Reunion III continued

The flight to Bakersfield was totally uneventful. Hutch had experienced more harrowing drives in his own car on the way to work than this short flight. Zach flew the plane rock steady, with little or no bouncing from turbulence or variations in speed. They were far enough above the ground that the sensation of height was lost, but they could still see the countryside spread out beneath the wings. As the citrus groves of Bakersfield came into sight, Hutch breathed a small sigh of relief.

He'd been watching Starsky more than he had the scenery beneath them. The tension between Starsky's shoulders had eased as Zach kept up a running commentary on a variety of things. His plane, his partners, his sisters, the airports that they were going to be landing at that afternoon, and a thousand other things that helped take Starsky's mind off of what they were doing. Hutch even saw Starsky look out the window in interest a few times when Zach pointed out a landmark or made an observation about something below them.

As they banked slowly to land at the Bakersfield airport, Starsky watched out the front window as the pavement came up to meet the wheels. Zach taxied towards a small building away from the main terminal and slowly stopped the plane. Turning to his passengers, he grinned that cocky grin.

"Well, here we are. Beautiful Bakersfield. It's too bad that we're not going to be here longer. There's a really good Mexican place here that I'd know you'd love, Dave, but we've got to be in Fresno before one or I'm in trouble with Bradshaw's." Zach pointed at the building they'd stopped near. "I told your captain to tell your contact to meet us here. I'll go round up my cargo and meet you guys back here in an hour. There's a pretty decent coffee shop in the main terminal if you're hungry."

Zach ushered the partners out of the plane. They stopped for a moment to help Zach put the chocks in place and then walked over to the building that turned out to be a hanger with a small office in front. Waiting in a plastic chair was a rather grubby looking man. He practically popped out of the chair when he saw the two men enter.

"You the two detectives from Los Angeles?" His voice was raspy. Hutch looking down at the man's brown stained fingers came to the conclusion that he was a heavy smoker.

"Yes. I'm Sgt. Hutchinson and this is my partner, Sgt. Starsky. And you must be Lyle Clements?" Hutch extended his hand even through he really didn't want to shake the other man's grimy one. He was mildly surprised at the firm handshake he received and then the man shook Starsky's hand.

"Yeah, that's me. Angie here's been keeping me company while I waited for you." He nodded towards the rather grim-faced woman sitting behind the desk in the corner of the office. She hardly looked up at the three men.

"Our pilot told us that there's a good coffee shop in the terminal. You want to get something to eat and we'll talk there?" Starsky asked, glancing covertly at the woman. Hutch could almost read his mind, knowing that his partner was comparing this sour person with his friend's cheerful office manager.

The three walked over to the terminal, Clements leading them to the coffee shop. Hutch ordered some juice and an oat bran muffin. Starsky, took one look at the brown item on his friend's tray, made a gagging noise, and requested the biggest cheese Danish they had. Along with a large cup of coffee. Clements gladly accepted the offer of the detectives buying him anything off the menu and ordered a full breakfast.

Hutch and Starsky exchanged amused glances as the man gobbled down the large portion of scrambled eggs and bacon. He hardly seemed to take a breath from the first moment he sat down until he'd devoured the last scrap of toast. Rubbing his stomach, Clements leaned back and smiled at the two detectives.

"That was good. The cook here makes the best eggs this side of El Paso." Clements reached for his coffee and swallowed half of it in one gulp. Plunking the cup down, he stretched his arms out along the top of the booth seat and nodded. "I guess you guys want to hear what I know about the Torenz brothers and their little operation, huh?"

Starsky took the lead. "Yeah. Our captain wasn't really clear on what you had to tell us though. Why don't you start at the beginning and if we have any questions we'll wait until you're done before we ask them."

"Okay. Well, those Torenz boys and I went to school together in El Paso. They were trouble even back then. Always pulling something or other. The youngest one, Phil, got himself kicked out of school the week before graduation. Lost the whole year because of it. Never went back to repeat it as far as I know. Steve, the oldest one, got drafted about 1970. He ended up as an Army pilot. None of us could figure out how he pulled that one off. He never was good at math or showed any desire to fly that we ever saw, but you know how the army works." Starsky smiled thinly and nodded agreement. Clements took another swallow of his coffee and gestured to the waitress for a refill. As she filled both his and Starsky's cups, Clements continued.

"Now, Mark and I were in the same classes all through school. Of the three, I would have thought he'd be the one to go straight. He was real smart. Could have gotten scholarships for college if he'd applied himself. At least that's what the counselors used to tell him. Me too, but I listened. When I got out of the Marines - got drafted just like Steve - I used what I learned and started my own business. I'm a mechanic. Free-lance for the independent pilots around here. That's how I ran into Steve a couple of months ago."

Hutch, who had been leaning back into on the seat, sat forward. "What was he doing here?"

"He told me that he was flying from El Paso to Portland, Oregon and was having some engine troubles. I spent a couple of days fixing that plane of his with him breathing down my neck. I asked him what he was doing going to Portland and he told me that he was going fishing. Well, at first, I believed him, then I noticed he didn't have any fishing gear at all with him. Now most guys, even if they're going to a fishing resort or whatever, take at least their own ties if nothing else. He didn't even have that. But, knowing Steve, I figured what I didn't know wouldn't hurt me. But it bothered me."

Clements pushed some toast crumbs around his plate with a spoon. "I was talking to one of my cousins who still lives in El Paso and he told me that the Torenz brothers were living pretty high off the hog. That both Mark and Philip had moved to LA and whenever they came home, they always had a lot of cash to throw around. Steve still lived there and he'd bought his mother a new house and was driving around in a fancy car. Ray, that's my cousin, said that the word around town was that the boys had got themselves involved with drug running from across the border. Well, you know that the Mexican border is just a hop and a skip from downtown El Paso. Ray said that no one could prove it, even though the local cops were sniffing around."

Starsky and Hutch looked at each other. Hutch shook his head. "That's why it's been so hard to find anything on those three in California. Their main base of operation has been in Texas all along. Damn. Guess we'll have to bring in the Feds on this one after all." Both partners had a healthy respect tempered with an unhealthy dose of mistrust of Federal agents of all stripes. Too often they'd been mistreated by one agency or another.

