Bullets & Bandages

1.8K

Starsky and Hutch meet up again with Johnny and Roy. This time they are going camping and Roy’s son, Chris is with them. Starsky and Johnny end up with some bad men after Hutch is hurt and left with Roy. Chris is left to his own devices to make it back to safety. Where Starsky and Johnny end up is a mystery after days of searching.

---

Chapter 1: Getting Together

“Are you sure you don’t want to go with us?” Johnny asked Aubrey as he stuffed a pair of blue jeans in his overnight bag that was lying on the bed.

“I’m positive. As much as I like Starsky, Hutch, Chris and Roy, spending four days in the mountains with a bunch of dirty sweaty men is not my idea of a good time. Us girls are going to the beach tomorrow, the park on Friday and Joanne and I are going to treat ourselves to a spa on Saturday. ” She looked at the canvas duffle bag. It was originally dark green but the color had faded years ago. It also had a hole on the right side, just below the strap. “Are you sure this old thing will hold up?” She pointed to the hole. “It’s about to fall apart.”

Johnny smiled. “I guess it has seen better days. I can’t use my backpack anymore. I’ve had it so long it dry rotted and I had to throw it away last week. We’re meeting Starsky and Hutch at a sporting goods store at the small town just before we get into the mountains. I’ll pick up a back pack there.” He stuffed a red t-shirt into the bag. ‘Wadded it up and tossed it in’ would be more accurate. Aubrey pulled the shirt out of the bag. She held it by the shoulders and shook it out. “It’s just a t-shirt, for cryin’ out loud,” Johnny said.

“I don’t care if it is just a shirt. It will wrinkle if you throw it in there like that.” She proceeded to fold it and place it neatly into the bag.

“We’re going camping, it’s gonna get wrinkled. Dirty too,” Johnny frowned and rubbed his hair.

“Yes, but at least it will be nice looking when you put it on. Really, Johnny, I thought I taught you how to pack better than this.”

“You have when I’m going to a meeting or someplace nice.” He grabbed her by the waist and kissed her gently. “I don’t think the trees or squirrels are going to care if my shirts are wrinkled,” he said in a slow seductive manner. He guided her gently onto the bed and pressed his body against hers. He tenderly caressed her cheek and kissed her again. “Maybe I should just stay here with you and Delia and work on another kid.”  He smiled as he looked into her dark brown eyes and ran his fingers through her chestnut colored hair. He was just about to kiss her again when they both heard the unmistakable sound of Roy’s station wagon pulling up. It wasn’t so much that there was a problem with Roy’s car or that it made an abnormally loud or unusual noise. Johnny had heard his partner’s car so many times, that he just knew it when he heard it. “Well, there goes that idea,” Johnny said. He put his hands on the bed and pushed himself up then he helped Aubrey to her feet.

“I promise, I’ll be here when you get back, Guitar Man.”

Johnny snapped his fingers, spun around and saw his guitar leaning against the wall in the corner of the room. “Oh, yeah. How could I forget to take it?” He walked to the corner and picked up the acoustic guitar he loved so much. He strummed a couple of chords when he heard Roy open the front door.

As Aubrey left the bedroom to greet Roy and Chris, she whispered, “Poor Starsky and Hutch.”

Johnny stopped strumming and yelled, “I heard that.” He put the guitar back in the corner and opened the closet door. He took out the black guitar case and laid it on the bed. “Poor Starsky and Hutch, nothin’. They’ll be glad I brought this,” he mumbled to himself as he carefully put the instrument into the case and closed it.

Roy was standing in the doorway when Johnny turned around. “Are you ready, Pal?”

“Yep. Where’s Chris? He’s still going, isn’t he?” Johnny leaned to his left then to his right trying to see past Roy.

“He’s in the living room talking to Aubrey.” Roy stuck out his thumb and pointed it over his shoulder toward the other room. “He’s a little worried that Starsky and Hutch won’t want him to tag along.”

“That’s crazy. They said they’d be glad to have him come with us.”

“You know that and I know that, but you know Chris. He’ll be worried about it until we see them.”

“It’ll be okay though.” Johnny picked up his guitar and was reaching for the duffle bag when Roy said, “Let me get that for ya.” Roy walked over to the bed and picked up the duffle bag. He couldn’t help but notice the hole in it.

Johnny didn’t give Roy time to comment on the old bag. “I had to throw out the backpack last week. I’ll pick one up at the store.”

Roy slung the duffle bag over his shoulder and said, “Good thing. I don’t think this will survive a ten-hour hike.”

They walked into the living room where Chris was looking at Delia as she was sleeping in the playpen. “She’s so cute, Aunt Aubrey,” Chris whispered.

“That she is,” Johnny said. He leaned the guitar case against the couch and gave Chris a quick hug. “I’m glad you’re going with us.”

“Me too. Are you sure Mr. Starsky and Hutch don’t mind? Do they know I’m coming?”

Johnny put his hand on Chris’s shoulder, “They know and they are happy to have you.”

“See, Son. I told you, there was nothing to worry about.” Roy glanced at the sleeping toddler. He smiled as he remembered when Chris and Jenny were that age. He also thought of his youngest son, Kevin, who was just a few months younger than Delia. So young and precious. Heck, they’ll always be precious he thought as he glanced at Chris.

Chris picked up Johnny’s sleeping bag that had been set on the couch. Johnny leaned over the sides of the playpen and kissed his sleeping daughter then he kissed Aubrey one last time before heading out of the door quietly closing it behind them.

Johnny put the guitar in the back seat. Chris added the sleeping bag to their camping equipment. Roy had a small Coleman stove even though they were planning on cooking on an open fire and a tent big enough for him, Johnny and Chris. Hutch had a tent that he and Starsky would be sharing. Roy also packed some tin plates for them to eat from, utensils, a few snack foods, and other cooking supplies.  And of course there were the first aid kits. Roy didn’t go anyplace without one of his first aid kits. He had two. He had one large one that he kept in his car in case he came upon an emergency while off duty and one smaller one he took when he went camping.  The smaller of the two, was a little red bag that had a white cross on the top. Inside, it held supplies including a tourniquet, cravats, and the usual Band-Aids, 5x9s and other assorted gauze, ointment, bandages and dressings. Johnny had packed other camping supplies they may need including canned food, matches, basic tools and more.

Johnny got in the front seat and Chris climbed in the back. “Where are we going to meet Starsky and Hutch?” Chris asked.

“At that sporting goods store just before we go into the mountains.”

 

“Come on, Starsk. It’s only four days,” Hutch said laughing at his partner’s distaste for camping.

Starsky was driving the red Ford Torino with a white stripe with both hands on the steering wheel. “Four days of pure hell, that’s what it will be. Do I need to remind you of the last time we went camping?” He was almost whining like a little kid who didn’t get what he wanted at the store.

“It won’t be just us. Johnny, Roy and Chris will be there.” Hutch turned in his seat so that he was facing his partner. “You know, this is all your fault.”

“My fault?” Starsky’s voice rose, “My fault! How is it my fault we gotta go camping?” He turned his head just long enough for Hutch to see the wrinkles in his forehead and the downward corners of his mouth. Starsky wasn’t happy. Hutch knew Starsky was less than thrilled about camping. In fact, Starsky detested the woods, the great outdoors, the fresh air and everything else about camping. Not that Hutch could blame him much. The first time Starsky went camping they had stayed in Captain Dobey’s old cabin and a group of satanic weirdo’s kidnapped a young girl and would have used her as a sacrifice if they hadn’t interfered. Hutch had to admit that whole incident caused him to have nightmares for a week.

Hutch pointed his finger at Starsky, “Remember, you’re the one that told Johnny whatever they wanted to do on vacation was fine with you.” He put his hand down and faced the front again. “You could have said you didn’t like camping. But no. No, you didn’t want to admit that you’re scared of the whole camping experience.” Hutch’s voice was calm but had a bit of playfulness in it. He was tormenting Starsky and Starsky knew it.

“I’ll have you know, I am not scared of camping. I just don’t particularly care for it.” Starsky gave Hutch a quick glance. He was hoping Hutch wouldn’t pick up on the fact that he really was a little scared of the woods, especially at night.

Hutch patted Starsky’s shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, Starsk, the bears are more scared of you than you are of them.”

“Bears! There’s going to be bears?!”

“There could be, but there won’t be any lions or tigers,” Hutch said. He was rather amused by his partner’s reaction.

“Ha, ha, very funny. Some friend you are.”

“Okay look, Starsk, will it make you feel any better if I promise not to leave you alone.”

“You promise?”

“I wouldn’t let anything happen to my best buddy now, would I? I’ll stick to you so much you’ll be sick of me by the time we leave.”

“I’m already sick of you,” Starsky mumbled so that Hutch couldn’t hear him.

“What?”

“Nothin’.”

“What about Johnny, Roy and Chris?”

“As far as they’re concerned, you’re a regular Grizzly Adams.”

 

Starsky pulled into the parking lot of the store and easily spotted Roy’s station wagon. It was three on a Thursday and the parking lot was almost empty. Most people got their supplies early in the morning. “They’re here! They’re here!” Shouted Chris. He opened the door when Starsky pulled into the spot next to them. “Hi, Mr. Starsky, Mr. Hutch.”

Starsky patted Chris’ head and asked, “Chris, how old are you now?”

“I’ll be thirteen in a couple of months, why?”

Starsky smiled at him and looked at Hutch, “Hutch, I think he’s old enough, don’t you?”

“He’s going camping with us for four days. I’d say that qualifies.” Hutch squinted from the bright sun that was shining in his eyes.

Chris looked bewildered as he turned his head from Starsky to Hutch. Johnny and Roy looked at each other and smiled. It obvious that Starsky and Hutch knew what the other was thinking, even if no one else did. “What are you talking about?”

Starsky rubbed Chris’s hair, messing it up. “Just call us Starsky and Hutch, okay. No mister.”

Chris wasn’t sure what to think; he cut his eyes at his dad. Roy nodded. “Thanks.”

“You’re becoming a man now and besides, all our friends call us by our last names,” Hutch said. He winked at Roy and Johnny.

The four men shook hands and went inside the store to buy the fishing supplies Hutch wanted and Johnny’s backpack. When they returned to the cars, Roy told Hutch where the ranger’s station was. Starsky followed Roy as they headed up the mountain.

“Starsk, there’s one thing you should know.”

Starsky did not like the sound of that. Whenever Hutch said that it meant only one thing; trouble for Starsky. “And what would that be, Buddy.”

“We’re friends, right?”

“I’m beginning to wonder.”

“You know how beautiful I said the falls are?”

“Yeah, what about it.”

“We have to hike ten hours to get there,” Hutch said quickly and mumbled.

“We what! Huuutch.”

“Now, don’t get mad at me.”

“Damn it, Hutch. You’re bound and determined to get me killed.”

Hutch patted Starsky’s shoulder, “Not a chance, Buddy. Johnny and Roy are both seasoned campers and we brought our guns with us this time. We have plenty of supplies. You’ll be just fine.”

“I swear, Hutch, if I do get killed, I’ll never speak to you again.”

They reached the ranger’s station and saw four other cars parked in the lot in the front of the building. Starsky said, “You mean I gotta leave her here.”

“It’ll be safe.”

“I’m liking this trip less and less all the time.” He parked the car next to Roy’s station wagon, locked it, put the keys in his front right pocket and walked behind Hutch inside.

 

Chapter 2: The First Night

The ranger station was also a gift shop. There were t-shirts, jackets, and sweat pants hanging on racks and neatly folded sweat shirts tucked into shelves against the back wall, along with some hats. Chris saw snow globes, spoons and magnets depicting different scenes of the mountain or the state on them.

Roy and Johnny signed in and left their itinerary with the ranger at the desk. Roy explained that they were going to hike to the falls and they would return on Sunday sometime in the afternoon. The ranger pulled out a map of the area and pointed to the best trail for them to take. The trail wasn’t a simple walk in the park, but didn’t look too bad. There was some rough terrain but nothing too intense. They would be hitting the worst of it later tomorrow.  Roy gave the ranger the license plate numbers and told him the cars would be parked there until Sunday. The ranger explained that the park would not responsible for any damages to either car and he and Starsky would have to sign a paper to leave the cars in the lot. Roy said he understood. He put the map in his back pocket.

He found Starsky trying to show Chris some kind of card trick. From the looks of it, it wasn’t going exactly to Starsky’s plan. Starsky was holding a deck of cards fanned out in his left hand and Chris was holding one card. Starsky said, “It’s the four of hearts.”

Chris laughed, “Guess again.”

“Uh, Starsky.”

“Yeah, Roy?”

“The ranger over there,” he pointed to the desk, “said you need to fill this out. It says they’re not responsible if anything happens to your car.”

Starsky glared at Hutch who was looking at postcards at a nearby stand. “They won’t be. If anything happens to that car, it’ll be Hutch’s head.” Hutch shrugged his shoulders and put the card down he had been looking at. Starsky snatched the card from Roy’s hand and continued to glare at Hutch. He signed the card with the pen that Roy handed him and handed them both back.

 

Once they were back outside, Hutch helped Starsky strap his backpack on. “No, Starsk. That strap goes around your waist,” Hutch said through a big grin.

“Don’t laugh. You know I don’t know anything about these things,” Starsky whispered because he didn’t want Johnny or Roy to know just how little he actually knew about camping.

“I’m sorry, Starsk.” He buckled the strap down and made Starsky turn around so he could make sure his pack was on properly. Starsky helped Hutch with his pack. Hutch brought his guitar too and that was strapped on the outside of the pack with a bungee cord. Johnny had done the same thing with his guitar. Chris had a small backpack and only carried his sleeping bag and a few other provisions.  Roy and Johnny had the cooking supplies with them and the food was distributed between all four of the men.  None of them had very heavy packs.

They knew they only had a couple of hours to hike before they had to set up camp and they headed toward the path. Starsky patted Chris on the back and asked, “So how many times have you been to these falls?”

“This will be my first time.” Chris hesitated then added, “Are you sure it’s okay that I came?”

“It’s not only okay, I’m glad you did.”

“Really!”

“Sure, really. You may just be my new best friend.” Starsky leaned back to get a good look at Hutch who was on the other side of Chris. He stuck his tongue out at him.

“We’re both glad to have you along, Chris,” Hutch said. He rolled his eyes at Starsky and shook his head.

Chris looked at Starsky and asked, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“You’re a cop, right?”

“Yes, Hutch and I both are.”

“Do you like being a cop? I mean is it fun?”

Starsky told him that sometimes it was fun and sometimes it was a lot of hard, dangerous work. Chris asked Starsky if he or Hutch had ever been hurt. Starsky told him about a few times they’d been hurt.

“Why so many questions, Chris?” Hutch asked. “You thinking about being a cop someday?”

“I don’t know. I’ve seen my dad hurt a couple of times and Uncle Johnny, well it seems like he spends more time on the injured list than he does actually working. I just wondered if it was the same in the police department.”

 

Johnny and Roy were not very far ahead and could hear the conversation the other three were having. “I spend more time on the injured list? Really, did he just say that?”

“I think he did, Partner. And you know what?” Roy said.

“Don’t. Don’t say it Roy.” Roy grinned and continued to walk.

“I think Chris has really taken a liking to our friends there,” Roy said as he continued to walk. They were walking at a leisurely pace.

“I think so too, especially Starsky.”

“Well Starsky is more Chris’s age,” Roy said grinning.

The sun was starting to go down and they had gotten about as far as Roy and Johnny thought they would. Roy stopped next to a small clearing. “Let’s stay here for the night.” He pointed, “I think that will make a good camp site. The trail gets a little rougher from here and we don’t want to tackle that in the dark.”

Starsky turned to his right and saw the small spot just off the path. “Uh, just how rough does this trail get?” He glared at Hutch.

“Not too bad. The woods get pretty thick and there’s some underbrush and an incline. We should still be at the falls by sunset tomorrow,” Roy said. He helped Johnny take his pack off.

Starsky nodded and unbuckled his pack. He helped Chris with his pack then Hutch assisted Starsky to remove his. Roy and Johnny started to set their tent up. Hutch told Starsky he would set up their tent and cook dinner if he and Chris would collect some firewood. That sounded easy enough to Starsky and he eagerly agreed to it.

Chris told his dad he was going with Starsky to collect some firewood. Roy nodded. “You know, Roy, he’s really growing up fast.” Johnny said.

“Yeah, a little too fast if you ask me and Joanne. We were just talking about it the other day. Chris mentioned something about wanting to be a paramedic when he grows up.” Roy said as he started to pitch the tent.

“How’d that go over with Joanne?” Johnny handed Roy a tent stake.

“She’s worried, but proud at the same time.” Roy hammered the stake into the ground and Johnny tied the rope to it.

“I’m proud of him too. He’s a good kid, Roy.”

“I’ll agree with you there, Pal.” They moved onto the next stake.

Chris followed Starsky into the woods. They started picking up dry twigs. They each had a nice armful when they arrived back at camp. Hutch handed Starsky a box of matches. Starsky took them and whispered, “I don’t know the first thing about starting a fire.”

“Make a small circle from some rocks and put the wood inside the circle. Just put the smaller wood on the bottom.” Hutch saw Chris had already started stacking the smaller twigs. “Look, Chris is doing it. Just go along with what he does.”

Starsky turned and took a step toward Chris and then turned back and looked at Hutch. Hutch saw the hesitation on his partner’s face and motioned for him to go by moving his hands like he was shooing him away.  “Are ya sure?” Starsky whispered.

“Starsky, will you just go. It’ll be fine. I’m almost done with the stew and I need that fire started.”

Starsky look at Chris then back at Hutch. “Right, follow the kids lead, got it.” He walked back to Chris and said, “That’s a good start you got there.” He handed Chris the matches. “You want these.”

“Thanks,” Chris said reaching for the matches.

“Thank you. That’s going to be a great fire.”

“It won’t last long unless we get some bigger branches to put on the top once it gets going good,” Chris said.

“Bigger branches?” Starsky hadn’t thought of that. “Oh, yeah. Those small twigs will burn quick.”

Chris stood up and put the matches in his pocket. “Let’s go get some bigger stuff before we light this.”

“Yeah, okay. Good idea.” Starsky followed Chris into the woods. There was still a little light left so Starsky wasn’t too worried. Starsky and Chris found several larger branches and they grabbed as much of the bigger stuff as they could carry. He didn’t want to have to collect any more wood after the sun went down. They set the wood next to the rest of the twigs they had collected earlier. Chris dug the matches out of his pocket and scooted a big rock close to the fire pit.  Starsky found another big rock and pulled it up next to Chris. He glanced at Johnny and Roy who were almost finished setting up the tent. Johnny was hammering the last tent stake into the ground. Roy zipped the front closed to keep the bugs out. Hutch was putting the last of the onion he just cut up into the pot of stew he was making.

Chris bent over and struck the match on the striker part of the box. He took the lit match and placed it on one of the dry leaves that was attached to a small twig. It wasn’t long before Starsky heard the crackling of the fire and smelled the smoke rising from the fire pit. Tiny sparks drifted up into the air. Starsky seemed almost memorized by them. He wasn’t paying attention and jumped when Chris put a larger branch on the now raging fire. Not wanting to let anyone know he had been startled, Starsky reached for a larger branch and put it on top of the one Chris had just placed. More sparks flew and Starsky could feel the heat from the blaze.

Hutch had the pot of stew ready and set it down on the ground next to the fire pit. He took the grate Johnny had in his backpack and set it on top of the burning wood. “Don’t get burned, Hutch,” Starsky said as he watched Hutch get close to the fire.

“I won’t.”

“How ya gonna get that off there without getting burned?” Starsky asked. He was sure Hutch hadn’t thought of that.

“Easy, Starsk. I’ll use this.” Hutch pulled the towel off his shoulder and held it up. Starsky nodded. Hutch stirred the stew with a long handled ladle that Roy had packed.

It wasn’t long before the stew was ready and they had their fill. Starsky handed his plate to Johnny who said he would wash the dishes. “Hey, Hutch, that was pretty good what was it?” Starsky asked.

“That just happened to be rattlesnake meat.”

Roy looked at Johnny who was standing with his mouth gaped wide open and Chris who looked like he wanted to vomit. He closed his eyes and grinned when he heard Starsky say, “Rattlesnake? You had me eat a snake? I thought you were my best friend.”

Roy moved close to Chris and whispered, “Relax, Son. Hutch is just fooling around with Starsky. It was beef. I saw the can when he opened it.” Chris let out a sigh of relief. Johnny heard him and chuckled. He thought he might have to tell the guys at the station that the next time it was his turn to cook. He’d like to see the look on Chet’s face.

“You had me eat a snake. Some friend you are!” Hutch laughed and shook his head. It always amazed him just how gullible Starsky was. He could tell his partner just about anything and he’d believe him.

After the dishes were dried and put away, Johnny poked at the fire a few minutes and told Starsky and Hutch about a daring rescue he and Roy had the week before. A window washer had a heart attack while dangling fifteen stories off the ground. He had fallen off the platform and the only way to get to him was to repel down from the roof. Chris listened while Johnny told the story of how the man’s rope became tangled with his own. It was Roy who untangled the whole mess. Chris loved his dad and knew his job was extremely dangerous but hearing Johnny talk about an actual rescue in full details was exciting to him and a little scary at the same time.

Roy recalled the time they had been called to the prison to take care of an inmate and they were caught up in the middle of a riot. “That must have been scary,” Hutch said.

“I remember my partner here doing one hell of a job in treating everyone,” Roy Said.

Johnny stoked the fire and watched as the embers flew up. “It was no picnic, I gotta tell ya. Roy was shot early on, and I thought I was going to have to remove the bullet. It all ended just as I was about to start. That wasn’t one of my better memories.”

“Wait a minute. You were going to remove a bullet? You can do that?” Starsky asked staring into the fire.

“The inmate let me call Dr. Brackett and he gave me permission. Not that I wanted to and I’m glad I didn’t have to. I mean I had given Roy some morphine and I had the right equipment, but still I was plenty nervous about the whole thing.”

“I didn’t know all that, Uncle Johnny. I knew you got shot, Dad, but I didn’t know Uncle Johnny was going to take the bullet out. Does mom know?” Chris said. He was enjoying listening to the stories.

“She knows. I don’t keep secrets from your mother. Well, not many anyway.” Chris grinned.

Starsky told them about a shootout he and Hutch were in a couple of days ago. They had responded to a bank heist and arrived just as the suspect was leaving. Starsky and Hutch got into a brief shootout before they were able to apprehend the suspect and take him into custody. One bullet came close to hitting Hutch.

As Starsky was telling the tale, a little more dramatically than he remembered it, Hutch took his guitar out of its case. Johnny retrieved his too. They tuned them in perfect harmony. “Whatcha know, Johnny?” Hutch asked as he strummed a C chord. Johnny started playing Rocky Mountain High by John Denver. “I like John Denver,” Hutch said as he joined in.

Roy, Starsky and Chris knew the words too and they all sang. It turned out that Hutch and Johnny knew a lot of the same songs and even Starsky didn’t mind singing along. It was eleven when Roy stood up and stretched and said he was going to bed. “Dad, can I stay up a little longer?” Chris asked. He liked Starsky and Hutch and wanted to hear more stories.

Roy looked at Starsky and Hutch as if to ask if it would be all right if Chris stayed up with them a little while.

“Come on, Roy. Just a little while longer,” Starsky said.

“Sure, I guess so. Don’t bother them too much, Chris.”

“It’s no bother, Roy. I was thinking about trading him in for Starsky when he grows up,” Hutch said. He was grinning.

“Funny, Partner, I was thinking the same thing.”

Without another word, Roy unzipped the door to the tent and went inside. Johnny was right behind him.

 

The next morning, Hutch turned to his left and noticed that Starsky wasn’t in his sleeping bag. He looked at his watch and noticed it was only five-thirty. He unzipped his bag and left the tent. Starsky was standing with his back turned to tent but he heard someone approaching. He didn’t have to look; he knew it was Hutch. He always knew when Hutch was there. It was as if he could feel his presence. Starsky took a deep breath and let the fresh air fill his lungs. He held it a minute, closed his eyes then slowly let the breath out. Hutch put his hand on Starsky’s shoulder. He didn’t say anything he wanted to enjoy the moment with his best friend. Starsky was looking at the magnificent sunrise. This particular sunrise had some of the most brilliant reds and yellows Hutch had ever seen. The splendid colors filled the sky and it was a marvelous thing to see. Looking at the sky, Starsky felt like he didn’t have a care in the world.

“I wanna thank you, Hutch.” Starsky said, as he stared at the sky.

“For what?” Hutch asked in a voice that was so low it was almost a whisper.

Starsky pointed at the sky. “This. This is absolutely gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sunrise as beautiful as this one.  In fact I’m sure of it. If this is the last thing I ever see, I’ll be happy. The clouds are so fluffy, they look like cotton balls have been lined up in perfectly straight rows.” He continued to look at the sunrise in silence for a minute then added.  “It’s like all the bad things we see are gone. It’s so peaceful I feel like nothing else exists except us, right here.”

“I know what you mean. It is a wonderful sight.”

They heard someone else exiting the tent but didn’t turn around. Chris quietly stood next to them. “Hi, Chris. Isn’t this gorgeous?” Starsky said.

“Yeah, it’s beautiful. I can see why people like camping so much. Dad says the falls are the prettiest place he’s ever seen. I don’t see how it can be better than this.”

They watched the sunrise for almost thirty minutes before Hutch said, “I’m going to start breakfast.”

“Can I help?” Chris asked.

“Sure, come on.”  Hutch put his hand on Chris’s shoulder and they walked away.

“Hey, Hutch?” Starsky walked quickly to catch up and put his hand on Hutch’s shoulder. “What do you want me to do?”

“We need the canteens filled. You can fill them while Chris and I make some breakfast.”

Starsky looked at the small stream that was down a small incline just to his left. “I can do that.” He removed his hand and added, “You know, if I get killed out here, I’ll still never speak to you again.”

Hutch laughed, “I know.”

