Brothers II

By

Cynthia

NEW YORK CITY 1955

It’s a hot summer in the city.  A fire hydrant is turned on and several children run the cool water playing.  Just down the street several boys are playing stickball.  A blonde haired boy hits the ball and it soars down the street and lands near a curb.  Two boys with dark hair run after the ball.

The shorter of the two gets to it first and when he leans down to pick it up, he sees a large pocketknife sitting not far from it.  It’s a black knife with silver leave decoration.  He smiles and just as he reaches down to pick it up, he is pushed down.  He looks up to see the large boy pick it up.  The boy stands up and glares at him.

“Hey”, he says.  “I saw it first.”

“We’ll I’ve got it now, Davy!”

“Give it back, Tomey”, Dave yells at him.

“Whatcha gonna do”, Tomey taunts him.

Dave shoves him back and Tomey retaliates by hitting Dave across the face.  Dave falls back and he puts his hand to his nose.  He pulls it back and sees blood on his fingers.  He looks up at Tomey who laughs and walks away.

Another boy helps Dave to his feet. 

“You okay, Davy”, he asks him.

“Yeah”, he replies.  “Tomey’ll get his.”

“He’s too big and too mean.  You’re the only one around here who isn’t afraid of him.”

Dave knew his friend was right.  He knew he’d get in trouble when his pop saw his nose.  He could never lie to his folks and he knew they would be upset over his latest run-in with Tomey.

Dave Starsky still remembered the fight with Tomey and this time for some reason it stuck out in his mind.  It had been so many years ago and he still felt like that same kid in many respects.  He wiped his eyes and looked over the cemetery as people were leaving.  Starsky walked over to the coffin and lightly touched it with his hand.  He felt an arm on his shoulder and he looked over at Hutch.

“You okay, buddy”, Hutch asked.

“I still can’t believe it”, Starsky told him.  “We’re supposed to know this day will come, but you’re never really ready for it.”

“She was proud of you, Starsky.  Your mother was always proud of everything you accomplished.”

“I guess I’d like to think she’s with Pop now.  She never married after he died.  I think she was waitin’ till it was okay to go be with him.”

“Are you ready to go or do you want to stay here for a while”, Hutch asked.

“Where’s Nicky”, Starsky asked.

Hutch and Starsky looked around for him and they finally saw him talking to a gentleman with graying hair.  He had several people at his side.  Starsky had a curious look when he put his arms around a young man who looked at least ten years younger than himself.  Starsky and Hutch headed over in their direction.

When they arrived, Nicky looked at his brother and partner.  He didn’t say much to them, but the gentleman he had been talking with did.

“You must be Nicky’s brother.  I’m Frank Moretti and this is my son Rico.”

Starsky was silent as he shook the man’s hand.  He looked over at Nicky who was suddenly very silent.  He looked at Rico and watched him as he slipped his sunglasses on.  He suddenly felt like everyone knew something except for himself and Hutch.

“I’ve heard of you Mr. Moretti”, Starsky said.  “I didn’t realize you knew my brother.”

“I knew your father”, Frank told him.  “He was a good man which is how I knew Nicky.  Rico and Nicky are friends.”

“Is that why you came to my mother’s funeral”, Starsky asked him.

“You’re mother was a good woman.  God rest her soul”, Frank told him. 

Starsky thought he saw something in his face at the mention of his mother and he looked over at Nicky who had stuck his hands in pockets.

“Surely you understand why I don’t want you around my brother”, Starsky told him.

“Davy”, Nicky scolded. 

Starsky ignored him and he looked evenly at Frank who was giving him a hard look.  Rico turned and walked away leaving the men behind him.  Nicky walked over and followed him towards the cars parked not far away.

“I’m a legitimate business man”, Frank told him. “Those days are long past.  I have two sons to raise and I have no desire to return to a business which can be hazardous on one’s health.”

“You used to work for Joe Durniak”, Starsky told him.  “He was gunned down right in front of me.  So if I don’t take your statement to heart, I’m sure you’d understand.”

“I liked Joe”, Frank told him.  “He thought he was doing some good, but he knew the risks when he made the decision to go to the feds.”

“Just stay away from my brother”, Starsky told him.  “He’s had to work hard to break away from you people and I don’t want to see anything happen to him.”

Starsky walked away from the man and Hutch could see his fists were clenched as he walked towards his brother talking to Rico.  He didn’t even slow down when Rico saw him coming and walked away.  Starsky faced his brother.

“What in the hell are wiseguys doing at Ma’s funeral”, Starsky asked him.

“Davy, you’ve no right to be this way”, Nicky told him.

“No right?  Nicky, I shouldn’t have to tell you what Frank Moretti is all about and they had reason to show up here.  I want to know why.”

“He came here out of respect”, Nicky told his brother.  “You know how it works.”

“I’m well aware how it works, Nicky”, Starsky told him.  “It was people like Frank Moretti that killed Pop.  Are you workin’ for him?”

“You know I’m not, Davy.  I’m through with that.”

“You’d better not be lyin’,” Starsky told him.  “Ma would be sick knowing people like that showed up at her funeral.”

Nicky didn’t say anything to Starsky but instead walked over to the car and got inside.  Starsky looked over at Hutch.

“Starsk, you came down on him kinda hard”, Hutch told him.

“You know how I feel about these guys, Hutch.  Moretti and his clan had no business here.”

“Let’s get you home”, Hutch told him.  “It’s been a long day.”

Starsky took a deep breath and sighed.  Hutch was right.  It had been a horrible day and he was ready for it to be over.  He still had at least a thousand things to deal with and he wasn’t looking forward to doing so.  He and Nick still had a lot of decisions to make.

Starsky sat at his mother’s kitchen table looking through the various bills that needed to be paid.  He was thankful there was still enough money to pay everything.  He stopped what he was doing and rubbed his face.  He could still remember the times his mother had cooked for him and his brother.  After their father had been killed, it had been rough for quite some time.  He remembered thinking he would never get over it and there were times, the thought of his father still made him feel like that defenseless little boy that Tomey had beaten up.

Starsky took a deep breath and started sorting through the various items on the table.  There was still the house to deal with.  He was thinking of just letting Nicky have it since he still lived there, but thought better of it.  It would probably be better to have it put in both of their names for now until a decision could be made while the both of them were so emotional.

He looked to the door as Nicky walked in and poured himself a cup of coffee.

“So Hutch left”, Nicky asked him.

“Yeah, I dropped him off at the airport a couple of hours ago.”

“Do you know where that necklace of Ma’s is that has that pendant on it?  It’s got a picture of us and her inside of it.”

“No”, Starsky told him.  “Why?”

“Well, I wanted to see if it’d be okay if I could have it.”

“Sit down, Nicky”, Starsky told him.

Nicky took a sip of his coffee and pulled a chair out.  He sat down and Starsky faced him.

“I’m sorry I came down on you so hard yesterday”, Starsky told him.  “I don’t have a high tolerance of the mob and you know it.  It threw me off my game seeing Frank Moretti and that clan of his at Ma’s funeral.”

“They’re good people, Davy.  It’s not like it was back in the old days.”

“Joe Durniak told me something before he died, Nicky.  He said that there are names and facts that I wouldn’t like that he’d be testifying to.  Nobody will ever know what he was going to say and I had a lot of fears about what he would say.  One of those names could have very well been Frank Moretti.  I will never trust those people and it’s for the best that you stay away from them.”

“Davy, I wish there was a way to convince you”, Nick told him.

“Listen, Nicky.  I’ve got a few more things to take care of here before I head back to L.A.  Why don’t you come with me?”

“What?”

“We’ll sell the house and you can come and live out by me in L.A.  It’s not such a bad place, you know.”

“No, Davy.  I’m stayin’ here.”

“There’s nothing here for you”, Starsky told him.  “You can start a new life and leave this place behind.”

“I’m not leaving”, Nicky said as he stood up. 

“How many times have you been in trouble here, Nicky”, Starsky asked him.  “How many times have I had to bail you out of trouble?”

“It’s not like that anymore.”

“All I’m sayin’ there isn’t nothing good here for you”, Starsky told him.  “You should come back to California with me and forget this place and these people even exist.”

“You might think it’s easy enough for you, Davy, but not me.  This is my home and there are people here I care about.”

“What people”, Starsky asked.  “Frank Moretti?  This Rico kid of his?”

“You’d like Rico”, Nicky told him.

“I don’t want to know Rico”, Starsky said as he stood up.  “Haven’t you been listening to a word I said?  You can’t be mixin’ with the likes of the Moretti’s!”

 “Last I checked I’m an adult capable of making my own decisions!  I’m stayin’ here and there’s nothing you can do about it.  If you wanna sell the house, go ahead.  I’ll find another place to live.  I won’t change my mind.”

Nicky slammed the cup down on the counter and stormed out of the room.  Starsky took a deep breath and ran his hand over his face.  He couldn’t force Nicky to leave, but he didn’t feel good about leaving his kid brother behind.

SIX MONTHS LATER

It was almost dark outside while Rico followed Nicky through the abandoned building holding the small camera in his hand.  They found a cubby hole and crawled inside of it.  Rico set the camera where it wouldn’t be seen and adjusted the microphone.

“We won’t be seen from here”, Nicky told him.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this”, Rico told him.  “You’d better not be wrong about it.”

“Have I ever been before”, Nicky told him.

Rico gave him a look and Nicky shook his head.

