The Shooter

136

A shooter is on the rampage in Bay City. Who is in his sights?

Written as part of a 50th Anniversary celebration.

---

The man stared down through the telescopic sight on his brown and silver bolt-action hunting rifle. He searched for his target. But he wasn’t looking to hunt anything with four legs. The streets of the city were where his particular prey existed.

Two men – two cops – came into view. One dark, one fair. One shorter than the other. One older than the other, probably married with kids. He shook his head. He wasn’t a monster, just someone with an important message that needed to be heard. He focussed on the younger man. Moved the scope away from the face until he was only seeing the dark uniform covering the cop’s heart.

He pulled the trigger.

Calmly, he placed the rifle back in its carrying case. Cleaning and oiling would have to wait until later. He picked up the spent cartridge and placed it on the windowsill next to two live bullets. Then he left the building as silently as he had entered via his pre-planned route. He walked on two blocks to the small van he had parked an hour earlier. As he drove away, he could hear the sound of sirens approaching.

/\/\/\/\/\

The call came into Dispatch: “Adam 11. Code 30. Officer down. Sniper shot.”

Lynda, the Dispatch Officer, responded immediately by asking all units in the area to go to the aid of their fellow officers and warning them to be vigilant. She also sent a request for an ambulance to head to the scene. All of this took only seconds but in that short time the situation changed dramatically.

“Adam 11. Kelley’s dead.”

Lynda swallowed hard. Behind her the head of Dispatch Services, heard the call and came to her side, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“Acknowledged, Adam 11. Captain Dobey will be on his way shortly…Bernie, are you injured?”

“No, Dispatch, no, I’m okay. It’s just my p-partner.”

“Sit tight, Bernie. Help is on the way.”

Lynda knew she should have carried on using formal names but in this circumstance it hadn’t seemed right. She knew Bernie well. He’d been on the job here for years. With just six months under his belt, she knew Officer Kelley only as a voice on the radio but he was one of her charges and he was gone. Lynda held herself together long enough to alert Dobey as to what had happened and update the status of the call-out for the teams responding. Then the tears started to fall.

/\/\/\/\/\

Dobey hated hearing the words ‘Officer down’. Dealing with injury or loss of the people under his charge was the worst part of his job. He drove quickly to the scene, arriving to see that the black and white and undercover units that had arrived before him were all doing their jobs just as they had been trained. He took a deep, steadying breath before he climbed out of his vehicle.

He made his way straight over to Officer Bernie Glassman and laid a hand on his shoulder. Bernie was watching silently as Officer Kelley’s body was gently transferred to a collapsible gurney and covered with a soft, white blanket. Bernie wiped a hand over his pale face.

“What happened?” Dobey asked quietly.

“I don’t know, C-Captain,” Bernie’s voice shook slightly as he spoke. “Dispatch sent us to investigate a robbery at the store, over there. We’d just arrived and got out of the car…Pop! Out of nowhere. Before I’d even registered the sound, Kelley…” he choked on the name. “Kelley was down. I dove for cover, called it in and then crawled around to check on him. He was gone. Never had a chance.”

Dobey squeezed his shoulder. “You want to ride in with him, Bernie? Or I can drive you?”

Bernie squared his shoulders. “I’ll ride in with him.”

He nodded at the captain before climbing in beside his deceased partner. Dobey could see Starsky’s Torino arriving and asked the ambulance crew to wait for a minute before they left the scene. He walked briskly over to his detectives and filled them in on what had happened.

“Take charge here. We’ll regroup back at my office in two hours.”

Starsky and Hutch nodded and watched as Dobey headed over to his car. He got the attention of two motorcycle officers and briefed them. They quickly got into position and then Dobey indicated to the ambulance that it could go. With the two motorcycles leading the way and Dobey following behind, the body of Officer Kelley was transported towards Memorial Hospital. The ‘lights only’ directive gave a solemnity to the final journey of one of their own. As the ambulance passed by, officers stopped and nodded or removed their hats in deference.

Starsky and Hutch looked at each other silently. Without saying a word, they communicated the thought, ‘That’s got to be the worst feeling in the world, losing your partner.’ Then they nodded at each other and got to work.

/\/\/\/\/\

Dobey sat down heavily in his chair. He had escorted Officer’s Kelley’s body to the hospital morgue and then headed back to the precinct to get the next of kin’s contact details. Officer Kelley had been young, unmarried and recently moved to Bay City from Sacramento. Dobey had the unwelcome task of breaking the news to Kelley’s parents over the phone. He’d done this job with as much grace as he could and offered words of comfort that he was afraid were totally inadequate.

There was a subdued knock at the door. He wiped his face with his handkerchief before raising his voice to say, “Enter.”

Starsky and Hutch entered the room. Starsky placed a folder on his table. Hutch handed him a coffee and sandwich. He nodded his thanks and took a sip of the welcome coffee before opening the folder.

“What have we got so far?”

“Very little,” Hutch said. “It’s more about what we don’t know.”

Starsky explained what they knew so far, “We’re assuming a male but it might not be. He set up in an empty room with a perfect view of the street in front of the store. There were no fingerprints left at the scene. We’re waiting on Forensics to tell us if they were any left on the shell casing.”

Hutch took over: “He left two live rounds, 35 caliber, next to the empty shell casing and he’d placed all three of them deliberately on the window sill where they would be found easily. Some sort of statement.”

Dobey looked up. “A statement that he intends to kill at least two more people?”

“We’re guessing so.”

“What about the robbery?”

“There was no robbery,” Hutch said grimly.

“You mean my officers were lured there deliberately?”

They both nodded and then before Dobey could ask, Starsky said, “We’ve got R and I getting hold of a recording of the call that came in to the emergency switchboard. Should be here any minute.”

“Why Kelley?” Dobey wondered. “I can’t think that a young, rookie patrol officer is going to have been involved in any case where someone might hold a grudge against him, can you?”

Hutch shook his head.

“Picked at random then.”

Starsky nodded. “Probably.”

There was a knock at the door and Jenkins from R and I came in with a large tape recorder.

“Got that emergency call recording for you, sir.”

“Thank you.”

Dobey cleared a space and Jenkins placed the equipment carefully on the desk then left. Dobey took a breath and then pressed play.

