“Withdrawal”

Chapter 4

 

            “Hutch, come look,” said Dobey, excitedly holding out the binoculars.

            Hutch grabbed the binoculars and trained them on the glass.  This time, he knew exactly where to look.  His partner’s left leg was bent at the knee!  “He’s moved,” said Hutch with a sigh of relief.  However small the change was, it meant his partner was still alive!

 

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            “Katie, listen quick.  You’re going to have your baby.”

            “No, I’m not,” Katie protested.

            “Listen carefully.  Do you think you could fake labor pains?  I’m betting that they aren’t going to want to deal with a lady going into labor.  Look how nervous Billy is already.  They’ll let you go and then you can get to Hutch.”

            “Who?”

            “My partner, Sergeant Ken Hutchinson.  Tell him I’m okay and give him a layout of the office.  Let him know how many hostages there are and where everyone is.  He’ll figure a way in.”

            Katie didn’t answer at first.  She continued applying pressure on the wound and stared at him, letting the possibilities sink in.

            “Katie, do you understand?”  The room was beginning to spin again and Starsky was feeling groggy.  He wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep his eyes open.  The sudden ringing of the phone startled him and everyone else in the room.

            Tony let it ring several times.  The sound was deafening in the stifling silence.  Finally, picking up the receiver and holding it to his ear, he said nothing.     

 

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            “Captain,” called an officer.  “Your phone line is connected.”

Dobey hurried over and grabbed the receiver.  “This is Captain Dobey of the BCPD.  I want you to give yourself up before anyone gets hurt.”

            Hutch stared at his captain and rubbed his right hand through his hair.  It took all the self-control he could muster not to grab the phone from Dobey’s hand and demand information on Starsky.  Was Starsky okay?  How badly was he hurt?  What about the other hostages?

            “I said this is Captain Dobey.  Who am I talking to?  Is everyone okay in there?”

            A voice came over the line.  “Everyone is just fine.  In fact, we all want to get out of here.”

            “Give yourself up and no one will be hurt.”

            The voice laughed.  “Give up!  You gotta be kidding.  I want out of here, and I want your assurances we’ll be able to get away.”

            “Who’s we?” asked Dobey.

Suddenly, there was a scream, and loud voices filled the background.  “What’s going on?” Dobey shouted into a dead phone. 

 

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            Katie, smiled nervously at Starsky, then slowly bent over kissing him lightly on the top of his head.  She whispered, “I guess I am ready to have this baby.  You take care of yourself, okay.  Help will be here soon.”

            She slowly stood up and started walking back toward Billy and the hostages.  Grabbing her abdomen, she moaned and slid to the floor.  One of the hostages screamed, Billy ran toward Katie.  Tony yelled, “Shut up!” as he slammed down the phone receiver.

            Starsky tried to move as he saw Katie hit the floor, but pain shot through him.  He watched as Billy rushed over to her.

            “What’s wrong?” asked Billy.

            Katie moaned.  “I don’t feel very well.  I keep having pains.”

            “She’s going to have the baby!” screamed Mrs. Richardson, an elderly hostage.

            “I said shut up!” yelled Tony, turning and waving the gun at the hostages.  The noise level lowered, but Starsky still heard them whispering among themselves.

            Good acting job, thought Starsky.  Let’s hope they buy it.

            Katie held on to her abdomen and reached for Billy’s hand.  “I think I’m going into labor.  I’ve got to go to the hospital.”

            A flash of pain showed on Billy’s face as Katie squeezed his hand tightly.

            “Tony,” he said, turning toward his partner.  “I think she’s gonna have the baby.  Let her outta here.”

            “We can’t let her out.”

            “Sure we can.  I don’t want any baby bein’ born here.”

            Tony walked over to Katie.  As he neared, she let out a series of low moans and curled up on her right side.  He watched her for a few minutes and started pacing rapidly around the room.  Stopping near Starsky, Tony kicked him out of frustration and anger.  Starsky, sensing it coming, tried to prepare himself, but found nothing prepared him for the pain as it shot through his body.  Katie moaned louder, and Tony turned his attention toward her.  Thanks for drawing him away, Katie.

Vision blurring, he tried to keep an eye on Katie, but it became increasingly hard to keep his eyes open.  C’mon, Hutch, it’s time for the cavalry.

            Everyone jumped at the sound of the phone ringing again, and Tony grabbed it.  He waved his gun around, receiving the desired silence.  “Yeah?” he said into the receiver.

            “What’s going on in there?” asked Dobey at the other end.

            “We’ve got a pregnant lady in here who’s about to have a baby.”

            Dobey covered the receiver and whispered the response to Hutch before speaking into the phone again.  “Let her out.  I can get an ambulance and take her to the hospital.  She’s going to need help.”

