And Justice for All
A Sweet
Revenge What-if
Sergeant Ken Hutchinson
barreled through the double doors of the hospital and ran down the hall to the
ICU. He could hear himself panting, his breath whistling in and out of his
lungs like an old fireplace bellows. It seemed like he had been running
forever, each hall of the hospital getting longer and longer the closer he got
to his destination. Dobey's words echoed in his mind: I think you'd better get
down here, Hutch. He didn't realize he was praying under his breath. Please don't die, please don't die. He
skidded to a stop, and forced his way between Captain Dobey and Huggy. When he
saw what was happening in the small, sterile room, he whirled around and headed
for the door.
He didn't notice that Dobey
was one step behind him, didn't feel him gripping his arm with both hands.
Dobey couldn't keep him from going into that room any more than an ant could
stop a marauding elephant.
Dobey's words tumbled out in
a strangled cry. "Hutch, you can't go in there!"
He was oblivious to the
weight on his other arm as Huggy valiantly hung onto him. Huggy's words echoed
as if they were coming from a long tunnel.
"You'll just be in
their way! Let them do their job!"
He struggled with the two men;
felt himself being pulled a few inches away from the door then dragged them
back. Come Hell or high water, he had to get into that room. Starsky needed him.
The tragic tug-of-war went
on for several indeterminable minutes. Finally, their words invaded the
maelstrom of emotions that was roiling in his mind, and his body sagged between
them. He barely felt the absence of the weight as they let him go and he
stumbled back to the large window. Stunned, he watched the nurses and doctor
working feverishly over the still form of his partner. The double pane of glass
was soundproof, making the drama that was going on inside the room seem like an
old silent movie. He saw the doctor place the paddles of the defibrillator on
each side of Starsky's chest and winced as his best friend's body jumped
involuntarily. Three times, the machine tried to start the damaged heart
beating again, and three times it failed. After an eternity, Hutch saw the
doctor shake his head and look up at them. Hutch saw the sadness in his eyes as
he drew the sheet over Starsky's face.
Suddenly, his legs were
useless bands of rubber. Dobey and Huggy caught him before he hit the floor.
"No! Oh, dear God,
please, no!"
He straightened after a few
minutes, forcing his legs to obey him and headed for the door to the small room.
Both of his friends tried to stop him.
His eyes were wells of grief
when he looked at Huggy, begging his friend to tell him that his worst
nightmare wasn't coming true.
Huggy laid a thin hand on
his shoulder. "You don't need to see him, Hutch. Remember him the way he
was."
Tears swam in his eyes.
"I have to say good-bye."
The doctor nodded and they
stepped back, letting him go into the room. He stood over the lifeless form for
a moment then tenderly pulled the sheet back, drinking in the beloved face, the
familiar curls. Gently, he stroked the pale cheek.
"I don't think I can do
this, buddy. How am I supposed to say good-bye to the best part of me? You were
the only one that made this old world tolerable. How am I going to make it
without you?"
Sinking into the hard
plastic chair beside the bed, Hutch laid his head on Starsky's chest and cried.
Three days later
Hutch sat in the leather
chair beside the coffin, oblivious to the crowd meandering around the room. He
hadn't left Starsky's side since the mortuary attendants had brought the ornate
casket into the room. After watching Hutch stand there for an hour, Dobey
finally brought the chair and pushed him onto it. The blond never acknowledged
him. Nothing anyone said, or did, seemed to penetrate the wall of grief that
surrounded him. Only Rachael Starsky had been able to breach the wall for an
instant when she held Hutch close, crying as much for him as for her son. Briefly,
Hutch had stood up and enfolded her in his arms, each giving solace to the
other. Then the moment was over and he sat down like a sentry guarding the most
precious treasure ever discovered. Hutch had no use for mortal beings anymore.
The person he loved most was no longer among the living.
Eventually, Dobey and Huggy
stood beside him, coaxing him out of the chair. When he balked, Dobey laid a
hand on his shoulder.
"You have to move now,
Hutch. The rabbi wants to say a few words."
Together, they helped him to
the first row of seats, and sat him down beside Rachael and Nick. Dobey sat down
on the other side, with one strong hand on Hutch's thigh, and Huggy sat behind
him in the next row, a hand on his shoulder. Hutch thought briefly that if the
two comforting hands hadn't anchored him to this world, he would have simply
floated away, willingly following his partner's soul.
The cadence of the
unfamiliar words faded as Hutch struggled with the knowledge that Starsky was
truly gone. I love you, Starsk. I know we
didn't say it enough, but I hope you knew how much you meant to me. Yeah, we
had some rough times, but we got over it. No matter how many times I acted like
a selfish bastard, you always forgave me. It was always me and thee, right,
buddy?
