CHAPTER 13

The lights of the car drew closer as Cassie stretched out her hand with her thumb in the air.  It began to slow down and then came to a stop a few feet in front of her. She was very nervous as she walked carefully up to it…but felt a little relief when she realized that the driver was a woman.

“Hi.” Cassie said as she leaned down to the passenger window.

“What are you doing out here all by yourself?” The lady asked with concern as she rolled the passenger window down a little further to talk to her.

“I could really use a ride back home.” She told her. “It’s a long story.”

“Climb in and you can tell me on the way.” The lady offered as she unlocked the door and waited for her to get in.

****************

They left the van on the side of the road and drove the blue Chevy to a payphone at a gas station Prudholm dropped a dime into the slot and reached into his back pocket to pull out his wallet. He took out a small faded piece of paper and unfolded it.  A phone number that he had kept on him from a few years back.  He still had one card left to play.

The phone rang loudly as it broke the silence in the room.  A very tired and emotionally drained dark haired man had been sleeping on the couch were he had finally drifted off.  The music had stopped a couple of hours before and the turntable on the Hi Fi was still spinning.

“Yeah.” He said as he held the phone in his left hand and pushed himself into a more comfortable position with his right arm.

“Starsky.” Prudholm’s harsh voice came on the line. “It’s time.”

“Prudholm!” He said with astonishment as he recognized the voice. “Where are you?”

“You knew I would be calling didn’t you? The old man said to him…hoping to drive him to a meet. “This is between me and you…nobody else. I’m gonna give you one last chance to save her life.”

“She’s still alive?” Starsky asked with a new ray of hope in his heart. “You didn’t kill her?”

“I just wanted you to suffer cop.” Prudholm told him. “The way I’ve been made to suffer… ever since you killed my boy.”

“So what’s the game Prudholm?” Starsky asked as he stood up with the phone casing in one hand and the receiver in the other.

“Just a little cat and mouse…you win and you get to take her home with you…I win and you both die.” He said as he played out his last card carefully.  He had to drive him out before she had time to make it back to him…or to flag down a patrol car.  If he could convince him that he still had her…he knew Starsky wouldn’t be able to resist.

“You got it Prudholm…Just name the place.” Starsky said.

“Good…but first there’s just a couple of minor details.” Prudholm began. “No badge…and don’t try to call that big blonde friend of yours.”

 “I don’t need a badge to kick your ass.” Starsky told him. “And I don’t need Hutch either.”

“And one more thing cop…no gun.” Prudholm cautioned him.

“No problem.” Starsky told him. “Where?” He asked as he grabbed a pencil and a pad of paper from the drawer of the end table.

“There’s an old deserted warehouse on the corner of 12th and Hudson.” The old man said.

“I know the place.” Starsky called back to him.

“Twenty minutes.”

“You’re on.” He answered and hung up the phone.

Starsky thought about it for a minute as he sat the phone back down.  This was insane…he knew he would be walking into a trap.  Prudholm had waited
till the middle of the night to coax him out and without his gun he would be an easy target.  Cassie was just the bait…she may already be dead but he had no way of knowing for sure now.  The only thing he did know was that Prudholm may be known for a lot of things, but the fact that he was a compulsive liar ranked among the top ten.  He wasn’t a man to be trusted.

 He decided to call Hutch.  He knew what Prudholm had told him but he wasn’t stupid…he wasn’t about to walk in there naked. He would need Hutch to watch his back. If Cassie was still alive he didn’t need to take any chances. He dialed the phone quickly and waited for him to answer it….one ring….two rings….three rings….four…five.  Where the hell could he be at this time of night?  Did Prudholm have him too?  Is that why he told him not to call? Would they use Hutch and Cassie to get to him? Or did they kidnap Hutch because she was already dead? Starsky didn’t know what to think.