            Tony, silent on the other end, pondered his options and then said, “I’ll send her out, but if anyone out there makes a move toward this door, the next sound you’ll hear is a bullet going into this cop layin’ on the floor.” 

            Dobey held his breath for a moment and looked at Hutch before answering.  “Send her out.  No one will come near the door.  When she crosses the street, I’m sending the paramedics out to help her.  Can she walk that far?”

            Tony turned toward Katie.  “Can you walk across the street?”

            She nodded as she awkwardly tried to sit up. 

            “She says she can walk.” 

            Tony abruptly hung up the phone and turned to Katie.  “Any funny business and this cop,” pointing to Starsky, “has bought it.”

            Dobey put down the phone. 

            “What did he say, Captain?” asked Hutch anxiously.

            “He said he’s sending her out but...”

            “But what?”

            “But if anyone makes a move toward her before she gets across the street...he’ll shoot Starsky.”

            Hutch ran his right hand through his hair and sighed as he looked around, not really focusing on anything.  He knew he had to find a way in to help his partner.  “Look, Hutch,” continued Dobey.  “It might give us a chance to get some information about what’s goin’ down in there.”

            “Yeah, I know.  Look, the door’s opening.”

            Dobey issued orders for everyone to stay put and not move until the woman was safely across the intersection.  Ordering one of the officers to call for an ambulance, Dobey hurried next to Hutch and anxiously monitored the activity across the street. 

            The bank door opened slowly.  Tony, with his arm encircling Katie’s neck, opened it just wide enough for her to get out.  Katie walked slowly, bent slightly, holding her right side.  She hoped no one would move toward her and that she looked like she really was in pain.  Her heart was racing, and she prayed for the strength to make it across the street.  The silence was deafening, but still she listened intently, praying that the sound of a shot wouldn’t go off behind her.  As she made it across the street and friendly hands grabbed for her, she realized she’d been holding her breath the entire time.  Legs shaking, she thankfully sank into the open arms. 

 

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            Katie was quickly brought back toward the safety of the bakery.  The paramedics gently took hold of her arms and carefully led her to the waiting ambulance.

“I need to speak with Sergeant Ken Hutchinson.  Is he here?” she asked urgently.

            Hutch was headed toward Katie when an officer stopped him, explaining that Katie was asking for him.  The paramedics were trying to convince Katie to lie down on the stretcher as Hutch arrived.

            “I’m Sergeant Hutchinson.  You asked for me?  Is my partner all right?”

            “He’s shot in the left shoulder.  He’s losing a lot of blood and goes in and out of consciousness.”

            “I knew it,” said Hutch exasperated.

            Just then, Captain Dobey hurried over to check on Katie’s condition and ask her some questions.

            “Wait a minute,” she told the paramedics, pushing them out of the way as she sat up.  “I have to talk to these two officers, and besides, the baby really isn’t ready to come yet.”

            “But I thought...” stammered one of the paramedics.

            “It’s due in three weeks, but Detective Starsky—”

            “Detective Starsky!”  “Starsky!” escaped from Dobey’s and Hutch’s mouths simultaneously.

            “Yes, Detective Starsky thought if I pretended I was having the baby, they might let me out.”

            “I can’t believe he endangered you that way,” said a stunned Dobey.

            “Well, I agreed to the idea.  He’s in bad shape.  He said you’d want information on the bank layout and the people inside.”  A speechless Dobey nodded.

            From the back, a piece of paper and a pencil were passed up, and Katie drew a diagram of the bank layout for Dobey and Hutch.  Katie explained what had transpired inside the bank, describing where everyone was currently located and the fact that one of the bank robbers and the guard were already dead.

            When she finished, Dobey thanked her and ordered her to go to the hospital to be checked over.  “Besides, if an ambulance doesn’t leave here soon, they will suspect something was phony, and that could put Starsky and the other hostages in greater danger.”

            As she was being placed in the ambulance, Katie grabbed Hutch’s arm.  “You’re mighty brave,” said Hutch gratefully.  “Thank you.  That was a risky thing to do.”

            “Wait a minute...there’s something I forgot to tell you.”

            “What’s that?”

            “I opened a window.”

            “What?” asked Hutch, not comprehending fully.

            “When I went to the women’s restroom to get some towels to try and stop the bleeding for Detective Starsky, I unlatched the window.  I don’t know if that will help at all, but—”

            “You’re wonderful!” said Hutch hugging her and giving her a quick kiss on her left cheek.  “Where is the bathroom located?”

            Katie described the room’s location and said she thought it was, “probably the third or fourth window on this side of the building.”

            After making sure Katie was settled in the ambulance, Hutch decided it was best to keep the information to himself.  If I tell Dobey, he’ll want to send the SWAT team in...and this one is mine.