Starsky grabbed the five empty canteens and put the straps around his head so his hands would be free. Hutch started digging through his pack to find the carefully pack carton of eggs he’d brought. They were in the middle of the pack and he had wrapped his t-shirts around it. He had pre-cooked some sausage patties and froze them so they would still be good today. Chris stoked the fire and added oil to the pan.

Johnny could smell the sausage as it was cooking and he unzipped the tent and came out. He patted his stomach, yawned and stretched. “Hutch, that smells great.” Johnny looked around the campsite. “Where’s Starsky?”

“Hutch asked him to fill the canteens,” Chris said as he turned the sausage over.

“Oh.” Johnny looked toward the stream. “I’ll go see if he needs any help.”

It wasn’t long before the canteens were filled with fresh water from the stream, breakfast was over, the campsite was packed up and they were happily headed toward what was sure to be one of the prettiest sights the mountains had to offer.

Roy was leading the way with Johnny and Hutch not far behind. Chris was walking with Starsky. “I think Chris has taken a liking to your partner there, Hutch.”

Hutch looked back at the two who appeared to be arguing some moot point about a television show. “That’s because Starsky and Chris are about the same age.”

Johnny and Roy laughed. “I don’t know, Hutch, I think maybe Chris has a few years on him,” Roy said.

They stopped for lunch which consisted of peanut butter sandwiches. They were all eager to reach the falls and decided to make it a quick break. They put their packs back on and headed down the small trail. Roy advised them that from this point on the trail would be hard to follow. It became narrow and easily lost in the thickening woods. They could hear the running water of the stream to their right.

They had been walking about an hour when Starsky said, “I’m out of water. You guys keep going and I’ll catch up.”

Hutch was surprised. He couldn’t believe that Starsky, his camping-phobia partner actually said he would wander off on his own. “What did you just say?”

“I’ll be okay, Hutch. The streams right there. I’ll only be a couple of minutes.”

“I’m empty too. Dad, can I go with Starsky?”

Hutch looked at Roy. He nodded and shrugged at the same time. “Sure, Son, just be careful not to fall in.”

Hutch tossed Starsky his canteen. “May as well fill this one up too.” Starsky caught it and put the strap around his neck.

Johnny tossed his to Chris. “Dad, what about yours?”

Roy shook the canteen and it was almost full. “It’s good.”

“Starsk, we’ll just wait for you,” Hutch said.

Starsky unbuckled his backpack and Hutch helped him take it off. “Good, you can hold on to this then,” he said as he handed the pack to Hutch.

“Oh, yeah. Okay,” Hutch replied as he set the pack on the ground.

 

Starsky and Chris made their way down the bank leading to the stream. It was steeper than they realized and as Chris started sliding, Starsky caught him.

 

Hutch, Johnny and Roy kept their pack on because they were anticipating Starsky and Chris to be back in about ten minutes. It was a chore to take them off and on again. Chris had kept his pack on but his was pretty light.

 

Chapter 3: Trouble

They had just sat down when two men dressed in prison black and grey jumpsuits ran out of the woods wielding guns. Hutch whistled. It wasn’t a normal whistle like whistling to a good song. Hutch’s whistle was one quick loud sound.

 

Starsky was dipping one of canteens into the stream when he heard Hutch’s whistle. Chris was ten feet away from him. Starsky put the canteen strap around his neck without closing the lid. Chris was about to say something when, in one swift move, Starsky covered Chris’s mouth and ushered him behind a nearby tree. Chris opened his eyes wide and looked at Starsky like he was scared to death.

“Shhhh.” Starsky said whispering as he loosed the grip on his young friend’s mouth. “Did you hear that whistle?” Chris nodded still not sure what it was all about. “That was Hutch’s danger whistle. I don’t want you to say anything, okay?” Again, Chris nodded. Starsky slowly removed his hand. He turned so that he was facing Chris and looked straight into his eyes. He knew Chris was scared and he put his hands on the young man’s shoulders. “I’m going to see what’s going on. Stay here and don’t make a sound until I come back, okay.”

“I promise,” Chris whispered.

Chris watched as Starsky made his way up the bank. Starsky had put his gun in his backpack when they packed after breakfast and so did Hutch. He wished now he had worn it instead. Starsky knew there was trouble. Hutch would not have whistled like that for nothing. He crawled on his hands and knees when he reached the top of the bank. When he peeked through the trees, Starsky saw the two men. One of them, a tall, thin, Caucasian man with black greasy-looking hair, was pointing a gun at Roy. “Whatcha got in that pack there?”

“There’s some food, you’re welcome to it,” Roy said trying to remain calm.

The second man, a shorter Caucasian male, with light brown hair, ordered Hutch to stand up. Hutch rose slowly. He moved his eyes gradually from left to right surveying the area. Starsky knew that Hutch was looking for him. Starsky couldn’t make a sound. If he so much as breathed loud they would know he was there and he wouldn’t be able to rescue any of them. When Hutch saw Starsky he twitched the corner of his mouth up slightly. It went unnoticed by everyone except Starsky. Good, he knows I’m here. Starsky thought. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but at least Hutch knows I’m here.  

Johnny and Roy were both ordered to stand up. “Take that off,” the tall man said to Hutch pointing at Hutch’s backpack. When Hutch didn’t respond quickly enough, he pushed Hutch so hard he hit the ground. Hutch barely had time to put his hands in front of him to avoid hitting the ground face first. “Okay, okay. Give me a chance.”

“I don’t think I like his attitude, Ray,” the man said and he kicked Hutch.

“Hey, that wasn’t necessary,” Johnny yelled. He was slugged in the face by Ray for his effort. Johnny wiped the blood coming from his lip.

“Shut up,” Ray said angrily.

“Just what is it you want from us?” Roy asked.

“Isn’t that nice, Andy. This one wants to know what we want,” Ray said.

Andy looked at Hutch and kicked him. “I said take it off.”

Hutch stood up and unbuckled the backpack and removed it. Andy picked the pack up and tipped it upside down spilling all the contents on the ground. He spied the canned tuna that Hutch had packed. He picked it up and looked for the can opener. “He’s got the can opener,” Hutch said pointing at Roy. He wanted to divert attention from his pack because he wanted to get his gun before Ray or Andy did.

“Yeah, it’s in my pack,” Roy quickly removed his pack and Johnny followed his lead.

Starsky felt helpless as the contents of all packs were dumped on the ground. He couldn’t just rush in without a plan. He had Chris to consider too. If he was captured, what would happen to him?

Andy and Roy were eating everything they saw as quickly as they could. It was obvious they had not eaten in a while. Hutch was eyeing his shoulder harness strap that was sticking out of a shirt. He was hoping to get the chance to grab his gun and put these two back behind whatever bars they escaped from. He was also hoping Andy and Ray wouldn’t notice the extra pack and wondered who it belonged to. Hutch started to leisurely move toward his pack. Andy was keeping a very close eye on his captives and pointed his gun at Hutch. “Where are you headed?”

“I was going to check on my friend there.” Hutch nodded in Johnny’s direction.

“Yeah, go sit with them. It’ll be easier to keep an eye on you.” Andy said as he finished the last bit of tuna.

 

Starsky heard a noise behind him and turned quickly around to see Chris crawling on his stomach to reach him. Starsky put his finger to his lips signaling for Chris to be quiet. Chris continued to crawl until he was next to Starsky. “Da…” Chris started to whisper but Starsky covered his mouth again. Chris nodded.  Starsky started crawling backwards using his elbows to shift his weight. Chris followed his movements. When they reached the bottom, Starsky took Chris behind the tree.

“Starsky, who are those men? What do they want with Dad, Johnny and Hutch?” Chris whispered.

“I don’t know, Chris, but I’ll figure out some way to help them.”

“They look like they escaped from some prison.”

“I think so too.”  Starsky peeked around the tree and up the bank leading to the campsite. He couldn’t hear anything. He wanted to know what was going on but he wasn’t about to let Chris get anywhere near Andy or Ray. He took a deep breath and kicked the tree.

“I know Dad, Johnny and Hutch are in serious trouble. Those men escaped from jail and might hurt or kill them and us if they find you and me. Tell me what to do Starsky. I don’t know what to do. I’m scared.” Chris buried his head in Starsky’s chest and put his arms around his waist.

Starsky rubbed Chris head then hugged him. “I know you are, kiddo. I know you are. I think those men are trouble. Big trouble. I don’t know what they want but we can’t be seen, Okay?” Chris nodded. “Right now they don’t know about you or me and we need to keep it that way until I come up with a plan. I want you to stay right here a few more minutes while I take another look and see what they’re up to.”

Chris broke the embrace, wiped his eyes and nodded. “I’ll stay here, I promise.”

Starsky made his way back to the top of the bank where he could see and hear what was going on. This time, Starsky heard Andy say, “We can use them as our way to the east side and get outta here.”

Ray rubbed his gun against Hutch’s cheek. “And if any one of you try anything we’ll just shoot you. Don’t think we won’t.”

“We’re escaped convicts, we have nothing to lose,” Andy said. He looked at Johnny. “You, what’s your name?”

“I’m Johnny.”

“We’ll, Johnny Boy, pick up this stuff.”

Johnny bent down and started picking up the items that had been scattered on the ground from his backpack. Roy stood still and quiet.

“And what’s your name, Blondie?” Ray asked Hutch.

“What’s yours?” Hutch asked sarcastically. Ray balled up his fist and slugged Hutch so hard in the face that Hutch took a step backward. Starsky saw the blood fly out of Hutch’s mouth. Hutch didn’t say a word. He stood back up straight and spit the blood out his mouth onto the ground. Starsky cringed.

It was then the real trouble started. Andy saw the strap from Hutch’s shoulder harness that was still lying on the ground.  He bent down and picked up the shirt that until now hid Hutch’s gun. Johnny and Roy glanced at each other. “What do we have here,” Andy said as he held Hutch’s gun up.

“Damn it,” Starsky whispered.

“I just brought it for self defense in case we ran into some wild animals. I forgot it was even there,” Hutch said. The last thing he wanted was for Ray and Andy to know was that he was a cop.

“Hand me your wallet,” Andy demanded.

“I didn’t bring it,” Hutch replied.

Ray fired a shot into the air and pointed his gun at Johnny. “Now, hand me your ID or I’ll kill your friend here.”

Hutch clenched his teeth and pulled out his badge. His only hope now was that Starsky had come up with a plan. All Starsky could do was watch as the events unfolded. He had to wait until just the right time to make his move or they would all be killed. These men weren’t playing around. Andy opened the little black case and saw a shiny, gold badge with the number 12 on it. “A pig? You’re all a bunch of pigs?”

“No, just me,” Hutch said quickly. He pointed at Johnny and Roy. “They’re not cops.”

Andy looked at Johnny, “What are you then?”

“We’re paramedics,” Roy said quickly. “We work in Los Angeles.”

“Para…what?” Ray asked.

“Paramedic,” Roy repeated.

“We help people,” Johnny added.

Ray shifted his eyes from one backpack to the next then he looked at Roy, Johnny and Hutch. “Who’s missing,” he asked.

Starsky made his way back to Chris. They knew there was at least one more person in the party and he knew it was just a matter of time before they found him. He had to get Chris to safety. Chris saw Starsky coming toward him and saw the worried look he had on his face. “What happened?”

“Chris, I’m gonna have to ask you to do something I don’t think you’re going to want to.” Starsky spoke quickly.

“I’ll do whatever you tell me to,” Chris replied.

“Do you think you can follow the path back to the ranger station?”

“You mean you want me to go for help?” Chris sounded terrified of being on his own.

“That’s exactly what I mean.” Starsky pointed up the bank and added, “Those men are dangerous. I don’t know what they’re going to do but they just found Hutch’s gun. They know he’s a cop and they spotted the extra backpack so they know I’m around someplace close by. Right now they only know about me and we need to keep it that way. I need to know you’re at least safe. Can you do it?”

Chris nodded. “I can follow the stream down.” He pointed in the direction they had come from. “The path picks back up where we stayed last night. I think we walked about eight miles between yesterday and today. I can make it.”

Starsky put the strap to two canteens around Chris’ neck. “Leave your pack here. You’ll make better time without it.”

Chris took one of the canteens off and handed it back to Starsky. “I won’t need two.” He dug a flashlight out of his pack and held it up. “Just in case I don’t reach the station before dark.”  He turned it on then off to make sure it was in good working order. Tears started running down his cheeks. “I can’t believe I’m leaving Dad and everyone else like this. I want to stay with you. I want to help.” He wiped away his tears.

Starsky gently held both of Chris’ shoulders. “You are helping. We are counting on you to alert the authorities. Someone’s got to know what’s going on; someone’s gotta help, understand?”

“I guess so.”

Starsky took the deck of cards he had stuffed in his back pocket, “See these?” Chris nodded. “I’m going to drop them on the ground when I can. Tell the ranger to look for them. I heard them saying something about going east. Tell the ranger that; they want to go east, got it?” Chris nodded. Starsky hugged Chris and said, “It’ll be okay. Hutch and me will save your Dad and Johnny.” He turned Chris so he now facing the right direction and tapped his shoulder. He whispered in his ear, “No matter what you hear, you keep running and don’t stop until you get to the station. Go.” Chris nodded and Starsky watched as the young man took off running as fast as he could. “Good luck, Chris. I hope you at least make it outta here.”  He looked through Chris’s pack and took out a pocket knife and some fishing line. He tucked the knife between his sock and hiking boots he was wearing. He put the fishing line in his back pocket. He wasn’t sure how he was going to get out of this one as he headed up the bank.

 

Chapter 4: Starsky’s Deal

When he reached the top of the bank, Starsky saw Hutch on his knees with his hands tied behind him and Ray was pointing a gun at his head. “I asked you a question. Who’s pack is that?”

“And I told you it’s mine. I’m carrying two.”

Andy had his gun pointed at Roy now. “He’s lying; let me shoot this one. We’ll still have two hostages.”

Starsky stood up, “It’s mine.” He held up his badge.

“Who the hell are you?” Andy asked.

Roy looked around for Chris. He didn’t know what to think. Starsky noticed that Roy had his hands down at his sides and he was making a fist with them.

Johnny stared at Andy’s gun and then back at Starsky. He was a firefighter, not a policeman, and right now he’d rather have been in a blazing inferno, but if Starsky made a move to jump Andy or Ray he would do what he could.

Hutch looked up and whispered, “You shouldn’t have, Buddy.”

“I asked you a question. Who the hell are you?”

“His partner.” He pointed at Hutch.  “And you’re under arrest.” Starsky put his badge back in his pocket. He grabbed the canteen with his left hand.

Hutch had to chuckle a little. Only his partner would be bold enough to try to arrest two men who were armed in the mountains pointing guns at them with nothing more than a canteen.

Hutch knew Starsky was about to make a move to jump Andy and he wanted to be ready to at least knock Ray down. He started to stand up and looked at Johnny who was a few feet away from Roy. He took a deep breath as he finished standing and in one smooth move he yelled, “Now!” and lunged at Ray.

As Hutch was standing up, Starsky was slowly moving toward Andy. When Hutch knocked Ray down, he hit Andy with the canteen. Johnny and Roy jumped out of the way giving Starsky plenty of room. Starsky and Andy started scuffling. Starsky slugged Andy in the stomach and Andy swung at Starsky and connected with his left eye. Starsky hit Andy on the right side of the face.

Johnny tried to get Starsky’s gun that was still lying on the ground wrapped up in a shirt. He almost had his hand on it when he heard the shot ring out. It was a loud, deafening sound that made his ears ring. Following the shot, he heard Hutch yell from the pain and Starsky call out, “Hutch! No.” Johnny turned around and saw Hutch rolling around on the ground with his arms around his stomach. He also noticed a growing pool of blood under him. He stood up and ran toward Hutch. Starsky also ran to Hutch and knelt down at his partner’s side.

Roy started looking through his backpack for his first aid kit, although he knew Hutch would need much more than the few supplies it contained.

Ray pointed his gun at Johnny just before he reached Hutch. “Don’t touch him.”

Starsky felt his heart jump into his throat. “You gotta let us help Hutch.”

“Hutch, so that was his name,” Ray said. He had seen the officer’s badge but didn’t notice the name, he didn’t really care.

Johnny ignored Ray’s warning and helped Starsky roll Hutch onto his back so he could see the injury. Hutch was fighting Johnny and Roy who was now at Hutch’s side. Starsky positioned himself so he was sitting with his legs criss-crossed and had Hutch’s head in his lap. He grabbed Hutch’s blood-soaked hands so Johnny and Roy could get a better look at the injury. “Hutch, it’s me. It’s okay, let Johnny and Roy look at it.”

Hutch relaxed a little and held onto Starsky’s hands. “God it hurts, Starsk.” Hutch said, taking short shallow breaths.

“Hutch, try to relax. Take deep breaths,” Roy said as he tore Hutch’s shirt off. “Starsky, get him to slow his respirations down.”

Starsky squeezed Hutch’s hands a little tighter. “I know it hurts, Buddy. Let them help you.” Starsky had been shot himself and knew full well how much being shot hurt. A bullet’s velocity from a .38, which is what Hutch was just shot with, is around 600 feet per second and he had been shot at point blank range. A bullet heats up when it travels through the barrel of a gun. Starsky didn’t know just what temperature it was when it tore through the skin, but he knew it was hot. Starsky was thinking about all that while Roy and Johnny were trying to control the bleeding. Johnny was passing dressings to Roy and Roy was applying pressure to the raw open wound.  Hutch was gritting his teeth trying not to yell any more than he already had. “Look at me, Hutch,” Starsky said.

Hutch stared into Starsky’s eyes. He tried not to focus on how worried his partner was or how much pain he was in. Instead he focused on the words his best friend was saying. “Breathe, Hutch.” Hutch took a slow deep breath. It did seem to help and he took another one. Starsky was breathing at the same rate. “In through the nose not too fast, and out through the mouth. That’s it nice and slow. Big deep breaths,” Starsky’s voice was calm and soothing. Time seemed to stand still in that moment. For just a moment there was no pain. There was only the fresh air that filled his lungs and his partner’s voice telling him to keep breathing. Hutch concentrated on that. Hutch’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he gave into the deep sleep that was calling him. He lost consciousness in Starsky’s arms.

Johnny and Roy had switched positions so that it was Johnny who was applying pressure to the wound. He wanted to check Hutch’s vital signs. Roy checked Hutch’s blood pressure and it was low at 90/60. He lifted Hutch’s limp wrist and put his index finger and middle finger just along the groove below his thumb to obtain a pulse. He counted each pulsating movement he felt. It was almost a perfect rhythm. Thump…thump…thump. Hutch’s pulse was good at 60 for the time being. Roy wasn’t sure how long it would stay that way if he couldn’t get Hutch to a hospital right away. Hutch’s respirations were normal at 16. His skin was clammy but that was to be expected after being shot. He reached behind him and pulled the penlight out of the first aid kit and shined the small light in Hutch’s right eye.  Starsky knew Roy was worried about Chris so when he was close enough he whispered, “I sent Chris back to the ranger station to get help. I wanted him out of here.”

Roy paused a moment and whispered, “Thanks. At least I know he’ll be safe.” He shined the light in Hutch’s left eye. “Johnny, his pupils are equal and reactive, respirations and pulse are normal. BPs a little low and his skin is clammy.”

“I think we finally got the bleeding stopped.” Johnny finished taping the dressing in place. “We gotta him out of here soon.”  He stood up and picked up a backpack and placed it under Hutch’s feet to elevate them.

Ray and Andy watched in amazement at the effort and work that was being put toward saving Hutch. They had never seen anyone work so hard to save anyone before. In prison when someone was injured, the guards just picked the injured party up and dragged them off to the infirmary. There was no bleeding control or comforting words that were said. When the initial stabilization was over, Andy pointed his gun at Starsky and said, “I should just finish him off now. You know, end his suffering.”

Starsky slowly looked up at him, “I’ll do whatever you want just let them go and don’t hurt Hutch anymore.”

“Whatever I want, uh?” Starsky looked at Johnny and Roy and for the first time, noticed they were covered in blood. Hutch’s blood. He saw his own hands and wiped the blood on his shirt and nodded. Roy folded his red, cotton jacket and placed it under Hutch’s head as Starsky slid to the side. Starsky’s legs were numb and he almost fell when he stood up. Roy reached out and steadied him.

Johnny slowly poured the water from one of the canteens over Roy’s hands so he could wash them. When he was done, Roy helped Johnny wash his hands.

“What do we want, Ray?” Andy asked.

“We still want to get out of here using the east end. Make him take us.”

Roy noticed Starsky shudder. He knew Starsky didn’t know the first thing about camping let alone be a tour guide in these mountains. Hutch had confided in him when they first planned the trip. He also knew that Starsky didn’t want him to know he wasn’t a real camper.

“I’ll take you wherever you want to go, however you want to get there,” Starsky said. His voice never faltered although inside he was terrified. “You have to let them go or I promise you, I will get you so lost in these woods that you will never find your way out.”

Ray moved next to Starsky and frisked him. He felt the pocket knife Starsky put in his sock and removed it. “Look what I found.” Ray put the knife in his pocket.

“That’s all I have. No more knives or guns,” Starsky said.

Johnny picked up one of the canteens and poured some water on a clean shirt. He wiped Hutch’s forehead with it. Starsky squatted next to Johnny, “Let me.” Johnny handed the shirt to Starsky who continued to gently wipe Hutch’s forehead. “You’re gonna be okay, Hutch.” He whispered into Hutch’s ear. He knew Hutch was unconscious but he also knew that no matter what, his partner would know he was there.

Johnny sighed and looked down at the ground. He knew if Hutch didn’t get to a hospital soon he wouldn’t survive. He walked next to Roy. Andy and Ray moved a few feet away to discuss Starsky’s deal. They never took their eyes off their captives. Johnny leaned toward Roy and whispered, “What about Chris?”

“Starsky said he sent him to the ranger station,” Roy whispered back.

“Thank God. I was so worried he was still around.”

“I know what you mean.”

Johnny knew Roy was still worried about his son. “Roy, he’s a smart kid. He’ll make it back. It’s only about eight miles and the terrain isn’t too bad.”

“Yeah,” Roy said solemnly. He knelt back down and took Hutch’s blood pressure again. “It’s the same.” He told Starsky. “At least it didn’t drop.”

“Yeah, okay. Thanks, Roy, Johnny, I know you’re doing your best.”

Starsky whispered, “Roy, why do they want to go to the east? What’s so special about the east side of this mountain?”

“I think they’re thinking they stand a better chance of getting away if they head east. See, there’s only one road leading down the mountain on this side. If they go east there are more.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” Starsky wiped Hutch’s forehead again. “Roy, tell me straight, is he gonna make it?”

“It doesn’t look good, Starsky, but I think if we can get him to a hospital, he stands a good chance.”

“No matter what happens, I want you to make sure Hutch gets to that hospital,” Starsky said. He patted Hutch on the shoulder just before standing up. “If you want me to take you outta here then you let them take my partner now.”

“Just how long will it take to get to the east side from here?” Andy asked Starsky.

Starsky had no clue. He didn’t even know which way was east. He shifted his eyes briefly at Roy who blinked three times and slightly moved his head toward the left.  “Three days.”

“Okay. We’ll leave them here. By the time they get back with help we’ll be long gone,” Andy said.

“Give me a minute with Hutch,” Starsky said. Roy walked toward the backpacks and started to put the contents back in them. Johnny helped him and was able to sneak some things in a pack that would be left behind. He stuffed a few shirts and some of the canned food that was left.

Starsky knelt down beside Hutch. “Listen, Buddy. I have to go for a while and I don’t know when I’ll be back. I hate leaving you like this but it’s the only way to get you help. I said I’d never speak to you again if you got me killed, not if you got yourself killed.” He paused. “Johnny and Roy are going to see to it you get to a hospital. You gotta be okay, Hutch.” He patted Hutch’s shoulder and stood back up.

“No,” Johnny said.

“What do you mean, no?” Starsky asked.

“Johnny,” Roy said.

“Starsky let me go. You stay with Hutch. He’s your partner, he needs you.”

“No way, Johnny. I can’t let you go,” Starsky shook his head as he spoke. He wasn’t about to let Johnny go off with these creeps. “It’s because Hutch is my partner that I’m going. I need you to stay and help him.”

Ray laughed. “I got it. Both of you can go.”

“Johnny,” Roy said with sadness in his voice. He was upset that his partner would even think of going off traipsing through the woods with these thugs.  He was terrified of what they might do to Johnny. He also wasn’t too keen on the idea of taking care of Hutch all alone. It would be almost impossible to get him back to the ranger station if Chris didn’t return soon with help.

Johnny walked over to Roy and put his hand on his shoulder. He whispered. “Roy, one of us needs to go. You know Starsky can’t lead them outta here. He doesn’t even know which way is east, let alone anything about camping. What if he can’t get a fire started, or find water? He doesn’t know how to fish or what berries he can eat. I’ve got to go.”

“What about me? I’ll go,” Roy said in that calm, almost monotone voice of his.

“No. Let me go. Chris has got to be scared to death by now. He’ll need you.”

“And what about Aubrey and your little one?”

Johnny put his head down. He was thinking about Aubrey and Delia. He hated the thought that he might not come back to them and it was tearing him up inside. It was one thing to die in the line of duty and they had talked about that but this…this was different. He took a deep breath and looked at Roy straight in the eye. “Roy, take care of Hutch. Tell Aubrey I love her with all my heart but I can’t let Starsky do this. I just can’t.”

“What is it they say?” Roy said softly.

“Me and Thee,” they said simultaneously.

“Johnny, promise me one thing.”

“I’ll be back. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna let you be stuck with Brice as a partner.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s enough chit-chat. Let’s go,” Andy said.

