Chapter Sixteen

Agent Harbottle, Hutch and Dobey spent the next few hours going through the files of the men they suspected had taken
Starsky. Reading through the files comparing likely addresses they found no common link where the men may have taken their
prisoner.

"I think we should start at the top with Miller" Hutch suggested frustrated at the time it was taking them to even come this far
with trying to locate his missing partner.

"We don't even know for sure Hutchinson that they have your partner" Agent Harbottle himself was getting frustrated, he
wanted to find the men responsible for putting his partner in the hospital. Agent Claremont had pulled through the surgery but it
was still not known if he would survive the next 24 hours.

"WELL THEN I SUGGEST YOU GO BACK TO YOUR SOURCES AND FIND OUT MORE THEN" Hutch yelled back

at the Agent.

"Both of you, calm down, just calm down" Dobey stood between the two of them worried that Hutch may try to throw a punch

at the agent. "This is getting us nowhere, I think we should stop for the evening now. Hutch and I still have to see Detective
Starsky's wife and tell her what has happened. Agent Harbottle I suggest you try and find out more information from your
sources as Detective Hutchinson suggested. We can all meet back here in my office 8 a.m. sharp" Both disgruntled parties
agreed and Agent Harbottle left the office as quick as lightning wanting to get as far away from Hutch as possible.

"Hutchinson, I know you are worried, we all are, but you need to calm down now for Allison's sake.

We have to tell her, but only as much as she needs to know" Dobey grabbed his jacket and car keys.

"Fine Capt, I'll follow you there. But let me tell Allison, give me a few minutes to tell her myself" The sorrow in Hutch's eyes
could not be hidden. Dobey felt the sorrow too, all he wanted was to see his two detectives back together again.

The truck arrived back at the Miller ranch shortly after dark, all the workers had gone home for the night and the farm looked
deserted. Slowly the truck bumped over the cattle stop on the driveway and came to a smooth halt outside the ranch house.
Miller was waiting in the doorway to watch the cargo being unloaded. Starsky was only semi conscious as he was lifted out by
Pardee and Sloane. Harris led the team followed by Matwick behind the group.

"We meet again Detective Starsky" Miller slapped Starsky's face. Starsky moaned, he couldn't focus on what was happening,
the injection was loosing its affect and the pain was intensifying again, he knew he was being carried and could only hear
mumbled voices. "Take him to his accommodation, I'll wait until he comes round" Miller knew he had all the time in the world.
He had waited in prison for this time to come and was going to enjoy this reunion.

Dobey and Hutch arrived at the hospital and bumped into Agent Harbottle who was just leaving. Seeing the look on the
Agent's face, Dobey knew the Agent's partner had not survived.

"How long ago?" Dobey asked

"Just before I got here. I'm going back to the office, I want these bastards" Agent Harbottle was trying to control his anger.

"Oh, so now its your partner that has died, you'll put more effort into finding these men" Hutch snapped back at the Agent. "I
have to now go and tell my partner's wife that her husband is missing, and that sorry we don't know who or where or why...."

"Hutchinson, back off" warned Dobey not wishing to shout in the hospital "Go up and see Allison, I'll be there shortly" Hutch
reluctantly left his boss and the Agent to talk and made his way up the floors to see Allison and little Sarah.

"Hey Hutch, I was trying to contact you guys all day, I was wondering where you ......." "Where's Dave?" Allison was trying to
figure out where her husband was, he should have been the first one to see her not Hutch. As Hutch came closer Allison could
tell something was terribly wrong. "Hutch what is it? Where's my husband?" tears started to fill her eyes, she knew deep down
something had happened. Hutch walked up to Allison and held her in his arms as he told her the news. The dam flooded open
and all Allison could do for several minutes was to let the tears roll down her face. Little Sarah slept peacefully in her bassinet
and Dobey looked at the beautiful little bundle as he approached Allison.

"She sure is beautiful, has your looks Allison" Dobey tried his best to smile at her. "Allison we are doing all we can to find
Dave, we will find him, I promise you. Hutch did you explain to Allison about the accommodation?"

"Accommodation, what accommodation?" asked Allison, "All I want is to go home with Dave and Sarah but I ..........." the
heavy sobs came again. Her world had shattered around her once again. Hutch still held Allison in his arms.

"Capt, I think maybe we should get her doctor here or someone to give her something" Hutch whispered. Dobey agreed and
went to look for a nurse to see about a sedative to help Allison calm down and try to sleep. "Allison, what Dobey was saying is

that when you leave here with Sarah you can stay with him and Edith and the children for a day or two."

"Hutch, I just want to leave here and go home, to go home with Dave and our daughter" Allison was just about ready to lash
out in anger when a nurse came and quickly gave her the sedative.

"Allison, I promise you and Sarah I will find Starsky, I will find him for you and you will be together again, I promise." Allison
drifted off to sleep as Hutch spoke to her. Hutch turned to the nurse and gave her the phone numbers where they could be
contacted. "Please call us when she wakes up. Let her know we have just gone back to work, and we'll be back up here to see

her again soon" Hutch managed only a slight grin at the nurse as Dobey started to walk out of the ward with Hutch following.

