Illusions

By

Tooki

Copyright 2002

 

Chapter 1

 

 

   "How's Linda?"
Hutch bristled at the mention of her name. If the question had come from anybody else he would have told them to mind their own business. "Fine Starsky."
   "Just how long has it been since you have seen her partner?" Starsky putting his hand on Hutch's shoulder, he could feel the tension through his shirt.
   "A while ok Starsky?" Hutch said trying finish typing out a report. He missed spelled a word and ripped the paper from the typewriter tossing it in to the trashcan.
   "Hey take it easy man," Starsky said as he worked his fingers into the back of Hutch's neck.
"Will you stop that," Hutch shrugged Starsky's hands away.
"You are so tense you are about to explode. What gives?" Hutch sighed, he knew that unless he told Starsky he wouldn't get peace for the rest of the day. "Fine Starsk, I haven't seen Linda in a couple of weeks. She has been busy with her daughter. I have left messages for her but she never calls me back." Starsky grimaced he knew how much his partner loved Linda and how much it had taken for him to ask her to marry him. "Just give her
some time."
   "I thought that is what I had been doing. It's been months since I asked her to marry me. I have seen her a total of five times."
   "Go talk to her."
   "Now?"
   "What's wrong with now? I saw her a while ago so I know she is here. I'll finish up that report besides you are butchering it anyway. The forest is going run out of trees before you get it right."
   Hutch looked at the trashcan next to his desk there were several crumpled balls of paper. "Can't do that."
   "Sure you can. It's not good to hold all this in."
"Oh so now you're an expert?" Hutch gave Starsky a lop-sided grin. Starsky shrugged, "I guess some of the therapy sessions are starting to sink in." He whispered in Hutch's ear. They were both amazed that nobody had found about Starsky's time in the hospital.
   "Don't use it on me uh?
   "What is really bugging you? It's more than just not seeing Linda." Starsky still persisted.
   "I think she is lying to me."
   "'Bout what?"
   "I can't put my finger on it. But things just don't jive with stuff that she had told me in the past about her daughter."
   "Like?"
   "Starsk I really don't want to talk about this here." Hutch said as he rolled in another blank report form.
   "Let's go for lunch at Huggy's then."
   "Starsk!" Hutch was beginning to get exasperated. "What in I don't want to talk about it can't you understand."
   Several people in the office turned around to stare at the pair. Starsky glared at them and they went back to their tasks. "Hutch you are starting to come unwound over this. Believe me I know the symptoms." Hutch took a deep breath, held it then closed his eyes; he didn't want to blow up at his partner he knew that Starsky was only trying to help. Slowly he let out the held breath. "Ok, ok you win but I don't want to go sit anywhere."
   "Better yet," Starsky said. "Let's go I know the perfect place.

   "This wasn't exactly what I meant," Hutch said around a bite of hotdog as they walked in the park. But he did have to admit that the sun felt good.
   "The breeze, the sun, good food," Starsky held up the hot dog like it was a wine glass to clink.
   "I wouldn't go quite that far," Hutch answered ignoring Starsky's hotdog. "But it's better than sitting in a smoke filled bar."
   "So are you ready to talk partner?" Starsky popped the last of his dog in his mouth and tossed his napkin in a near by trashcan.
   Sighing Hutch pointed to a park bench under an oak tree, after they sat down, Hutch said. "Things aren't matching up."
   "So you keep saying. What isn't matching up?"
   "I guess age for one."
   "Age?"
   "Yeah, when Linda first told me about her daughter she said that she was fifteen. Now she is suddenly eighteen and graduating?"
   "So she made a mistake with the age. After all she hasn't seen the girl in how many years?"
   "When is Hannah's birthday? How old is she?" Hutch asked piercing Starsky with his blue eyes.
   "That's different."
   "How? You didn't even know you had a daughter all those years but you remember." Hutch said, "Linda give birth to Megan I don't think that is something that you can forget easily. I just don't know how to explain it…it just a feeling things aren't right."
  "You are being a little hard on Linda don't you think?"
   "That's right take her side," Hutch stood up. "I'm going back to work."
   Starsky jumped up and had to run to catch up with Hutch. "Come on man I'm on your side always you know that. You need to settle this with your lady. You are just edgy because she didn't except you
proposal."
   "Whatever," Hutch shot over his shoulder still walking.
   "Hutch," Starsky called after him. "Hutch…damnit will you just stop!"
   "WHAT?" Hutch shouted coming to a halt so quickly that Starsky almost plowed into the back of him.
   "Man slow down uh?"
   Hutch turned around to confront his friend but the look of totally concern stopped his rage. His shoulders slumped a bit, "Okay maybe you are right."
   "I know I'm right, I'm sure you are making way more out of this than there is."

   It was nearly ten o'clock when Hutch knocked on Linda's door. He hadn't bothered to call as she always made up some excuse why she couldn't see him. He figured that she should be home at this time of
night. She was dressed in her robe and her hair wet from her shower as she opened the door, "Hutch, what are you doing here?" She asked surprised.
   "Hoping to talk to you."
   "It is kind of late and I have to be into work early." Linda said.
  "Are we over?"
   "What?" Linda said caught off guard.
   "Are we over? I want to know so I can stop thinking about you, wondering what you doing and missing you."Linda's eyes filled with tears. She stepped closer to Hutch and put her hands on each side of his face. "You are such a dear man. I love you Hutch, you have been so patient for the last few months. Not pushing, asking questions just giving me my space." Hutch took her hands from his face and put them around his neck then put his arms around her drawing her close to him. "I love you Linda."

   Linda buried her face his chest smothering a sob that escaped her lips. Still holding on to her Hutch stepped into her apartment and slammed the door with his foot. "Let me help you, I know something is going on."
   She shook her head against his chest, "I can't drag you into this."
   "Why don't you let me make that choice?" Hutch said as he hooked one finger under her chin and lifted her eyes to meet his. Tears were coursing down her face. He gently kissed her lips, at first she didn't respond but after a few moments she was kissing him back. Hutch's hands wandered under her robe he was delighted to find that she had nothing on under it.
   "Hutch please," Linda protested but it was a weak one at that. She had missed him as much as he missed her and it had broken her heart when she turned his marriage proposal down. It was what she had been waiting for. Hutch released her and held his hand out to her, she only pause for a second before she grasp it and followed him toward the bedroom.

 

 

 

Chapter 2

   Hutch woke early the next morning to find Linda curled up beside him, he glanced at the clock it was nearly eight o'clock.  He touched her face gently, "You better wake up sleepy head, don't you have to get to work?"
  Linda stretched and opened her eyes slowly and smiled
sheepishly.  "I kind of lied, I actually have the day off."
  "You lied to me?" Hutch asked in fake shock. "How dare you."  He pounced on her tickling her until Linda couldn't breath any long.
  She struggled to sit up in the tangle of sheets, "Stop, stop," she said breathlessly.
  Hutch stopped tickling and began kissing her. He had missed this so much, waking up next to her, spending time with her doing nothing just sitting talking, reading the paper.  That was how he knew that she was the right one.  He didn't feel that he had to entertain her all the time or be on for her. He could just be himself, no secrets…until now.  Hutch pulled back from her and looked into Linda's
face.  "Are you going to tell me what is going on?"
  Linda sighed, "Damnit Hutch you are just too good of a detective."
  "If I was any kind of detective I would know what is going on."
  Smiling at him she said,  "You are just being kind, if you really wanted to know you could have found out."
  " I really wanted to hear it from you. I didn't want to snoop."
Hutch said honestly.  "I think our relationship deserves that much."
  "And you deserve the truth."  Linda sat up in bed pulling the covers up to her neck then looked at Hutch.  "Megan wasn't the one that contacted me it was the adoption agency." 
  "They can do that after all these years?"
  "Well I had them put a note in Megan's file that if she needed me, was looking for me anything I wanted to be contacted.  So they called because her adopted parents were sending her back into the system and
they wanted to know if I wanted to step in to keep her out of a group home."
  "Why would they do that after all this time?" Hutch asked appalled that they would do something like that.
  "Don't blame them Hutch," Linda said seeing the look on his face.  "Megan is a hand full…no that is putting it mildly she is…God Hutch she is in a gang!  Megan has been in and out of Juvenal hall
more times than I care to think about for anything from shop lifting to gang violence."
  Hutch looked at her stunned, "What kinds of people do they put these kids with?"
  Linda shook her head, "It's not their fault Hutch.  They live in a wonderful part of town have a great house, gave Megan anything she could want. Did things with her, heck they have been on vacations all over the country.  Megan was a happy girl up until she started high school, then some how she fell into the wrong crowd.  I don't care how nice a neighborhood is you are going to have your troubled kids.   It is breaking the Collin's hearts to have to send her back after all these years but she is totally out of control and they have other children...adopted children."  She didn't want Hutch to think that they were getting rid of Megan because they had finally had kids of their own.  "Mrs. Collin's couldn't have children, they had been delighted when they got Megan at birth."
  "How can you just toss out a child?" Hutch wanted to know.
  "It's awful for them Hutch.  One night Megan attacked and almost killed one of the other children for going into her room."  Linda was crying again.  "They have tried everything, counseling, hospitals, nothing was working and that was the last straw.  The Collin's decided not to report it to the police because with her record she probably would have been sent to jail so they call the adoption agency and they called me."
  "So I take it Megan already knew that she was adopted?"
  "Yeah she has always known, so that isn't the issue or at least I don't think so. I got to see Megan once right before we left for New York I went to her house talked with the Collin's and Megan.  Man she is the most hostile child I have even seen.  I was going to get her when we returned from New York but during the night Megan ran, she took what she could carry and left.  Hutch nobody has seen or heard from her since."
  "What?  My God Linda why in the world haven't you told me this before?  We could have been helping you look for her."
  Linda was sobbing, "I know I guess I was just embarrassed. I don't know, I thought that I could find her or she would come back but when she didn't and the longer and longer she was gone the harder it got for me to tell you about it all."
  Hutch pulled Linda into his arms.  She clung to him like a drowning child.  "It's going to be alright," he cooed to her as he stroked her hair.

  When Hutch turned up late at the station in the same clothes he had on the day before Starsky knew that he must have been with Linda.  He gave his partner a sly look and said, “So how was your night?”
  Ignoring Starsky, Hutch said down at his desk, pulled a photo from his pocket and started writing on a sheet of paper. 
  “What’s going on?” Starsky asked coming around the desk to hang over Hutch’s shoulder.  He gazed at the photo of a young girl who appeared to be fifteen or sixteen.  “Who’s that?”
  “Linda’s daughter,” Hutch said as he continued scribbling on the paper.
  "So you got to see Linda last night uh?" 
  "Starsky can you just hold that thought for moment? I really need to get this done."
  "Sure," Starsky said but still watched over his shoulder.  "Five-five, long blond hair, green eyes, sixteen, last seen…last seen?  Is she missing Hutch? What the hell is going on?"
  "If you will give me a second to finish this I'll tell ya." Hutch snapped fearing he might forget something if Starsky didn't hush. 
  After what seemed an eternity Hutch was finally done, he picked up the paper and headed for the door. "Hey," Starsky said running after him. "You promised to tell me what was going on."  On their way down stairs Hutch told Starsky what Linda had told him earlier that morning.  "You have got to be kidding me?" Starsky said shocked, "Why did she come up us…you before this?"
  Hutch shook his head, "I asked her the same thing, she said she was too embarrassed."
  "Doesn't she know she is practically family?" Starsky wanted to
know.
  "We have got to find Megan for her. I just pray that she is still alive somewhere in this city and not dead a ditch."  Hutch answered.  "After I turn this in lets go over to the morgue and check out any Jane Doe's that might have come in the last few months."
  "Didn't Linda turn in a report on her?" 
  "Yeah but that has been a while back and you know how under staffed we are and how many runaways there are. If they aren't found in the first few days they go on a milk carton and that's it, especially girls like Megan."

   The morgue was one place neither of them liked to go to, it was a sad depressing place where people came to identify their loved ones.  The partners walked in shoulder to shoulder as if lending support to each other.  Walker was bent over his desk filling out a report on one of the corpses he had just autopsied.  He looked up when the two men walked in.  "Well, well," he said,  "What brings my two favorite detectives in here today?"
  "We are looking for a young girl, sixteen?" Hutch said.
  "Nope nothing like that," Walker said quickly.  He was always aware what was in the cooler at any given time.
  "How long will you keep the Doe's?" this question came from Starsky.
"Depends."
"On what," Hutch asked when the man didn't elaborate.
"If the death was suspicious or natural causes.  If it looks like it could have been a murder then we hang on to them longer."
  "What about a sixteen year old girl?" Hutch asked.
  "I just told you it depends."
  "How many girls that young to you know that die of natural causes?"  Starsky snapped.  He liked Walker generally but he was being unusually troublesome today. Or perhaps they had a more vested interest in this case and his witty banter wasn't being appreciated.
  "Don't get snippy Starsk," Walker said as he got up from his desk and went over to a filing cabinet.  "I am assuming since you are here you are looking for a runaway correct?"  They both nodded.  "How long has she been missing?"
  Hutch thought for a moment then said. "Four months."
  Walker nodded opened up the appropriate drawer and rifled though a bunch of file folders.  As he checked he keep shaking his head and making a clicking noise with his tongue until both men were about to strangle him.  Finally he turned around, "No Jane Doe's of that age in the last four months…happy?"
  "Thanks Walker," Hutch said relieved.  "Do us a favor if a girl comes in let us know?"
  "Sure thing." 
  As they walked back out into the bright sunlight Starsky asked, "Now what?"
  "We start looking."

 

 

Chapter 3

   Megan Collin huddled in the doorway of an old abandon store, even in Los Angeles February was chilly.  She put her book bag behind her head to give her a bit of comfort and wrapped her arms around herself for warmth.  She wasn't as tough as they thought she was.  She could put on a good show for her family and her friends but deep down in side she was terrified. 
  For the past several months since she had slipped out her bedroom window at midnight she had been staying in abandoned buildings with a bunch of girls she knew.  Some of them had families and had also run away, some of them had nobody…at least nobody that cared.  It had been fine until some of the girls started tricking in order to get money. Megan had refused to do that instead opting for shop lifting food from several of the quick marts in the area.
  They all hid during the day and prowled around at night, partly because some of them knew that they were being searched for and partly because it was easier to slip around late at night.
  Suddenly a wind whipped up and blew a sheet of newspaper into the doorway with Megan, she gave out a small cry then laughed nervously to her self and grabbed the paper and put it over herself.  She had run from her family because they were going to send her away.  Her "mother" had even come to see her, Megan couldn't believe after sixteen years she had finally shown up.  She had often wondered about her mother but had never really asked. She loved her family and still did but her freshman year she had been befriended by a couple of girls that were into drugs and it wasn't long before Megan was taking them also.  At first it was smoking grass then it progressed into harder stuff, which forced her to start stealing to support her habit.  Her grades started slipping, the friends she had for years started avoiding her and her parents started nagging her about her looks, grades, how she was keeping her room and how she was treating her brothers and sister. 
  She hadn't meant to beat up Cory just scare him. Megan had come home from school and found the ten year old in her room going though her dresser.  She had grabbed him by the back of the neck punched him the stomach a couple of times then drug him out into the hall and tossed him down the stairs.  Cory had been in the hospital for two weeks with a fractured left leg, right arm and a concussion.  Megan had tried to tell them she was sorry, she actually liked Cory he ask her to help him with his home work while the other children treated her like she had the plaque.
  The next thing Megan knew there was a woman sitting in their living room that looked vaguely like her and they were telling her that she was her birth mother.  Megan knew that she was adopted like the others but she had never really thought about it, once in a while she would wonder why her real mother had given her up but she never asked about her to her parents.
  Cathy Collin had called her adopted daughter down stairs, ever since the incidence with Cory; Megan had pretty much stayed in her room when she was home.  Megan had been sitting on her bed when her mother had knocked on her door.  "Yeah," Megan had called.
  "Megan can you come down here there is somebody we would like you to meet."  Cathy had asked her daughter.
  When they got to the bottom of the stairs Megan's father was sitting across from a woman who had shoulder length blond hair and blue eyes much like her own.  Cathy left Megan and went to stand
beside her husband.  "Come in and sit down Megan," Adam motioned for the girl.
  Megan edged into the room looking at the strange woman.  "What's going on?" she asked suspiciously.
  "Megan this is Linda Albright."  Adam said as he and his wife sat
down.
  "Hi Megan," the woman said, she was looking at Megan as though she were about to cry, or as if she wanted to jump up and hug her.
  Megan just stood staring at her.  She looked at her parents for an explanation.
  Cathy clung to her husbands arm as he cleared this throat.  He
looked at Linda then back to Megan.  "Megan this is your birth mother."
  The room spun for a moment for Megan, her birth mother?  "What is she doing here?"
  Adam got up and walked to stand in front of his daughter he put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her.  "Megan I don't know of any easy way to tell you this but we have done everything that we can think of for you.  We have to think of the other children, you have become a danger to them and to yourself. You won't listen to anything your mother or I say any more…"
  "You are throwing me out?" Megan screamed tears pricking her eyes.  "I told you I was sorry about Cory, I didn't mean to hurt him."
  "Just like you don't mean to steal money or stay out all night. Just like you don't mean to back talk your mother and I, and scare you brothers and sister.  Megan you are out of control." Adam tried to explain to her.
  "I promise I won't do it any more I'll be good."  Megan pleaded the tears now streaming down her face. 
  "It's too late," her father said having heard the promises many times. "We called the adoption agency and they told us that Linda had left a note in your file that if you ever needed her to call."
  "BUT I DON'T NEED HER!"  Megan yelled.
  "Megan," her father tried to say as kindly as he possibly could.  "You either have to go with Linda or back into the system, they will put you into a group home.  We will leave that choice to you."
  Megan stood staring at them; she couldn't believe that they were just kicking her out not after sixteen years.  They were her parents at least the only ones she had ever known.
  "Megan," Linda said getting up and coming across the room toward her.  "I would very much like it if you came to live with me.  Your parents have agreed that if you want to come with me they will let you stay here so that we can get to know one another before you come to live with me."
  Megan was too stunned to even speak.  She just looked at the woman before her.
  "You can come back and visit," Cathy offered.
  "How generous of you," Megan spit back at her.
  Cathy cringed as tears filled her eyes; she wondered where the wonderful little girl had gone?  This monster was not their beautiful daughter they had raised and cared for.
  "If I was your natural daughter you wouldn't be shoving me out." Megan cried.
  "Megan let me tell you something. Believe it or not you are a lucky girl you have parents that care what happen to you. I'm a police officer and I have seen some horrible things happen to young girls whose parents just kick them out. They don't try to find a place for them to go they just toss their stuff in the yard and lock the door."
  "Oh great you are sending me to live with a cop?"
  "Megan would you like to go for a ride, get an ice cream or something?" Linda offered.
  "You have got to be kidding?" Megan looked at her then she turned on her heel and ran up stairs slamming her bedroom door so hard that it seemed like the whole house shook.
  Adam looked at Linda apologetically, "You see what we have to deal with."
  "Give her sometime," Linda said.  "I'll call in a few days."
  "She has a week to decide what she wants to do," Cathy told her.  "Megan can either spend it getting to know you or sitting in her room pouting.  But she has to be out of here.  Cory is scared to death of her now.  He runs every time he sees her coming the others are afraid of her too."
  Linda made a face, "Alright, I'll come back tomorrow and try again."
  "Thank you Linda.  Despite how it sounds we do love Megan very much." Adam said as he walked her to the door.  "I hope that she will go with you, it has to be better than a group home."
  Linda nodded and left, little did she know a face in the window up stairs watched her get into her car and leave.  As angry as Megan was she was intrigued by the woman and wondered why she would come for her after all these years. There were so many things she would like to ask her but she didn't dare let her guard down for a moment.
  Now here she sat in the dark and the cold wishing that she hadn't taken off that night or that she had at least stayed with her friends but the idea of turning tricks scared her, contrary to what people thought she was still a virgin.   She curled up even more and finally fell into an uneasy sleep.

 

 

Chapter 4

   The two detectives had put their other cases on the back burner so they could do a little investigation of their own on Megan. They talked to Huggy who know everything about everything on the streets.  They had found out that there was an up surge in under age prostitutes from him which led them to Vice.  The officer's there confirmed what Huggy had told them but none of them recognized Megan's photo.  They assured the detectives they would keep an eye out for her. They checked all the hospitals finding out that Linda had been doing that regularly and it seemed as though every ER had a photo of Megan tacked to their bulletin board. After checking the last hospital Starsky said, "Linda has been doing her leg work."
Hutch nodded, "I just wish she had told me sooner you know?  We might have found her."
"I don't think the girl wants to be found.  If she hasn't resurfaced
by now."
"Or she is dead."  Hutch said shaking his head not wanting the thought there; he knew what it would do to Linda.
"Maybe she has just gone out of the area, hopped a bus some place who
knows."
"Well if we don't turn up something soon I'm going to start sending her photo out to other states."
"You need to come by the house," Starsky said changing the subject.  "Hannah misses you.” Hutch smiled thinking of Hannah and little Rosie who was nearly three months old.  "How is she liking retirement?” After finding a house and settling in Hannah had decided to stay home
with Rosie instead of going back to work.  Starsky had been delighted he always worried that something would happen to Hannah out on the streets.  The moment Christmas was over they had started looking for a small house and were lucky enough to find one not too far out side the city.
   For the first few days as they were moving in Starsky had felt that old depression creeping back upon him.  He kept thinking that he should be moving in there with his wife and visions of him and Rosie inundated his dreams.  He suddenly felt alone and as if life was slipping away from him.  Starsky had been doing wonderful between the new medication and the therapy sessions but now he was wondering if there was too much change too soon.  But this time instead of keeping it bottled up inside of him he went first to Hannah who had noticed a chance in his mood immediately.  Then he had told Hutch and finally went into see his doctor.  The past year had taught him something; he didn't have to bear it all.  With in a week he had been back to his old self but still hoping that could find a woman to share it all with. 
  "Starsky?" Hutch poked his partner as the light turned green, "Are
you okay?"
  "Yeah, yeah I'm fine, " He answered returning to the present, then
remembering Hutch's question.  "Hannah is loving being with Rosie."
  "Things alright with you?" Hutch questioned worry on his face.
  "I'm okay, I really am promise," Starsky smiled noticing the look on his partners face.