The pair spent the next half-hour getting more details out of Clements. Any friends and acquaintances of the Torenz brothers that he knew of. The full name and phone number of his cousin in El Paso. And anything else they could think of or Clements could offer was duly jotted down in Starsky's notebook.

When they'd finally wrung the last piece of information they could from Clements and, after paying for the meal, they headed back to the hanger to meet Zach. Who wasn't there when they arrived. And neither was his plane.

The partners stood on the empty tarmac and stared at each other. Starsky walked to the where the apron ended and the taxiway started. Looking first one way, then the other, he searched for the white Piper with its distinctive red stripe. Nothing. Walking back to Hutch, he shrugged his shoulders in bewilderment.

"There's no sign of the plane. Did he say anything to you about leaving at a certain time or anything?" Starsky felt almost physically ill at the notion that his friend had deserted them.

"Just that he had to be in Fresno before one. But it's barely ten now and it's not that much further from here to there than it is from LA to Bakersfield." Hutch glanced around at the small buildings dotting this area away from the main terminal and airstrips. "Maybe he said something to someone. Let's go see what we can find out." Taking the initiative, Hutch headed towards the office where they had met Clements. Starsky followed right on his heels.

Angie, who Starsky supposed was an office manager like Mindy, frowned at the partners when they walked into the stark office. "Yeah, what can I do for you two?" Even her tone seemed to frown as she glared at them.

Starsky realized that there would be no charming this woman so he didn't even try. "Do you know what happened to our plane? Or the pilot?"

The woman, who had been putting files away in a battered file cabinet, slammed the drawer shut. "I have more important things to do than watch out for every plane that parks for five minutes on that apron. My boss lets every Tom, Dick or Harry use that space and I've learned to never pay attention to who's out there. Check with the airport manager's office or the control tower for all I care. Just stop bothering me and let me get my work done." She turned her back on the two disconcerted detectives and reached to answer the phone that had chosen that moment to ring.

Deciding retreat was their best option, the partners hurriedly left. Starsky looked at the slightly dazed expression on Hutch's face and couldn't help but grin. "Makes you wonder what she's like when she's in a bad mood doesn't it, partner?"

The sound of an approaching vehicle cut off Hutch's reply. The partners turned to see a small airport runabout bearing down on them. The little unit, more tractor than anything else, pulled to a stop beside them. Behind the wheel was their missing pilot.

"Hey guys! Sorry to leave you standing here, but I really thought I'd be back before you." Zach grinned at them.

"Where the hell did you go, Zach? We were about ready to report you missing." Starsky glared at his friend, not sure whether he wanted to hug the guy or strangle him.

"Didn't Angie tell you?" Both Starsky and Hutch shook their heads at Zach's question. He looked from one to the other, then at the door behind them and swore softly. "Damn that woman. I really don't know why Tommy keeps her on. She's the most miserable person I've ever met. And believe me, in this business you meet a lot of miserable people." Running his hand through his hair, Zach shrugged at the two men in front of him.

"I really am sorry, guys. I had to move the plane because the truck that was hauling the cargo broke down and they didn't want to off-load it twice. It was just simpler to take the plane to them. I borrowed this thing to come and pick you guys up. The plane's being loaded and we better get up in the air. I'm running behind schedule as it is."

Zach really did look contrite, so the partner's silently agreed to not make an issue out of it and climbed onto the back of the runabout. There was barely enough room for the two of them and they hung on tightly to whatever they could as Zach wheeled the machine around and took off down the access road.

About ten minutes later, Zach's plane was visible sitting beside a small panel truck. Zach brought the runabout to a sliding stop near the tail of the plane, and they all climbed off. Both Hutch and Starsky were a bit unsteady on their feet after the adventuresome little journey they'd survived. (Zach not being too concerned with potholes or the finer points of maneuvering around parked planes.) The trio were met by a young man wearing blue coveralls and a baseball cap with the words "Ace Deliveries" printed in bold letters across the front of it.

"Mr. Dahlman, I loaded the last of the packages like you told me. Just need you to sign this waybill and I'll be going. Got a ton of deliveries to make before lunchtime. Now that I got that stupid truck running again maybe I can make up some time." The man thrust a paper-covered clipboard at Zach and watched in bored restlessness as the pilot quickly read it over and signed at the bottom.

"Thanks for waiting. Say, where's Murdock? He's usually the one to drive this route." Zach asked as he handed the clipboard back.

"Murdock? Uh...I think he's got the flu or something. I'm just an on-call driver. Hardly know the man. Well, got to go. Have a good flight."

With that the man was in his truck and roared away, leaving the friends in a small cloud of dust. Starsky, waving his hand in front of his face, turned to grin at Zach.

"Is everyone in Bakersfield as friendly as Angie and that guy? Make a note, Hutch. We really should take our next vacation here. The natives are so open to visitors."

Hutch reached for the tattered notebook he always carried. Flipping it open, he pretended to write. Grinning in companionable teasing he muttered, "Bakersfield - vacation - bring gun."

Zach, faking indignation, glared at the grinning partners. "Okay, you two, get in that plane and be quiet or you'll walk back to LA." He waved Hutch and Starsky through the doors and shook his head at the gales of laughter that floated out of the Piper. He followed them a moment later with the chocks and closed the doors.

"Give me a couple of minutes here guys. I've got to make sure everything's balanced right or we'll be dragging our tail on lift-off. And believe me, it won't be any fun on the way back down either." Zach busied himself moving the new cargo, made up of two large file boxes and a smallish crate. He glanced up at his watching friends. "Hey - how much do you guys weigh?"

Hutch, flashing a quick look at his partner, spoke up first. "We're both about a hundred and sixty-five. Why?"

Zach, pulling on the crate, puffed out, "If one of you was heavier, I was going to make you exchange places. As it is, I think you're going to have to sit behind me, Hutch. This darn crate is going to throw the side balance off something fierce. I didn't know that Bradshaw's was going to have electronic equipment in this shipment. Why they want this going up to Fresno is beyond me, but I'm only the courier." He heaved a dramatic sigh and grinned at his passengers.

"This Bradshaws that you courier for, is that the lawyers?" Starsky questioned.

