Chapter Four
 
Starsky had made the trip home faster than his trip to the station. He raced up the steps to his house two at a time and almost
knocked down the front door as he rushed into the house. He almost ran into Laura as she was near the front door knowing
her husband would be arriving very quickly once she had made the call.

"Dave, you don't need to rush, the contractions are only 10 minutes apart there is plenty of time yet" she smiled at him and saw
the sparkle in her husband's blue eyes. A huge smile beamed from her husband. This was the day they had both been waiting
for and the love radiated from them both.

"Honey, I just want to make sure you get to the hospital in time and that everything is okay" Starsky did not want to tell his wife

that his worst fear was to be stuck in traffic having to deliver their baby without the help of the doctors and staff. He picked up
the suitcase and slowly lead his wife down the steps; Laura took one last look back at the house.

"Just think Dave, the next time we come back to the house together it will be as a family, you, me and little Sarah" They got to
the car just as another contraction came.

"Honey, are you sure those contractions are only 10 minutes apart" as he saw Laura grip the door until the contraction eased.

"I'm sure, no need to panic and no need to drive fast okay." Slowly getting into the striped tomato she eased herself onto the
passenger's seat and was barely settled before Starsky was throwing the suitcase in the trunk and jumping into the driver's seat
and speeding off towards the hospital.

The Torino zoomed down the streets passing every car in sight; Starsky started the siren and was trying to find the light with
one hand while driving with the other. "Dave I did tell you to take it quietly there is plenty of time to get to the hospital. Please
slow down" Laura did not like being driven around at break neck speed but her husband was not listening to her pleading
instead he slammed the light onto the roof of the car and rushed through the traffic.

"Don't worry Laura, its safe, Hutch and I ride around like this all the time, just have to make the noise and have the light and the

traffic makes way for us." Starsky knew he was taking a risk but he also did not want his worst fear to come true.

They would have arrived safely had it not been for the truck driver who ran a red light at one of the many wide intersections
before the hospital. The back end of the torino was clipped by the truck spinning the striped tomato round, the driver's side
slamming into the side of the truck, the car finally coming to rest facing the way it had been travelling. The siren was still blaring
from the torino and the light on the roof still flashing as the ambulances arrived.

Laura was regaining consciousness as she was lifted out of the car and she caught a glimpse of her husband slumped in his seat
with the paramedics surrounding him. The contractions no longer came at 10 minute intervals it was now just a continuous pain
she felt after the impact of the accident.

"My baby, oh please help me" Laura was screaming at the paramedics

"Don't worry we'll be at the hospital in a few minutes, how far apart are the contractions"

"They were 10 minutes apart, oh it hurts so much, please help me" Laura felt the world spinning as the ambulance sped away
and headed for the hospital.

Starsky was still unconscious as he was removed from the crushed side of the Torino. A small cut on his head was bleeding
freely making his face look a bloody mess. His seat belt was firmly holding him in his seat and the paramedics slowly released it
being careful not to move him, slowly the neck brace was fitted and then he was carefully moved out of the torino and placed in

the ambulance. The paramedics heard the police radio still calling out the call sign Zebra 3 and yelled at one of the officers
directing the traffic to respond to the call.

Hutch could not believe what he was hearing first he was dealing with the Federal Agents insisting on protection for him and his
fiancée and Starsky, Laura and Sarah and now he was facing the biggest blow of hearing Starsky had crashed the car on the
way to the hospital. He dropped the phone in Dobey's office and the tears started to roll from his eyes, his thoughts were with
his partner and his family. Please God let them all be okay. Hutch could not stand the thought of any of his friends being hurt
and was hoping they were all okay.

"There's been an accident, we have to get to the hospital"

Dobey looked at him realizing Hutch was in no condition to drive, he quickly grabbed his car keys. "Come on, I'm driving"

When they arrived, Laura was in surgery and Starsky was in the x-ray department. All they could do was sit and wait.
 

                                           Chapter Five

All the members of the team had arrived at the ranch before darkness set in.

Harris introduced his team to Miller.

"Mr. Sloane here has served time for armed robbery, he would like to see Detective Hutchinson again." Sloane was taller than
Hutch standing at 6"3 and had dark hair and still had the scar where Hutch had shot him in the shoulder during the arrest 5
years earlier. Moving along, Harris next introduced Pardee.

"Mr. Pardee here would like to see Detective Starsky again, he was about to leave our country and start a new life in Mexico
before Detective Starsky arrested him. We have managed to get him out on early release." Ray Pardee made a mistake when
he used Hutch has a hostage. Hutch was suffering from food poisoning and was slowing Pardee down when they were leaving
the building and Starsky had arrived just as they were about to drive away. Pardee was looking forward to seeing the
Detectives again.