                                        Chapter Seventeen

Hutch arrived home shortly before midnight, feeling above the doorframe he found the key and entered his apartment. For the
first time in over a year he felt very lonely, he had become used to arriving home to the smell of Sonya's perfume lingering in the
air. But now he was all alone, he had not attempted to contact Sonya since their argument early that day and a long day it had
been. Walking over to his fridge he thought about phoning Sonya but realizing the time he decided to wait until the morning
(perhaps I'll speak to her before work tomorrow) Hutch thought. Opening up the fridge he also thought back to the few nights
previously when he last had a beer with his partner (buddy I will find you, I'll get these bastards).

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw in the fridge, there on the top shelf was the catheter and bag which had been

removed from his partner earlier that day. The bloody mess was dripping down to the lower shelves and Hutch could feel the
vomit rising in his throat. Quickly he shut the fridge door and ran to the bathroom. The next few minutes where spent vomiting
and trying to control the nausea. Hutch tried to come to terms with what he had seen, now fearing the worst that he may not
find his partner alive. Hearing the phone ringing, Hutch pulled himself back off the bathroom floor and slowly made his way to
the phone.

"Hello!"

No voices spoke to him.

"Hello, who is this?"

Still the deathly silence and then the phone went dead. (Probably some crank caller). Feeling like a shower, Hutch made his
way to his bedroom slowly getting out of his clothes and left his clothes whereever the items landed. Dressed in his toweling
robe he started to run the shower and stepped in underneath the warm water letting the water wash away the dirt he felt he had
been covered in during the day's events. Finally he felt himself relaxing slightly and was enjoying the hot water running down his
back and was so lost in his thoughts that he did not hear the phone ring again.

"Damn, he's not answering his phone" Miller cursed.

Starsky was slowing regaining consciousness, he had felt himself being carried and what felt like being lifted up stairs and then
had felt a sharp pain on his left side and had blacked out again. Now all he could feel was the pain enveloping him, he realized
he was hanging by the rafters. The blood slowly dripping down his arms as the handcuffs tore into his skin. He could still hear
mumbled voices and was trying to clear his head to listen more clearly. Turning his head, he tried to take in his surroundings.
The room was very large, more like an attic he thought. Focusing he saw Sloane and Matwick a few feet away from him. The
fear started to well up inside of Starsky as he saw Matwick preparing more medical supplies and the words were becoming
clearer.

"We've got to keep him alive until at least his partner hears his voice." Matwick looked back at Sloane and asked him to pass
him the IV kit. "When Miller is done with him I don't know if I will be able to help him"

Starsky looked around him trying to see someway out if he was released from his hanging. There was only one door down the
far end of the room and the way he felt at the moment it might as well have been a thousand miles away. (God, Hutch come
and find me please buddy). It would not be long however until he heard his partner's voice. Sloane looked back towards
Starsky and saw the detective had his eyes open and was looking around at his surroundings. Nudging Matwick he pointed
back at the detective and then left the room to tell the others.

Hutch had managed to get a few hours sleep before he woke from a nightmare at 4 a.m. The sweat was pouring off him as he
awoke shaking from the vision he had just seen. It felt so real to him he was sure he had just been only a few feet away from his

partner looking down at his partner for one last time before the body bag was zipped closed.

                                         Chapter Eighteen

Hutch could not get back to sleep the vision was still haunting him. As he lay awake in bed, all he could think about was finding
his partner. Sure they had many close calls in the past, they had both pulled through and deep down he felt as if Starsky was
there in the room with him. Not being able to sleep and still thinking about his argument the previous day, Hutch decided to
take an early morning run. As he was about to head out the door the phone rang.

"Hello!"

Nothing, just like the call he had the previous night.

"HELLO, WHO IS THIS?"

Hutch could hear someone groaning in the background.

"Starsk, is that you?"

"Good morning Detective Hutchinson."

Hutch recognized the voice and felt a tight knot in his stomach.

"Miller, let me talk to my partner."

"Now, now Detective, I might let you talk to your partner here if you say please."

Hutch was hoping he could perhaps keep Miller on the phone long enough so he could have the call traced.

"Please, let me talk to my partner."

"That's better, you can talk to your partner soon. We'll call again."

Damn, Hutch looked at his watch realising the call was not long enough to have been traced. At least he knew his partner was
still alive and now he knew Miller had his partner. (Where the hell do I start looking for you buddy) The phone rang again.

"Hello."

"Hutch" Starsky's voice was only a slight whisper.

"Starsk, I'm here buddy."

"Now Detective, we have a meeting to arrange. I gather you would like to see your partner again."

"Listen to me you bastard...."

