Frustrated, ashamed, and angry, Ali tracked down Hutch's horse and walked the long distance back to the barn. She ignored the sounds of the two vehicles, as they wended their way back to the main road and disappeared. Settling the big animal in his stall, she went back inside the house, restoked the embers with a pair of logs, and sat shivering before it, trying to warm herself up. She was feeling exhausted and drained, a dangerous combination, often leading to the painful migraines which would leave her helpless, sick, and flat on her back, unable to raise her head. Heaving a sigh, she mentally berated herself, fiercely hating the black hole of her memories that caused her to react to things like this, and causing untold pain and anger to her husband. He had warned her several times about thinking first before reacting. The damage to her brain from the shooting had irreparably disconnected pathways in her that dealt with these kind of things, not to mention the main connections to her past. Only by some miracle had she been able to recall the evening he had proposed as they walked along the canal at his home in Venice, in LA. And though it was a burden to deal with the loss of her memories, there were things that happened after her shooting, that she wished fervently she could toss into the black hole. Her own reprehensible attack on an unsuspecting David Starsky being one of them.
She couldn't bring herself to look at the photo Hutch kept of him on the mantle. Starsky had always been Hutch's best friend and partner. For Hutch, he always would be. But after Ali's shooting and the situation leading to their marriage, that friendship was deeply strained. It all centered squarely on her shoulders. Ali groaned, burying her face in her hands, unable to escape the flood of memories. She had nearly killed him. In the aftermath of the shock and pain of the shooting, Ali had been declared legally insane. Kept hospitalized, the people around her had tried and tried to help control the pain of the injury to her skull and the bewildering fear of not knowing who she was.
The anger was nearly impossible to control and there were too many times to count when she'd been forcefully sedated and strapped to a hospital bed. The effects on Ken Hutchinson were terrible to behold as he watched this woman he had wanted to marry suddenly go to pieces before his eyes. The strain of Ali not knowing him, was almost too much for Hutch to handle. David Starsky had stood by his shocked and numb partner during it, hating to see him going through yet another tragic relationship. He had been his staunch supporter and tried every which way he could to help them both out.
With her memories gone, she became increasingly agitated and paranoid the longer her stay in the hospital dragged on, knowing somehow she would end up being committed. Crazy. That's what they were calling her. She planned her own escape, and had nearly succeeded when Starsky had stumbled across her leaving the hospital grounds in stolen clothes. He had made the mistake of trying to stop her. Her unexpected reactions took over, and she proceeded to tear into him with that locked away martial training. Starsky, caught completely off guard, found himself fighting for his life as she ruthlessly attacked him. From that point on, Ali Coulter was a marked person.
Local assault charges were filed. There was only one witness. Ken Hutchinson had seen the whole thing as he arrived intending to meet Starsky at the hospital to visit her that night. He had seen the whole thing and had been unable to reach them in time to stop it. Reaching his badly beaten, unconscious, partner he watched helplessly as Ali Coulter vanished into the night. He wouldn't see her again for seven years. By then David Starsky had made up his mind that Ali Coulter was certifiable and couldn't find it with in himself to forgive. It became a bone of contention between Hutch and himself. He pleaded with the tall blonde, to just let her go, that Ali Coulter would never be the same, and that she would be better off committed into a hospital somewhere far away from them both. But Hutch could not believe that. As the months passed and the search for Ali dragged on with no results, he became increasingly more despondent and disillusioned with his job and life in LA. Starsky did whatever he could to convince Hutch to just let it go. They began to argue. Hutch distanced himself and Starsky could see that his long time friend and partner was slipping away from him. He aimed all his anger at the fugitive Coulter.
The straw that broke the camel's back finally came when Hutch arrived at work one morning, immaculately dressed, in his slacks, turtleneck, and leather jacket, carrying an envelope and walking straight into Dobey's office with out a word to anyone around. Starsky, already at his desk saw him go in with a determined look in his eye. Behind the door, he heard Dobey's voice begin to rise. Getting up, Starsky tried to enter the office, but Hutch slammed the door back in his face, holding it shut. Minutes later Hutch opened the door confronted by the angry brunette. He simply ignored his partner, reached into his desk for a few items, and silently stalked out of the stunned squad room. Starsky started to go after him, but Dobey barked at him to get into his office. Uncertain, he turned in and learned the truth. Hutch had resigned, requesting early retirement, and a payout of all his benefits. His badge lay where he had set it on Dobey's desk.
