side the whole time.” Starsky said emotion filling his voice.
“What about Cole?” Hutch asked softly.
“What about her?”
“You two were supposed to be married.”
Starsky shrugged then grinned at Hutch, “I guess something came up.”
“Starsk, you can’t put your life on hold for me, that isn’t fair to Cole or to you.” Hutch clung to his friend’s hand.
“I am not getting married with you at my side,” Starsky said stubbornly. “Cole understands.”
“Does she? You can only expect her to wait for you so long you know.”
“If she can’t wait then she isn’t the right girl from me then, is she?”
“Starsky, that isn’t fair,” Hutch said again. “I want to see you happy.”
“I will be happy when you are standing up there as my best man but until then we are going to concentrate on getting you well.”
“Is Cole here? I want to talk to her.”
Starsky shook his head, “She left a while ago but Nick is here.”
“Nick, your brother?” Hutch was a little surprised.
“Go figure,” Starsky gave him a lopsided grin. “He has been there for me this whole time. Guess he doesn’t hate you as much as we thought.”
Hutch tried to smile even though he knew there was truth to what Starsky said. “I think he loves you that much.”
“Maybe, it’s been great.”
Turning serious, Hutch pulled Starsky closer, “Starsk, I mean it, you can’t stop living because I’m in this hospital. It might be a long time before I get out of here. I-I might never get out of here.”
Starsky pulled away, “Don’t talk like that you hear me. You are going to be fine you’ll see.”




                                                                                          ~Chapter 12~



Cole put the last of her clothes in her suitcase and looked around the bedroom. She would get the rest of her things some other time but for now she just needed to leave Starsky’s apartment. Jenna had graciously invited Cole to stay with her and Emma for a while until she could figure out what was going to happen with Starsky. Cole knew it was probably harsh to just move without saying anything but she hardly doubted that she would get a reaction from her former fiancé.
It has been difficult to tell her parents that the wedding they had traveled across country to see wasn’t going to happen. Her mother tried to comfort her saying that once Hutch was on the mend that things would change. But what about the next time? After they were married would she be second fiddle? She didn’t know if she wanted to take that chance. If they had kids she would need him to be there for them, not at the bedside of his partner if something else happened. Cole wondered if she was being unreasonable to want to be first in the man’s life that she loved as she latched her suitcase and pulled it off the bed.

At the same time Cole was moving out, Starsky was at the airport putting his mother on a plane back to New York. Mrs. Starsky laid her hand on the side of her son’s face, “I hope you are making the right choice.”
“There is no choice right now, Ma. Hutch needs me, he might be dying and I’m not going to abandon him so I can go off and get married.”
She smiled at him, “You are a good man.” Then she turned to her younger son. “You are a good brother to stay. You let me know and I will be back for the big day, you hear me?”
“You will be the first to know, Ma.” Starsky kissed his mother on the cheek. Then Nick leaned forward to also kiss his mother goodbye.
“Take care of each other,” Were her last words before leaving her sons.
With Nick’s bags in the trunk of the Torino the brothers headed toward Starsky’s apartment where the detective intended to clean up then head back to the hospital. It had been all he could do to leave in the first place.
“Are you sure Cole won’t mind me barging in?” Nick wanted to know.
“It will be fine,” Starsky assured him, glad that Nick had decided to stay.
When they arrived at the apartment Starsky was surprised to find the shades still draw and the place in darkness. Usually Cole opened up all the shades to let in the light. “Cole?” Starsky called as they entered the living room, there was no answer “Maybe she is at work.” But he knew that she had the next two weeks off since they were supposed to be on their honeymoon.
“Maybe she went to the hospital to see Hutch or to look for you.” Nick suggested.
Starsky shrugged as he proceeded to the bedroom. He stopped in his tracks, the closet door was standing open and all of Cole’s clothes were gone. “She’s gone.”
“What?” Nick asked from the living room.
Stepping back into the room Starsky repeated, “She’s gone. Cole packed up and left.”
“I told you to talk to her. This is hard on her too you know.”
Leaning in the door of the bedroom Starsky said. “We haven’t really talked, every time Cole tried to talk to me I just shut her down. I am having such a hard time dealing with what is going on with Hutch I just couldn’t take on anymore.”
“Don’t you think that Cole might have wanted to be a part of that?”
Starsky thought for a moment, “When did you get so smart little brother.”
Nick grinned at him, “I have my moments. Why don’t you go find her? If you want, I’ll go to the hospital and check on Hutch.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.” Nick answered, “You drop me off at the hospital and I’ll stay with Hutch until you get there. I bet Cole is with Jenna.”
Shaking his head, Starsky looked at Nick, “You sure have managed to fit in.”
“I like Cole and Jenna,” Nick said. “And I’ll learn to like Hutch.”
“He’s not a hard guy like if you just give him a chance.” Starsky said as he engulfed his brother in a hug. “I’m really glad you stayed, Nicky.”