   When they got back to the station Linda caught them in the hall, "Hutch," she called looking distressed.
  "Did you find something out on Megan?"Linda shook her head, "The Collin's called they want to see me.  Hutch will you go with me?"
  "You don't even have to ask." Hutch said slipping his arm around her shoulder.
  She looked at Starsky, "You are welcome too."
  "I think I'll stay here and do some more checking, you two go ahead I'll meet up with you later on." Starsky said.
  Thirty minutes later Hutch and Linda were standing at the door of the Collin house, tentatively she reached up and rang the doorbell.  It was Adam Collin that answered the door, "Thank you for coming
Linda."
  He led them into the living room where Cathy sat on the couch looking nervous.  "Please have a seat."
  Both Cathy and Adam looked at Hutch wondering who he was, "Oh excuse me," Linda apologized.  "This is Ken Hutchinson, we work together and he's…my fiancé."  Hutch gave her a startled look; they hadn't even talked marriage since Christmas.  Linda smiled at him shyly then turned her attention back to the Collin's. "Have you word on Megan?"
  Adam shook his head, "No nothing."
  "The reason we asked to see you Linda is because we are moving.  Do you want custody of Megan?"  Cathy told them.
  "Leaving? Where are you going?" Linda couldn't believe her ears Megan was missing and they were moving?
  "I got a job in Texas, for the sake of the rest of the children we both thought it was best for me to take the job." He explained.
  "But what about Megan? Linda asked incredulously.  "Don't you care at all about her?"
  "We have been looking for her for four months nothing has turned up. She wouldn't be coming back here to live anyway.  So you either take her custody or we will be turning it over to the agency." There was almost a cold tone to Adam's voice.
  Hutch sat back taking in the conversation and looking around the room.  Linda's finger tips where gripping his leg as she tried to hold back her anger.  "I guess you have to do what you have to do."
Linda said angrily not caring any longer if they knew what she though of them.  "I will take her, I have already told you that repeatedly.  And I assure you I will find her."
  Adam got up as if dismissing them, he held out his hand to Linda, "Our lawyers will be in touch."
  Linda looked at the out stretched hand but ignored it, she didn't even wait to be shown to the door but instead stalked out with Hutch in tow.  "Can you believe that?" she exploded the moment they got into the car.
  Hutch was quiet with his thoughts; he had taken in a lot while she had been talking to the Collin's.  "Did you notice there was absolutely no sign of children living there?  No photos, no toys, if you hadn't told me they had children I would have never know it. There not so much as a bike in the yard, don't you find that rather
odd?"
  Linda stopped her rant and looked at Hutch, "You know you are right. But maybe they have a play room where they keep all their
stuff."
  Hutch looked at her, "Oh come on Linda they have what three kids all younger than Megan and they have a perfect house?  I don't buy it.  No school photos?  And I'm betting there isn't one piece of art
work from any of those kids hanging in their spotless kitchen either."
  "What are you getting at?"
  "I don't know it just seems weird."
  "I wish there was some way we could talk to those other kids.” Hutch shook his head, "I have a feeling that the Collin's would never allow that.  Don't out step your boundary's too far honey. I know you want to find Megan but you can't jeopardize your job either."
  "Screw my job."  She sunk back in the seat folding her arms across her chest; Hutch knew that look and how determined Linda could be.
  "What if Starsky and I checked out the school? Maybe some of her teachers could shed some light on Megan."
  Linda looked over at him and smiled.  "Let's go."
  Hutch shook his head, "No I said Starsky not you.  You are too emotional with this we don't need you getting all fired up at the
school.
  "Okay, okay," Linda agreed.  "When?"
  "Tomorrow soon enough?" Hutch asked looking at his watch. It was nearly four o'clock.  "School is out now."
  "I guess it will have to be," she said disappointed.
  As they were about to drive off three children came down the side walk, they carefully turned onto the walk that lead the way up to the Collin's house.  There were two boys and a girl, Linda guessed the biggest of the boys was Cory she new he was ten the other two looked younger, the girl the youngest who looked strikingly like what Linda would have thought Megan might have looked like at that age.
  The children stopped at the front door, all of them removed their
shoes then they rang the doorbell and waited for it to be opened. 
Slowly the door opened, just barely enough for the kids to get in then slammed shut.

 

 

Chapter 5

  Megan was relieved when she saw Maria coming down the street toward her.  She had been awaken several times during the night by loud cars cruising up and down the streets and once by a drunk also looking for a place to bed down.
  Maria waved to Megan glad that she had found her so easily,  "Hey Carlos wants to see you."
  Megan's face clouded over, "I told you I don't want to trick. That is why I left."
  The girl smiled at her, "That isn't why he wants to see you, it's about something else."
"Like what?"
  "Like come with me and you will see. What have you got to loose?" Maria asked putting an arm around Megan's shoulders.
  Megan sighed, "Alright but I'm not tricking."
  Carlos sat in the back seat of a big white Caddy waiting for the girls.  Maria knocked on the window, which he rolled down.  "Here she is Carlos.  The man stuck a twenty out the window for the girl. She grabbed it and took off down the street leaving Megan standing alone.  The man got out of the car, he wasn't much taller than she, he had on a black suit, a diamond ring and expensive shoes.  It was clear that he made a good living out of pedaling flesh.
  Carlos was being watched by the police, he couldn't remember a time when he wasn't being watch but he was smart and covered his tracks well so they never got enough on him to haul him into jail.  He motioned for Megan to join him in the car but she shook her head, "Come on I'm not going to hurt you and I'm not looking for you to be one of my girls.  But if you help me I'll set you up so that you don't have to live on the streets anymore.
  After last night that was enough to get Megan in the car, she sat well away from the greasy looking little man and he made no attempt to touch her as he nodded for the driver to pull out into
traffic.  "Now Megan I have a proposition for you.  Linda Albright is
your mother correct?"
  Megan was surprised that he knew about her personal life but she had told Maria a lot about herself and she must have told it to Carlos.  "My birth mother." She corrected him.
"Ahhh yes well that is neither here nor there. Who I am interested in is her boyfriend Ken Hutchinson."
  "Who?"
  "He is a cop."
  Megan shook her head, "I have no idea, and I have only met her once
and didn't speak to her then. I know nothing about her or her
boyfriend."
  "You don't need to know anything about her. I know what I need to know already."
  "What do you want from me?"  Megan was getting worried that this was just a ploy to get her to work for him.
  "I want you to call this boyfriend, he is looking for you. It's all over the streets and it's only a matter of time before you are found.  Is that what you want?"
  Megan shook her head no rapidly, she didn't want to go home or even
worse live with a woman that she didn't know. 
  "Good, good," He smiled at her.  "All I want you to do is call
Hutchinson tell him who you are and that you want him to come and get you…alone. Make up what ever story you have to but get him to come alone."
  "But why?"
"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!" he shouted in her face.  Megan cringed back against the seat.  Carlos took a deep breath, "I'm sorry Megan, listen if you do this for me I'll get you a job…a real job so that you can support yourself."
  Megan nodded; he pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her.  "This is the address I want you to tell him to come to. The number is a direct line to his desk.  Just asked for Detective Hutchinson."
  She took the paper, "When should I make the call?"
  "First thing tomorrow morning."  Carlos said as he tapped the driver on the shoulder and motioned for him to pull over.  He pulled out a fifty from his wallet and handed it to Megan.  Once you do this
I'll set you up with a job."
  Megan took the money and got out of the car, "Thank you Carlos."
  The door banged shut and the driver pulled away making the cars behind slam on their breaks to keep from hitting the Caddy.  Carlos leaned forward, "Kill her after she makes the call."

   Hannah had been so overjoyed that her two of her favorite people were an item again and begged her day to invite them over for dinner.  By the time the time Hutch and Linda had gotten back to the station it had been late enough that Starsky had already headed for home leaving them a note about dinner so the couple made their way there after a short stop at Hutch's apartment.  There was something he had to pick up.  Linda waited in the car as Hutch went in. He returned with in several minutes with a grin from ear to ear.  After sliding back in behind the wheel he offered Linda the same box that he had given her at Christmas.
  Linda looked at him, her eyes immediately filling with
tears.  "Hutch…"
  "We don't have to set a date and after all you did introduce me as
your fiancé." He winked at her.
  She grinned at him, "I can't believe you still want to marry me
after all this."
  Hutch hiked his eyebrow at her, "You think keeping some secret is going to dissuaded me?"
  Linda laughed and took the box.  She opened it and looked at the ring inside, "It just kind of came out at the Collin's I don't even know why I introduced you like that."
  "Support," Hutch said leaning toward her.  "I'm here for you no matter how anything turns out.  We can raise Megan together."
  Linda threw her arms around Hutch's neck still clinging to the ring box.  Then she drew back and handed the box back to him. Hutch looked bewildered until she said, "Will you put it on?" 

  Hannah had dinner in the oven when Linda and Hutch knocked at on the door; carrying Rosie she went to answer it.  Hutch took Rosie in his arms the moment the door opened, "How's my little goddaughter he said holding her up.  Rosie smiled as a string of drool dripped on to the front of Hutch's jacket.  She always had a smile for him.  Hannah sopped up the drool from Hutch's lapel and took her daughter back. 
  "Come on in, dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes."  Hannah said as she placed Rosie in her swing and headed for the kitchen followed by Linda. Once in the kitchen Hannah turned to Linda and put her arms around the older woman's neck, "It's so good to see you here."
  "It's great to be here," Linda beamed; it was the first time they had all been together since Christmas.  Linda waved her hand under Hannah nose.
  Hannah squealed when she noticed the engagement ring, "When did this happen?"
  "Oh the way over here," Linda said happily, if it weren't for Megan being missing it would have been the happiest day in her life.
  Starsky was just coming out of the bathroom when he heard the squeal from the kitchen, "Everything okay?"
  Hutch smiled, "I figured that Linda just showed Hannah the ring."
  "Ring?"
  Hutch nodded smiling broadly.
  "She took it finally," Starsky came across the room to hug his partner.  "That's great news pal.  When's the big day?"
  Hutch shrugged, "One step at a time.  We have to find Megan first."

 

 

                                                      Chapter 6


   Hutch had just stepped into the office when their desk phone began to ring.  Starsky wasn't there yet so he dashed to pick it up.  "Hutchinson."
  "Detective Hutchinson?"
  "Yes, can I help you?" Hutch asked, he was anxious to get to Megan's school and speak with the teachers. 
  "This is Megan Collin, do you know who I am?" came a young voice over the phone.
  For a moment Hutch was too shocked to speak then he said, "Yes of course I know who you are, we have been looking for you.  Megan where are you?"
  Quickly she gave him the address that Carlos had given her, "Please hurry."
  "Let me get Linda and we will be right there." Hutch said writing down the address.
  "NO," Megan almost yelled into the phone.  Then she calmed her self and added, "Please come alone Detective Hutchinson, if you don't mind. I would like to clean up first before I see…my mother."
  "Alright honey," Hutch said looking at the address he had written down.  "I'll be there in ten minutes you stay put."
  The address he had was in the warehouse district down by the piers, he wondered what she would be doing there. It wasn't the usual place for runaways. He shrugged maybe that was why she called, she had gotten lost.  Hutch was so excited by the fact that Megan had called and that she would be reunited with Linda he hadn't even stopped to wonder how she knew about him or how she got his number.
  He looked around hoping Starsky had come in but there was no sign of him.  Megan said not to bring Linda she didn't say anything about anyone else.  Sighing he wrote a quick note and laid it on Starsky's desk then hurried out.  Shortly after he left one of the other officers in the office dropped a stack of files on Starsky's desk covering up the note Hutch had left.

  Just as Megan was finishing up the call she noticed that the big white Caddy had pulled up next to the phone booth. She was excited to think that she would have a real job and no longer have to live in an old abandon building and eat out of trash cans.  After hanging up she went to the curb and softly knocked on the window.  As it slid down she said, "Carlos I did it.  Detective Hutchinson is coming alone."
  But it wasn't Carlos in the back seat and the first thing she saw poking out of the partially open window was the barrel of a gun. "Get in." Said a voice she knew wasn't Carlos.
  Instinctively Megan backed up, she had been told over and over by teachers, coaches and her parents don't ever get into a car with a stranger.  She had over road that fear yesterday but today with a gun
sticking in her face it all came back flooding back.  She new that if she could run that they would never follow her into the crowd of people milling around. But she was rooted in place, so terrified that she couldn't move.
  The car door opened and a huge man that shouldn't have had that much grace grabbed her and slammed the car door all in one fluid motion.  Megan was thrown face down into the floorboards and as she came up to scream the gun was pointed at her head.  "Don't think I won't pull this trigger." The huge man hissed at her.  "Drive!" He yelled at the man in the front seat.  This hadn't been the plan, he hadn't wanted anyone to see him grab the girl but in that neighborhood nobody probably noticed anyway.

   Hutch drove slowly along the pier looking for that address Megan had given him.  The building was at the far end and in badly in need of repair.  He pulled his car up near one of the doors and got out, Hutch looked around cautiously as he push on the door that was half off its hinges.  It squeaked announcing his arrival into the building.  "Megan?" he called out,  "It's Detective Hutchinson."
  There was no sound except for the crying of the gulls out side.  Hutch left the door open to allow light to come in, "Honey don't be afraid I won't hurt you."  He heard a sound; Hutch stopped and held his breath waiting for the sound again. He was quickly rewarded; it was a shuffling sound as though someone were sliding their feet around on the dirt covered floor.  Hutch walked further into the building wishing that he had grabbed his flashlight from the car.
  Then in the fading light he thought he saw something or someone sitting toward the back of the building. Hutch edged closer wishing for more light.  "Megan?" He heard the shuffling sound again and saw
the form in front of him move.  "Megan is that you?"
  As Hutch took another step he caught his foot on something laying on the floor and went sprawling, when he looked up he was looking into the face of a terrified girl. Her feet and hands were bound and she had tape across her mouth.  Her eyes were wide with terror and she was shaking her head and trying to talk though the gag.
  Hutch scrambled to his knees, "Megan!" He knew it had to be her.  He reached to untie her, Megan's eyes went even wider and he could tell that she was looking past him, Hutch started to turn to see what she was looking at but before he could he was hit and fell unconscious at Megan's feet.

   Starsky was surprised to find that Hutch wasn't at work when he got there.  Hutch was rarely if ever late.  "Hey Bob," Starsky called to one of the other detectives in the room. "You seen Hutch?"
  "Yeah he was in here earlier but got a phone call and left."  The man answered then went back to his work.
  "Did he say where he was going?" Starsky persisted but the man only shook his head with out looking up.  Thinking that perhaps the call was from Linda he went down her office.
  Linda was busy at her desk when Starsky poked his head in her office door.  "You seen Hutch this morning?"
  Linda glanced up and smiled at Starsky the ring flashed on her finger.  "I haven't seen him since he dropped me off at my place last night.  Why?"
  Starsky shrugged, "He got a call this morning and left, that's not like him to just take off with out me or at least leave a note."
  She frowned as she got up, "Have you checked the parking lot to see if he is gone?"
  "Not yet, that was going to be my next stop."
  "I'll go with you."
They were both worried when they found that Hutch had left, a fellow officer had remembered seeing him drive off.  "Why wouldn't he wait for me?" Starsky mused.
  "Maybe he got some information on Megan," Linda said hopefully.  She knew that he was eager to get to the school.  "He had talked about going to Megan's school this morning but he also said that he was going to take you with him."
  "I was a bit late this morning he probably just got tired of waiting. I bet that is where he is," Starsky felt relieved.  But the concern returned when his partner had not shown up by lunchtime. Once again he headed to Linda's office, they ran into each other as he was getting off the elevator she had been on her way to see him.
  "You heard from Hutch?" Linda asked knowing that if he were back Hutch would have come to her office.
  "Not a word," He said.  "Where is this school?"
   After trying to raise Hutch on his car radio and getting nothing they headed to Megan's school.  They were led to the principal's office where they had to wait nearly thirty minutes before the man would see them.
  At one time Starsky approached the school secretary asking if she understood that they were the police, she had nodded and told him to have a seat.  Finally principal Kirkland opened his office door.  "I understand you are from the police and would like to speak to me."
  Both Starsky and Linda jumped to their feet, "Yes sir." Linda said suddenly feeling sixteen again.  "We are here about Megan Collin and wondering if another Detective has been here to see you today."
  "Come into my office," Mr. Kirkland said standing aside to allow them to enter. Once they were all seated he said, "There have been no other police here to day I assure you. This is a rare occurrence to have any member of the police force in our school.  As for questions about Megan Collin we don't discuses our students with out their parents being present or at least their permission."
  "Then I suggest that you get on the phone and call Mr. and Mrs. Collin and get their permission." Starsky snapped tired of being talked down. 
"I'm afraid that won't be possible Officer, the Collin's pulled their children out of our school system early this morning.  And as I understand it they have moved."
  "What?" Linda said stunned. "I was just at their house yesterday and they hadn't even started packing."
  "I can only tell you what I know Miss."
  "My name is Officer Linda Albright and I am Megan's biological mother. I am sure that you are aware that she has been missing for sometime we are looking for her and need all the help we can get.  Now as I see it you have two choices here, you can give us the information that we want or we can get a warrant and be back."
  Starsky shot an approving look at Linda.  "Believe me Kirkland we won't be neat when we return."
  Mr. Kirkland was angry they could both tell by his body language but he depressed the button on his intercom, "Mrs. Fleming would you please bring Megan Collin's files."
  After a few moments the office door opened and Mrs. Fleming entered, she sent a scorching look at the two officers, she had heard their conversation though the door.  "Here you go Mr. Kirkland."
  Once she was gone the principal opened a rather thick file on the girl.  He shook his head as he quickly scanned the reports written up on her.  Then he closed it and pushed it across the desk.  "This will tell you everything you need to know about Megan Collin. She was a troublemaker, constantly in my office for one thing or another.  She skipped school countless times and when I heard she had run away I wasn't surprised."
  "You never tried to get her counseling?"  Linda asked.

  "I don't think that is our job," he answered curtly.  "That is up to the parents."
  "They never tried to get her help, get her away from the crowd she was hanging around?"  Starsky wanted to know.
  "What crowd?"
  "Her parents told us that here was a group of bad kids that she fell into at school."
  Mr. Kirkland snorted, "At this school? I think not, we are a
private school we don't take riff raff."
  "You had Megan and I'm sure by your standards she was "riff raff"." Linda said. Suddenly nothing was jiving, the stories that the Collin's told her were not matching what she was finding out from the school.  "Why wasn't she kicked out?"
  "Ah…ah," Mr. Kirkland stammered, for the first time he had lost his confidence.  "Mr. Collin paid a great deal of money for Megan to remain in our school."

 

 

Chapter 7

When Hutch came to he wasn't sure where he was, as things came into focus he remember that he had just found Megan when he was stuck from behind, the pounding of his head confirmed that memory. Hutch tried to move but his hands and feet were bound as me moved around he felt something lying next to him. "Megan?

   The soft sound of the girl crying met his ears after he spoke her name, "I'm so sorry," She whispered in the darkness. After the man that had pulled her into the car had knocked the detective unconscious he had taken the tape from Megan's mouth but hadn't untied her. He had bound the detective then tossed Megan on the
floor next to him and left. Megan had been horrified to find out that Carlos had planned on killing Detective Hutchinson once she has lured him to the warehouse. The huge man that had grabbed her had snarled the
information into her face. That was when she knew that she would probably not live to see the next day.

   "This isn't your fault Megan," Hutch answered as he tried to work on the ropes but they were tied tightly.
   " Yes it is, you don't understand." Megan said crying in earnest now. "Do you know a man named Carlos?"
   "The pimp?" Hutch cringed thinking that Megan was one of his girls. He knew that Carlos was the man that Vice had been watching for the under age prostitution ring.
   "Y-yes, big white Caddy." Megan stammered. "He promised me that if I helped him that he would set me up with a real job so I could get off the street.