“About something important?  Like this.”

“If we get caught, Nicky, we’re dead.  It won’t matter who I’m related to.”

“Make sure the camera is focused.  We want their faces on it.”

Rico looked through the eye piece and checked the area.

“We’ve still got a few minutes before they show up”, Nicky told him.

“I hope they’re not late”, Rico told him.  “I’m supposed to go on duty in a couple of hours.”

“I bet you hate those early morning shifts”, Nicky said with a smile.

“Sometimes”, Rico told him as he looked at him.  “So is he still giving you a hard time about coming out west?”

“He hasn’t mentioned for the last couple of months, but I know he’s thinkin’ it.”

“Maybe you should think about it”, Rico told him.

“I won’t leave you”, Nicky told him.  “I won’t leave you like he left me.”

“It’s not the same and you know it”, Rico told him.  “It’s a lot different now.”

“Maybe”, Nicky said with a sigh.  “I guess if he’d had stayed we’d all be wiseguys now.  I’d feel better being close to you just the same.”

“Nicky, I’ll be okay.  I’m a cop now and I do know how to take care of myself.  You should go out there.  You’ve never been close to your brother.”

“He’s your brother, too”, Nicky told him.

“By blood he’s my half-brother, but he’s not really my brother.  I met him one time and that was it.  My brother runs a string of convenience stores and a couple of dry cleaners.  He’s your brother.”

“I don’t know why we’re even talking about this”, Nicky said with a sigh.  “I’ve already made my decision and I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

“Well, you should at least go out there for an extended visit”, Rico said as he stuck the gold chain inside of his shirt.

“Will you shut up about it if I think about it”, Nicky asked him.

“As long as you think about it.”

Nicky was about to answer when the far door opened.  Both men hunched down and Rico was careful to keep the camera focused as three men walked inside the building.  They walked to the center of the room and after only a minute or so another man wearing a beige suit walked in.

As he walked in closer, Rico’s eyes widened when he saw him.  He looked over at Nicky and he could see he had no idea who he was.

“Right on time”, the man said.  “Mr. Zunni, I came as soon as you called.”

“I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your assistance with Councilman Andrews”, Anthony Zunni told him.

“It wasn’t difficult to arrange”, the man told him.  “He was exactly where I said he would be.”

“He was causing too many problems for my organization.  If he had arranged another indictment against me, I don’t think we would have survived it.  Here is the cash we agreed upon.”

The man took the thick envelope and his eyes widened in satisfaction.

“This is more than I thought.”

“There’s a bonus”, Anthony told him.  “For future assistance.”

“I’m glad my department could be of service”, the man said as he put the envelope in the inside pocket of his suit.

“Killing public officials is risky business”, Anthony told him.  “You should be compensated for your assistance.”

“I’ll call you next week.”

Anthony Zunni watched him leave and after he was gone he looked at one of his men.

“Tomey, if Lt. Barrett spends too much and brings attention to himself, take care of him.”

“Yes, Mr. Zunni.”

Rico watches as they were getting ready to leave and he felt something on his leg.  He looked down and saw a large rat scurry over his calf.  He instinctively kicked at it and several boxes near him came crashing down.  He froze and looked at Nicky.

“Check it out”, they heard Zunni say to his men.

Rico grabbed the camera and he and Nicky scrambled out of the hole they were in.  They tore out of the dangerous situation they were in and when Rico looked back he could see Tomey gaining on him.  He looked ahead at Nicky running for the door.

He could hear Tomey on his heels as he headed out the door and he listened to the sounds of bullets firing near Nicky.  They ran through the door and just as Rico reached it, he felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder that radiated through his arm.  He fell on his face and the camera went tumbling into the alleyway.  He pulled his gun out and turned on his side. 

He looked up to see Tomey with a gun aimed at him and Rico shot him several times in the chest.  Rico scrambled away as Tomey fell and he grabbed the camera as he ran after Nicky who was yelling his name.

One of Zunni’s men leaned over Tomey’s dead body and looked over at his boss.

“Do you know who it was, Gino”, Anthony asked him.

“Yeah”, he told him.  “It was Nicky Starsky and Rico Moretti.”

“Find them and get that tape”, Anthony told him.  “Kill them both.”

“Tony, that’s Frank Moretti’s son.”

“I don’t care”, Anthony told him.  “That tape will bury us all.  Rico Moretti is personal.  I get him for killing Tomey.”

They had ran for what seemed to be an eternity and Nicky slowed down when he saw that Rico wasn’t with him.  He looked back and saw Rico leaning against a building with the camera in his hand.  Nicky ran over to him and he could see something was wrong.

“What is it”, Nicky said as he breathed hard.

“My shoulder”, Rico breathed.  “I can’t go any further.”

“You’ve got to, Rico.  They’ll kill you if they find you.”

Nicky walked around and he flinched when he saw the knife sticking out of his shoulder.

“Tomey must’ve got to you.  You’ve got a blade sticking out of your shoulder.”

“I killed him”, Rico said with gritted teeth.  “Take it out, Nicky.”

“Rico…”

“Please”, Rico told him.  “You’ve got to get it out of me.”

“Okay”, Nicky whispered.  “Hold on, little brother.  It’ll hurt like hell.”

Rico grabbed onto the building for support and he felt Nicky’s hand on his back.  When Nicky yanked the knife out, he almost screamed out loud.  He sank to his knees and Nicky grabbed onto him.  Nicky stuck the knife in his pocket as he helped Rico to his feet.

“Come on, Rico.  I know a place where we can go.  It’s not far from here.”

“Take the tape”, Rico told him.  “I can’t make it.”

“Bullshit”, Nicky told him as he picked him up.  “You’re crazy if you think I’m leavin’ you here.”

Nicky put Rico’s arm around his neck and he helped him walked down the dark alley.  They walked another six blocks before Nicky found the place he was looking for.  It was an old apartment building that no one lived in.  It still had electricity and some water.  He kicked open the door to an apartment and set Rico down on an old mattress lying on the floor. 

Rico was put on his stomach and Nicky took his jacket off and used it to stench the blood coming from the large wound.

“Nicky”, Rico whispered.

“Yeah.”

“You’ve got to get Uncle Sal.  He’ll know what to do.  Go get him.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“Listen to me, Nicky.  Anthony Zunni saw us.  Him and his brother will be after us and we need help.  You know we won’t make it 24 hours if we don’t get some help.  I’ll be okay.  Just get him.”

“I’m turning the light out”, Nicky told him.  “You don’t make a sound just in case.”

“I’m not going anywhere”, Rico said with closed eyes.

Nicky was hesitant to leave his brother, but he was right.  This was over their heads and as he left, he wished his brother was here with them both.

Less than an hour later, Rico’s Uncle Sal was cleaning the wound on Rico’s shoulder.  He sighed at the story he had been told by both Nicky and Rico.  There weren’t too many options for either of them.

“You both have got to lay low for a while”, Sal told them.  “You’ll have to stay separated and make no contact with each other.”

“No way”, Nicky said.  “We’ll hide out together.”

“It’s too dangerous”, Sal told him.  “It won’t be a problem keeping you out of circulation, but Rico sticks out.  The Zunni brother’s won’t stop until they get their hands on the both of you and that tape.”

“He’s right”, Rico said with a sigh.  “Does Pop know about any of this?”

“Not yet”, Sal told him.  “We knew that keeping your existence a secret was important and it’s even more important now.  If the Zunni’s find out the truth it’ll destroy a lot of people you’ll wind up turning that tape over to him and signing your death warrant and that of people you care about.”

“So what do we do”, Nicky asked.

“I know some people in the department.”

“Barrett was there”, Rico told him.  “If he gets wind of this, I won’t have a chance in hell.”

“They won’t talk.  They’ll arrange your transfer to another city and you’ll high tail it out of town.”

“The Zunni’s will still find me.”

“Not if we make a few adjustments”, Sal told him.

“Where are you gonna have him sent”, Nicky asked.

“We’ve got people in L.A. that will help push this through.  Think you can hack working in your brother’s precinct”, Sal asked.

“Are you crazy”, Nicky asked.  “If he finds out about any of this…”

“He doesn’t have to know”, Sal interrupted.  “I think Rico will be safer there than anywhere else.”

“He’ll ask questions if Rico shows up”, Nicky told him.

“We’ll have a convincing cover story to explain his appearance and your disappearance.  I’ll talk to my people and we’ll put Rico in Vice.”

“I’m a beat cop”, Rico told him.  “How are you going to arrange that?”

“Leave the details to me, kid.  You need to be out of uniform and in plainclothes.  It’ll help protect you.”

“How long do you think this will last”, Nicky asked him.

Sal put the finishing touches on Rico’s wound and looked at Nicky.

“I wish I could say.  We’ll just have to bide our time until this blows over.  Right now Zunni and his boys are busting their asses in finding the two of you.  They’ll relax and we’ll be able to move you both.”

“What about the tape”, Rico asked him.

“You take it with you”, Sal told him.  “You hide it and you don’t tell a soul where it is.  I mean it, Rico.  As long as you keep that tape hidden you live.  It’s too dangerous to keep it in the city.”

“There’s got to be another way”, Nicky told Sal.

“I wish there was”, Sal said with a shake of his head.  “The old man will bust a gasket when he finds out about this.  Rico, he would agree with this.  You know what he’ll do to keep you safe.”

“I know”, Rico said with a sigh.