Hutch stared at the ceiling feeling as if his life was over. If the medicine didn’t work and he had to have a heart transplant nothing would ever be the same again. The doctor had been in earlier but had no news yet, he had said it was too early to tell. He was just beginning to wonder where Starsky was when Nick, dressed in a gown, mask and gloves pushed open the door.
“Nick?”
“Hi ya, Hutch.” Nick said as he approached the bed.
“Is Starsky alright?”
“Yeah, he went to talk to Cole,” Nick said pulling up a chair.
“Went to talk to her?” Hutch asked confused.
“She moved out of his apartment.” Nick said, suddenly he knew he had said too much.
“Are she and Starsky having problems?”
“I-I, you should really talk to him about that.” Nick said trying to backtrack. His brother was going to be mad that he had told Hutch anything at all. “So how are you doing?” Nick tried to chance the subject.
“They don’t know yet. What is going on with Starsk and Cole?” Hutch persisted.
“Don’t worry about it they will work it out.”
“Work what out?”
Nick was only digging himself deeper. “Davy is going to be mad if I tell you, I shouldn’t have said anything at all.”
“Well you did, so spill it, Nick,” Hutch demanded even though his voice sounded weak.
Nick let out the breath he was holding. “Cole gave Davy back the ring.”
“What? He didn’t tell me that, why?”
“She got mad at him, that was before we had found you. And now she has moved out of his apartment.” Nick said scrunching up his face knowing that his brother was going to kick his ass for sure.
“This is all my fault.” Hutch closed his eyes almost wishing he had died out in the woods.
“No, it’s not, from the way Davy talks their relationship has always been a little stormy, he told me the whole story, how they met and everything.”
“But they were happy, ready to be married, to have a life together. Starsky was finally going to get off this merry-go-round that we have been on for years. Finding what we think is the right girl only to lose them.” Hutch said, tears in his voice. “If I hadn’t gotten kidnapped, they would be on their honeymoon right now. Maybe I should just let go, stop fighting the enviable.” Hutch’s voice faded to a whisper.
“Don’t talk like that,” Nick was scared, he looked at his watch, it had only been thirty minutes since his brother had dropped him off and he had made a mess of things. Nick knew it could be an hour or more before he returned.

As Starsky started up the sidewalk to Jenna’s small two bedroom home the screen door opened and Cole stepped out. She was dressed in shorts and tank top with no shoes on her feet. “How did you find me?” She asked.
Starsky gave her a grin, “I’m a detective remember?”
She walked over and sat on a wooden swing that was attached to the porch ceiling. Starsky stood on the steps until she patted the spot next to her. “I’m sorry I left without saying anything but I think it’s easier this way until we get things sorted out.”
Starsky sat down next to her, he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss her but he knew it wasn’t the right time, they needed to talk. “Cole, I’m sorry that I have been so wrapped up in Hutch and…”
Cole put a finger to his lips, “You don’t need to apologize, I understand, I really do, it’s just hard. We should be married now, spending our honeymoon on a beach.”
“I know, I know,” Starsky said softly as he leaned his forehead against hers. “I never meant for this to happen.”
“I know that, Hutch is your partner, friend, almost a brother. I wouldn’t expect any less. That is what I love about you.”
“Just don’t tell Nick that,” Starsky joked.
“Yeah, he has a few issues doesn’t he?” Cole asked.
“Just a few, but I think he is coming around you know?”
“How is Ken doing?” She wanted to know.
“They don’t know yet if the medication is working but they are hoping to test him tomorrow. I guess the doctors wanted to give it time to really get into his system. I don’t understand all this.” Starsky confessed. He fiddled with something in his pocket.
“David, I really appreciate you tracking me down and all but I think I’m going to stay here with Jenna for awhile, at least until Ken is really on the mend. Is that okay?”
Starsky took her hand, “Sure it’s okay, probably won’t be at the apartment much anyway until he is out of the woods.” Then he slipped down onto one knee, “Cole Jacobs, will you marry me…again?” He pulled the ring box from his pocket and opened it.
“Are you sure about this?” Cole wanted to know as tears filled her eyes.
“Yes, when this is over with Hutch I want to know that you will be there for me.” Starsky said taking the ring from the box. Cole smiled at him and held out her left hand.
“I will always be there for you and I swear I will never take this ring off in anger again.” Cole promised as she bent over to kiss Starsky who was still on his knee.
“I need to get back to the hospital, babe, I’m sorry.” Starsky eased back on the swing.
“Its okay, give Ken my love and I’ll be in tomorrow to see him.” Cole kissed him again.