   "Helped him do what?"
   "Get you to come here."
   Hutch now understood, Carlos had a vendetta against him, several years ago he had shot and killed his brother Miguel. Never mind that Miguel had been standing over Starsky with a gun to his head. Hutch had no choice but to shoot the man. "It's alright honey."
   "B-but he's going to kill you," she wailed. "And I'm sure he's never was going to help me he'll probably kill me too." She hated herself for being so naïve.
   They were both in trouble but he wasn't going to let on to her. He had done what a first year rookie knew better than to do. Go off with out letting someone know where he was going. He knew Starsky was good but was he this good? He prayed that he was.
   "It's going to be okay, your mom…Linda and my partner both have been looking for you and with me disappearing maybe they will link the two together." Maybe that was the key word. Since they had not
leads on Megan, not so much as a sighting as to where to look it would be impossible for them to find the warehouse. "But we aren't going to just sit around here and wait for Carlos to come back. We are going to have to try and help our selves."
   "O-okay," Megan nodded in the dark.
   Megan's demeanor confused hutch, he realized that she was probably scared but she didn't seem like the kind of girl that the Collin's had portray her as. There was no roughness around the edges, no
attitude of a girl that was supposedly on drugs, running with a gang. "Has Carlos hurt you?" Hutch asked.
Megan knew what he meant, "No I don't trick if that is what you are asking."

   Hutch smiled in the darkness, she was a smart girl. "Good. Megan can I ask you a question?"
   "Sure I guess I kind of owe you for getting you in this mess."
   "Your parents, the Collin's they…well…"
   "Make me sound like a wild child, a drug addict anything else?" Megan said he could hear the disgust in her voice.
   "Well yes, I got a total different picture of you from what they told Linda and I," Hutch explained, "You just don't seem like what they described."
   Megan let out a bitter laugh, "I will admit I did do a bit of pot and tried the harder stuff once. I have done some shoplifting with a couple of girl friends. And of course we got caught so I ended up in front of a judge at the insistence of my parents. The store was going to let it go since we returned all the items and promised not to return to that store unless we were with an adult. But my parents insisted that they charge me, to teach me a lesson. The other girls got off, their parents agreed with the stores request."
   "Why would they do that?" Hutch questioned as he was still working on the ropes binding his hands.
   Megan emitted another bitter laugh and as she began to tell her story she was transported back in time back to when Cory joined the family. She had been eight when they had decided they needed another child. Megan was getting older, head strong, a mind of her own and as she developed the Collin's started to distance them selves from her. At first Megan didn't really understand what was going on but when they went to the adoption agency it began to become clearer.
   "Would you like to meet the little girl?" Mrs. Rollins asked Adam and Cathy Collin. Megan sat in a chair near the office door swinging her feet to and fro waiting for her new sister.

   Cathy smiled, "We so want another little girl, how old is she?"
   "Almost one, her name is Amanda," Mrs. Rollins informed them.
   "Is she potty trained?" Cathy asked she hadn't realized that the child was so young. She didn't want a baby this time they were too much trouble.
   The woman checked the file that lay before her, "No, not yet but she is very young, most children are totally trained until two perhaps three."

   Adam and Cathy looked at each other, "Do you have a child that is a bit older?"
   Mrs. Rollins frowned, "But I thought you had your heart set on this little girl."
   "I don't want to mess with potty training, Megan was just so difficult." Megan was taking in the whole conversation. She knew for a fact that she had been potty trained at a very young age, it was written
in her baby book.
   Sighing the social worker went back to her computer. "We do have a little boy he is two and half and potty trained. Sweet little thing his name is Cory."
   Cathy wrinkled her nose and looked at her husband who shrugged they both had wanted another girl. "Oh alright, can we see him?” Megan could remember thinking she felt as if she were at a pet store and they were picking out a kitten. Mrs. Rollins had seemed hesitant at getting the boy for them. But they had been checked out extensively and past with flying colors. She knew the little girl with them now had been adopted at birth and she looked as though she were thriving.
   It was the day they brought Cory home that things started changing for Megan. She was suddenly the old doll that was put up on a shelf. They made sure she ate and had just enough clothes to wear to
school…for show. After Cory came she never got another plaything just for her. Everything was boy's toy and those as her things were kept in the basement. They were never allowed to bring their playthings up stairs, never allowed to have a friend over and never allowed to go to a friend's house. Birth invitations from their
playmates went unanswered. Their rooms were spotless anybody walking into them would never guess a child lived in them.
   The summer trips stopped also, when it had been the three of them they had gone all kinds of places but when Cory arrived they didn't go anymore. Their excuse was it cost too much for the four of them. Occasionally they would take Cory out but Megan would remain home by her self. Cathy hardly spoke to her anymore, which hurt Megan to the core since they use to spend hours shopping, primping in front of the mirror in the huge master bedroom and taking bubble baths. But now all the attention was turned on Cory.
Megan could have easily blamed little Cory but even at eight she some how understand it wasn't Cory's fault but the fault of her parents. Whenever she could she would spend time with him and as he
started getting older she would warn him to stay obedient. Cory heeded her warnings but Megan didn't take her own advice and rebelled at every turn. But even with Cory playing their game it didn't stop
the Collin's from going back to the adoption agency two more times each time alienating the old children for the new.
   Megan was brought back to reality by Hutch's soothing voice. "I'm terribly sorry honey."
   She shrugged; it was only one of many stories that she could tell the detective. "I learned to live with it." Even in the darkness she could feel his kind eyes on her and some how she wasn't afraid anymore she had hope that they would get out.
   "Do you think you could roll over and work on these ropes?" Hutch asked he had given up trying to get it undone himself it was just too tight.
   "Sure I can try Detective Hutchinson."
   "Megan call me Hutch uh?"
   "Ok…Hutch. Can I ask you a question?"
   "Sure," he said as he slid closer to her turning his back so she could reach the ropes.
   "Are you my mothers boy friend?"
  "Yes, in fact Linda and I are engaged."
  Megan tugged on the rope two of her finger nails broke off to the quick. "Really?"
  "I hope you don't mind."
  "Why would I mind? I don't even know her." Megan said grunting as she tried to loosen the rope, she thought she felt it budge a bit but it was difficult with her hands being bound also.

   "She said you didn't look very happy she came to your house, is that why you ran?"
   "I don't know why I ran. I know that the Collin's didn't want me anymore, but I never thought they would figure out a way to send me back. I guess no matter what they had done they were still my parents, and it hurt."
   Hutch nodded, "How's it coming?" Before Megan could speak they heard a door open in the warehouse. "Shhhhh." Hutch warned. He scooted a little away from her hoping that who ever it was wouldn't
notice they had been working on the ropes. For she had loosened them a bit and he could now turn his wrists in them.
   They could only hear a voice in the darkness, "So Hutchinson we finally meet again."
   Hutch knew it must be Carlos, he had never heard him speak but he had been at Hutch's hearing when they had cleared him of any wrong doing in Miguel's death. "Let the girl go, she hasn't nothing to do with this."
   "So she can run right to the police?"
   "She won't do that, will you Megan?" The girl shook her head she was scared again. She had been on the streets long enough to know that Carlos had a mean reputation.
   "I don't need a witness around to be ratting me out." Carlos answered.
   Suddenly Hutch was yanked to his feet, the same man that had grabbed Megan hit him in the head. A flashlight flicked on casting a small circle of light in the vast warehouse. Then Hutch felt the barrel of a gun in his back.
   "Please don't hurt him," Megan cried out she was just on the outskirts of the circle of light.
   There was a dull thud and Megan cried out, the man had kicked her in the side. Hutch jerked, "Don't do that."
   The man punched Hutch in the back sending him to his knees on the hard floor then he shoved him over. Megan crawled over to where Hutch lay in pain. He felt as though his back had been broken. Her own ribs hurt from the kick but she was more worried about the man that was being so kind to her.
   She heard that hammer of the a gun cock back, "Get away from him." Carlos warned but Megan refused, if Hutch died she wanted to die with him. She was afraid what they might do to her before they killed
her. She had seen how the bodyguard had been looking at her in the car.

 

 

Chapter 8

 

 

   Starsky pulled up in front of the Collin’s house it was clear even from the street that the house was empty.  There was no for sale sign in the yard but the curtains were gone and it had an unlived in look too. Starsky and Linda got of the car and walked slowly up the sidewalk, Linda punch the doorbell out of habit.   Starsky pushed on the door, which swung open.

  The inside of the house was littered with newspaper that looked as though it had been used to wrap their breakables.  A couple of empty boxes were left behind; they could see where all the furniture had sat.  They looked at each other unable to believe that the family had picked up moved so quickly.  Slowly they made their way up stairs, as they went down the hall they pushed open each bed room door, they were all empty save one.  It was clear that it was Megan’s room.

  Linda walked into the room that looked as though Megan had just stepped out.  Her bed was unmade, her closet full of clothes, childhood dolls sat on the shelves along with books and other knickknacks.  Tears sprung to her eyes as she looked around the room.  This child had been abused maybe not physically but mentally, emotionally. A feeling of guilty so overwhelmed Linda that she pulled out the desk chair and sat down to keep from falling.

  “You Okay?” Starsky asked putting his hand on her shoulder.

  Linda nodded, “Before we leave I have to do something.”

  With Starsky’s help she collected what boxes they could find in the empty house and boxed up all of Megan’s things leaving only the bedroom furniture.  After stowing it in Starsky’s car Linda looked at him. “Where is Hutch?”

  “I guess we should start back at the place he was last seen and go from there,” Starsky answered sounding much calmer than he felt.  Where was Hutch, he knew that by this time he would have heard from his partner unless something was wrong and his gut was telling him something was wrong…very wrong.

  Their hopes were dashed when the returned to the squad room to find a furious Dobey looking for his two detectives.  “Where the hell have you been and where is Hutchinson?” he bellowed.

  “Cap I think something has happened to Hutch. I can’t find him anywhere.”

  Dobey’s eyebrows knitted with concern and motioned for Starsky to come into his office.  Linda followed the two men.  “Okay spill it Starsky, what the hell is going on.”

  Quickly with Linda’s help Starsky explained what had been going on the last couple of days.  “I’m worried Cap, this isn’t like Hutch to just take off and not call in.”

  Dobey nodded in agreement, “Why didn’t you tell me all this before.”

 Linda spoke up, “I guess to protect me, so that it didn’t get all over the station.”

  Dobey grunted, “I Suggest you get out there and start looking for your partner.”  Then he looked at Linda, “Leave me as much information on this couple as you know.  I think this needs some looking to.”

  After writing down everything that Linda knew including the name and number of the adoption agency she joined Starsky who was at his desk making calls.  He shook his head as she looked at him questioningly. He finished up his phone call and stood up, “Do you think that the Collin’s could have anything to do with Hutch disappearing?”

  Linda looked horrified.  “God I hope not, they are a bit strange and all but I don’t think they would something like that.”

  “What I think is that there is more to this couple than meets the eye.” Starsky said.  He walked round his desk to Hutch’s and stood there staring down at it.  “Bob said he took a phone call then rushed out.”  Starsky moved things around on Hutch’s desk looking for anything that could tell them something about the call.  He picked up the note pad Hutch had written the information Megan had given him, then dropped it back on the desk.

  “Hand me that,” Linda said reaching across the desk. She sat down in Starsky’s desk chair and took out a pencil from the drawer.  Lightly with the side of pencil she started covering the paper with lead.  The word pier jumped out at her, the next word that appeared was warehouse but it was fainter, then what looked like some numbers but they weren’t imprinted.  She handed back the pad to Starsky, “Could this be from today?”

  Starsky took it and studied the imprint on the pad, he shrugged, “Your guess is as good as mine but I know we haven’t been to the pier in a while at least not on a case and not to a warehouse.”

  “I guess it’s a place to start,” Linda said.

  Starsky shook his head. “Do to you know how many warehouses there on the docks and how big they are?  It could take days to search all of them and I don’t think we have days.”

  “Damnit if we could just make out the number written down.”  Linda said turning the pad trying to make out the numbers.

 

  “Are you ready to die?” Carlos snarled at Megan who was shielding Hutch with her body.

  “Please, please,” she said through her tears.

  The gun went off it was almost deafening in the empty warehouse, both Megan and Hutch jumped, Hutch waiting for the searing pain of the bullet but it didn’t come. He could tell by the way Megan was acting that she hadn’t be hit either.

  “The next one is in your head,” the bodyguard barked.  The first shot had been in the air. Then the huge man bent down and pulled Megan up by the waistband of her jeans.  Megan kicked her legs trying to free herself.  He tossed her into a pile of boxes that had been discarded ages ago. Megan fell heavy on her side and was still.

  “Let her alone,” Hutch mumbled he was having a hard time breathing.  He was sure he had a couple of cracked ribs or worse from being kicked in the back.

  Carlos pulled a gun from his shoulder holster, “This one is mine.”  He pointed the gun at Hutch’s head. “This is for my brother you bastard.  My mama cries herself to sleep every night missing my brother.”

  “Maybe your brother shouldn’t have been trying to kill my partner,” Hutch hissed.  This earned him another kick this one landed in his ribs he heard them crack.

  Carlos squatted down next to the detective; he grabbed a hand full of hair and jerked Hutch’s head backward so he could look into the cops eyes.  “You want to die quickly or do you want Eddie here to just kick the shit out of you?”

  Hutch didn’t respond this time.  He was having too much trouble breathing. 

  There was a noise in the direction of the door the men had entered from.  They both looked that way, Eddie swung the gun toward the shaft of light but they saw nothing.  Carlos then turned casting the glow of the flashlight to where Eddie had tossed Megan….she was gone. 

  “FUCK!” he roared.  “Go get her, bring her back!”

  Eddie ran toward the door as Carlos wheeled on Hutch he carefully aimed at Hutch’s head and slowly pulled the trigger.  Once again there was a deafening roar in the warehouse.

 

  Megan had the wind knocked out of her when she landed but once she regained her air she lay still waiting for the moment she could sneak away in the darkness.  She knew the only way for either of them to survive was if she could escape and get help.  As soon as she was sure the attention was turned away from her she crept out of the pile of boxes and headed for the door.  She would have made a clean get away if it hadn’t been for an empty tin can just out side the door that she kicked.  The moment she was out side Megan sprinted down the dock looking for any place she could hide knowing that Carlos and his bodyguard probably heard the noise.  Finally she came to another open door in the next building.  She slipped in side just before Eddie caught sight of her.

 

 

Chapter 9

 

   Starsky paced back and forth next to their desks, trying to think of what the next move should be.  All evidence was pointing to Hutch taking a trip out to the pier. “Damn,” Starsky mumbled to himself.

  “Let’s take a drive out there maybe we will spot his car.” Linda suggested tired of waiting. She was surprised that Starsky wasn’t already there.

  “I guess that is the best plan for now.” Starsky answered. “I’m going to give Huggy a call before we leave, see if he has heard anything.”

  While Starsky was on the phone, Dobey opened his office door and motioned for Linda.  “What’s up?” she asked.

  “I hate to tell you this but the Collin’s, well that is their name now are wanted in Florida for murder.” Dobey said as he sat back down behind his desk and looked over the notes he had taken.  “I’m getting their records faxed in.”

  Linda sat down heavily in one of the two chairs in front of Dobey’s desk. “What? Who?”

  “A child, she was about fourteen years old. They had adopted her at birth like they did your daughter.  The girl, her name was Amanda, was missing for a few days when the Collin’s left town.  They found Amanda’s body in the basement of the house; she had been dead a several days.  Looked like she never ran away, they killed her and hide her body in the laundry shoot.  Corner said she had been smothered with a pillow; she also had a sedative in her system too.  The couple probably sedated her so that she wouldn’t struggle while they were killing her.”

  Linda sat listening in horror, tears filling her eyes. “Oh my God.”  She stood up abruptly, “Megan! What if she never ran away what if she is dead in the house like the other girl.”

  “What’s the address,” Dobey asked quickly, “I’ll get some black and whites over there. You and Starsky head there too, I’ll meet you.”

  Linda scribbled down the address and turned to leave then she whipped back around, “W-what if Hutch went over there? He was very suspicious of them, what if he went and they killed him?”

  “Get Starsky and get over there!” Dobey ordered as he picked up the phone.

  Starsky was just hanging up from his call with Huggy when Linda near tears came hurrying out of Dobey’s office.  “You have some word?”

  “We got to get to the Collin’s, I’ll explain on the way,” Linda said grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the door.

 

  Hutch lay unmoving on the cold dirty concrete floor, Carlos stood over him grinning, “Stinking cop!  You’ll rot before anybody finds your dead body.”  The man gave Hutch a final kick before he turned to leave the warehouse.  As he closed the door he said, “I hope you burn in hell.”

  Megan crouched just inside the warehouse door hoping that Eddie wouldn’t find her, she afraid to go in much further since it was pitch black.  She saw him looking behind boxes and crates, in barrels and into doorways, she knew she was going to have to creep back into the darkness to keep him from seeing her.  He was almost to the door she was hiding in when she heard a whistle.

  “Yeah!” Eddie yelled.

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  “What about the girl?”

  “Forget her, its too late now she can’t save him.”

  Megan felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her again. She was responsible for somebody’s death. If she hadn’t made that call Hutch would never have come.  She pulled her knees up and put her head on them, closing her eyes.  After she head the car drive away, Megan came out of hiding she looked around to make sure the two men were really gone. She listened but heard no car engine so Megan made her way back to the warehouse where she had been held with Hutch.

  Slowly she pushed the door open, “Hutch?” she called into the darkness.  Nothing but silence met her ears.  She left the door open but the sun was starting set so it didn’t give her much light.  “Hutch?”  She made her way deeper into the building calling his name every so often.  Megan tripped and fell over something, she immediately realized it was the detective. “Hutch are you okay?” she asked feeling his body finally her hands came to his face, the left side was wet and sticky. Megan knew it had to be blood, she wished that she could see better.  She laid her head on his chest to see if his heart was still beating, Megan was relieved to hear a steady thump but it sounded weak to her.  His breathing was very shallow, she was afraid to touch his head anymore or to move him. She had to get help…fast. 

 

   Just as Starsky and Linda arrived at the Collin’s house two officers were about to break in the front door.  They both ran up to the front of the house joining the two men.  “It was open earlier,” Linda informed them.

  One of the officers turned the knob and the door swung open.  The four of them drew their guns as they entered the living room. It looked just as Linda and Starsky left it.  “You two check up stairs Linda and I’ll take the basement.  She looked at him fearfully hoping they didn’t find her daughter and finance dead.

  They found the basement door in the kitchen, Starsky opened the door and flipped on the light, they peered down the steps. Starsky went first, Linda followed, the room was mostly empty except for a few forgotten boxes.  Linda let out a sigh of relief, “Looks like they didn’t hid anybody here.”

  Then Starsky spotted a tarp in the far corner, he pointed toward it, “Let’s see what is under that before we get our hopes up.”

  He walked across the room, as Linda held her breath he ripped the tarp away to reveal two rusty bicycles.

  “Shit! I can’t take much more of this,” Linda breathed.

  As Dobey arrived on the scene Starsky and Linda were coming out of the house.  “Nothing Cap.” Starsky told his captain.

  “Thank God but we still don’t know where Hutchinson is.”  He said looking worried. “He knows better than to just take off like this.”

  “I know it must have been something important for him not to at least leave a note.” Starsky said. “The only lead we have is that he might be at the pier.”

  Dobey grunted. “Then lets get the man power out there to cover the place.”

  Starsky nodded as he and Linda dashed toward his car, he hoped they weren’t going on a wild goose chase.

 

  “Hutch please wake up,” Megan pleaded.  She knew from being out side there was nobody around. Even if she found a pay phone she had no money, Megan wondered if perhaps Hutch had some change in his pockets. Then a thought struck her he had to have come in a car although she hadn’t noticed it out side she knew it had to be there some place.  “I’ll be right back,” she whispered to him.  Megan ran out of the warehouse and looked up and down for a car, she spotted a junker toward the other end of the building, she had noticed it before but had dismissed it thinking it was abandoned.

 She ran toward the car since it was the only one around.  Megan opened the door, the moment she did she realized from the radio that I was Hutch’s car after all.  She sat in the drivers seat and began fiddling with the knobs as she grabbed the microphone.  “C-come in p-please I need help. T-there is an o-officer hurt.

  She kept twisting the knobs until she finally heard somebody say, “Who is this?  This is a police radio.”

  “M-my name is Megan Collin I-I am with Detective Hutchinson, he has been s-shot and n-needs help.”

  “Ok calm down Megan,” the voice turned kind on the other end.  “Can you tell me where you are honey?”

  “Y-yes,” Megan gave her the same information that she had given Hutch earlier in the day.

  “You hang tight honey somebody is on the way.”

   “H-hurry p-please I t-think he might be d-dying.”

 

   They were half way to the docks when the call came over the radio.  “Zebra three, Zebra three.”

  “Yeah talk to me,” Starsky said picking up the mic.

  “Starsky I have an address on Hutch, a girl named Megan is with him.” Melba said.

  “Thank god.” Linda said.

  “Where is he?” Starsky asked.

  Melba quickly gave him the address.  “Hurry Starsky she says he has shot sounds bad. I got an ambulance on the way too.”

  “Thanks,” Starsky said has he hung up the mic and flipped on the siren and light. He handed the light to Linda to put on the top of the car.

 

 

Chapter 10

 

  Starsky screeched his car to a halt, the ambulance, several squad cars and Dobey were directly behind him.  Both he and Linda jumped out of the car on a dead run to the warehouse door. Starsky jerked it open, the area was pitch black, the sun had long set and there wasn’t even a full moon to cast a bit of light. 

  “Megan!” Linda called out into the murky darkness.  There was no answer but if they held their breath they could hear quiet sobs.  “Megan answer me it’s Linda we are here to help you.”

  “It’s too late,” came the words out the darkness, “It’s my fault all my fault.”

  “Goddamit get some lights on in this place,” Starsky yelled as he started for his car and a flashlight.

  An officer felt the wall near the door for a switch, finding it he flicked it on but nothing happened.  “Find the breaker box, power is off at the main switch.” Several more officers’ flashlights in hand scoured the walls looking for the electric box.  