“I think there’s a robbery going down at the store along the street.”

“Which street are you on, sir?”

“Newhaven. The store’s called The Gift Company. I saw a young guy go in, carrying a baseball bat. He looked shifty.”

“Can you tell me your name, sir?”

There was a click and it was obvious that the phone had been put down. Dobey stopped the machine.

“Not much to go on, is it?”

“No. Except it confirms the shooter is male and the officers were deliberately lured to the scene,” Hutch said.

“Nothing from the canvass at the scene? Nobody saw anything strange?”

“’Fraid not,” Starsky said. “The guy’s good at going unnoticed.”

Dobey frowned as he thought. Starsky and Hutch exchanged looks as they waited.

“I want you on this,” Dobey stated. “I know you’ll be working from nothing but if anyone can conjure an answer it’s you two.”

They didn’t thank him. They knew how important this was and they both felt the burden of it.

“I’ll put out a warning to all officers to be vigilant when answering any call. I’ll ask Dispatch to let officers know if the calls coming in are left by anonymous callers. That’ll be something at least. I want you two to start by looking at any arrests that Glassman and Kelley have made in the last six months since they were partnered…Maybe get Bernie to help you? I told him to take the rest of the day off but he insisted on coming back into work. He’ll need something to keep him busy until we have answers and until I can partner him with someone new.”

Hutch nodded but said, “What if we get a lead? Do we take him with us or leave him here?”

Starsky answered for Dobey: “We take him with us. He’s a good solid cop and he sticks to the rules.” Mentally, he added, “Usually.”

He exchanged a look with Dobey that Hutch missed.

Dobey nodded. “Okay, get out of here and get started. Let me know if Forensics gets anything off the bullets or casing.”

The two detectives headed out into the squad room. Hutch took off his jacket and placed it over his chair. Once he’d sat down, he picked up his phone and dialled an internal number.

“Doris? I need copies of all the arrest files for the last six months involving Officers Glassman and Kelley…Okay, we’ll come down for them in an hour.”

Starsky was still standing and wearing his jacket. Hutch looked at him enquiringly, seeing something in his face that told him his partner was on edge.

“Hutch. Before we go find Bernie, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“Okay.”

Starsky looked around the busy squad room and suggested, “Let’s go for a walk.”

Hutch started to frown but could tell it had to be something important from his partner’s manner. He stood up and put his jacket back on. Then he followed his partner out of the building and along the street.

After a couple of minutes, Hutch said, “Well?”

“About Bernie…”

“What about Bernie?”

Starsky hesitated but then said, “I don’t think things will be awkward. Bernie’s a good guy and he’s never said a word to anyone but I just figured you ought to know he knows. He was there.”

“Starsky. He was where and knows what? I’m not following you.”

Starsky swallowed. “Do you remember much from the moment you escaped from Forrest’s goons?”

Hutch’s stride missed a half-beat. No-one would have noticed; only his partner who knew him so well saw it.

“Not much. I remember running. I remember you. The rest is hazy.”

Starsky figured he’d better just lay out the facts. “Bernie found you. He helped me get you into my car…He didn’t put in a report about it.”

Hutch stopped and stared at Starsky in surprise and something close to horror.

“He knows?”

“He knows…but he’s kept it secret. I went and saw him afterwards and explained what had really happened. I thanked him on your behalf and he promised he’d never say a word and he hasn’t.”

Hutch wiped a hand over his face. “Guess I owe him and I should probably thank him myself…Thanks for telling me, Starsk. Guess there might have been an atmosphere between the two of you and I would have been wondering what was going on. It’s better to know.”

Starsky nodded. “That’s what I figured.” He squeezed Hutch’s arm ever so briefly and then said, “Let’s go find, Bernie, and then start tracking down this lunatic.”

/\/\/\/\/\

“Hey Bernie, how are you doing?” Starsky asked gently.

Bernie looked at him with glassy eyes that took a minute to focus and then become clear.

“Oh. Starsky. Yeah, I’m okay.”

“Dobey thought you might be able to help us see if there are any arrests you and Kelley made in the last six months that might have left someone with a grudge against you,” Hutch said. “You feel up to helping us out?”

“Yeah, Hutch. I’d like to help. I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head but I’m happy to go through files with you and see if anyone sticks out.”

“Good. Let’s go upstairs and see if the files have been delivered yet,” Hutch suggested.

Starsky looked at his watch. “How about we go grab some of that good coffee from the cafeteria first and then head upstairs.”

He gave Hutch a look that said, “I think Bernie needs some fuel.”

Hutch noted the still pale features of Bernie and said, “I think that’s a good idea, Starsky. Let’s go.”

The three of them quickly made their way down to the cafeteria and ordered coffees. Starsky added two muffins to the tray (as well as a banana for Hutch) and suggested they sit down for five minutes. He led the way over to a quiet area of the dining space and sat down.

As he took the coffee and muffin that was handed to him, Bernie said, “Thanks.”

“How long had you and Kelley been working together?” Starsky asked.

“Only six months but he was a good kid. Quick to learn and I could tell he was going to be good at the job. He was fair but compassionate.” Bernie swallowed hard. “I still can’t believe he’s gone. I feel like I’m stuck in a nightmare and can’t wake up. Only when I wake up tomorrow, he’s still going to be gone, isn’t he?…Damn it.” Bernie berated himself as he sniffed and had to find a tissue to blow his nose.

Knowing it wouldn’t be welcomed, neither detective patted his arm but they stayed silent as he composed himself. They sipped from their coffees as they waited.

“I want to know who did this and why,” Bernie said. “Thanks for letting me help you.”

“No problem,” Starsky said. “If something happened to Hutch, I’d want to be doing something to help catch the guy that hurt him. I get it.”

Hutch nodded. He looked around and made sure no-one was in earshot before saying, “Bernie. I’ve just found out that I owe you. Big time. Thank you for not saying anything about what happened to me. I know it must have gone against the grain. I know you’re a good cop, who sticks to the rules. So thank you. You saved my career.”

Bernie looked at Hutch and nodded. “You’re welcome…I did wrestle with it but after Starsky filled me in, I knew I’d done the right thing. It wouldn’t have been fair for you to be penalised for being a victim. That’s what I decided anyway.”