"Yeah. We've a contract with them to courier things like court documents and such between their three offices in LA, Bakersfield, and Fresno. And sometimes I take stuff up to Sacramento for them." Zach continued to push things around until he rested back on his heels and looked around the cargo area. "They're involved in some land deals in Washington state, too. I think old man Bradshaw must have connections up and down the entire west coast." Satisfied that everything was in place Zach turned back to his companions.

"Okay, guys, I think that should do it. Do you mind sitting behind me on the way to Fresno, Hutch? You can switch back on the return trip. It'll make things a whole lot smoother."

Hutch moved across the tiny aisle and strapped himself into the left-hand passenger seat. Zach clapped him on the shoulder as he approached his own seat.

Starsky watched closely as Zach started the plane. Pointing at one dial, he asked, "What's that for?"

"Uh...give me a few minutes here, Spud. I gotta talk to the Tower." Zach adjusted his headset and spent some time talking back and forth to the tower.

The plane wobbled a bit as they became air-borne. Starsky's face paled and Hutch grabbed the armrests of his seat but Zach seemed unconcerned. Glancing over at Starsky, Zach smiled. "It's okay, Dave. The wind just caught the edge of the wing. We’re fine. Happens all the time. Which is one reason why I wanted to make sure that the load was balanced."

As they flew away from Meadows Field Airport, Zach was more than pleased to give his friend a quick rundown of the various gauges, dials, and switches on the Piper's instrument panel. It wasn't long before Starsky felt calmer.

***

The flight to Fresno was a few minutes longer than the one to Bakersfield but they passed the time by both the partners learning more about the plane. Zach explained how the radio communication between the planes and towers worked as well as the system called Unicom that the towerless fields used. He showed them the homing beacon used in, what he euphemistically called, emergency landings. They discussed payload factors, fuel capacity, and other such things making that leg of the journey both interesting and educational for the partners. It didn't seem as long as it was before they were approaching Fresno's Chandler Airport.

Once again, Zach adjusted his headphones and mike, and contacted the Tower.

Most of the communication was like a foreign language to the two passengers. About the only things they understood were "Chandler tower," "Piper 657Victor November," and the request for landing clearance.

They had to circle for a few minutes as the planes were "stacked up" according to Zach. Starsky watched, with fascinated dread, as larger planes flew by seemingly much too close. But he took comfort in Zach's calm handling of the plane and his even tone when talking to the Air Traffic Controller. By the time they received final clearance, Starsky had stopped flinching every time a passenger jet roared by.

Touching down, the Piper coasted to a near stop then made its way to a side strip and soon they parked in front of yet another hanger. Zach took off his headset and ran hands through his dark brown hair. "Okay guys, I'm going to go and call Bradshaw's and let them know I'm here. They'll send a truck over for the freight and then we're free to do whatever we want for a couple of hours. I've got another client bringing some stuff out about one-thirty, so we'll have to be back by then. What would you guys like to do?"

Starsky and Hutch looked at each other, then grinning, said "Eat." Zach laughed. "Sounds good to me. There's a really good restaurant not far from here that I think both of you will like. I'll borrow Cal's truck and we'll go get something to eat." Zach had explained his deal with the owner of the hanger that they parked in front of. Cal Simpson was another former army pilot and a friend of Zach's. He only flew passengers, no cargo, so there was no conflict of interest for him to allow Zach to use his hanger and office as a way station. Three Eagles Air reciprocated by providing the same service with both their Seattle and LA offices. A fair and equitable deal for all.

All three of them disembarked, the partners stretching their legs as Zach went into the office. He was back in a matter of minutes.

"We're all set. Bradshaw's is sending out a truck at one, so we can leave now. Cal's truck is just around back."

Starsky remarked to Hutch as they followed Zach, "Ya know, Hutch. We're having quite a day here. Not only do we get to ride in Zach's plane, but we've had the pleasure of bouncing around Bakersfield airport on the glorified golf cart and now we get see a slice of Fresno from the cab of that." He pointed ahead at the battered white pick-up that Zach was now leaning against.

"Yeah, guess you can say we've done it all, hey, partner?" Hutch answered. Zach had no idea what the two of them were snickering about as they climbed into the cab so he just got behind the wheel and went in search of something to feed them.

***

A couple hours and a good meal later, the trio were back at the airport. As promised, both partners enjoyed the Mexican restaurant Zach took them too. Mexican in style and vegetarian in concept, everyone was able to find something on the menu that pleased them. Both Zach and Hutch laughed when the enchiladas that Starsky chose turned out to be extra-extra hot and he had to resort to drinking a large glass of milk to cool his burning mouth. The glare he gave them both only made them laugh harder. But a huge bowl of ice cream restored his good humor again. The friends all deemed the meal a success as they made their way back to the truck.

A dark green panel truck and its driver were waiting for them when they arrived at Cal's hanger. Zach parked the pick-up in its spot and hurried back to the plane, leaving the partners to follow at their own pace.

"Hey, Jimmy. Sorry to keep you waiting." Zach called out as he approached the driver.

"That's okay, Zach. I'm a bit early. Cal told me you'd taken some friends to get something to eat." He looked beyond Zach to the approaching partners. "He gave me some of that stuff he calls coffee so it wasn't so bad."

Zach turned towards Hutch and Starsky as they came up beside him. "Yeah, I needed to feed these two before they started chewing on the seats. Dave, Hutch this is Jim Barnes. He does the in-town carting for Three Eagles. Jim, my friends Dave Starsky and Ken Hutchinson." The men shook hands. "Dave and I went to high school together. Hutch is his partner."

Jim looked at the two men he'd just been introduced to. "Partner? What kind of business are you in?"

"We're police detectives in LA." Starsky answered.

"Cool. My brother George is a patrolman on the Fresno force."

Finding a common ground the four men chatted for a few minutes about police work, the courier business, and links between them. Finally, Jim looked at his watch and called a halt to the conversation. "Got to get moving, Zach or that secretary of Smithson's will be after my hide. Not that I wouldn't mind that if she wanted it for the right reasons." He winked at Zach who laughed and slapped him on the back.

"Come on, Romeo. Let's get that stuff off-loaded and get you back to flirting with pretty Miss Andrews."

Taking Starsky and Hutch up on their offer of help, Zach soon had the cargo for Bradshaw's unloaded from the plane and into the van. Jim waved as he drove off to make his delivery. Starsky leaned against the side of the Piper wiping his forehead with the back of his sleeve.