  Starsky ran back in carrying a flashlight, turning it on he started searching the huge room.  Linda called out to Megan. “Honey talk again so we can find you.” But only silence met their ears.

  “FOUND IT.” Came a holler from the back of the building. Suddenly the whole warehouse was bathed in light making everyone inside squint from the brightness.

  As eyes adjusted to the light everyone was looking around trying to see where Hutch and the girl were.  Starsky was the first to spot them and the first to reach them.  Megan was lying on Hutch’s chest sobbing clinging to him as if she were drowning.  A pool of blood was spread round Hutch’s head like a halo, his eyes were closed, his face almost gray. Starsky dropped to his knees next to Megan.  She raised her head and looked at him hazily, it was clear she was in shock as Starsky was sure Hutch was.

 Starsky put his hands on her shoulders and gently pulled her way from Hutch.  “I’m Hutch’s partner Starsky, did he tell you about me?”

  She nodded as if she were in a dream.  Starsky was anxious to see to his partner but he didn’t want to be rough with the girl.  Thankfully Linda appeared next to him.

 “Come with me Megan, I’m Linda, do you remember me?”

  Again Megan nodded dream like. She stood and with Linda’s help was led from the building.  Now with a clear view of Hutch, Starsky leaned forward and put his head to his chest.  He heard no heart beat; Starsky felt his own heart skip a beat.  “Hutch it’s me I’m here, sorry it took me so long pal. Come on open your eyes for me.”  Starsky slowly moved his hand around to the back of Hutch’s head feeling for a wound but found none, then he realized that blood had come from a hole in his neck.  Carlos had missed in the dim light.  “Shit!” Starsky breathed, blood still oozing from Hutch’s neck.  “Where is that ambulance?”

  As if on cue two men hurried in pulling a stretcher.  They moved Starsky out of the way so they could examine the fallen officer.  He walked out of the building to find Linda talking to Megan.  The girl looked a bit more focused now.  

  “How is he?” Linda asked softly.

  Starsky just shook his head as he looked at the ground.  It didn’t look good but he didn’t want to say so in front of the girl.  Dobey walked up and put his hand on Starsky’s shoulder, “They are bringing him out now. I’ll take Linda and the girl home so you can go with him.”

  “No,” Megan said strongly, “I want to go to the hospital, I want to be there with him.”

  Dobey looked at Linda who shrugged, “It wouldn’t hurt to have her checked out while we are there.”

  “Get in,” Starsky said as they were loading Hutch in to the ambulance.  As he passed one of the paramedics he asked.  “Is he still alive?”

  “Barely, guy has lost a lot of blood.” Came the reply.

 

  As they were driving Starsky asked Megan who was sitting in the back seat with Linda, “Do you know who shot Hutch?”

  Megan had the dazed look back on her face.  “Honey do you know?”  Linda asked patting her hand.  The girl looked straight ahead with out speaking.  Linda caught Starsky’s eyes in the rear view mirror and shook her head at him. She was getting very worried about Megan, she wanted to ask about Hutch but she knew it couldn’t be good and didn’t want to subject her daughter to any more. She would find out all she needed to know once they got to the hospital.

  By they time they arrived Hutch was in one of the emergency rooms with a team of doctors working on him.  Linda led Megan into a waiting room told her to sit while she went to see if there was a doctor available to look her over also.  Linda joined Starsky at the nurse’s desk, he was quizzing them on his partner’s condition but they knew nothing.

  “Starsky,” Linda said putting her hand on his arm. “Would you sit with Megan while I see if a doctor will look at her.”

  He nodded mechanically, all he wanted was to be with Hutch but knew the drill by now, the doctors would come looking for him with news good or bad.   Starsky went into the waiting room looking for Megan, he found her curled up on the end of one of the couches. He sat down next to her.  “How ya doing?”

  Megan only stared straight ahead as though he hadn’t even spoken to her.  When he touched her hand she didn’t even acknowledged he had touched her.  Starsky was too worried about Hutch to try and talk to Megan anymore.  It wasn’t long until Linda returned with a woman doctor. The doctor crouched next to Megan took her pulse, listened to her heart and tried to talk to her with no more luck than Starsky had.

 The woman stood up, “I think she needs to be admitted. She seems to be dehydrated, a bit malnourished and in shock.”  Linda explained to Megan that they were going to find her a bed so that she could lie down but still there was no response from the girl.

  Together with the doctor they led Megan away leaving Starsky to worry alone.  Dobey showed up to join Starsky “You find out who did this to Hutch?”

  Starsky shook his head, “Seems Megan is in shock or something she’s not talking. But when I find out I’m going to get that bastard.”

 Thirty minutes later Linda rejoined them in the waiting room after getting Megan settled in. The doctor gave her something to make her sleep and put her on a couple of IV’s  “Any word on Hutch?”

  Both men shook their heads simultaneously, Starsky took Linda’s hand, “It doesn’t look good, he’s lost a lot of blood. He had a bullet hole in his neck I’m just guessing but I bet the shooter was aiming for his head and missed in the dark.”

  “What am I going to do if I lose him?”  Linda said tears pricking her eyes.

  What am I going to do if I lose him? Starsky thought to himself instead of saying the words out loud he just squeezed Linda’s hand.  “Shit!”

  “What?” Linda asked startled.

  “Hannah has no idea what is going on, I know she would want to be here.”

  “Want me to call her?” Linda offered.

  Starsky shook his head, “I think I better do it.”

  Hannah had just put Rosie to bed from the night when the phone rang.  “Hello?” she whispered not wanting to wake her sleeping daughter.

  “Hannah.”

  “Daddy what’s wrong,” Were the first words out of her mouth she could tell by the way he said her name that something was terribly wrong.

  “It’s Hutch baby he’s been shot, it’s pretty bad I think you had better come.” Starsky advised.

 “I’ll get Mrs. Clark next door to watch Rosie and I’ll be right there.”

 

  Just as Hannah arrived one of the doctors that had been working on Hutch stepped in to the waiting room.  “Are any of you waiting for word on a Detective Hutchinson?”  Everyone in the room stood up much to the doctor’s surprise. 

  “How is he?” Starsky asked.

  “He just came out of surgery to repair the damage to his neck. The bullet nicked his carotid artery; if it had been severed he would have bled to death in a matter of minutes.  Since it was only nicked it more or less leaked thusly keeping him from death but he has lost a lot of blood.  He has been given several pints to bring him back up to safe levels. I have repaired the artery, he also has a fractured rib.”

  “So Hutch is going to be fine,” Starsky asked cutting thought all the doctor talk.

  The doctor smiled, “Yes, he will be fine, needs some recovery time but he will be as good as new.”

  A broad smile spread across Starsky’s face, he first hugged Hannah then Linda.  He started to hug Dobey but thought better of it and just clapped him on the back.  “Now to find the bastard who did this to him.” He said turning serious.  He looked to Linda, “How is Megan doing.”
  Linda shrugged, “She still isn’t talking.”

  “Can you blame her after what she has been through.” Starsky said.

  “Excuse me but if you would like to see Detective Hutchinson he is allowed one visitor at a time.” The doctor told them.

  “Why don’t you go Linda,” Starsky offered, as anxious as he was to see his partner he knew that Linda was just as anxious.

  Linda was torn between going to see Hutch and checking on Megan.  Sensing her dilemma Hannah spoke up, “I’ll go sit with Megan if that’s okay?”

  “I think she might like that,” Linda said gratefully.  She followed the doctor down the hall as Hannah went to find the room they had put Megan in.
 

 

Chapter 11

 

   Megan was awake when Hannah stepped into her room; she looked at the young woman fearfully.  Hannah smiled at her, “Megan?” Megan just laid there the covers pulled up to her chin. “My name is Hannah, I’m Detective Starsky’s daughter and a good friend of your mom’s….Linda’s and Hutch.

Hutch’s name brought a sparkle to the girl’s eye.  “Hutch?”

Hannah walked closer to the bed, “Hutch is going to be fine sweetie. You got him help in time.”

Megan shook her head but didn’t speak.

   “Sure you did, if you hadn’t called he would have lay there and died.” Hannah put her hand on the girl’s hand.

   Again Megan shook her head and spoke again. “It was all my fault.”

  “No it wasn’t your fault, you had nothing to do with it.”

  Suddenly Megan began sobbing, “It is my fault I’m the one that called him and got him to come to that warehouse.”

  Hannah sat one the bed and gathered Megan in her arms not sure what to say to the young girl.

  Linda stepped into Hutch’s hospital room quietly; his color was much better than when she had seen him being loaded into the ambulance. His neck was swathed in white bandages and he had two IV’s one of which was blood feeding life back into his body.  She stood for a moment looking at him wondering what she would have done if he had died. She didn’t even want to imagine it, after shaking the thought from her head she walked to the bed and sat in the chair next to him.  She took his hand and held it, his hand squeezed hers and she looked up to see him watching her.

  “Hi,” he whispered.  The operation on his neck had left him with a very sore throat and he could barely speak above a whisper but the doctor had assured him that his voice would return as he healed.

  “Hi Baby,” she said getting up and planting a kiss on his cheek. “We thought we lost you this time.”

  “You can’t kill me that easy,” he whispered.  “How’s Megan?  Did she get away?”

  “ She is fine but not talking, I think she is just devastated over you. She was the one that called for help.  I’m sure she thinks you are dead.”

  “Bring her in here.”

  “I don’t know if they will let me.”

  “Damn the rules,” Hutch said a little harshly and started to cough which make his neck hurt. 

  “You calm down I’ll find out okay?”  Linda heard the door open she looked around to see Starsky standing there. “I think there is somebody else who wants to see you.”

  As Linda was leaving she took Starsky’s hand and squeezed it then she went to see how Megan was doing and if it were possible that she see Hutch.

 Starsky went over to the bedside, “I swear you will do anything to get these pretty nurses to give you a sponge bath.” He joked.

  “Just don’t tell Linda, uh?” Hutch smiled even though he was in pain.

 

   Carlos was sprawled on his couch two half dressed women lay with him.  The TV was blaring, he was talking on the phone as haze of smoke from his cigarette filling the room.  He almost choked on the smoke and slammed down the phone with out saying goodbye as a pretty newscaster relayed the bad news to him.

  “In other news today a young girl and a police detective that had been shot and left to die were found in an abandoned warehouse.  The girl whose name is being with held because of her age was able to call for help on the officer’s police radio. They have both been taken to Memorial Hospital where Officer Hutchinson is in fair condition…. ” She droned on but Carlos was no longer listening.

  “Get off me,” he snapped at the girls.  “Son-of-a-bitch does this cop have nine lives or what?”

  “What’s the matter honey?” one of the scantly clad girls asked.

  Ignoring the question he yelled at her.  “Call Eddie tell him to pick me up in ten minutes we are going hunting.”

 

  Sitting in a wheel chair with a blanket wrapped around her Linda pushed Megan toward Hutch’s room.  The doctor thought it might do both of them good to see each other so they had been granted permission to take the girl to the detective’s room. 

  Starsky was still there when Linda knocked on the door.  Megan looked up at her fearfully, she was afraid that Hutch was going to be mad at her or even worse be in such bad shape that he couldn’t even talk.  Linda had assured her over and over that he was going to be fine but warned her about his voice too.

  Starsky opened the door, he smiled at Megan, “Got company Hutch.”  Megan looked up at him doubtfully; Starsky put his hand on her shoulder. “Go on.”

  Hesitantly Megan left the wheel chair that the nurse had insisted she use and walked slowly to Hutch’s bedside. She stood there looking at him as her eyes filled with tears. Hutch grabbed her hand, “How ya doing?” She only nodded, now not speaking because she didn’t want to but because of emotion. “Hey, hey what’s all this?” Hutch whispered reaching up and wiping tears off her cheek. 

  She couldn’t believe after all she had done that he was being so kind to her.  Megan fell on Hutch’s chest hugging him tightly. “I’m so sorry, I never meant for any of this to happen.” She sobbed.

  Hutch smoothed her hair, “It’s alright Megan.”  Hutch looked over the girl’s head to where Linda and Starsky were standing; they both had tears standing in their eyes.  Sorrow for Megan for what she had been through and happiness that Hutch was still with them. “You saved my life. If you hadn’t come back I would be dead by now.  Hold on to that it’s all that matters.”

  “I love you,” she said softly still clinging to him.  He was the first person that she truly trusted.  When she was young she had trust but as time when on with the Collin’s she quickly learn that adults couldn’t be trusted and they did nothing but play games.

  Hutch put his arms around her holding her tight. He only knew half of what she had been though, knew nothing really of the people she had been adopted by but at that moment he swore to himself that after he and Linda married they would have nothing but happy times. Megan would never want for anything.
  The door opened and a nurse stepped in.  She looked around at all the people in the room; the rule was one at a time.  “I’m sorry but I need to check out Detective Hutchinson so if you wouldn’t mind.” She held the door open.

  Hutch patted Megan on the back.  “I’ll see you in a little while and when I get out of here we will do something fun. I know another girl that especially liked Disneyland how about you?”  Hutch was thinking of Hannah when she had first come into their lives.

  Megan looked at him smiling for the first time. “You mean it?”

  “Sure I do,” Hutch said brushing the hair from her face.

  Linda smiled at them, she had been worried now that Megan was hers that Hutch might not want to marry her any longer but she could tell that he had already fallen in love with her daughter.

  The three of them left so that the nurse could check Hutch’s bandages, once out in the hall Megan asked, “What about my parents?” The words turned her stomach.

  Linda was pushing the empty wheelchair.  “They are gone, you are mine if you will have me.”

  “Really? You still want me after all this?”

  “Oh Honey I never didn’t want you. I was so young when you were born I thought you would be better off with a real family not some teen mother with no education, no job. I gave you up because I loved you.”  Linda said holding her arms out to Megan.

  Megan held back for only a moment then fell in to Linda’s arms, “I have always wondered about you.”

  “We have a lot of catching up to do.” Linda smiled at her.  “But can you do me a favor?” Megan nodded eager to please.  “Get back in this wheel chair before you get me into trouble.”

  Megan laughed as she sat down.  Starsky went back to the waiting room to tell Hannah about the reunion while Linda took Megan back to her room.  She wanted to get the girl out of the hospital, home and cleaned up.

 

   The doctor agreed that Megan was fine to leave so Hannah volunteered to take them to Linda’s so that her dad could stay at the hospital.  Starsky was stretched out in the waiting room dozing when a loud noise startled him awake.  His first instinct was to pull his gun, he was on his feet in seconds, he looked around a bit disorientated. No one else was in the waiting room, Dobey had long since left.  He glanced at his watch it was nearly two a.m., he had been asleep for over an hour.  He started to relax thinking that perhaps he had been dreaming.

  Starsky started to return to his seat when he heard a muffled scream from out in the hall.  Stealthy Starsky went to the doorway and looked out.  He drew back so that the gunman wouldn’t see him.  He realized that he knew the man that had a gun to the nurses head…Carlos Rodriguez!   But what was he doing here holding a nurse hostage?  

 

 

Chapter 12

  

 

   Carlos had entered the quiet hospital it was nearing two a.m. there was a guard dozing by the door and a older woman at the information desk to answer concerned calls when loved ones called in for up dates on the family members.  He walked up to the desk his gun in the waistband of his pants, he had a long trench coat on that came nearly to the floor.  Eddie strolled through the revolving doors as Carlos leaned over the counter into the woman’s face.

  “What room is Detective Hutchinson in?” he asked staring directly into her eyes.

  “I’m sorry sir,” the woman answered as she moved her chair back putting some space between her and the man.  “Visiting hours don’t start until 9 a.m. you will have to return then.”

  “I don’t want to return then I want to see him now,” Carlos said his voice rising. 

 The woman glanced fearfully at the guard who was still dozing.  “Sir please, you aren’t allowed up on the floors I’m terribly sorry.”

  Carlos reached over the counter and grabbed the woman by the front of her dress hauling her closer to him.  “I don’t give a flying fuck what the rules are.”

 She gave out a frightened yelp the sound was enough to rouse up the sleeping guard.  Blurry eyed he looked toward the direction of the noise.  Seeing a man pulling poor Betty over the desk was enough to get him moving.  He stood up trying to draw his weapon. But was forced back into his seat by the barrel of a shotgun that was shoved into his chest by Eddie.  He also was wearing a long trench coat and pulled the gun from the folds of the coat.

 “Sit down,” Eddie hissed.

  Carlos grinned at the woman.  “Ok now you put your fingers to work there and find out for me which room Hutchinson is in.” He turned loose of her with a shove, which sent her sprawling back into her chair.  A strand of graying hair pulled loose of the bun she had knotted at the back of her head.

  No one on the upper floors heard the two shots on the ground floor.  The first one came from Eddies gun splattering the guards inners all over the plate glass window.  The woman was next after she had so kindly given out the information that Carlos wanted he thanked her by putting a bullet in her head.  Then the two men ran for the stairs before anyone could come and investigate what was going on.

 When they reached the third floor they slowed down their pace and cautiously opened the door in the stair well.  Carlos peeked out; there were two nurses at the nurse’s station but busy writing in charts.  Neither woman saw the two men come from the door until they were going by the station.

  “Hey,” the first nurse called out softly, “Where do you think you are going we don’t have visiting hours this late.”

  With out a word Carlos shot the nurse, she dropped the papers she was working on they fluttered to the floor along with her body.  The other nurse cringed against the wall knowing she was next.  Carlos grabbed her, “You are going to show me which room Hutchinson is in got that.  And you aren’t going to scream or make a scene got it?”  She nodded her head.  Carlos looked around at Eddie, “Make sure nobody follows me.”

  “Sure thing boss.”

 

   Hutch as well as other patients had been awakened by the gunshot; most of the others went back to sleep but Hutch strand his ears in the darkness trying to pick up the sound again.  The pain in his neck was starting to intensify signaling that it was time for more medication. In the dark Hutch fumbled for the call button, he thought he could ask the nurse what the noise was and at the same time get something for the pain. 

  He depressed the button several times, usually a voice would come over the little speaker and ask what he needed but this time there was no friendly voice.  Hutch knew that Starsky wasn’t in the room with him now. There had been several other times when he had awoke to find Starsky sitting in the chair next to his bed, either reading or slumped down sleeping.

  He wished he weren’t attached to all the machines so that he could get up and see for himself what was going on.  He looked over at the phone, but whom would he call?  He wasn’t sure who was there and who wasn’t.  Signing he tried the nurses station again.

 

   Linda had just tucked Megan into her bed when a thought struck her; she sat down next to Megan who was almost asleep. “Megan?”

  “Hummm?” she said in a sleepy voice.  It had been a long time since she had felt the softness of a bed, had a shower and clean clothes.  The first thing Linda had offered her when they had entered the apartment was a bubble bath. Megan had jumped at the offered and while she was soaking Hannah had made them sandwiches one of which she had brought in to the bathroom for the teenage girl. 

  “Megan, you kept saying it was your fault that Hutch got shot. What did you mean by that?”  Linda hated to stir it all up just as Megan was starting relax but they needed to know.

  Megan’s eye flew open and she propped herself up in the bed.  Sighing she quietly told Megan about Carlos and what he had promised her.  She finished by saying. “I didn’t know he want to kill Hutch.”

  Linda opened her arms up to her daughter; it took Megan only a moment to respond. Linda folded her arms around Megan. “It’s okay, you didn’t know.  You rest, I’m going to go and make a phone call.  See if we can’t pick up Carlos.”

 

  “Put the gun down Carlos,” Starsky ordered.

  The man only laughed, “Just who has the gun here?  Who is calling the shots?”

  “Come on don’t make it worse on yourself.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out why Carlos was there, everything suddenly came into focus for Starsky.  He was the one that shot Hutch and he had some how got Megan to help set Hutch up.

  “Hell it was only a matter of time before the cops caught up with me anyway. I’m not going to jail so when I die I might as well as take the cop that killed my brother with me.  So unless you want to join us just get back in that room and sit down.” Carlos said pushing the gun harder into the nurse causing her to cry out.  “Shut up.”

  Starsky took a couple of steps toward Carlos; the man took the gun from the nurse and pointed it at Starsky.  “Come on you don’t want to hurt anybody.”

  Carlos laughed,  “Tell that to the dead bodies in the lobby.” The nurse’s eyes widened as she looked pleadingly at Starsky to help her.  “I told you I have nothing to lose.”

  “Turn her loose,” Starsky said.

  “What is his room number bitch?” Carlos said returning the gun to the nurse’s head.

  Starsky shook his head but the woman answered her captor as he cocked the gun in her ear.  “R-room 315.”

  Carlos grinned then shoved the woman into Starsky’s arms just as hard as he could sending them both sprawling to the floor.  Carlos dashed down the hall looking at the room numbers. 

  He crashed into the door of Room 315 so hard that the door hit the wall as it opened.  Hutch who was already alerted to something going on flipped his light on instantly.  “Turn that off,” Carlos snarled at him.

  Hutch didn’t obey the command, “What the hell do you want Carlos? Come to finish the job off right?”

  “Shut up.” Carlos said as he shut the door.

 

  Starsky untangled himself from the woman, grabbed his gun and ran down the hall.  When he got to the room the door was closed, he put his ear against it trying to hear what was going on inside, it was silent.  He knew that Carlos would be expecting him to bust in on them but he had no alternative. Starsky stepped back and kicked the door open as hard as he could then stepped in ready to fire.  He was surprised to find the room empty.  The IV’s that had been in Hutch’s veins were hanging limply to the floor draining fluid and blood on the linoleum.  Starsky sucked in his breath where could they have gone so quickly?  He stepped back out into the hall and looked up and down. He knew that they didn’t come past him so that meant they had to have gone the other way. 