Rico pulled himself up to a sitting position and looked at Nicky.  His brother walked over and sat next to him on the mattress.  He pulled the knife from his pocket and handed it to Rico.

“Call it a souvenir”, Nicky told him.  “Keep it with you.”

“I wish it didn’t have to be like this”, Rico told him.

“Just take care of yourself and don’t try to contact me.  I guess it worked the other way around.”

“Yeah, I know.  I’ll be the one seeing your brother.”

“Your brother, too”, Nicky told him.

Rico didn’t say anything and looked at the knife in his hand.  His life was about to change radically and he was being forced to leave everything he cared about behind. 

Hutch could see the exasperation in his partner’s eyes as he drove.  He looked over at him and he could see him gripping the steering wheel tightly in his hand.

“Starsk, relax”, Hutch told him.  “I don’t see why you have such a problem with this.  It’s been a week since you found out.”

“I can’t”, Starsky answered.  “This isn’t like Nicky and you know it.”

“I’ll admit it came out of the blue, but you said yourself that he needs to grow up and start taking some responsibility.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

“The army”, Starsky asked.  “I can see Nicky doing a lot of things, but the army isn’t one of them.”

“It hasn’t hurt you any”, Hutch reminded him.

“We’re talking about Nicky, here.  He never showed any interest in the military before this.”

“Starsk, maybe losing your mom gave him some perspective and he realized he needed to do something more with his life.  People sometimes have revelations when they loose someone close to them.”
            “Nicky swore he wouldn’t leave New York, Hutch.  I tried talking about it with him and he said there was no way he was leaving.  A week ago he calls me up and tells me that he decided to go in the army.  He’ll be all over the place.”

“He’s had some time to think about it”, Hutch told him.  “Since when is it wrong for someone to change their mind?”

Starsky pulled the car in the front of the precinct and stepped out of it.  He looked over the hood and looked at Hutch.

“Nicky swore to me he wasn’t about to leave New York.  There were people he cared about there”, Starsky told him.

Starsky walked around the car and followed Hutch inside.

“Starsk, just give it some time.  Let Nicky find out what it’s all about.  I’m sure he’ll call you soon and let you know how he’s doing.”

Starsky shook his head as they walked down the hallway.

“That’s another thing, Hutch.  Nicky told me that he won’t be able to call me too much during basic training.”

“Starsky, will you just give it a rest?  You know how busy he’ll be.  You need to just kick back and see what happens.”

Starsky still wasn’t happy with the idea as he walked into the busy squad room.  He walked past Minnie who was walking out of Captain Dobey’s office.

“He’s looking for you two”, she told them on her way out.

Starsky sighed and walked through the door and he looked up at another person standing in the room.  His eyes were a bit wide and he looked over at Hutch.

“This is Rico Moretti”, Dobey said.  “He just transferred in from New York.”

“I know”, Starsky said.

“You know each other”, Dobey asked.

“We met at Ma’s funeral”, Starsky told him.  “I’m just surprised.”

“He just got into town yesterday and he’s ready to start work.”

“Cap, we didn’t know a transfer was coming in”, Hutch told him.

“It came from the brass a week ago.  You two give him the grand tour.  He’ll be running with you both for the next couple of weeks until I find a partner for him”, Dobey told them.

Starsky looked over at the young man.  He looked awfully young to be a vice cop and his hair was almost as dark as his own.  His dark brown eyes looked a little unsure of himself and Starsky had to tell himself to relax.  He stepped forward and held his hand out.

“Welcome to metro”, Starsky said.

Rico was a little hesitant at first, but he finally reached forward and grasped Starsky’s hand in his.  He looked over at Captain Dobey.

“Captain Dobey”, he said.  “You might as well know right now my father is Frank Moretti.”

“Is that name supposed to mean something to me”, he asked.

“Frank Moretti was at one time allegedly involved in mafia activities”, Hutch said with a look over at Rico. 

“He’s supposedly a retired businessman now”, Starsky said.

“He is retired”, Rico told him.  “He’s been out of it since I was born.”

Starsky kept silent and looked over at Hutch. 

“We’ll start with those liquor store robberies”, Hutch said. 

Dobey waved them off and the three men left the office.  Hutch walked over to his desk and picked up the ringing phone.  Starsky pointed to a nearby desk and Rico sat down.  He looked over at Starsky as he pulled the SOP out of his desk.  He set it down in front of him.  Rico’s eyes were a bit wide at the thick notebook sitting in front of him.

“You need to start with this”, Starsky told him.  “I’m sure the SOP’s are quite a bit different than New York’s.”

Rico leaned forward and opened up the notebook.

“You can study it during your off time.”

“I’m looking for a place right now”, Rico told him.  “It’ll be a few days before I can sit down with it.”

“Where are you staying at, kid”, Starsky asked him.

“There’s a hotel on 21^st street.”

“We’ll get your gear”, Starsky said as he sat down.  “That place is a dive and they don’t need to know a cop is living there.  You’ll stay at my place.”

“That’s not necessary”, Rico told him.

“Yes it is”, Starsky told him.  “For some reason, Nicky thinks you’re a good kid and I don’t want my brother thinking I don’t take care of his friends.”

Rico was silent as he looked at Starsky.  He could see what Nicky was talking about when it came to him.  He could see no reason to turn him down.  He knew it was the last place anyone would think of looking for him.  It was well known in the neighborhood what Dave Starsky thought of people like his father. 

At that moment, Rico would have done just about anything to get home, but he knew how dangerous it was to show his face.  He missed his father and Nicky a lot.  Rico sighed and leafed through the notebook until it was time for them to leave.

He sat in the backseat of the Torino while Starsky drove and Hutch sat in the passenger side.  Hutch turned around and looked at him.

“So tell me”, Hutch asked.  “What made you transfer out here?”

“It’s not easy working as a cop in New York with a father like mine”, Rico told him.  “Like what he used to be.”

“What do you mean”, Hutch asked.

“Well, people will either think my father is in good with the cops or they’ll think I’m on the take.  It just made sense.”

“I can imagine moving out here wasn’t too easy for him”, Hutch told him.

Rico didn’t say anything.  He had last seen his father the morning of his run-in with Anthony Zunni.  He had spoken to him briefly over the phone at the airport a few days ago.  After a winding trip through various cities, Rico had finally made it to LAX.  He had no idea when he’d see his father again.  A question from Starsky brought him back to where he was at.

“I don’t get it”, Starsky asked as he drove.  “How did Frank Moretti’s kid wind up being a cop?  Why didn’t you follow the old man’s footsteps?”

Rico could have almost sworn at Starsky, but he held his tongue.  Now wasn’t the time for him to lose his head.

“It was something I wanted to do since I was a kid”, he told him.  “My father was very pleased with my choice.”

“I can imagine”, Starsky muttered.

“What”, Rico asked.

“We’re here”, Starsky said.

Rico took a deep breath as he watched them get out of the car.  Hutch pulled the seat back and Rico climbed out of the back.  He looked at the small bar and looked over at Starsky and Hutch talking.

“Starsk”, Hutch said.  “Lighten up.  He’s just a kid.  He can’t help what his father is or was.”

“Your right”, Starsky said.  “I guess knowing what his old man is makes me not trust him.”

Hutch gave Starsky a pat on the back and they both walked inside with Rico close behind.  The three of them sat down at a table and Rico watched as a skinny black man walked over to them.

“Well, if it isn’t Butch and Sundance”, Huggy told them.

“Hug, this is Rico.”

“A cop in diapers”, Hug said.  “How nice.”

Rico couldn’t decide if he was offended or not.  He looked around the room and spotted a guy on the phone.  He gave him a once over and he knew immediately what he was.  He looked back over at Huggy who was talking to them.

“These dudes aren’t junkies or in it for a quick buck from what I’ve heard.  They blew in about two weeks ago from Vegas.”

“Names”, Hutch asked.

“Ones a machismo and the other is some dude he hooked up with on his way out of town.  That’s all anybody knows.”

Rico looked over at the short man who hung up the phone.  He watched him as he stuck a couple of small pieces of paper in his pocket.  He didn’t say anything as he slowly stood up and walked over to him.

Starsky watched Rico walking over to the man and sat down to talk to him.  He could see the quiet approach he was taking and the short guy seemed comfortable with him even though he was downing two doubles of scotch.

“Huggy”, Starsky asked.  “Who is that?”

“Oh, that’s Paulie”, Huggie said.  “He comes in here a couple of hours a day.  He has a couple of shots and makes a few calls to his kids.”

Starsky didn’t say anything as he watched Rico give the guy a couple of bucks and stand up.  He walked over to them and sat back down at the table.

“You know him”, Hutch asked.

“He runs numbers for one of the local bookie joints.”

“Are you sure about that”, Huggy asked.

“He said that these guys you’re looking for are into the ponies big time.  They’re using the cash from the liquor store holdups to cover their bets.  They’re taking huge losses right now.”

“Did he say anything else”, Hutch asked.

“Only that some guy by the name of Morton has been taking their bets.  He doesn’t have any names.”

“Morton’s been using a place behind this skin shop on Cline”, Huggy told the guys.

“Thanks”, Hutch asked.

“Rico, how did you know to talk to him”, Starsky asked.

“He’s got this ring on his left hand.  It’s a catholic marker that’s only given when you do a favor for someone important.  My father was given one from Joe Durniak.”