Starsky had written down the directions on the pad but didn’t bother to tear it off. He knew the location and there was no need to take it with him.  He pulled his badge from his back pocket and threw it on the coffee table. Then he headed for the door and stopped to glance up at his gun and holster that hung next to it.  Cassie and Hutch were missing.  The two people in the world that he loved more than his own life. He knew that if he brought his gun they might both be killed. After taking a moment to think it over he decided to pull it out of the holster. He then carefully shoved it into the back of his jean shorts and pulled his shirt down over it.  Without Hutch…He would just have to take the chance.

*******************

Cassie told the lady how to get to Hutch’s place since they were on that side of town and his place was closer.  Anyway chances were that they would be together and she might find both of them there.

“It’s just a little further.” She told the lady.

“By the way my name is Robbin.” The young lady said and what’s yours?”

“Cassie Bryant.” She told her. “I’m sorry to make you go out of your way like this.”

“It’s alright…I just want to see you get home safely.” Robbin replied.

They finally pulled up to the little house by the lake and Cassie was relieved to see Hutch’s car in the driveway. She knew where Hutch kept his spare key even if he wasn’t home. She thanked Robbin again for the ride and assured her that she would be all right. She got out quickly and ran up to the door as Robbin backed her car out of the driveway and left her there.

She pounded loudly on the outside of the door and then stepped back to wait for a response.  A light came on in the living room and she could hear a groggy Hutch mumbling to himself as he stumbled to the door.

“Who is it?” He asked as he leaned with his hand against the door in his robe and waited.

“The tooth fairy.” She yelled with a smile. She knew he would recognize her. It was a game they would always play with each other.

Hutch unlocked the door quickly and threw it open wide.

“CASSIE!” He cried out as he lifted her up in a big bear hug and spun her around and around as he buried his face in her neck and let out a loud cry of excitement. Cassie broke into tears as she hugged him tightly. They were both so relieved to see each other. The emotional embrace lasted for a few moments until he finally stood her back up and stepped back to look at her.

“How in the world?” Hutch asked as he checked her over carefully. He grabbed her by the chin and turned her head to one side and then the other.  He noticed the split lip and the bruise on the side of her face where Prudholm had apparently struck her.

“I had to get away…so I jumped out of the van.” She told him. “They switched vehicles and stole a dark blue Chevy…I have the license number.” She said as she continued. “Anyway…I ran as fast as I could and then I caught a ride from a nice lady.” Cassie said, not wanting to mention the fact that she had been forced to hitch hike home.

“We have to call the station and give them the information.” Hutch replied as he tried to take in the whole story. “Oh Cas we thought you were dead…I swear sometimes I think you must have a guardian angel watching over you.”

“I do.” She told him with a smile.

Hutch pulled both her arms up and took note of the scrapes on her elbows as well as the ones on her legs. Her knees were also bloody but they didn’t look too bad.

“So how fast were you going when you hit the pavement.” He asked her.

“Not very…Oh God Hutch it’s so good to be home.” She told him as she hugged him once again.  

 “I gotta call Starsky…You have no idea how happy he’s gonna be to see you.” Hutch told her as he pulled her chin up and stared into her large brown eyes. “And we still have to call in the vehicle description.”

 “You can do that from your car…on the way…I want to surprise him.” She said with a smile. “He loves surprises.”

Well…not usually Hutch thought to himself…but he’ll love this one.

“Alright…just give me a second to get dressed.” He told her.

Hutch threw on a shirt and a pair of pants and grabbed his gun and holster from above the door out of force of habit. He had trained himself never to walk out the door without it…even when he went on a date he sometimes had to take moment to remind himself that he didn’t need it. But if he were in a hurry it would usually end up tagging along. The two of them hurried out the door and jumped into his car.  They were both so relieved to put all of this behind them…and now with the description of the vehicle along with the plate number, Prudholm wouldn’t get very far. Hutch thought to himself as he picked up the mic to call it in. The only thing that mattered now was that Cassie was home…and the look on Starsky’s face when she showed up at his door would be priceless.

As his car pulled out of the driveway the phone at Hutch’s place began to ring.  Once…twice…three times…four…and after fifth and final ring the house
was silent.  Starsky had missed them by only a few seconds.
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  Chapter 14
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