"Doctor Matwick here will help us with any problems we may come across in our work." Matwick was getting on in his age but

he was going to be of use to the team. He had a run in 4 years earlier with both Detectives and like the rest of the team had a
score to settle.

"Mr. Miller the last member of our group as we discussed earlier will meet up with us when we arrive in LA. The last member is

only needed for the first job and the member will not be returning with us."

All four men stood in front of Mr. Miller as he listened to how they all had previously encountered the detective duo. "Very
good Mr. Harris, I trust you have seen the transport I have provided for your journey. I gather you will want to leave at first
light"

Harris smiled at his employer "Yes, the truck has been well prepared, I have transport arranged from near the Arizona State
border into California. The truck will take us there and we will use our alternative transport in California and collect the truck
for our return journey once we are safely back over the state line."

"Very good then. Well I think we can all have a drink now to celebrate our joint venture and then all get some rest. We have a
busy few days ahead of us."

Sonya arrived home at Venice Place in the early evening after a few flights in and out of LA during the day. She was expecting
her fiancé home before her and was wondering why Hutch was not there. She needed him to be with her for the next few
evenings. A phone call to the station gave her all the information she needed and she was soon on her way to the hospital.

"Well, Mr. Starsky, you are one very lucky man. We have had a look at your x-rays and no bones are broken. Only a
concussion and some bruises and apart from that you are fine. I want you to stay here overnight just to be safe"

"Thanks Doc, but I really need to see my wife" Starsky was worried sick about Laura the last thing he remembered was the
back of the Torino being hit.

"Your wife and daughter are being looked after"

"Being looked after, are they okay? I want to see them now." Starsky was beside himself with worry and was starting to raise
his voice. Hutch was glad to hear his partner shouting at least he knew Starsky was okay. Both men had been sitting for hours
waiting to have news of their friends. Hutch had been contacted by the station and told Sonya was on her way to the hospital.

"Cap, could you wait here for Sonya, I'll be back shortly" Hutch made his way into the room where his partner was still using
his raised voice.

"Hutch, they won't let me see Allison and Sarah. I want to see them, I have to see them" tears were rolling down Starsky's face.

He desperately wanted to see his family and make sure they were okay.

"Doc, I need to take my partner to see his family" Hutch was furious the young doctor was trying to keep Starsky away from
his wife and child.

"NOW WHERE ARE THEY?"

With Hutch in raging fury with the doctor he soon obtained the information that Sarah was in the neo-natal intensive care unit on

oxygen and Allison was in the recovery room following surgery. "Come on partner" Hutch eased Starsky into a wheel chair "I'll
take you to see little Sarah and then we will see Allison" Hutch turned to the doctor "You should learn how to deal with your
patients' requests. Next time a man asks to see his family don't try and tell him he can't see them." Hutch wheeled Starsky
towards the elevators leaving the doctor standing there speechless.

Once in the elevator Hutch took a deep breath to try and calm down from the tension that had built up inside of him. "Thanks
buddy" Starsky looked up at Hutch his eyes wet with tears. "God it's all my fault, if I hadn't tried to get here so quick I wouldn't

be in this mess now"

"Starsk, it's okay, Allison and Sarah are okay, you'll see" They left the elevator and moved along to the neo-natal ICU area.
Hutch explained to the nurse they just wanted to see Sarah Starsky and both men were shown her bassinet.

"Sarah is fine, we are just giving her some oxygen to help her. Tomorrow we are moving her to the maternity ward to be with
her mother."

Starsky smiled at the little bundle he saw before him. "Sorry Sarah to give you such a rough start" he whispered to his daughter,

tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Come on Starsk, she is okay. See I told you she was okay" Hutch tried to cheer his partner up but he could not take the guilt
away from his partner. Starsky had nearly cost them their lives in the way he was driving and the guilt he was feeling was
weighing heavy on his shoulders.

"Thank you for letting me see Sarah" Starsky spoke to the nurse as Hutch wheeled him out the door.

"Now partner how about we go and see Allison. I think she is at the other end of this floor." Starsky tried to dry his eyes and
stop his tears before he was wheeled into the recovery room. Allison was still unconscious after the surgery to save Sarah.
Starsky was very reluctant to leave her side.

"Please Hutch can you leave me here, I want to be here when she wakes up"

"I'll check with the nurse in charge. Be right back"

Hutch had explained the situation to the nurse in charge and was grateful she was allowing them to stay at Allison's side.
Starsky had fallen asleep his head resting on his wife's hand. It was Allison who had to wake up her husband in the early hours
of the morning. She had woken up and smiled seeing her husband alive and blissfully asleep and was grateful for whoever had
brought him. She smiled thinking it was probably Hutch who had left her husband at her side.

