CHAPTER 7

They made a quick stop on the third floor where the young boy lay hooked up to monitors and tubes. His face looked pale and his body so weak. His parents were both there along with a doctor and a few nurses. Hutch strolled over to the parents as Starsky kept his distance with his eyes fixed on the heart monitor.

“I’m Detective Hutchinson…that’s my partner Detective Starsky.” Hutch told them in a calm voice. “How’s he doing?”

“The Doctor says he’s hanging on but not by much.” The boy’s father said with tear filled eyes. “He’s a good boy officer…he really is…I don’t know what happened…One day I just felt him slipping away…I couldn’t reach him anymore…he wouldn’t talk to me…he’s a good boy.”

His father was in tears as he spoke and Hutch could see the torment on his face. But he had to persist…he had to know everything he could.

“What do you know about a boy by the name of Tony Antonidez?” Hutch asked him.

“He’s a piece of dirt…I tried to tell Zack…I tried to reason with him…but he wouldn’t listen to me…he stayed out till all hours of the night…sometimes he wouldn’t even come home at all. Tony had him…and I just couldn’t stop it…You
gotta’ understand…I tried…we tried.”

His voice was cracking and Hutch knew he had pushed him as far as he was going to. Starsky suddenly looked over at them…and saw the hurt and anguish on the old man’s face. He knew he had to tell him. Tell him what had happened in the last minutes. Maybe it would make a difference.

Starsky walked slowly over to them and began to speak.

“I’m Detective Starsky…” He began. “You’re right…Zack was…is…a good boy. He didn’t want to go along with them…that’s why Tony shot him.”

“You where there?” His mother spoke up. “You’re a cop and you where there when my son was shot?”

“It happened in my apartment. They took my daugh…” His words trailed off and he stepped back…holding his face in his hands and gathering himself…she wasn’t his daughter…but how could he explain that to them.

Hutch looked at him with surprise…it was the first time he ever called her his daughter. It seemed like an odd thing to come from his mouth. He had never spoken of her that way before.

“Why didn’t you stop them?” She asked insistently…almost with a tone of accusation in her voice.

“I’m sorry…” Starsky said in a weak apologetic voice. “I wasn’t prepared for it.”

Hutch pulled Starsky’s shirt open to show her the wound…he knew his partner wouldn’t have mentioned.

“They shot him too…” Hutch told them. “He was in no position to defend himself…much less anyone else.”

“But he’s walking around and my son is…my son is…” Her words trailed off and her expression grew harsh and cold. “How dare you! How dare you come in here and interrogate us this way!”

“Stop it…Just stop it!” The boy’s father told his wife. “It’s not their fault…it’s nobody’s fault!”

“Oh yes…it’s somebody’s fault.” Hutch said with assurance as he helped Starsky tuck his shirt back in. “And we want to make him pay.”

“How…how can he pay for this?” she asked in desperation.

Hutch leaned closer to her and handed her one of his cards.

“If you think of something…anything that might help us…please call.” Hutch told her softly. “They have a young girl…and they’ll probably kill her if we don’t stop them.”

“We’ll call…if we can help.” Her husband told them.

They turned to leave…glancing back at the machines one last time before heading out the door but before they made it to the corridor they were stopped by one last comment.

“I will keep your daughter in my prayers officer.” The boy’s mother called to him.

“Thank you…” Starsky called back to her…and the two of them headed out.

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Cassie was not aware of her body totally anymore…she realized what was happening as she was pulled by the arm and pushed onto the dirty mattress in the basement…and then listened as the door was dead-bolted.

She had given up…even if she got away…her life wouldn’t be worth living. The thought of never seeing Dave again…was more than she could bare. Her father had been her strength and when she lost him…Dave was there to pick up the pieces. She had allowed herself to love him and rely on him. But now there was no one. Hutch wouldn’t take her in…and she couldn’t ask him to. Besides…she wasn’t going to make it out of there alive anyway…so what was the point? All she wanted now was to die…to end her life…to be with her father…to be with Dave. It was the best she could hope for.

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They went back to the station and pulled the file on Tony. The list of arrests were long but since he was a minor he was given many slaps on the wrist…fines and a little time in juvenile detention but that was it. His crimes had grown increasingly hostile between the ages of twelve and seventeen. It started with shoplifting and excelled to breaking and entering…rape…and robbery. Now he was looking at attempted murder…but with Cassie missing a warrant for his arrest would mean her instant death. They had to find her before going after him.

As Hutch sifted through Tony’s police record while Starsky swallowed a few painkillers with a small paper cup of water and paced the floor nervously.

“Sit down Starsk…It won’t do you any good to torture yourself.” Hutch remarked.

“What good are we doing here?” Starsky asked in anger as he threw the wadded up paper into the garbage can. “We should be out looking!”

“Where?” Hutch asked him intensely. “You got any suggestions?”

“We can start with that kid Wayne.” Starsky said as the thought struck him. “If he was in on it…He’ll know where she is.”

“You know where to find him?” Hutch asked as he looked up at him with a renewed expression of hope on his face.

“No…but he went to Cassie’s school…and they have records.” Starsky told him with the same expression.

“What are we waiting for…let’s go.” Hutch said as he grabbed his jacket and the two of them hurried out the door.

It was around 2:00 in the afternoon when Starsky and Hutch found what they were looking for in the files at the High School. There had been about eight or nine Waynes on record in the eleventh grade but pictures of the boys in the yearbook had narrowed it down for them. Starsky knew what he looked like but never got his last name. When he spotted the familiar face Hutch quickly pulled the proper file and they were off…to an address on Wiltshire Boulevard.

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  chapter 8
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