“Let’s go check this lead”, Hutch said as he stood up. 

No one spoke as they headed out.

The three of them arrived at the shop and didn’t slow down as they walked through it amid of the stares.  Hutch ripped the phone out of the owner’s hand and yanked it out of the wall.  He dropped it on the counter and they continued on their trek to the back room.

Starsky didn’t even break a stride as he kicked open the door.  Rico and Hutch filed in behind him.  Starsky and Hutch walked around the room taking the phones off ringers and Rico leaned against the door watching the room.

“Where’s Morton”, Starsky asked.

No one spoke as both officers walked around the room.  Hutch picked up one ringing phone and yelled that the office is under renovation and is suspending operation until further notice.  Rico’s eyes caught the movement of a man about ten feet to his right.  He watched him reach into his coat and before anyone realized it, Rico had his gun pulled and aimed right at the man.

Starsky saw the flash of movement and he stopped for just a minute.  He looked over at the large man who was slowly pulling his hands away.  Hutch walked over to him and checked him.  He pulled a .38 out of the coat.

“Morton, I presume”, Starsky said as he walked over to him.

Hutch put him up against the wall and started putting the handcuffs on him.  Rico eased back as Starsky walked over to the large man who Hutch had cuffed.

“Morton, wasting cops is not a good way to begin or end your day”, Starsky told him.

“What do you expect me to do when I start getting hassled”, Morton argued.

“I expect you to be smarter than a cracker”, Starsky told him.

“Tell us how much these high rollers from Vegas are into you for”, Hutch asked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”, Morton told him.

He looked over at the young cop who was walking around the room and looking at the various papers sitting on the desks.  Rico stopped at a large desk and when he tried to open the desk, it was locked.  He stopped and looked at Starsky and Hutch.

Hutch smiled as he searched Morton.  He found the keys in his pocket and tossed them to Rico.  Morton watched with wide eyes as the desk was opened and a large accounting book was pulled out.

“Hey, you can’t do that”, Morton told him.

“It’s a bookie joint”, Hutch told him.  “I think we can do what we want.”

“That is until having them are passed into law”, Starsky told him.

Rico walked over with the book in hand and he looked at Morton.

“No names”, Rico said with a shake of his head.  “But Morton has been doing very well.  You certainly know how to undercut the competition.”

“What is it”, Starsky asked.

“He offers a discount for multiple bets and he skims from the winnings.  I wonder what would happen if word of this got out.”

“Okay”, Morton told them.  “I gave ‘em a week to come up with the cash.  One is Raul Domingo and the other is Wilbur.  That’s all I know.”

“Oh, come on”, Starsky said.  “Where are they hanging at?”

“Last time they called was from a joint in Mandalay Heights.  It’s some club.”

Hutch walked over and picked up the phone.

“What’s he doin’”, Morton asked.

“He’s calling this place in”, Starsky told him.

“You can’t do that.  If they find that book, I won’t make it to the arraignment.”

Rico set the book down in front of him.

“I guess you won’t have much time to get rid of it, will you?”

Starsky smiled a bit and took the cuffs off of Morton and he grabbed the book.  They watched as he began tearing the pages out of it.

The club where Morton had pointed the officers was closed.  Hutch suggested they check it out later in the night.  After dropping Hutch off, Starsky took Rico to the hotel and after checking out, they went to Starsky’s place. 

Rico was hesitant on walking inside at first but he managed to find his courage as he walked through the door.  He set his bag down next to the couch as Starsky pushed the button on the answering machine.  As the messages played, Starsky pulled two beers from the fridge and handed one to Rico.

“Hey, Davy”, a familiar voice said on the machine.  “Just thought I’d let you know I made it here and I’m getting settled in.  I’ll call you when I can.”

“Where”, Starsky yelled at the machine. 

Rico watched the frustration on his face and he could see he was not liking it one single bit.  Starsky took a long drink from his beer and looked over at Rico.

“Did you know anything about this”, Starsky asked him.

“I found out before I left”, Rico told him as he sat down on the couch.

“What made Nicky decide to go in the army of all things”, Starsky asked as he walked over to him.

“I guess since…since your mother died, he thought he should do something with his life.”

It was odd for Rico to say the words and he quickly took a drink of his beer.

“It seems pretty out of character for him”, Starsky told him.

“Nicky’s different than what he used to be”, Rico told him.

“How long have you known my brother”, Starsky asked as he sat down.

“Seems like all my life”, Rico said with a sigh.  “I used to follow him everywhere he went.  Sometimes I thought he hated it, but he denied it every time.”

Starsky could see a bit of a smile at his lips and he felt something familiar.  He wasn’t sure what it was but he felt an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“I would have thought it was from some of the stunts he pulled.”

“I can remember him sneaking me out of the house when I was a kid.  We’d go to this place not far away and we’d play cops and robbers at this old building we had heard used to be a hangout for some wiseguys back in the 40’s.  We were told that a bunch of them got busted and there was a huge shootout.”

“Which one were you”, Starsky asked.

“I was the cop every time”, Rico said.  “Nicky never minded playing the bad guy.  I think he liked playing dead too much.”

Starsky laughed and took a drink from his beer.

“All this stuff from today”, Starsky asked.

“I knew you’d ask”, Rico said with a sigh.  “My Uncle Sal used to tell me stories all the time from the old days and I guess it just took.  He’d tell me about everything.  Just because I know this stuff doesn’t mean…”

“I know”, Starsky said with a sigh.  “My father was shot down by some wiseguys.  It’s hard for me to put away how I feel about those guys.”

“You made it clear”, Rico said as he took a long drink from his beer.

“Rico, I know you didn’t like what I said to your father, but as a cop it puts us on opposite sides.”

“He’s not into it anymore and I know you don’t have a reason to believe me.  It’s up to you whether you do or not.  Just remember one thing.  I’m not a potential snitch for my father or anybody else.”

Starsky sat back on the couch and sighed.  He could see that Rico loved his father and what could he say.  He loved his father just as much.  He finished off the beer and stood up.

“The couch makes into a bed”, Starsky told him.  “You can crash there until you’ve got some time to search for a place.”

“I’ll get out of your hair quick enough.”

“Listen, lets forget this talk of families and wiseguys”, Starsky told him.  “You can stay as long as you want.”

“I know you’re uncomfortable with this.”

“You seem to be a good cop with good instincts”, Starsky told him.  “I won’t let this get in the way.”

Rico watched him walk out of the room.  Maybe this won’t be as bad as he had thought.

It was late when they arrived at the club where Morton had told them the robbers had called from.  It was dark and various girls walked through the room dancing and talking with potential customers.

They scanned the room and saw nothing.  Hutch walked over to the bartender.  He pulled a ten from his pocket and slid it over to the bartender.

“Raul and Wilbur”, he told him.

The bartender gave him and even look and pointed to a table in the back.  He walked over to Starsky and Rico.

“They’ve got a table in the back and there might be a girl or two with them.”

“How’s those lightening fast reflexes of yours”, Starsky asked Rico.

“I’ll stand at twelve o’clock”, Rico told him.

“Starsky and I will flank them.  Keep your eyes open.”

Rico nodded and he walked over to the far side of the room and took his position.  He sent a girl on her way after she attempted some friendly talk with him.  He saw the men sitting at a table and from the looks of them, they were having a very heated discussion.  Rico saw Starsky walk past him and he looked to his right as Hutch moved also.

Rico stayed ready as Starsky and Hutch began to quietly move in.  No one wanted a shootout in the place.  Hutch looked over at Starsky who had moved a bit closer and eased in behind a booth.  Hutch stood to move and suddenly he saw that they were made by Wilbur who pulled a gun out.  Raul flipped the table on its side and pulled his gun out as well.  Rico had his gun out when he saw the flash of a barrel and each man turned their attention to Starsky on one side and Hutch on the other.  They had a well protected position with the table up and a cushioned booth surrounding them.

Rico rolled down to the floor in hopes of getting a better angle and he got up on one knee and fired a shot at Raul.  The angle was off and it hit him in the shoulder.  Raul turned his gun on him.  Rico never heard Starsky yell his name and he was suddenly shoved into the floor.  He gasped at a sudden pain in his shoulder.

Starsky fired a shot at Raul which hit him square in the chest.  Hutch took advantage of the distraction and leveled the .357 at Wilbur.

“Take it and die”, Hutch warned him.

Wilbur held the gun up and Hutch ordered him to slowly lower it.  While Hutch took care of Wilbur, Starsky helped Rico to his feet.  Rico could feel the sharp pain in his shoulder and he knew it was the wound from Tomey.  He hoped no one would see it as he looked at Starsky.

“Thanks”, he told him.

“I should be the one telling you that”, Starsky told him.  “You okay?”

“Let’s call it even.”

Starsky patted Rico on the shoulder and he had to bite back a curse and he was thankful the pain he was in wasn’t noticed.  In a few short hours, concrete evidence was found in the getaway car which connected both men to the robberies. 

Rico walked into Starsky’s place and sat down on the couch.  Starsky looked over and noticed his slow movements.

“Hey”, Starsky said.  “You’re moving pretty slow.  Maybe I hit you down harder than I thought.”

“No”, Rico said with a sigh.  “I got nailed back in New York and I guess it’s not healed like I thought it was.”

“Let me take a look at.”

“It’s okay”, Rico said.  “I probably just need to put something on it.”

“I won’t let it go until I look at it.”

