| I'll Come Back for You: Chapter 3 |
| A few days later, Hutch sat at the bar in the Pits, talking to Huggy. He knew that his friend was worried about him and tried to ease his fears. "I'm doing OK, Hug. Things will never be the same again, but I'm not going to do anything stupid. So you can quit worrying now, and quit watching me like I'm going to break into a million pieces." "I know you're going to be OK, bro, but I know what you have to be feeling now. Starsky was my friend, too. He left a big, empty hole in all of us. Even a blind man could see how close you two were. How can you have Yin without the Yang? Just know that you don't have to put on a brave act around here. If you're hurtin', say so. I'll be there whenever you need me." Hutch smiled sadly. "I know that, Hug. I always knew it. Maybe we didn't say it enough, but we always thought of you as family. It does hurt, so much sometimes that I don't know if I can handle the pain. Then I'll think of Starsky, of something he did or said, and I'll be OK again. All I have to do is think of him, and it's like he's still with me." "I'm glad that helps you, Hutch, but don't dwell on him. He's gone and nothing can bring him back. You have to accept that." For just a moment, Hutch's ice-blue eyes twinkled. "I haven't lost my hold on reality, Hug. I haven't been hanging out at Madam Ayrab's. He'll always be a part of me, that's all." Huggy smiled back. "You got that right, m'man. When we got nothing else, we still got our memories." Two weeks after the funeral, Hutch walked into Captain Dobey's office and announced that he was ready to come back on duty. Dobey hadn't looked forward to that day. There was still the question of what to do with the surviving partner of the team that had been almost a legend in the precinct. The Captain only suggested once that Hutch accept a new partner. The arctic glare in those ice-blue eyes stopped him in mid-sentence. So, he switched tactics and convinced the blonde detective to take the Lieutenant's exam. A promotion would get him off the street and allow him to work alone. However, Hutch threw his own curve when he asked to be put in charge of the SWAT team. Dobey wasn't at all sure he was ready for that kind of responsibility. Hutch's only question convinced his Captain to give it a try. "Do you honestly think I'd put anyone under my command at risk, Captain?" "Of course not. All right, you'll report here tomorrow morning. I'll have Lieutenant Rogers start going over the case files and personnel records with you. That way, when he retires next month, you'll be prepared to take over." The following months flowed quietly for the new commander. No one called him 'Hutch' any more, except Captain Dobey and Huggy. Somehow, it just didn't seem right. He was simply the 'Lieutenant' to the men that worked with him. He quickly gained the reputation of being fair, but strict. His men's safety was his top priority. Although he seemed aloof at times, and wore his sadness like a second skin, he was always there for them. It was only before an assignment that he seemed to come alive. He was calm, but determined. Some of the people closest to him swore sometimes that they could sense another presence beside him, giving the lieutenant strength. One day, as fall was drawing near, the call came out to the SWAT team. A sniper had hidden himself in one of the tall buildings down town and started firing. Hutch rode in the van with his men, and pulled up behind the row of black and whites that lined the street. Captain Dobey had followed them. "What have we got, Frank?" "The suspect started shooting about ten minutes ago, Lieutenant. One citizen is dead, and three more are on their way to the hospital. The best fix we can get is he's up on the fifteenth floor of that building." Hutch looked in the direction Frank was pointing. He shook his head, frustrated. The sniper could see the whole down town section from up there. "Have you managed to contact any one in the building?" "Yes, sir. The building manager's on site. He said everyone was too scared to get out, so I told him to tell them lock up and stay away from the doors and windows. I know that still gives him access to possible hostages, but that's the best we could do for right now. If a bunch of people start running from the building, the sniper could open fire again." "Exactly. You did the right thing, Frank. What about the hostage negotiators? Have they had any luck?" "Not so far, Lieutentant. Every time they try to talk to him, he just opens fire. He hasn't said a word, yet." "OK, let me give it a try. Meanwhile, make sure you keep all these people back. We don't want to give him any more targets." "Yes, sir." Hutch took the bullhorn from Mike Clananhan and turned up the volume. "You up there, in the building! We've got you surrounded. There's a SWAT team here, and about a dozen patrol cars. There's no way we're going to let you walk away. Throw out your weapon and we'll talk." The only answer he got was three shots fired in rapid succession. Hutch shrugged. "Well, if that's the way he wants it, we'll go to plan B. Harv, you go up on the top of that building, and Jameson, you go to that one. Keep under cover. When you get up there, let me know. I'll see if I can get him to fire again. As soon as we can get a clear shot, take him out. Don't kill him unless you have to, but take him down. I don't want anyone else hurt." The two men saluted quickly, then ducked and ran. Minutes later, they radioed that they were in position. Hutch turned to the remaining members of his team. "All right, spread out. When I give the signal, open fire. We have to draw him out into the open. If we can get him near the window, we'll have a chance of getting him before he kills anyone else." "Yes, sir!" The team scattered, using the patrol cars as cover. Unfortunately, before Hutch could put his own bullet proof vest on, or give the signal to begin firing, several things happened at once. Suddenly, an object rolled past him and onto the deserted street. He barely had time to register the fact that it was a ball; a bright red ball with a shiny white stripe through the middle. He stared at it in disbelief. Before he could react, he heard a woman scream behind him. "Mandy, no! Oh God, my baby! Somebody, catch her!" He stood transfixed as the tiny figure ran after her ball. He saw the dark curls and the blue dress running straight toward death. As if a rubber band had snapped, he leaped after the child. His bullet proof vest lay on the street beside him, forgotten. "Hutch, look out!" He heard Dobey's cry of warning a second before he felt the bullet slam into his body. Seconds later, he heard the sound of the shot. Several more shots rang out as his men returned fire. |
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