Starsky tried to protest but he was overruled by Ray, Andy, Johnny and Roy. He couldn’t talk Johnny out of it no matter how hard he tried. In the end, he was glad to have Johnny’s company. They had worked well together when they were searching for Roy when they had brought their families on vacation to Bay City. And again when Johnny and Roy had saved Starsky from burning to death in a fire when he was pinned under a car when Starsky and Hutch went to LA to visit them. He was glad he wasn’t going to be alone with these creeps. Just maybe they would get out of it alive after all. Roy was making a fire as they left. Starsky, Johnny and Roy were hoping that Chris would make it to the ranger station and bring help before Roy would have to move Hutch so they told Ray and Andy that it was best if Hutch wasn’t moved at night. Roy would take care of him until morning and he could get him out then. Starsky and Johnny put their packs on and headed east.

 

Chapter 5: Chris’ Journey

Chris was upset to say the least when he left Starsky at the bank by the stream. He was mad and scared. Mad at the men who spoiled their weekend and he was mad at himself for leaving. He thought he should have stayed and helped. He was scared of what those men would do to his dad and his friends. He could feel the anger building up inside him the more he ran and that made him run even faster. He knew the sun would be setting before he had any chance of making it back to the ranger station but he would get as close as he could. Once it was dark, he wouldn’t be able to run anymore. He zipped past the underbrush and through the thick woods as fast as he could go. He got tired and he knew he needed to slow his pace down or he would never make it tonight. He didn’t want to spend the night in the woods. Not with so much at stake. He stopped when he felt he couldn’t go any further. He sat by a big tree and drank the cool, refreshing water that was in his canteen. He knew he could fill his canteen again before he continued and he drank a lot of water. He drank too much too fast. So fast in fact, it wasn’t long before he was vomiting it back up. “Stupid. I know better. I drank too fast,” he said aloud. He leaned against the tree after lifting his shirt up and wiping the vomit from it. “Mom’s gonna love that.” He allowed himself to sit for about ten minutes longer then he got up and refilled the canteen and continued on.

Chris turned around when he heard a single gunshot. He wondered who it was that had been shot if in fact it was anyone at all. His heart told him to go back to his dad and friends but his head reminded him what Starsky had told him. ‘No matter what you hear, you keep running and don’t stop until you get to the station.’ Chris had promised Starsky he would not stop until he reached the station and he was going to keep his promise. With tears streaming down his face mixing with the dirt, he continued on. Sometimes he had to walk slowly to get through all the brush. He fell a couple of times but quickly got up and continued.

The sun had set long before he found where they had camped the night before.  Luck was with him, and the light from the full moon took over for the sun after it had gone down. He had the flashlight too and turned it on a few minutes at a time when he really needed it. Chris knew the ranger station was still at least two hours away. He was bordering on total exhaustion and had to rest again. He drank more of the water but this time he took small sips at a time. He allowed himself to take a little longer break this time. He knew once he started out again he would not stop until he reached the station and help. He took a deep breath as he stood up. “Okay, Chris, get going and like Starsky said, don’t stop until you reach the station.” He started off with a steady jog then, as the path became better, he ran. He ran until he couldn’t run any more then he walked a while. He didn’t stop again. Not with the end so close in sight. Not with the sound of the gunshot still ringing in his ears and the thought that someone was lying on the ground injured needing help.

He dropped the flashlight when the shadow of the ranger’s station came into his view. He ran as fast as his legs would allow. He didn’t see a telephone booth as he ran toward the building. He ran so fast, he slammed into the locked door unable to slow his momentum. He cried and yelled, “Somebody, please help. Open up.” He banged on the door until his hands hurt as much as the twitching muscles in his legs. While he was banging on the glass window, the canteen hit his arm. “Ouch,” he said. It smart and would leave a nice bruise but it gave him an idea. He wrapped the strap of the canteen around his right wrist and held it tight. He covered his face with his left arm to protect it from the flying glass as he swung the canteen into the window. On the first swing, the canteen bounced off the window and hit his arm. Chris yelled from the pain but took another swing then another and another. He kept hollering as he yelled. It was no good. The window would not break. He looked around for something that might break the window. He picked up the biggest rock he had the energy to pick up and threw it as hard as he could at the window.  The window finally broke enough so that he could crawl through. There were several sharp shards of glass and Chris felt the glass slice through the flesh of the back of his right thigh. He yelled as he finished climbing through the window. Once he was through, he reached his right hand around and touched the back of his thigh. He looked at his hand and it was covered in blood. He grabbed a long sleeved shirt that was on a rack and saw a phone by the checkout lane. He didn’t know what the number was to the local police so he dialed O for operator.  As he was waiting for the operator, he tied the shirt around his leg to stop the bleeding. He had no idea how bad the cut was but there was a trail of the red sticky stuff that led from the window to where he was sitting on the floor.

The operator answered on the second ring. Chris was a fireman’s son and knew full well what to expect when calling for help. I have to keep calm so they can understand me, was his first thought. Then I have to tell the operator exactly what the emergency is and what kind of help I need.  And he did just that. He spoke very calmly with just enough fear and anxiety in his voice that the operator took him very seriously.  He told her about the two men and how Starsky sent him back to get help. He also told the operator that he had heard a gunshot but wasn’t sure if anyone had been shot. The operator told Chris that her name was Debbie and she would call the sheriff and an ambulance. She promised him that help was not far away.  Chris explained how he broke into the station and that he had lost a lot of blood from the cut on his leg.

The operator tried to keep Chris on the phone while she made the calls, but he wanted to find something to eat and drink. He also wanted to go to the restroom and wash the blood off of his hands and see if he could tell just how bad the laceration on his leg was. He promised that he would call back in a few minutes if the sheriff wasn’t there soon. He thought he hung the phone up but instead he dropped the receiver on the floor. The pain was beginning to set in and his leg was throbbing. He felt the pulsating pain all the way down his leg to his toes. He knew he needed to take care of his leg before he did anything else. He grabbed a couple more long-sleeved shirts off a rack and headed toward the bathroom.  He turned on the light and looked down at his jeans. They were soaked with his blood. He took the shirt from around his leg and then pulled his jeans all the way off. The blood started oozing down his leg again. He knew he had to stop the bleeding. He wet the sleeve of one of the shirts and used it to clean around the wound so he could see how bad it was. This proved to be very difficult because the laceration was in the back of his leg. He tried to turn his leg so he could see but it was no use. He could only see more blood as it continued to flow down his leg. He tied the wet sleeve to his leg as tight as he could. The bleeding seemed controlled. For now at least, he thought. He took off the shirt he was wearing and put on the other one he had taken from the rack. It was nice and warm. Chris hadn’t realized until now just now how cold he was. The room seemed to be getting dark too. He thought it was strange because looking up he could see the lights were still on in the bathroom. He sat down and leaned against the cold ceramic wall.

The operator called the local police before she even hung up from talking with Chris.  She had taken several emergency calls as an operator and each time felt terrified that she wouldn’t be able to send help soon enough. The local sheriff,  Brian Williams, picked up the phone. It was after 0100 and he knew if his phone rang that late it must be important. “Hello.” Debbie told Brian everything that Chris had told her. She said she would send an ambulance and the park ranger to the station too. Chris had told Debbie about Starsky and Hutch being detectives from Bay City. The sheriff asked her to call the state police. He requested that she tell the state to put the search helicopter in the air. He had started getting dressed while he was still talking to Debbie. “Debbie, you did a good job. I’ll get to the station and call you back.”

“Thank you, Brian. I hope that little boy’s okay. He was so calm on the phone but I know he’s terrified. Find his dad and friends.”

“I will.” Sheriff Williams put his gun belt on then grabbed his hat off the small wooden peg it was hanging on right beside the door.

When he pulled up to the ranger station he shined his spotlight on the building and saw the broken glass. He got out of his car and inspected the breakage and saw blood on one of the pieces. He quickly ran to the front door and unlocked it. The building was dark with only the night lights on. Chris hadn’t even thought about looking for the lights when he entered the building. His only concern was to get to the phone and call for help.

Sheriff Williams cut his flashlight off when he turned the lights on. “I’m Sheriff Williams. Come on out. I’m here to help,” he called. There was no answer. He wondered where the boy was that had called for help. The sheriff glanced at the window and saw the trail of blood. He followed the trail with his eyes from the window to the phone which was off the hook lying on the floor. He put the receiver back in the cradle and picked the phone up and set it on the counter. He noticed the trail continued to the bathroom and he followed it. “Son. I’m here to help, where are you?” There was still no answer. He slowly opened the bathroom door and was shocked when he saw a young boy leaning against the ceramic wall with a pool of blood under him. He had no pants on and had a blood-soaked shirt tied around his right thigh. He rushed to Chris and gently shook him. There was no response so he shook Chris a little harder this time. Chris started swinging his fists as he was awoken. “Son, I’m here to help. I’m Sheriff Williams.” He reached up, wet a paper towel and wiped Chris’ face with it.

Chris moved his head back and forth. The cool water felt good on his head. He didn’t understand why because he felt so cold. His eyes fluttered as he struggled to open them. He could hear someone calling him. It wasn’t his dad but it sounded friendly. The voice said something about wanting to help. Chris finally managed to open his eyes and saw a silver badge on what looked like a brown uniform. The memories of the day’s events flooded back to him all at once and his whole body shook. “Help, gotta help dad and the others,” he said weakly.

“That’s it wake up. I need you to wake up, Son. Tell me your name.”

“Chris DeSoto. I’m Chris. Please help.”

“I’m here to help you, Chris. Come on wake up.”

“Dad!” Chris said, loudly this time.

“Where is he and your friends?”

Chris was becoming fully awake now but was very weak from the loss of blood. “We were going to the falls. We started hiking yesterday but only got about eight miles. Not sure exactly where we were when Starsky sent me for help.”

“Brian, are you in here?” A voice called out. Sheriff Williams recognized the voice as belonging to Sam Hogan, one of the park rangers assigned to this area.

“We’re in here, Sam, hurry,” the sheriff yelled.

Sam opened the door and stood in the doorway. “Is he okay?”

“I’m fine; just find my dad and friends.”

“Sam, grab a pair of those sweat pants off the shelf and a hat and jacket while you’re at it.”

“Sure thing, Brian.” Sam turned around. The door shut behind him.

“My name is Sheriff Williams and that man was Sam Hogan. We’re going to find your dad and friends but first we gotta take care of you.”

“I’m fine. It’s just a scratch,” Chris said weakly. He tried to stand up but his efforts were futile. “Okay, it’s more than a scratch.” He sat back down.

Sam came back with the clothing Brian requested. He knelt down next to Chris and started to help him put on the sweat pants.  “Debbie told me your dad and some other men were taken hostage by two men.”

Chris nodded. “Yeah. I heard a gunshot too. Not long after Starsky, that’s one of the detectives from Bay City, sent me here to get help. I think he just wanted me out of the way so I wouldn’t get hurt.”

“Where were you when he sent you back?”

“I don’t know the name of the place. Starsky said the men wanted to go to east side. He told me to tell you that. He also showed me a deck of cards and said he would drop them on the ground when he could. They had blue bicycles on the back.”

“Chris, I know just about every square inch of this whole area. Can you describe it? Were you by a stream?”

“A stream, yes. We were by the stream. Starsky and I had gone to fill the canteens when Starsky heard Hutch, his partner, whistle. He knew something was wrong.”

“Good, Chris. Now, describe what the area looked like. Close your eyes and picture it in your head. What did you see? What sounds did you hear?”

Chris closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The pain in his leg was returning and it was worse than before but he had to block it out for now. He had to remember everything he could. He spoke slowly as he pictured everything in his mind. “The woods had gotten thicker, more brush. The bank leading to the water was steeper than it had been. I started to slip but Starsky caught me. The sky was clear. I didn’t see any clouds or smog. I heard a flock of birds flying over us. I could hear the stream.”

“Good, Chris. How steep was the bank?” Sam asked in a quiet voice.

“I think about fifteen feet. We held onto trees on the way down after I almost fell. The bank wasn’t as steep until we got to that spot.”

“Chris, you did wonderful. I think I know exactly where they are, Brian.” Sam stood up and stretched.

Chris opened his eyes. Tears were streaming down his face as he recalled everything that had happened. All the fear, anger frustration and the pain was getting too much for him. Sheriff Williams hugged him and said, “It’s okay, Son. Help is here. You did a great job We’ll find them. I promise.” Chris was too tired physically and emotionally to say anything. He just leaned into the sheriff’s chest and cried.

They heard sirens and saw flashing red lights through the small window in the bathroom. Sam patted Chris on the shoulder and smiled. “You did a great job. I know where you were and the sheriff here will find your dad and friends.”

“Can someone call my mom? I’d like to talk to her.”

“Sure, Chris. I’ll call her and explain everything.  How about you wait to talk to her until you’re at the hospital? They’re going to have to get permission to treat you so the doctor will be calling her.  I’m going to stay here so we can start searching but you’ll be in good hands with the paramedics.” Chris nodded. Before the paramedics came in, Chris gave Sheriff Williams his dad’s, Johnny’s, Starsky’s and Hutch’s full names and told them where they worked.

“I’m going to show them in.” Sam said as he walked out of the bathroom. He saw Trooper Tom Smith. “Hi, Tom. I’m glad you’re here.”

“I know a little what’s going on. Mind filling me in?”

The paramedics arrived with the ambulance crew. “The boy in there needs your help. He’s got a bad cut on his leg,” Sam told them. The two paramedics and the two men on the ambulance walked past Sam and went into the bathroom. Sam looked back at Trooper Smith. He told him everything Chris had said.

“That poor kid’s been through hell today,” the trooper said.

“Yeah. That he has.”

“I think we should call the detectives’ superior now that we know a little more. I know he’ll want to know what’s going on.”

Sam led the way to the office in the back. He picked up the phone, dialed an outside line and handed the phone to Trooper Smith. “I’m going to check on Chris before they take him.” Smith nodded.

 

Chapter 6: Family Notifications

“This is State Trooper Tom Smith and I need to speak to the superior officer for Detectives,” Trooper Smith looked at his note pad, “David Starsky and a Kenneth Hutchinson, please.”  There was a pause. “Yes, it is an emergency.” The voice on the other end of the phone told Smith that Captain Harold Dobey was their superior and he was at home. He proceeded to give him the good Captain’s home phone number, wished him luck and hung up. Tom looked at his watch, it was now almost 0200. He hated to call anyone in the middle of the night but knew this Captain would want to know what happened to his men.

Captain Dobey had had a nice couple of days. Without Starsky and Hutch getting into trouble or plucking his last nerve, he was in a great mood. It’s not to say that he doesn’t like the detectives. On the contrary, they were his best team. It’s just that, well, they also seem to get into more trouble than his other teams combined. And the jokes they play on him seemed to never end.  The deli cards with his extension, the rigging of the candy machine to make a loud obnoxious noise when he put his money it, the betting each other if he would actually stay on a diet and they even gave him a toilet one year for Christmas. That one was actually Starsky’s idea. Hutch had nothing to do with that one he had to admit. They were done in good fun, but still Dobey appreciated a little time away from his adolescent team. He had taken Edith out on an actual date earlier in the evening. It had been a while since they had been dancing and they had a wonderful time. He loved Edith and his kids, Cal and Rosie with all his heart. It was midnight before they got in and went to bed.

Captain Dobey was startled when the phone rang. He moaned as he rolled over and looked at the clock. The bright red number indicated it was only 0145. He let out a deep sigh, “It’s got to be Starsky or Hutchinson.” He picked up the phone, “Hello,” he mumbled in a raspy, sleepy voice. He sat up quickly as Trooper Smith explained the reason for the call.

Edith rolled over, “Is everything all right?” She knew from her husband’s actions that everything was anything but all right.

“They what?” There was a pause as the trooper continued to tell him everything.  “I’ll be there with a team as soon as I can.” Captain Dobey put his feet on the floor and called Simmons and Babcock. They were friends of Starsky and Hutch and he knew they would want to be in on the search for them. He explained everything to Edith as he rushed to get dressed. She sat in the bed and quietly sobbed as he was putting on his gun. He kissed her tenderly, “It’s Starsky and Hutch. Don’t worry, you know they always find a way out of every bad situation they get into.” He sat down next to her. “They just got into this mess to keep me from enjoying their vacation.” He gave her a half grin. He wiped her tears before heading toward the station. Captain Dobey called Chief Ryan before he left the station to head toward the mountains. He rode up with Simmons and Babcock in Simmons’ car. It would be about 0530 before they arrived at the ranger station at the base of the mountain.

 

Sheriff Williams wrote down the DeSoto’s phone number. After the paramedics took Chris away on the stretcher, he went to the office. He sat down in the big light brown leather chair that was behind the desk. He picked up the receiver and put it back down. “Not easy making this kind of call is it, Sheriff?”

“Never is, Tom. Luckily, I don’t have to do it very often.” He picked the receiver up again, “I may as well get it over with.”

“Do you have somebody to bring her here?”

“I haven’t gotten that far yet.”

“I can get a hold of the supervisor in LA and have one of the troopers bring her up. It shouldn’t take that long, just get me an address.” The Sheriff nodded as he looked at his notebook and started dialing the number. He put the phone back down.

“You know what? I’m not going to call his wife. I can’t tell her something like this on the phone. Chris said his dad is on the LA fire department. I’ll give the chief a call and he can send a family friend, maybe his captain, to tell her in person.” He called the long-distance operator and got the number for the LA fire department. He called and talked to a Chief McConnikee. He explained everything that Chris had told him and assured him that a search would be underway very soon. He also said that the state police have offered to bring Roy’s and Johnny’s wives to the ranger station whenever they were ready. The Chief said that Roy and Johnny worked at Station 51 and he would send their Captain, Hank Stanley, to deliver the news.  Chief McConnikee said that he would call back after Captain Stanley had talked to DeSoto and Gages’ wives.

Hank was sound asleep–as sound as any fireman could be–when the phone rang. He jumped up instantly and picked it up before the second ring. He was astounded to say the least when he heard what McConnikee had to tell him. He said that of course he would tell Joanne and Aubrey.  He told the chief that since his crew was not expected back at work until Monday, he would like to drive to the ranger station and assist in the search. He also said that he would be calling the rest of his men because he knew they would want to join the search too. Chief McConnikee had somewhat of a hard-nose reputation, but he deeply cared for every man under his command and was especially fond of his A-Shift crew at station 51, even if he would never admit it. He told Captain Stanley that he would allow the crew to miss one shift if they needed the extra time. He wished them luck and told Hank to keep in touch. Hank thanked the Chief. With the extra time off, they didn’t have to be back until Thursday and he thought that would give them plenty of time to find Gage and DeSoto.

Hank’s wife, Emily, woke up and he explained everything to her as he was getting dressed. “What about their kids, Honey?  Joanne and Aubrey can’t take the kids with them. Let me go with you and bring the kids back here.”

“Are you sure you can handle two infants plus Jenny?”

“Sure, I can. And I can call Mike and Marco’s girlfriends to help. In fact, I think I’ll call them come daylight and let them know what’s going on anyway. They’ll want to know. Us wives and girlfriends do have a support system, you know,” She said as she got up out of bed and started getting dressed.

Hank smiled. “I suppose you need one with everything we put you through.” He pulled her close and kissed her. He called the rest of his crew before heading to Joanne and Aubrey’s.  Every one of them asked Hank if they could go with him to search for their missing friends. Hank told them to pack a few things and meet at the station in an hour. They would car pool to the mountains and leave the other cars there where they would be safe.

Emily followed Hank to Joanne’s house. They decided it was better to take separate cars so Emily would have room for all the kids, their car seats, diaper bags and other assorted things that went wherever infants did. They went to Joanne’s house first because the chief said that the hospital would be calling soon to obtain permission to treat Chris. He wanted to fill her in on everything before she got that phone call. It was times like this that he didn’t like his job. He pulled his car in front of Roy’s house and turned it off. Emily was right behind him. She got out and tapped on his window. He nodded and opened the door.

Joanne was sound asleep when she heard the knock on the door. In her sleepy state, she thought Roy was at the station when she didn’t feel him lying next to her. Her heart pounded rapidly and her mind was racing with thoughts of what could have happened to Roy. A call in the middle of night was bad, but as any firefighter or policeman’s wife can tell you, a knock on the door is worse. She put her robe on.  As her mind cleared she remembered that Roy was camping in the mountains with Johnny and their two detective friends from LA.

Hank knocked louder the second time, “Joanne, it’s Captain Stanley.”

Joanne turned the porch light on and opened the door. “Captain, Emily, what’s wrong? Roy’s not at work, he’s camping so it can’t be anything to do with him or Johnny.”

Captain Stanley gently guided Joanne inside and sat her on the couch. Emily was right beside him. His voice was very calm as he explained everything that he had been told by the chief. Joanne leaned forward and Captain Stanley hugged her and let her cry on his shoulder. “Joanne, you know that Roy and Johnny have seen their share of tight spots and I know Starsky and Hutch have too. Now,” he broke the embrace and looked her straight in the eyes, “you and I both know that between the four of them they can tackle just about anything.”

Joanne smiled, just a little, and said, “I know you’re right.”

“Joanne, let me get some things together for Jenny and Kevin. I’ll take care of them as long as you need me too.” Joanne nodded. “It’s okay, I’ve been here enough to know where everything is.” Emily stood up and went to the nursery where Kevin was sleeping.

“I need to pack a few things myself. Hank, can you get the car seat out of my car and put them in Emily’s?”

“Sure,” Hank said and he did as he was asked.

As she was packing the things, she thought she might need, the phone rang. Just as Hank told her, it was the hospital asking for permission to treat Chris. The doctor was very nice and explained that he had a rather large laceration on the back of his right thigh. He had also lost a lot of blood, was dehydrated, and totally exhausted. He wanted to start an IV and give him some pain medicine before he attempted to stitch his leg.  She said he absolutely he had permission to do whatever he needed to for Chris. He allowed her to talk to Chris a few minutes before he began treatment. Chris and Joanne both cried as he explained in detail everything he had gone through. She told him that Captain Stanley was bringing her and Aubrey there and they would be there as soon as she could. She also told Chris that everyone from the A-shift was going to be in on the search. She was sitting on the edge of the bed crying when Hank came back. He sat down next to her and held her as she cried into his shoulder again. In between sobs she told him about talking to Chris. She said that she was so proud of him and how bad she felt for him being alone in the hospital with everything that was going on. Hank said, “Well, let’s not make him wait any longer than he has to.” He stood up and led her into the living room where Emily was putting some diapers for Kevin in the diaper bag. Joanne helped pack the last of the things the kids would need. She carried Kevin out to the car while Hank carried Jenny.

 

Joanne rode with Emily on the way to Aubrey’s after Hank put her small suitcase in the trunk of his car. Aubrey’s reaction was the same as Joanne’s had been, total shock. Emily gathered some things for Delia as Joanne helped Aubrey pack a suitcase. Jenny and Kevin were asleep in the car.

They went back to the Stanley’s house to unload the kid’s and their things. Hank carried a sleeping Jenny in and laid her on the couch and covered her with a throw blanket. He brought in Delia’s playpen and set it up in the living room.

Aubrey cried as she kissed Delia and laid her in the playpen. Joanne kissed Kevin and laid him next to Delia in the playpen. She went to Jenny sleeping on the couch and gently kissed her.

Hank kissed Emily and said that he would call as soon as he could. Joanne and Aubrey both thanked her for watching the little ones. Emily said she was glad she could help and assured them that she would call Mike and Marco’s girlfriends in a little while.

Hank met the rest of the guys from his shift at the station, as was planned. No one had a car big enough for the six of them, so Joanne, and Aubrey rode with Captain Stanley. Chet and Marco went with Mike in his car. It was a long, quiet, three-hour ride on the way to the ranger’s station. Everyone was deep in their own thoughts and they were all very tired. It was Captain Stanley’s idea to take Joanne and Aubrey to the hospital and for Chet, Marco and Mike to head on to the ranger’s station. Joanne had to see Chris before anything else.

The sun was barely up when Captain Stanley pulled into the parking lot of the small hospital. It was just ten miles away from the mountain. He opened the door for Joanne then Aubrey. Joanne was visibly shaken as she walked the through the automatic doors and approached the front desk. The nurse told her how brave she thought Chris was. The nurse took them to Chris’ room and said the doctor would be in a minute.

Captain Stanley and Aubrey hesitated as Joanne opened the door. Joanne saw Chris asleep in the bed with an IV in his left arm. Joanne thought that her son looked so much younger than twelve. He was her first born and no matter how old he got, he was still her baby, even if he was the oldest. Joanne whispered to Hank and Aubrey, “He looks so peaceful laying there you’d never know that he’d had such a bad day.” Hank put his arm on her shoulder.

“Mom!” Chris said excitedly when he heard his mother’s voice.  He was pretty groggy from the pain medication and total exhaustion. “Love you, Mom. Did they find Dad yet?” Joanne clutched her purse and lowered her head.

Captain Stanley moved a chair close to the bed and motioned for Joanne to sit down. “I’m afraid not, Kiddo,” he said. Chris tucked his chin on his chest, closed his eyes and turned his head.

“I love you, Chris. What on earth happened? Are you all right?”

Chris pulled back the blanket to reveal a rather large bandage on his right thigh. “This…this is just a scratch.” He wanted to play down the extent of his injury. He wanted to join the search for his dad and the others.

Just then the door opened, and a man in an olive-green ranger’s uniform came in. “Mom, this is Sam Hogan. He’s the one who found me at the ranger’s station. Ranger Hogan, this is my Mom, Aunt Aubrey, and my Dad’s captain, Captain Stanley.”

Captain Stanley shook hands with Sam. “Just call me Hank. Can you tell us what’s going on? I mean, the only thing we really know is that Chris had to walk out of the woods himself and two men with guns jumped Roy, Johnny, Starsky and Hutch.”

“Well, Hank–and you can call me Sam–I’m afraid we don’t know much more than that. The state police did get a line on just who we may be looking for. But we’ll talk about that later. Ma’am, I gotta tell you, your son here is a real hero. From what he was able to tell us, we have a pretty good idea of where your husband and the others were when he left.”

“What’s being done to get our husbands and the detectives back?” Aubrey asked.

Before he could answer a man in a white lab coat came in. “Which one of you is Chris’ mother?”