  He started down the hall when he noticed that the door to the stair well was just closing.  That was the last thing Starsky saw as all went black. 

  Eddie stood over him; he had used the butt of the shotgun to knock Starsky out not wanting to draw more attention by shooting him.  He had already locked the nurse in the supply closet.  After making sure that Starsky was out he drug him into Hutch’s room and closed the door then followed Carlos.

 

 

Chapter 13

 

  Linda called the station to relay the information to Arnold Becker the detective who was the head of the vice squad.  At that time of night she only got his voice mail.  She then called main desk she wanted his home number, Linda knew that Arnie would know where this bastard was with out a bunch of searching. 

  “Yeah,” came the sleepy voice of Arnie Becker, his wife groaned next to him and rolled over.  He squinted at the clock it was nearly two a.m.  “This better be good.”

  “How about Carlos Rodriguez on a silver platter?”

  “Who is this?” Arnie said sitting up in bed.

  “Linda Albright,” she answered.

  “Oh Linda sorry didn’t recognize your voice.” He said. “So what have you got on Carlos?”

  “How about attempted murder?”

  “Who?”

  “Detective Hutchinson.”

  “What?” Arnie swung his legs out of bed and turned on the bedside light.  His wife groaned even louder and pulled the covers over her head.

  Quickly Linda gave him all the details, as much as she knew anyway but it was enough to get Arnie moving.

  “You mean I finally have this bastard?” he chortled.

  “Looks like it,” Linda smiled at Arnie’s reaction.  “You mind if I go with you to pick the prick up?”

  “He usually holds up at an apartment on 4^th street. You stay in your car until I get there; it’s a rough neighborhood even for a gun toting cop.”

  Linda promised, then she went to check on Megan who was already sound asleep.  Hannah was almost asleep on the couch.  Linda touched her lightly on the arm.  Hannah’s eyes popped open and looked at her friend.  “Can you stay here with Megan until I get back?”

  “Sure,” Hannah agreed. She had called Mrs. Clark earlier who had been happy to spend the night with little Rosie. “Going back to the hospital?”

  Linda shook her head, “Going after Carlos.”

  Hannah looked at her worried.  “Why don’t you call daddy?”

  “No time, Detective Becker is meeting me I’ll be alright.” 

 

  As soon as Linda was out the door Hannah picked up the phone and dialed the nurse’s station.  The phone rang no one answered it; she frowned but thought they had been called away.  Fifteen minutes later she tried again with out any answer, Hannah was now becoming concerned.  She got the phone book and looked up the main number to the hospital, she dialed it, after some fifteen rings the phone was finally answered.

  “Hello.”

  “Is this Memorial Hospital?” Hannah asked not sure she had the right number. It was an unusual way to answer the phone at a hospital reception desk.

 “Yes Miss it is,” the voice said. “We have a bit of an bizarre situation here if you could call back in the morning.”
  “Who is this?”

  “The police Miss now please if you will get off the line.”

  “Listen my father is there in the building. Detective Starsky, I’m trying to reach him.” Hannah said a shiver running up her spine, she suddenly had a bad feeling.

   “Starsky is here?” the officer said recognition dawning in his voice. “Is this Hannah?”

  “Yes it is could you please find my father and have him call me? He is on the third floor, you know Hutch was shot.”

  “No I’m sorry I hadn’t heard. I just came on duty. This is Tim Anderson Hannah.”

  “Tim,” Hannah said racking her brain but she didn’t remember a Tim but apparently he knew her.  “What is going on there anyway?”

  “Two dead bodies in the lobby. Cleaning lady called it in,” he answered.

  “What?” Hannah closed her eyes she just some how knew this had something to do with Hutch.  “Find my dad, it’s important. The shootings could have something to do with why Hutch is in there.”

  “Will do.”

  After hanging up, Hannah crept into the bedroom to look at Megan she was sleeping soundly.  Hannah went back out into the living room wrote Megan a note found Linda’s spare gun and left the apartment.

 

   Carlos drug Hutch up the stairs, toward the roof.  Hutch struggled to try and free himself from the man’s grip but he was still weak from the loss of blood along with the drugs he had been given.  His neck was now throbbing and he could feel the bandage around his neck getting wet.  His guess was the stitches were pulling loose. 

  Both men were gasping for air by the time they reached the door to the roof, Carlos from the exertion of having to pull Hutch up the stairs and Hutch from fighting the urge to pass out and trying to get away..  By this time the whole front of his hospital gown was saturated in blood. 

 “Don’t you bleed out on me before I have time to kill you, you son-of-a –bitch,” Carlos panted as he threw open the door to the roof. He pushed Hutch out onto the roof.

  Hutch fell in a heap on the rough flooring.  He wonder where Starsky was, surely he had found him missing by now. He knew Starsky checked on him almost hourly. 

 

  Starsky lay on the floor in Hutch’s hospital room; he was starting to come to. His head was pounding, he felt like a truck had hit him. Slowly he brought his hand to the back of his head, it came away bloody he groaned as he tried to roll over and get to his feet. The room began to spin; Starsky stayed on his knees and crawled over to the bed. He pulled himself up until he was sitting on the bed.  As things began to come back into focus he realized where he was and that Hutch wasn’t there.  Now it was coming back to him. Carlos, the nurse, Hutch was gone he hadn’t been in his room when he had opened the door.  He was going to see when he was hit from behind and the lights went out.  “Shit,” Starsky said touching his head gingerly, he had a gap in his scalp, which he could only assume he had been hit with the butt of a gun.

  He tried to get off the bed, he knew he had to find Hutch fast but as he slid his feet the floor and started to stand the whole room swum in front of him.  He willed himself not to pass out.

 

  “Get up,” Carlos yelled at Hutch, when the detective didn’t move the man haul Hutch to his feet.  Blood was now pouring from the wound in Hutch’s neck, the stitches both in his neck and the vein had been ripped open.

 Hutch could feel the life draining from his body. He had still been recovering from the loss of blood from before.  Starsky where are you?  Hutch thought as he was starting to slip into unconsciousness. He could distantly hear Carlos screaming at him and he vaguely felt the kick of the man’s shoe when he didn’t respond.  I’m going to bleed to death on this rooftop was Hutch’s last thought.

  Carlos grabbed Hutch by the back of his hospital gown and drug him to the edge of the roof, the rough flooring scraping the backs of Hutch’s bare legs and arms but he could no longer feel it.  Carlos leaned over and looked down.  Fourteen stories down he could see headlights of cars as they drove down the street.  He could also see that several police cars with flashing lights were in front of the building.

 The door opened behind the man he swung around ready to fire but it was only Eddie finally catching up with his boss.  “I took care of the other cop.”

  “Good,” Carlos smiled.  He leaned on the edge of the wall.  “You have been a friend Eddie.”

  Eddie furrowed his brow; he had never heard Carlos say anything nearing a complement before.  He didn’t like the look in his boss’s eyes either.  “You about ready to get out of here?”  The cop looked as though he were already dead; there was a trail of blood from the door to where Eddie was standing with him.

  “Cops down there Eddie, why don’t you go on and get out of here.”

  “What are you going to do?” the bodyguard asked.

  “Make sure the cop dies this time.  I’m going to help him to the ground.” Eddie answered.

  It took a moment for Eddie to understand what Carlos was talking about.  “No!”

  “It’s alright, I’m dead already.” Carlos said glancing over the edge to the ground again.  “I can’t go to jail again.”

  “We could leave town hide out.”  The big man suggested.

  Carlos shook his head.  “I don’t want to be on the run the rest of my life. Branded as a cop killer I will never get any peace.  You go on, get before it’s to late.”

  Eddie looked at his boss for a long time; finally the sound of sirens got him moving.  “Take it easy uh Carlos.” Without another word Eddie disappeared back inside and was gone.

  Carlos sat up on the edge of that wall that surrounded the top of the roof it was only about waist high. He balanced himself then pulled Hutch up so that he drooped head first over the wall.  Blood was still dripping from his neck wound.

 

 

Chapter 14

 

  Linda and Arnie were on either side of Carlos’s door, they both held their breath listening for any sound coming from in the apartment.  All was quiet a good sign; most likely he was sleeping the element of surprise was on their side.

  Arnie nodded at Linda then yelled, “POLICE!” At the same time he kicked the door in.

  The faint glow of the TV lit the room; they could see two forms lying on the couch.  Linda walked over and kicked the foot of one of the figures, “Get up,” she yelled.

  There was movement and a groan, “What’s going on?” A woman’s voice mumbled.

  Arnie snapped on a light the two scantly clad women squinted in the sudden brightness.  “Where’s Carlos?” he demanded.

  Linda headed toward the bedroom knowing that if Carlos were there he would have been up and in the room by now.  She tuned on the bedroom light it was empty.

  “What ya want?” the second girl slurred. They were both either drunk or high most likely both.

  “We are looking for Carlos,” Linda snapped.

  “Went out.”

  “Where?”

  “Don’t know,” the first girl answered.

  The other girl snapped her fingers, “He called Eddie they went some place.”

  Arnie sighed, “Where? Wake up you stupid bitch and tell us where?”

  “Fuck you,” she spat.

  “I think,” the other girl said then paused as if she were thinking. “He said something about the hospital.”

  “Shit!” Linda said. “He’s gone after Hutch.”

  They dashed to the car, once inside Arnie picked up the microphone and called headquarters.  “Get some squads over to Memorial.”

  “Some else happen over there?” Dispatch asked.

  “Something else?”

  “Yeah there have been officers there since about two.  Somebody walked in the lobby and murdered two people.”

  Linda’s stomach did a flip.  “We got to get over there.”

  “You get a hold of some body there and tell them that the shooter is probably Carlos Rodriguez and he might be there to try and finish the job on Detective Hutchinson.”

  “Got it,” dispatch answered.

 

  When Hannah walked up to the front of the hospital all was in chaos.  The floors were being searched one by one.  Hannah ran through the lobby to the elevators and pushed the up button. 

  “Hey where do you think you are going?” yelled a young officer as the door slid open.

  Hannah hopped inside with out answering, immediately she pressed the third floor button hoping the doors would close before the man got to them.  She only caught a glimpse of him at the last moment as the doors went closed just in time.  When they opened on the third floor she stepped out cautiously and looked around, it was apparent that nobody had reached this floor to search yet. 

  She pulled the gun she had taken from Linda’s apartment from her coat pocket and went to the nurse’s station quietly.  She looked over the desk and saw a woman sprawled on the floor it was clear she was dead. She continued on down the hall toward the waiting room and Hutch’s room beyond that.  As she passed the waiting room she glanced in, the other nurse was just stirring; she had cracked her head on the floor when Carlos has shoved her at Starsky.  “Are you alright?” Hannah asked kneeling next to the woman in white.

  “I think so,” she said looking around.  “There was a man with a gun he…he…”

  “It’s ok. You stay here.”  Hannah instructed as she left going to Hutch’s room.  The door was still closed; she carefully pushed it open and peered inside.  The floor had a large pool of blood near the head of the bed where the IV had finally run out and a smaller patch of blood near the foot. “Shit where are they?” she swore under her breath.

  Going back to the hall she found a trail of blood leading to door that opened into the stair well.

 

  It was the same trail of blood that Starsky followed once his head cleared enough to stand and go looking for his partner.  He pulled open the door and looked into the stairwell, the trail of blood led up.  Taking a deep breath Starsky started up the stairs, he wasn’t sure what he would do when he got there since Eddie had taken his gun but he did know that he wasn’t going to let them kill Hutch.

 Somewhere around the tenth floor Starsky sat down as a wave of dizziness and nausea hit him at the same time. He was pretty sure he had a concussion.  “Come on Starsky,” he said out loud to himself.  “Get your shit together.

  He was just starting up the stairs to the twelfth floor when he heard a door above him open. Starsky stopped in his tracks and looked around for a place to hide. If they were coming back down he needed to get the jump on them.  But then he heard a second door open and then silence.  He wanted to call out for his partner but didn’t dare.

  Starsky managed to get up to the next flight of stairs quickly, he looked around he was sure this was the door that who ever had come down had gone into but the trail of blood still went up.  One more floor and he would be on the roof. He wondered why Carlos would take Hutch up on the roof.

 

  Arnie and Linda burst into the lobby of the hospital, “You find Hutchinson yet?” Arnie barked at whom ever happened to be standing around.

  “Got men searching each floor.” A rookie answered, this was his first big crime scene.

  “Christ!” Arnie exploded,  “Didn’t dispatch call you guys? We have reason to believe that Carlos Rodriguez is the shooter and he is looking for Hutchinson.”

  “Screw this,” Linda said and ran for the elevator.

  “You can’t go up there,” It was the same officer that had tried to stop Hannah.

  “You want to bet?” Linda said flashing her badge at him.

  “Shit what is it tonight with you women?” he snapped.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Linda said stopping and turning to look at the man.

  “Oh there was another woman in here that went up the elevator.”  He explained.

 “What did she look like?”  Linda asked.  He described the woman he saw.  “Shit that was Hannah!  Arnie we got to get up there.”

  “You, you and you,” Arnie bellowed as he pointed to three officers. “Get your asses on the elevator with us.”

  “Somebody call Captain Dobey and get him down here.”  Linda yelled as the doors slid closed.

  As they road up in the car Arnie said, “I don’t know who the hell is running this show but I’ll have their badge by daylight if either one of those officers is dead.”

 

  Starsky finally reach the door to the roof, he put his back to it in order to hold himself up and catch his breath.  His eyes went out of focus for a few moments, he closed then when he reopened his eyes things were clear again.  He turned around and grabbed the doorknob turning it slowly. Opening the door a crack Starsky looked out it was just beginning to get light but there were still a few stars twinkling in the sky.  He opened the door a bit wider, just enough for him to step out.  He closed it softly as not to alert anybody to his presents.

  Starsky froze; he could see two figures on the wall that surrounded the top of the building.  One was slumped over the wall the other sitting on top of the wall, looking as if he were tugging at the other figure.  Instinctively Starsky knew it was Carlos and Hutch.  Forgetting the element of surprised he started running toward the two men.  

 

 

Chapter 15

 

 

   Everyone was converging on the roof but the only one close enough to save Hutch was Starsky.  Carlos swung his leg over the side straddling the wall as he kept his grip on Hutch he was determined to take the man that had killed his brother with him.  He didn’t hear Starsky come out on to the roof and didn’t see him until he yelled, “NOOOOOOOOOOOO.”  There was no time for Carlos to even react before Starsky hit him with his full body weight driving them both over the edge of the roof.  In the process he lost his grip on the back of Hutch’s gown who slid mercifully to the roof. 

 

  The elevator doors slid open onto the third floor; Linda, Arnie and the three officers stepped off with the guns drawn.  Linda sensed that Hutch and Starsky were no longer there but somewhere on one of the upper floors.  It was too quiet.  There was some motion from down the hall; they pointed their guns in that direction.  The nurse came stumbling out of the waiting room blood running down the side of her face from a cut over her eye. 

  “Damn it,” Arnie stormed. “Get some help up here.”

  “Got another body back here,” called one of the officers as he looked over the desk.

  Linda ran to help the nurse and guided her to the nurse’s station.  Someone had brought a chair from behind the desk so the woman didn’t have to look at her dead co-worker.  “Do you know where Detective Hutchinson is?”

  The woman shook her head,  “His partner…daughter…”

  “It’s alright,” Linda said guiding her toward the chair.  “You stay put help is on the way.” 

  After leaving one of the officers with the hurt and frighten woman they made their way down the hall to Hutch’s room. They saw the trail of blood leading to the stair well just as Starsky and Hannah before them.  After a quick check of the room to assure them that it was empty Arnie ordered the two remaining officers to take the stairs while he and Linda got in the elevator.  He jabbed the button that said “roof”

  Linda looked at him questioningly.  “Just a hunch,” Arnie said as the car began to move upward.

 

  Starsky knew instantly that he was going over the edge with Carlos but he didn’t regret his action, at least now maybe Hutch had a fighting chance to live if someone found him in time.  He had fleeting thoughts of Hannah and Rosie as he tumbled head first over the side. Carlos was reaching out trying to grab anything to keep him from falling but it was too late…too late for both of them.

  Starsky could see the ground and wondered if it was going to hurt when he hit it or would there just be nothing?  That was when he was jerked back over the wall he scrapped his chin as he was flung backward and landed flat on his back on the roof the wind knocked out of him.  After a few moments he got his breath back he sat up and looked around to see who had pulled him to safety.  But the roof was empty save Hutch that was when he noticed the two bloody handprints on the leg of his jeans.

 He looked over at Hutch how could he have possibly hauled him back over that roof, Hutch looked all but dead. Starsky crawled over to him, “Hutch?” But there was no response, there was so much blood that Starsky wondered if he had any left in his veins.

  Starsky went to get up, he had to get help but his spinning head kept him in place finally he crawled to where Hutch lay.  He pulled his partners limp body into his lap…it was too late.  Starsky knew it as he held Hutch in his arms; he had finally after everything they had been through together lost his partner, his best friend.  Tears slid down Starsky’s cheeks as he bent his head toward Hutch’s head and wrapped his arms around Hutch’s chest. Starsky rested his forehead on the top of his friend’s head; the blackness took over his world as he fell into unconsciousness.

 

  Hannah reached the roof door almost at the same moment that Linda and Arnie arrived in the elevator.  Hannah had heard others coming up the stairs behind her at one point but she didn’t stop or call out, her sights were set on following the trail of blood.

 As Hannah opened the door out on to the roof she caught sight of some movement and pointed the gun in that direction.  A familiar voice called out, “Hannah it’s me.”  Linda, it was Linda, Hannah had never in her life been so thankful to hear voice she knew.

  Linda came toward Hannah Arnie following.  Hannah started to speak but then she caught sight of the gruesome pair sitting against the wall.  Linda followed Hannah’s stare, she felt as if the bottom of her would had just fell away.  Linda couldn’t catch her breath as she looked at the two men that had just been laughing and joking at dinner a few nights before. 

  It was Arnie that moved toward the detectives as he pulled his radio from his belt. “We need doctors on the roof NOW!!!”  He yelled into the radio as he knelt next to them, they were a gory mess; there was so much blood he couldn’t began to tell where it was coming from.  He looked up suddenly, “Where’s Carlos?”

  Both woman instantly put their grief aside and readied their weapon’s.  They crept toward where Hutch and Starsky lay.  Arnie was trying to get pulses; he got one on Starsky but couldn’t fine one on Hutch.  “Starsky?” Arnie called to him gently giving him a shake.  Starsky’s limp arm fell away from Hutch and lay on the ground. 

  Hannah stood and looked down at the two men she loved most and felt her world unraveling in front of her.  If they were dead she was alone in the world except for Rosie.  How much more was she expected to lose?

  “I found him,” Linda called; she was looking over the side of the building.  Carlos was sprawled on top of a police car, it was clear he was dead.  With the danger of Carlos surprising them Linda dropped to Hutch’s side and took his hand in hers.  He was so cold, “Hutch don’t leave me.” She began to sob.

  The elevator doors opened and a gurney was pushed out a doctor and a nurse behind it.  There were some supplies sitting on the of the gurney as they sped toward the injured men.  Moments later the elevator opened again and a second gurney with several orderlies came hurrying out. 

  The officers stepped back so that the doctor could get close to the detectives.  After untangling the two men the doctor worked on Hutch as two of the orderlies loaded Starsky on one of the gurneys. “We have got to get him into the OR stat he is in hypo-volemic shock. Get him up on the gurney and out of here.” The doctor ordered.

  “I-is he going to live?” Linda stammered.

  “Miss at this moment I would say the chances are very slim, by the looks of it I would say he has lost about half of his bodies supply of blood or more. They held back Starsky allowing Hutch’s gurney on the elevator first as the doctor stepped in with him he said to Arnie. “Call the ER tell them we are coming down.  Do you know what blood type he is?”

  “O I think,” Hannah answered.

  The doctor nodded, “Tell they to get as much Type O as they can lay their hands on and to get the OR ready.”  The doors slid shut leaving the rest of the rest of them on the roof.

 

 

Chapter 16

 

 

   The first thing that Starsky thought of when he woke was Hutch.  He was aware that there was someone in the room with him. Starsky tried to raise his head to see who it was but it started to spin. 

  “Daddy,” Hannah came into view above him.  She grabbed his hand then leaned over to kiss him.  She had been concerned about him but had been assured by the doctors that Starsky would be fine.  He had a severe concussion and a cut on his head that needed a few stitches. A few bumps and bruises but he was not seriously injured.

  “Hutch?” Starsky said straining to sit up.  “H-he’s dead isn’t he?”

  “Daddy no, no Uncle Hutch isn’t dead,” Hannah said out loud.  ‘Yet’ she thought to herself. The doctors weren’t holding out much chance that he would survive.

 

  Early after Hannah had made sure that her father wasn’t injured badly and he was resting comfortably.  She went to listen to what the doctors were saying about Hutch.  As she walked into the waiting room she heard the doctor saying, “… effectively, it means "not enough blood to go around."  It’s Single biggest problem faced in trauma.  Detective Hutchinson has lost over half his blood supply, I’m sorry but it’s not likely that he will survive but I assure you Miss Albright we will do all we can to save him.”