Ali knew all of this from her long talks with Ken. He had sold his long time home along the canal, got rid of his heap of a car, bought a Suburban, loaded what he could into it and left Los Angeles. For the next four years he traveled around the country, following any leads he could on Ali Coulter. She had absolutely disappeared. Starsky, beside himself with anger and concern, kept hammering away at Hutch whenever he could find him, pleading with him to return to Los Angeles. Hutch refused.
As time wore on, and the odd jobs got further and further apart, Hutch began to loose hope. When his father passed away, he finally decided to call it quits and find himself a place to settle down. Ali was gone. He bought the Ames Ranch in tiny Willow Lake, and retreated to this minuscule corner of nowhere to rebuild what was left of his life. Starsky had managed to track him down and they uneasily began to rebuild their friendship. Then one day Hutch had learned, through an old friend, of a woman matching Ali's description being spotted in Pine Ridge, high in Northern California. Problem was, the friend also told Starsky.
To Hutch's disbelief, Ali had settled right under their noses, struggling on her own to get herself straightened around. She eventually enrolled in the local community college, studying courses in landscaping when the mutual friend had spotted her. For the first time in years, she had begun to feel normal again, learning how to deal with the amnesia and the pain. Then one day some of her missing memories began to return. Clinging to a bare thread of recollection, she realized that the tall blonde man who claimed to be her fiance' had been right. As she struggled with the resurfacing feelings, the depression, and her studies, she hadn't expected David Starsky to show up with a warrant for her arrest. Having lived so long as a fugitive, she had tried to bolt but he wasn't about to let her get out of his sight now. She was arrested, and as she sat in the cell block, Ken Hutchinson walked back into her life. Their reunion was strained to say the least, but Hutch could see the change in her, and even more, saw the recognition in her eyes.
Thinking quickly, and trying to get around Starsky, he had Doug Riley, Tucannon County's Sheriff, Fed Ex him an important document he kept in his home safe. It arrived at his hotel room the next day and Hutch had a visit with Ali. So intent had they been on marrying before her shooting, they had even gone so far as to sign, and most importantly, date their marriage certificate. Hutch had kept it with him since then. In the jail visiting area, he laid out what Ali was going to face if Starsky were to return her to Los Angeles. As he was the main witness he would be forced to testify, unless...
Ali listened intently, scared and somewhat bewildered. Hutch asked her again, to marry him, and then slipped a gold necklace out from under his shirt. Their wedding rings hung from it. All they needed was the signature. To her own surprize and Hutch's relief, Ali agreed. So, in a hastily contrived jailhouse ceremony, Hutch finally married his fiance' and promptly nullified the warrant for her arrest. The certificate showed that they had been wed for almost seven years. When a spouse couldn't be forced to testify against the other.
Upon learning of Ali's release, Starsky had gone ballistic, hunting down Hutch and arguing until he was blue in the face. Hutch, not allowing him anywhere near where he had hid Ali, calmly rode the storm of threatened lawsuits etc, etc, etc. Then he quietly pointed out that, by the time Starsky would get things on the roll against her, the statute of limitations would have passed and he for one would refuse to cooperate with authorities should the charges be refiled. Starsky was thunderstruck with disbelief.
For a long time, Hutch calmly tried to persuade his former partner that Ali was healing and that he should learn to forgive. Starsky would have none of it. In anger and bitterness, he finally left Hutch, and returned to LA, alone. Hutch returned to Willow Lake, a married man.
Their first year together had its ups and downs, as they learned to readjust to each other. Ali learned two things, she deeply loved this man and it was returned as deep, and he dearly missed his best friend. In their efforts to help her with the side effects of her disability, they sometimes vented a little frustration at one another as any normal couple would. Unfortunately, the loss of his friendship with Starsky would sometimes come up, and it had a terrible effect on her. She knew she was the cause of their parting ways, and wanted so badly to heal the breach. She however had her own fears, and felt certain that the wisecracking brunette would never forgive her. So many times while Hutch was away at the office, she'd contemplate calling him, but her fears would win out and she'd drop it. Intuitively, Ken knew she wrestled with it, and also knew she needed more time to get used to their situation, among other things, before they even attempted contacting Starsky.