In the background all Hutch could hear was his partner scream in pain as he was released from the rafters and lowered to the
floor. The cracked ribs on his right side, where Miller had punched him endlessly like a punching bag at a boxing ring, felt as if
they had been broken. One of the left ribs had been broken earlier with the kick from Pardee in the truck. Starsky was picked
up and carried to the mattress next to where Miller was using the phone. Desperately he tried to control his breathing, it was
now getting harder to breath, every breath was causing more pain as his ribs ached. Matwick approached him, there was no
more fight left in Starsky as he tried to raise an arm to take a swing at the doctor as the IV was inserted.

"I wouldn't call me that again if I was you. I am keeping your partner alive here."

Hutch only wanted one thing and that was to see Starsky again.

"Where do you want to meet?"

"Don't worry Detective you will be seeing your partner soon."

The phone call was abruptly ended again. Damn thought Hutch looking at his watch, still not enough time to get the call traced.
Hutch waited and waited for the phone to ring again but after ten minutes no further calls were received. All he could hear again

and again was his partner's whisper of his name.

'Oh god Starsk, where are you?'

Sonya awoke just as the alarm was about to go off. She had not slept well that night and hated waking up alone. Looking at the

time she realized she was running late as today was not going to be her normal daily schedule. The flight schedule she had been
rostered on for the next week were the longer haul flights and this morning she had to be at the airport by 5.30 a.m. to prepare
for the first flight of the day. She thought about phoning Hutch but then decided against it, he was the one who had not told her
the truth, he should be the one to apologize.

                                         Chapter Nineteen

Hutch needed the fresh air to clear his head and think straight on where to start looking for his partner. He started his early
morning run following the same route he always ran. As the cool fresh morning air filled his lungs he started to clear his head
and running through his mind were all the addresses Miller may have taken his partner too. Looking at his watch he realized
Sonya would be leaving for work soon, the decision about whether to phone Sonya or not had been made many times. Finally
Hutch had decided to phone her to try and apologize, as he ran up the stairs to his front door he could hear his phone ringing
again.

Picking up the receiver all he could hear in the back ground was his partner's groaning, Miller held the phone next to Starsky
for a few more seconds before speaking to Hutch.

"Starsk, I'm coming for you buddy" Hutch wanted nothing more than to get his hands on Miller and save his partner from the
agony he was in.

"How touching Detective" Miller laughed into the phone. "You don't even know where to start looking for your partner."

"Listen to me you .............."

"Now, now Detective, no more of that talk from you. Arrangements have been made for you to see your partner."

Hutch could hear no more groaning in the background. The noise was deathly quiet.

"Please just let me ........" and the phone call was ended before he could complete his request to speak to his partner again.
Hutch threw the phone down, angry that he could not help his partner. "Where the hell are they keeping you buddy?" Hutch
knew his best chance was now to get to the station and start to go through all the files they had on Miller, all he wanted was to
start going through all the addresses that Miller owned in town.

The phone rang again after Hutch had changed from his running gear and was just about to head out the door.

"Hutchinson, you have 30 minutes to get to the airport if you want to see your partner."

Before Hutch could say anything the phone call was ended again. Hutch ran down the stairs and was trying to think of any
addresses Miller had in the vicinity of the airport. As he drove towards the airport he placed a call into the station leaving a
message for his Captain of the last phone call he had received.

Arriving at the airport, Hutch remembered that he had not had a chance to phone Sonya to apologize. The aiport was not busy
at that time of the morning with only a few people around. Looking around Hutch found the pay phones down the far end of the

terminal building. He rang the airline in the hope of having Sonya paged so he could speak to her, it was while he was waiting
on the phone that he felt the burning pain in his shoulder and saw his blood spurt out and hit the payphone wall. He could feel
the hands grabbing him as he started to slump to the ground the world spinning around him.

When Sonya picked up her call all she could hear in the background were voices. Two men's voices one of them she had heard

before. Expecting to hear Hutch she listened for a few more seconds before speaking.

"Ken, are you there?"

Realizing there was a caller on the end of the phone, Sloane quickly hung up the receiver as he and Harris carried the
unconscious detective to their car. They slowly drove around to the hanger where Miller's jet was waiting for them and within a
few minutes the small group were in the plane and airborne heading back to Taos.

Sonya was still wondering what had happened to Ken, why had he phoned her then had her paged and then not speak to her.
She was trying to think back to where she had heard the voice before as she went back to her first scheduled flight for the
week.

Dobey had arrived at his office just before his scheduled meeting at 8 a.m. with Agent Harbottle and Hutch. He had visited the
hospital on his way to check in on Allison and Sarah and was not surprised to be told that the doctors were keeping Allison
sedated for a few more hours. Dobey was not at all happy when 8 a.m. came and only Agent Harbottle was in his office. It was

only after 9 a.m. that the new desk girl had remembered the message she had been told to pass on to the Captain on his arrival.

"Why didn't you give me this message sooner?" Dobey bellowed "You should have given me this note first thing."

"Sorry Captain, I was working on other papers and it got caught up in some of the documents," came the quiet reply.

"Don't let it happen again, get back to work."

Dobey looked at the message and then handed it to Agent Harbottle, "Well we know Miller does not have any properties near
the airport, any ideas Harbottle where Hutch may have gone?"