“Alright”, Rico said with a sigh.  “Let me grab a fresh shirt.”

Rico slowly stood up and walked back in the bedroom where he had put his bag.  He opened it up and pulled a t-shirt out of it.  He took the chain around his neck off and stuffed it at the bottom of the bag.  He walked back in and sat down in a chair that Starsky had pulled out for him.

Starsky helped him take his shirt off and when he saw the bandage, blood was seeping through it.  He took the bandage off and sighed when he saw it.

“You should’ve gotten stitches”, Starsky told him.  “Didn’t you go to a hospital or anything?”

“It didn’t seem that bad at the time.”

“Probably wouldn’t hurt to get it checked out.”

“Just put some peroxide on it and butterfly it”, Rico told him.  “It’ll be fine.”

Starsky sighed and began working on the wound. 

“So what happened?”

The memory of that night came flooding back to Rico and he closed his eyes as he felt the peroxide.

“I got jumped by a perp”, Rico told him.  It wasn’t far from the truth, he thought.

“You never saw him coming?”

“We were casing out an old warehouse where a deal had went down”, Rico answered.  “He jumped me.”

“I imagine your commander wasn’t too happy about this.”

“He doesn’t know”, Rico told him.  “I didn’t realize it was bad until I got home.  Nicky helped me doctor it up and we got drunk on tequila that night.”

“Should’ve known Nicky was involved.”

“Why are you so hard on him”, Rico asked.  “He’s not a bad guy.”

“I know he’s not”, Starsky answered him.  “He’s my brother.  He just doesn’t seem to make the right decisions.”

It was on the tip of Rico’s tongue to tell Starsky how wrong he was about his brother and he wanted to, but he knew if he started, he may wind up telling too much.  He hated this.  He wished he could talk to Nicky right now.  Nicky had always seemed to have the answers for everything.  Rico knew about the trouble Nicky had been in some time ago and he knew that Starsky had saved him.  What Starsky didn’t know was that it had changed him.  Nicky was still resentful at times that his older brother had left, but he had decided he was going to stick it out and take care of Rico.  Rico knew that Nicky could have went to California, but he also knew he was the reason why Nicky had stayed behind.

The next evening Rico sat on the couch with a beer in hand and the SOP in front of him.  He hated reading all this crap about procedure, but he needed it.  He looked over at Starsky who was getting ready for a date.  Hutch was on his way over to pick him up and both had made plans to hook up with a couple of girls.

He looked over at the opening of the door and Hutch walked inside. 

“You can come if you want”, Hutch told him.

“No”, Rico told him.  “I’d better stick with this date right here”.

Hutch smiled when he saw him motioning towards the thick notebook in front of him.

“Starsk, we’re going to be late”, Hutch hollered. 

Starsky walked into the room stuffing his shirt into his pants and he looked over at Rico.

“You’ll be okay”, Starsky asked.

“Sure, unless you think I need a babysitter”, Rico told him dryly.

“You can use the Torino if you need to”, Starsky told him.  “I don’t know what time I’ll be in.”

Rico nodded and he sat back pulling the thick notebook in his lap.  He didn’t say anything as Starsky and Hutch left.  They had been gone less than half an hour when the phone rang.  Rico took a drink of his beer as he reached for it.

“Hello”, Rico said.

“Strip joint.  Corner of 5^th and Mason.”

Rico heard the click of the phone and he hung it up.  He shot up off the couch and grabbed his jacket and gun.  He grabbed the keys to the car and headed out the door.

When Rico walked into the small strip joint, he scanned the various tables.  It only took him a minute to find his Uncle Sal sitting at a table in the back talking to a blonde.  He walked over to the bar and bought a beer.  After paying for it, he walked over to them and he watched as Sal put a couple of bucks in her g-string.  He sent her on her way with a pat on the butt.

Rico sat down across from him and gave him a grim smile.

“If I didn’t think it’d draw attention I’d give you a kiss”, Rico told him.

“You’re looking good.  How’s life in the California sun treating you?”

“It’s been okay.  I’m fitting in pretty good around here.”

“Anyone suspect anything?”

“No.  It’s not too much different working here than it is back east.  How’s Nicky?”

“Climbing the walls”, Sal told him.  “We’ve got him stashed down the coast.”

“I can’t believe you’re here”, Rico told him.  “Are we ready to move?”

“No”, Sal said with a sigh.  “The Zunni brothers are still hot to trot over you and Nicky.”

“My father.  How is he?”

“He’s good, Rico.  We’re putting a plan together to get you and Nicky back home where you both belong.  We might have to have the Zunni brothers taken out?”

“You can’t tell me that”, Rico told him.  “Besides it could start a war.”

“We know.  It’ll take some more time.  You need to put that tape on a floating ship for starters.  It will keep you covered for the time being.  Make sure you don’t know where it’s at and keep the instructions clear.”

“I get you”, Rico said as he took a drink of his beer.

“I hear you’re staying with your brother”, Sal asked.

It was on the tip of his tongue to say Starsky wasn’t his brother, but he held it.

“Yeah, he’s okay, I guess.”

“You don’t like him.”

“I don’t like what he says about Nicky”, Rico answered.  “You won’t believe how far off base he is.”

“Set him straight.”

“I thought about it, but I don’t want to raise any suspicions.  If he thinks I’m anything other than a friend, he’ll start asking questions.”

“I’ve heard he’s a pretty righteous cop like his old man was.  Your father thinks a lot of him, Rico.”

“They only met that one time.”

“He still remembers him as a kid and he was just like his old man even back then.”

“They’ve got me working with the guy and his buddy until I get a partner.”

“I don’t mind it”, Sal told him.  “I think he’ll help keep you in one piece.”

“Uncle Sal, it was pretty risky for you to come out here.”

“It was better than a phone call.  When we’re ready to make our move, we’ll come and get you.  Be ready at a moment’s notice, Rico.”

Rico nodded and he watched as Sal left.  He sat there finishing his beer for a few minutes and then he left.  This thing was getting played too tight and Rico was beginning to feel nervous.

Rico made the arrangements as told to him about the tape.  It wasn’t too hard to make an excuse to Starsky and take care of it.  It was a good place, Rico thought to himself and no one would even suspect where it was at. 

Two days after his conversation with his Uncle Sal he was working on some reports at his desk when, Hutch walked over to him.

“Let’s go, kid.  We’ve got a homicide.”

Rico stacked the files in his basket and followed both detectives out of the squad room.  When they arrived at the beach, a hoard of police cars were already at the scene.  Rico followed them out on the sand and he saw the body covered with a sheet.  He looked around at the various people taping the area off and uniformed officers combing the beach for clues.

Starsky and Hutch bent down at the body and Starsky pulled the sheet back.  He grimaced when he saw it.  The man had been obviously tortured before his death.  He heard a noise behind him and he looked up at the ghost white face of Rico who had taken a few steps back.

Hutch walked over to Rico and took him by the arms.

“I know it’s ugly”, Hutch said.

“It’s Uncle Sal”, Rico whispered.

Hutch looked over at Starsky who had heard Rico also.  Starsky walked over to him.

“Are you sure”, Starsky asked him.

Rico nodded and he could feel the tears in the corners of his eyes.

“Hutch, get him back to the station and I’ll finish up here.  I’ll catch a ride back with one of the guys.”

Hutch put his arm around Rico and walked him back to the car.  He could see how visibly upset Rico was by his seeing his dead uncle.  Rico was trying to get his bearings.  It had slipped out and now he knew he had to watch himself.  He knew this meant the Zunni brothers or their henchmen were in town.  Images of his uncle floated before him, and he made Hutch pull the car over.

Rico stepped out of the Torino and threw his lunch up.  Hutch helped him back inside and Rico covered his face with his hand.  He knew Sal had died not saying a word.  Otherwise, he would be already dead and Nicky, too.  There would be questions and Rico tried to answer them as he attempted to put something together over his own grief.

He knew talking to his father was out of the question, but he prayed to hear his voice and to feel his arms around him.  It was now even more dangerous than it was before.  Rico had to come up with a plan and quick.

Starsky paced the office and Hutch sat in a chair across from Captain Dobey.  He looked over at Dobey who had a report sitting in front of him.

“The preliminary report from the medical examiner says that Sal Moretti had been dead approximately twelve hours when he was found.  He was tortured for quite some time before he was shot.  Does Rico know anything?”

“No”, Starsky said.  “He’s taking this thing kinda hard.”

“Rico had no idea he was even in town”, Hutch told him.  “He said that Sal could have been coming to check up on him, but was taken before he ever had a chance to see him.”

“It could be a rival”, Starsky said.  “Someone looking to get the goods on Frank Moretti.”

“Starsky, you knew these people from when you were a kid.  Did you know any of the Moretti’s?”

“No.  I heard of Frank and saw him around the neighborhood from time to time.  Nicky knows him and Rico and maybe even Sal.  Whoever it was, they were looking for information and it’s hard to say if they even got it.”

“I’m sending this report to the NYPD”, Dobey told them.  “They’ll follow up with what they can there.  Talk to Rico and see if how much he knows about the old man’s dealings.”

“A hit like this won’t be ignored on the street”, Hutch said.  “We’ll rattle some cages.”

No one said anything as Starsky and Hutch left the squad room.  Rico sat at his desk and Starsky sat next to him.

“Rico, think back”, Starsky asked him.  “Is there anyone that would have anything to gain by taking out your father’s brother?”