This time, Hutch did briefly pat Bernie’s arm as he said again, “Thank you.”

Starsky made a big show of checking his watch. “Well, those files should be on our desks about now. Let’s get to work.”

/\/\/\/\/\

Several hours later, Dobey found three very frustrated men still looking through files.

“No luck?”

“We’ve got two very faint possibilities, but they seem unlikely,” Hutch said.

Bernie sighed. “We just don’t deal with the big stuff that might leave someone resenting us. Noise complaints, pickpocketing, drunk and disorderly, small thefts – those have been our main arrests the last few months.”

Starsky closed the last file and picked up two folders that had been set aside. “Well, let’s go check out these two.”

“Call in the results and then go home, all of you. It’s been a long day,” Dobey said.

The three men nodded and headed out. Dobey went back to his office to await their call. He really hoped that one of these long shots would pay off.

/\/\/\/\/\

Neither interview led to anything. Starsky and Hutch dropped Bernie at home and then by mutual agreement headed to Hutch’s apartment. Starsky wanted to keep an eye on his partner just in case the memories that had been stirred up earlier were playing on his mind. Hutch hung up his jacket and went through to the kitchen. He came back with two beers and threw one carefully to Starsky. Starsky settled on the couch but Hutch stood, staring into the distance.

“You okay?”

Hutch blinked and looked at his partner, with confusion followed by comprehension.

“Yeah, I’m fine…Really.”

“You sure? ‘Cause if you want to talk about anything, I’m ready to listen.”

Hutch couldn’t help smiling as he shook his head fondly then asked, “I was worrying about you.”

“Me? Why me?”

“Well, this has got to remind you of Prudholm a little, hasn’t it,” Hutch said in a tone suggesting he was sorry to have to mention the name of the man, who had made Starsky’s life hell for a while last year.

“Oh…that.”

“Yeah, that.”

Starsky took a sip of beer. “Talking’s overrated,” he said. “How about we play cards and listen to a record or two?”

Hutch nodded. “That sounds like just what we need to forget everything about today. You want to order a pizza? Or two?”

Starsky grinned. “What do you think?!”

/\/\/\/\/\

As they walked into the squad room the next morning, Dobey hurried in with a grim look on his face.

“There’s been another shooting. Traffic officers responding to an accident called for help, saying they were being shot at. Details are sketchy at the moment. I’m heading down to the scene.”

Starsky and Hutch fell into step beside him as he walked out through the doors and he gave them details of the location so they could follow him to the scene. At the end of the corridor, he went off to join the officer, who was waiting to drive him. The two detectives headed to the parking lot to collect Hutch’s car.

As Hutch pulled out of the lot, Starsky slapped the light on the roof and flipped the switch for the sirens. They hurried through the early morning traffic, out towards the slipway that led to the Second Street Bridge, which was just on the very edge of their precinct’s territory. On their arrival, they turned the siren off and leapt out.

They could see three vehicles had been involved in what was little more than a fender-bender. All the drivers and passengers appeared to be unharmed apart from looking visibly shaken at what had just happened. A uniformed officer was just being lifted into an ambulance. Starsky and Hutch walked over to join Dobey.

“It’s bad. The bullet’s gone in close to his heart. Officer Watson. Traffic Division.”

“Was the accident called in by a member of the public?”

“Yes, but by one of the drivers – a Mr Hill. Nothing suspicious about the accident on first look.”

“Where did the shot come from?” Starsky asked, looking around to see if he could guess.

“It had to be from that scaffolding tower on the building site there. I can’t see anywhere else that would have provided the same angle or shelter. Go, take a look around. Let’s hope he’s slipped up this time and left us something. Take the Forensic Team with you.”

They could see the Forensics van had just arrived. Suddenly, there was a flurry of activity inside the ambulance that had yet to leave. Dobey hurried over, with Starsky and Hutch right behind him.

They were just in time to see a paramedic trying to resuscitate Watson. His partner re-joined him and they worked together to bring Watson back. After a few minutes, they ran out of options and stopped what they were doing, looking defeated.

One of them turned towards Dobey, saying, “I’m sorry. He’s gone. There must have been too much damage to the heart.”

Filled with a sense of even greater urgency, Starsky and Hutch rounded up the Forensics Team and headed over to the building site to inspect the scaffolding tower next to the half-finished office block. Anywhere they thought a gunman could have potentially stopped and touched something was pointed out to be checked for fingerprints.

When they reached the fourth storey of the structure, they both stopped and looked carefully around.

“There!”

They hurried over to a small white board that held a spent casing and one live bullet.

As Starsky bagged the evidence, Hutch demanded to know: “What does a traffic cop have to do with this?”

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

“What’s the link?”

“I don’t know but we know he must have a police scanner. He didn’t make a call this time. The accident just happened and the officers responded.”

“Did it just happen? We don’t know that yet. I agree he may have a police scanner but I’m wondering if he engineered the accident somehow. We’ll have to see what the crash investigators say.”

“Doubt they’ll bother to come out for a small accident.”

“They will if we tell Dobey they must,” Hutch said. “Let’s get back down to Dobey and get that organised before any cars get towed away or allowed to leave.”

“You do that. I’m going to look for tracks from his vehicle. I’m thinking maybe he’s got a motorbike. He had to get away pretty fast from an exposed location this time, don’t ya think?”

Hutch nodded. “Good thinking.”

They split up and got to work.

/\/\/\/\/\

“So we’ve got a rookie cop and a veteran traffic cop being targeted. What do they have in common?” Dobey asked.

“They both work out of this precinct,” Starsky offered.

Dobey nodded. “So it’s someone with a grudge against this precinct perhaps.”

Just then Hutch came into the room, with his notebook in hand. “The crash investigation unit found evidence of metal spikes at the scene. The first car’s flat tyre was no accident. The shooter arranged for there to be an accident right there. He must have set up and just waited for it to happen and then shot at the first unit to arrive.”

“He could go after anyone connected to this precinct and we would have no idea who it could be. How are we going to stop this nutcase?” Dobey said, slapping the table with frustration.

