CHAPTER 11

Hutch grabbed the radio as he sped away from the drive. He knew he wouldn’t be able to take Tony down alone. He was the leader of a large gang and he would probably have a few of them at his house.

“Zebra Three to control…requesting backup at 2314 Reynolds Street on the South side…suspect is Tony Antonidez…white male…approximately 150 pounds with dark hair.” Hutch called to them and waited for a response.

“Zebra Three…we have two units responding…what’s your ETA?” The dispatcher called back to him. Officers who had been at the station listening to the radio had grabbed their jackets and headed for the door.

“About 15 minutes…tell Dobey to put a rush on that warrant…I’m not waiting to be asked inside.” Hutch said as he placed the light on top of his car and hit the siren. “Suspect is considered armed and dangerous…approach with extreme caution.”

He listened as the dispatcher relayed the information and the other patrol cars responded. His tires squalled as he rounded corner after corner and flew through every red light in town.

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Cassie was tired…and defeated. Her spirit drained and her body weak. She collapsed in a tight ball on the bed as the party continued around her. The strong smell of marijuana and hard liquor filled the room. Kelly had the pictures and was now passing them around as they commented. Tony was laughing the loudest and in her dream state she heard Davey…laughing
at her…and she could see his face…staring at her as she lay naked and ashamed.

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Hutch pulled up to the address with two other patrol cars close behind. He had turned his siren off a couple of blocks away and they had done the same. He didn’t want to make them aware of their presence until he had the place surrounded. He climbed out of his car and made his way slowly up to the front entrance as he motioned to the other officers to take positions
around the rest of the house. As soon as he was confident that he had them surrounded he kicked in the front door and bolted inside. There was no one in the living room or the kitchen so he decided to creep slowly up the stairway.  When he reached the top he checked all the rooms one by one but found them empty. Then he heard one of the officers call to him from
downstairs.

“Officer Hutchinson…you better get down here!” The voice said as he ran down the stairs and through the kitchen to the basement door. The officer who called to him was waiting by the door when he arrived.

“They’re all down here.” He told him.

Hutch stepped down the small stairway and spotted the other officers handcuffing the young boys and the young girl to take them into custody.

Then he saw her…crumpled up in a ball on the bed under a bath towel. She looked horrible and at first he wasn’t sure if it was her. Her face had several bruises and her lips were swollen with dried blood in the corners. She was still out cold as he lifted her head gently to look at her.

“Cassie…Oh my God…Cassie…wake up.” Hutch coaxed her as he stroked her blonde hair and began to cry.

She didn’t respond to him…she was breathing but he knew that she was in need of a Doctor.

“Call an Ambulance!” Hutch cried out as he pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly. “It’s gonna be alright  now…SHhhhhhh….It’s gonna be alright.” He said as he cried and rocked her back and forth in his arms.

The teenagers were hauled away as Hutch continued to hold onto her limp body. It took twenty minutes for the Ambulance to arrive and one of the other officers had found a clean sheet in the Laundry room to wrap her in. Hutch carefully pulled it over her body and positioned her in his arms as he lifted her and carried her upstairs. Another officer watched as he gently laid her on the couch and went to grab a washcloth to wipe the blood from her face.

“You know her?” The rookie asked him curiously.

“Yeah…” Hutch responded feeling that it was none of this guys business but understood his curiosity.

“Hey…take a look at these.” Another officer called out as he came from the basement carrying a plastic bag full of pictures from an instant camera.

“Gees…No wonder she looks like hell.” The officer who had been standing in the living room commented as he inspected them.

Hutch rose to his feet and took them from the rookie. What he saw made his heart sink…but it was what he had expected happened to her the moment he saw her. He just didn’t expect to see it in full color!

“I’ll take these.” He told them as he stuffed them into his jacket pocket.

“Hey…that’s evidence!” The officer who had found them protested.

“What?” Hutch said as he glared at him. “I didn’t see anything…did you see anything Charlie?” He asked the older officer and then turned back to the rookie. “You didn’t see anything either…did you?”

“C’mon Hutch…you know you can’t do this.” Charlie spoke up. “We can put him away with these.”

“He’s already up for two counts of murder…one count of attempted murder on a police officer…and a list of other shit longer than my arm.” Hutch told him. “We don’t need to put her through this.”

“What about her parents?” Charlie asked. “They’ll want to press charges.”

“Let me worry about that.” Hutch said softly. “Just keep this between  us…ok?”

“Sure….Hutch….sure.” He said and then he turned to the other officer. “You got that Joey…not a word about those…or it’ll be all our necks.” Charlie cautioned his rookie partner.

“Sure Charlie…whatever you say.” He replied.

Hutch knelt back down beside her and began to wash the dried blood from her mouth. He couldn’t let Starsky see her…not like this. It would kill him.

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Dobey heard the good news that she had been found and quickly called the hospital were he knew Starsky was. He knew her safety was all he cared about and he was glad to be the one to tell him. The call was put through to Starsky’s room and a very groggy voice came on the phone.

“Yeah…” Starsky answered in his medicated state.

“They found her…Hutch found her. She’s alive!” Dobey told him with excitement in his voice.

“Thank God…” Starsky answered as he rubbed the palm of his hand down his face. “Where is she?”

“On her way to the hospital…I don’t know why yet…but she’s alive…that’s the important thing.” Dobey said as he tried to keep Starsky’s spirits up.

“Yeah…Thanks Cap’n.” Starsky told him. “Hey and tell Hutch to come by and see me as soon as he can…will ya?”

“Sure…you just relax now…the worst is over.” Dobey assured him. “See you soon.”

“Yeah…” Starsky said and placed the receiver back on the hook. She’s on her way to the hospital…he thought to himself. How badly is she injured? Did they hurt her? Why hadn’t Hutch called me himself? Starsky sat there wondering and the more he thought about it…the more he worried. Hutch would have been the first to call…unless there was something wrong. He knew how much she meant to him…why didn’t he grab the first phone he could find to tell him she was all right? What the hell was going on?

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  chapter 12
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