“No”, Rico whispered.  He cleared his throat and sat up a little.  “My father’s not in it anymore.  He doesn’t have any idea who would do this.”

“I’ll take you to the airport so you can get home for the funeral.”

“I talked to my father a little while ago”, Rico told him. “He wants me to stay put until the people responsible are found.”

“You’re not going to the funeral”, Hutch asked.

“He thinks it might be dangerous for me.”

“He’s probably right”, Starsky replied.  “I’ll take you back to my place.  Take a couple of days off.”

Rico nodded and he hated the lie that seemed to spill so easily from his lips.  He was now in this thing alone now and he knew that he had to keep an eye out.  The best Rico could figure the Zunni brothers were probably looking for Nicky.  He had to get out of Starsky’s place and get another place to live.  How was he going to do it without letting on what was going on?

Starsky sat down at his desk after getting Rico home and picked up the file on Sal Minnie had gotten from the NYPD.  It was mostly small time misdemeanors and some investigations which really lead nowhere.  He had asked her to get something on Frank Moretti, but she was having a hard time accessing the records.  The feds had it sealed and it was starting to look like this investigation was leading nowhere.  He looked up at Hutch who had just hung up the phone.

“Huggy wants to see us without Rico.”

“Must be important”, Starsky told him.

“Anything”, Hutch asked about the record Starsky was holding.

“Not really.  Just what we already knew.  I’m glad Nicky’s not around any of this stuff”, Starsky said with a shake of his head.  “Rico’s a good kid, Hutch.  It’s gotta be tough to live this kind of life.”

“From the sounds of it, Rico hasn’t been around it as much as you would think.  He’s pretty insistent his father’s stayed out of it for a long time.”

“He was telling me about how Sal would tell him stories from the old days”, Starsky told him.  “This thing with his Uncle has really hit him hard.”

“I’ll come over tonight after we’ve finished for the day.  He doesn’t need to be alone.”

Starsky nodded and both men stood up to leave.

Neither detective was aware that Rico had met up with his ship and gave him final instructions before sending him on his way.

Huggy walked over to Starsky and Hutch as soon as they arrived at the bar.  They could see a nervous look on his face.  The three men sat at a booth while Huggy talked.

“This hit is all over the street”, Huggy told them.  “Even the scum are running for cover.”

“Who’re the hitters”, Hutch asked.

“If they know, they won’t say.  I do know these boys came from back east and they are known to be pretty heavy handed in their dealings with the general public.”

“Any word on the Moretti family”, Starsky asked.

“The old man is retired and it’s a well known fact he’s a strict legit operator.  This brother of his coming out here was not a planned trip.”

“He may have come out here for something other than visiting his nephew”, Hutch observed.

“People are nervous with the latest rattling from the mob and everyone is out looking for number one.  No one wants to get on their bad side and I can guarantee this is the most you will get out of anyone.”

Starsky sighed and looked over at Paulie who was sitting down at a table with a drink in hand.  Starsky walked over and sat down across from Paulie.  Starsky didn’t speak as Paulie downed the drink and motioned for another one.

“How is business, Paulie”, Starsky asked.

“Day in and day out”, Paulie said nervously.

“Tell me about the ring”, Starsky asked him.

“It was a gift.”

“From who?”

“A grateful friend”, Paulie told him evenly.

Starsky sighed knowing he wasn’t about to talk.  The waitress set another drink down on the table and Starsky leaned forward after she left.

“Hear about the hit that just went down?”

“Everybody knows about it.”

“What do you know about it”, Starsky asked as he slid a twenty over to Paulie.

“I like my life”, Paulie told him.  “Go find another poor idiot to bribe.”

Paulie downed his drink and walked away from him.  Starsky sat for a minute and Hutch walked over to him.

“Hutch, we aren’t getting anywhere with this.”

“Let’s get out of here.  I know a couple of cages to rattle.”

The rest of the day had proved just as frustrating for the both of them.  No one was talking and people were practically running for cover.  Neither man could get anyone to break the silence which had come over the street. 

Hutch dropped Starsky off at his place and when Starsky walked inside, he heard the shower running.  He grabbed a beer from the fridge and he walked into the bedroom where he threw his jacket on the bed.  He turned towards the dresser and something caught his attention.

Starsky walked over and he looked down at the pocketknife sitting among some change and a wallet.  It looked almost the same he thought to himself.  Down to the silver leave wrapped around the black handled knife.  Starsky picked it up and saw the same knick he remembered when he had first seen it.

It had to be a coincidence, he told himself.  But Starsky’s gut told him otherwise.  He still remembered the fight he had with Tomey over it.  He set the knife back down and looked over to the closed bathroom door.  It was instinctive to confront Rico, but Starsky decided against it.  He decided he needed more than just a similar looking pocketknife.

That night, Starsky looked over at Rico while he studied the SOP.  He could see him looking away from time to time.  It was obvious to Starsky, Rico was distracted.  He suddenly had a feeling that he couldn’t define.  It did tell him, Rico knew more than what he was saying. 

Starsky walked over to Hutch who was sitting down at his desk and pulled a chair over to him. 

“Where’s Rico”, Hutch asked.

“I had him stay home today.”

“What’s wrong”, Hutch asked.

Starsky told him the story of his fight with Tomey over the pocketknife when he was a kid and explained how he had found that same one sitting on his dresser.

“Starsk, there’s got to be thousands of similar pocketknives.”

“I thought about that, Hutch, but this is too much of a coincidence.  Somehow I think this might be connected with Sal Moretti’s death.”

“We can run a make on Tomey”, Hutch offered.

“I know how the mob works, Hutch.  I was thinkin’, do you think your father might be able to do the make?  If we start pokin’ around too much it’ll raise some red flags.”

“I don’t see why not.  He could have someone in Washington pull it.  They can fax it to him and him to us.”

“What about running one on Frank Moretti”, Hutch asked.

“No”, Starsky told him.  “It could raise too many suspicions.  Right now I want to find out what we can about Tomey.”

“I just thought of something”, Hutch said.  “When Rico arrived, Dobey said that his transfer came down a week ago before he got here.”

“Yeah”, Starsky said.

“Nicky called you a week before Rico got here telling you he was going in the army.  Starsk, put all this together and what do you have?”

“Either somebody hiding or we’ve been at this too long.”

Starsky got up while Hutch got on the phone and he picked his up to find out exactly where Nicky was.  A few hours later, Starsky slammed the phone down in anger.  Hutch looked up at him just as Minnie handed him a file.

“Starsk”, Hutch asked as he stood up.

Starsky shook his head for a minute and walked over to his desk.  He took a deep breath and Hutch could see that Starsky was livid beyond anything he had ever seen him before.

“Nicky’s not in the army”, Starsky bit out.  “In fact no one’s seen him for almost two weeks now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I am”, Starsky said with a raised voice.  “I’m sorry.  What do you have?”

Hutch sat down and opened the file Minnie had given him.  He looked down at it and looked at Starsky.

“Tomey’s dead.  His body was pulled out of the east river two weeks ago.”

Starsky felt his heart freeze up at the statement and after a moment, he walked over to Hutch.

“What happened to him?”

“He was shot three times in the chest.”

“Is there a ballistics report”, Starsky asked.

Hutch handed it to him and Starsky quickly read it over.  He slowly sat down and looked at his partner.

“It’s the same caliber bullet as Rico’s gun”, Starsky told him.

“Jesus”, Hutch whispered.  Hutch looked over the file and looked at Starsky.

“He’s crossed paths with the law several times and he was under investigation for several hits that went down including a Councilman Martin Andrews.  There was nothing concrete.”

“I remember hearing about him”, Starsky told Hutch.  “He was really big on bringing down organized crime in the city.  He had several wiseguys brought before grand juries.  A few of them managed to get out of it.”

“This Tomey was some piece of work”, Hutch said looking through the reports.  “He was really into hurting people for a living.  He was arrested several times for assault and extortion, but no one would testify against him.  I don’t think he ever saw more than a week in the can.”

The telephone rang and Hutch reached for it.  He looked up at Starsky as he listened to Huggy relay the information he had just learned.  Hutch set the phone down after the conversation was over and he looked at Starsky.

“What”, Starsky asked.

“That was Huggy.  Rico was spotted at strip joint on Cline a few nights ago.  His source tells him that he was meeting with Sal Moretti.”

Starsky bit back a curse and yanked his jacket off the back of his chair.  He was on his way out the door with Hutch close on his heels.

Rico hung up the payphone and zipped up his jacket.  It was getting late and it was starting to rain.  His ship was getting nervous and it was taking quite a bit to convince him to take it easy.  He was the only one that knew the location of the tape.  It was taking quite a bit of Rico’s cash to keep the guy happy enough to keep it hidden.  He told him to just stay on the move and watch his back.

He looked at his watch and decided it he had better head back to Starsky’s rather than being out and about.  Rico hailed a cab and as the rain started pouring down, he ran over to the car that had slowed down.

When Starsky opened up the door to his house he froze and looked over at Hutch.  The place had been torn apart and it looked liked they had ripped into everything.  Both men pulled their guns and checked the place out. 

Hutch walked into the living room putting his gun back in its holster.  Starsky picked up his phone and set it next to the answering machine.  He saw the light flashing on the machine and hit the play button.

“Hey, Davy”, Nicky said.  “I guess I just keep missin’ you.  These guys are really kickin’ my ass all over the place.  But you’d say it was good for me.  Well, gotta go.  I’ll try ya’ later.”