  Linda nodded numbly, “Is there anything I can do?”

  The doctor shook his head at first then took her hands in his.  “You can donate some blood,” he said kindly.  “And pray.”

  Hannah swallowed past the knot that stuck in her throat as the doctor went past her.  She went to Linda and put her arms around her holding her friend tightly. “He’s going to make it Linda, he’s tough.”

  Linda nodded as she clung to Hannah, “I know.” But Linda didn’t know if he was this tough.  “Where’s Megan?”

  “She is okay,” Hannah answered. “I left her a note.”

  “I better go and check on her. It will probably be hours before Hutch is out of surgery.” Linda said woodenly as she looked at the diamond on her finger.  Why had she been so stupid, why had she waited, now they might never get their chance for happiness. Tears filled her eyes as she stared at the ring.

  Hannah took her hand knowing what she was thinking.  “You’ll have your wedding I promise you.  Uncle Hutch loves you he won’t let this stand in his way.”

  “You are a sweet girl,” Linda said putting her hand on the side of Hannah’s face.  “I’ll be back in a while, call if you need me.”

  Hannah nodded and then Linda was gone.  She paced the hall, checked on Starsky and tried to read a magazine.  But nothing held her attention, if Hutch died how could she ever tell her father.  This might just be the last straw for him. He had lost so much in his life.  Hannah was frightened for both her father and Hutch.

  She was standing in the hall when she heard someone call out her name.  She turned to see Captain Dobey striding up the hall toward her. “I’m sorry I didn’t get up here sooner,” he said.

  “I know things must be a mess.”

   He nodded, “I’ll be doing paper work for…” He stopped and looked at her. “How are they?”

  Hannah dissolved into tears. The captain pulled her into his arms.  “Daddy is going to be alright but Uncle Hutch…oh God I don’t think he is going to make it.  There was so much blood…everywhere…so much.”

  Dobey guided her to the waiting room and sat down on the couch with her.  “He’s strong, you’ll see dear he’ll make it.”

  Hannah put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes wanting to believe his words. “I have never seen anything like it before.” She said and began describing the events as they had happened.

 

  “Get more blood,” ordered a doctor a mask covering his face.  “Keep it coming, if it looks like we might run out start contacting other hospitals, I am not going to lose this man.”

  A nurse in a matching mask nodded and went to check on the blood.  Another nurse handled him a scalpel so that he could began work on repairing once again the mangled artery. 

  Two more doctors specializing in this type of trauma arrived. One had been a medic in Vietnam, he had seen many many cases like this one but none of those men had lived, they hadn’t the knowledge or facilities back then.

  “Blood pressure is dropping even lower,” called yet another nurse.  Hutch’s pressure was already almost nonexistent.

  “Shit!” the doctor exclaimed.

  “We are losing him!”

 

  When Linda let herself in to her apartment she heard the shower running.  She wished she had thought of stopping and buying some clothes from Megan. Linda went to her bedroom and rummaged in a drawer until she found a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt until they could get the girl some clothes that fit. She laid them out on her bed then went into the kitchen to fix Megan some breakfast.

 Ten minutes later Megan appeared in the doorway.  “I hope you like eggs,” Linda said trying to sound cheerful. Megan knew nothing of the over night events.

  “Sure,” Megan said as she leaned against the wall.  “How’s Hutch?”

   Linda had turned to get a glass out of the cabinet her back was to Megan. Linda’s shoulders began to shake and the glass fell to the floor and shattered.

  “What’s wrong?” Megan came to her mother’s side avoiding the broken glass.

  Linda turned to look at Megan.  “It doesn’t look like Hutch is going to make it.”

  “B-but I talked to him before I left and he sounded fine.”  Megan said her eyes instantly filling with tears.

  “Some things happened late last night that you don’t know about.  Carlos came to the hospital looking for Hutch,” Linda explained through her tears.   

   As she told her daughter the rest of the story Megan’s face crumbled.  Why had she ever believed anything Carlos had said, he was an evil man and she knew it but yet she had trusted him?  Now countless people were hurt or dead. How could she live with herself?  She wondered how Linda could even stand to be in the same room with her.  “I’m sorry,” Megan said softly and turned to leave the kitchen.

 “Where are you going?” Linda asked following her.

  Megan shrugged, “I made it on the streets this long I…”

  Linda grabbed her daughter by the shoulders and spun her around. “Megan you listen to me. This is not your fault. You aren’t going anywhere. You are my daughter and I’m going to take care of you.”

  “B-but…”

  “No buts, do you know how bad Hutch would feel if he woke up and you were gone?  He put his life on the line to find you, that is his job and he would have done it for anybody with no regrets. You got that young lady?” Megan nodded but still couldn’t meet Linda’s eyes.  “Look at me.”  Slowly Megan raised her eyes to meet her mother’s.  “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” Megan said, the words surprised both of them. But Megan had meant them. Nobody had ever been so excepting of her mistakes.

 

  “Hannah I don’t like the look on your face,” Starsky said reading his daughter like a book.

  “Uncle Hutch is in surgery, has been for a few hours now.  I guess no news is good news,” Hannah gave him a grim smile.

  “I know he’s bad, I’m surprised he even made it to surgery.  I though Hutch was dead on the roof.”

  “Daddy what happened up there?”  Hannah asked changing the subject. “I’m sure there are going to be a lot of questions. How did Carlos end up on the top of that police car?”

  Starsky sighed remembering how Hutch had some how found the strength to save his life.  “I came out on to the roof and found Carlos ready to jump over and take Hutch with him.  I charged him and knocked Carlos over I went with him. I thought I was going to end up on the ground with him but then Hutch pulled me back.”

  “Uncle Hutch saved you?” Hannah was astonished.  “But how?”

  Starsky shook his head, “I don’t know honey, I just don’t know.”

 

    “Come on Allen let’s call it,” one of the other doctors said. “You have been at this five hours, let him die in peace uh?”

   “No,” Allen Cole snapped, “Where the hell is that blood.”

  “He’s practically flat lining,” the other doctor persisted.

  Dr. Cole looked up his eyes flaming, “So I just give up? What about the man’s family and friends?  If he dies I want to be able to tell them that my team and I have done everything thing we could have possibly done.”

  “If he lives you will probably be giving them back a vegetable. Is that the gift you want to give them?”

  “Get the fuck out of here if you can’t help!” Cole yelled. 

  “Doctor,” the nurse watching one of the monitors called out.  When he didn’t respond she said again. “DOCTOR!”

  “What is it?”

  “We have lost him!”

 

 

Chapter 17

 

 

   “Promise me Starsky,” Hutch said looking intently at his partner.

   “Come on Hutch,” Starsky grinned at his best friend. “You don’t even have to ask. You know I’ll take care of Linda.”

   “Give Hannah and Rosie a kiss for me too uh?”

   “Done partner…why don’t you give me a hard job uh?”  Starsky asked.

   “Don’t blame Megan okay? It wasn’t her fault she didn’t know what was going down.”

   This request was a bit harder for Starsky to swallow; if it hadn’t been for Megan none of this would have happened.  “I-I know Hutch, it’s just…”

  Hutch shook his head, “She is just a child and I was doing my job.”

  “I just wish you would have waited for me buddy.”

  “Me too partner. I’m going to miss ya Starsk.”

  “I’ll miss you too.”

  “Starsky?”
  “Yeah?”

  “Promise me one more thing?”

   “Sure anything.”

   “Keep it together, they are all going to need you.”

   Starsky nodded,  “It’s going to be hard.”

  “I know just all lean on each other, you can get through this.”

  “I love you Hutch, you know that right?”

  “Yeah I know Starsk same for me.  Remember I’ll always be here for you all you have to do is just call my name…”

 

   “HUTCH!”  Starsky sat bolt up right in his hospital bed.  He swung his legs over the edge of the bed this time ignoring his spinning head.  Starsky was half way to the door when Hannah stopped him.

   She had been dozing in a chair near the door when his shout awoke her.  “Daddy you need to get back into bed.”

  Starsky shook his head back and forth as tears course down his face, “Hutch is dead.”

  “No remember I told you he’s in the operating room.”  Hannah said but the way he had said those words chilled her to the bone.  It was if he knew something she didn’t.

  “He was here, he came to tell me good-bye and to take care of Linda and…” his voice broke and he wavered on his feet.

  Hannah grabbed him by the waist, “Come on Daddy you need to get back in bed. You were just dreaming.”

  “Where’s Linda, she is going to need us.”  Starsky said still insistent. 

  “She went to check on Megan,” Hannah said wishing that she would hurry back.  She checked her watched Linda had been gone nearly 2 hours.  “I’ll tell you what, if you go lay down I’ll go see if Linda is back and if I can get any information on Uncle Hutch.  Deal?” Starsky nodded and allowed Hannah to lead him back to the bed. 

  As Hannah went out into the hall she felt a sense of panic, his words had unnerved her.  She went directly to the nurse’s station; the two nurses that were there were shaken from the news that they had gotten when arriving for their shift.  One of their workmates was dead the other in a hospital bed down the corridor.  They were both whispering about the night’s events when Hannah stepped up to the counter.

  “Excuse me but have you any word on Detective Hutchinson?”  Hannah asked worry creasing her brow.

  The one nurse came forward and picked up a chart.  She glanced at and shook her head, “He’s still in surgery.”

  “It’s been so long,” Hannah fretted.

  Giving her a look of sympathy she said, “I know it’s hard waiting but I will let you know the moment I hear something.”

  “Thank you,” Hannah said, she was heading down the hall to a bank of phones when the elevator doors opened and Linda along with Megan stepped out.  She hurried toward them. “Thank God you are back.”

  “What’s happened?” Linda asked.

  “Nothing it’s just that…” Hannah stopped; she couldn’t scare the two of them with her fathers drug induced dreams.  “It’s just Uncle Hutch isn’t out of surgery yet…”

  Linda put her arm around Hannah, “I’m sorry I left you for so long dear.  How’s your father?”

  “He’s doing better.  Trying to get up.”

  “Sounds like Starsky.  I think I’ll go and see him.”  Linda said.

  “He’s sleeping,” Hannah said quickly she didn’t want him telling Linda his dream.  “I just left him.”

  Linda smiled at her, “Why don’t we go sit down then and wait I guess that is all we can do.”

  Hannah nodded then said, “Just let me peek in on him.  When he wakes up he keeps asking about Uncle Hutch.”

  “We’ll be in the waiting room.”

  The moment that Hannah stepped into the room, “Well?”

  “He’s still in surgery, the nurse promised to let us know the moment he’s out.  Just lay back and try to get some more sleep.”

  “I don’t want to sleep.” Starsky said in an agitated voice. “I have to see him.”

  “Daddy you can’t. Don’t make me call the nurse to give you something.”  Hannah warned.

 

  “Ok, I think he’s back,” the nurse said as a tiny blip showed up on the monitor.

  Cole flashed a look at the doctor across from him.  “Let’s get this finished up.”

  After five hours the tattered vein was finally reattached so that blood could probably flow through it, then the neck was re-stitched. It was amazing to Dr. Cole that Hutch had made it thought the first surgery let alone this grueling five-hour stint where he had for all intense in purposes died on the table.  The doctor was very worried how the detective was going to come out of surgery. He had been with out the correct amount of for a long period of time.  There could be brain damage, there was a chance he could be paralyzed either temporary or permanently.  There was just no way to tell until Hutch woke up.

  “Get him to recovery,” Cole ordered, “I’ll go speak to the family.”

   Dr. Cole found the two women and Megan in the waiting room.  He looked at Megan hesitant as if he didn’t want to speak in front of the child.  He cleared his throat and said, “Miss Albright may I speak to you out in the hall?” 

  Linda shook her head, “Say what ever it is here.”

  He again looked at Megan, “I don’t know if…”

  “Megan is as much apart of all this as I am and Hannah is Hutch’s partners daughter so just spill it.”

  Sighing he sat down in a chair weary from the hours in the operating room.  “We ended up totally transfusing Detective Hutchinson.  He lost up ward of six pints of blood; how he was even still alive we will never know. One of those miracles we will never understand.”

  “So he is still alive.” Linda asked making sure she understood what the doctor was saying.

  “Oh yes, I’m sorry if I didn’t make that clear from the beginning.  He is in recovery right now.  It’s going to be a long while before he will be conscious.  We also won’t know until he wakes up what type of condition he will be in.  With his blood supply so dangerously low it might cause all kinds of complications.  We don’t have much to basic his recovery on since there are not many cases like his.”

  Linda and Hannah were trying to absorb what they were being told.  “So what type of complications do you suspect?”  Hannah asked.

  “Well like I said there isn’t much to base on but just some problems to throw out at you so you know what we might be dealing with.” The doctor said.  He ticked off on his fingers several complications.  “Memory loss, paralyses, speech problems, possible sight problems…we just really aren’t going know until he wakes.  Some of these could stem from the injury it’s self; others could be because of the length of time he was so low on blood. His heart wasn’t pumping properly for a lot of time, the blood pressure was far to low.”

  “I want to see him,” came a voice from the hallway.

 They all turned to see Starsky standing there clutching a hospital gown around himself.  Hannah jumped up, “Daddy what are you doing out of bed.”

  “I have to see Hutch, now.” Starsky repeated.

  Linda looked at the Doctor Cole.  “Please Doctor is there some way that his partner can see him?  I think it will help both of them.”

  “Detective is still out,” the doctor said.

  “I understand that,” Starsky said, “I need to see him…he needs to hear me.”

  Dr. Cole shrugged, this had been a strange case all the way around.  “Alright but only for a few minutes and only you,” he said to Starsky then turned to Linda, “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” Linda said she understood the bond between the two partners and knew if anybody could pull Hutch out of this Starsky could.

  Leaving the others in the waiting room Dr. Cole, after finding a wheel chair for Starsky, took him to see Hutch.  The room was darkened, there were several machines hooked up to Hutch and he had IV’s dripping once again.  “I’ll leave you two alone but make it quick.”

  Starsky nodded and walked to Hutch’s bedside.  The condition of Hutch frightened him.  Of all the times he has seen his partner laying in a hospital bed this was the worst.  “Hutch,” Starsky whispered leaning down to his ear. The bandage on his neck was new enormous, he was pale to the point of being almost white.  “Hang in there Hutch, I’m here…I’m here for you.”

  Suddenly the heart monitor started beeping loudly, with in moments the room was filled with nurses and Dr. Cole.  “Code Blue,” the doctor shouted. Then to one of the nurses, “Get him out of here.”

  Starsky was whisked out of the room and was left standing frightened in the hallway as more people poured into Hutch’s room.

 

 

Chapter 18

 

 

   “Miss Starsky?” a nurse appeared in the doorway of the waiting room.  Linda had gotten Megan a Coke and coffees for the adults.

  “Yes?” Hannah sat her cup on the table and got up.

  “Could you come and get your father?” the woman requested.

  “Sure, is there anything wrong?” Hannah asked, the nurse looked as though there was something she was not telling them.

  She took a deep breath, “I’m sorry to have to tell you this but Mr. Hutchinson went into cardiac arrest.”

  “What?” Linda jumped from her seat and followed Hannah.  “Why didn’t someone come and get us.”

  “I just did,” the nurse said.

  “No you came to tell Hannah her father needed her.” Linda glared at the woman.

  The nurse took a deep breath, “I’m sorry, it’s just this has been a rather stressful day.”

  You can say that again, Linda thought as she brushed by the nurse.  “You stay here Megan, I’ll be right back.”

  The nurse went to sit beside Megan she felt that was the least she could do for being rude.  “Hi honey, what’s your name?”

 

   Linda and Hannah found Starsky slumped in a wheel chair in the hall out side Hutch’s room.  Curtains where draw across the big glass window so that they couldn’t see in.  He looked up as Hannah called out his name; tears were flowing down as cheeks as he held his arms out for his daughter.

  “Let me take you back to your room Daddy,” Hannah said holding him.

  “No I want to be here, I need to say goodbye,” Starsky said softly.

  “Goodbye? Uncle Hutch is going to be fine.”

  “Just how much can one human body take Hannah?  Do you know how much he has been through?  He shouldn’t even be alive now…he just can’t hold on any longer.” Starsky said with a sob in his voice.

  Moments later Dr. Cole came into the hall, “We got him back.”

  “Thank god,” Linda breathed.

  “How much more of this can he take?” Starsky wanted to know.

  “If he arrests again I don’t think he will pull through,” Dr. Cole told them honestly.  “I’m fearing heart damage now.  If he makes it he might have to have surgery in the future to repair some of the damage.” As the doctor talked the medical personally that had been in the room slowly exited and went back to their jobs.  “Miss Albright if you would like to see him I think it would be alright.”

  Fear gripped Linda’s heart, she knew that the doctor didn’t expect Hutch to live and he was going to allow her to say goodbye.  “Thank you doctor,” she had tears in her eyes as she entered the room.  Hutch looked as if he were dead already. If Linda hadn’t known it was him she wouldn’t have even recognized him.  She went to the bedside and took his hand gently.  “Oh baby,” she whispered.  “We never got a chance did we? It’s all my fault, if I had just trusted you and told you about Megan maybe none of this would have happened.” She leaned over and kissed his lips.  “I love you Ken Hutchinson.”

  Linda left the room and went down the hall to the bathroom Hannah started to follow her when the doctor stopped her, “Miss Starsky would you like to see him?”

  She nodded then entered the room, “Oh Uncle Hutch look at you.   You got to pull through Rosie will miss her Uncle.  She needs somebody to take her to Disneyland.”  Hannah smiled as she thought about the time that Hutch had taken her there even though she was eighteen at the time.  She bent and kissed his cheek, “I’ll be praying for you.”

  When Hannah came out she went to find Linda. It was now Starsky’s turn, he was almost afraid to go in again. The last time had been a disaster. He slowly got up out of the wheel chair and pushed open the door to his partner’s room.  He went and sat on the edge of the bed.  “Hey ya Hutch.”  What more could he say, Starsky knew Hutch was aware of how he felt about him.  He was family had been almost since the first day they had met at the academy.  He remembered they had taken an instant likening to each other.  They have been there for each other ever since, through the good and the bad.

  Starsky felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up, it was Dr. Cole, “I think we need to get you back to your room Detective Starsky.”

  Starsky nodded numbly.  “How long?”

  Dr. Cole shook his head, “Hours, days, it’s hard to say how long a human body can hang on when they aren’t ready to go and I would say your partner has one of the strongest wills to live that I have ever seen.”

  “Thank you doctor,” Starsky said, grateful to the doctor for giving him even a sliver of hope.

  Linda and Hannah were coming back up the hall it was noticeable that both women had been crying.  “Can I make a suggestion?” Dr. Cole asked.

  “Of course,” Linda said.

  “Go home, both of you,” then he turned to Starsky. “And you need to get back to bed.  If anything happens I’ll call.”

  Hannah was exhausted, Linda too and both were mentally drained. “Alright Dr. Cole.” Hannah turned to Linda, “Why don’t you and Megan come home with me then at least we will all be together.”

  They escorted Starsky back to his room then left the hospital. Rosie was over joyed to see her mother.  Hannah thanked Mrs. Clark profusely, and then explained that she could be called back to the hospital at any moment.  Mrs. Clark assured her it would be no problem for her to take little Rosie again. 

  After telling her guest to make them selves at home Hannah went and took a hot shower.  Linda held Rosie as Megan tickled her, “I didn’t know that Hannah had a baby.” 

  “You want to hold her?” Linda asked, “Her name is Rosie after her grand mother.”

  “Are you sure it’s okay?”

  “Sure,” Linda said handing the baby to her daughter.

 

  Three days past and there was no change, Hutch neither got better nor worse.  Starsky held camped out in front his partners room as much as he could until the nurses would chase him back to bed. He was allowed to see him five minutes once an hour.  Those five minutes would speed by, but he talked of everything they did leaving nothing out.  “Ya remember when I first met Rosie?  We were out running, you the heath nut making me run you damn near killed me buddy.”  Starsky chuckled at the thought.  “You kept me together when she left. Helped me through Terri too, I just never seemed to have much luck with love uh?  But you, you have Linda now and Megan, she seems like a great kid. She really does, just dealt a rough hand. I think you will make a great father.”

  Hour after hour for his five minutes Starsky recounted all their adventures the good and the bad.  He was healing as he talked to his best friend.  The therapy helped and got him to accept things but talking it all out with Hutch was helping the most and Starsky realized that if the worse happened and Hutch died that he could accept it and go on with his life if not for himself for Hannah and Rosie.  He made peace with the idea that Hutch was probably not going to make it this time.  And every minute, every hour, every day was a gift from God that he was given with his best friend.

  The three days turned into three weeks. Starsky had been long released from the hospital but barely budged from the hall out side Hutch’s room. Others came to visit but were only allowed to stand out in the hall, Dobey, Huggy and countless officers came to pay their respects and lend their support.  Hannah and Linda spent as much time at the hospital as they could but life was slowly starting to go on.  Hannah had Rosie to think of and care for Linda had Megan. The girl needed so much not only love and support but clothes and things that a teenage girl would like.

  At one point there was a lead on the Collin’s, they had been spotted some place in Kansas but eluded police before they could catch them. The authorities were concerned for the remaining children; Adam and Cathy Collin were wanted for murder.

  Megan had shrank back against Linda when she heard the news but Linda told Megan she needed not fear them any longer that she was hers.  They had already made plans to change Megan’s name from Collin to Albright.  Linda had beamed when Megan had asked her.  At first Linda wanted to wait when she and Hutch were married then Megan could take the Hutchinson name then Linda realized that might never happen and agreed.