Hutch sat down and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes then he said slowly, “He might be irrational, but something must have happened to him to send him over the edge. Something made him want to get revenge on the police, on this precinct. It could be any one of the cases we’ve handled here. But maybe there’s a clue in the places he’s targeted?”

“Like what?” Starsky asked.

“Maybe he set up the traffic accident at that location because the location has significance?”

Dobey and Starsky looked at each other. They looked as if they were all clutching at straws as they both said, “It’s worth looking into.”

Dobey picked up the phone and called R & I. “I need a list of all traffic-“

“-fatal traffic accidents,” Hutch interjected.

“Er, fatal traffic accidents in the last two years in the vicinity of the Second Street Bridge. As soon as you can.”

“Why two years?” Hutch asked.

“It’s got to be something that’s happened recently enough to still be raw but long enough to allow resentment to build,” Dobey offered by way of explanation. “If nothing significant turns up, we’ll look back further. Unless we come up with another idea in the meantime.”

Hutch agreed, “It’s a place to start.”

“What about the location of The Gift Company? Why did he choose there? Just because it was a convenient location or do you think there’s more to it?” Starsky asked.

Hutch scratched his head. “I think there’s probably something behind the choice but I’m damned if I know what it is.”

“There’s not much else we can do until we get the list of traffic accidents from R & I.”

“If we’re going to be looking at files for the rest of the day, we need food,” Starsky stated. “What do you want, Cap? Hutch?”

Dobey pulled five dollars out of his pocket and handed it to Starsky. “I’ll take an orange juice, ham sandwich and some fruit. Whatever they’ve got downstairs.”

Hutch nodded. “I’ll have the same except I’ll have a glass of milk instead of juice.”

Rolling his eyes, Starsky went downstairs in search of the items that had been requested along with a meatball sub and slice of pepperoni pizza for himself.

/\/\/\/\/\

The list of accidents involving fatalities near the Second Street Bridge proved to be quite short. There were three in total. The first: a drunk driver, who had careened over the edge of the embankment and hit one of the concrete pillars. The second: a mother and two children who had been hit head-on by a truck that had hit an icy patch and skidded into them. The third: a twenty-two year old man, who had been hit by a drunk driver and spun into the path of an oncoming construction vehicle. A metal pole had spun loose from the vehicle and impaled the youngster, killing him instantly.

“I don’t see how the shooter can blame the police for any of these incidents,” Starsky muttered.

“It’s hard to see what the motive could be,” Hutch agreed, “but I feel there is something here. It’s just we’re missing some vital part of the puzzle.”

“Well, we’d better find it and soon,” Dobey said. “I think the first accident is unlikely to be connected. The driver caused his own death. Hard to see how we could be blamed for that. Check out the other two. See what you can dig up. I’m going to ask R & I to look through any complaints against the department in the last two years in case the shooter tried other means first to express his discontent with our precinct.”

Starsky and Hutch took that as their cue to leave Dobey’s office. They took the two files that held possibilities through with them to their desks. They took one each and started to look through them for more details. Then they rang down to get more information on the family members they had found.

“We’re keeping them busy downstairs,” Hutch observed when he got off the phone. “I got the name Penny Kingston; she’s the sister of our twenty-two year old victim. Parents live out of state. I don’t think it’s them or her. Not if it’s a male shooter working alone.”

“My victims were Sarah Jones and two kids, Ryan and Sadie. The father, one Hank Jones, was inside, doing time for his part in a robbery.”

“Was?”

“He’s out, but there’s no address for him.”

“Arrested on our patch?”

“Arrested on our patch,” Starsky confirmed.

Hutch got up and put on his jacket. Starsky did the same. Neither of them needed to say out loud that their only hope of finding Hank Jones was if Huggy Bear had managed to hear something on the street about him. Otherwise they had no place to look and no way to find the man.

They briefly mentioned their suspicions to Dobey, who said he would get the case file on Hank Jones from the Robbery Squad and would ring them at Huggy’s if there were any important features that might help. He wished them luck, knowing that it might turn to be a wild goose chase.

/\/\/\/\/\

“Hey, what’s happening?” Huggy asked as Starsky and Hutch walked up to the bar.

“We need your help, Huggy,” Hutch said softly.

Huggy poured two beers for them and then indicated that his friends should go and sit in the booth at the back, away from listening ears.

As Huggy sat down beside him, Hutch said, “You’ve heard about the shootings?”

“All over the news, my friend. That kind of random attack makes people nervous, especially nervous of going near anyone involved in law enforcement.”

“We’ve got one thin lead,” Starsky said, as he handed Huggy a copy of Hank’s photo. “We’re looking for a guy named Hank Jones. He’s done time for robbery but he’s out. Lost his family in a car crash eighteen months ago. Anything ring a bell?”

Huggy shook his head. “I’ll keep my ears open but…”

“We know it’s a long shot but it’s all we have right now,” Hutch said.

Huggy nodded and assured them, “I hear anything, even the slightest whisper, I’ll contact you. This hombre is bad news. He needs to be stopped.”

“Yeah…Thanks Hug.”

Huggy nodded again and headed back to the bar, leaving his two friends to drink their beers.

“Any other ideas?” Starsky asked. “This guy’s likely to strike again tomorrow.”

Hutch ran a hand over his face and let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m all out. You?”

“We got a couple of hours left of our shift. How about we visit some gun clubs and show Hank’s photo around? See if anyone recognises him.”

“Is he likely to belong to a gun club?”

Starsky shrugged. “It’s better than doing nothing.”

Hutch nodded. “Yeah.”

The two of them drained their glasses, waved to Huggy and headed out, praying for a miracle.

/\/\/\/\/\

As the early morning sun rose in the sky, the man replaced the handset in the phone booth then strode briskly up one block and then down an alleyway. He walked, until he came to a fire door that he had wedged open earlier that morning, and slipped inside, closing the door silently behind him. The gloomy basement corridor afforded little light but it was enough for his purposes. He made his way to the door leading to the stairwell.

The climb to the fourth floor left him slightly winded but he recovered as he walked the corridor until he reached the door marked 406. He unlocked the door and stepped inside the empty apartment.

His equipment was already set up. He moved over to the window and peered through, careful not to get to close to the glass. From one side, he slowly slid the sash open and stepped back. He checked his watch. Shouldn’t take long.