“I am.” The doctor explained the extent of Chris’ injuries and said that he really needed to be in the hospital about a week to receive IV antibiotics. He needed a couple of days of rest too. Chris would be allowed to transfer to a hospital in Los Angeles when she was ready for him too. Joanne knew Chris needed his rest and she promised him she would come back to check on him later. Captain Stanley told Chris about all the guys from the A-shift coming to join the search. He said they were going to check in on him later too but wanted to get to the ranger station first.

Sam said that he was headed to the station now and if Hank wanted to follow him he could show him where it was. It was a little before 0600 by the time the captain pulled up to the ranger’s station. The parking lot was becoming very full. There were several state police and deputy cars from what looked like three counties.

Mike pulled up to the ranger’s station just after sunrise. It was a beautiful sight. The colors were just beginning to show through the trees and filled the sky with a brand new day. It was as if the new day was saying goodbye to the dark night.

 

Chapter 7: Roy and Hutch

Roy watched as his best friend headed into the woods with two armed madmen and Starsky. “Please, be careful, Johnny.” He watched until they were out of sight. Hutch moaned and he turned his attention to his patient. “Looks like it’s you and me now, Hutch.” He knelt down beside Hutch. He glanced at Hutch from head-to-toe. “There’s not much of a chance I can drag you outta here. I sure hope Chris makes it to the ranger station and brings back help,” he said aloud. He wasn’t sure if Hutch would know what he was saying, but he felt better having someone to talk to; even if it was an unconscious someone. He had heard that some unconscious people could tell the doctors everything that happened to them while they were unconscious. Roy put the blood pressure cuff on Hutch’s left arm. “Hutch, I’m going to take your blood pressure again.” He squeezed the bulb and slowly turned the silver knob that released the pressure in the cuff. “That’s good, Hutch. You pressure is up to 100/70 now.”

Ray had allowed Johnny to leave one backpack and one canteen behind. Mostly, that was because Starsky threatened for the second time to get them lost and have them running around in circles for weeks. “The sun will be going down soon.” Roy stood up. He poured the rest of the water from the canteen into a pan. “I’m going to get more water. I’ll be right back.” He looked back at Hutch as he headed down the bank that led to the water. He filled the canteen and climbed back up the fifteen-foot bank. He had a nice fire going, but the wood he had collected earlier would not last through the night so he collected some more. After his second armful, he sat down next to Hutch. He patted Hutch’s arm. “Our partner’s are something else, aren’t they? Volunteering to go off like that. What do you suppose we should do to them when they get back?”

“Shoot ‘em,” Hutch said so weakly that Roy barely heard him speak.

“Hutch! You’re awake.”

Hutch nodded. “Starsk, where he’d go?”

“I’m afraid both our partners went with those lunatics.”

“What the hell for?” Hutch said. Then he realized just how much he hurt. He put his arms across his stomach. “God, this hurts, Roy.”

“I know it does, Hutch. I’m sorry I can’t do anything for the pain. I don’t have anything here.” Roy held the canteen close to Hutch’s mouth. “Here, drink this.” He tilted the canteen just enough for Hutch to drink a little water without spilling it all over him. After Hutch took few sips, Roy pulled the canteen away and screwed the top back on. “Can’t drink too much, it’ll make you sick.”

“It’s okay.” Hutch looked around his surroundings as much as he could. “Tell me what’s going on, Roy.”

“Are you sure you want to know everything?” Hutch glared at him. He didn’t have the energy to say a whole lot. “Okay. Here it goes. After you were shot, Starsky told Ray and Andy that he would do anything they wanted, if he would let Johnny and me take care of you. It turns out they wanted a guide to take them to the east side of the mountain.”

“Starsky doesn’t know the east side of anything from a hole in his head.”

“My partner volunteered to go instead of Starsky. To make a long story short, there was a discussion about who would go and who would stay. And well… both our partners went with Ray and Andy.”

Hutch started shivering. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, you’re shivering.”

“Yeah, it’s cold.” Hutch’s voice was getting weaker.

Roy pulled back the dressing over Hutch’s wound. Hutch cringed and moaned. Roy glanced at Hutch and poured some water on a clean cloth. Hutch knew that glance. It was one he’d used often and it wasn’t good. “Roy, I’m not make it am I?”

“Hey, don’t talk like that, Hutch.”

“Save yourself and our partners. Leave me; go get help and find them.”

“I’ll do no such thing. Now, you listen to me, Hutch.” Roy was using his stern paramedic voice.  He pointed his finger at Hutch, “Our partners went with those men so that I could stay here and take care of you. My Son is on his way to the station now to get help. Don’t you sit there and talk about dying on me. I got enough to worry about.”

“Really, you pointed your finger at me. At me, Roy.” Hutch sighed. “I guess I deserved that. I’m sorry. I guess I just hurt so much.”

Roy picked up a small rock and threw it as far as he could. “No. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. Hutch, I’m sorry. I’m just worried about Johnny and Chris. And Starsky, your partner. You know he didn’t think twice about going off with those convicts. He doesn’t know the first thing about camping but he didn’t think twice.”

“Starsky’s doing good if he thinks once.” They both laughed until tears were streaming down their faces. “Okay, Roy, tell me is there anything you can do to help this? You and I both know it’s getting infected and if something’s not done I won’t live through it.”

Roy looked at it again and lowered his eyes. “There is one thing, but it’s risky and I’m not sure I can or should.”

“You’re talking about taking the bullet out?”

Roy looked utterly terrified. “Oh, God, no! Not that. There’s no way.” His voice sounded as terrified as he looked.

“What then?” Roy hesitated. “Come on, Roy. I don’t know how much longer I can stay with you. Talk to me.”

“Yeah, okay. I can try to clean it out a little. You got a lot of dirt in it. I can heat some water. You know, get it good and hot. Not so hot it burns your skin, but hot enough to clean it out and maybe kill some of the infection. It will hurt like hell, but it might keep you alive until help comes. That’s the only thing I can do except remove the bullet and that I don’t think I can do. I think it’s too deep and there’s too much tissue damage.” Roy hesitated. He wanted what he just said to sink in. “Hutch, there’s a danger of opening the wound up more and you might start bleeding again.”

“Can I have some more water, please?” Roy tilted the canteen allowing Hutch to drink more of the cool liquid. Hutch nodded when he’d had enough to drink. “What will happen if you don’t do anything?” Roy didn’t answer. He turned his head to the right. “Do what you have to, Roy.  If it comes down to a few minutes of pain and me waking up in the clouds, I’ll take the pain. Besides, I want to be around to give Starsky hell for taking off.”

“Don’t be too hard on either of them, Hutch. Ray was going to kill you. Starsky wasn’t about to let that happen. He’d have done anything to keep Ray from killing you.”

“I know he would. I’d have done the same thing in his place.”

“Yeah. I guess I would do anything to save Johnny too. I think that’s why he went; to save me from going.”

“We have good partners, don’t we Roy?”

“Hutch, there’s a can of stew that was left behind. I’m going to heat that up. It will help get you warm. After you eat, I’ll…well you know.” Hutch nodded. He didn’t feel much like eating but knew Roy was right, he did need to eat.

After Roy put the stew on to cook, he picked up the sleeping bag that had been left behind and set it next to Hutch. He unzipped it all the way and opened it up. “Help me get you on this. It’ll keep you warm.”

Hutch tried to help Roy and he actually thought he was moving but the pain was so intense every time he even thought about moving that he became paralyzed. Roy managed to get Hutch onto the sleeping bag with a lot of effort. He covered Hutch up with the other half and zipped the bag.

Hutch drifted in and out of consciousness while Roy put more wood on the fire and stirred the stew. He used a pair of scissors to cut a shirt into strips. He emptied the canteen into the pan that already had water in it and set it on grate that was covering the fire. He put the strips of cloth in the water. He made two more trips to the stream to get enough water for the night. He added more to the pot of water that was on the fire.  When the stew was hot, he woke Hutch up and helped him eat as much of it as Hutch thought he could stomach.

“I guess it’s time to get this started isn’t it?” Hutch asked.

“I think the sooner the better, it’s already dark. I don’t want to wait much longer.” Roy knew Hutch was scared and anxious. Heck, Roy was scared and anxious himself. He knew it needed to be done and the alternative was something he didn’t want to think about. This would hurt and it would hurt a lot. But, if Roy didn’t at least try to clean the wound out, Hutch probably not make it through the night.

Roy had one large trauma dressing and that he could put over the wound after he was finished. Hutch was as ready as he thought he could be. He put his hand on Roy’s arm. “Roy, if you can see the bullet, take it out.”

“I…”

“Please, Roy. I want you to. I know it will hurt like hell, but I want it out.”

“Maybe, but only if I see it.” Roy looked in the first aid kit and was happy to see it had antiseptic in it. “Hutch, do you have a pocket knife?”

“Yeah, left front pocket.”

Roy reached into Hutch’s pocket and took out the red Swiss-Army knife. He poured the antiseptic on the knife then his hands. He brought the hot water with the bandages over and sat it on the ground next to Hutch. The water was so hot it would have burned Hutch’s skin. Roy added some cold water to it until he could barely stand to touch it himself. It was still hot enough to do the job. “I’m sorry, Hutch, I have to do this.”

Hutch smiled at Roy, closed his eyes, and nodded his head. “It’s okay, Roy, just get it over with.”

“I’m going to clean around it first. This shouldn’t hurt too much.” Roy took one of the strips he’d made out of his shirt and wrung the hot water out of it. The water was hot but the night air cooled his hands. He gently peeled back the dressing. There was a lot of blood on it and the infection had started draining. The wound had a fowl odor that told Roy it was badly infected already. He wiped the dried blood away and looked at the wound. Hutch moaned from the pain of just being touched. Roy had cut a shirt sleeve off of one of the shirts and rolled it up just enough to give Hutch something to bite on. “Here, bite on this,” he said as he put the cloth into Hutch’s mouth.

Roy took a deep breath. He knew if he waited much longer the anticipation would make it even harder on Hutch. He put the first piece of hot cloth on Hutch’s raw open wound and Hutch’s whole body jerked and he yelled from the pain. He bit down hard on the cloth that was between his teeth. He was sure he would pass out from the pain. He prayed to pass out. Roy wanted him to pass out too. But he didn’t. Roy took another cloth out of the water. He wrung it out leaving a little water in it. He squeezed the water that was left on the cloth into the wound. Hutch bit down hard on the cloth that Roy placed in his mouth. Roy saw Hutch’s face turn blood red as he closed his eyes and clench his teeth. Roy placed the cloth inside the wound and gently blotted some of the dirt onto the cloth. He had to be careful not to cause him to start bleeding again. He did this with each cloth. Each one seemed to cause Hutch even more pain.

Hutch yelled with each one. After the last one, Roy wet another cloth with cold water and wiped Hutch’s forehead. “That’s the last one, Hutch. It’s over now.”

Hutch was in so much pain and he was so weak he couldn’t talk. He just looked at Roy. Hutch drifted into unconsciousness again. Roy sat next to Hutch on the ground and put his legs in front of him. He slumped and closed his own eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m glad Starsky wasn’t here to see that.” He glanced at Hutch and felt for a radial pulse. Roy knew that if Hutch had a radial pulse then his systolic blood pressure was at least 90 and that’s all he needed to know for now. He patted Hutch’s shoulder, “Sleep now, Hutch. That’s the best thing for you.” He stood up and put more wood on the fire. He was glad it wasn’t a real cold night and he had collected enough wood to keep Hutch warm. Roy looked at his watch and it was just past midnight. He curled up on the ground in the fetal position next to the fire. He was worn out physically and emotionally he was hanging by a thread. “Chris, Johnny, please be okay,” he muttered as he drifted off to sleep.

 

Chapter 8: Johnny and Starsky

One of, if not, the hardest thing Starsky ever had to do was leave Hutch. He didn’t know the first thing about camping or navigating through the woods to the east side of the mountain. He didn’t know which way was east and which way west. He couldn’t bring himself to look back once they had left the camp. Starsky and Johnny were walking far enough ahead of Ray and Andy that they couldn’t hear Starsky and Johnny talking.  “Johnny, you didn’t have to come, you know.”

“And let you wander around these mountains by yourself? Not a chance. Roy will take good care of Hutch.”

“That’s what I’m counting on. Which way do we go, anyway?”

“To the right. Remember, the sun rises in the east. If you can remember where the sun is in the morning, you have your direction.”

“Oh. That sounds simple enough.”

“It is. Now, let’s say we were headed west then you go the opposite direction until the sun is setting then you follow it.”

“And if we head any direction long enough we will get off someplace, right?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Johnny, I have a plan.”

“I was hoping you would come up with one.”

“Is it possible to make a big circle and end up back where we started?”

“Sure, it is. We can make it so gradual, they won’t notice.”

“Good. That’s what I want to do. Slow them down as much as possible. I do believe that Chris will make it to the ranger station and bring help back. The longer we stay in this area the better.”

“Got it. Sounds like a good plan to me.”

“Okay. I know it’s early but let’s set up camp for the night now. Make up some excuse why we can’t go on another couple of hours.”

Johnny nodded. “Will you look at that, Starsky?”

“I see what you mean.” Starsky had no idea what Johnny was talking about but he followed his lead.

Johnny turned around and looked at his captors, “Isn’t this just the perfect place to camp for the night?”

“What! Already? We still have plenty of light left,” Ray said.

“Yeah, what are you two trying to pull?” Andy added.

Johnny rubbed his forehead. “You’re kidding right? Man, you really don’t know anything about camping do you?” Ray and Andy just looked at each other. “You think…” he started laughing and turned to Starsky and started waving his hands in the air, “they think there’s plenty of daylight left.”

Starsky went along with Johnny and laughed too. “With everything there is to do. I suppose they don’t think water’s not important either.”

Johnny continued to look at Ray and Andy, “Do you have any idea how much goes into setting up a campsite. There’s pitching the tent…”

“Getting the firewood,” Starsky chimed in.

“Filling the canteens,” Johnny continued this back and forth banter.

“Cooking dinner.”

“And all of it takes time. If you think you can get all that done by dark if we hike a couple more hours then you’re welcome to try.”

“Maybe we should stop for the night, Andy,” Ray said.

“Yeah, I guess so. You boys really do know what you’re doin’, don’t ya?”

“Sure, we do,” Starsky said. He gave Johnny a quick half grin.

Starsky and Johnny pitched the two tents as slow as they thought they could get by with. They made it look like they were working hard at it. Starsky actually was working at it. He had no idea how to set up a tent. Johnny could have had them both up in about fifteen minutes. Starsky tried to talk Andy into leaving one tent with Roy and Hutch but he insisted on taking both of them. Two hours later they had the tents up. Ray and Andy kept a gun pointed at Johnny and Starsky every minute.

Next, they needed to start a fire and to do that they needed to build a fire circle out of rocks. They took their time doing that too. Johnny threw out some of the rocks saying they weren’t the right kind. After the circle was built, they started to collect firewood. “Starsky, I’ll bet you if they were getting the wood, they’d get the wrong kind.”

“You’re on. I think they can handle it.”

“Not a chance, Starsky.” Johnny pointed at Ray and Andy. “Do they look like they could pick the kind of wood we need? I don’t think so.”

“It’s a bet. If they pick the wrong kind…I’ll do the dishes after dinner and if they pick the right kind you gotta do them, deal?”  Starsky turned to Andy and Ray. “How about it. You don’t want to let him get by with thinking you’re so dumb you can’t pick out wood to start a fire, do you?”

“Don’t think for a minute that I’m taking my hand off this gun or my eyes off of either of you,” Andy said.

Starsky snapped his fingers. “I have an idea. You can let Ray keep an eye on us while you gather some wood and you watch us while he gets his wood.”

“You can put your wood here and Ray can put his next to it. Starsky and I won’t say anything until you’re both done,” Johnny said.

“I promised you if you didn’t kill Hutch and let Roy stay with him, I’d be your guide. I’m a man of my word.”

“Wood. Firewood. You think I don’t know what kind of firewood to put on a fire. I’ll show you,” Ray said. “Watch them Andy.” He huffed. Ray headed into the woods.

Starsky glanced at Johnny and closed his eyes and shook his head. He thought he was bad at camping. These two knew even less than he did and he didn’t think that was possible. They waited and waited for Ray to come back. Starsky and Johnny were tired of standing so they sat next to a big tree and leaned against it. “You know, Johnny if they find out what we’re doing…”

“I know, they’ll be hell to pay.” He grinned. “But it will be fun while it lasts. If they’re as dumb as I think they are, it won’t be any problem running around this area in circles.

“Johnny, I have a deck of cards in my back pocket. I’m going to drop them when I can. I know it’s a long shot, but it might help them to find us.”

“That’s a good idea.”

It was a half hour before Ray returned. Starsky held back his laughter when he saw that Ray had been gone all that time and only brought back four small twigs. Johnny shook his head. Ray placed the twigs on the ground and took his gun out of his waist band. It was Andy’s turn now and he went into the woods.

Starsky whispered, “I’ll do the dishes tonight. This was worth it.” Johnny laughed.

Andy was gone even longer than Ray was and brought back six twigs. Johnny stood up after Andy set his twigs on the ground next to Ray’s. “Well, how’d we do?”

Starsky stood up and looked at the twigs that were lying on the ground. Johnny bent down and picked up a twig from Ray’s pile and broke it in half. He bent his head down and shook it. “Broke too easily.” He looked at the rest of Ray’s twigs and said, “None of these are any good, Starsky. Look they’re all too dry.”

Starsky looked at Ray like he was disappointed in him. Ray looked embarrassed and kicked a rock.

Johnny looked at the twigs that Andy brought back next. He broke them too. “Nope. See, Starsky, told ya. Guess you get to do the dishes.”

“Guess so. Let’s show them what kind of firewood we need.” Starsky walked past Andy and Ray, “Thanks a lot. Now I gotta do the dishes.” He walked into the woods with Johnny behind him.

“Thanks, now I don’t have to do the dishes,” Johnny said smiling as he walked past Ray and Andy.

Ray and Andy watched every move Starsky and Johnny made. As they were picking up twigs themselves, they were careful not to pick up any that were as dry as the ones that Ray and Andy picked up. “Johnny?” Starsky whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Do you have any matches? I don’t have any matches. How are we going to start to start the fire?”

“Relax, Starsky. I packed some matches. They’re in the backpack. But I do know how to start one by rubbing sticks together if you want to bet them I can’t.”

“I think we’ve bet enough for one day.”

“Starsky, do you think we can jump them tonight while they’re sleeping?”

“I don’t know. I hope so. I’d like to get one of those guns.”

They picked up the wood they would need for the night and tossed them on the ground by the fire circle. “This is the right kind of wood for a fire.” Johnny said sarcastically.

Ray stared at the pile of wood that Starsky and Johnny brought back. “Well…sure I know that was the right kind but I…I mean we got our wood from over there.” He pointed to his left.

“I’m sure that’s all it is. We just lucked out,” Starsky said.

“Yeah, well you still lost so you gotta do the dishes,” Johnny replied giggling.

Starsky and Johnny worked together on building the fire. “Hey, Johnny, let’s use one of these.” Starsky said as he picked up one of the dry twigs from Andy’s pile. He said it loud enough for Ray and Andy, who were standing a few feet away, to hear him. Ray had his gun in his hand.

Johnny wasn’t sure what Starsky was up to but he followed his lead. “Do you think it will work, Starsky? It’s pretty dry.”

“I would hate to see all their efforts go to waste, wouldn’t you?” Starsky slightly nodded so Johnny would know to agree with him.

Johnny nodded. “Yeah, sure throw it on. Just put it on the bottom.”

Starsky added the stick to the bottom. Johnny leaned close to Starsky and whispered, “What do you want me to do?”

“You remember playing good cop/bad cop, and you broke that chair?” Johnny nodded.

“This time you’re going to be the bad camper. Just act like you can’t stand their inexperience in camping. I’ll try to smooth things over.”

“You don’t think they’ll get mad and do anything to us, do you?”

“These clowns? No way. They’re too scared we’ll lose them. I’ll let you know when it’s time to back down a little.” Starsky put more wood on the fire. “Do you think you can handle it?”

“Sure. I think I know what you’re up too. If they think everything they do is wrong, we can keep them off guard enough for us to make a move and maybe turn things around in our favor.”

Starsky patted Johnny’s shoulder. “Exactly, my friend. Hey, can you really start a fire with sticks?”

“Sure. Can’t you?”

“I can barely get one going with matches. Want to have more fun?”

“Why not?” Johnny didn’t mean to sound like he was mad at Starsky. But he did; and he was. Johnny understood Starsky’s plan and agreed with it, but he had a hard time understanding how Starsky could actually be enjoying this whole thing. He put more wood on the fire.

Starsky caught the tone in Johnny’s voice and knew what he was thinking. He reached out and touched Johnny’s arm and had a serious look on his face, “I don’t mean to sound like I’m enjoying all this. I’m worried about our partners and Chris too. I sent Chris into the woods alone and my partner is dying back there. I guess I’m use to making a joke out of everything.”

Johnny understood, Starsky really was hurting inside . He was just better at not showing it. “I’m sorry, Starsky. I guess I’m just not used to stuff like this. I know how much Hutch means to you. I know you’d rather be back there instead of him. You know, I can go into a burning building or repel down the side of a cliff, but this, with guns and stuff well…It…”

“Scares you?”

“Yeah.” Johnny put his head down like being scared was something to be ashamed of. He added one of the dry twigs to the pile.

“I’d be worried if you weren’t scared, Johnny. Don’t think I’m not scared. This whole thing has got me wound tighter than a drum. I guess Hutch and I are so used to living on the edge, we tend to joke about it. Make no mistake, I realize the danger we put ourselves in.” He paused to read Johnny’s expression. Johnny seemed to understand. “I think of this is an undercover assignment. You and I are playing a part.”

“And to play that part, we need to stay in character.”

“That’s it.”

Johnny smiled. He really understood where Starsky was coming from now. He was just as scared as Johnny was. In Starsky’s mind, he turned this into one of his undercover assignments and he was playing a part until he could make his move. Starsky wasn’t enjoying any of this any more than Johnny was. “I can do this,” Johnny said after he took a deep breath.

Starsky lightly slapped Johnny’s leg. “I knew you could. Now, let’s play.”

Johnny chuckled and shook his head. “Whatcha got it mind?”

Starsky stood up and stretched. “Johnny, do you think Ray and Andy here want to redeem themselves from the wood gathering fiasco?”

Johnny stood up and wiped the dirt off his hands on his jeans. “I doubt they’re up to starting the fire if that’s what you mean.” Starsky winked to let Johnny know he was doing a good job playing his part.

“How ‘bout it? You two want to start this fire and show my friend here that you are indeed worth something out here?”

“Worth something?” Ray took a step toward Starsky and pointed the gun at him. “I oughta drop you right here.”

“You do that and I will get you lost,” Johnny was quick to respond.

“Relax, Ray. He’s just tryin’ to get you worked up.”

“Yeah, how am doin’?” Starsky asked. He didn’t budge. He wasn’t about to let Ray make him show any fear.

“I guess that’s a no. I told ya, Starsky, they don’t know anything and don’t want to learn anything. If it wasn’t for us, they’d die out here,” Johnny sounded condescending. Starsky was proud of Johnny. He caught on how to play his part  pretty quickly.

Johnny looked around for the perfect sticks to start a fire with. It was hard to start a fire with sticks but he had done it several times. This time he wanted to make appear much easier than it actually was. He had matches and would use them if he had to, but he also wanted to more like a woodsman to Ray and Andy. The more useful he appeared, the more likely they were to keep him and Starsky alive. When he found what he was looking for, he squatted near the fire circle. He looked up and winked at Starsky. “Ray, you want to watch this?” Ray didn’t say anything but moved closer to the fire circle. Andy moved closer too but kept a tight grip on his gun. Starsky noticed that Andy was more careful about getting close enough for Starsky to jump him and take the gun away. He would probably have to jump Ray when the time came. Johnny positioned the sticks exactly how he wanted them. Next, he took off one of his shoe laces. Johnny had a nice fire going within fifteen minutes. Starsky and Johnny worked together to make dinner which consisted of canned stew. They took their time and made it seem much more difficult than it really was. After dinner, Starsky washed the dishes with the last of their water. Ray knew they need the canteens filled but he wasn’t about to let Johnny and Starsky go. He told Johnny to go alone and if he didn’t come back he would shoot Starsky. Johnny hurried back with the water.

After everything was set for the night, Starsky found a big rock and moved it close to the fire. He sat on it and tried to make small talk with Ray and Andy. He thought the more he talked to them the more they would trust him and Johnny. They did talk a little and Starsky found out that Ray was in jail for robbing a bank and Andy was in for selling cocaine. Starsky hated drug dealers. He had always disliked them but that dislike grew after Hutch was forcibly addicted to the heroin.

It was well after midnight when Andy decided to tie Starsky and Johnny up to a tree for the night. Andy told Starsky to sit on the ground in front of a tree and to put his hands behind him. Andy tied one end of the rope to Starsky’s wrist and wrapped it all the way around the tree across Starsky’s chest to the other side. He then tied the other end to Starsky’s other wrist. Andy made sure the rope was as tight as possible to give Starsky the most discomfort he could. Ray was standing watch with his gun pointed at Johnny the entire time. When he was finished, Ray tied Johnny to the tree that was next to Starsky in the same manner.

Even though both tents were big enough for two, Andy slept in one and Ray slept in the other one. Starsky told Johnny to get some sleep. He knew they would both need their strength the next few days. Starsky tried to loosen the ropes for a while but all he succeeded in doing was rubbing the skin on his wrists raw to the point they were bleeding. Just before he fell into a deep sleep he whispered, “Please, Hutch, hang in there.” A single tear rolled down his cheek.

 

Chapter 9: Ranger Station Six A.M.

Joanne DeSoto hated to leave Chris at the hospital but she needed to check in at the ranger station. Chris had been given pain medication and was asleep before she left his room. When she walked into the small ranger station with Aubrey and Captain Stanley they were met by Sheriff Williams and Trooper Tom Smith. They were taken to an office in the back.  Chet, Marco and Mike were asked to wait with the others that had gathered.