“Nurse!” Nick fled Hutch’s room, they had been talking when Hutch closed his eyes and didn’t answer when Nick called his name. He had taken Hutch’s hand but it had been limp and slightly cold to the touch. “Nurse, I think there is something wrong with Detective Hutchinson.”
The nurse behind the desk checked the screen on which Hutch’s vitals were being monitored then looked back at Nick, “He’s fine sir.”
“No, he’s not, I was talking to him and he stopped responding.”
“Perhaps he fell asleep; the detective does need his rest.” Nurse Browning answered as her eyes flicked to the screen again to double check. His heart rate and breathing were just fine.
“Please, just check on him. If something happens to him my brother will kill me.” Nick pleaded.
Nurse Browning gave Nick a tired look, it was nearly the end of her shift and all she could think about was going home and soaking her aching feet. “Alright,” She pushed herself to her feet and came around the end of the desk and walked down the hall to Hutch’s room. She peered in, “Detective Hutchinson, how are we doing?”
Hutch’s eyes were closed and his breathing was regular. The blips on the machines matched those in the nurse’s station. “He is just asleep.”
“No, please come in and check him closer,” Nick urged as he took the woman’s arm and pulled her toward Hutch’s bed.
Sighing, Nurse Browning leaned over Hutch, “Detective Hutchinson?” She shook his shoulder but the man didn’t respond. “Wake up, this is Nurse Browning, I just need to check on you. Detective Hutchinson.” She shook him again a bit harder this time. Finally, when she was sure that Hutch wasn’t sleeping, she took the knuckle of her right hand and drilled into the center of his chest, it was a way of checking a patient’s tolerance to pain. Still no response. Nurse Browning looked over at Nick, then she pushed the call button alerting the staff that she had trouble in the room.


                                                                                    ~Chapter 13~


Nick was frantic by the time Starsky returned to the hospital. He met his brother by the elevator, “Thank God,” Nick exclaimed the moment Starsky stepped from the elevator.
“What happened?” Starsky could tell by the expression on Nick’s face that something was wrong.
“It’s Hutch, he is unconscious or something, I don’t know,” Nick stammered. “I was talking to him and he just stopped talking. I didn’t mean to do anything wrong.”
“What are you talking about, Nick?” Starsky said as he rushed down the hall toward his partner’s room.
“I might have said too much.”
Starsky didn’t stop until he reached Hutch’s room, Dr. Standforth was standing over the bed pressing a stethoscope to Hutch’s chest. “Dr. what the hell is going on?”
Dr. Standforth straightened up and looked at Starsky, “To tell you the truth I’m not sure. He was doing much better and his test results just came in, it seems the medication is working. He should make a full recovery without a heart transplant but I can’t explain why he has suddenly slipped into a coma.”
“Coma, Hutch is in a coma?” Starsky slumped in the doorway.
“It just seems that he has lost the will to live, which is the only explanation I have. I have seen it before.”
“What can be done?” Starsky asked franticly.
The doctor turned up his palms in a shrug, “There isn’t a pill to make someone want to live.”
Starsky turned angry eyes on his brother who was standing directly behind him. “What did you say to him?”
“I didn’t mean to say anything it just slipped out.” Nick said backing away from Starsky.
“What just slipped out?” Starsky advanced on Nick, his fists clenched.
“I-I told Hutch that Cole gave you back the ring and that she moved out. I think he thinks it’s his fault. I tried to explain that it wasn’t but that was when he just faded out on me.” Nick said in a halting voice. “I swear to God, I didn’t do it on purpose, you gotta believe me Davy. W-We were just talking and…” Nick slid down the wall and sat on the floor and put his head on his knees. “Don’t hate me.”
Starsky took a deep breath then sat down next to Nick and slipped his arm around his shoulders. “I don’t hate you, Nicky.” He said softly.