Many times, Hutch had warned her to stop and think when she found herself reacting blindly to things. He would get angry and blow up, but she knew it was coming from his own care and concerns for her. He had told her how lost he had felt when learning she had permanent amnesia. He had told her of his failed relationships from before, and he had told how he'd refused to give up hope on her despite the overwhelming odds. How could she not rely on this strong solid man to help her finish the process of healing? How could she hurt him repeatedly? Ali felt the wave of nausea hit, and stumbled her way to the bathroom. He came in the door just as she came out, having washed out her mouth, and shakily faced him. Her face was nearly grey and her eyes huge with dread and remorse. He could tell by one look at her what had been happening, and what was coming.
"I'm sorry, Kenny..." she pleaded. He didn't say a word. Reaching out, he pulled her to him, engulfing her in his arms.
"It's alright..." he murmured in her hair. "I'm sorry too." She began to shake. "C'mon, let's try and head this thing off." He lead her into the bedroom. Within minutes, he had her in her the sweats that she used for pajamas, and flat out in bed, no pillow. She was unsuccessfully fighting tears as the familiar tingle of the approaching migraine crept up on her. Hutch was loving and gentle, forgiving, as he helped her get settled, their apologies past. Finally, she looked at him with weary eyes as he stretched out beside her, propping his head up on his hand.
"What happened at the Binghams?" she whispered waiting for the effects of her prescriptions to kick in. Hutch looked sad.
"Apparently Ray boasted to everyone in the bar tonight that he was going to kill her. She was beat to death. It sure looked like him on that horse the more I think about it, and it's too close to our place not to think otherwise."
"What about Sunny?" she asked. Hutch winced.
"Doug took her home, she didn't hear anything. Slept through it all."
"That's a relief." Ali whispered studying his weary face. She reached up and lightly ran a thumb on one end of his moustache, laying her hand against his cheek. Hutch kissed it lightly.
"What'll happen to her?"
"Child protective services will get her, no doubt." Hutch sighed.
"Probably try to locate the relatives."
"Why can't she stay here in the community?" Ali asked. Hutch shook his head.
"CPS doesn't work that way here," he sounded forlorn. Ali sighed just as weary.
"And what about Ray?" she asked.
"I'm headed out to try and find him. Doug is bringing in the feds, it's an official manhunt, and since it's on our property, I need to lead the way. It means we can't do the drive until later with this coming on..." he nodded at her migraine. "I might get the Farnham boys up to do it for us."
"Oh Ken..." she groaned. He shushed her.
"Don't apologize anymore Ali, you've said it enough and I believe you. Things like this happen. What's important now is that we find Bingham. He's an experienced range rider, and he's got our best horse. Finding him isn't going to be easy, and I barely know our tract. Plus we're smack up against the Umatilla National Forest. Doing this is going to be like trying to find a needle in a hay stack."
"Can't the feds bring in their choppers and stuff?"
"They'll bring in some, but it's pretty much a local manhunt. If he'd killed a fed it would be different I'm sure."
"But it's only a local farmer's wife." Ali murmured bitterly.
Hutch nodded, gently stroking Ali's white hair back off her face with his free hand. "That stinks, Ken!" she muttered, her eyes rolling slightly.
He nodded his response and gently kissed his wife's forehead.
"Relax, Ali," he murmured. "Don't get worked up. You know it helps the headaches if you don't worry about things."
"I worry about you though," she mumbled, the painkiller stealing up on her suddenly. "Don't worry about me!" he said into her ear, settling his suddenly tired body next to her, grateful the fire had been stoked. "I'll be alright. Let's just get you over this thing."
"When was the last time I told you I loved you?" she whispered groggily. Hutch smiled slightly.
"About four hours ago." he murmured back.
"I love you, Ken." she slurred, her eyeballs rolling.
"Close your eyes, Ali..." he coaxed. She only moaned in response and was out. He gazed at her a moment, as her breathing evened out.
"Love you too, babe." he murmured and let himself gradually drop off to sleep. He was going to need it in the coming hunt.
Ali awoke groggily to the sound of men's voices in the house. With the migraine in full force, it even hurt to open her eyes. Ali knew she'd be useless at least two or three days. Sound and light hurt just as well, and she was grateful that Ken had drawn the curtains shut. She slowly glanced to her left, seeing that he was gone and resignedly closed her eyes. It wasn't too long before he stuck his head in the door, noticed the slight frown on her face, and came in, quietly shutting the door.
"Awake?" he asked softly, rounding the bed and carefully sitting next to her. At some point in time he'd showered, changed into his boots, jeans, and had on an off white cable knit sweater.