"Remind me to be quiet the next time I give you the gears about having a cushy job, will ya, Zach? This is hard work."

"You thought I'd gotten these muscles writing up charts and filing flight plans, Spud?" Zach grinned from his perch inside the plane. "Here." He handed a bottle of water to Starsky and tossed one to Hutch. Starsky drank deeply of the lukewarm water and smiled back at his friend.

The approach of yet another truck forestalled whatever Starsky was planning on saying. Zach jumped down from the plane and walked over to meet the newcomer who didn't get out of his truck. Hutch came over to lean with Starsky against the Piper as they drank their water and waited. Zach smacked one hand against the window frame of the truck and stepped back as the driver pulled away. Walking back to the partners, he didn't look pleased. In his hands, he carried several large envelopes.

"What's the matter, Zach?" Starsky knew that expression. Zach was not happy, not at all.

"We're going to have to make an extra stop. One of my other contracts wants me to make an "emergency" delivery to Three Rivers. Not that it's that far off our route or anything. But it means another landing. I'm really sorry about this, guys." Zach stood slapping one of the envelopes against his leg.

"It's okay, Zach. I think I'm actually beginning to like flying. And we don't have to be back at any particular time. If it's that important, don't worry about us." Starsky reassured his irate friend.

"Thanks Spud. Did I ever tell you that you're a good egg?" Zach grinned at Starsky.

"Once, I think. After I saved you from the McClousky brothers. But I may be wrong 'cause I think I was too busy running at the time." They laughed in shared remembrance as Hutch shook his head at them.

"Hmm, always knew you were a bit scrambled, Starsk. Guess I was right." Hutch teased.

Still laughing, Zach poked Starsky in the ribs. "Guess I'm not the only one who thinks you're a little cracked, hey, Spud?"

With both Hutch and Zach picking on him, Starsky drew his dignity around him and got in the plane. And pulled the doors shut. It took a few minutes of friendly threats before he opened them again.

Hutch climbed into the plane followed by Zach with the chocks. Starsky was sitting in his seat pretending to be upset, but both of his friends knew better. Hutch ruffled his hair and Zach playfully punched him on the shoulder as they took their seats. Starsky grinned forgivingly at them, knowing he'd get his turn. Sooner or later.

Zach flipped switches and checked a couple of gauges. "I was going to wait to get fuel until we touched down in Bakersfield again, but I think I'll go fill up this one tank just to be on the safe side. And meaning we have to sort of go that direction anyway, what say we take a little side trip?"

Starsky, watching closely what Zach was doing, asked, "What kind of side trip?"

"Have you ever flown low over the redwoods?"

"Huh?"

"We'll be only a few miles from the edge of the Sequoia National Park. I'll just change my flight plan and we'll do a short detour over the park. Just the edge, not up over the higher mountains or anything. Should only put about another hour on our trip. If that's okay with you guys."

Starsky looked back over his shoulder at Hutch who was sitting in his original seat. "What'cha think, Hutch?"

"It's up to you, Starsk. You're the one who doesn't like to fly." Hutch shrugged.

Starsky thought it over as they trundled down the strip towards the fuel depot. "When you say mountains, just how high are these ones you're planning on taking us over?"

"They're not much higher than the ones we flew over getting to Bakersfield. I won't take us up too high. Or too far in. I need to be back in LA by eight so I don't want to delay too much. But it's an awfully pretty area and we can fly above it all the way back to Bakersfield." Zach looked over at Starsky. "Come on, Spud. You'll like it, honest. And how many opportunities are you going to get to a personally guided aerial tour of two of our National Parks, anyway?"

"Yeah, Spud. It'll be fun." Hutch offered.

Starsky turned to glare at Hutch as the Piper came to a stop beside the fuel depot. "I told you not to call me that."

"Okay, you two. Out you get. You can't stay on the plane while it's refueling. Think it over, Dave. But let me know soon 'cause I've got to file a revised flight plan before we take off anyway and I might as well add that to it too."

Standing on the tarmac, Starsky looked up at the sky then eastward towards the mountains. Looked back at the plane and then at his partner. Finally, he walked around the Piper looking for Zach. He found him crouched down beside one of the wheels.

"What'cha doing, Zach?" Starsky crouched down beside him.

"I always do an exterior check every other landing. You know, make sure all the latches are working properly, the propeller's tight, the tires are good. You know, stuff like that. I think I'm going to have to replace this tire when I get back to LA. It's looking pretty worn."

"Is it safe?" Starsky stared at the tire worriedly, trying to see what Zach did.

"Oh yeah, it'll get us where we're going. I just don't like to leave things like this too long. I've seen what happens when a pilot gets slack. I've helped to clean up after too many not to be careful." Zach stood and dusted off his pants. "Well, I've got to go file that revised flight plan. What did you decide?"

Starsky rose to his feet and looked off east again at the mountains drowsing in the bright afternoon sun. "Okay. Like you said, how many opportunities am I going to get to have my own personal pilot give me a guided tour?" He grinned sheepishly at his friend. "Actually, I really am beginning to like this flying around. It's different when you can see what's going on. Doesn’t seem so big and mysterious somehow."

Throwing an arm around Starsky's shoulder, Zach gave him a quick hug. "See, told you that you'd like it if you allowed yourself. Next thing you know, you'll be wanting to fly one of these babies yourself." He laughed affectionately at the look of horror that crossed Starsky's face. Giving him another squeeze, Zach let him go.

"Got to go file that flight plan. Give me about fifteen, twenty minutes and we'll be up. You might want to use the office's restroom before we leave. I'm not sure what's available in Three Rivers, so this may be your last chance until Bakersfield." Zach sauntered off towards the fuel depot's office leaving Starsky to gather up his partner and tell him of their revised plans.

***

The flight to Three Rivers was a short one. The little community, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada's, lies on the road into the parklands. The airstrip, situated on a flat piece of land, mostly used by private planes and the occasional rescue helicopter, was just outside of the town.

The flight was just long enough for Starsky to ask more questions about the plane, this time about the fuel tanks. Zach happily explained about the four tanks and the importance of keeping the fuel consumption in each level to help balance the plane. Which was one reason that he'd filled up the tank in Fresno. Pointing out the controls used to switch tanks, Zach answered Starsky's question about refueling.

