“CAT AND MOUSE”
BY P & C PRODUCTIONS

CHAPTER 18...Final

Cassie had turned the sirens off and decided to wait for help to arrive…but the stress and the feeling of helplessness had gotten the best of her.  She hadn’t heard anything for the past few minutes but she hoped that her little stunt had caught some attention.  Maybe they had snuck out the front or one of the side doors…leaving both Dave and Hutch shot and bleeding or worse.

If they had surrendered, Hutch would have let her know by now. She just couldn’t wait any longer and so she grabbed the first aid kit from under Hutch’s seat and the shotgun from under Starsky’s.  The safety was on and it was loaded.  She knew how to use it after years of being the only child of a seasoned police officer who wished the whole time she was growing up for a son…who never came along.  Learning how to shoot was just as important as learning how to ride a bike…in her father’s opinion.

She positioned the first aid kit over her shoulder by the strap that was attached to it and held the shotgun with the barrel pointing upwards as she made her way to the door.  After taking a quick peak inside she entered quietly and found herself alone in a room…with another door in front of her.

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Starsky was breathing rapidly as sweat began to poor from his forehead…he had managed to pull his t shirt off and had by now tied it tightly around his thigh above the laceration. Surprisingly enough he hadn’t really lost that much blood.  The bone that protruded from his leg had acted like a cork, forming a seal from the inside.  Putting pressure on his leg helped to relieve the pain a little…at least now it wasn’t throbbing with his every heartbeat.

Hutch had positioned himself at his partner’s shoulders to elevate his head with his leg.  His hands were totally useless with his left wrist broken and his right arm no longer in its socket.  He couldn’t even wipe the sweat from Starsky’s face…and it was driving him crazy.

Prudholm was handcuffed from behind but had managed to get to his feet again.  Randy lay on the floor still motionless so Prudholm assumed that he was done for.  He had been watching as Hutch allowed his partner to fall on top of him and could see that neither one of them was in any shape to protest his walking around.  The younger gunman whom Hutch had shot in the leg a few moments before was still reaching for his gun…which was still a few feet away from him.  The sirens had put a scare into them both and they were still weary that the police might bust through the door at any given moment but Prudholm didn’t care.  He still wanted his revenge…and now with the two of them injured and helpless…he would have it.

Starsky’s body began to tremble as shock set in and he started to feel sick to his stomach.  He leaned a little more on his side as he began to wretch…but because he hadn’t eaten…all he could manage were dry spasms. “Take it easy…try to relax.” Hutch said in a soothing voice.  “I’d help you if I could.”

“It’s all right Hutch…” Starsky said in between his spasms. “You saved my life…that was enough.”

But to Hutch it wasn’t enough…seeing his partner like this was breaking his heart. As his stomach began to settle…Starsky turned his head back towards his partner and reached for his face…to wipe away the two small tears he saw there.  Hutch noticed his hand as it drew closer and stared at it with concern.

“Your hands…Oh God Starsk…I’m sorry I made you hold on so long.” Hutch told him as he studied the deep cuts and dried blood that clung to his forearms.

“Hutch if you apologize one more time for saving my neck…I’m gonna hit you.” Starsky said as he forced a smile from his lips.

Hutch returned the smile and let out a whimper of a laugh…The small gesture from his partner to calm him… had been just what he needed.

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Prudholm had walked quietly over and kicked the gun closer to the younger man.  With a bullet in his leg just above the knee…he still managed to pull himself up to a standing position.  Prudholm provided him a little support as he held onto the older mans shoulder and limped closer to the two detectives sitting on the floor beside the fallen debris.

“Looks like we have ourselves a couple of cop hostages.” The younger man said with a smile.

“Give it up Prudholm.” Hutch said, not bothering to look up at him until his next sentence…then he turned his head slowly he said. “You’ve had it in for my partner for years…for something he didn’t have any control over and frankly…I’m sick and tired of it. You’re son died in prison…it happens…it’s a bad place…that’s why nobody wants to go there.” He told him as he glared into his eyes and his voice became a little louder. “Did you ever stop to think that maybe if you had been a decent father…things might have been different?”

“SHUT UP……You just shut your mouth Pig!” Prudholm said as Hutch’s words cut into his heart. He didn’t want to hear them. It wasn’t his fault…it was Starsky’s…for arresting his son.  He had to believe that…it was the only thing that had been keeping him going all these years.  If he didn’t have his hatred to keep him alive…he had nothing.

The next few moments went by so suddenly that neither Starsky nor Hutch had time to react…even if they could have.

Two very loud clicks echoed through the warehouse as Prudholm and the younger man looked at each other with puzzled expressions…and then glanced behind them.

Standing there with a stern look on her face and the barrel of the shotgun raised in a threatening position was Cassie.  Without a single word…she had gotten their complete attention, and intended to keep it.

“Drop it….NOW!” She said as she held her ground…and she wasn’t bluffing.

“You can’t handle that rifle little girl.” Prudholm told her in a slightly calmer voice…but she could hear the fear in his throat.

“My father was a cop…” She said still holding them at bay. “I used to practice with tin cans…and they were a lot smaller than your head.”

The younger man had heard enough and let the gun fall to the floor as he raised his hands.

“KICK IT!” She yelled to him…and he complied without protest.

At that moment the whole warehouse sprung to life as the doors where kicked in and uniformed police officers came from every direction. Prudholm and his accomplice were taken into custody as Hutch dropped his head and released a long awaited sigh of relief. Then he gave Starsky a smile.

“Was that Cassie?” Starsky asked in a weak voice.

Cassie dropped the rifle as she rushed over to him and reached for his hand only to see him wince with pain as she touched his palm.  She turned it over and a look of sadness crept over her pretty face when she saw the wounds. Then she glanced down at his leg and decided to try her best to keep from looking too concerned…for his sake.

“Cas…” He said as he lifted his head to see her…up until that very moment he wasn’t sure if she was dead or alive.

“I’m here…SHhhhhhhh…don’t talk…” She told him as she pulled the antiseptic spray from the kit and sprayed his hands with it. Then she gingerly began to wrap gauze around them as she spoke to him. “I wasn’t raped…I’m sorry I had to lie to you…I hated it…I didn’t want to….they made me…I..” She stopped suddenly as her throat tightened…and the tears began to fall.  Her small fingers began to tremble as Hutch watched her…trying so hard to continue wrapping his hands.

Starsky just lifted his gauze wrapped hand to her face…and with the back of it…wiped away a tear.

“SHhhhhhhhhh…..” He told her. “Don’t talk.”

THE END

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