 

  It was almost a month to the day that Hutch had been shot when Dr. Cole called the family to come to the hospital he had something he wanted to discuss with them.  They assembled in the doctor’s office and waited for the doctor to join them.

  Dr. Cole showed up with a grim expression on his face and a thick file in his hand.  “Please have a seat.” He said as he sat behind his desk.

  “Is Hutch worse?” Linda asked.

  “There is no change that is what I want to talk to you all about.”  Dr. Cole answered.  “As you know Detective has been on live support since he came from the operating room.  He does have brain activity which is good but he has not awakened as of yet.  We aren’t sure what this means.  I hate to keep holding out hope to all of you, dragging this out, prolonging your pain.”

  “What are you trying to say doctor?” Starsky asked tired of playing games.

  “What I propose is to turn off his life support.”

  Linda gasped and went white, “But he will die with out it.”

  “He might and he might not. We have had many people live with out their life support. I think it’s time.”

  “Could we have some time to discuss this?”  Starsky asked.

  “Of course.  Call me when you have decided.”

 

 

 

Chapter 19

 

 

   “Turn off the life support,” Starsky said as soon as the door was closed.

   “WHAT?” Hannah gasped shocked at her father’s words.

   “You bastard!”  Linda moved across the room and slapped Starsky full force across the face then began to pummel his chest with her fists as tears ran down her face. Starsky grabbed her wrists.  “I can’t believe this is what you want, how dare you.”

  “This isn’t what I want,” Starsky said calmly releasing Linda’s arms but ready in case she attacked again.  “This is what Hutch would want.”

  “You call this discussing it?” Linda stormed walking away from him.

  “Do you really think that Hutch wants to lie hooked up to machines for the rest of his life? A month ago the doctor said he probably had hours or maybe days to live but he has hung on for a month.  I say turn it off, if he lives on his own then it’s meant to be. If he stops breathing then he’s ready to let go, he can’t go on like this.”

 “I can’t let go, what about me?” Linda sobbed, Hannah went over to her putting her arms around her.

  “Daddy are you sure about this?” Hannah asked looking shaken.

  Starsky took a deep breath angrily he spat out, “Do you really think I could ever be sure about losing my best friend?  No I’m not sure but what I am sure of is if this was reversed and Hutch had this decision to make for me he would say the same thing. And it would be the right decision because I sure wouldn’t want to live hooked up to that fucking machine.”

  “Linda,” Hannah said softly, “What do you say?”

  She was quiet for a long time, then looked up, “You’re right Starsky, Hutch wouldn’t want to live this way would he?”

  “Do you think we should call everybody?” Hannah asked.

  Starsky shook his head, “I don’t think Hutch would want to die with an audience. Everybody has already said their goodbyes nobody expected him to live his long.  Let’s just do this.”

 

  Starsky, Hannah and Linda stood in the room clutching each other as Dr. Cole and a nurse began to unhook Hutch from the machines.  They had said good bye to him each in their own way now all that was left was to wait and watch.

  Dr. Cole turned to them.  “We will be leaving the IV’s in those are medication and his source of food everything else will be remove.”  Before he turned off the final machine he asked. “Are you sure?”

  They all nodded.  The doctor turned off the machine the room was dead silent except for the beep of the heart monitor. Linda buried her face in Starsky’s shoulder she could not watch the man she loved die.  The blip on the heart monitor didn’t change it was still steady.  Suddenly Hutch gasped and took his first breath on his own in a month.

  Starsky looked at the monitor wondering if that was Hutch’s last breath if he had just died but the blip was still steady his heart was still beating. 

 “Well I’ll be damn, “ the doctor said under his breath as Hutch’s chest began rhythmically raising and falling.  “Check his blood pressure.”

  The nurse did so and looked up at the doctor amazed.  “It’s normal Dr. Cole.”

  The doctor turned to look at the trio, “Detective Hutchinson isn’t ready to leave you yet.”

  Out in the hall Starsky asked. “Now what?”

  “I guess we are back to waiting and watching. I am documenting this case since there has never been one like it. If he recovers this will be one for the history books.”  Dr. Cole answered.

  “Is there anything we can do?”  Linda asked.

  “Just keep up what you have been doing. Talk to him; spend as much time as you possibly can. Keep his brain stimulated, we know it is functioning we just don’t know how well. I think we will move him out of intensive care now.”  The doctor looked at the three of them.  “I have another hard question.”

  “Shoot,” Starsky said.

  “I would like to put a do not resuscitate order on Detective Hutchinson’s chart.”  He answered.

  “A what?” Linda asked although she was pretty sure she knew what it meant.

  “If his heart would stop beating again we would just let him go.” Dr. Cole answered.

  Linda nodded this time with out hesitation.  “I don’t think he could with stand it anyway.”

  “I’m sure you are right. Every time we have to resuscitate him he takes steps backward.” The doctor explained. “He can’t stand to go backward any more.”

  The next few days gave Hutch’s friends hope as his color began to return to normal and his brain activity began to increase.  Hannah even snuck little Rosie in to see her uncle. One of them was with Hutch around the clock as if they were afraid if they left him alone he would die.

 

   Linda opened the door to her apartment.  She had stopped to pick up dinner for her and Megan on the way home.  “Megan can you help…” She stopped mid sentence. A lamp was smash on the floor the coffee table was tipped over and plant was over turned dirt covered the carpet.  “Megan?”

  There was no answer from the girl.  Linda reached over and righted the table then put down the bags of food. She went down to hall to Megan’s room, it was empty but her room looked even worse than the living room had.  Her sheets were pulled from her bed clothes were flung all over the room.  The bedside table was tipped over and that lamp smash too.

  Fear race through Linda’s veins as she ran through the apartment searching for her daughter, calling out her name.  “Oh God,” Linda said as tears course down her cheeks.  She grabbed the phone and dialed Starsky’s number.

  “Hello?”

  “Oh Hannah is your dad there,” Linda said in a trembling voice.

  “He’s at the hospital with Uncle Hutch,” Hannah answered. “What’s the matter?”

  “It’s Megan, she is gone.”

  “What?” Hannah asked startled.  “Are you sure? Do you think she ran away again?”

  Linda was almost sobbing.  “N-no I think she was taken.”

 “I’ll call daddy at the hospital and I’ll be right over,” Hannah told her friend. After hanging up she called Hutch’s room.

  When the phone rang Starsky was reading the newspaper out loud to Hutch a ritual that he had come to do every day.  “Yeah?” he said answering the phone that rarely rang.

  “Daddy you have got to get over to Linda’s,” Hannah said as she was getting Rosie ready to leave.

  “What’s happened?”

  “It’s Megan, Linda thinks that maybe she was kidnapped.”

  Starsky looked over at Hutch, “I’ll be right there.” He hung up the phone then leaned over his lips next to Hutch’s ear, “Come on bubby I think we are going to need you on this one.”

 

  Hannah was the first to arrive at the apartment, Starsky shortly after, they found Linda sitting on Megan’s bed clutching her pillow.  Starsky knelt next to her, “Are you alright?”

  Linda shook her head, “I just can’t take anymore.”

  “I know sweetie,” Starsky said putting his hand on her cheek to wipe away a tear.  “Have you called the police?”

 “I called you.”

  Starsky turned to Hannah, “Call the station get the crime lab over here to dust for prints.”  Then he looked at Linda, “Are you sure she didn’t just take off?”

  “Look at this place there has been a struggle in here.”

  For the first time he really looked around, he had been so concerned about Linda when he had come in that he hadn’t noticed the mess.  “Have you touched anything?”

 Linda shrugged, “The phone, I righted the coffee table and…” she held out the pillow.

  “Alright just hang on and don’t jump to conclusions until the crime lab gets here uh?”

 

  An hour later the whole apartment had been dusted for prints the results whisk to the lab, along with hair samples and anything else they could fine that might lead them to the kidnapper. 

 Only five miles away, Megan lay on a motel bed her hands and legs bound her mouth taped.  She had been doing some cleaning to help out when the doorbell had rung.  “Yes?” Megan called through the closed door.  When nobody answered she looked through the peephole but saw nobody. Thinking it was just a kid pulling a prank she went back to her dusting.  Moments later the bell rang again.  This time she yanked open the door.  Her mouth fell open she backed away into the room, “W-what are you doing here?  Get out, leave me alone!” She cried.

 

 

Chapter 20

 

   Linda sat on the couch near hysterics, it was just too much first Megan was had run away, then Hutch and now once again Megan was gone.  Hannah sat next to her trying to comfort Linda.  Starsky sat down on the edge of the coffee table.  “Linda,” He said she brought her eyes up to meet his; there was so much defeat in them it made his heart hurt.  “Try to think has there been anybody hanging round, any strange phone calls…”

  “For god sakes Starsky I’m a cop don’t you think I would notice something like that,” Linda snapped then burst into tears again.  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

  Starsky took her hands in his, “It’s alright Linda, and I’m going to find her.”

  “Look where that got Hutch,” she answered bitterly.  She could never say the words out loud but she was almost wishing that Megan had never come back into her life.  She hated herself for feeling like that but things had been fine, she and Hutch were going to get married.  Now she wasn’t even sure if he was going to make it and Megan was gone.

  Suddenly Starsky’s face brightened, “Carlos,” he said excitedly.

  “What?” Hannah asked confused.  “Carlos is dead.”

  “Yeah but I bet he has people, people that might want to seek revenge for his death.” Starsky said.  “Linda can you get that friend of yours from vice over here for me?”

  Linda nodded, then got up to go and call him.

  Arnie Becker arrived at Linda’s apartment with in thirty minutes eager to help.  “So what have you got?” he as upon entering the apartment.

  “Not much,” Starsky said, “Some broken furniture, looks like there was a scuffle.  So we are assuming that Megan didn’t leave of her own free will.”

  “And you think that some how Carlos has something to do with this?” Arnie asked. “The man is six feet under.”

  “But his people aren’t, didn’t he have a driver, body guard? Somebody that might want to avenge his death?” Starsky asked.

  “Not many liked Carlos very much, he was a user.” Becker answered.  “He did have this big guy that did his dirty work for him though.” Becker squeezed his eyes closed as he tried to remember his name.  “EDDIE!” the vice officer exclaimed, “His name was Eddie, huge guy, drove for him, played bodyguard when the need a raised.”

  “Eddie what?” Starsky asked.

  “Just Eddie, it’s even on his rap sheet, no last name.” Arnie said.  “I haven’t heard anything about him since Carlos took that header off the roof, his organization pretty much just fell apart when he died.” 

  “Don’t you think it’s a bit odd that Carlos would be at that hospital with out this Eddie?  If he was his driver slash body guard wouldn’t he have been there with him?” Starsky said thinking to himself out loud.

  “You do have a point there.  Eddie must have some how gotten out of the hospital undetected.” Arnie said.

  “What about all the reports didn’t somebody see this guy?” Starsky asked. 

 “I’ll call one of my men and have they go thought the accounts of that day see if this big guy turns up.  He’s pretty hard to miss.”  Arnie said slipping his cell phone from his pocket and going into the kitchen.

  “But why now?” Linda asked, it’s been over a month.

  “Maybe he was laying low, making sure we weren’t looking for him.” Starsky suggested.

  “What can I do,” Hannah asked feeling helpless with out her shield she really couldn’t be involved in the case.

  “Why don’t you go and tell Hutch what happened,” Starsky said. 

 

  Megan struggled against the ropes on her wrists; she had just been through this nightmare.  He had left saying he was going out for food but the last thing she was, was hungry.  She wondered how a man that had claimed to love her, who had cared for as a father could now kidnap her and tie her up.  She wondered where Cathy was she and Adam were rarely apart unless they were working.

  The door suddenly opened and Adam Collin stood there with two sacks of fast food.  He tossed the food on a table that stood by the door then he sat down without a word and opened one of the bags.

  “If you be a good girl I’ll untie you so that you can eat.” he said. Megan just glared at him she didn’t want any favors from this monster. “Oh don’t be that way Megs.”

  She cringed at his use of the pet name he had given her as a young child.  He got up and walked over to the bed and began to untie her hands then he ripped the tape from her mouth.  “You scream I’ll kill you,” he said matter-of-factly as he turned to sit back down at the table.

  “Why?” she asked, “Why are you doing this?”

  He threw her one of the sacks of food. “You are the only family I have left.”

  “What about the other kids what about Cath…mom?” Megan asked leaving the bag unopened.

  “We left the kids some where in Kansas, the police are after your mother and I did you know that?”

 Megan shook her head no but she had known for Linda had told her that they were wanted for murder.  “I’m sorry but where is mom?”

  “She isn’t a strong woman all this has destroyed her.” He said vaguely.

  “Is she coming to meet us?” Megan asked trying to smile hoping that perhaps if she could win his trust she could escape.

  “No Megs she isn’t coming to meet us,” Adam said as he sipped on his drink. “She’s dead.”

  The words echoed in her head, “Dead? What happened?”

  “I killed her.”

 

   Hutch still lay in the hospital bed with only a heart monitor and a single IV running. He had held his own from the day they had disconnected all the other machines.  They measured his brain activity almost daily, each day it increase a bit but he was still out.

  Hannah walked into the room hopeful, as she always was when she entered. Thinking that by some miracle he had woke up or that he would awake as she entered.  But as always nothing had changed. She wondered why she held out that hope since she knew that the nurses would call if anything major happened.  There was even talk of moving him to some type of long-term care facility.  His wounds were healing and there was nothing else the hospital could do for him.

  She took his hand as always, “Hi Uncle Hutch,” but the cheerfulness she always tried to keep in her voice faltered and tears spilled down her cheeks.  “Oh please wake up, Linda needs you…we all need you.  Megan is missing Uncle Hutch we think Carlos’s bodyguard kidnapped her.  Do you know anything about him? Please wake up and help us.  Linda is about to go to pieces.”  Hannah sat down in the ever-present chair next to his bed; she clutched his hand willing him to wake. 

 

   Eddie was sitting at the bar in a seedy smoked filled establishment.  He had a half finished beer in front of him when two police officers stepped through the front door.  He had been watching and waiting for them to come for him.  Eddie might have been big but he was far from stupid and he knew that some day he would get ID’ed from the hospital when the smoke cleared.  He had decided to go quietly, to answer their questions hoping to avoid incriminating himself. After all it was his word against who ever fingered him.  He would say he didn’t kill anybody that it was all Carlos maybe he would get out of spending the rest of his life in jail.

  But sitting in the interrogation room Eddie was a little more than shocked when Starsky and Becker accused him of kidnapping the girl…for a second time.

  “Hey I haven’t seen the brat since the warehouse.” He growled at them. “Why would I take her this time?”

  “I don’t know why don’t you tell me?” Starsky said looking the man in the eye.

  “I swear I don’t know what you are taking about.”  Eddie said starting to look worried.  “I left Carlos on the roof with that cop. He told me to leave, I did. I have been hiding out ever since.”

  “You want us to put you under the jail Eddie?” Becker said inching closer to the man.  “We have enough on you that you will never see the light of day.  But maybe if you tell us where the girl is we can help you out a bit.”

  “I swear to God I don’t know where she is. Don’t you think I would tell you to save my own ass?”

  “Not if you have already killed her.” Starsky said hating to think the words let alone say them.

  “I haven’t killed anybody you have got to believe me. I haven’t seen her I swear.”

  Becker pulled on the back of Starsky’s shirt and they went to the corner to confer. “I don’t think he knows what we are talking about.” Becker said regretfully.

  “I don’t either.  So who in the hell has Megan?” Starsky asked.

  “You think there is a chance this girl stage the apartment to look like she was kidnapped then just took off?”  Becker asked.

 Starsky shrugged, “I guess anything is possible but for the moment I want to treat it as a kidnapping for Linda’s sake.

 

 

Chapter 21

 

 

   “So what are you going to do with me?” Megan asked, she still hadn’t touched the food Adam had brought her.

  He shrugged, “Not much sense in keeping you around I have lost everything else.”

  A tingle of fear ran though Megan there was only one thing he could mean. “Just let me go I won’t tell anybody, in fact I’ll just take off I won’t go back to Linda either. I’ll just disappear.”

  “I don’t think so.”

 

  Starsky and Becker were just coming out of the interrogation room when Dobey who had been looking for his detective motioned for them.  “What’s up Cap?” Starsky asked.

  Dobey handed Starsky a sheet of paper, he had just got it off the fax machine.  “I don’t know if this means anything but I thought you might like to see it.”

  Starsky quickly read the fax, “Holy shit,” He said then handed the paper to Becker.  “At least they have the kids, they are safe.  But they found Cathy Collin dead in a motel room?  So were is the husband?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine,” Dobey said, “Lets get out an APB on this Adam Collin just in case he comes back here.”

  “Looking for Megan,” Becker said.

  “You think?” Starsky asked.

  “This guy is seriously warped and I’m betting he is the one that killed his wife. Maybe he blames her for the kids getting taken.”

  Starsky started nodding his head as he caught on.  “And maybe he blames Megan too after all this whole mess started because of her.  He knows where Linda lives.”

  “Let’s see if they have anything on those prints then we will know for sure.” Becker suggested.

 

  Howard Sanders was backlogged up to his eyeballs; he hadn’t even gotten the evidence from Megan’s case yet.  He looked over the top of his glass as Starsky and Becker walked into his office.  “Ok guys don’t start, half my staff is out with the flu.”

  “Come on Howard this needs to be pushed through, it’s a kidnapping case,” Starsky replied.  “She is fifteen.”

  “Damn it those are suppose to be marked special, kidnapping cases are always a priority.” Howard said rummaging round in a box of bags that were sitting at his feet.  “What’s the name on it?”

  “Probably Linda Albright since it happened at her apartment.” Becker spoke up.

  “Yep here it is.” Howard said pulling the evidence from the box. “I’ll get right on it and give you boys a call.”

  “We’ll wait,” Starsky said.

  “Suit yourself.”

  Thirty minutes later Howard handed the two officers a print out, the name jumped out at them, Adam Collin. It was his fingerprints all over Linda’s apartment there was no doubt that he had Megan. 

  “So we at least know who we are looking for.” Becker said. “I guess we had better tell Linda.”

  “Dobey’s hunch was right.  Let’s hope somebody spots him before he either kills Megan or takes her out of the city.”  Starsky said.

 

  Killing was all that Adam Collin had on his mind.  He would first kill off the little troublemaker then himself. His had nothing to live for anymore.  His family was gone Megan had destroyed that.  He should have killed her when she had gotten so defiant, just has he had the other two before her.  But Cathy had begged him not to fearful they might set off some alarms if one more child came up missing. They had told the police the last two times that their adopted children had run off.  Now everything was ruined.

  Megan sat quietly on the bed she had finally relented and began eating the burger. She was starving she hadn’t had anything since lunch.  She wondered what Linda was doing.  She thought of Starsky, Hannah and Hutch now they had opened their hearts to her so easily.  It made her realize that there were good people in the world; not every body was like the Collin’s.

  She looked over at Adam who was now busy writing on a pad of hotel paper.  And envelope was banked against the base of the lamp.  Who could he be writing?  “Is it ok if I go to the bathroom?” she said in almost a whisper.

  He looked up from his writings, “Sure go head.”

  Megan didn’t like the tone in his voice. He had been angry before but now he sounded defeated, sad, as if he had given up.  Maybe she could talk her way out of this, maybe he would let her go.  She took a long time in the bathroom, thinking of what she was going to say to him. Hoping that he had a bit of humanity left in him.

 When she came out of the bathroom Adam had finished the letter he was sitting in the chair a gun lay across his lap.  Megan stopped in her tracks afraid to approach him.  “Come sit down.” He said with no emotion in his voice.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “What I should have done along time ago.  Things might have been different for us then.” He said woodenly.  His eyes didn’t leave hers. “Now sit down.”

  “NO,” Megan yelled. “I’m not going to just let you shoot me with out a fight. I have done nothing wrong. You are crazy.”

  Anger flashed across his face and Adam raised the gun pointing it at Megan then he slowly pulled the trigger.  Megan tried to dive out of the way but she felt a sharp pain and she fell to the floor.  She was dimly aware of a second shot. She wasn’t sure if she had been shot a second time or not as darkness fell upon her.

 

   “Where?”  Starsky shouted into the microphone.  “That isn’t far from Linda’s apartment.”

  Becker who had been getting them a couple of cups of coffee had just slid back into the car when. “What’s up?”

  “Somebody called the hotline, seems they saw a man matching Adam Collin’s description going into a Motel 6 about five miles from where Linda lives.”  Starsky said as he brought the car to life.

  “Was the girl with him?” Becker asked as he dumped the coffee out the window and slapped the bubble light on top of the Torino. 

  “The caller didn’t see a girl, said he was carrying what looked like sacks of food.”  Starsky said as he turned into traffic.

  “You think I should call Linda?” Becker asked.

  Starsky shook his head, “Let’s check it out first. I don’t want to get her hopes up and if it’s gone bad I want to have time to prepare her for it.”

  Becker shook his head in agreement.  “She’s with Hutch?”

  “Yeah I thought that might help keep her mind off this, Hannah is there too.”  Starsky said as he cruised though a red light amongst honking horns.  “Ass holes,” He said under his breath as he continued on toward the motel.

 

  By the time that Starsky and Becker to got the parking lot of the motel a crowd was growing. Gawking hoping to see some action.  “What the hell is this?” Starsky stormed as he jumped out of his car.   Two black and whites pulled in behind him.  He walked back to the first one.  “What is going on here?”