"I mostly use the two big tanks leaving the two tip tanks until I have to. Or if I was just doing a puddle jump flight I'd use the tips to clean them out. On this trip, I've been alternating between the two big tanks. That's why I refueled in Fresno. I don't like the tanks to get too low and these little flights use up more fuel than a longer one. But I won't have to refuel again until we get home. Then I'll take all my fuel readings and figure out how much to charge everybody for the trips. Especially this little one."

Starsky was watching Zach showing him how he switched tanks and turned off and on the fuel pump with keen interest. "So it's like how you use up more gas driving around the city than you do on the freeway for the same amount of miles. Huh?"

"Exactly. And with a plane, keeping an eye on fuel consumption is even more important than with a car. There's no nice safe shoulders to pull over to so you can walk back to the nearest gas station." Zach grinned at Starsky. "I keep a log just for fuel usage. That's what this is," pointing at a clipboard beside him. "You probably saw me making notations periodically on the flight up?" Starsky nodded. "Well, that's what I was writing down. Then I keep a separate log with everything else. Makes for more paperwork initially but a lot less headaches back in the office."

He interrupted his lesson as the landing strip came into view. Because this strip had no traffic control, he had to do more radio work. Starsky and Hutch both set back and observed quietly. Noting the cool, efficient way his friend handled the plane, Starsky caught himself thinking that just maybe, he'd like to try his hand at flying the Piper one day. The very thought gave him a funny feeling. Half dread and half anticipation. He shivered and looked out the side window at the mountains that crowded the landscape.

The Piper bounced when it touched down, took to the air for another moment, then hit the ground again. Zach swore as he brought the plane to a stop. Starsky, feeling scared again after having his stomach lurch, looked over at the upset pilot. "What happened?"

"Oh, nothing other than they've got potholes bigger than the Grand Canyon on this strip. I hate that. It jars the hell out of the struts. Not to mention what it does to tires." He smiled reassuringly at Starsky. "It's okay, Spud. I've landing on far worse than this. Remind me to tell you the story about the cow pasture complete with a really large bull sometime." Starsky couldn't help but grin back and Hutch chuckled. "Now, you guys can stay in the plane while I run this in or get out and walk around for a minute. I shouldn't be too long."

"I wouldn't mind getting out and stretching my legs for a minute, Starsky." Hutch spoke up.

"Okay, like I said I won't be long, so don't go far. And stay off the strip. If you hear a plane coming, run." Zach left the plane, laughing at the two partners' expressions.

Starsky and Hutch climbed out of the plane and walked eastward, looking at the looming mountains. They stopped a few feet from the Piper and admired the view. "Sure makes you feel small when you look at something like that, don't it, Hutch?" Starsky said quietly.

"Yeah. Hey - what do you say that on our next vacation we go to Yosemite or one of the other parks out here." Hutch grinned at Starsky's grimace. "We don't even have to camp in the woods. Yosemite has lodges and tourist cabins. It'd be fun, buddy." Hutch nudged Starsky with his elbow.

"One great adventure at a time, okay Blondie? Besides, we don’t have any vacation time owing for a couple more months. By then something more interesting might come up." <I hope.> The mountains towering on the near horizon were making him nervous. Not that he'd say anything to either Hutch or Zach. And it wasn’t the usual nervous feeling he got when he was in the wilderness. Not quite. More a feeling of foreboding than actual danger. Like something was waiting out there and he didn't want to know what it was.

Zach's whistling return helped him shake off the weird thoughts and he turned with a relieved smile. He couldn't help but notice the look Hutch gave him as he greeted Zach and knew that Hutch was feeling something of what he was.

"So, you guys have enough of looking at the mountains from down here and ready to look at them from up there?" He pointed at the sky.

"Yep, let's go." Starsky hoped that he sounded more confident than he felt. And that neither of his friends would know how much his bravado hurt.

***

They flew for a while over tall mountains and deep canyons. Zach made good on his boast of playing tour guide, pointing out different lakes, rambling off names of rivers and a dozen other natural attractions. It was all interesting and Zach knew how to make it fun, but the feeling of something not quite right never left Starsky.

Zach was rattling off something about the wildlife population when he smacked his forehead. "Well, am I an idiot or what?"

Starsky turned from his perusal of a herd of mountain sheep and looked over at his friend. "Do you really want me to answer that, Zach?" He grinned.

"Ha, ha. No. But I really am dumb. It wasn't until I was talking about those stupid sheep that I remembered what I was supposed to tell you first thing this morning. Jeez, if Beck knew I'd forgotten, she'd kick my butt all the way to Bellingham." Zach played with a couple of controls, looking extremely embarrassed.

"Well, it can't be that bad. Although thinking about your sister when you're talking about mountain sheep may upset her a bit. What's up?" Starsky patted him on the arm.

"Don't be smart. The only reason the sheep made me remember Beck and her news is that John, her husband," the last as an aside to Hutch, "is studying Washington State herds right now. He's a biologist with the University in Seattle." Again this to Hutch. "Anyway, she phoned me last night with some really wonderful news. I don't know how I could have forgotten." He shook his head at his own failing.

"Well, you know your mom always said that the only thing you ever think about is your planes. Maybe she's right. So what's up?" Starsky was enjoying teasing his friend who was usually better at teasing him.

"Beck and John are going to be parents." The smile he flashed at Starsky could have lit a room. "Looks like you're finally going to be an uncle there, Spud, ol' man."

Starsky's answering smile was every bit as happy as Zach's. "That's wonderful. I was wondering when the two of them would get around to having kids. Your parents must be over the moon. How many grandkids does this make now?"

"Four. Jackie's two and Leah's little guy. Delilah's still thinking about it. And I'm sure Mom is thrilled. With the other girls being so far away, she and Dad don't get to see the kids very often. With Beck and John living right in Seattle, she'll get to spoil their baby rotten."

"So," Starsky glanced mischievously at Zach and winked at Hutch, "when are you going to provide a male heir for the Dahlman clan? I'm sure your dad is anxiously waiting for you to provide him with someone to carry on the family name."