"Dave, wake up" she moved her hand from under his face and ran her fingers through his hair. Slowly Starsky opened his eyes
"uh what" and then the smile came back to his face when he saw Allison was awake.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry, look what a mess I've put us in" and once again the tears started to overflow from his blue eyes.

"Dave don't worry its okay, have you seen Sarah? How is she?"

"Allison she is as beautiful as you, she is just perfect" The love between them could be felt and Starsky no longer had tears but
instead a huge smile on his face. "She is just beautiful."

                                           Chapter Six

 When Hutch arrived back down in the waiting area he saw Sonya asleep with her head on Dobey's shoulder. Not wanting to
wake her he sat on the other side of his boss and whispered to Dobey that both Sarah and Allison were both well and
explained he had left his partner with Allison.

"I told Starsk I would come up later and get him. The nurses up there didn't mind him staying with her. I think we should all get
home now and get some rest" Hutch moved round to his fiancée. "Sonya, wake up, time to go home"

Sonya slowly opened her eyes.

"What time is it?" she asked trying to see her watch through the bleary eyes.

"1 a.m." smiled Hutch, "I think we better get you home" Sonya was more awake hearing it was 1 a.m., she was due to be out at

the airport and in the air by 8 a.m.

"Well, I know what I'll be doing in between flights today then" she yawned

"Yea just don't let any passengers see you asleep" Hutch joked as he pulled her to her feet and led her out of the hospital.
Hutch decided to drive them home since he was the more awake one of the two.

"Hutchinson" Dobey called after them "You have the day off, stay with Starsky and keep in contact with me. I've made the
arrangements as we discussed earlier" Hutch looked at Dobey and wanted to tell his boss he did not want the security that he
was told he was getting. However this was neither the time nor the place to start that argument again.

Another hot day lay ahead in New Mexico as the truck departed the ranch. The team had all slept well and had surveyed the
truck. From the outside it looked like and smelt like an ordinary cattle truck but inside it had been converted to sleeping
quarters. Medical supplies were located at one end of the long narrow area with a large mattress on the floor, along the other
end were 4 chairs one for each of the team. They could all enter and exit the converted quarters from the cab of the truck. A
few cattle were even onboard the truck so as not to arouse the suspicion of the authorities. If the truck was stopped and
inspected, the authorities would only see cattle. They had a long day ahead of them as they headed into Arizona towards the
town of Kingman where they had arranged to leave the cattle truck and pick up a car and RV to travel into LA.

Hutch drove Sonya to the airport at 7 a.m. and laughed as she yawned again.

"You going to stay awake long enough to work the first flight"

"Yea, I should be okay once I get moving around and start walking up and down the aisles pushing those carts" she stretched
when she left the car. "See you tonight" and she waved him goodbye as he drove off in the direction of Starsky's house.

Hutch arrived at Starsky's house and as he approached the front door heard two vehicles pull into the driveway. Looking round

he saw the signwriting on the side of the truck "Kovak's Security". Hutch still hated the thought of alarm systems being installed
at the insistence of the FBI for extra security measures to be put in place. Agent Claremont stepped out of his car and
approached Hutch. "Good morning Detective Hutchinson" he smiled

Hutch did not return the smile and glared at the Agent. "Morning" Hutch was resigned to the fact that he could do nothing to
stop the Agent having the security systems installed. "I know there is nothing I can do to change your mind that my partner and
I do not need extra security. My only request is that you are out of my partner's house by late morning" Hutch was not about to

let on that he planned to bring his partner home later on that afternoon.

Agent Claremont approached Hutch and tried to explain how the alarm system would work. "I don't wish to hear how your
alarm system works" Hutch snapped back at the Agent while quickly putting together some fresh clothes for his partner.

"Okay Detective, if you are not interested then I shall make arrangements to meet Detective Starsky when he returns home and
inform him how this system works" Both men stepped aside as workmen passed them carrying boxes of sensor devices and
wiring. "My team and I will be at your home this afternoon, I will go over your security system with you then."

"I don't want your damn security system, how many times do I have to say it" Hutch started to shout at the agent, the workmen
tried their best to carry on with the argument about to reach storm point.

"Detective, we will be installing the system for your own safety and that of your partner. I understand Miss Young is returning
home in the early evening, we will be away from your home by then." Hutch looked at his watch seeing that he was now running

late and didn't wish to continue the conversation any further.

"Just do what you have to do and make sure I don't see you either here when I return or at my home." Hutch shouted back to
the Agent as he ran down the front steps to his car, he realized he was now running late as he had promised to meet Starsky
back at the hospital before 9 a.m. with fresh clothes.