He went and stood behind the rifle and peered through the scope, adjusting the angle slightly. He heard a siren travelling towards the area and looked up. He saw the red and white car as it dashed into view and came to a stop, pointing at an angle towards the sidewalk.

Two men – two police detectives – got out. One dark, one blond. One shorter, one taller. He only had to wait a second for a clear shot.

Then he fired.

Part Two

It was the start of their shift when the call came in. Dispatch told them that a John Kanes had found a body in the alleyway behind his grocery store. They were given the details of the location. Starsky turned the Torino in the direction they needed to go and Hutch turned on the light and siren.

“Always great starting the day with a dead body in an alleyway,” Hutch muttered.

Starsky grimaced. “Yep.”

Starsky parked the car in front of the small grocery store and the two of them climbed out.

There was the sound of a gun being fired. A split second later, Starsky was down and huddled next to the car for cover. He heard his partner land on the ground beside the Torino and hoped the doors were enough cover to keep them both protected. He scanned the high-rise apartments opposite them and then turned to speak to Hutch. His partner wasn’t crouched in the cover of the door. He just wasn’t there.

“Hutch! No!”

Giving little thought to his own safety, Starsky ran around to the other side of the car. He skidded to a horrified stop. Hutch was flat on the ground – eyes open wide in shock and a trickle of blood appearing through a hole in his shirt, close to his heart. He tried to speak but couldn’t.

Fighting his first instinct to help his partner, Starsky instead reached in through the open door for the radio mic.

“Mayday! Code 30! Hutch has been shot. Send a paramedic and black and white units to lock down the area around Harper and Maine. Probable sniper attack.”

He didn’t wait for a response. He grabbed the small first aid kit from the car and then knelt beside his partner to assess the damage. He squeezed Hutch’s hand.

“I’m here, partner. I’ve got help on the way.”

Hutch tried to form words but couldn’t. His face was very pale in contrast to the bloodstain growing on his clothing. Starsky ripped open a bandage and used it as a pressure pad against Hutch’s chest instead of for its intended purpose.

“Hutch, I’m gonna check you for an exit wound. It might hurt, pal, sorry.”

Keeping one hand against Hutch’s wound, Starsky used his other arm to lift his partner and do a quick visual inspection. There was no sign of an exit wound. Starsky gently lowered Hutch back onto the ground and placed his fingers against Hutch’s neck trying to find his carotid pulse. It was there but barely.

“Ssssstar—.”

Starsky looked down at his partner’s now almost paper white face. He tried to muster all of his reassurance as he looked in Hutch’s fearful eyes. He took hold of Hutch’s hand and squeezed it tight.

“I’m here, buddy, I’m here.”

“Wat…son…died…Not…gon…mak…”

“You’re gonna make it, Hutch. Don’t you worry about that. The sniper did a lousy job this time. Bullet’s miles away from your heart. You’re gonna be fine! The ambulance is on its way.” Starsky could hear the wonderful sound of a siren in the distance. “The hospital’s going patch you up fast. This is nothing they can’t handle. Little glue, you’ll be good as new.”

“Al…ways…were terr…ible…liar.”

Hutch’s eyes looked deep into his and then suddenly rolled back, frightening Starsky deeply.

“Don’t you die on me, Hutch! You hear me. Don’t you dare die!”

Starsky heard a vehicle pull up close by and the sound of feet. Next moment, a man in a paramedic’s uniform was kneeling by his side.

Starsky filled him in: “There’s no exit wound that I can see. He’s lost a lot of blood. He was talking…or trying. He just passed out. Help him, please.”

“We will. Keep applying that pressure while I run some quick checks.”

Starsky nodded tightly. The amount of blood Hutch was losing was alarming but the fact that it was still coming must at least mean his heart was still beating. For now. He consoled himself with that fact.

While one paramedic checked Hutch’s pulse, the other got a pressure bandage ready. She caught Starsky’s eye.

“When I say go, move your hand and I’ll get this on him.”

“Okay.”

“Ready…Go.”

Starsky moved out of the way in synch with the paramedic moving closer and applying the dressing.

“Can you hold that still for me while I tie it?” she asked.

Starsky nodded. He placed his hand back on top of the dressing while the paramedic slid the bandage around Hutch’s torso and then tied it in place.

“Pulse is 70 over 40,” the male paramedic advised.

Starsky swallowed. He knew that was far too low.

“I’ll go get a saline drip ready,” the female paramedic said as she quickly stood up and headed towards the back of the ambulance.

“What’s your partner’s name, age and general health?”

Starsky found himself responding automatically as he kept his eyes on his Hutch’s pale face. He reached out and laid his hand on Hutch’s arm.

“Hang in there, partner,” he whispered.

The female paramedic came back with the saline and attached it to Hutch’s left arm. She handed the bag to Starsky.

“You can hold this for us while we get your friend ready to transport,” she said with a kind smile.

Starsky was glad of something to do. He was aware that other vehicles had arrived but he only had eyes for his partner. When someone tapped him on his shoulder, he startled.

“Starsky, give me your keys. I’ll drive your car back to the precinct.”

It was Bernie. Starsky reached into his pocket and handed the keys over with a gruff, “Thanks Bernie. I appreciate it.”

He heard Dobey’s voice taking charge, ordering his men to lock down the area, interview the manager of the grocery store and find the shooter. Then the captain was beside him. He asked the paramedics for an update and laid his hand on Starsky’s shoulder. The paramedics checked Hutch’s blood pressure again and then indicated that they were ready to move their patient so Starsky stood up and stepped back out of their way.

Remembering what had happened with Watson, Dobey asked, “Is he stable?”

The male paramedic answered. “Yeah, his blood pressure is a little better. We’ll keep fluids going into him on the way to the hospital.”

They watched as the paramedics carefully lifted the stretcher and walked away with their precious cargo.

“Sounds like Hutch has got a good chance even though it’s serious. At least he’s stable for now. I’ll meet you at the hospital, Starsky.”

Starsky nodded, not trusting himself to speak, and hurried to catch up with the paramedics. He climbed in beside his partner and tried to sit out of the way as the door was closed and the male paramedic sat down beside Hutch and checked his pulse.