  The officer shrugged as he got out of the squad car. “Your guess is as good as mine.

  The lobby door of the motel opened and a man came running across the parking lot toward them.  “Thank god you are here. Get that nut out of there!”

  “Who?”

  “T-that man that killed his wife and kidnapped that girl.” He said unable to believe they didn’t know.

  “First off we don’t even know if it’s him, second off how do you know so much about it?” Starsky asked.

 “It’s all over the news.” He exclaimed. “I’m the one that called it in. I saw that Adam guy walking across the parking lot with McDonald’s bags. I called the hotline, is there a reward.”

  Becker rolled his eyes.  “I’m not sure.  Where did all these people come from?”

  “They are staying here, plus a few passerby’s.”

  “And how did they find out about this?” Starsky snapped.

  “I told them…well not all of them but I guess word spread.”

  “Christ!” Becker said.  Then he turned to one of the officers. “Get these people back in their rooms before somebody gets hurt.”

  “Room number?” Starsky asked.

  “111.”

  “Ok, now get back in the office.” Starsky said to the night manager.

  “What about the reward.”

  “We’ll let you know.”

  “Stupid son-of-a-bitch.” Becker said under his breath.

  Fortunately room 111 was toward the back of the parking lot, the two officers hoped that Collin if it were indeed Collin, hadn’t been alerted to the goings on.

  Starsky suddenly missed Hutch; they always knew what each other were thinking without having to say a word.  Just a look or a nod of the head and they knew each other’s thoughts. Starsky wondered if he would ever have that with his partner again.

  “You ready?” Becker asked.  Several other officers had joined them as back up.

 

Chapter 22

 

 

   Just as Starsky and Becker were ready to knock on the door there were two gunshots.  They both jumped back startled then burst through the door.  It only opened a few inches as a body was blocking the way.  The other officers help push the door the rest of the way open. Becker stopped to check on the man blocking the door. “It’s Collin.” Becker announced.

  Starsky looked around, at first he didn’t see Megan then he saw a tennis shoe sticking out next to one of the beds. Megan had fallen between the wall and the bed as she had been trying to dive out of the way.  He rush to check on her fearing the worst but as he leaned over the bed her heard her groan.

  “Megan?” he said, “It’s me Starsky.”

  Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him.  “Starsky,” she said tears in her voice.  “My father…uh Adam he..he…”

  “I know sweetie, he’s not going to hurt you anymore.”  Starsky said.  “Are you Okay?”

  “I-I’m not sure,” she stammered. “He shot me.”

 “Do you know where?”

 “No I can’t tell.”

  As Starsky was talking to her paramedics poured into the room.  It was clear that Adam Collin was dead; he was covered with a white sheet until the coroner could get there.  A hand patted Starsky on the shoulder.  “Let us have a look at her.”

  Starsky nodded and started to move away.  “NO!” Megan called out.

  “I’ll be right here honey I’m not going any where. Let the paramedics have a look at ya okay?”

  Megan nodded but her eyes didn’t leave the dark headed detective.  “Where does it hurt?” one of the men asked.

  “I’m just kind of numb,” Megan answered.

  “Can you move?” he asked. “If we can get you out from between the wall and the bed we can get a better look at you.”

 “I-I think so,” Megan said, she was afraid to move, afraid it would hurt.

  “Come on Megan you can do,” Starsky encouraged.

  Slowly Megan maneuvered herself out of the crack.  “Owww,” she cried out.

  “Looks like you were hit in the arm,” the paramedic said once he had her sitting up against the bed.  After examining it more carefully he looked up at Starsky.  “She is a lucky girl, the bullet only grazed her upper arm.  But I think she should still take a trip to the ER and have it cleaned up.”

  “Would it be alright if I took her?” Starsky asked.

 “I don’t see why not, let me wrap it up to keep any dirt out so it doesn’t get infected.”

  

  “Linda we got her,” Starsky said in to he microphone from the car he had the station patch him through to Hutch’s room hoping she would still be there.  “She is sitting right her beside me.  I’m bringing her in to the ER; you meet us there in about ten minutes.”

  “Thank you Starsky,” Linda said through her tears. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

 “How’s Hutch?” Starsky asked.

 “No change,” Linda said sadly as she looked at him lying in the bed.  After she hung up she leaned over Hutch.  “Starsky found Megan. I know you would have been right out there with him if you could have been.” 

 Linda sat down in the chair next to the bed, tears coursing down her face, she was happy that Megan had been found but it was breaking her heart to watch Hutch waste away.  She had been doing some thinking that last couple of days and had just come to a decision on the way home from work.  She was going to tell Megan her plan over dinner.  Now she knew there was no turning back...she was taking her daughter and leaving California.

  “Linda?” Hannah had just returned to there from getting them coffee.  “Has something happened?”

  Linda nodded, “Starsky found Megan, he is bringing her here. I have to meet them in the ER.”

  Hannah threw her arms around Linda, “I’m so happy for you.”

  “I better get down there,” Linda said hugging Hannah back.  Linda went over to Hutch’s bedside, leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips.  “I love you Ken Hutchinson.” 

  Hannah didn’t see Linda slip off the engagement ring and lay it on the bedside table.  “I’ll go with you.”

 

   As Starsky and Megan walked through the ER waiting room doors, they met Linda and Hannah.  Linda held out her arms to Megan who ran to her with out hesitation.  “I didn’t think I would see you again.” Megan cried.

  Linda noticed her arm, “Oh God you are hurt.”

  “It’s not much, Collin grazed her arm trying to shoot her. I guess he thought he did the job because he turned the gun on himself…he’s dead.”  Starsky said.

  “It’s over, it’s over,” Linda repeated hugging her daughter closely.  “Let’s get that arm looked at and then I’ll take you home.”

  Linda put her arm around her daughter’s shoulders and went to find a doctor to look at the wound.  Starsky put his arm around his own daughter, “This has been some crazy few months uh?”

  Hannah put her head on his shoulder, “you can say that again.”

  “So how’s Hutch?” Starsky asked.  He hadn’t made his usual visit since he had been out looking for Megan.

  “The same daddy always the same,” Hannah took his hand.  “Let’s go say goodnight before we leave.”

  Hutch looked as though he were just peacefully sleeping as father and daughter entered the room.  It was hard to think that he might never wake up.  It had been a step forward that he hadn’t died when he had been disconnected from the machines and the fact that he was actually getting better day by day so why hadn’t he woke up?

  Something caught Hannah’s eye on the bedside table she was stunned when she got close enough to see what it was.  She picked up the engagement ring and held it for Starsky to see. 

 “Isn’t that that the ring Hutch gave Linda?” Starsky questioned taking it from her.

  “Yeah it is,” Hannah looked at Hutch sadly he was loosing so much. 

  “What’s going on?”  Starsky asked.

   Hannah shrugged, “I don’t know but I’m going to find out.”

  “Let me talk to her you need to go spend sometime with my granddaughter before she forgets who her mother is.” Starsky said kissing the top of Hannah’s head. “I’ll be home in a little while.”

 

   Linda had just stepped from the shower when she heard the soft knock on her door.  She padded to the door and looked out the peephole. She wasn’t surprised to see Starsky standing there.  She knew he found the ring.  Linda opened the door and motioned for him to come in as she put her finger to her lips.  “Megan is sleeping,” she whispered.

  Starsky nodded and followed her into the kitchen.  Linda put on a kettle of water to boil.  “Tea?”

  Starsky shook his head he had never been much of a tea drinker.  “What’s going on?”

  “We are leaving,” Linda said. She had decided not to play coy games with Starsky she owed him that much.

  “Leaving?”

  “Starsky I can’t take any more.  I have watched Hutch lay there for how long?  I’m a wreck and all this isn’t good for Megan either. She needs a normal life time to get on her feet.”

  “What about Hutch? When he wakes up and you are gone.  You and he were engaged and now he is going to wake up and you’ll be gone, left him as he…”

  “Just stop it Starsky. You don’t need to lay anymore of a guilt trip on me that I haven’t laid my self.  I love Hutch but I love my daughter too and I owe it to her.”  Linda turned her back to him as tears spilled down her cheeks.  “We are leaving for Florida in the morning. I called my mom she said to come. It’s time for me to heal too. Hutch will understand that.”

  “Are you sure of that?” Starsky was angry, how could she just walk out on Hutch leave him lying in a hospital bed and live her own life.

  “Yes I’m sure of that.” Linda answered.  “We might be back someday. But I don’t want Hutch to hold on to hope.  He deserves to be happy and if he thinks because I kept his ring that I will be coming back that isn’t fair. 

  “What am I suppose to tell him?”  Starsky asked tears standing in his own eyes.

  “Just tell him I went home.” Linda said.

 

 

Chapter 23

 

  It was exactly a week from the when Linda and Megan left that the phone rang at 2 am in the Starsky household.  Starsky rolled over and looked at the clock.  He groaned a call at that hour meant nothing but trouble.  He made a mental roll call in his head; his daughter and granddaughter were safely asleep in their beds.  So it had to be about…Hutch, Starsky felt fear course through him, there could only be one reason the hospital would be calling at this time of morning.  He grabbed the phone, “Starsky.”

  “Mr. Starsky this is Sally Hutch’s night nurse.” The young woman on the other end of the phone said.

  “Is-is he dead?” Starsky asked almost unable to say the words.

  “Oh no, we think he might be waking up.”  Sally said delighted that she was the one to tell Hutch’s partner the news.

  “What?” Starsky leaped out of bed.  “I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

  As Starsky bounded out into the hall, shirt in hand, Hannah was just coming out of her room to see who had been on the phone.  “What’s going on Daddy?”

 “It’s Hutch, he’s waking up.” Starsky shouted with glee and spun his daughter around in a circle.

  Hannah’s eyes widen in surprise all those days she had been hoping to hear that news, she had all but give up hope as the days had drug on.  “I’m coming with you.”

  “What about Rosie?”

  “She’s coming with us.”

 

  It was nearly three in the morning by the time the trio arrived at the hospital.  They flew past the nurse’s station toward Hutch’s room.  Starsky opened the door, he felt let down as he surveyed the room. Nothing had changed, the light was dim and Hutch was lying in the same position as they had left him in the night before.  His eyes were closed and his single IV was still pumping in nutrients. 

  Starsky walked slowly to the bed and looked down at his partner.  He felt like crying why had this nurse called them in the middle of the night to see this. Nothing had changed, nothing was ever going to change he had lost his partner forever.  He sat down defeated in the chair next to Hutch’s bed; Starsky put his head in his hands.

  Hannah moved closer, Rosie in her arms.  She felt anger rise in her; this was nothing but a cruel trick.  Rosie as if sensing the sadness in the room began crying as Hannah tried to comfort her daughter she looked over at Hutch.  She hated the fact that her daughter would never know him.  That was when she saw his hand move.

   At first she wasn’t sure she had seen what she thought she had.  As Rosie continued to cry Hannah walked to the side of the bed.  Hoping to see moment again. 

  “Shhhhh…don’t cry,” came the muffled almost inaudible words.

  Starsky looked up, he saw the shocked look on Hannah’s face.  Then they both looked at Hutch. His eyes were still closed but the expression on his face had changed.  Rosie suddenly stopped crying and when she did they could hear Hutch softly humming. 

 “Hutch, can you hear me Hutch?” Starsky got to his feet and leaned over the bed to with in inches of his partners face.  Hannah hit the call button at Hutch’s bed.

  Moments later Sally appeared in the room.  “I didn’t know you had arrived. I had to take care of another patient. I wanted to talk to you before you saw him.  I didn’t want you to expect too much when you saw Hutch.

  “Listen,” Starsky said sharply bring the nurse to silence.

  They stood and listened as the humming of the lullaby got louder. “He’s humming to Rosie,” Hannah said, “She started crying and he told her not to cry then started humming.”

  Sally smiled at them, “This is what I wanted to tell you. He’s not completely out but he’s coming back.  This is a very good sign earlier he was only moving his hands slightly.  That usually means that they are starting to come out of their coma.  But this…he talking, humming.  He’s coming back you are going to get him back.  I’ll go and call the doctor.  Keep talking to him don’t let him go back to sleep.”

  Starsky and Hannah were stunned they had waited so long for this.  “Talk to him,” Hannah urged.

  “Hey Hutch,” Starsky said, “Don’t you think it’s time you get out of that bed and come back to work? You have been loafing around long enough.”

  The humming stopped.

  They looked at each other fearfully.  Hutch turned his head toward Starsky his eyes were still closed. “No tomato.” He mumbled.

  Starsky started to laugh.  “Alright, you can drive.”

  Starsky beamed at Hannah, she smiled back then suddenly got an idea. It had been Rosie that had got him talking so gently she lay her now sleeping daughter down next to Hutch.  In her sleep Rosie snuggled closer to him and to the awe of Hannah and Starsky Hutch’s arm came around the baby.

  “Go to sleep little Rosie,” Hutch mumbled as the corners of his mouth turned up into a small smile.  Then he felt silent and still.

  Moments later the doctor arrived.  They relayed what had happened to him.  The doctor grinned at them.  “He is coming out slowly, it may take a few days even a week. We won’t know how fully he will recover until he is totally awake but he seems to know who you all are.  That is very very good.  We won’t know about his motor skills probably for a while, this recovery won’t be over night. He has been out for a while he won’t get up and walk out of here tomorrow.”

 

  A thin shaft of morning light came though a crack in the curtain.  Starsky was asleep on one side of the bed Hannah on the other, Rosie still asleep in the crook of Hutch’s arm.  She stirred and cooed as she awoke, Rosie smiled at the man looking down at her.  Hutch tried to bring his other hand over to touch Rosie’s face but he couldn’t it felt like it was made out of lead.  He began to hum to her again, she let out a small giggle she had always love it when Hutch sang to her. 

  Starsky opened his eyes slowly, at first not sure where he was then as recognition dawned on him his attention snapped to his partner.  Hutch’s eyes were open and he was watching the baby. “Hutch?”

  Every so slowly Hutch’s head turned toward Starsky, “Starsk.”

  “Oh man am I ever glad to see you buddy.”

  “Yeah.”

 

 

Chapter 24

  

     Three days later Hutch was more alert and beginning to eat even if was only jell-o and clear broth.  Things were unclear in his mind but as time wore on the events that put him in the coma started coming back to him.  Hutch suddenly wondered where Linda was, he knew that people had been coming and going but he hadn’t remembered Linda being there.

  As he was pondering this Starsky walked into the room.  “So how are we feeling today partner?

  Hutch looked up at Starsky a spoon full of green jell-o half way to his mouth.  “Better, I think.”

  “You think?”

  Hutch shrugged, “I’m still trying to piece together what happened.”

  “You just concentrate on getting yourself better and out of here. I’ll fill in the blanks later.”  Starsky sat down next to his partner and made a face at the giggly green goop on Hutch’s spoon.  “When are they going to let you have some real food?”

  “Soon I hope,” Hutch said putting the spoon back in the dish, the jell-o uneaten.  He looked over at Starsky.  “Where’s Linda?”

  Starsky had been dreading that question, knowing that it was only a matter of time before Hutch asked.  Starsky got up and paced the room; he had being trying to figure out an easy way to tell his friend that the woman he loved was gone.  “You remember Megan right?”

  Hutch sighed, “I don’t have amnesia things are just a bit fuzzy after I was brought to the hospital.”

  “I guess that was because you were unconscious most of that time.  You still managed to save my life though.”

  Hutch raised his eyebrows, “I did?”

  “Ok, let me fill you in,” Starsky quickly told Hutch about how Carlos had come after him, how he had saved him from going off the roof and ended with the kidnapping of Megan by her adopted father.

  Hutch was more than amazed at all that had happened while he had been out.  “That still leaves one question unanswered.  Where is Linda?”

  Starsky put his hand in the pocket of his coat.  The ring that Hutch had given Linda was there. He had been carrying it around with him since Hannah had found it lying on the bedside table.  He pulled it from his pocket and handed it to Hutch.  “I don’t know how to tell you this buddy but Linda is gone. She took Megan and went to Florida to be with her parents.  She said to tell you she went home.”

  Hutch took the ring that Starsky held out to him.  A lump formed in his throat, he swallowed past it and said,  “I hope she gets things resolved with her family.”

  “She said she would be back.”  Starsky said puzzled by Hutch’s reaction.

  Hutch shook his head, “I don’t think so. She is going to make a fresh start with her family. I’m part of her past now.”

  “B-but,” Starsky protested.  “You can go after her once you are on your feet.”

  Again Hutch shook his head. “You know that saying if you love someone set them free…”              

  Starsky was worried his partner was taking Linda’s leaving a bit too well.  “Hutch are you sure you understand what I’m telling you?”

  Hutch looked at the ring, “I know Linda, we talked a lot. I know all about her family and how hard it was on her when she got pregnant. Her father never forgave her.  If they have opened their home to her after all this time then that is where she needs to be.  Both she and Megan need time to heal.”

  “What about you?” Starsky said angrily.

  Hutch grinned at him, “This wouldn’t be the first time a woman has left me.”

   “I know but I thought Linda was the one,” Starsky said.

   “I thought she was the one too.” Hutch said finally looking sad.  “But I know she needs to do this. Maybe she will be back someday.”

   “Need anything?” Starsky asked feeling sorry for his friend.

  “Naw, but if you don’t mind I would like to be alone for awhile.”  Hutch said as he held out the ring to Starsky. “Keep this safe for me uh?”

  “Will do,” Starsky took the ring, he started to leave then turned to look at Hutch again.  “You sure you’re alright?”

  Hutch shrugged, “I will be.”

 

  After Starsky left, Hutch took a deep breath as tears sprung to his eyes.  He hadn’t wanted to let on to Starsky how much Linda’s leaving hurt him but he suspected that his partner knew anyway.  He sweep his arm across his eyes to wipe the wetness way know that right now he had work on getting out of the hospital. He would worry about Linda later. Hutch was just sorry that he hadn’t gotten to say goodbye to her and Megan. He had already formed a soft spot for the girl.

  The next few weeks were rough but Hutch made amazing progress; the hardest was getting back up on his feet and walking again.  But with physical therapy he was making great strides toward being able to go home.  Hannah and Starsky were there as much as they possibly could and still carry on their own lives.  There was a steady stream of people coming to see him and wishing him well.  The only one that wasn’t there was Linda.  Usually late at night was when he missed her the most, wondering how she was doing. 

  It was early morning the day Hutch was set to go home when his hospital room door opened.  He was sleeping peacefully the IV long gone, the bandages also gone.  The form walked over to the bed and looked down at him, a hand pushed a lock of blond hair from his forehead.

  Hutch opened his eyes slowly and looked at the person standing next to him. At first he thought he was still dreaming he and Linda had been walking along the beach on a warm summers night.  “Linda?”

 “Hi ya Hutch.” She said bending down to kiss his forehead where the hair had been laying. 

  “You came back.”

  “Not to stay,” Linda said as sadness filled her eyes.  “I have a return fight late this afternoon.  I had called Starsky to see how you were doing and he told me you were getting out today. I wanted to be here for that and to tell you why I left.  I felt like I owed you that much.”

 “You don’t owe me anything baby.” Hutch said reaching up to touch her face.

  “I owe you everything. If it hadn’t been for you I would never have had the courage to take Megan to patch things up with my parents or to even leave you.”  Linda said as a tear ran down her cheek. “I guess that sounds horrible but it’s true. I could have taken the safe way out, married you and live happily ever after.  Just letting my past go but you showed me that I needed to solve the things in my past to be truly happy.”

  Hutch nodded, “How is Megan?”

  Linda smiled, “She is still having nightmares and asks about you all the time but she is doing pretty good. She wanted to come with me but she has just started school and starting to get settled in. I didn’t want to disrupt all that. My parents are crazy about her and she loves them”

  “That’s great,” Hutch said. “Tell her I said hi.”

  “You know I will.” Linda said then she pulled a small stuffed kitten from her purse and handed it to Hutch.  “Megan got this for you to remember us by.”

  Hutch took the kitten from Linda, “I’m going to miss you two.”

  “I think of you every day Hutch. I’m never going to find anybody like you.”

  “So I guess this is it?” Hutch asked looking up at her.  “No hope that you will be back?”

  “Oh I don’t know,” Linda sighed.  “You never know, we might someday but don’t wait you are too special to wait on some crazy mixed up woman and her daughter.”

  Hutch laughed.  “You know I would wait.”

  “I know.”

  “I love you Linda.”

  “I’ll always love you too Hutch.”

 

   Starsky and Hannah along with Rosie pushed open Hutch’s room door. Today was the big day he was being released.  Hannah had insisted that he come and stay with them until he was totally back on his feet.  The doctor told him he still didn’t want him back at work for another month.  That hadn’t set will with Hutch but the doctor had threatened to keep him in the hospital if he didn’t agree.

  Hutch sat dress for the first time in weeks, his suitcase sitting at his feet and a small stuff cat in his lap.  Starsky looked at the stuffed toy curiously, “Who’s your new friend there Hutch?”

  “Just a little visitor,” Hutch answered.  He would tell Starsky eventually just not now.

  “You ready for a good home cooked meal?” Hannah grinned wickedly at him. She had a feast planned for their first evening meal together.

  “You bet,” Hutch said as he slowly got to his feet.  He was still weak but the doctor had said that was to be expected after all he had been through. Starsky retrieved Hutch’s suitcase from the floor and slipped his arm though Hutch’s to steady him as Hutch clutched the cat.  “Let’s get out of here.

 

The End