CHAPTER 8

Cassie looked down at the baby and then back at Hutch. He was busy finishing up with Alexandra, who was still recovering from the ordeal. Cassie held onto him for a few more moments.  She marveled at the miracle that she held in her arms. He was so tiny…born one month premature but aside from his size he was perfect.  She touched his small face and he looked up at her with wide eyes.  While everyone else was busy she got up slowly and made her way down the aisle…still holding the baby.

“Where are you going?” Hutch called to her…not wanting her to take the baby from his mother.

“I’ll be right back…” She assured him as she continued on.

“Where’s my baby?” Alexandra asked in a groggy voice.

“In good hands…relax for a minute and you’ll see him.” Hutch told her.

Cassie walked slowly up to Starsky and knelt beside him on the floor…holding the bundle up close to him and pealed the towel away from his face so he could see.

“Isn’t he beautiful?” Cassie said with a smile as she looked to Starsky for a reaction.

He leaned a little forward to get a better look…he was beautiful.  Starsky smiled as he stared into his tiny face.  “Hutch did good.” He told her.

“I have to give him back now…I just wanted you to see.” She said as she got up and headed down the aisle quickly.

Starsky was in a lot of pain but he couldn’t let Cassie see just how bad off he really was. They still had Charlie to deal with, and Castiano. He knew that Hutch would need him, but he didn’t know how much help he would be the way he was feeling.

Castiano was watching both compartments and was aware of the delivery. He was from the old school and although he was an important figure in the mob…he still had a sense of family.  These young punks today would think nothing of wasting a young mother and an infant ,but not him.  He had killed many times in his life but all were people that deserved it or had it coming
in one way or another. Killing the cops would be easy.  They were the enemy and their badges made them targets by nature of their jobs.  But a young mother and child, killing them would be against his principles. He had also grown fond of Cassie. She reminded him of his daughter.  She hadn’t fallen apart like most young girls would have done in the same situation.  He had a knack for reading people…and he liked her.

Hutch was finishing up with Alexandra…making sure that her bleeding was under control and that all of the after birth was disposed of.  Cassie brought the baby back and gently laid him in his mother’s arms.  Alexandra smiled down at him and began to cry.  Hutch helped her to a sitting position in a nearby seat and propped her up with pillows to make her and the baby as
comfortable as possible.

 Then he had an idea.  He motioned to Maureen, who had been helping him up to this point, to come closer to him while Cassie stayed with Alexandra and the baby.

“I need you to do something for me.” He began as he spoke in a very low whisper. “I have a gun in my carry-on…do you think you can get it for me?”

“I’ll try…but I’ll need an excuse to reach up there.” She told him.

“Let me take care of that…You sure you can do this?” He asked not wanting to put her life in jeopardy without her completely understanding what was at stake.

“I think so.” She said as she tried to sound confident.

He slowly walked toward the back where Castiano was standing.  He had been keeping his attention rotating between both compartments with his gun drawn.

“I’m gonna need something to give him for the pain.  There’s some whiskey in my carry-on in the over-head compartment…can I get it for him?” Hutch asked him with his hands raised in a non-threatening manner.

“I don’t trust you…” Castiano told him.

“I’ll get it.” Maureen spoke up.  “I could use a little myself.”

“Don’t you have those little sample bottles up front?” Castiano protested.

“Not on this flight…They don’t serve them anymore…it’s a new policy.” She knew she was lying…she did have some of those bottles up front but they weren’t in plan sight and maybe if he believed her…he wouldn’t go looking for them.

‘Go ahead then…you can pour me a glass while you’re at it.” He told her.

Maureen walked slowly over to the compartment and opened the latch…allowing the door to fall open.  She pulled at his black carry-on to spin it around and began to unzip it slowly.

At that moment a passenger from the back stood up and asked if he could go to the bathroom.  As Castiano had his attention directed away from her for a moment, Maureen found the opportunity to quickly grab hold of the gun and put it into the pocket of her uniform.  It was bulky and she knew that he would spot it if she faced him.  She took the bottle of whiskey down and
held it in her hand as she closed the compartment door quickly.  Castiano brought his attention back to her as she walked with her back to him…making her way slowly to Hutch.

“Pour me a glass first.” He said just before she reached the front seats where Hutch was leaning over Starsky.

She looked over at Hutch and down towards her front pocket…where the bulge of his gun was evident.  He could see it clearly and knew that he had to do something fast…before Castiano caught a glimpse of it.

“I’ll get a couple of cups.” He said as he headed towards Maureen, knocking her to the floor on purpose, but making it look like an accident.

 “What the hell is going on up there?” He shouted as he watched them both fall.

“I tripped.” Hutch said shyly.  “Sorry”

While on the floor he pulled the gun from her pocket and shoved it under his shirt…tucking it firmly behind his belt.  Then he helped her to her feet.

“Let her get it…You sit back down.” He told him.

Hutch slowly made his way back to Starsky and sat down next to him. He then drew the gun from his pants and tucked it under his partner’s right leg.

“What’s the plan?” Starsky asked him in a whisper.

“Just hang onto this for me will ya?” Hutch told him softly.

Maureen brought a handful of plastic glasses stacked together with the whiskey bottle in the other hand. She made her way slowly back to Castiano and handed him a cup…filling it as he held it out for her.  Then she turned to walk back up the aisle to Hutch and poured a cup-full for Starsky.  Not really in the drinking mood and with an upset stomach already…he reluctantly
gulped it down and adjusted the gun under his leg so that he could grab it out quickly.

 Now all he had to do was wait…for Hutch’s signal. He just hoped he would be able to aim with any amount of accuracy. With his left hand out of commission and his vision blurred…it would be a lucky shot at best.

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