                                          Chapter Seven

Allison had been moved into the general maternity ward and when Hutch arrived he saw the happy threesome together. Little
Sarah was asleep in her bassinet beside her mother's bed and Starsky was happily sitting there smiling at his family.

"Well hello Sarah Starsky" Hutch looked down again at the bundle he had seen the previous night. "Allison a good thing she has

inherited your looks and not my partner's here" Hutch teased.

"Hey buddy I'll have you know she has my eyes," Starsky smiled.

"Hutch, thank you for looking after Dave last night, he told me about that young doctor trying to keep him from seeing us"
Allison was not at all impressed with the attitude of that doctor and intended on making a complaint.

"No problem, that's what partners are for" he smiled at them both. "Here Starsk I brought you some clean clothes. No watch
this time, clothes instead."

Both partners broke into laughter and Dave explained to his wife about the time he was taken into hospital in only his briefs and

how Hutch did not bring any clothes with him only Starsky's watch.

"And honey you know how open those hospital gowns are at the back. I had to walk through the corridor and out to the car in
one of those gowns"

"Oh so that's why you always have a set of clothes left out all neatly piled up each night." Allison smiled and was trying to
contain her laughter at the thought of her husband walking down a hospital corridor with his behind exposed.

Starsky was wondering why his partner was so late. After leaving Starsky's home Hutch had gone back to his own apartment
to double check everything was secure. He had a gut feeling something was not right but couldn't figure out what, just had that
feeling. "Hutch what's wrong?" Starsky asked as Hutch stopped laughing and looked down at the floor.

"Starsk, this isn't really the place to talk at the moment." Hutch looked at his partner hoping Starsky would realize to wait until
later to talk.

"Hutch anything that is troubling you..........."

"Starsk, not here" Hutch turned to Allison who was looking at her husband and then back at his partner trying to figure out what

on earth was going on. "I'm sorry Allison, I don't want to upset you."

"Hutch whatever it is you need to discuss, please tell us" Allison smiled at Hutch. "You know you're part of the family, if
anything is troubling you please tell us" Hutch was wondering how his partner would take the news that at that moment his
house was being wired up with an alarm system. He also wondered what Allison would think of the whole situation.

"Starsk, remember yesterday the two men in Dobey's office" Hutch looked at his partner wondering how much of the previous
day Starsky did clearly remember.

"I caught a glimpse of them, why, who were they?" Starsky remembered only a few things from the previous day and didn't
really have time to get a good look at the two men in Dobey's office before the call came from Allison.

Hutch knew the next part would be a bombshell to them both. "The two guys were Federal Agents......."

Hearing the words Federal Agents, Allison became worried "Hutch what's happening?" thinking back to her last encounter with

Federal Agents more than 20 years earlier when her life had changed forever.

"Don't worry Allison, its nothing to do with your identity" Hutch smiled reassuringly at her. "The Federal Agents think (looking
straight at his partner) that we are in danger from Miller as he is now out of prison." Starsky was wondering what was coming
next he could see that Hutch was still not telling him the full story.

"Hey Hutch, didn't you tell them we could look after ourselves"

"Starsk, there's more. They have insisted we have extra security......."

Starsky was starting to get annoyed hearing what his partner was telling him. "We don't need extra security, what are they
talking about extra security?" Hutch knew his partner was going to explode at the next bit of information.

"Allison would you mind if we left you for a few minutes" Hutch smiled at her as he walked over to Starsky and whispered to
his partner "I think I had better tell you the rest away from here."

Allison looked at them both "Its okay with me, I could do with some more sleep. Dave I think you should go with Hutch and
continue your discussion." The last thing she wanted was to have a loud discussion near Sarah who was still sleeping peacefully
in her bassinet.

"Honey, I'll be right back" Starsky looked at Allison smiling and the smile disappeared when he looked back at Hutch. He did
not like the thought of leaving Allison having what seemed like only half the story told in front of her.

"Dave you don't have to stay with us all day" Allison looked down at Sarah. "We're not going anywhere" Hutch gave his
partner some time with Allison alone and waited for Starsky to join him outside the ward.

"Sorry Starsk, I didn't want to have to tell you the rest of the arrangements in front of Allison. I don't want to upset her as well"
Hutch hated being the one to tell Starsky of the arrangements that were being forced upon all of them.

"There is no easy way to tell you" Hutch took a deep breath

"Tell me what partner" Starsky was getting very annoyed by this stage, his blue eyes getting darker.

"Your house is being wired up for a security system as we speak, my home is next on the list."

Hutch waited for the outburst.

"IT'S WHAT?" Starsky shouted

"Shhhhsssssshhh. Don't let half the hospital hear you. Come on, we'll go and see Dobey."

Hutch led his fuming partner to the elevator. Starsky still had a headache from the previous day and could not believe what
Hutch was telling him.