“We’re ready Evelyn,” he called through to the front of the ambulance. To Starsky he said, “Evelyn likes to drive fast. It might get bumpy.”

“I heard that, Mike,” Evelyn called back. “Don’t you cast aspersions at my driving!”

Starsky couldn’t help smiling just a little.

/\/\/\/\/\

As they rushed through the city streets, Starsky watched his partner anxiously for any sign of him destabilising. Mike was constantly monitoring and keeping an eye on the saline bag to make sure Hutch’s fluids were being replaced at a steady level.

Their arrival at the hospital was quicker than Starsky had dared hope. Evelyn jumped out and came around to open the doors. She gave Starsky a small grin.

He managed to smile and say, “That was some driving.”

“Figured you’d want me to give your partner the VIP ride,” she said.

Starsky helped them lift Hutch out of the ambulance and then wheel him into the emergency department. A doctor and nurse were waiting for them. The paramedics quickly passed on the medical information they would need.

“Right, let’s get Detective Hutchinson prepped for surgery,” the doctor said.

Starsky followed as they wheeled Hutch along the corridor towards the operating room. He saw Hutch’s eyelids flicker and open a crack.

“Wait.”

Hutch’s mouth moved.

“He’s trying to say something but I can’t hear what he’s saying,” the nurse said.

Starsky leaned in close. “What is it, pal?”

Hutch whispered, barely a breath of sound grazing Starsky’s ear. Starsky squeezed his partner’s arm.

“Leave it with me, partner. I got this. You just let the surgeon do his job now. You’re in good hands and you’re going to come through this.”

Starsky watched as his partner was wheeled through the double doors into the operating room. He whispered a prayer. Then he dashed to the nurse’s desk and asked if he could use the phone. He called in to the squad room.

“Jenkins? It’s Starsky. Dobey will be on his way to the hospital to see Hutch. If he hasn’t left already, accompany him. He needs to be protected. He’s not to be anywhere without protection. You got that? I’ll be waiting by the main entrance for him. I can take over his protection when you get here. And get an APB put out on Hank Jones as our probable sniper.”

Starsky replaced the handset, thanked the nurse and hurried down to the main entrance. He didn’t know why Hutch thought that Dobey might be in danger. He just knew if Hutch thought it, it was probably right.

Hutch had said six words: “John Kanes is Jones. Protect Dobey.”

As he thought about it he realised what Hutch had realised in that split second between their arrival at the alleyway and the shot – John Kanes was an anagram of Hank Jones.

Starsky knew he couldn’t do anything for his partner right at that moment except protect the man they both admired greatly. He walked outside and scanned the buildings opposite for a likely location for a sniper. There weren’t any really tall buildings. The shooter would want to be high up. He would pick another location for his plan. Hopefully, that would mean Dobey would be safe at the hospital. Unless Hank decided to change his tactics and get up close and personal but Starsky wasn’t going to let anything happen to his captain. Or he’d never hear the end of it from his partner.

“If Hutch ma-” He stopped the thought before it could form. He had to believe Hutch was going to make it. Any other outcome was unthinkable.

/\/\/\/\/\

Dobey arrived in a squad car with another one following behind. Starsky dashed out and met them as Dobey opened his door.

“Wait,” Starsky ordered.

As soon as there was a group of officers surrounding Dobey, Starsky motioned for him to get out. Between them, they hurried their captain into the building. The group took over a small area of the waiting room. The few people awaiting assessment and treatment eyed them curiously.

“How’s Hutch?” Dobey asked.

Starsky swallowed. “Don’t know yet. He’s gone for surgery.”

Starsky suddenly realised that five pairs of sympathetic eyes were looking at him and he found it overwhelming. The full force of what had happened to Hutch hit him.

“Excuse me,” he managed to say, before he was striding away down the nearest corridor as if he was being pursued by his worst nightmare.

Dobey turned to his men. “Two of you can stay here, just in case there is a threat against me. Two of you can go and help with the canvass. And be careful all of you.”

He left them to decide who was going and who was staying and went after Starsky. He walked slowly to give his young detective some time to compose himself. He found Starsky at a corridor’s end, facing the white-washed wall, one arm leaning up against it for support. His other hand was held tight over his eyes.

“Watson didn’t make it,” Starsky said desperately. “What if…? The bullet was so close to his heart. It’s bad. I don’t know if he’s gonna make it.”

Dobey laid a hand on Starsky’s shoulder. He didn’t know what to say so he said nothing.

Starsky wiped his eyes and slowly turned around.

“Can you put in a word with the Guy upstairs?” he asked, momentarily sounding like a desperate child.

“Already done, son. All the way here. There will be a lot of people praying for Hutch…In my heart I feel he’s going to make it.”

“I hope you’re right,” Starsky said shakily. “I should get out there and keep looking for this guy. I can’t do anything for Hutch here.”

Dobey shook his head. “Tell me why you think I’m in danger? If you’re right, maybe the shooter will be forced to come to us and we’ll catch him that way.”

“It was Hutch. Just before he went into surgery, he came to. He’d worked out that the name of John Kanes, the man who called in the murder victim this morning, was an anagram of Hank Jones. He also said you were in danger.”

“I see. In that case it’s even more imperative that we plan how to use me as bait to catch this man.” Starsky went to object but Dobey continued, “He probably won’t strike until tomorrow so we have plenty of time. I’m going to temporarily set up base here at the hospital then we can both be here when Hutch gets out of surgery.”

Starsky swallowed and nodded, grateful to have the decision made for him. He didn’t need to feel guilty about leaving Hutch or guilty about not going out looking for the shooter.

“Come on,” Dobey said. “There should be officers arriving with reports for us any time now.”

They walked up the corridor together. Dobey briefly left Starsky to go speak to the hospital administrator to ask if there was a free room he could use as an incident room. He was offered one on the surgical floor, which was perfect. Once set up, with two officers guarding the door, Starsky went to let the staff know where they were so that the doctor could find them easily when Hutch’s surgery was over.

As they waited for news of Hutch, Simmons, Babcock and other officers came to report in to Dobey and told Starsky they were holding Hutch in their thoughts. As expected, officers had found a spent casing at the scene of the attack on Hutch but also a live bullet with a printed note that read: “One more for good measure.”