Joanne and Aubrey saw Captain Dobey sitting at a long, rectangular desk. He was sipping on a cup of coffee. Captain Stanley pulled out a chair for Joanne then Aubrey. He walked over to Captain Dobey and stuck his hand out. “I’m Hank Stanley, Roy and Johnny’s captain from Los Angeles. I’ve met your men, Starsky and Hutch; good men those two.”

Captain Dobey stood up and shook Stanley’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Gage and DeSoto are good men too. My boys speak very highly of you.”

“And mine speak highly of you.”

Two men came in and introduced themselves as FBI Special Agents Lynn Barker and Al Davis. Captain Dobey shook hands with them. “Nice to see you again, Lynn, Al.”

“You too, Harold. Just sorry it’s under these circumstances.”

“You three know each other?” Sheriff Williams asked.

“Sure I do. I met Barker and Davis about ten years ago.”

“And we’ve been working on cases off-and-on  ever since,” Agent Davis said.

“This debriefing is to let Mrs. Gage and Mrs. DeSoto know what we know so far and to plan how we are going to proceed from here,” Trooper Smith started. “As of right now, the FBI is in charge of the case. Now, what we know so far is that two men, whom we believe are escaped convicts Ray Robertson and Andy Eubanks, are holed up in the woods with your husbands and the detectives as hostages. Chris was able to tell us that Starsky told him the men wanted to go down the east side of the mountain. To do that, they will have to travel through some pretty rough terrain. We’re estimating that it will take them three days, at best.”

Agent Barker stood up and said, “We are going to start sending out the search parties in a few minutes now that we have plenty of men here. Chris gave us a good enough description of the location they camped at and where he was when Detective Starsky sent him to get help.” Barker looked directly at Joanne. “It was a smart move on Starsky’s part. It may have saved Chris’ life. And Chris was able to provide us with a lot of valuable information. Without him, we would have no clue where to start.”

“He’s one of the bravest twelve year old’s I’ve ever met,” Sheriff Williams said.

“Captain Stanley, I understand you and your men are here to help,” Agent Davis said. Hank nodded. “I can understand that, but those men have guns and we would prefer it if only law enforcement personnel did the actual searching.” Hank looked disappointed.

“Al, I think it would be a good idea to have someone from the fire department on each team,” Captain Dobey said.

“Why’s that?” The sheriff asked.

“They know all about rescues, rope repelling, things like that,” Dobey answered.

“That’s right. We do have specialized knowledge and if someone is hurt, my boys can get them safely,” Captain Stanley said. He understood the dangers involved, but wanted to help find his friends too. It made him sick to the stomach to think he may have to wait. He didn’t like waiting.

“Your men must be made aware of the dangers,” Agent Davis replied.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“How many men do you have, Hank?”

“Four including me.”

“Good, we can put two on a team,” Agent Davis said.

The sheriff assigned Deputy Todd Rogers to take care of Mrs. Gage and Mrs. DeSoto. He was instructed to help them in any way he could. The first thing Deputy Rogers did was to take Joanne and Aubrey to another room. “This will be much more comfortable.” He held the door open for them. The room was a break room, complete with a TV, couch and a recliner. There was fresh coffee in the pot on the counter and a refrigerator.

Joanne entered the room first, followed by Aubrey. Deputy Rogers closed the door as he entered the room. “If you need anything, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask me.”

“Thank you,” the women replied.

Joanne saw a phone on the counter next to the coffee pot. “Can I use that to call the hospital and check on my son?”

Deputy Rogers moved to the phone. “Yes, Ma’am. Just dial a nine first.” He took a small notebook and a pen out of his pocket and wrote down a number. He handed the paper to Joanne.

“Thank you, and please call me Joanne.”

“And you can call me Aubrey.”

“Only if you call me Todd. You can call anyone you want. If it’s long distance just dial a one after you dial the nine. I know you have people back in LA that you need to call. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Please, make yourselves at home.”

Joanne sat on the end of the couch and Aubrey sat next to her. Joanne put her purse on the floor in front of her and then crossed her arms on her knees and started to cry. Aubrey put her purse down and put her arms around Joanne. “It’ll be okay. I’m sure they’ll find them.”

“I’ve always known I could lose Roy in some burning building or having some rope fail as he was rappelling.” She bent down and took a tissue out of her purse and wiped her eyes. “But this…to be kidnapped by some escaped convicts.”

Aubrey was crying by now and wiped her eyes with a tissue from her purse. They hugged each other for several minutes and let all the fear and frustration out. “And poor Chris. What he’s gone through. Hiking like that in the dark by himself and getting hurt. I’m so proud of him.” Joanne said as she broke the embrace.

“I am too. Let’s think positive. Starsky and Hutch are officers. And our husbands…well, we know they are good at thinking their way out of tough spots. I think they’ll be found safe and sound,” Aubrey said as she stood up. She walked to the coffee pot and poured two cups.

Joanne looked up. “You know, I think you’re right. We need to stay strong for them; all of them.” She stood up and with a determined look on her face she picked up the cup of coffee Aubrey offered. “No more pity parties.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Aubrey agreed. They let their cups touch just enough to make a ‘clanking’ sound and took a sip.

 

Hank left the meeting room and pulled his men to a corner. “So, that’s the deal. It’s dangerous those men have guns and they’re not afraid to use them. After Aubrey and Joanne were taken to the break room, Sheriff Williams told me that Ray shot and killed a guard during the escape. In his mind, he has nothing to lose.”

“And?” Chet said. He wasn’t going to let a little bit of danger scare him off. He was determined to help find the missing men.

“What’s your point,” Mike said with a care-free tone. He wasn’t going to let anyone or anything stand in his way.

“I’m in,” Marco said.

Captain Stanley’s heart swelled with pride. He knew this is what their reactions were going to be. All of them had faced danger plenty of times before. At one time or another, during their careers as firefighters, each one of them had come to terms with their own mortality. “I’ll tell the FBI we’re ready. Mike, you’ll be with me. We are going with Captain Dobey’s men, Simmons and Babcock, and Ranger Sam Hogan. Chet, you and Marco will be with Sheriff Williams and FBI agent, Al Davis. Agent Lynn Barker is going to stay behind and run things from here.” Before they joined the others, Captain Stanley said, “Please, be careful.” His men nodded as they walked away. Captain Stanley introduced his men to the men they would be working with.

Captain Stanley and Mike told Sheriff Williams and the FBI agents that they had some equipment in their cars that might come in handy. They went to their cars and returned a few minutes later with a small backpack that contained rescue ropes, carabiners, pairs of gloves and a couple of harnesses.

Each team was given a radio and a specific area to search. After a few last-minute warnings by Agent Barker, the teams headed out the door.

It seemed like it took forever to get going to Captain Stanley, but the truth was it was only 0630.

 

Chapter 10: The Search Begins

The sun was just coming up and Roy was curled up on the ground in a tight ball. He had gotten pretty cold during the night. He could sense the sun was up even before he opened his eyes. He stretched his legs and realized that he must have slept much long than he had intended. He needed to check on Hutch during the night and he didn’t. “Roy, you idiot, why did you fall asleep?” He said aloud as he scrambled to his feet. He rushed to Hutch’s side. Hutch was inside the sleeping bag all zipped up. Roy took deep breath when he didn’t see the bag moving. He couldn’t see Hutch’s head. Evidently, Hutch had curled up inside the bag to keep warm. He paused a moment before unzipping it. “Uh, Hutch. You okay?” He asked quietly.

“Mmm,” was Hutch’s response.

Roy let out a sigh of relief and unzipped the bag. “Thank, God. I thought…”

“Tho…ught I was d…ead? I got…ta tell ya, I almost wis…hed I was.” Hutch’s voice was weak and broken. Roy could tell his friend was in a lot of pain.

He folded back the top flap and saw that Hutch was diaphoretic. Roy knew that was not a good sign and felt Hutch’s forehead. It was hot. Roy couldn’t tell how high the fever was, he knew Joanne could. She was good at that. Joanne told Roy once it was a mother thing. “Hutch, I’ll get you some water.”

“Good…id…ea.”

Roy stood up and frantically searched for the canteen. He thought it was next to him but he didn’t see it. He moved his backpack but it wasn’t there. He looked by Hutch and it wasn’t there either. He finally found it by the fire. He opened the top and held it so Hutch could get a drink. Hutch barely had the energy to lift his head up. Roy held the canteen in one hand and helped Hutch lift his head with the other one. A little water spilled on the inside of the sleeping bag. Hutch flopped his head down and closed his eyes. He slipped into unconsciousness again. Roy put the canteen beside Hutch and found the blood pressure kit. Hutch’s blood pressure was low again. It was only 85/60 and his pulse was fast. “Come on, Hutch, hang in there. I promise I’ll get us out of here today. Hang in there.” There was no response from Hutch. Roy uncovered Hutch enough to see the wound. It was awful. The wound was clean but the infection had spread. It was very hot and swollen.

Roy knew he had to find a way to get Hutch back to the ranger station and he had to hurry. Leaving Hutch alone was not an option he was willing to entertain. They would make it out together. “Leave no man behind,” Roy said. Hutch was lying on the sleeping bag already and Roy figured he could rig something he could use to pull him. It would be slow going, but he couldn’t wait any longer. Roy found some rope in the bottom of the backpack. “Johnny must have tossed that in there,” he said. He took it out and bit his lower lip as he thought of how he could use it. He had an idea and went to work. It took him almost two hours, but Roy managed to use some four-inch-thick tree branches and made a crude cot. He packed the rest of the supplies he would need into the backpack and put it at the bottom. Roy hated leaving the guitars behind but he couldn’t take them with him. Roy helped Hutch drink more water and then he drank as much as he could. Roy made his way to the stream and filled the canteen again and put it around his head. Roy had fashioned a harness out of the rope. He would be able to use his whole body to pull Hutch instead of his arms. He put his arms in the harness and started walking. Hutch remained unconscious, even after Roy started pulling him. The cot was made so that the branches were dragging the ground instead of the sleeping bag.

The terrain might not have seemed too bad when they were walking yesterday, but today pulling Hutch, was something else altogether. It was very slow going. Roy didn’t have much hope that he could get Hutch to the station alive. Roy thought he’d been hiking for hours. He carefully put Hutch down. He unzipped the sleeping bag and looked at Hutch. Roy was glad to find him still asleep and breathing. It was getting hot so he left part of the bag unzipped. The best thing for Hutch right now was sleep. He sat under a large tree and unscrewed the top of the canteen. He took a few sips and the water was cool and refreshing. He glanced at his watch and was disappointed to find it was only noon. He thought it was at least three by now. He sighed and was about to stand back up when he heard a noise. He sat motionless for a few moments before he realized what he was hearing. He stood up and looked up. He could hear it but he couldn’t see the helicopter. It sounded like it was getting closer.

Captain Dobey was in no shape to go hiking around the woods. He had been assigned to ride as a spotter in the helicopter which suited him just fine. They had been searching for several hours. They found the campsite earlier and had been looking to the east of it. Now, they were getting low on fuel and were returning to base station. The pilot was going to drop Dobey off before fueling up at a small nearby airport. Even though they were headed back in, Captain Dobey was looking at the ground for any signs of the missing men.

Roy heard the twirling sound of the blades and then he saw the most beautiful thing he thought he’d ever seen; a big helicopter flying right overhead. He was excited and started jumping up and down and yelling. “Over here! I’m right here!” His heart sank when it flew past him. He put his arms back at his side and lowered his head. They couldn’t see him through the brush. He perked up a little when he realized that seeing the helicopter meant that Chris must have made it back.

 

Captain Dobey said, “Turn around.”

“What?” The co-pilot said.

“I think I saw something back there. In fact, I’m sure of it.”

The pilot turned the helicopter around and went even lower to the trees than he already had been. Dobey pointed to his right. “There, I see someone.”

“I see him,” the pilot said. They all smiled and Dobey picked up his radio and let Sam know the exact location of the man they saw. There was no clearing even close by and they had to get fuel. The pilot got on the PA system and said, “We see you. Help is on the way.”

Roy grinned and waved. He had been spotted and help wasn’t far away. He unzipped the sleeping bag and knelt down next to Hutch. “Hutch, they found us. Help’s on the way.” He tried to get Hutch to drink more water but he couldn’t get him to wake up. Roy wiped Hutch’s face off and took his blood pressure. It was now 90/60. Roy was a little relieved that it had gone up. He drank some of the water himself and sat down and waited.

Dobey couldn’t help but wonder where the others were. He only saw one man. His heart sank when he thought of what might have happened. Sam radioed back that they were not far from where Dobey had seen the man. Dobey still wasn’t sure who it was he spotted, although he was pretty sure it wasn’t Starsky or Hutch.

It was another thirty minutes before Roy heard the rustling sounds of someone in the woods just ahead. He stood up and yelled, “Who’s there?”

Captain Stanley and Mike looked at each other and smiled when they heard Roy’s voice. “That’s DeSoto,” Captain Stanley said to Sam, Simmons and Babcock. “Roy, is that you.”

Roy saw the images emerge in front of him. “Yeah, it’s me, Cap. Thank, God, you guys are here.  Hutch’s been shot. We gotta get him to a hospital right away.”

Sam got back on the radio and called the helicopter. He was told that they were fueling up now and would be right back.  While they were waiting for the helicopter to return, Roy filled Sam and the others in on what happened after Chris had left. Captain Stanley let Roy know that Chris had been injured but he was going to be just fine. It was Chris who told them where to start looking. Simmons and Babcock tried to talk to Hutch but he still wouldn’t wake up. Ten minutes later the helicopter was in the air hovering over them. The stokes basket was being lowered. Captain Stanley, Roy and Mike put Hutch in the basket. Roy gave the pilot the thumbs up signal and they all watched as the basket was being slowly lifted into the helicopter. Roy gave a sigh of relief that Hutch was finally on the way to the hospital. It would take almost four hours to make their way back to the ranger station.

Sam got on the radio and told Special Agent Barker that Roy had been found and he was safe. He let him know that Hutch was being air lifted to the hospital. He also told the agent that Roy confirmed what Chris had said about looking on the east side of the mountain for the others. He said he would fill him on the rest when they got back.

Roy thought the hike back to the ranger station was a breeze compared to the first couple of miles when he was pulling Hutch.  Mike told him that Chet and Marco were with another team searching the east side. It made Roy feel good to know that the rest of the crew came to help find him. He was worried about Johnny though.

Agent Barker knocked on the door to the break room. Joanne said, “Come in.” He slowly opened the door. “I have some good news. Roy DeSoto has been found. He’s on the way back now. It will take a few hours for him to hike out.”

Joanne softly sobbed for joy while Aubrey hugged her. It occurred to Aubrey that Agent Barker didn’t say anything about Johnny or their friends. “What about Johnny and the others?” She asked.

“I was told that Detective Hutchinson had…” He hesitated. He wasn’t sure how much he should tell them. He looked at Joanne and Aubrey and they looked back at him. They were firefighter’s wives and they were a special breed of women. He knew they could handle the truth. They wanted and deserved to know the truth. “Hutchinson was airlifted out and is on the way to the hospital. He was shot. I really don’t know any more than that right now.  We should know more when they get back. I’m sending some men on four-wheelers that can get pretty far down the trail. They just arrived a few minutes ago and should take an hour off their time. I’m sorry I can’t tell you any more than that.”

Aubrey stood up slowly, “Agent Barker?”

“Yes, Ma’am?”

“Thank you for being honest with us.” He smiled and nodded his head as he left.

Sam allowed Roy to talk to Joanne a few minutes on the radio as they were making their way through the woods. He assured her that he was all right and said that he would tell her everything when he made it back. Joanne said that she saw Chris and he had a laceration on his leg and was worried about him and the others.

It was 1430 when the people at the ranger station heard the loud sound of the four-wheeler’s engines. Joanne and Aubrey were waiting outside. Joanne ran to Roy when he got off the one he had been on. He buried his head on her shoulder as he hugged her. He was so glad to be back with her. He lifted his head and hugged Aubrey who was standing next to Joanne with tears in her eyes. “We need to talk,” he said as he held their hands and walked into the station.

Agent Barker guided them to the small meeting room. He promised that Deputy Rogers would take them all to the hospital as soon as he heard what Roy needed to tell them.  “Please, have a seat,” Agent Barker said as he pulled a seat out for Aubrey. Roy pulled one out for Joanne. Roy had a far-away look on his face when he sat down. He was seated between Joanne and Aubrey. Captain Stanley was on the other side of Aubrey and Mike was next to Joanne. Simmons, Babcock, Ranger Hogan and Agent Davis all sat down.

Deputy Rogers returned with some cold drinks and some sandwiches. He figured that Roy and the others needed to eat.

“Thank you,” Roy said as he looked at the drinks.

“Mr. DeSoto can you tell me what happened?” Agent Barker asked.

“How’s Hutch?” Roy asked.

“Captain Dobey is at the hospital with him. He called about a half hour ago and said that he was still in surgery,” Agent Barker said.

Roy opened the can of Dr. Pepper and took a swallow and set the can back down.  It was cold and felt good. Roy explained everything that he knew. He said that he tried to stop Johnny but he had insisted on going. He said he was glad that Starsky had sent Chris back. If he had stayed then he may have been killed.

Agent Barker said that he had not heard from any of the other teams. There were two helicopters in the area searching but the mountains were vast and parts of it were pretty thick. He didn’t sound hopeful that they could locate someone who didn’t want to be located. Roy put his arms around Aubrey as she started to cry. She put her head on his shoulder and he gently hugged her. “Johnny’s not alone, remember that. He’s with Starsky and together they’ll find a way out. I know they will.”

Deputy Rogers asked if they were ready to go to the hospital. Roy, Joanne and Aubrey went with him. Captain Stanley, and Mike joined Simmons, Babcock, and Sam to search a new location. This time they were going to be taken by helicopter deep into the mountains. There was a meadow that was big enough for the helicopter to land. It was on the east side of the mountain and if that’s where Ray and Andy were taking Johnny and Starsky then they should find them.

Chris cried when he saw Roy enter the room. Roy went to his son’s bedside and hugged him tight until Chris said that he couldn’t breathe. Chris asked about Johnny, Starsky and Hutch. Roy was honest with him and told him everything he knew. Roy looked at the bandages on Chris’ leg. “It’s okay, Dad. I want to get out of here and look for Uncle Johnny and Starsky.”

“Absolutely not, young man!” Joanne said in that tone that only a mother had.

Chris started to protest but Roy said, “Your mother’s right. Not this time. You’re already hurt and this is dangerous. They won’t let me go back yet either.”

Chris told his dad all about how he made it back. He said he was sorry about breaking the window and getting blood all over the floor. Roy told him that it had been cleaned up and the window would be replaced today.

“Dad, I was mad at Starsky for making me leave. I wanted to stay. I wanted to help, but he said leaving and getting help was the best thing I could do. Was it? I mean, did I help?” Chris mumbled.

Roy hugged Chris again. “Son, you saved my life and maybe Hutch’s too. You let the authorities know where those two convicts are taking Johnny and Starsky. Did you matter? Of course you helped.”

Chris looked at the bandages on his leg and the IV running through his veins. “Then it was worth it.” He looked up and smiled. “I get it now, Dad. I get why you and Uncle Johnny and even Starsky and Hutch do what you do no matter how dangerous it is. It is worth it, I know that now.” He looked at his mother, “I’d do it again.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. You are growing up way to fast.”

There was a knock on the door and Captain Dobey came in. He looked terrible. Roy thought that could only mean that Hutch didn’t make it after all and his heart sank. He sat; or rather almost fell, in the chair that was next to him.  “Hutch,” he whispered trying to choke back his tears.

“He just got out of surgery. The doctor said it was touch and go for a while. And he’s not out of the woods yet, but he’s hanging in there. He’s hanging in there.”

Roy slowly lifted his head. “You mean he’s still alive?”

“That’s what I mean, Roy. Not only that, but his doctor said that whoever treated him in the field probably saved his life.”

Roy smiled and looked at Chris. “Yes, Son, it’s definitely worth it.”

 

Chapter 11: A Change of Plans

Starsky kept his eyes closed as he heard Ray and Andy moving around the campsite. They were arguing about the firewood they had collected the night before. It appeared that they didn’t like being made to look like fools. Starsky hid his grin. He knew Johnny was awake too because he heard him chuckle. Starsky turned to face Johnny and opened one eye very slowly. Johnny had done the same thing and they knew that whatever happened, they were in it together.

Starsky heard footsteps coming toward him and he shut his eye. He felt the cold water as Ray poured it down his head. “What the hell!” He yelled as he shook the water off.

“It’s time to wake up,” he heard Ray say.

“I’m awake, geez. You didn’t have to do that. A simple breakfast in bed would have done.” Starsky was never one to pass up an opportunity to be as sarcastic as he could when it came to dealing with the bad guys.  A trait Hutch told him several times was going to get them both killed one day. “Johnny, wake up before they drown you too.”

“I’m awake, Starsky.” Johnny opened his eyes and saw a very wet, very angry Starsky. Johnny remembered what Starsky had told him about playing a part and doing whatever they could to get on their captor’s nerves in a subtle way.  He looked at Ray and said, “Just for that, you get to get to cook breakfast this morning. But judging from your firewood gathering fiasco, I doubt you can cook.” Johnny looked at Starsky who winked at him and nodded. Johnny thought Starsky’s right, this is fun.

Ray kicked Johnny’s leg for that last remark. It hurt like hell but Johnny didn’t react to the pain. He didn’t want Ray to know he hurt him. Ray threw the canteens at Starsky’s feet and walked behind him. He cut the ropes and said, “You get the water and I’ll be watching you so don’t try anything cute.”

Starsky wanted to respond with his usual line of, Hutch is cute, I’m careful. But he couldn’t. Not without knowing if Hutch was even alive. He didn’t move right away. He sat there, with his eyes closed, concentrating. He took a couple of deep breaths and blocked out everything and everyone around him. Johnny saw a smile come across Starsky’s face. Starsky stood up and said, “I’ll be right back, Johnny.” Ray pointed the gun at Starsky as he watched him fill the canteens.

While Ray was watching Starsky fill the canteens, Andy pointed a gun and Johnny and untied him. “You, wise guy, cook breakfast.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay.” Johnny stood up slowly and opened the backpack.

“Don’t worry there’s nothing in there that you can use against us. I found that other pig’s gun last night.”

Johnny hated the use of the word pig to describe police officers. It was disrespectful and he shuddered. He turned around and said, “His name is Hutch. Kenneth Hutchinson and he’s twice the man you’ll ever be and so is Starsky. If anyone is a pig around here, it’s you!” Johnny’s face was red with anger. He pulled out the container of oatmeal and set it on a rock next to the fire circle. He picked up a piece of wood and angrily threw it on the fire.

Starsky came back with the canteens and Johnny emptied one of them into the pan to cook the oatmeal. Starsky couldn’t help but notice Johnny’s angry look and wondered if he had done something to make him mad. Starsky stood next to him and whispered, “You’re not mad at me, are you?”

Johnny was putting the oatmeal in the pan. “Mad at you…what makes you think…!” Johnny realized he was a little louder than he wanted to be and lowered his voice. “I’m sorry, Starsky. I’m not mad at you.” He glared at Andy.

Starsky looked at Andy. “Hey, he’s the only one who can get us out of here. I wouldn’t be making him mad if I were you.”

Andy pointed his gun at Starsky, “You think I care if I piss him off? Guess again.”

“Just forget it, Starsky.  Here, breakfast is ready. Johnny shoved a bowl at Ray then one at Andy.”

He dished up another bowl and handed it to Starsky. “What’d he say to get you so upset?”

“Just forget it. I’m sorry. I won’t lose control again.”

“I’ll be disappointed if you don’t.” Starsky grinned and sat down.

After they had finished breakfast and packed things away, Andy said, “There’s been a change of plans.”

“A what?” Starsky asked.

“We decided that we want to go to the west side of the mountain instead of the east side.”

“You morons, you had us walking all day yesterday in the opposite direction. Now we have to backtrack.” Johnny said. Johnny lied. He just wanted an excuse to stay in the area.

Ray walked over to Johnny and slugged him hard enough to make him take two steps back and double over.  Starsky made a step toward Ray but Ray pulled the hammer back on the gun and said, “I wouldn’t advise it.”

Starsky helped Johnny stand up straight.  “Are you okay?” Johnny nodded. “What the hell did you do that for?”

Ray help up a compass. Johnny glanced at Starsky and shrugged. They both knew they couldn’t lie about which direction they were going. There would be no going in circles.  Ray pointed to his left and said, “West is that way, gentlemen.”

“Well if you know where to go you girls don’t need us anymore. We’ll just be heading back now,” Starsky said. Johnny thought Starsky was gonna get it for sure.

“You made us a deal, pig,” Andy looked at Johnny, “And you’re going to stick to it.”

Starsky didn’t say anything. He took a couple of steps and bent down to tie his shoes. He didn’t really need to tie his shoe. He watched Ray and Andy and when they looked away he pulled a one of the cards out of his back pocket. He scratched a big W on the front of it with his thumbnail. He knew it was a long shot but if someone saw it, they would know they were heading west and not east like he told Chris. He stood up and caught up with Johnny. Ray and Andy walked behind like they had done the previous day. They also took turns holding a gun on Starsky and Johnny.

They had been walking about two hours when the terrain became rougher. The woods were thicker and there were steep areas. It was slow going.  They stopped for lunch which consisted of canned chicken on crackers. Johnny said that they would lose the stream pretty soon and they should drink as much water as they could then fill the canteens again. He wasn’t sure when they would find another stream.

Starsky was hoping to hear helicopters, but he didn’t. He wasn’t sure if Chris made it back or not. “I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to that boy,” Starsky whispered to Johnny.

“Starsky, I think you did the best thing you could have done. I’m glad he got away and I know Roy is too. He’s a smart kid. I’ll bet he made it back to the ranger station a long time ago.”