Zach grinned back self-consciously. "As soon as I find some girl dumb enough to fall in love with a pilot. I've come close a time or two, but once they figure out that I'm not going to be around much they take off." He sighed, then smiled again. "There is this one girl though. She's a friend of Beck's and we've been dating off and on for about a year now. I've been thinking about asking her. Just don't say anything to my mom yet or she'll have the Rabbi all lined up before I get a chance to even make up my mind."

All three of them laughed although none of them found it really funny. Both Starsky and Hutch knew how hard it was to find someone that was accepting of their jobs. And of their partnership.

They continued flying southward, with the higher mountains to their left and the sun to their right for awhile. Starsky saw Zach reach for the controls to do one of his regular tank switches. He watched as he shut off the tank he was using and hit the control to turn on the fuel pump that was necessary before switching to the other tank. Both men in the cockpit started when there was a slight popping sound. Zach manipulated the pump control a few times then hit the switch of the tank control.

"Damn." Zach's voice was soft but edged with fear.

"What's wrong? What was that noise?" Starsky watched his friend's face, feeling his heart start to pound.

"I don’t know what that noise was, but the fuel pump isn't working. And I can't get the first tank to work again." Zach's voice was tight as he flipped switches and read dials, never taking his eyes from the controls.

Starsky felt Hutch's hand on his shoulder and reached up to cover it with his. "What does that mean?"

"It means we're going to have to find a place to land and pretty damn quick before the gas in the engine and the lines is all gone. Which won't be very long." He was interrupted by a sputtering sound from the engine compartment as the plane lurched a bit then straightened out again. "Start looking for a place for us to set down. A meadow, a fire road, anything that's clear of trees and fairly flat." He looked over at the partners staring at him with wide, frightened eyes. "It'll be okay guys. I've put planes down in worse situations than this and always walked away. And I haven't lost a passenger yet, either. Now start looking while I send out for help."

Starsky and Hutch both followed orders, Starsky swallowing his fears and taking comfort in the hand that didn't leave his shoulder. He listened in horrified fascination as Zach radioed a Mayday.

"Mayday. Mayday. Mayday. Piper657VN. Piper657VN. Piper657VN." There was some static noise on the radio; then Zach gave their location. Then once again, "Mayday, mayday, mayday. Engine failure, engine failure, engine failure. Piper657VictorNovember. Piper657VictorNovember. Piper657VictorNovember." More static. Zach kept trying to start the pump and talk at the same time. All very calmly.

"Control, I read you. Two passengers plus pilot. Repeat, two passengers plus pilot. Trying for rough landing. Beacon on." More static, then Zach covered the mike with one hand and spoke to the partners. "Either of you guys spot a good landing area?" Back to flipping switches. The engine sputtered again and caught once more.

Hutch, who had been straining to see out of both side windows, pointed over Zach's shoulder. "There. Looks like a road. And there's a clear area just to the left of it. Could be a meadow."

Zach followed the finger and nodded. "Yep. Looks like as good a place as any." He removed his hand from the mike. "Control, Piper657VictorNovember. Piper657VictorNovember. We have a possible landing area spotted at these coordinates." He rattled off a string of numbers. "I'm preparing for emergency landing. Over." He pushed the mike down away from his mouth and looked quickly at his passengers.

"Okay guys, this is it. I can't fly this puppy any further. That last sputter was a warning that the fuel's almost gone. I'm going to start circling to reduce our airspeed." He was following action to words. "I want you both to push your seats back as far as they'll go and tighten your seatbelts as much as possible. When I tell you to, cover your heads with your arms." He looked over at Starsky. "I'm really sorry this happened, Dave. But I promise you; you and Hutch are going to get out of this okay. Like I said, I've done landings like this before and both me and the plane survived. This time ain't going to be any different." He smiled a smile both brave and sad.

Starsky tried to match it, although he knew he failed miserably. But he knew that Zach needed him to believe in him right now, so he nodded and followed instructions. And started praying harder than he had prayed in a long time. He heard Hutch push his seat back and prepare for what was to come. At least he and his partner were in this together. He knew that was selfish, but it still made him feel better.

Zach, circling the road below them picked up his radio communication with whoever it was on the other end. He didn't have time to explain what he was doing, and Starsky wasn't about to ask any questions. Starsky told himself that if...no, make that when...they got back to LA in one piece, he'd find out what all the codes and everything else meant. It gave him something to think about other than what he was afraid of.

Under the constant back and forth of the radio communication, Hutch spoke quietly to Starsky. "You okay there, buddy?"

"Yeah. We're going to be okay, Hutch." He hoped his voice sounded more confident than he felt

"I know, Starsk. Just hang on." Hutch sounded as scared as he felt and that made him feel better, too. If Hutch was scared, then it was okay for him to be scared. And if Hutch was willing to let him know he was scared, then he must think that they were going to be okay. They'd been in tight places before and he knew all the signs.

The engine sputtered one last time and stopped. Zach did something at the control panel and all mechanical sound in the plane ceased. The only sound was the radio and the wind whistling past the windows. As their plane circled downwards, Zach smiled once more at Starsky. "I've turned everything off. It's procedure. And we're gliding now, but I've still got control. I'll have to take you up in a glider sometime, Spud. It's scary as hell, but it's a real rush, too." His grin was wicked and made Starsky laugh. Which Starsky knew it was designed to do.

Zach looked out his side window and turned the plane again. Starsky could feel the drop in airspeed and was unnerved when he saw the tops of trees just below the tip of his wing. He pushed himself back in the seat, and tried to breathe calmly. Hyperventilating at this point would be embarrassing to say the least.

"Okay guys. We're going to touch down any minute. If all goes as it should, the plane may bounce a few times because the surface is rough, but I've got control. I want you to cover your heads now and just relax. We've got lots of room to land, the emergency beacon is on, and they know where we are. We'll be fine." Zach talked into the radio again and brought the nose of the plane up a bit.

Starsky followed Zach's advice and covered his head with his arms. A most uncomfortable position but he knew that it was the safest. In case. He stole a look over at Zach through a space between his left arm and right hand. Zach was looking straight ahead, but leaning back into his seat as well. Starsky took comfort in how calm Zach looked.

Then the wheels touched the surface of the road and the plane bounced. Touched again. Bounced again. Zach pulled up on the wheel, causing the nose to lift again. The wheels touched the ground again, but this time there was no bouncing. To Starsky, it seemed they were still going too fast, but Zach didn't seem upset by this. Then Starsky could feel the brakes catch and the plane started to slow.