Thoughts of Kira rose
unbidden in his mind. Too many cases and too much death had left Hutch burnt
out and disillusioned with the job. He'd struck out at the one person that
always believed in him and Kira was simply the last in a series of attempts to
push Starsky away. On the very day that Starsky professed his love for the
willowy blonde detective, Hutch had slept with her. He knew in his heart that
he would never forget the pain of betrayal that he saw on Starsky's face after
coming out of Kira's bedroom. We got past
that one, didn't we? We showed her that our friendship was stronger than
before, that no woman could come between us. It took some time, but we got it
back. Didn't we? Time, there was never a good time to lose the best thing
that ever happened to him. Starsky was the one that made being a cop more than
just a job. His unflagging confidence that the good guys always won was Hutch's
beacon in a world that was often dark and filled with injustice. His
friendship, and love gave Hutch a reason to keep on trying when he all he
wanted to do was fling that damned badge into the ocean and walk away. Starsky
was the reason he picked up his badge again, the reason he decided to give the
job one more chance. And it was the job that took his partner away from him.
He didn't realize the rabbi
had stopped talking until he felt Dobey's hand on him again, urging him to
stand up. Numb, he followed his captain to the front of the room and took his
place beside the coffin. He wrapped his fingers around the handle and lifted it
along with the other pall-bearers. He closed his eyes as he felt the connection
with Starsky flow through the metal and wood. This was the last thing he could
do for his partner and in that instant; he could have carried the weight on his
own. As they marched to the waiting hearse, he was reminded of a familiar
refrain: he ain't heavy, he's my brother.
The graveside ceremony was
mercifully brief. The rabbi said a few words then the coffin was lowered into
the ground. The tidal wave of grief that he'd been holding in threatened to
engulf him as he watched Starsky disappear into the freshly turned earth. More
than anything, he wanted to fling himself onto that casket and follow Starsky
to his grave. Wait, Starsky! Don't leave
me here. Take me with you.
One week later
Captain Harold Dobey walked
into the Homicide squad room and blinked as he saw Hutch sitting at his desk.
"
The blond never looked up
from the papers he was reading. "Working."
Dobey went around to the
other side and started to sit, but the blue eyes that snapped up to meet his
stopped him. Instead, he hovered beside the empty seat.
"Don't you think it's a
little too soon? I thought you were going to take some time off."
"I'm fine, Captain. Really."
Dobey sighed.
"Hutch…"
Hutch shook his head
briefly. "I'm fine, really. I-I need to work."
"OK, I'll try to find
you another part-"
"NO! I don't want
another partner!"
Dobey tried to reason with
the surviving half of his best team. "You can't go back on the streets
alone, Hutch. It's against regulations and you know it."
Hutch's voice was so low
that Dobey had to bend toward him to hear the words. "I just buried the
only partner I ever wanted." His eyes pleaded with his captain. "Just
give me some time, Captain. Please."
Dobey gazed at him solemnly
then nodded. "OK, I'll figure something out. Until then, you'll stay on
desk duty. Don't say it, Hutch. I can always force you to take personal
leave."
Hutch nodded and went back
to reading the file in front of him. Dobey watched him for a few moments then
walked to his office and shut the door. Now
what do I do?
Within the week, Dobey
thought he found the answer to his problem. Joe Flanders, a thirty year
veteran, had given notice that he was retiring, leaving a spot open in the
hostage negotiating team. He read the memo again, nodding to himself. Hutchinson's always been good at talking to
people, and working on a team won't be like having a partner. Lieutenant
Cassidy is a good man; he'll break Hutch in gradually and keep a tight rein on
him for a while.
Two months later
For a while, everything
seemed to get back to normal. James Marshall Gunther was taken into custody in
an anti-climactic arrest, and charged with multiple crimes, including the
murder of a police officer. Although several high-level rats were sent scurrying
for shelter, the trial was of little interest to Dobey, or to Hutch. Adjusting
to life without Starsky was hard enough. He didn't need the media constantly
reminding him of who was responsible. It was better to put that part of his
past behind him and try to move on.
Hutch had been in the team's
squad room for only an hour when Lieutenant Cassidy came striding out of his
office. He gathered his team with a glance then focused on Hutch.
"We have a situation
downtown. They were taking Gunther to the courthouse for his sentencing when a
small bomb exploded just outside the building. No one was killed, but when the
smoke settled, an unknown suspect was holding Gunther hostage with a gun to his
head. The area's been cleared and they're waiting for us. Let's go."
The rest of the team filed out
of the room, but Cassidy stopped Hutch with a hand on his arm.
"Are you going to be
able to handle this, Hutch?"
Hutch met Cassidy's stare. "Yeah."
"OK, let's do it."
The van carrying the team
drove slowly down the street and parked behind the yellow tape that was
stretched in front of the courthouse. Hutch saw Gunther standing around the
corner of the building with a strangely familiar figure next to him. He
listened as the uniformed officer briefed Cassidy.
"It was just a smoke
bomb, Lieutenant. A couple of pedestrians were injured slightly by shrapnel,
but that's all. The suspect won't say anything except that he wants to see
justice done and he doesn't trust the courts to do it."
"Have we got a name
yet?"
"Yeah, he said his name
was Jeremy Rigger."
Hutch stiffened at the name.
"Did you say Rigger?"
The officer nodded. Hutch
swore softly then turned to Cassidy.
"Lionel Rigger was the
witness that started the whole Gunther debacle. Gunther ordered a hit-man by
the name of Soldier to kill him. I didn't know Lionel had a brother."