“I sure hope so.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, Johnny.”

“This morning when you smiled, what were you smiling at?”

“This may sound strange, but I felt Hutch. I know he’s still alive. I don’t know how I know, but he is.”

“Really? That’s good. I totally know what you mean. Roy was trapped once and I just knew where he was. I couldn’t explain it, I just knew.”

“Same thing. Johnny, how are we doing on food?”

“Well, you know I snuck some stuff into Roy’s pack. We still have a little oatmeal, peanut butter and crackers, that along with the canned meat we have, and other stuff, we should make it a couple more days. I think it would be a good idea if we could do some fishing. Besides, fishing will take up a lot of time. Especially if these clowns can’t fish, which I’m betting they can’t.”

“Yeah, but I can’t either.”

“It’s not that hard. I can make you look like a pro. Wanna give it a shot? We do have the equipment for it.”

“Sure. And hey, after that kick you got this morning, I was thinking maybe we should cut back…”

“No. I’m going to make them look like fools every chance I get. You’re right, Starsky. I gotta admit I kinda like it, and it throws them off a little too.”

Starsky patted him on the shoulder. “If you ever want to stop fighting fires and run into burning buildings, I think you’ll have an excellent career in the police department.”

“I think I’ll take bandages over bullets any day, my friend.”

“I don’t know. I don’t think I could run into a burning building.”

“Yeah, but people don’t try to kill us either.”

“I see your point.”

Johnny stopped. He turned around and looked at Ray and Andy. “We need to stop here for the night. We need to try to catch some fish before we lose the stream. Now, I don’t expect you two morons to know how to fish…” Ray put his gun in his waistband and started toward Johnny but Starsky pushed him down. Starsky was about to reach for the gun when Andy fired a shot not two inches away from him. Starsky stopped fighting and stood back up. Andy threw the pack on the ground at Johnny’s feet. Starsky whispered, “Feel better?”

“Yep,” Johnny said as he dug out the folding fishing pole he had packed. He opened a small tin can and pulled out a lure.

“Good. Let’s show these clowns how to fish.”

Johnny put the fishing pole together and attached a lure to the line. He handed the pole to Starsky. He put together the other pole he had brought and handed it to Ray. “Wanna give it a shot?”

“Sure. I bet I can out fish the two of you.” Ray snatched the pole from Johnny. Andy stared at them.

“You wanna bet. Okay, we’ll bet. If I catch more fish than you do; you let us go. And if you catch more fish we won’t get you lost,” Starsky said.

Andy cleared his throat. “You already made me a promise and if I believe for one minute that you’re not going to honor that promise I’ll shoot the both of you right now and leave you hear to rot.”

Starsky shrugged and said, “Relax, Andy. I’m just funnin’ with Ray here. How ‘bout the loser has to cook?”

“I don’t know, Starsky. I don’t think I want them cooking anything for me. I’ll cook. Let’s just go.”

“Ray, I have a question for you.” Starsky said. Ray just cast his line into the water and looked at Starsky. “If you and Andy don’t know anything about camping, why did you come up here?”

“Don’t worry about why we’re here, or how we got here,” Ray said. Starsky looked at Johnny who was sitting on a large rock on the bank by the stream watching them fish and shrugged his shoulders.

Ray watched as Starsky caught one fish after the other one. Ray didn’t have so much as a nibble. Andy was watching from a safe distance; the gun was always in his hand. “Try moving downstream a little,” Johnny told him. Ray walked far enough away that he couldn’t hear Starsky and Johnny talking and tossed the line in the water.

Starsky saw Johnny hiding a grin. “What’s so funny?”

“He won’t catch anything.”

“Oh yeah, why?”

“Because I didn’t put a lure on the line. He’s fishing with a weight.”

Starsky snorted and grinned himself. “Gage, you’re catching onto this pretty fast.”

“Hey, you got another one, pull it in.”

Starsky pulled the fish in and laughed as he saw the disgusted look on Ray’s face. Johnny looked at Ray and laughed too. “I think Starsky’s caught enough fish for the night and then some.”

Ray and Andy made Johnny and Starsky gather all the firewood. Seems they didn’t like being laughed at the previous night. Starsky wanted to show off and started the fire himself. What Ray and Andy didn’t see was the lighter he used to start it. Johnny blocked their view as Starsky quickly lit the fire.

Starsky cleaned up after dinner. He sat with Johnny by the fire. It was going to be a cold night and neither of them was looking forward to being tied up all night. “They’re going to be looking for us in the wrong place aren’t they?”

Starsky nodded his head, “Fraid so.”

“Starsky, do you think they will be searching at night? The helicopters, I mean. Will they be up?”

“If Dobey has anything to do with it, they won’t stop searching for us until they find us.”

Johnny looked at the night’s sky. “I have an idea.” Johnny stood up and added more wood to the fire.

Starsky caught on to what Johnny wanted to do. If there was a helicopter in the area they would see the fire if it was big enough. He started looking for more wood to add the fire. “Hey, what are you two up to?” Andy said.

“Who? Us?” Starsky pointed at himself and Johnny. “We’re not up to anything. It’s going to get cold tonight and we want a fire that’s going to last all night.”

“That’s not all,” Johnny said. “We’re deep in the woods now and we need a fire big enough to scare away the bears.”

“Bears! There are no bears around here, you’re…you’re just tryin’ to scare us,” Ray said stumbling over his words.

“Believe me or not, I don’t care. I’m going to make one big fire to be on the safe side.” He threw another log on the fire followed by Starsky.

The fire was much larger than a simple campfire now. Johnny hoped it would be enough to be seen. When it was as big as they could safely make it, Starsky suggested they get ready for bed. Starsky asked if one of the tents could be laid out on the ground under them so they wouldn’t be directly on the cold ground. Johnny went into a long spiel about the dangers of hypothermia and how some people have hallucinations and an altered level of consciousness. Andy was tired of hearing about it so he decided to cut the tent and put some of it on the ground for them to sit on. He wrapped Starsky and Johnny up with other sections of the canvas tent. That was okay with Starsky because he would at least be warm. Johnny didn’t protest either.

 

Chapter 12: The Search Continues

The search parties were not having any luck at finding any signs of Starsky and Johnny and the escaped convicts that had taken them. Dobey persuaded the FBI agents to keep the search going all day and night. He knew the people on the ground had to stop and camp for the night but the helicopters could stay up. They were equipped with big search lights and he was sure they could turn up something.

Dobey was dividing his time between the ranger station and the hospital. He wanted to be at the hospital when Hutch regained consciousness but he wanted to be able to tell him something about Starsky. He knew Hutch would not get the rest he needed until Starsky was located.

Dobey was in the break room talking to Deputy Rogers when the phone rang. He picked it up. It was the hospital calling. The nurse said that Hutch was awake and he’d better get there right away. They were having a problem with him. “What do you think the problem is?” Deputy Rogers asked Captain Dobey.

“I know what the problem is. Hutchinson woke up and Starsky’s not there. He probably remembers that Starsky left with Gage and those lunatics and now he’s trying to get up to go after Starsky.”

“He’d try to leave the hospital? He’s in no shape to leave.”

“Oh, he’ll try to leave. It won’t be the first time he’s checked himself out when Starsky was in trouble.” He was remembering the time when Hutch had been shot in the left shoulder. Starsky had been assigned a temporary partner, Meredith. Starsky and Meredith were working on a case involving kids being used to steal merchandise. One of the kids recognized Starsky and he and Meredith were about to be wasted. Hutch had left the hospital against orders and found where Starsky and Meredith were. Captain Dobey and Hutch arrived just in time to save them both.

Deputy Rogers drove Captain Dobey to the hospital. A rather frantic-looking nurse was in the hallway getting ready to open the door to Hutch’s room. Deputy Rogers said that he would like to check in on Joanne and Aubrey. The captain thanked him for the ride and said he would find him if he needed him. The nurse sighed as she saw Captain Dobey. “Thank goodness you’re here. He keeps trying to get up. He’s saying something about a star.”

“Starsky, is his partner.” Captain Dobey said. He opened the door and saw Hutch trying to remove the IV. He was very restless. “Hutch,” Dobey said in a calm voice. Hutch didn’t even look at him. Dobey put his hand on Hutch’s to prevent him from tearing the IV out of his arm. “Hutchinson!” He said in his loud, I-mean- business voice.

“Stars…”

Hutch’s legs were still in the bed but his torso was just about half off. He came close to falling on the floor. Captain Dobey gently put him back in the bed. “Hutch, listen to me,” he said in a very calm voice.

“Captain, where is he? Why won’t anyone tell me?” Hutch’s voice was weak but determined. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. Dobey waved at the nurse that he was alright and he would appreciate it if she would leave them alone a few minutes. She nodded and quietly closed the door as she left the room. The captain scooted a chair to Hutch’s bedside. He looked at the more sensible half of his favorite team lying there and he wasn’t sure what to say. “Please, Captain, tell me something.”

“Hutch, the truth is we don’t know where Starsky is. We don’t know where Gage is. We’re not even sure they’re still together anymore. We’ve got everyone out looking.” Captain Dobey took a white handkerchief from the front pocket of his coat and wiped his forehead. “There have been two helicopters in the air all night and no one is going to stop until we find Starsky and Gage.” Hutch tried to get up again. “Hutch, please, Son, listen to me. You can’t go this time. You need to stay here and get better.”

Hutch shook his head. He didn’t like being told he couldn’t go. “Got to find…”

“No, Hutch. Not this time.” Captain Dobey put his hand on Hutch’s arm. “I know you want to go. I know you want to find him, but you’re hurt too bad this time.”

“Chris and Roy?”

“Chris made it make back to the station early this morning and was able to tell the rangers where you were camping last night. That’s how we found you and Roy.”

“Good kid. Roy tried to pull me out. I remember that. Captain, I got to…”

“Hutch, the only thing you have to do is stay in that bed and get well. I mean it this time. You won’t do Starsky any good by opening that wound up again.”

“Promise me.”

Captain Dobey looked into Hutch’s pleading eyes. “I promise. Hutch, you know I will do anything in my power to find Starsky and bring him back. I’ve got Simmons and Babcock out looking for him. Everything that can be, is being done. Please, take care of yourself and let me worry about Starsky.”

“My job to worry,” Hutch said. He was getting weaker by the minute.

Captain Dobey sat with him until Hutch drifted off to deep sleep. He patted Hutch’s hand. “Hutch, I’ll find him. He’ll be back, I promise.” Captain Dobey quietly left the room. He stopped at the nurse’s station and asked that he be called if Hutch needed anything, anything at all. He explained that Hutch was worried about his missing partner and would fight tooth-and-nail to get out of the hospital to go after him. He told them that he wanted to talk some more to Roy and see how he was holding up.

Roy was almost asleep in the chair next to Chris’s bed. Chris was sound asleep. He had been given more pain medication and he still had the IV antibiotics hooked up. Roy opened his eyes when the door opened. He was happy to see Captain Dobey. “How’s Hutch? I heard he made it through surgery but they wouldn’t let me see him.”

“I just left him.” Captain Dobey sat in the chair next to Roy. “He tried to get out of bed to go looking for Starsky and Gage.”

Roy smiled. “He must be doing okay then.”

“Not really. He’s just stubborn. The nurse told me he’s still critical. I think he’ll make it. I just wish they would find Starsky and Gage.” Captain Dobey stayed and talked to Roy for a long time. Joanne and Aubrey had been taken to the nurse’s lounge to get some sleep. The doctor checked Roy over and said outside of being a little dehydrated and exhausted he was fine. He told Roy that he wouldn’t admit him if he promised to take it easy for a couple of days. Roy talked about Chris and told the captain everything Chris had gone through. Captain Dobey said that he was proud of Chris, Roy said he was too. He smiled at his sleeping son.

Babcock and Simmons, along with Captain Stanley, Mike and Sam Hogan had been dropped off at the east side of the mountain. They had hiked several hours when Sam said it was time to take a break. They needed to refill their canteens anyway. They filled their canteens and rested a few minutes. They received word on the radio that Hutch had made it through surgery. He was still in critical condition, but he was still alive. That news perked them up and gave them the extra energy they needed to continue.

One helicopter crew was assigned to start their search on the east side and work their way toward the camping spot where Chris said they had camped. They flew until they needed to refuel then they headed out again. This crew flew until the sun went down then they let a new crew take over that searched all night.  They didn’t really expect to find anything that first day. They knew it would take at least two or three days for Starsky and Gage to make their way to the east side but they had to try.

The second helicopter’s crew had started their search at the camping spot. Like the other helicopter in the search party, they flew until sundown then another crew took over. They were hoping to find another camping spot, a fire or some other sign that Starsky and Gage had been there. They didn’t find anything. It was as if Starsky, Gage and the two convicts had fallen off the face of the earth.

By Sunday, they were no closer to finding Starsky and Johnny. No one was giving up. They knew the woods were thick and it would be easy for someone to hide in them. The helicopters were searching a much larger area now, just in case their direction had changed. All roads leading from the mountain were being barricaded. And every car was being stopped.

Chris was making excellent recovery, but his doctor still wanted him to stay in the hospital for another three or four days. Joanne and Aubrey never left his side. Roy was worried about Johnny and he wanted to join the search but he was in no shape for it. He was totally exhausted and would only slow the team down. The only thing he could do was wait.

Aubrey was doing the best she could to stay positive. It was Friday when Starsky and Johnny had left with the two convicts and it was now Sunday. She knew that Johnny was an avid camper and that would be his saving grace. Roy had been honest with her and told her why Johnny had gone with Starsky.

Sunday afternoon, Hutch was showing signs of improving greatly. His condition was downgraded from critical to serious. But Dobey was having a big problem with him. The more he was awake, the more aware he became aware of the time that had passed since Starsky and Johnny left with Ray and Andy.

Sunday evening, Roy entered Hutch’s room and found him lying on the floor in a puddle of blood. “Hutch!” He ran to Hutch’s side. As Roy applied pressure to the open wound, he pushed the call bell for the nurse. He yelled, “Somebody help me!”  He grabbed the blanket off the bed with one hand as he continued to hold pressure. He covered Hutch with the blanked. “Hutch, come on talk to me. Talk to me, Hutch.”

“Hurts, Starsky.”

“It’s Roy, Hutch. Come one wake up.”  It was no use. Hutch passed out. “Help!” Roy hollered again.

A nurse came in and said, “I’ll be right back.” She ran out of the room and down the hall to the nurse’s station. She paged the doctor over intercom.

“What’s wrong?” One of the other nurses asked her.

“Hutchinson fell out of the bed and is bleeding,” she said quickly as she headed back to the room. The other nurse followed her back into Hutch’s room. Roy had stopped the bleeding and had Hutch covered to help prevent shock, which was a concern because of the blood volume loss and the cold floor.

The doctor came in and said that Hutch had to go back to surgery right away. Roy helped put Hutch on a gurney and watch as his friend was taken away. Joanne entered the room and was horrified when she saw Roy. She almost fainted but he caught her and guided her to a chair. “Honey, it’s not mine,” he said referring to the blood that was all over his clothes. “Hutch fell out of bed, it’s his.”

Joanne hugged Roy and cried. He explained how he found Hutch and told her that he was back in surgery. Roy called Captain Dobey who was at the ranger station and he said he would be right over. Captain Dobey made a phone call before coming to the hospital.

Chapter 13: Starsky and Johnny Off the Mountain

Starsky was sound asleep early Monday morning when he was awakened by being kicked hard in the leg. “Wake up.”

Instinctively, he pulled his leg back. He couldn’t rub it because his hands were tied. He opened one eye and saw Andy standing over him. “Aw, ya let me sleep in. I must be growing on you.” Andy didn’t dignify that with a response. “Johnny, wake up,” Starsky said quickly, hoping to save Johnny the pain of being kicked.

Johnny moved his head up and down. “Yeah, I’m up. Just untie me so I can move.” He struggled to free himself.

Ray was holding a gun on them as Andy untied them. “Well, boys, today’s the day.”

“What day’s that?” Starsky asked as he stood up and stretched.

“The day we say goodbye to this mountain,” Andy said.

“You’ll let us go then, right? When we reach the road, we can go?” Johnny asked. He actually believed Andy.

Starsky looked at Andy as if to tell him to let Johnny believe they really would let them go. “Yeah, sure. As soon as we reach the road, you two will be free to go.”

“Well alright then.” Johnny practically jumped up and headed toward the fire.

Starsky stood up slowly and was silent as he passed Andy. Starsky knew Andy and Ray were not going to let either of them go. He knew as soon as they reached the road, they were probably going to be killed. Starsky wanted to spare Johnny that knowledge. Starsky knew today was his last chance to find a way to escape. If they couldn’t get away today, they may not see tomorrow. He watched as Johnny stoked the fire until it was big. Starsky stood next to Johnny and put more wood on the fire. “Starsky, I know.”

“Know what?”

“I know they have no intention of letting us go. They’re going to kill us, aren’t they?”

“Truth?”

Johnny nodded.

“Okay. We need to change the balance of things today before we get to the road.”

“I figure we have about six hours before we make it to the road. Now, we can stall and go slow if you think that will help. Maybe one of us could fake an injury, twist an ankle or something,” Johnny said.

“If we get hurt now, they’ll just shoot us where we are. I do have an idea though.”

“What’s that?”

“I know Captain Dobey would have closed the roads in and out of this mountain. If our friends here think they can use us a little longer, then…”

“You mean let them use us as hostages to escape.”

“You’d make a decent cop yet, Gage.”

“I’d rather be in a towering inferno right now.” Johnny heated up the water to make another batch of oatmeal.

“I hate that stuff,” Starsky said looking at the pot of mush.

“I’m getting tired of it too, but it’s all we have except for a couple cans of beans with hot dogs in them and I thought we’d have them for lunch, if we live long enough.”

Starsky patted Johnny on the shoulder and said, “I promise, Johnny, we’ll get out of here. Hutch and I have been through tougher situations than this.”

“I just can’t imagine what Aubrey’s going through.  I wonder if Chris made it back and if Roy and Hutch are safe.”

“I have to believe that Roy was able to save Hutch. I’m going to plant an idea in Ray’s head. Are you okay with that?”

“I’m okay with whatever keeps us alive, my friend.”

“I hear ya.” Starsky walked away from Johnny and walked toward Ray. “Can I talk to you a minute?”

Andy pulled his gun out as Ray put his away. “What?”

“You and I know both know what’s going to happen when we reach the road.”

“We’re going to let the two of you go.”

“Look, I’ve been a cop way too long to believe that.” Starsky looked at Johnny stirring the oatmeal. “But, he’s got a wife and a new baby daughter. He’s never done anything to hurt anyone. Please, do what you want with me, but let him go.”

“Didn’t you make that promise before?”

“And we’re here. I kept my promise.”

“You’ve made us look like fools from day one.”

“Aw, we were just havin’ a little fun.”  Ray was silent. “You know my captain will have set up road blocks at every entrance and exit to this mountain? ”

“Are you tellin’ me you can us past the roadblocks?”

“I can get you all the way to Bay City or LA wherever you want to go.”

“Suppose I say we want to go to LA, how can you get us there?”

“Well now, if I tell you all my secrets you won’t need us any more, will you?”

“I’ll talk to Andy and see how much you cooperate today. But make no mistake, Pig, I’ll drop you and your friend there, if you try anything.”

“Fair enough.” Starsky walked back to Johnny who was dishing up the oatmeal.

“What’d he’d say?” Johnny asked.

“He said he’ll think about keeping us around a little while longer. Best we don’t try anything today and let’s be nice just for good measure.”

Johnny nodded. He handed two bowls of oatmeal to Starsky to give to Ray and Andy. Starsky came back and took the bowl Johnny offered him and sat on the ground and leaned against a tree. They finished eating in silence. Starsky saw Ray talking to Andy and they both were watching him.

Starsky cleaned the breakfast dishes as Johnny put the fire out. Starsky had been leaving a card someplace near the fire every night and a couple along the trail when he thought Ray or Andy wasn’t looking.  He had no way of knowing if anyone saw them or if they knew the cards meant he had been there. He considered himself lucky that Ray or Andy hadn’t spotted them yet. They had found another stream the day before and it would take them to the road. Ray and Andy didn’t know it was that easy and Johnny sure wasn’t about to tell them. The canteens were filled and everything was packed and ready for the last day on the mountain. Johnny and Starsky put the backpacks on and started hiking.

Johnny could tell they were getting close to the road a few hours later because the terrain was not as rough. “Starsky, we’re getting close,” Johnny whispered. Ray and Andy were not far behind them and Andy had a gun in his hand as he usually did.

“Just keep walking.” Starsky stopped and pretended to tie his shoe. Ray stopped but Andy kept walking to catch up to Johnny.

“We’re close aren’t we, Pig?”

“Depends, what are you gonna do?”

“Andy says we could use your, let’s say, ‘expertise’ to get past the roadblocks, but only if Johnny there agrees to go. We need you, we don’t trust you. I know that you don’t want anything to happen to your friend there so if he agrees to go, and you don’t do anything stupid, you both may just get out of this alive yet.”

“You’ll let him go after we get past the roadblocks?”

“If you don’t do anything stupid.”

“I promise.” Starsky didn’t really believe him, but he didn’t have much of a choice either. Starsky caught up with Johnny and they led Ray and Andy to edge of the woods.

Starsky took a swallow of the water from his canteen. He wished it was a nice cold beer instead. He patted Johnny on the shoulder, “I got the lead from here.” Johnny nodded.

There was a ditch on the side of the road and Starsky could see every car that went by. He didn’t see any police cars going down the mountain. He rolled over onto his back, closed his eyes and sighed. “This better work,” he mumbled to himself. He stayed on his back several moments until he heard a larger vehicle approaching. He rolled over on his stomach and saw an RV. “Ray,” he called.

Ray moved next to him in the ditch. “Use your gun and stop that RV. But if you want to make it out of here don’t hurt anyone, got it?”

Ray jumped in front of the RV and pointed the gun at the driver. Starsky felt sorry for the man who was driving. He saw the look of total fear on the man’s face as he stopped the vehicle. Starsky came out of the woods and stood next to Ray. “Sir, we need your cooperation,” Starsky said.

“And if you give it you won’t be hurt,” Ray said.

“Whatever you want just please don’t hurt my wife.”

Starsky hadn’t noticed the terrified woman sitting in the passenger’s seat. He smiled at her, “Ma’am, it’ll be okay, I promise. Nobody wants to hurt either of you.”

“What do you want?” The man said sounding both petrified and angry.

Starsky looked back at the woods and motioned his hand for Johnny and Andy to come out. They ran to the RV. Starsky opened the back door and stepped inside. “Get in,” he said quickly. Ray climbed in followed by Johnny and Andy.

Starsky squatted between the back of the RV and the driver. “We’re going to skip the introductions for now. Just drive the way you were.” Ray knelt behind Starsky and was listening to what Starsky was telling the driver.  “If you run into a roadblock I want you to tell them that you haven’t seen anyone, got it? I’m Detective Dave Starsky and if you do what I say, they won’t hurt you.” The man just nodded slightly.

Johnny had taken a seat at the table in the back of the RV. He removed his canteen from around his neck and unscrewed the cap and took a swallow. He thought about how tired he was and how much he wanted to be home. He wanted to kiss his wife and hold his baby daughter. He folded his arms on the table and put his head down.

“There’s a tarp in the back. Lift up the seat under the table. It’s big enough to hide all of you. If anyone looks inside they won’t see you if you’re still and quiet.”

Andy pushed Johnny, “Move.”

Johnny stood up and lifted the seat. He found a green canvas tarp and laid it over the large table. The driver was right; it was big enough to cover all four of them. Starsky patted the driver on the shoulder, “Thanks. I promise it will be okay.”

It was another mile before they ran into the roadblock. Andy and Johnny were already under the tarp. Starsky and Ray moved to the back of the RV and sat under the tarp. Ray and Andy had their guns out ready for anything. Just before the RV stopped, Starsky said, “Please, don’t hurt these people.”

“I won’t as long as they do what they were told,” Andy said.

The RV came to a stop. Johnny was so nervous, he wasn’t sure if he could keep from vomiting. Starsky put his hand on Johnny’s arm and nodded.

The driver stopped and a state trooper said, “Hi there, Sir.”

“Hi,” the driver replied.

The trooper acknowledged him by nodding and asked, “Have you seen anyone walking on the road today, or has anyone asked you to give them a ride?”

“No, Sir. We haven’t seen anyone today except for you. But if I do, I’ll stop and call.”

“Thank you, Sir. You can go on now.” The trooper nodded. The driver slowly pulled away.

 

Chapter 14: Headed to Los Angeles

Once the RV was past the roadblock, Starsky removed the tarp they had been hiding under. He told the driver to pull over the next spot he could. Ray said, “No.”

“If you want to make it back to LA you’ll do exactly what I say,” Starsky said.

Andy didn’t like anyone else having that kind of control. He wanted to know what Starsky was up to. “I can just kill all of you and drive this to LA myself. What do you think about that?” He pointed the gun at Johnny and flashed an evil grin.

“Here’s the plan. We keep changing vehicles every few miles until we get off the mountain. They won’t know what we’re in from one minute to the next and you won’t need to hurt anyone else.”

“Andy that sounds reasonable to me. We can make it out of here and no one will know.”

“I’m sure that if we asked Mr. …uh sorry I didn’t get your name,” Starsky said looking at the driver.

“It’s Louis Wade and this is my wife Jackie. Please, don’t hurt her. I’ll do whatever you want.”

“See, he’ll do whatever you want. So if you ask him to wait thirty minutes before going back to the roadblock, he’ll wait, right Mr. Wade.”

Louis nodded his head. “I’ll wait however long you say.”

“I think thirty minutes will be just about right. That will give us enough time to get another vehicle,” Starsky said.

“Okay, as long as you two don’t try anything funny,” Andy said.