Three days later Cole stood next to Hutch’s bed, Starsky had left to get coffee, he was nearing exhaustion and she feared that he might end up in a bed next to his partner. Cole sat down in the chair next to Hutch and took his hand then leaned over until her mouth was near his ear. “I know you can hear me, Ken, its Cole. You have got to wake up, Starsky needs you and Jenna is so beside herself she can’t even get up the courage to visit. Everything is fine.” She put his hand over her left hand and rubbed the ring on his palm. “You feel that? David and I are getting married, we are just waiting for you to wake up. We won’t get married without you there, so the sooner you get better the sooner we can get married. Do you really want to be the reason we don’t get married? Ken, do you hear me? We won’t do it unless you are there as best man.”
Cole didn’t realize that she was speaking so loudly until Starsky opened the door carrying two cups of coffee. With Hutch recovering there was no need for the gowns. “What are you doing Cole?”
“Just trying to make sure he was hearing me.”
“I think the whole hospital can hear you.” Starsky handed the coffee to her.
“Thanks,” she said accepting the cup.
“You know, I have been thinking,” he sipped the coffee and looked at her over the rim of his paper cup. “Why don’t we just go ahead and get married?”
Instead of being happy, Cole furrowed her brow. “Why? I thought we wanted to wait on Ken.”
“And what if we end up waiting forever?” Starsky said pulling Cole from the chair and into his arms nearly spilling both of their coffees. “You know Hutch was right, I can’t keep putting my life on hold, I have done it too much for various reasons and I’m not willing to do it anymore. If he can’t wake and be there for us then to hell with him.” He was speaking as loudly as Cole had been.
“Don’t you dare.”
Starsky and Cole looked at each other then at Hutch who looked as if he were still asleep. “Did you say something?” Starsky walked closer to the bed.
“I’ll be there, now let me get some sleep, you guys are talking too loud.” Hutch mumbled eyes still closed.
“I’ll get the doctor,” Cole said as she sped from the room.
Starsky moved to the bed and took Hutch’s hand. “Hutch, talk to me.”
Hutch opened one eye and looked at his partner. “I said I’ll be at your wedding what more to you want?”
“I want you to get out of this damn bed.” Starsky said. “You are going to be fine, the medicines are working. You don’t have to have a transplant, do you hear me?”
“I hear you, I have been hearing you and Cole all morning.” Hutch gave Starsky a small smile.
Dr. Standforth entered the room flanked by two nurse. “He’s wake?”
“And talking,” Starsky grinned.
The doctor walked over and looked down at Hutch, “Nice to have to you back Detective.”
“When can I get out of here, seems like I have a wedding to go to.” Hutch said groggily.
Standforth gave a small chuckle, “Well, I it won’t be for at least a couple of weeks. You need to regain your strength; we want to make sure you don’t have a relapse.”
Hutch gave the doctor a disappointed look then his eyes slid shut again. Starsky peered at his partner worriedly. “Hutch?”
The doctor put his hand on Starsky’s back, “He’s just sleeping, it’s alright. He is going to need a lot of rest.”
Starsky turned to Cole, “How about a month from today we tie the knot?” Then he turned to the doctor, “Will he be ready?”
“I don’t see why not as long as there are no set backs.” Dr. Standforth answered then he extended his hand, “Congratulations.”