Zach turned to Starsky and grinned widely. "See, told you we'd be fine."

There was a loud boom from under the plane and it swerved. Zach swore and wrestled with the wheel, trying to regain control of the plane that was fishtailing wildly. Starsky felt the plane leave the rough road surface and bounce onto the meadow. Looked up in time to see the tree that they were careening towards.

Then there was a horrendous crash followed by an eerie silence.

*******

Tinkling glass, moaning of tortured metal, and an insistent voice calling his name brought Starsky out of the place he'd gone to hide in his mind. "Hutch?"

"I'm here, buddy. I'm fine. You okay?" Hutch's steady voice sounded like music to him at that moment. He heard Hutch moving around behind him and knew that Hutch was undoing his seatbelt.

"Yeah, I think so." The haze lifted a bit more and another thought came to him. "Zach?" Starsky turned his head to the left and for a moment didn't want to believe what he saw.

The left wing of the plane had hit a huge conifer almost tearing the wing off. The side of the cockpit rested against the rough bark and the windscreen was gone, as were the side windows. But the thing that frightened Starsky the most was the limp form of Zach lying slumped over the controls. Left arm twisted around the wheel and head resting against part of the torn bulkhead.

"Zach. Oh God, Zach." Starsky fumbled to release his seatbelt but in his panic only succeeded in jamming it.

"Starsky, calm down. Let me." Hutch's hand reached around and manipulated the clasp. Suddenly Starsky was free. Starsky pulled himself half out of his seat trying to reach the injured pilot. A sharp pain lanced through his leg and he yelped.

"What? What's the matter?" Hutch abandoned the check he had just started to run on Zach to turn to his swearing partner.

"My leg." Starsky looked down at his right leg and realized that he'd caught it between the seat and the side panel when the plane crashed. His torn jeans revealed a gash running down the calf. Shallow, it was slowly oozing blood. "It's okay, Hutch. It's nothing. Worry about Zach." He plopped back down, knowing that Hutch was better able to help Zach at the moment than he was.

He watched in dread as Hutch felt Zach's pulse, then up along his neck. "He's alive, Starsk, but I can't tell how badly he's hurt from this angle. Here, you get out of your seat and let me up there."

The two of them spent a couple of tense moments as they switched places. Starsky's leg hurt when he put weight on it and he almost fell when he moved towards the back seats. Hutch caught him, looking intently at him.

"You sure you're okay? You don't look so good." Hutch held him as well as he could in the cramped quarters, trying to access his condition.

"Hutch, I told you I'm fine. Take care of Zach then you can worry about me." Starsky patted his partner's arm and pushed himself away from the concerned man.

Hutch, obviously reluctant to leave his partner's injury untended, let him go, and moved forward into the cockpit. Once again, he felt Zach's pulse, this time in both his neck and right arm. Gently holding the back of the neck, he eased the slack body back against the seat. "I don't think his neck is broken or anything. His pulse is pretty strong, considering. I think he's broken his arm though." Hutch continued his triage. "He's got a nasty bump on his forehead, but I don't think his skull's fractured."

"Should we move him?" Starsky was doing his best not to hang over the back of the seat. But he did reach around his hand so he could lay it on Zach's uninjured arm.

"We're going to have to. I don't know how stable this plane is and who knows how long it'll be before help shows up." Hutch knelt as well as he could between the two forward seats and reached his hand down between the bulkhead and Zach's left leg. Starsky didn't like the look on his face.

"What?"

"His leg's caught. The tree's pushing in right here. It's not going to be easy to free him." Hutch leaned back against the seat behind him and looked up at the hovering Starsky.

Starsky looked around the cabin, trying to think. "If we removed this seat," pointing at the one he was sitting on, "could we move Zach's seat back farther? Enough to work his leg out of there?"

Hutch crawled around and looked at the length of the track for the pilot's seat. "Yeah, maybe. But how do we get this seat out?"

Starsky smiled thinly. "Zach showed me how to remove the seats awhile back. Believe me, except for actually flying this thing, I probably know as much about it as he does. Help me here."

It took a few minutes, and many swear words, but the two of them managed to get the passenger seat out. Once they removed it, it only took a few more minutes to push Zach's seat backwards. It too, was a team effort. Starsky moving the seat and Hutch stabilizing Zach's leg. Starsky's own leg was throbbing by the time they had completed the task, but Zach was at last free.

"Okay. We better prepare a couple of things outside before we move him any more. I'd like to do it only once." Hutch kept his hand on Zach's neck, checking the pulse again. Starsky's fear for his friend kept building. Zach had not moved of his own volition once during all the maneuvering.

"What do you need?" Starsky knew that he had to remain calm and focused if he was to be of any help to anybody.

"Blankets. A first aid kit. A ground cover of some kind. Does he have an emergency kit?" Hutch had pulled his ever-present handkerchief from his back pocket and was pressing it against the oozing cut on Zach's forehead.

"Oh yeah. Zach's got enough stuff on this plane to put a Boy Scout troop to shame. Hang on, I know where he keeps a lot of it."

Moving slowly and as carefully as he could, both because of his injured leg and because the plane had the unnerving tendency to move, Starsky crawled towards the back of the plane. The cargo area, in the tail section, was low and there was not enough height for him to stand upright. It hurt his leg to walk crouched down, and even though crawling hurt, it wasn't as bad as the other. Going to the locker where Zach kept supplies, Starsky undid the latch and propped up the lid. Inside were a large first aid kit, two large cell flashlights, plus a smaller one. Starsky was sure that the batteries were fresh. Zach had once told him, "There's nothing worse than standing in the pouring rain, on a strange runway, with your engine acting wonky, at midnight in the dark, and find out your flashlight won't work because the damn batteries are useless."

Starsky felt himself smile when he remembered that little tirade, but his heart hurt too. Mentally shaking himself, he pulled out the first aid kit and one of the large jugs of water stored there. Grabbing a clean rag from the open box beside the locker, he made the journey back to Hutch.

"Here. I'll get the blankets out. I think Zach keeps his sleeping bag in the forward hold, but I don't know what else we could use for ground cover." Starsky watched worriedly as Hutch opened the kit and quickly took stock of its contents. Hutch smiled thinly and took out some gauze and adhesive.