Louis looked at his wife. He reached his hand out and patted her thigh. She took his hand in hers and smiled at him. She loved him and whatever happened she was glad he was with her. “I have some clothes in the closet that might fit you boys if you want to get out of those uh…if you want to change.” He was referring to the prison clothes Ran and Andy still had on. Ray had put one of Johnny’s shirts on over the jumpsuit and Andy had put on one of Starsky’s but the pants were still showing. Ray opened the small closet and looked through the man’s clothes. He found one pair of gray sweat pants that would fit him and a pair of blue ones that Andy could put on. They changed clothes while they were still going down the mountain.

Louis pulled over in an overlook spot. The scene would have been gorgeous if they had the time to notice it. Starsky was the first to get out followed closely by Ray, then Johnny and Andy. “I don’t suppose you’d consider letting Johnny stay here with them?” Starsky asked Andy.

“You don’t suppose quite correctly. He’s coming with us. See that way; I know you won’t try anything stupid.”

“I had to try,” Starsky said, bowing his head.

“Wouldn’t have expected anything else from you,” Ray said.

“Thanks for trying Starsky, but I said I’d be in it for the long haul and I am.” Johnny said.

Starsky walked to the driver’s side and said, “Thank you, Louis. Please, wait thirty minutes before you go back to the roadblock,” he said loud enough for Andy to hear.

“He’d better wait or I’ll shoot one of you,” Andy said.

Louis nodded. “I’ll wait the thirty minutes,” he said as he let out a sigh of relief. He looked at his wife, “It’ll be all right Jackie, they’re leaving now.”

Starsky led the way down the road and into the woods. He wanted to get as far away from Louis and Jackie as he could as quickly as he could before Andy or Ray changed their minds about letting them go.

“Those poor men. I hope they get away,” Jackie said. She got out of the passenger side and opened the side door and stepped inside with Louis behind her.

She opened the refrigerator and said, “As long as we’re here for thirty minutes I’m going to have a drink.” She opened a bottle of Dr. Pepper and put some ice in a glass. She poured one for Louis too.

“I want to get back to that roadblock but that detective asked me to wait,” Louis said after he took a sip of his drink.

“I wonder why he wanted you to wait.”

“I don’t know. Maybe that Ray and Andy will be close by watching us.”

As soon as the thirty minutes was up, Louis started the RV and headed back to the roadblock and told the trooper everything, including the fact that the detective said his name was Dave Starsky and they had talked about Los Angeles.

The trooper got on his radio and told the FBI agents that were in charge what Louis had said. A new roadblock was immediately set up down the road from where the lookout spot was.

Starsky led the way out of the woods as soon as the RV left. He knew a new roadblock would be set up and it would be further down the road. They hijacked another car. This time, they hijacked two young men in their late teens that were driving a van and had been hiking themselves. Starsky told them to stop just before they reached roadblock this time and let them out. Andy made sure they knew that he would keep his eye on them until the thirty minutes was up. He said that he would shoot not only Johnny or Starsky but one of them too, if they didn’t wait.

“What is this accomplishing?” Andy asked in an angry tone.

“We are getting closer to the main highway without having to walk. Making them wait thirty minutes is buying us more time to get another car. See, we’ll hike around this roadblock and catch another car on the other side. That will take us a couple of hours, but the troopers will think that we’re further down the road and they won’t look for us here,” Starsky said.

“That makes sense to me,” Ray said.

“Let’s get going,” Andy said. He was still keeping a gun in his hands.

They were able to get past the next roadblock and made it to another side road which led to the main highway. There was a roadblock there too and a helicopter was flying overhead. Starsky kept them in the woods which paralleled the highway. It was getting dark and they stopped in the dense part of the woods to keep away from the helicopter until dark.

When it was finally dark, Andy watched the search light from the helicopter and as soon as it was long gone, they started walking again. They knew they couldn’t stop a car on the freeway going 65-miles-per-hour, but they could watch for anyone who was stopped. They had been walking about an hour when, sure enough, a car stopped. Andy ran ahead of the rest and pulled his gun on the driver, a young woman, who started screaming. Starsky ran up to her and said, “Shhh. It’s alright we’re not going to hurt you. We just need you to drive us someplace.”

She was terrified and too scared to even move. “What if we just leave her and take the car?” He asked Andy.

“No, she drives,” Andy said.

“Miss, please, listen to me. My name is Detective Dave Starsky and these men just want to get away. They won’t hurt you, but we really need you to drive us.”

She got back in her car. Her hands were shaking as she put them on the steering wheel and started to drive. Andy made her drive for two hours before making her stop at an all-night store. He told Ray to cover them as he went to the pay phone. After making a call, he told the young woman, whose name was Madison, to wait. They waited in silence for twenty minutes when a truck pulled up. Andy got out followed by Ray who ordered Johnny and Starsky to get out. Andy pointed his gun at Madison and said, “If you move so much as an inch before we’re out of sight, I’ll kill them both and come back after you, got it?”

Madison nodded. “I won’t move.”

“What about us?” Johnny said.

“I’m not done with you two yet,” Andy said.

“How about just letting him go? You got me,” Starsky said.

“Not happening. Both of you are staying with me until I say otherwise. I’m not done with you yet.”

Starsky jumped onto the back of the pickup truck and helped Johnny up. Ray and Andy rode in the back with them to make sure they didn’t try to escape. Andy found some rope in the back of the truck and tied Starsky and Johnny’s hands behind them. Ray opened an unmarked bottle that the driver had given him and poured the contents onto a rag. Starsky knew it was chloroform and tried to fight by kicking and moving his head as much as he could.  “Trust me, pig, it’ll be easier this way.” Starsky held his breath as long as he could but was overcome by the drug and soon fell into unconsciousness. As soon as Starsky was asleep Ray turned to Johnny. “It’s your turn, fireman. Are you going to fight too? You won’t win, you know.”

“No, I won’t fight it,” Johnny said. He had planned to hold his breath until Ray thought he was unconscious but the drug was too powerful and he too gave into the deep sleep.

Starsky didn’t know what day or what time it was when he finally woke up. He did know that he had one hell of a headache and his hands were still tied. It was the kind of headache that you were scared your head would explode, and then you were scared it wouldn’t. He tried to open his eyes but his head said to keep them closed. He wasn’t sure how long it was before he woke up again. His head was still pounding and his hands were still tied behind him, but he was able to open his eyes this time. He looked to his left first and only saw a wooden door. No furniture, no window, no Johnny. He slowly turned to his right and saw Johnny. He was lying on the floor with his hands tied behind him. “Johnny,” Starsky called in a voice that was so low it was almost a whisper. Johnny didn’t budge. “Johnny, come on wake up,” he said a little louder.

Johnny moaned and turned his head to follow the voice. “Uh, what?” He groaned.

“Come on, wake up.”

“I’m up.” Johnny felt the cold tile floor on his face. He rolled over and managed to get into a seated position. He looked around the room and asked, “Any idea where we are?”

“Not a clue, but we’re going to get out of here.” Starsky scooted toward Johnny and Johnny scooted toward Starsky. They turned their backs to each other and Starsky was able to untie the ropes that were binding Johnny’s hands. Johnny untied Starsky and they stood up. Starsky tried to open the door, it was locked. “It was worth a shot.”

Without any windows this door was their only way out. He wanted to see if anyone was on the other side of the door so he put his ear up to it. He closed his eyes and listened for several minutes and never heard a sound.

“Any ideas?” Johnny asked as he started pacing.

“I’m thinking, I’m thinking.”

Just then the door opened and Starsky saw Andy holding a gun. “Andy.”

“I see you’re awake and have saved me the trouble of untying you.”

“We’ll you know, we do what we can,” Starsky said.

Andy looked at Starsky then at Johnny. “We have a bit of a dilemma here.”

“You don’t know what to do with us, but you don’t want to kill us either,” Starsky said, hoping they didn’t want to kill them.

Andy didn’t want to kill Starsky and Johnny. He was surprised by that because he was the one who shot the prison guard during the escape. But, then again, Starsky wasn’t like any other cop he’d ever met and Johnny was a fireman. He had always respected firemen. “You’re the ones with all the ideas; tell me, what do you suggest I do with you now?”

“Are we in the middle of town or around a lot buildings and people?” Starsky asked. “Be honest.”

“Yes.”

Starsky took a minute to think. “As much as I hate to say this, and believe me I hate to say this, but you could drive us out of town and drop us off. By the time we make it back, you and Ray will be long gone.”

“And you won’t come lookin’ for us, right?”

“Now, we both know better than that.”

“If you had said no, I would have killed you where you stood.”

“What about it?” Johnny said sounding hopeful.

Andy looked at Starsky then at Johnny. “That’s what Ray suggested.” He stood a few more minutes. “I’ll have to knock you out again.”

Johnny started to say something but Starsky put his hand behind him and waved it for Johnny not to say anything and he stopped. “How?”

“Same thing I used two days ago, chloroform.”

“Two days ago. You mean it’s Wednesday?” Starsky said. He had no idea that much time had passed. He thought it was maybe Tuesday night.

“How did you keep us out that long?” Johnny asked. He was just as surprised as Starsky was.

“Once we put you out in the truck it was easy. Every time you woke up, we put stuff in your water. You didn’t even know you woke up.”

“Terrific,” Starsky said.

“Do we have a deal?”

“We’d be pretty stupid not to go along with it,” Starsky said.

“What about you, fireman?”

“I’m all for doing whatever it takes to live through this.”

“I’ll be back,” Andy said. He turned toward the door but stopped just as he put his hand on the knob. “I gotta ask you something and I want the truth, okay?”

“Okay,” Starsky said.

“Just how did you manage to catch so many fish when Ray couldn’t catch anything?”

Starsky and Johnny both laughed. “Ray didn’t have a lure on his line,” Starsky said.

“But I saw something tied to the end of it.”

“That was just a weight, nothing the fish would bite,” Johnny added.

Andy didn’t say anything else as he left. Starsky and Johnny could hear the clicking sound of the deadbolt being locked.

 

Chapter 15: A Sad Homecoming

Monday, the search on the mountain was called off and all of the ground teams were immediately called back in. Some of the teams were pretty deep into the woods and it took until Tuesday afternoon before all of them could be picked up and brought back to the ranger station.

Everyone knew that Starsky and Johnny were now on their way to Los Angeles because Louis and the other drivers they hijacked all said they talked about going to LA. They didn’t know where in LA to start looking. Special Agents Barker and Davis made arrangements to get a flight from the small airport to LA and by Monday evening, they were in Los Angeles organizing the search. They started where the young women said Starsky and Johnny had been forced into the back of a pickup truck.

 

It was almost dark Monday evening when Captain Dobey slowly opened the door to Hutch’s room. He saw Huggy sitting in a recliner. Huggy stood up and ushered the captain out into the hallway. “Captain, is it true that the search has been called off?”

“Huggy, we know that Ray and Andy have taken Starsky and Johnny to Los Angeles. The search will not be called off until they are found. It’s just been redirected.”

“Good, cause my man in there needs to hear some good news when he wakes up.”

Captain Dobey looked at the closed door. “How’s he holding up, Huggy?”

“I’m glad you called me, cause Blondie ain’t doin’ too good, Captain. He’s tried to get out of bed every time he wakes up.  Good thing they finally put those guard rails on the bed. You know how Starsky and Hutch are; they worry more about each other than themselves.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m worried about Starsky and Johnny too. Have you seen the doctor? I haven’t talked to him since the second surgery.”

“Saw him right after I got here. He said Hutch opened it back up but he was able to control the bleeding just in time. Hutch is still in serious condition and that little stunt set him back a few days but he should be able to be transferred back to our good city by maybe tomorrow.”

“Good.”

“He ain’t gonna like going home without Starsky.”

“I know, but Starsky’s not here either. He needs to be home until we know for sure where Starsky is.” Captain Dobey and Huggy went into the room to deliver the news to Hutch.

“What do you mean, he’s in LA? Didn’t you set up roadblocks? How the hell did they get off the mountain?” Hutch yelled as much as his weakened state would allow him. He wanted to rant and rave even more, and he would have if he had the energy.

“Calm down, Hutch. You know we set up roadblocks as soon as Chris told us what happened. Starsky just got past them, that’s all. Everyone’s doing the best they can to find them. The owner of the RV they used to get away said they heard the men talking about going to LA. The FBI agents in charge are headed there now. Nobody’s going to stop searching until Starsky and Gage are found, so you can settle down. I’m going to clear it with your doctor for you to be transferred to a hospital in Bay City and I don’t want to argue about it.” By the time Dobey was finished talking he realized he was yelling as much as Hutch and he was pointing his finger at him. He took a deep breath as he looked at Hutch lying in the bed. Hutch had a heartbreaking look on his face. Dobey changed his tone, “I’m sorry, Hutch. I guess I’m worried about him too. I want him back as much as you do.”

“I’m sorry too. I know everyone is doing everything they can to find him and Johnny. Has Roy taken Chris home yet?”

“No. He’s making the arrangements now. I think they’re going to wait until tomorrow.”

There was a knock on the door and it slowly opened. Roy came in and said, “Hi.”

“Roy, my man, it’s nice to see you again,” Huggy said.

“Hi, Huggy. Captain Dobey told me he asked you to keep an eye on Hutch.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Hutch said weakly.

“You need someone to keep you in that bed,” Dobey grunted.

“I just came in to see how you were doing,” Roy said. There was sadness in his voice that Hutch fully understood.

“I’m here, thanks to you. I don’t know if I ever thanked you for everything you did, Roy.”

“It was nothing, Hutch. I did what I was trained to do. I suppose they told you that Johnny and Starsky are off the mountain and headed toward LA.”

“I just found out.”

Roy smiled slightly, “I bet Starsky’s glad to get off that mountain.”

Hutch chuckled and held his side. “I’ll bet he is. At least in the city, he’s in his element.”

“How’s your son?” Captain Dobey asked.

“Oh, Chris is just fine. He’s going to have to say in the hospital a couple more days and he’s going to be a little sore for a while but he’s okay.”

“When are you taking him home?” Hutch asked.

“Tomorrow morning. I’m arranging for him to be transferred to Rampart. Dr. Brackett will take over his care. What about you? When are you getting sprung?”

“Tomorrow, Dobey’s arranged for a medical helicopter to take me back to Bay City.”

“I know you don’t want to go back without Starsky and I sure don’t want to go home without Johnny but we really don’t have much of a choice do we?”

“I won’t be there long. As soon as I can stand on my own, I’ll be in LA until they’re found. I just had a great idea.  Captain, I want to go to LA instead of Bay City. Before you say no, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll promise I’ll do whatever the doctors say, if you let me go to Rampart. It’ll save some time because you know as soon as I can stand I’d be there anyway.”

Captain Dobey looked at Roy who shrugged. He thought it was a good idea. He could check up on him that way. “If Hutch is going to be laid up anyway, I think bringing him to LA would be a good idea.”

“Seems logical to me,” Huggy said.

Captain Dobey nodded and said, “Okay, Hutch, I’ll make the arrangements. Say, what’s that doctor’s name at Rampart?”

“Dr.  Brackett or Dr. Early,” Roy answered.

 

Before Hutch was loaded onto the helicopter the next morning, Roy brought the guys from Station 51 to say their goodbyes. They said they would come visit him as soon as he was settled. Hutch thanked them for helping to search for Starsky and helping him get back. They were all leaving the mountain with heavy hearts.

Roy was allowed to drive Chris to Rampart. His IV access stayed in place but the antibiotics were discontinued and would be started again by Dr. Brackett. No one wanted to leave without Starsky and Johnny but they also knew that they were not on the mountain anymore so there was no point in staying there. Captain Stanley and the guys were expected to return to work on Thursday and after the past couple of days, they needed some rest before they went to work.

Chris was wheeled outside to the car.  He squinted from the sunlight as he looked at the mountain top. “I hope they find you soon, Uncle Johnny.”

“Me too,” Roy said sadly as Chris got in the car. Roy opened the back of the station wagon and was about to put Chris’s crutches in when he saw Johnny’s guitar on the top of the camping equipment. One of the search teams had gone back to the campsite and retrieved all the equipment that had been left behind. Roy rubbed his fingers over the case. A single tear rolled down his cheek. Joanne came up beside him and hugged him. “I miss him,” Roy said fighting the tears.

“I do too, Honey.”

“Let’s go home,” he said as he lowered his head and got in the driver’s seat.

Aubrey was sitting in the back seat staring out of the window as he drove away. “Be safe, Guitar Man,” she whispered.

 

Hutch said goodbye to Ranger Hogan and the others who had been looking for Starsky and Johnny. Hutch was very grateful for their efforts and let them know that he would keep them up-to-date on the search. He knew Starsky was probably in Los Angeles. He asked Captain Dobey that morning how Starsky’s car was going to get back to Bay City and was told that he would drive it himself. Hutch had to laugh at what Starsky would say about Captain Dobey driving his pride and joy. It was the best solution because Huggy drove his own Cadillac and Dobey had come up in the helicopter. Hutch figured that Starsky would rather have Dobey drive it back than leave it at the ranger’s station. Captain Dobey told Hutch that he had some things he had to take care of at home and the station before he could make the trip to LA but he would be there in a couple of days. Simmons and Babcock stopped by to let Hutch know they were headed back too.  They reminded Hutch that his partner was pretty resourceful and assured him that he would be found.

Captain Dobey drove Starsky’s car to his house. He knew it would be safe there.  He talked to Edith and filled her in on most of what was going on. He also took a shower and change clothes before heading to the station. Captain Dobey called Al Davis and was told that there were no new leads. They talked to the young woman who reported seeing Starsky and Johnny getting into an old black pickup truck. No one had seen or heard anything since. The captain went into Chief Ryan’s office to fill him in the latest news. He also let the chief know that Hutch was now in LA and would be until Starsky was found. The Chief was sorry to hear that Starsky was still missing along with the fireman from LA. He asked Dobey what he wanted to do, and Dobey said he’d like to let Simmons and Babcock go to LA and join the search. Captain Dobey suggested they could be on special assignment attached to the FBI unit in charge of the case. He didn’t ask Simmons and Babcock first, the idea just came to him, but he was sure they would jump at the chance to continue looking for Starsky and Gage. Chief Ryan went along with Dobey’s request as long as it was only two detectives were involved. He didn’t want half his department in LA. Captain Dobey thanked him. He called Simmons and Babcock from his office. They both said they would be happy to go to LA and help the FBI. Dobey said that he would make the arrangements and they should be ready to go first thing in the morning.

Huggy had gone to the bar to make sure it was still standing after being gone a couple of days. He didn’t really need to worry though. The bar was left in Anita’s capable hands. In fact, she did a great job and things ran smoothly.  He also wanted to spread the word that he was looking for any information about Starsky and Johnny. He also wanted anything anyone knew about Ray and Andy. A couple of people said they would see what they could dig up.

Wednesday came and went with no news of Starsky’s or Johnny’s whereabouts. They had no news on Ray or Andy either. Captain Dobey had made arrangements to drive the three hours to LA to see Hutch. He hated having him so far away, injured and with Starsky being missing. Hutch was asleep when the captain opened the door. Dr. Brackett said that Hutch was very restless the night before and didn’t sleep much and was worried that Hutch wasn’t healing as fast as he should. Dr. Brackett said that he sedated Hutch and he’d like to keep him sedated at least a day to give his body and his mind a chance to rest and heal. He would end the sedation the next day which was Thursday. Captain Dobey said that sounded like a good idea. Even though Hutch was sedated, Captain Dobey didn’t want to take a chance on disturbing Hutch so he carefully set Hutch’s guitar in the corner of the room so Hutch would see it when he woke up. That guitar meant a lot to Hutch and Captain Dobey knew he would appreciate knowing it hadn’t been left behind in the woods. Hutch’s last guitar had been destroyed by a woman he went out with a couple of times, Diane Harmon. She destroyed it in a fit of rage. It took Hutch a couple of months to find a guitar that, as Hutch put it, ‘just felt right.’ Even though Hutch was asleep, Captain Dobey told him about Simmons and Babcock coming to LA to work with the FBI. Dobey patted Hutch’s hand before leaving for the night and said he would be back first thing in the morning. He was glad that Hutch had been sedated. At least he didn’t need to worry about him getting the rest he needed or getting out of bed again. He couldn’t help but notice how peaceful Hutch looked as he lay there sleeping. Captain Dobey quietly closed the door as he left the room.

 

Chris was feeling much better Wednesday and the IV was removed. Dr. Brackett said he could take the rest of his antibiotics in a pill form which was just fine with Chris. Dr. Brackett wanted him to stay in the hospital one more day just to be on the safe side. Chris was disappointed but cheered up when Joanne and Roy brought Jenny and Kevin to see him. Aubrey and Delia were going to stay with the DeSoto’s a couple of days and they came with them. Aubrey didn’t wish to be at home without Johnny. She was used to him not being home when he was at work, but this was different. She wanted to stay just a couple of days and the DeSoto’s wanted her to stay with them. It made Roy and Joanne feel like they were doing something to help Johnny.

Thursday morning Hutch was taken off the sedation medication. Hutch was still upset but he was much calmer when he woke up. He appreciated Captain Dobey bringing him his guitar. He asked the nurse to put it by the bed where he could reach it and strummed a little after Captain Dobey paid him a visit. Dobey left the hospital to check with Davis and Barker. Having the guitar with him did help ease the growing tension he felt. He promised himself that he would play whatever Starsky wanted him to play when he returned. He sighed and said, “Come on, Buddy. Find a way outta of this mess. You have to be okay, you just have to. I promise I’ll never make you go camping again,” he said as he laid the guitar beside him on the bed and fell asleep. The nurse put it in its case and set it in the corner when she came in the room.

Roy brought Chris, Joanne and Aubrey by Hutch’s room before taking Chris home. He promised that he would be back to check on him later and said for Hutch to call him if he needed anything. Hutch saw the sadness in Roy’s eyes and on his face as he talked about there being no word on Johnny or Starsky.

 

Chapter 16: Just Where Are We?

It was dark when Starsky started to wake up. He thought the headache he had earlier was bad but it was nothing compared to the war that was now raging inside his head. He rubbed his forehead before he even opened his eyes. He blinked several time before his eyes would cooperate and open. His vision finally became clear and he realized that he was outside lying on the ground. He looked for Johnny and saw him not far away lying face down in the dirt. He couldn’t stand up so he crawled on his hands and knees to Johnny. He started to put his hand down on the ground when he saw a small pile of playing cards. He picked one up and looked at it. He recognized the cards as the ones he’d left as a trail on the mountain. “Andy or Ray must have found all of them,” he said as he stuffed them in his back pocket.

He made his way to Johnny and rolled him over as he said, “Johnny, come on wake up.” Johnny moved his head from side to side. He too had a headache that he thought resembled an atomic bomb going off.

“Roy, is that you?”

“Guess again?”

It took Johnny a couple of minutes to recognize Starsky’s voice. His head was fuzzy from whatever it was Andy gave him. Andy had said he would knock them out with chloroform but he must have slipped something in the water he gave them to drink instead because neither Starsky nor Johnny could remember being chloroformed. They helped each other up and realized that neither of them had their shoes on.

“Man, that’s going to make our trip into town a lot rougher,” Starsky said.

“Uh, yeah,” Johnny said. Johnny was looking around and saw some trees and a dirt road but he didn’t recognize anything.

Starsky saw the confused looked on Johnny’s face. “What’s wrong, Johnny?”

Johnny looked up at the sky and swiveled all the way around looking everywhere. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but umm…”

“You don’t know where we are, do you?”

“Not a clue and I thought I knew LA pretty well. He must have driven us out pretty far.”

“Well, I’m at your mercy, Johnny my friend, you lead the way and I will follow.”

“My best guess would be to follow that dirt road. I’m guessing he drove up here on it so it must lead somewhere.”

“Sounds logical enough to me. Lead on.”

“I don’t suppose he left us a canteen did he?” Johnny said as he looked on the ground for one. It was hard to see anything. A few days ago it had been a full moon but tonight it was overcast and dark.

“I don’t see one.” Starsky said after surveying the area.

They started walking down the dirt road. There were a lot of ouches and grunts being said as they stepped on rocks as they were walking. They had been walking about an hour when Starsky yelled, “Damn it!” and hit the ground holding his right foot.

“Let me see that,” Johnny said as he knelt down next to Starsky. Even though it was dark, Johnny could see the blood oozing out of Starsky foot. “I don’t think a rock did this.”

“I think I stepped on a piece of glass.”

“As far as I can tell in the dark, that’s what I think too.” Johnny was wearing a long-sleeved shirt under is jacket and he tore off part of the sleeved and wrapped it around Starsky’s foot. He had to tie it pretty tight to stop the bleeding. “That should do it.”

“Great. Now it’s gonna take us even longer. Just leave…”

“Don’t even start that talk, you know I’m not leaving you here alone so you can just forget it.”

“Yeah, okay. Help me up will ya.” Johnny stood up and helped Starsky to his feet. It was even slower going. They had to stop several times during the night. Johnny finally said they had to stop and rest for more than a few minutes. Starsky had to agree and they looked for a place to stop. There were a few trees lining the road and they leaned against one and dozed off. Neither of them had a watch on but Johnny said he thought it was about 0200 judging by the location of the moon. “You can hardly see the moon and you can tell what time it is?”

“Sure I can,” Johnny said as he settled down to get some sleep. He was glad his headache was gone.

The sun woke Johnny up as he felt the warmth of it beating on his face. He could also see the brightness even though his eyes were closed. He could hear Starsky’s perfectly even snoring sounds. He hated to wake him, but they needed to get going. Johnny stood up and stretched. He knelt down next to Starsky and gently shook him. “Hey, Starsky.”

“Yep. I’m awake.” He opened his eyes and noticed Johnny looking at his foot. Starsky looked at his throbbing foot. “Yeah, that hurts like hell.”

As Johnny started to take the bandage off, Starsky cringed. The dry blood stuck to the bandage and it hurt coming off. Johnny saw the pain in Starsky’s face and tried to take it off slowly. “Just do it, Johnny. The longer it takes the worse it’s going to be.”

