CHAPTER 16...FINAL
 

Hutch knew he should remain calm although inside he was fuming.  His anger grew stronger with each movement of the knife.  If she was gonna kill him why the hell didn’t she just cut his throat.  This form of torture only served to fuel his fire.  Still, if he was to have any chance to break free at all he would have to convince her that he wanted to cooperate.  Then maybe he could get her to loosen the ropes. He knew he was totally on his own.  There was no way His partner could know what was going on.

“Just say yes…and I’ll stop.” Joe Joe told him as she began to make yet another stroke with the knife.

“Alright…alright.” Hutch pleaded with her.  “But what’s to stop you from

“Women go to the police for sex crimes…Men tend not to.” She whispered softly as she leaned close to his face.  “Do you really think you could bring yourself to testify in front of a room full of strangers?  Tell them every detail?  Expose yourself sexually to the world?” She asked him. “You won’t do it.…I garauntee it.” She said with confidence.

He thought about it for a minute…most men wouldn’t go to the police.  He had seen what female victums of rape have to endure.  A man would just as soon keep it to himself.  She had said it as if she were sure of herself…as if she had been through this more than once.  But Bobby was dead…were there perhaps others?  How many others?

Hutch could see it in her eyes…he knew exactly what she was capable of and it scared the hell out of him.

“So how do you expect this to work while I’m all tied up?” He asked her.

“Just let me worry about that Lover.” She told him.

“But that means you’ll have to do all the work…Why don’t you give me my hands?” He said in a calm voice…hoping he could convince her that he was sincere.

“But then you might try to get away.” She said with an evil smile. “I don’t think you’ll play fair.”

“I promise…I’ll behave.” He said as he spoke in the same soft tone as before .

“You’re lying…You know you’re lying!” She said as she began to loose control.  “LIAR….LIAR.” She yelled in a rage as she lifted the knife higher and gripped it tightly.  “You don’t love me!”

“DROP IT!”  A familiar voice yelled from behind her as she felt the cold round end of Starsky’s gun against her temple.

Joe Joe froze in place still gripping the knife in her hand.

“I SAID DROP IT!!” He yelled again. “OR I’LL PEIRCE YOUR EARS THE HARD WAY!” Starsky ordered…and she knew he was serious.

She released her grip on the knife and let it fall with a thud onto the bed. Starsky picked it up by the blade and threw it across the room.  Then he grabbed her by the arm and threw her off of his partner.

“UNTIE HIM!” He told her as he held his gun in both hands and kept it pointed straight at her.

She did as she was told and Hutch grabbed the bed sheet to cover himself…then he sat on the edge of the bed rubbing his sore wrists and let out a long sigh of relief.

“What took you so long?” He kidded as he looked over at his partner and gave him a weak smile.

“I stopped for a burger and fries…you hungry?” He asked in a playful manner as he tightened the handcuffs around Joe Joe’s wrists and tied her feet together with a piece of the rope. Then he stood up and walked over to Hutch.  His eyes grew wider as he knelt down to get a good look at the bleeding wounds across his chest.

“I’ll be right back.” He told him as he put a comforting hand on his cheek. Then he stood back up suddenly and walked into the kitchen… grabbed a pot from under one of the cabinets…and filled it with warm water

Hutch picked up the bedside phone and called the station while Starsky was busy hunting for a clean washcloth.  He told them to send a squad car to his house to pick up Joe Joe and that they would file their reports in the morning. As he made the call he grabbed a pair of boxers from his dresser drawer and slid them on.  Then he took out a pair of his pants and slid them on as well.  Joe Joe looked like a prize calf in a rodeo the way his partner had left her…on her belly with her feet and hands behind her.  He walked out into the living room and was quickly pulled over to the couch by his highly excitable partner.

“Hold still…let me take a better look.” Starsky told him as he wiped the blood gently away from his wounds.

“I’m okay…they’re not that deep.” Hutch said as he flinched at his partner’s touch.

“Shut up and quit moving.” He said as if he was speaking to a child of ten.

“Yes Mom.” Hutch kidded him and leaned back to get comfortable as he allowed his partner to continue.

Starsky cleared away most of the blood and got a much better look at the cuts on his chest. “Your gonna need stitches on some of these.” He told him.

“Just wrap them up and let them heal.” Hutch said annoyed. “I don’t need to go to the hospital.”

“Don’t argue with me Hutch…Ya know sometimes you can be so damned stubborn.” He lectured.

“Stitches leave scars.” Hutch told him.

“And we wouldn’t want that…it could ruin your dancing career.” Starsky said with a hint of sarcasm.

“Aw…C’mon.” Hutch laughed at him.

Joe Joe struggled on the bedroom floor with her bondage and listened to them as they spoke.  “Hey guys…I’m really uncomfortable over here.” She whined.

“Shut Up!” They said in two voices that blended into one.

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

The police finally showed up and took Joe Joe into custody as Hutch was talked into a quick trip to the hospital for some repairs.  Thank God the damage had been minor Starsky thought as he waited for the Nurse to finish with him.  Hutch would heal quickly and be back to his old self in no time. He called the station and received word that Joe Joe’s real name was Joseph Phillips and he used to work as a Chef in Florida…He had been under suspicion for murder there and fled the State.  The other two strippers Mike and Tony, had shown up at the club just after they left and Dobey was informed by Peter that they had run off to get married and weren’t really missing after all.

With a prescription and a good dose of demerol in his system…Hutch was ready to go home and lay down.  Starsky put him to bed and locked the door behind him as he left.

During the long drive home the fowl aroma in his car became more and more evident.  It smelt like they had filmed a Cheech and Chong movie in there. Starsky wondered if this was the first time or if  she been smoking the stuff all along.  He would have picked up on it.  He can spot the look in an instant.  Cassie had never given him the impression of being stoned.  It must have been one of the other girls…not Stacey.  The other one.  She was trouble no doubt about that.

He pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine. As he walked slowly up to the front door he watched it crack open…as Cassie stepped outside to talk to him.

“Hi.” She said cautiously.

“What are you doing up?” Starsky asked her as he stepped closer to her.

“I couldn’t sleep until we had it out.” She told him.

“Ok…for starters…where did you go tonight?” He began.

“We snuck into the club.” She said as she bowed her head down.

“Which club.” He asked a little more intense.

“Roosters…I know you’ll be mad at me but it wasn’t my idea.” She told him as
she lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

“Who’s idea was it?” He asked again.

Taryn’s…she talked you into letting me drive.” She said.

“Hutch and I were there on assignment…but it’s over now.” He told her.

“You were working as a cop?” She asked with a curious look on her face.

“What do you think…we moonlight as strippers?” He said sarcastically.

“I didn’t know what to think.” She told him.

“What about the car?” He said as he stared at her. “It smells like a refer convention in there.”

“Taryn did it.” She admitted, “I made her put it out as soon as I saw it.”

“You didn’t?” He stopped.

“Of course not…I don’t do that.” She told him softly. “I would think you’d know me better.”

“Alright…as of right now your grounded…I’ll tell you for how long in the morning.” He said as he walked her inside…and wraped his arm around her
shoulder. “After I’ve had time to think it over.”

------------------------------------------------ The end
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