"Yeah," she whispered thickly. He smiled at her and automatically reached for a glass of water on the night stand. She groaned as he helped her sit up, get some water down her, and take another handful of pills. She looked grey again when he tugged the blankets up to her neck. This was a familiar thing between them now. This time though, Ali realized he wasn't going to be there to see the migraine though. For that matter, this would be the first time in their marriage that he was going to be away from her. Searching for a killer. Opening her eyes she looked at him, and he could see the fear reflected in them.
"It's going to be all right," he reassured, his voice low. "Carol Sutton is coming over to help out. She should be here before too long. And I got you this." He reached down alongside her bed and pulled up a sophisticated portable "walkie-talkie", the kind more and more police officers were wearing on themselves, with the mike attached to their shoulders. He set it on the nightstand, adjusted a few switches and turned it on.
"The feds let me borrow one, I'll be wearing one out there and can keep in touch with the base they're setting up in the kitchen." He smiled wryly.
"Is that what's going on?" she mumbled. He nodded, and curled her hand gently in his.
"They know you're down with a migraine, and won't disturb you, but I gave them free rein of the house. Just stay in here, babe. You don't have to mix. Doug has to stay back too and he's gonna be here if you need anything. Just let him or Carol know and don't fight it, okay?"
"I won't." she whispered. "I'll be able to hear you?" she asked.
Hutch smirked.
"Yeah you'll be able to hear me! Kinda strange heading off on an old time man hunt, carrying a radio! They brought in two trackers an hour or so ago, and we'll be leaving here shortly." He leaned over her, kissing her forehead, and rose, moving to his side of the bed.
A wall mounted gun cabinet had been set in place there well before Hutch had moved in and he simply kept up the "tradition". Reaching across it's top he retrieved the key and unlocked it, removing a bolt action 30.06 with scope. It gleamed in well oiled and kept condition. Leaning over, he unlocked an interior drawer and retrieved a box of shells. He gently laid the rifle on the bed, locked the cabinet back down, and glanced at his watching wife.
"You are taking the Magnum too, right?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"Do I ever leave home with out it?" he asked back. Ali barely smiled. Hutch's .357 Colt Python Magnum was like an American Express Card. He took up the rifle, standing at the end of their bed, and expertly worked the bolt, the metallic action clicking in their ears. (Ali tried not to wince.) It worked smoothly. He sighted it, satisfied that all was well, then set it gently against the bed. He sat back next to her, taking her hand again. A strange awkwardness surfaced as they both realized that this would be the first time they'd been apart for a year, and the circumstances weren't the best.
"I don't like this..." she started. He gently shushed her, gazing at her icy blue eyes. He shook his head, smiling slightly.
"Let's not mention it okay? I'll be back before you know it." He gently stroked her hair, telling her that he loved her, and giving whatever reassurance he could find. Kissing her goodbye he rose, taking up the box of ammo and the rifle.
"Are you taking the coat?" she asked, trying to talk around a sudden lump in her throat.
"You bet." he said smiling down at her. A voice in the hallway wanted to know if he was going or not. Hutch smirked, swung the rifle by it's strap onto his shoulder, gave her one last look and went out. Ali grimaced, fighting down the tears that threatened to surface, hating fervently the helpless condition she was in. There had been a look far back in his darker blue eyes that something was missing, and Ali knew it wasn't her. This was his first all out man hunt in years, excluding herself, and she knew he felt the loss of his one time partner.
It looked like an old time posse. Two men, in chaps and cowboy hats, sat astride their horses, holding the lead ropes of two pack mules waiting for Ken Hutchinson to finish cinching down the long leather scabbard holding the loaded 30.06. Old time bedrolls, canteens, and various other items festooned their saddles. Hutch, having donned the coat Ali had bought him, soon gathered together the reins of his mount, grabbed the saddle horn, worked his foot into the stirrup and swung up into the saddle. The only anomaly to the whole scene were the radios mounted to their belts and the mikes nestled on three separate shoulders. All were bundled for the cold. So far the skies remained blue and crystal clear but they all knew that at this time of year, winter storms could come out of nowhere.
Various trucks, Suburbans, and Broncos littered the Hutchinson's gravel parking lot, most all mounted with blue and red bubbles housing the lights and sporting different law enforcement insignias. Two other horse trailers sat parked off to one side of the driveway. Several people scrambled about, and the three men made last minute checks on their equipment. Satisfied that they were ready, Hutch took the lead and set off down the track leading past their barn and home, to wend it's way up into the hills surrounding their property. Before too long they were out of sight.