Johnny hurried to remove the rest of it. He could tell the cut was worse than he thought last night. The cut was on the bottom of Starsky’s foot and was about four inches long and it looked like it was pretty deep. The bleeding had stopped but the cut was red, hot and swollen. If he had his choice he would tell Starsky not to walk on it at all. He knew that Starsky would only suggest he continue on his own and he didn’t want that. He didn’t know what to do, Starsky really shouldn’t be walking on that foot but he didn’t want to leave him behind either. “Johnny, listen to me.” Johnny looked at Starsky. “I want to you go just far enough to see what’s around the bend in the road then come back and tell me what you see.”

Johnny looked at the road behind him then back at Starsky. The bend Starsky was talking about wasn’t very far. “I can do that.” He stood and walked to the bend. Starsky watched as Johnny disappeared when he walked around it. “Oh, no.” Johnny said when he walked around the bend and saw the city. What he saw was not Los Angeles or Bay City. He wasn’t a hundred-percent sure where they were but he thought it might be San Diego. He also knew that the police would be looking for them in LA. His heart sank until he realized that from the looks of it they should reach a phone within a couple of hours and they would be safe. He ran back to Starsky.

“What did you find out?”

“We’re not in Kansas after all.”

“If we’re not in Los Angeles, where the hell are we?” Starsky asked as Johnny helped him to stand up.

“I can’t be sure, I’ve only been there a couple of times. I know we’re not in LA or Bay City.”

“What’s your guess?”

“San Diego.”

“I’m not surprised.”

“You’re not? Why?”

“If we’re in San Diego that means Ray and Andy probably went across the border into Mexico.”

“They got away then?” Johnny asked.

“Looks like it. Let’s worry about them later and get out of here. We have people who are looking for us.”

Johnny helped Starsky to his feet and Starsky leaned on Johnny’s shoulder as they slowly made their way further down the road. Once they made it past the bend and they could see some buildings in the distance, their spirits picked up.

It wasn’t long before they reached an open diner. It was next to an old gas station. They saw a couple of other building but didn’t know what they were. The diner looked old, like it had been there from maybe the late fifties. It was in desperate need of a paint job. The white paint was peeling off of the cement building and the red trim was badly faded. Still, it had a nice quaint look to it.  Johnny helped Starsky to the phone booth and said, “I’m gonna check out the inside.”

Starsky nodded and opened the folding door and stepped inside. His first thought was to call Captain Dobey and check on Hutch but he also knew that everyone was looking for them in LA and he really needed to call the local FBI office first.  He could call Dobey next. He called the operator and was able to get patched directly to the local FBI office. After he called the FBI he placed a collect call to Captain Dobey at the station and was told that Captain Dobey was in Los Angeles. He was given a phone number to call and Starsky was able to reach him at the FBI office in LA by placing a collect call. He didn’t want to ask the desk sergeant if he knew how Hutch was. If it was bad news, he didn’t want to hear it from anyone except Captain Dobey.

Captain Dobey was talking to Agent Davis when Starsky’s call came. He eagerly picked up the phone, “Starsky is that really you?” Starsky could not remember a time when his captain sounded so joyous.

“It’s me captain. Johnny and I are okay.  I’ll fill you in on everything in a minute but first please tell me, how’s Hutch?”

“He’s going to be okay, Starsky. It was touch-and-go for a while, but he’s going to pull through. He refused to come back to Bay City and insisted on being transferred to Los Angeles when we heard you and Johnny had been taken there.”

“There’s a problem there. Captain, we’re not in LA. We’re in San Diego.” He looked around and added, “Well the outskirts of it anyway. I’ve already called the local FBI so they’ll be contacting the agents in charge of the case.” Starsky’s foot started throbbing. He talked a couple more minutes then hung up.

Johnny went around to the front of the building and saw a wooden sign hanging from, what looked like a small flag pole, that read ‘Mary’s Diner’. Johnny could see the sign used to be white with red lettering to match the building, but it was old and faded. He saw through the big glass window that the chairs were all covered in red vinyl.

He saw a sign on the front door that said ‘No Shoes No Shirt No Service’ and looked down at his feet. They were hurting so bad now he didn’t think he could put a pair of shoes on. He saw his reflection in the window and was shocked to say the least. He figured his hair was pretty messed up, but his shirt was very dirty, torn and had some blood on it. His blue jeans were pretty dirty but didn’t show the blood as much as his shirt did. He had changed his clothes after he helped Hutch, but Starsky’s foot had bled a lot last night and he got some of it on his clothes. His face and hands were filthy. “Gage, you’re a mess from head-to-toe.” He said as he pushed the glass door open and stepped inside.

The waitress, a woman who appeared to be in her late 50s, was wiping down the counter and looked up at him. She started to say something about his lack of footwear but saw the look on his face, and instead she put her cloth down and said, “Don’t be shy, come on in.”

“I’m sorry to come in like this but we need help.”

“Whose ‘we,’ Sugar.”

Johnny looked behind him, “My friend and I. He’s making a call on the pay phone.”

Johnny noticed other customers were looking at him. He felt very self-conscious about his appearance. “We were kidnapped a few days ago and just got away. He’s hurt, please help us.”

“What can we do for you?” A rather large man wearing a black leather jacket said as he stood up. The man was a foot taller than Johnny but he learned a long time ago, not to judge people by their appearance.

“For starters, I could use a pan of water and some clean cloth to clean his foot. He stepped on a piece of glass last night and cut it pretty badly.” The waitress went into the back.

“What’s your name, young man?” An elderly woman asked.

“I’m Johnny Gage, I’m a paramedic from Los Angeles and my friend is Detective Dave…”

“Starsky from Bay City, right,” the big man said.

“Yeah, but how’d…”

“It’s been all over the news,” another customer said.

“It has?”

“Sure it has, Sugar. Now let me get you boys something to eat. Big Mike, why don’t you go get his friend, Starsky? Tell him he can use this phone.” The waitress said as she returned from the kitchen. She set down the round plastic container of warm water in it on the counter and then reached under the counter and set a phone near the water.

The big burley man stood up and said, “Sure, Mary.” He reached in his front pocket and handed the waitress some money. “Let me take of that bill.”

Mary smiled sweetly and said, “Thank you, Mike.”

Johnny was about to fall down and he stumbled to the counter. “Thank you. Could I have a glass of water?”

Mary set a glass on the counter and picked up the pitcher of water. Johnny’s mouth was watering as he watched her pour the nice, cool, refreshing ice water into the glass. She moved the glass in front of him and poured a second glass for Starsky. “I can’t begin to tell you how good this water taste right now.” Johnny said after he drank almost half of it in one gulp.

“Wait until you taste your breakfast. Rusty, the cook makes one mean meal.” The customer sitting in the back booth said.

Just then the front door opened and Starsky was half-walking, half being carried by Mike. “Please, put him in a booth so I can clean his foot,” Johnny said as he stood up.

“Johnny, call Aubrey and Roy first. They need to know you’re alright,” Starsky said as Mike was helping him into the booth.

Mary unplugged the phone and moved it to the booth at the far end on the left. “You can have some privacy here, Dear,” she said as she plugged it back in.

“Thank you, Ma’am,” Johnny said. He was grateful for the privacy. Johnny tried calling his house phone first but there was no answer. He thought that Aubrey might be with Roy and Joanne so he dialed Roy’s number. His nerves were just about shot and his hands were shaking as he dialed the number. Roy answered and Johnny started smiling and tearing up. “Roy, it’s me.”

“Johnny! Boy am I glad to hear your voice, Buddy.”

“Yeah, me too. Listen I’ve only got a few minutes, Starsky and I are okay; well, Starsky cut his foot pretty bad but he’ll be okay. We’re in San Diego. He’s called the FBI and they are on their way to pick us up. Is Aubrey there?”

“Sorry, the women went to the store, but I’ll tell her you called and let her know you’re okay. It’s good to know you’re all right.”

“I’ll tell you all about it when I get home. And that will be sometime this afternoon. Starsky needs to go to the hospital so we’ll probably take a helicopter to Rampart.” Johnny said his goodbyes and hung up. He looked at Starsky and said, “Aubrey and Joanne are shopping but I did talk to Roy.”

Johnny started to pick up the container of water but the customer in the back booth stood up, “Let me get it for you.” Mary handed him a couple pieces of clean cloth.

“Thanks,” Johnny said. He carried the two glasses of water to the table.

Rusty carried two plates to the table and sat them down. “Can his foot wait until after you boys get some food in ya? You look like you haven’t eaten a decent meal in a few days.”

“Yes, it can and thank you very much,” Starsky said as he looked at the plate that was just set before him. “This all looks so good I don’t know where to begin.” He started with the scrambled eggs.

While they were eating, Starsky said that everyone in the entire state had been looking for them. The agent he talked to was sending a helicopter to their very location and it should arrive in about half an hour.

After they finished eating, Mike removed their dishes and brought out another container of warm water. The other one had been sitting too long to still be warm.

Mary saw Starsky trying to stand up. “And just where do you think you’re going, young man?”

“I well…I was moving to a booth in the back so Johnny can take care of my foot.”

“You’ll do no such thing.” She pointed her finger at Johnny, “You can work on him where he is. I don’t think he should be moving around anymore, do you?”

Johnny put his hands into the warm water and wrung the cloth out. “No, Ma’am, he doesn’t need to move anymore.” Johnny cleaned Starsky’s foot and saw for the first time just how bad it was. He cleaned it the best he could without causing Starsky too much pain and wrapped it in a clean towel that Mary gave him.

 

Chapter 17: Back Together

As promised, the local FBI agent Starsky talked with, Mel Tanner, was at the small diner with a helicopter in just about half an hour. Starsky and Johnny said goodbye and thanked everyone for their help. Starsky wanted to walk on his own to the helicopter but his foot was just too painful and he had to let the agent and the pilot help him. Starsky sat behind the pilot, Johnny sat in the middle while Agent Tanner sat near the door. Starsky’s foot was throbbing but all he could think about was getting back to Hutch. Captain Dobey said he was fine, but Starsky wouldn’t be satisfied until he saw him with his own two eyes. He leaned his head against the window as the helicopter lifted off and asked, “How long will it take to get to Rampart?”

“It will take about two hours. We’ll have to fuel up once but that won’t take long. We were out on patrol when we got the call to pick you two up, didn’t have a full tank,” the pilot said.

“Johnny, do you think Captain Stanley and the guys will be at the hospital?”

“I don’t think so, it’s Thursday and they have duty,” Johnny replied, “Roy will probably be there, though.”

Agent Tanner looked at them and said, “Today’s not Thursday.”

“Then what day is it?” Starsky asked lifting his head off the window.

“It’s Friday.”

“Friday,” Starsky and Johnny said at the same time.

“We lost another day, Starsky.”

“Yeah, Andy must have knocked us out Wednesday. Say, does the FBI have any leads on Andy or Ray?” Starsky asked.

“No, we don’t. We think they may have gone to Mexico. They’ll probably lay low for a few years then make their way back,” Agent Tanner said.

“You can’t go to Mexico and get them?” Johnny asked.

“It’s not that easy, Johnny. Our governments don’t play that well with each other,” Starsky said.

“So they’re just gonna get by with it?” Johnny said. He was frustrated thinking Andy and Ray might get away with everything they did.

“Not exactly, we’ll keep an eye out for them and if they ever to return to the states we’ll get them. We’re still looking for them in the US in case they didn’t make it into Mexico. I know it’s not the answer you were hoping for but it’s the best we can do,” Agent Tanner said.

Starsky was silent. He knew how this was going to play out. A massive search would be conducted for a few days in and around San Diego but in the end the search would be called off and the trail would go cold. Andy and Ray would get away with breaking out of prison, shooting Hutch and God only knew what else they’d done. He crossed his arms, closed his eyes and leaned against the window again.

 

When the elevators doors opened, Starsky and Johnny were greeted by Captain Dobey, Simmons, Babcock, Roy and his family, Aubrey and Delia, and Johnny’s other co-workers and friends.  Johnny ran to Aubrey and hugged her and Delia. Aubrey cried on his shoulder.  Roy patted Johnny on the shoulder and said how glad he was to have him back.  Everyone was smiling and patting both of them on the back. It had been a long week and they were happy to have their friends back.

Starsky couldn’t help but notice that Hutch was missing. “Where’s Hutch? You said he was here.”

“He’s been sleeping all morning, Starsky. We thought it best to let him rest until you got here,” Doctor Brackett said. “Now, if you’ll come in here,” he pointed to an empty treatment room, “Starsky, I’ll look at that foot.”

“Not until I see Hutch.”

Dixie came down the hall pushing a wheelchair and stopped when she reached Starsky. She didn’t say a word but gave him that ‘if you know what’s good for you, you’ll do what I say’ looks, and pointed at the empty chair. Starsky looked at the chair and said, “Yes, Ma’am,” as he sat down.

“He’s on the third floor, room 312,” Dixie said.

Captain Dobey asked Starsky if he wanted him to take him, but Starsky said that he’d rather be alone with Hutch a few minutes. Captain Dobey understood that and took him as far as the elevator.

 

Hutch’s room was dark and quiet when Starsky quietly opened the door. He could hear Hutch breathing as he slowly wheeled the chair to the side of the bed. He put the brakes on the wheelchair and stood up. “Hutch, wake up,” Starsky said in a low voice that was just a little more than a whisper. There was no response. “Come on, ya big blonde beauty, let me see those baby blues.”

Hutch moved his head a little and moaned. “Captain, please find him.”

Starsky knew that Hutch was in a deep sleep and wasn’t aware he was there yet so he put the side rail down and put his hand on Hutch’s.  “It’s me, I’m here, Hutch. I’m okay, wake up.” He squeezed Hutch’s hand.

“Starsky, is that really you?” Hutch didn’t have the strength to squeeze very hard, but it was enough to let Starsky know he was awake.

“Who else this ugly would come see you?” He let go of Hutch’s hand and sat back down before he fell down. The pain in his foot was now almost unbearable. He knew it was infected but making sure Hutch was okay was his first priority.

Hutch opened his eyes and realized that he had not been dreaming when he saw Starsky sitting next to his bed. “Starsky, I was worried.”

“I’m fine.”

“What happened? Roy told me you left with Ray and Andy willingly.”

“He was going to kill you, Hutch. I had to make a deal with them.”

“Are you okay?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing. Are you okay, Hutch? I thought he killed you.”  A wave of pain hit Hutch and his whole body tensed. He groaned, closed his eyes, clenched his teeth and reached his hand out.  Starsky took Hutch’s hand. “It’s okay, Buddy. I’m right here. It’s okay.”  Hutch released the tight grip he had on Starsky’s hand and his body seemed to relax a little. He took a couple of deep breaths and let them out slowly. He looked at Starsky to let him know the pain was easing up.

“Thanks. It still hurts sometimes. I almost was a goner. Roy saved my life. Chris made it back to the ranger station and brought help by the next morning. He cut his leg pretty bad on some glass when he went through a broken window.”

“Dobey said it was touch and go for a while,” Starsky said as he looked at Hutch from head to toe making sure Hutch really was all right.

“It was, I guess. I don’t really remember much of it. I do remember falling on the floor. I had to have a second surgery.”

“You fell? Hutch what were you doing out of bed? Let me guess you were going to look for me, weren’t ya?”

“I thought I was alright.” Hutch looked at the wheelchair. “What’s that you’re in?”

Starsky looked down at the wheels of the chair he was in and moved it back and forth a couple of feet. “Well, our good buddies Ray and Andy decided to drug us and drop me and Johnny off on the end of some dirt road in San Diego, which was better than them killing us, I might add. Only they decided to take our shoes. It was dark when we woke up and I stepped on a piece of glass or something. It’ll be okay. I’ll have Dr. Brackett take a look at it later. Say, how long you gonna be in here?”

“The good Dr. Brackett wants me to stay at least a couple more days.”

Hutch was sounding very weak. Starsky knew that he needed his rest. “Hutch,” he stood up and patted Hutch’s shoulder, “you get some rest, Buddy. I promise I’m not going anywhere.”

“Yes, you are. You’re going to let one of the doctors look at that foot before you end up losing it. I’ll be here when you get back.” He closed his eyes briefly then opened them.

Hutch smiled at Starsky and reached for his hand again. Starsky squeezed Hutch’s hand again, “I’m right here, Buddy.”

“I’ll be okay, Starsk. Please.”

“Okay, but I’ll be right back,” Starsky said and Hutch closed his eyes again and was asleep before Starsky left the room.

 

Captain Stanley insisted that Johnny be checked out by one of the doctors and Dr. Early gave him a clean bill of health. He was a little dehydrated, exhausted, and had some bruising on his feet but other than that he said that Johnny was fine. He wanted him to go home and stay off his feet a few days and get plenty of rest.

Dr. Brackett frowned when he saw just how bad Starsky’s foot was. It was very hot, red, swollen and badly infected. He told Starsky that he needed surgery to open it up and clean it out. He would have to stay at least overnight in the hospital. Starsky didn’t protest too much, he was sure they would put him in with Hutch. Dr. Brackett wanted to do the surgery right away and Starsky signed the necessary paperwork Dixie handed him. Captain Dobey said that he would let Hutch know. Roy and Johnny told Starsky they would be back tomorrow to check on them. Starsky kissed Joanne and Aubrey on the cheek as he said goodbye. “Johnny, Roy, you’d better take good care of them now.” Starsky said. He shook hands with Chris. “You probably saved us all. I’m sorry I had to send you back. I know you didn’t want to go and it was dangerous.”

“It’s okay, Starsky. I wouldn’t change a thing. It was dangerous,” he looked down at his leg and added, “but it was worth it.”

 

Starsky was put in the bed next to Hutch after his surgery. He was still groggy but smiled when he saw Hutch watching him being put into bed. The orderly made sure Starsky was covered and the pillow was under his head. He turned the light off as he left the room. Hutch turned the light on over his bed. “Hey, Starsk?”

“Yeah, Buddy?”

“You okay?”

“Dr. Brackett says my foot was infected. It had a lot of dirt in it but it’s okay now. I’ll be on crutches until the stitches come out.”

“I didn’t mean that.”

Starsky knew what his partner meant. He was asking if he was okay mentally. Hutch knew that Starsky had gone through one hell of an ordeal. “I’m okay, Hutch. Let’s talk tomorrow.”

“Deal, Partner.” Hutch turned out his light and they both went to sleep. It was the best sleep they had since they left Bay City.

 

Chapter 18: The End

When Starsky woke up the next morning he saw Hutch still in the bed next to him. “I’m here, it wasn’t a dream,” Hutch said.

“How you feelin’ today?”

“Much better. What about you, Starsk?”

Starsky moved his foot and cringed, “Well, it’s not as bad as it was yesterday.”

Hutch looked at the solid green colored hospital gown they were both wearing and said, “We would save the hospitals a lot of time if we just wore these all the time.”

Starsky chuckled. “I guess it would.” He looked at his own gown. It was open in the back. “I never could keep these things tied right.”

“Starsky,…”

“Hey, wait a minute,” Starsky cut Hutch off before he could finish. “Where’s my car!” He pointed his finger at Hutch, “Don’t tell me you left it at that ranger station.”

“Would I do that?”

“Is it at the hospital?”

Hutch raised his eyebrows, “No, it’s not here.”

“Hutch, where’s my car?” Starsky sat up.

“It’s at…”

“My place,” Captain Dobey said as he walked into the room.

“Your place.” Starsky thought a minute and realized there were a lot worse places his pride and joy could be. “I guess that’s as good a place as any.”

“It was. But it’s not there anymore,” Huggy said as he walked into the room carrying a small suitcase.

“Somebody better tell me where my car is.”

“Relax, Starsky. I figured you’d miss it and you need a way home when they let you outta here so I took the liberty of bringing it here so you can drive it home.”

Starsky pulled back the covers to reveal his right foot. It was wrapped up in white gauze up to his ankle. “Don’t think I’ll be driving anytime soon, but thanks, Hug. Hutch can drive home.”

“I don’t think they’re going to let me do any driving for a couple of weeks, Starsk. Huggy here can drive us home.”

“May as well. He drove up here, I guess I can trust him to drive back,” Starsky said. Until this, only two people have ever driven the Torino and that was Starsky and Hutch. Merle the Earle took it for a test drive after making some repairs, but not more than a mile so it didn’t count.

“Trust me to drive. Starsky, I’ve seen the way you drive. It’s amazing you haven’t been in more wrecks.”

“What’s in the suitcase, Hug?” Hutch asked, wanting to change the subject.

“Clothes, for both of you. The ones you had on were declared a biohazard.” Dobey chuckled. Huggy opened the suitcase and took out a stack of neatly folded clothes for Starsky and put them in a drawer in the small dresser that was in the room. He pulled out another set of clothes for Hutch and put them in the bottom drawer.

“Huggy, you’re the best,” Starsky said.

“And those came none too soon,” Dixie said as she entered the room.

“Awe, Dixie, you’re gonna’ give me a sponge bath?” Starsky asked. He tried to sound enthusiastic, but he really wasn’t.

She shook her head. “Nope. It’s the shower for you. We had to get your foot taken care of yesterday, but today you get the full treatment. Don’t worry I’ll be careful not to get your foot wet.” She pushed the wheelchair close to the bed and Starsky stood on his left foot and pivoted to get into the chair.

“What about Hutch?”

A beautiful, tall, long haired blonde woman came in the room. She was wearing a white nurse uniform. “Time for you bed bath, Mr. Hutchinson.” Starsky thought her voice sounded like that of an angel.

Just as Dixie was about to wheel Starsky out of the room, Hutch said, “Hey, Partner, take your time.” Hutch looked back at his nurse and said, “Can you shave me too?”

Starsky scowled as Dixie pushed him to the shower. He mumbled something about Hutch having all the luck. Captain Dobey and Huggy said they would be back later and made a hasty retreat. Watching a beautiful nurse giving Hutch a bed bath was not something they wanted to see.

 

Starsky and Hutch met with Al Davis and Lynn Barker a couple of times before they were released from the hospital on Monday. Starsky asked the agents if they had any idea why Ray and Andy were in the mountains to begin with. It just didn’t make sense. The prison they escaped from was in the nearby town, but they could have made it to LA a lot sooner. Barker said he didn’t really know but thought that maybe Ray and Andy thought it would be easy to hide out in the mountains for a while until the heat blew over and found it was much harder than they anticipated. Starsky could have been released sooner but Hutch wasn’t well enough and Dr. Brackett thought a few days of an IV antibiotic wouldn’t hurt Starsky. Agent Barker told Starsky and Hutch what they had already figured. The trail went cold after they were seen in the black truck in LA. There were no reported sightings of either of them in San Diego. Starsky and Hutch were angry that justice would not be served and that Ray and Andy were free to continue to hurt others. The agents promised to keep them updated when and if they ever received new evidence.

The guys from Station 51 came in for a visit just before they left. Chet said, “You know, Gage, until I met Starsky and Hutch here, you racked up more hospital time than anyone else I know.”

“Ha, ha, very funny, Chet,” Johnny said. “I didn’t get hurt this time.”

“No, but you’ll make up for it next shift I’ll bet.” Chet grinned. He was glad to have Johnny back. He would never really admit to Johnny that he liked him. He didn’t have to; Johnny knew it and so did the rest of the guys.

“I appreciate everyone looking for us. I think the threat of being caught is the only thing that kept Ray and Andy from killing us,” Starsky said.

“I’m just sorry we couldn’t find you, Starsky,” Captain Stanley said.

“It’s okay, you found Hutch.”

Johnny, Roy and Chris stayed after the rest of the guys had left. The five of them talked about what happened. They needed to hear about what each other had gone through on the mountain. It was the first time all of them had been together to talk.

Finally, it was time to go and they said their goodbyes, promising to see each other again soon.  Starsky couldn’t drive so Huggy drove them back to Bay City in the Torino.  Hutch was sitting in the back seat. Starsky was keeping a watchful eye on Huggy’s every move. Hutch leaned up and patted Starsky on the shoulder. “Well, I didn’t get you killed so I guess you’re still talking to me.”

Starsky chuckled, “I’ll never stop talking to you, Buddy, but promise me…”

“No more camping, Starsky. I promise.”

 

Starsky was out of work for two weeks. His doctor did not want him to return to work until the stitches were removed. Captain Dobey knew that if Starsky came to work, even a desk job he would manage to rip them out and miss even more wore work. He also knew that Hutch was pretty weak and Starsky wanted to take care of him.

A few days after Starsky and Hutch returned home, Mary stopped at the post office on her way to the diner and was surprised to find she had a package. She carried it out to the car and looked at it. There was no return address. She opened it and was pleasantly surprised when she removed a brand new metal sign that read ‘Mary’s Diner’. This sign was a little bigger than a license plate and made out of metal. It would fit perfectly on the same pole as the old. She was looking for a note when she found a gift certificate for a local paint store that was enough to repaint the entire diner. She did find a note but all it said was ‘Thanks for serving us barefoot’. There was no signature, but she knew who it was from. She smiled as she kissed the sign. Starsky and Johnny, along with Hutch and the rest of the guys from Station 51, wanted to do something nice for Mary. They had taken up a collection and decided to buy her a new sign and had enough left over to have the diner repainted.

 

A week after they were back on the job, Starsky and Hutch were on another long, boring stakeout sitting in the Torino. Hutch was reading a paper and Starsky was holding his binoculars out of the driver’s window watching the road. “Hey, Starsk, listen to this.”

“What is it?”

“It says two Americans were arrested in Mexico for armed robbery. Then it says they tried to escape and were shot. Wanna guess who.”

“Don’t tell me Ray and Andy.”

“Yep. Ray Robertson and Andy Eubanks.”

“I guess justice was served after all.”

“Let’s call Roy and Johnny in the morning and let them know,” Hutch said as he folded the paper to mark the report.

“Wait a minute, if it’s in the paper why didn’t Barker and Davis tell us?”

“Come on, Starsk, you know what it takes for one department to talk to another.”

“I guess. If we all talked to each other, we might put ourselves out of business. Hey, there’s our relief let’s go back your place and eat, I’m hungry.”

“Whatever you say, Partner.”