After the message ended, Starsky stood there staring at the answering machine for a minute.  He grabbed it and slung it across the room.  Hutch walked over to Starsky.

“Relax, buddy.  We’ll find him.”

“Nicky’s under somewhere and Rico’s in this up to his neck”, Starsky told him trying to maintain a hold of his temper.  “What the hell happened to make ‘im hide like this?”

Both men turned at the sound of the door opening.  They looked over at Rico who was staring at the mess.  Starsky didn’t think as he took long strides over to Rico and grabbed him.  He threw him up against the wall and got in his face.

“You’d better tell me where my brother is or you’re gonna see a side of me you won’t like”, Starsky told him in a lethal voice.

Rico strained under the pressure and he looked over at Hutch who was doing nothing to stop his partner.

“I don’t know”, Rico said through clenched teeth.

“Don’t lie to me”, Starsky yelled.  “Where is he?”

“If I could even ask, they wouldn’t tell me”, Rico answered.

Hutch pulled Starsky back and looked at Rico who walked away getting his breath.

“We know you met with Sal”, Hutch told him.  “We know you and Nicky left New York at the same time.”

Rico didn’t say anything as he looked around the cluttered room.

“I saw the knife”, Starsky told him.  “It’s Tomey’s isn’t it?”

Rico looked over at Starsky and didn’t say anything as Starsky took a step over to him.

“You killed Tomey, didn’t you”, Starsky told him.  “How in the hell did you get Nicky in to this?”

“I didn’t”, Rico said raising his voice.

“Rico”, Hutch said.  “You and Nicky are obviously in hiding.  It’s time you started talking.”

“It’s too dangerous”, Rico told him.  “No one can know.”

“It’s obvious from the looks of this place that someone is on to you”, Starsky told him.  “If you don’t start talking I’m runnin’ you in as an accessory to murder.”

“You don’t have anything to make it stick”, Rico told him angrily.

“Not Sal’s”, Hutch said.  “Tomey’s.”

“You’ve got Tomey’s knife”, Starsky said.  “We’ve got the ballistic reports and the bullets match the gun you carry.  You left New York right after he was killed.  I’d say with your family connections it would give the NYPD more than enough to start their own little investigation.”

“You do that and you’ll get me killed”, Rico told him.

“Start talking”, Hutch ordered him.  “We can’t do a thing if you don’t start spilling your guts.”

Rico sighed and walked around the room for a minute.  He ran his hand through his hair and looked over at Starsky and Hutch.  They could do it very easily follow through with the threat.  The evidence would pile up around him and he wouldn’t live 24 hours to even tell anyone.

“A couple of weeks ago Nicky told me about this deal that was going down.  He said it was major and that we shouldn’t miss it.  I borrowed a camera and we found a place to stash ourselves so we could watch it.”

“Nicky told you about this”, Starsky asked.

“Yeah, he had gotten word about it.  I don’t know who told him.  Neither of us had any idea what kind of deal we were going to see.  It was a payoff.”

“What kind of payoff”, Hutch asked.

“The kind that involved the mob and a high ranking officer in the NYPD.  The Zunni brothers were there along with Tomey.”

“I take it they found the both of you”, Starsky told him.

“They paid off a cop who had set up a hit on Councilman Andrews.”

“You got all this on tape”, Hutch asked in disbelief.

Rico nodded and he looked over at Starsky who was trying to get his head together.

“Where is this tape”, Starsky asked.

“It’s floating.”

“What”, Hutch asked.

“It means that it’s out there somewhere and whoever has it will let it go public if anything happens to Rico.  He has no idea where it’s at.  It protects him and Nicky.”

“Did you kill Tomey”, Hutch asked.

“He tried to kill me”, Rico answered.  “Nicky and I barely got out of there with our skin intact.”

“Jesus”, Starsky said as he ran his hand through his hair.  “You and Nicky sure don’t do anything small.  The Zunni brothers of all people.”

“Starsky, who are these guys?”

“They are the kind of wiseguys that you stay away from all costs.  It’s a good bet they grabbed Sal and killed him.”

“Does your father know about any of this”, Hutch asked him.

“He does.  My father and Uncle Sal set it up for me to come out here.  I was just a beat cop before all this came down.”

“They falsified your record on top of it all”, Starsky said as he raised his voice.

“Why didn’t they send Nicky out here”, Hutch asked.  “It would make sense.”

“The Zunni’s probably think he is here since they’ve already been here to look for the tape”, Rico told them.  “It was Sal’s idea for me to come here.  We were hoping the steam would blow over after a while, but I guess the Zunni’s are pretty intent on getting this tape and taking me and Nicky out.”

Starsky walked around the room for a minute looking at the mess.  He stopped and looked over at Hutch.  He swung his glare over at Rico who was looking right at him.

“This doesn’t make sense”, Starsky told him.  “They could have planted you anywhere.  This would have been the first place they looked when they found out about you and Nicky.  Why did they put you here instead of Nicky?”

“I guess it was a bait and switch tactic”, Rico told him.  It was the only thing he could come up with at the moment.  “My father thought I would be safer here.”

“I don’t buy it”, Starsky said with a shake of his head.  “There’s more.”

“Starsky, what makes you thinks so”, Hutch asked him.

“Don’t you see, Hutch?  The mob can put people under as deep as the feds can.  There’s more to this.  I know it.”

Hutch looked over at Rico who was looking down at the floor.  Starsky was right.  There was more.  He looked over at Starsky who stood there for a minute and then walked into the bedroom where it had been ransacked.  He looked down at Rico’s bag which had been looked through.  The clothes hung from the bag.  Starsky grabbed it up and walked into the living room with it.

Rico started forward and Hutch put his hand on his chest and held him back.  Starsky dumped the bag out on the floor and the last thing to fall was a gold chain.  Starsky bent down and picked it up.  He had disbelief written all over his face and as he stood, Hutch saw that what Starsky was holding something he hadn’t expected.  He looked over at Rico who was slowly shaking his head.

Starsky held the locket tightly in his hand and he had to take several deep breaths to keep his composure and he slowly turned to Rico.

“Starsk”, Hutch whispered.

“Where did you get this”, Starsky asked as he held the locket in his hand.  He saw that Rico wasn’t talking and he took a step over to him.  “This was my mother’s.  I let Nicky have it.”

“Nicky wanted…”

“Don’t lie”, Starsky yelled.  “You could have given me this when you first got here!”

Rico could feel his heart pounding through his chest and he had to take a deep breath in hopes of slowing it down.  He never imagined in his lifetime this day would ever come.  He could see a blind anger in Starsky’s eyes and he licked his dry lips.

“It was my mother’s”, Rico whispered.

When he made the simple statement it hit Starsky like an arctic blast of wind.  Starsky swung his fist and hit Rico has hard as he could.  Rico fell to the floor grabbing his jaw.  He looked up to see Starsky starting towards him and Hutch stepped in front of him.

“Starsk, let’s hear him out.”

“Get him out of here”, Starsky breathed.  “I want him out of my place now!”

Hutch could see there was no arguing with his best friend.  He leaned down and helped Rico to his feet.  Hutch looked over at Rico who didn’t say anything and he headed out the door.  Hutch saw that Starsky was tightly gripping the locket in his hand.

“I’ll call you”, Hutch told him.

Starsky only nodded and when he heard the door closing.  He looked down at the locket in his hand and opened it up.  A picture with his beautiful mother, Nicky and he was inside.  It was the one he had remembered watching her touch with her hand whenever she wore it.  He remembered how she would talk about keeping the men in her life close to her heart.

He didn’t understand why Rico would lie, but when he remembered the statement from Rico’s mouth, he could feel a dark anger grip his very soul.  Starsky headed for the fridge and found a beer in the back.  He opened it up and took a long drink from it.

Hutch opened the door to his apartment and held it open for Rico.  He closed it when Rico walked into the living room.  Hutch took his jacket off and walked into the bedroom where he hung it up and he pulled off his holster.  After hanging it up, he walked into the living room where Rico was now sitting on the couch.

“You can stretch out on the couch”, Hutch told him.  “We’ll meet up with Starsky in the morning and sort this mess out.”

Rico was silent as he stared ahead.  He prayed to feel the touch of his mother’s hand.  Their brief moments they had spent together were precious to him and he knew she would make it all right.  He knew that no matter what he said, Starsky would never believe him.  It was probably just as well, he thought to himself.

Later that night after Hutch had gotten Rico settled in he sat on the bed and picked up the phone.  He dialed Starsky’s number and after several rings, it was finally answered.

“How are you doing, buddy”, Hutch asked.

“I’m just trying to clean up this mess.”

“Lay off of it for tonight”, Hutch told him.  “Get some rest.”

“I don’t get why Rico would come up with this story”, Starsky told him.  “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“You think he’s lying?”

“Hutch, come on.  This is Ma we’re talking about.  The best I can figure is that he wanted her to be his mother.  Him and Nicky were pretty tight growing up from what I gathered.”

“So he’s making it up”, Hutch said as he rubbed his eyes.

“I shouldn’t have went off like I did”, Starsky told him.  “Is Rico saying anything?”

“He’s barely said two words since we got here.”

“I guess when I’ve had a chance to cool off, we’ll hook up in the morning and figure out what we’re going to do.”