“How did Hutch know that was going to happen?” Starsky wondered out loud.

“Well, I guess if he’s given his name, he’s reached the end of the road but clearly he wasn’t completely satisfied with just three lives taken. I guess the shooter wants to make one last statement and go for the person who’s in charge of the department.”

“Yeah…Three lives?”

“Sorry.”

“You said, ‘three lives’.”

“I’m sorry, son, I didn’t mean to imply that Hutch wasn’t going-”

“No, it’s not that. Three lives for the three lives of his family. That’s why he’s doing this. He wasn’t able to protect his family from what happened and he blames the police for putting him away so that he wasn’t there for them.”

“Then why go after me or anyone else? That would be four lives taken.”

“Because he’s going to kill himself when he’s done…or he’s hoping he’ll be killed trying to get to you. He doesn’t want to live with them gone.”

Dobey rubbed at his face thoughtfully. “You could be right.”

“I’m sure I am.”

The other officers around them looked worried.

“We’d better start planning the best way to lure Mr Jones to a place where he thinks he can get at me but somewhere where we’ll be ready for him.”

While Dobey, Simmons, Babcock and uniformed officers tried to come up with a plan, Starsky slipped out and walked along to the doors that lead to the operating rooms. It had been over two hours already and there had been no news. Starsky knew that removing a bullet that was near the heart wasn’t going to be a minor operation. They would have to open up Hutch’s chest.

Suddenly, he felt faint at the thought of what had happened and was now being done to his partner. His vision started to close in and the edges of the world turned a hazy white. He would have slipped to the floor but unexpectedly a strong pair of arms caught hold of him and led him over to a chair. He found a bottle of water being held to his lips and took a sip. After a few minutes, his vision began to clear up and he found Huggy was hovering over him anxiously.

“Hey Curly, you okay?”

“Yeah, thanks Hug. I’m okay.”

“I came as soon as I heard the morning news. How’s Hutch doing?”

“It was bad, Hug. The bullet went in close to his heart. He’s been in surgery for nearly three hours. The longer it takes, the worse his chances.”

Huggy sat down next to his friend. He offered him a sandwich.

“I can’t eat, Hug, not till I know…not till I know if he’s going to make it.”

“You won’t be any good to him if you don’t look after yourself,” Huggy pointed out.

“Thanks, but I couldn’t keep anything down right now.”

Huggy nodded his understanding.

Just then there was a sound of doors opening and a doctor strode towards them. Huggy stood but Starsky stayed where he was, suddenly terrified of what the doctor was going to say.

“Detective Starsky?”

“Yes.”

“Your partner is a lucky man. A quarter of an inch to the right and he’d have had no chance but we’ve managed to get the bullet out and his blood pressure is stable.”

Starsky swallowed, but stayed silent so Huggy asked, “Any complications? Is he going to make a good recovery?”

“Yes, he should. Fortunately, the bullet missed the artery and didn’t cause any damage to the heart itself. His pleural cavity had to be drained of blood but his lung was intact. Any surgery that involves opening up the chest is major but he’s young and strong. He should heal fast. As I said, ‘he is a lucky man’.”

Starsky finally found his voice. “Thank you, doc, thank you. Can I see him?”

“He’s in recovery and then he’ll be moved to critical care. We need to keep a close eye on his blood pressure over the next twenty-four hours and make sure he doesn’t go into delayed shock. Give it an hour and then you can go see him. He might not be awake, of course.”

“Doesn’t matter, he’ll know I’m there,” Starsky said.

The doctor smiled and then took his leave. Starsky sagged back against the wall.

“He’s going to make it,” he said with gratitude.

Huggy nodded and grinned with relief.

“I’d better let Dobey know,” Starsky said.

Huggy handed Starsky a bag of food. “I’ll make myself scarce but I’ll be back later. Make sure you eat something. There should be enough for everyone.”

“Thanks Huggy.”

Starsky hurried away to tell his fellow officers the good news.

/\/\/\/\/\

“Hey pal, you’re going to be okay,” Starsky said reassuringly to the still, silent figure on the bed.

The words were partly to reassure himself. Hutch looked far from well. He was still unconscious, his face was pale and he had a huge bandage wrapped around his chest, which was a stark reminder of what had happened and how close a call it had been.

He reached out and pushed a stray strand of hair back into place.

“See, I’m not a liar, Hutch. I was right. You made it, partner. You’re going be good as new real soon.”

The nurse came over and made her checks. She smiled at Starsky reassuringly.

“He’s doing real well.”

As she walked away, Starsky laid his hand on Hutch’s. “You sleep for a while, Hutch. Build up your strength. Recovery might take a little while but I’ll be alongside to help you and this is nothing that’s going to stop you in the long run. Doc said you were a very lucky man…But I think you’re a good guy and an angel was watching over you today. If I ever meet that angel, I’m going to thank him profusely.”

Starsky knew he was rambling but he couldn’t seem to help it.

“I thought I’d lost you for a minute there, pal…Glad you didn’t make a liar of me.”

He thought he felt Hutch’s hand twitch under his and quickly looked at his partner’s face. He couldn’t see any change but somehow he felt that Hutch was starting to come back to the land of the living.

“I ain’t going anywhere. You take your time and I’ll be here when you wake up.” He squeezed Hutch’s hand. “I know you’re listening. I’ll keep talking until you’re ready to join in with the conversation.”

An hour later, when he was just about running out of things to say, Starsky heard a whispered, “Starsk.”

“Hey pal, good to see ya,” Starsky said, tears forming in his eyes.

He held a cup of water and a straw to Hutch’s lips. Hutch took a few small sips and then sank back exhausted. His eyes left Starsky’s face and looked down at his chest and his face filled with alarm.

Starsky gently touched his chin and raised Hutch’s face until he was looking at him.

“The doc did a great job and you’re going to make a full recovery,” he stated.

“The truth?”

“Yes, Hutch, that’s the truth.”

He held Hutch’s gaze until his partner accepted the truth from him and relaxed.

“Atta boy. Get some more rest.”

As Hutch started to drift off again, he murmured, “Dobey?”

Starsky patted his shoulder. “Yeah, boy, he’s safe. You did good. Rest now.”