"Let me get a bandage on his head wound, then I'll wrap your leg before you go hopping around outside." Hutch look pointedly at Starsky's leg, which had, began lightly bleeding again.

"Yeah, yeah. Just take care of Zach, will ya?" Under any other circumstance, Starsky would have welcomed Hutch's concern, but Zach was higher on his list of priorities right now. He gave his partner a quick pat on the arm to let him know that he appreciated Hutch's worry. Returning to the back of the plane, Starsky quickly gathered the rest of the supplies together that they might need before rescue appeared.

In the locker were two blankets that Zach had told him were the same kind as mountain climbers used. Those came out along with some freeze-dried food, another bottle of water, and matches. Piling the supplies up by the doors, Starsky unlatched the doors and swung one of them slowly open. The plane shifted again, and he held his breath for a moment until the creaking stopped.

"Hutch, I don't think it's going to stay upright much longer. I'm going to go check out that hold before it tips over and covers the hatch." Before Hutch could protest, Starsky slipped out the doorway and landed painfully in the grass below.

Trying not to swear at the throbbing in his leg, Starsky pulled himself up, holding onto the undamaged wing. Ducking under the wing, he made his way to the front baggage hold and worked the latch open. Inside were two sleeping bags, which he hauled out. Throwing them as far as he could from the plane, Starsky looked back inside the hold. There, folded into a neat bundle, was a canvas tarp. Pulling the heavy load out made his leg hurt more, but he persisted until he had it on the ground at his feet. The plane rocked a little when the tarp edged out of the hold but didn't shift.

"Starsky, what the hell you doing out there?" Hutch's voice sounded anxious and Starsky grinned a little at how his usually cool partner sounded.

"It's okay, Hutch. I found a tarp we can use for ground cover. Where should I put this stuff?"

He could hear grumbling from inside the plane and the plane rocked again. Looking towards the doors, he saw Hutch's blond head emerge as his partner looked around. Hutch looked towards then pointed past him.

"Over there, just under those trees. We can rig up a shelter if help doesn’t come before dark. Wait a minute and I'll help you." Hutch disappeared briefly, then was back, easing himself carefully out of the plane. He quickly moved to help Starsky with the awkward tarp.

Between the two of them, they managed to manhandle the bundle to the area that Hutch had pointed out. Spreading out the tarp, they created a good dry spot to lay the sleeping bags on. Starsky was limping heavily by the time they'd finished making camp. He turned too fast and almost fell when his leg gave out under him. If Hutch hadn't have grabbed his arm, he would have ended up on top of the pile of supplies he'd just ferried from the plane.

"Starsky, that leg is bleeding again. Sit down and I'll wrap it for you. And you should rest. You're way too pale." Hutch held on tightly to Starsky's arm, trying to support him.

"We'll get Zach out first, then you can take care of me." Starsky stared stubbornly at Hutch. He was afraid that once he sat down, he might not get up again.

"It wouldn't do Zach any good if you drop him because you're leg won't hold you up." Hutch could be stubborn too.

The two of them stared at each other, neither willing to give in. Until Starsky tried to pull away from Hutch's supportive grip and the movement sent a stab of pain through his leg.

"Oh, God. Okay. Do what ya got to, but be quick about it. I don't like the idea of leaving him in there if the plane decides to tip over." Starsky allowed Hutch to maneuver him over to a handy stump and tried not to gasp when he pulled the pants leg away from the wound.

"Aw Jeez, Starsk. You've gotten dirt in here. I'm going to have to clean it really well or it'll get infected. And that's going to hurt. A lot."

"Can't you just wrap it for now until we get Zach settled? Please, Hutch." Starsky laid his hand on Hutch's shoulder and looked at him pleadingly. He knew that Hutch found it hard to deny him anything when he turned on the puppy-dog eyes. And Starsky wasn't above using that look to get what he wanted.

Hutch smacked Starsky's good leg with an affectionate hand. "All right, you moron. But if they have to amputate, don't blame me." Hutch stood up and, shaking his head went to get the necessary bandages from the first aid kit. Coming back, Hutch dropped the bandages into Starsky's lap and settled on his knees beside the injured leg.

"I'm going to have to cut this pant leg, Starsky."

"Go ahead, they're wreaked anyway."

Mumbling "how can he tell?" Hutch quickly cut the pant leg open the rest of the way. Smearing on some antibiotic cream, he then deftly wrapped the bandage around Starsky's calf and pinned it in place. Fishing a couple of large safety pins out of his shirt pocket, he pulled the torn edges of the pants together and pinned them so they wouldn't get in the way.

Hutch went back to the first aid kit and returned with a bottle of water and two pills. "Here, take these." He thrust both the water and the pills towards Starsky.

"What are these for?" Starsky took the offered items and turned the pills over in his hand.

"Aspirin. I know you're in pain and it'll help if you should start to run a fever. Just take them, will you?" Starsky looked up at his partner and was a little surprised to see the worry there. Then it dawned on him that he'd been thinking so much about Zach that he'd forgotten that Hutch would be upset for him. Not because he'd been hurt physically, but because of Zach and the accident itself.

Starsky popped the pills in his mouth, took a swig of water to swallow them, and handed the bottle back to Hutch. Hutch left his arm out so Starsky could hang onto it to stand up. When he got his feet under him, Starsky threw his arms around his partner and squeezed. Surprised, it took Hutch a moment to return the hug.

"What's that for?" Hutch held onto Starsky.

"Because. Because I'm glad you're here and because you didn't get hurt. And because you're my friend and I think I'm going to need that." Starsky didn't really understand what he was feeling, but he knew he was scared. He let Hutch go and stepped back, embarrassed by his show of emotion.

"It's going to be okay, Starsky." Hutch's expression put the lie to that promise.

"I guess I just have to keep believing that, don't I?" Starsky moved cautiously away from Hutch, testing his leg. It didn't seem hurt as much as it had, but he could feel it stiffening. "Let's get Zach out of that plane before my leg decides it's had enough." He tried to smile at his worried partner, but he knew it was a feeble effort.

Hutch just looked at him for a moment, then nodded. The two of them headed for the crippled plane.

***

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