Cassidy studied the scene
across the street before turning back to Hutch. "Do you think you can talk
to him?"
"I can try, but if he
was in court the whole time Gunther was on trial, he has to know what kind of
monster that old man is. He might be willing to forfeit his life for
Gunther's."
"Gunther was convicted
of all charges. He's facing the death penalty. If that kid was in the
courtroom, he has to know that, too."
"Yeah, and he also
might know that Gunther's lawyer can file appeals for the next ten or twelve
years. That might not sit too well with him."
Cassidy glared at Hutch.
"I'm not going to debate our legal system with him, or you, Sergeant. Your
job is to talk him down, and to make sure Gunther gets his day in court. If you
can't do that, I'll assign someone else."
Hutch's jaw clenched but nodded
sharply. "Yes, sir."
Cassidy held his gaze then pointed
to the back of the van. "Get a headset so we can hear what's going on. The
S.W.A.T. team has a man stationed on the roof behind us. If this goes bad, he
has orders to take Rigger out. If I give you the word, drop and get out of
range. Got that?"
"Yeah, I got it."
Hutch stalked to the back of the van and did as he was told then walked back to
where Cassidy was standing.
Reaching for the bullhorn, he stepped under
the tape and walked closer to the building. "Jeremy Rigger, this is the
police! Can you hear me?"
"Yeah, I hear you! And
if I see you come one step closer, this son-of-a-bitch gets a bullet in his
head!"
"I just want to talk,
Jeremy. I won't come any closer."
"There's nothing to
talk about, cop!"
"Jeremy, my name is
Rigger snorted. "Yeah,
you were the one that was supposed to be protecting my brother! You didn't do a
very good job, did you?"
"No, I didn't. My
partner was with Lionel in the safe house the day he died. The same man that
killed your brother planted a bomb under my car. I got out of it just seconds
before it blew up. My partner thought I was hurt, so he left Lionel alone and
ran down to check on me. Gunther knew exactly what he was doing. He knew that
we weren't just partners, we were best friends. Starsky shouldn't have left
Lionel alone, but he acted on instinct. He made a mistake, and Lionel paid for
that mistake with his life. Starsky and I never forgave ourselves for
that."
"That doesn't bring my
brother back, does it? How is Mardean supposed to sleep at night knowing
Gunther is still alive? What's she supposed to say to Jamie when she gets
older?"
"I can't answer that,
Jeremy. The system doesn’t always work the way we want it to, but it's the only
one we have. You know they found him guilty on all counts. The judge is going
to sentence Gunther to death for the crimes he committed."
"So
what? He'll spend the next ten
years living off the state while his shyster lawyer files appeal after appeal.
Why should he still be walking around while my brother's six feet under?"
"I understand what
you're saying, Jeremy, but is his life worth yours? Gunther's killed enough people.
Don't let him put another notch on his belt."
"That's easy for you to
say! He didn’t kill your
brother!"
Hutch closed his eyes for a
moment then continued. "No, he killed my partner. Starsky died because
Gunther ordered a hit on him, too. If you were in court, you know that! God
knows I'm the last person on Earth to defend that bastard, but you can't take
the law into your own hands. You have to give the system time to work!"
The tears that were coursing
down Jeremy's cheeks were visible even from across the street. "The
system? Lionel believed in the system and look where it got him! I'm not going
to spend the next ten years waiting for this scum to die and praying that he
doesn't die of old age first!" Jeremy pressed the barrel of his gun
against Gunther's head. "He killed my brother! The bible says an eye for
an eye!"
"Don't do it, Jeremy!
You're surrounded by cops! They're not going to let you kill him. Put the gun
down before this goes too far!"
Jeremy laughed hysterically.
"It's already gone too far! If I surrender now, his goons will get to me
in prison. I won't last a day! So, you see, I don't have anything left to
lose."
Jeremy's finger tightened on
the trigger, and James Marshall Gunther dropped like a stone with half of his
head missing. At the same time, Hutch heard the command over his earpiece:
Move! Instead of dropping to the ground as Cassidy had ordered, he dove toward
Jeremy as a shot rang out. The bullet that was intended for Jeremy Rigger hit
Hutch in the back instead. The Kevlar vest that he should have been wearing lay
neglected in its compartment in the van.
A sudden roaring in his ears
drowned out the voices that were shouting around him. The pavement under his
cheek felt cool as the darkness closed in. He barely felt the hands turning him
over.
Dobey's face hovered over
his. "Why, Hutch?"
Blood trickled out of his
mouth as he coughed. "Sorry, Captain. I couldn't let them kill him. I know
how it feels to lose someone you love and I agreed with everything he was
saying." He laughed then caught his breath as the pain crashed over him.
"Look at it this way: you saved the state the cost of taking care of
Gunther for the next ten years. Jeremy might have to go to trial, but I don't
think the jury will convict him. Now maybe both Starsky and Lionel can rest in
peace." Suddenly, Hutch stiffened and a strange look appeared in his eyes.
He smiled as he gazed up at Dobey. "See ya, Cap."
As the last vestiges of life
drained out of Hutch, Dobey swore he heard two voices saying good-bye: Hutch's
and Starsky's.