A slight smile was on the edge of Hutch’s lips as he fell asleep.

/\/\/\/\/\

“A press conference means you’ll be too exposed. I don’t like it,” Starsky said.

“That’s why we’ve chosen the venue very carefully,” Dobey said. “All entrances and exits will be covered. Jones won’t get near me before you get hold of him.”

“I hope you’re right. I don’t want to have to answer to Edith…or Hutch!”

Dobey chuckled. “I wouldn’t go through with it if I wasn’t a hundred percent sure that my men can handle any situation.” He stood up. “It’s time. Let’s go.”

Starsky nodded and walked Dobey out to the waiting squad car. He climbed in beside him. As the car drove towards the Bay City Municipal Centre, Starsky kept his eyes open for suspicious vehicles.

When they arrived, he kept close by Dobey’s side and walked with him to the room where the press conference would take place. There were no high buildings nearby. The shooter would have to come close to get at Dobey. Starsky hoped he would so that this nightmare would finally be over.

The press conference started. Dobey read a short statement and the press begin asking questions. Suddenly there was the sound of a disturbance in the corridor outside the room. Starsky moved into a position between the door and his captain. The sounds continued and then suddenly went quiet. When a face appeared at the door, all the press turned to see what was going on.

Simmons gave Dobey and Starsky a thumbs-up and then made a little sign.

Dobey cleared his throat. “Well, gentlemen and ladies, it seems that we have apprehended our shooter without further harm to anyone. Later today, I will give out any information that can be given before the trial but suffice it to say that because of the dedication and courage of the men and women under my command Bay City is once again safe.”

Epilogue

Hutch was sitting up in bed, looking slightly overwhelmed with all the attention he was getting. After a week in the hospital, he had accrued quite a collection of flowers and stuffed animals – half of which he had already sent along to the children’s ward. During the week, he had been visited by so many of his work colleagues and friends that he’d felt quite moved, knowing how much they cared about him.

Earlier today, Kiko, Molly and Mrs Ramos had been in for their second visit. Yesterday, Edith had brought Cal and Rosie to see him. He smiled as he looked at the drawing Rosie had made for him and the bar of candy Cal had given him.

He was just starting to feel like himself again although he still was quickly fatigued if he tried to do too much or had too many visitors. At the start of the week, the number of visitors had been strictly limited by the doctor. A few days on and the restrictions had been lifted, although Hutch suspected Starsky had been making sure that visits were spaced out. His friend had been by his side most of the time, only leaving when there was someone he trusted to take his place for a short while, like Huggy or Dobey or Edith. Very few people were trusted enough to be left in sole care of Hutch by his partner. Hutch smiled as he regarded his friend, who was talking animatedly to Bernie.

Today there were more visitors in the room because today was different.  Today, his colleagues had been to two funeral services for his fallen brothers and had now turned up at his bedside to celebrate and give thanks that Hutch was still with them. Hutch was sorry that he hadn’t been able to attend but knew it just wasn’t possible. He looked at his captain, who was sitting by his side reading a card that someone had sent to him.

“Captain? Starsky’s been vetting my information all week. Can you fill me in on how you got Jones and anything else I need to know?”

Dobey glanced at Starsky but nodded. He had seen the improvements in Hutch over the last couple of days and reckoned that he was well enough to talk shop for a little while.

“Well, first of all, it’s all down to you, son. You figured out that the man who gave the name John Kanes to the Dispatcher was actually Jones. And you were right that he’d decided to take one more life. Mine.”

“I just got that feeling but I wasn’t sure why.”

“Starsky guessed the reason and it was confirmed by Jones. He’d decided he didn’t want to live without his family. He was hoping to die trying to kill me or he’d kill me and then kill himself.”

Starsky had heard his name being mentioned and came over to the bed and sat down on the edge. Bernie and a couple of other officers drew closer to listen.

Hutch looked at his partner and asked, “How did you get him?”

“Well, the Captain decided to use himself as bait. We set up a press conference at the Municipal Centre and had men stationed on every possible entrance and exit. He still found a way in but he was stopped before he could get anywhere near the Cap.”

Dobey grimaced. “I keep telling you, Starsky, I am not an item of headgear!”

Starky grinned and Hutch chuckled then winced.

“Did you interview Jones?” Hutch asked his partner.

Starsky shook his head. “I decided I’d better not. I watched Simmons and Babcock take the interview. Jones was completely gone. He didn’t have any grip on reality anymore. He thought he was balancing some scale of loss. I’m guessing he might end up in Cabrillo.”

Dobey nodded. “That’ll be for the courts to decide but I think it’s highly likely.”

Just then, the door opened and a pretty woman walked in. Starsky leapt up off the bed, smiling.

“Evelyn? Come on in.”

“Hello. I just thought I’d check in and see how Detective Hutchinson is doing?”

“I’m doing well, thank you. I’m sorry, have we met?”

“In a manner of speaking. I was one of the paramedics who brought you in.”

“Oh. Well, in that case, thank you. I owe you.”

Evelyn shrugged. “All part of the job but I’m glad to see you’re doing so well.”

A nurse came in, looking perturbed by the number of people in the room. Starsky slipped across to Evelyn and whispered something in her ear. She blushed and smiled.

The nurse finished counting heads and tutted loudly. “I really must insist that Detective Hutchinson be allowed to rest. Only two visitors at a time, please.”

Everyone started to take their leave of Hutch, including Starsky.

Hutch blinked with surprise. “Where are you going, Gordo?”

“I’ll be back later, Blintz, but right now I’m taking the lovely Evelyn out to dinner to thank her for saving your life.”

“You’re telling me that I’m the one who got shot and you get to have a date out of it?”

“Pretty much, yeah. See ya later, pal!”

Starsky grinned widely and headed out with his arm around Evelyn.

Hutch looked around the now empty room until his eyes fell on Huggy, who was sitting on a chair in the corner. A room full of cops had been hard to take so he had tried to stay out of sight, unnoticed. Now, he moved his chair closer to Hutch’s bedside.

“Well, what do you think about that?” Hutch demanded. “My loyal partner has abandoned me for a girl!”

“I think things are getting back to normal!” Huggy said with a roll of his eyes.