​​ Starsky entered his apartment followed by Hutch, they both had their wedding tux’s over their arms. “Man, you weren’t leaving my side this time.” Starsky joked.
“Yeah, this was the day it all started,” Hutch smiled.
“Well, we aren’t having a repeat performance.” Starsky laid his tux over the back of one of the kitchen chairs. Hutch hung his over the door.
“What time to we need to be a the church?” Hutch said checking his watch.
“Two, the ceremony starts at…” Starsky trailed off as he saw a white enveloped banked against a box that looked very much like the box that Cole’s engagement ring came in. The envelope had his name written on it in Cole’s neat penmanship. Starsky picked up the envelope and undid the flap, it hadn’t been sealed only tucked inside the envelope. He slip out a single sheet of paper with more of Cole’s writing on it.
“What have you got there?” Hutch asked curiously.
“It’s a letter from Cole.” Starsky said as fear crept into his stomach. He looked at the box on the table as he handed him the letter, “You read it, I can’t.”
“It’s probably just some last words before you get married.” Hutch said taking the page of stationary.
“And the box?”
Hutch ignored Starsky’s question and looked at what was written on the paper, it started out, Dearest David.
“Out loud.” Starsky said as he pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.
Hutch sucked in a breath of air and began to read. “Dearest David, I know this is going to be as hard for you to read and it is for me to write. I would say it in person but I am a coward and if I was looking into your eyes I don’t think I would say it. I want to start by saying you are the love of my life and you always will be, but there is always a but, isn’t there? But, I just don’t think that marriage is the right thing for us. I don’t want one of us to end up hating the other.”
“I don’t understand, I thought we were happy?” Starsky said stunned by what Hutch was reading.
“As you know, I have had so many issues in my life, my parents, my brother’s death, my partner, my boss and the list just goes on and on. I don’t even know who I any more. I don’t want to be just, Mrs. David Starsky, I guess it should be enough but I need to find out who Cole Jacobs really is.” Hutch stopped for a moment then went on. “I can’t do that being married right now. David, I’m so sorry and I should have called off the wedding before now. I’m leaving my job and going home to my parents for a while. Please don’t follow or call, it’s just better to make a clean break of it all. I’ll love you forever, Cole.” Hutch handed the letter back to Starsky and picked up the box from the table. He opened the lid slowly, inside was the diamond ring that Starsky had given her.
Starsky re-read the letter unable to believe that Cole, after everything they had been through had just walked out on him. He crumpled the note and tossed it across the room then he took the ring box from Hutch snapped it shut and threw it also. It hit the far wall with a bang and landed on the floor.
“I’m sorry, buddy.” Hutch said as he squeezed Starsky’s shoulders in his hands. “Better to find out now than later.”
Starsky nodded, “I can’t believe that Ma came all the way out here again for nothing.”
“I’m sure she won’t be sorry, she gets to see you and Nick again.” Hutch pulled up a chair and sat down next to his friend. “Now what, are you going to go after her?”
“No, I’m done. We are over.” Starsky put his head in his hands.
There was a knock at the door and for a split second Starsky though that perhaps Cole had changed her mind and was coming back to him. Hutch got up and opened the door to find Nick already in his tux standing in the doorway. “Come on you guys you are going to be late to the church.”
“There isn’t going to be a wedding, Nick,” Hutch said quietly.
“What? What’s going on?” Nick moved toward his brother but he could tell by the look on Starsky’s face it was no joke.
“She is gone, Nicky.” Starsky said as he tossed the envelope with his name on it into the air, it fluttered to the floor.
“Well then, screw her!” Nick exclaimed, surprising both of the detectives. “I didn’t want to wear this monkey suit anyway.”
Hutch smiled in spite of what was going on. It was the same thing Starsky had called the tux when they had first tried them on. For two brothers that were so different they were the same too.
“Yeah, screw her!” Starsky said getting up. “Just because I’m not getting married doesn’t mean we can’t have a party.
Hutch could tell that his partner’s heart was not in his words but whatever he needed to do get over her was okay with him. He would be there for Starsky when he crashed just like Starsky was always there for him.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Nick said as he striped his bow tie from his neck and undid several of the buttons.
Starsky looked at Hutch, “I’m going to be okay.”
“I know you will, buddy, I know you will.”


The End​​