“Get some sleep, buddy.  I have a feeling tomorrow won’t be any easier than today was.”

“I’ll pick you up in the morning”, Starsky told him. 

Hutch was silent as he hung up the phone.  It didn’t make any sense, he thought to himself.  Rico didn’t strike him as a kid would lie about something like this.  He didn’t see a reason for him to even make it up.  Hutch remembered Starsky’s violent reaction to Rico’s statement.

He had never even come close to seeing Starsky lose it that badly.  It was something Hutch knew that his partner would have to get a handle on if they were going to get Rico and Nicky out of this hole they had managed to find themselves in.

After a few hours of cleaning, Starsky finally sat down on the ripped up couch and leaned back.  He rubbed his face and he was starting to feel tired.  He had tried to pick apart the complicated mess Rico and Nicky were in, but his thoughts were jumbled.  Starsky decided to just give it up for the night and as he stood, his door was kicked in.  He looked over at his gun still sitting in its holster on the bed and he made a run for it.

Starsky didn’t get far.  He was grabbed by two large men and he felt something on the back of his head.  Sudden darkness over came him and he was dragged out by his arms.

The next morning, Hutch was putting his shirt on when Rico emerged from the bathroom. 

“Help yourself to some coffee”, Hutch told him.

Rico walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup.  When he turned around, Hutch was looking at his watch.

“Starsky’s late again”, Hutch said with a sigh.  “I guess I’ll join you till he gets here.”

Hutch poured himself a cup and sat at the small table looking at Rico who was leaning against the kitchen counter.

“Is it true”, Hutch asked him.

Rico looked down at his coffee and slowly nodded.

“Since you let the cat out of the bag, tell me what happened.”

“He doesn’t believe me.  Why should you?”

“Starsk was pretty thrown by it.  What do you expect?”

“From what my father has told me, he had known Starsky and Nicky’s dad from the neighborhood.  They were sort of friends back then.  Their dad liked him, but he was careful to keep away from him, too.”

“Starsky’s dad sure did have a lot of people’s respect it seemed.”

“I don’t know.  After he was killed, Joe Durniak asked that my father check up on his widow.  I guess at first she didn’t want nothing to do with him.  My father said he fell in love with her the first time he saw her.  His wife had died five years before that and my brother Marco was just a kid at the time.  I guess after a little while, she started talking to him more.  My father said that she was always real careful about when he came around.  She would make sure Starsky and Nicky were out of the house or they would meet somewhere.  He said she fell in love with him, too.  He asked her to marry him a lot of times, but she was too afraid something would happen to her own kids.”

“What changed everything”, Hutch asked.

“She found out she was pregnant with me.  You’ve got to understand how it was in those days.  Everyone knew that her late husband was a cop and she knew how it would be taken if the truth ever came out about her and my father.  She could be used against him or her kids against him.  She knew that if anyone ever found out the truth about their relationship or me, that it could destroy her and her family.  I guess Starsky was getting to be a handful at the time and she was so scared for him, that she sent him out here to live.  She was supposed to send Nicky, but he was little and from what Nicky had said, he had begged her to let him stay.”

“She was pregnant with you when she sent Starsky out here to live?”

“Yeah, she couldn’t risk anyone finding out about me.  I was told that as she got further along, she managed to hide it and everyone assumed she had just put on some weight.  Nicky said he didn’t know till that day.”

“The day you were born”, Hutch said with a sigh.

“My father knew she was right when he found out she was pregnant.  He arranged for a midwife to come to the house to help with the delivery.”

Rico stopped for a minute and wiped his eyes.  He took a deep breath before he continued.

“When I was born, she told him to take me.  She loved me and she was scared something would happen if people found out my father was Frank Moretti.  My father told me that he could live with her and still raise her kids.  They would do it together, but she refused.  She said she couldn’t risk it.  She knew he would do right by me and she made him promise to let her see me sometimes.  When he told me this, I could see how heartbroken he was over it.  He said seeing her give up her own child was the hardest thing he had ever seen in his life.  He would tell me how strong she was and how much courage it took for her to put me first like that.”

“How many people know”, Hutch asked as he cleared his throat.

“Maybe half a dozen.  My father said if anyone said a word he would make sure they didn’t see the light of day.  It was then she extracted a promise out of him.”

“To go straight.”

“Yeah, he promised her he wouldn’t let her down in raising me.  I guess it took a few years, but he managed to give up his activities and he started a few legitimate businesses.  Marco runs most of them now.”

“Nicky knows?”

“Yeah”, Rico said with a small smile.  “I guess he saw everything that day.  He was there when I was born and he watched his mother give me to my father.  He told me when they left he followed them to my father’s house.  I don’t know how he did it, but he found the house.  He was caught and brought to my father.  From what Nicky said, in his eyes he thought he had just taken me.  My father set him straight on everything and told him he was a big brother now.  He expected him to act like it.  Nicky’s been there ever since I can remember.  The only way I could see my mother was when he was with me.  No one would have thought twice about a couple of kids walking into my mother’s house.  She was like that.”

“Jesus”, Hutch said.  “It must have been hell on her only getting visits from time to time.”

“I guess.  She never let on.  She would tell me how much she loved me and that I understood she did it to protect all of us.  I’ve always understood how it was.”

Rico looked over at Hutch with emotion in his eyes.

“I loved her and she was my mother.  She’s told me that she loved my father.  I’ve never doubted it.  You are the first person that I’ve ever spoken of it to except for Nicky.  Do you understand why I’ve been kept a secret?”

“I do”, Hutch said with a sigh.  “It couldn’t have an easy one to keep for this long.  I could see why it was decided to put you out here.  Starsky’s always made his feelings well known how he feels about the mafia considering the history.  Nicky gave you the locket?”

“Yeah, he brought it to me the day after the funeral.  He wanted to give me more, but he knew it was too dangerous.”

“If anyone gets wind of this, Rico…”

“I know. 

Hutch looked at his watch and stood up to walk to the phone.  He dialed Starsky’s number and after not getting an answer, he grabbed his jacket.

“If Starsky shows up, tell him I’m on my way to his place.  I’ll swing back by here and we’ll figure out where we go from here.”

“If he doesn’t believe me, I’m not going to try and force it”, Rico told him.  “I don’t want you to either.  It’s for the best.”

Hutch looked at Rico for a moment and he knew the incredible story he had just told him was true.  He gave him a short nod and headed out the door.

Hutch had his gun out when he saw the busted open door of Starsky’s.  He nudged it open with the barrel and slowly walked inside.  Hutch didn’t see anyone as he kept it raised.  He looked over at the bedroom and he could see the gun still lying on the bed.

He put his gun away and walked over to the phone and dialed his place. 

“Rico, it’s me.  Starsky’s been snatched.  I want you to lock the door and keep your piece ready…I’m on my way there…Yeah…I’m putting you on ice…Stay put.”

Hutch hung up the phone and headed out the door.

Anthony Zunni looked over at his brother Gino who was eating a roll.  He looked over at the cop who was tied to the chair and hunched over.  It had been a hell of a long night and the cop hadn’t said a word the entire night.  The phone rang and he picked it up.

“Yeah”, Anthony said

“The blonde cop just left his place.”

“Hit his place now and see what you can find.”

“Nicky might be there.”

“If he’s there, grab him and get him here”, Anthony ordered him.

He looked over at Gino and covered the receiver with his hand.

“Rico might be there, too”, Gino told him. 

Anthony nodded and he turned back to the receiver.

“If either of those punks are there, I want ‘em.”

“Want us to strip the place down?”

“No.  It won’t matter if we get one of ‘em.”

Anthony hung up the phone and looked at Gino who was popping the last of his roll in his mouth.

“The cop won’t talk”, Gino said.  “If he knows anything, he ain’t sayin.”

“If those goombah’s fuck this up, I’ll kill ‘em”, Anthony told him.  “We get one of those punks over here, somebody’ll talk before the day is out.”

Gino laughed and both men looked at the unconscious cop in the chair.

Rico had checked his weapon and put it in its holster and he was strapping it on when, the door suddenly crashed open.  He went for it, but two guns were already out and the barrels stared at him.  Rico didn’t say a word as he slowly raised his hands. 

He knew they were Zunni’s boys by the looks of them.  They came over to him and he felt one of them pull the gun from it’s holster.

“Long time no see, Rico”, one of them said.  “Somebody wants to talk to ya’ real bad.”

Rico was silent as he was pushed forward.  He slowly walked out of the apartment and he could see there was no getting out this time.

Hutch’s face was grim when he arrived at his place.  He stood in the middle of the room and cursed loudly.  He knew what had happened.  His partner and his partner’s brother were taken.  Hutch knew who took them, but where?  He knew he had to act quick as he left his place.

Starsky’s head was beginning to clear and he slowly raised his head.  He looked over at the Zunni brothers who were quietly talking amongst themselves.  He only knew them by reputation but the night had proven, he knew all he wanted to know.  He was sore, tired and bloody.  He heard the door open and Starsky moved his head slightly when he heard footsteps.  He could see the cohorts with the Zunni’s were arriving with an extra body.

He didn’t recognize who it was at first, but when he saw the side of his face, he knew it was Rico.  Starsky moved his hands a little and the ropes had no give whatsoever.  He still couldn’t feel his hands too much and he watched as Anthony stood up as Rico was brought over to him.

“Rico”, Anthony said with a shake of his head.  “I figured I’d be getting Nicky, but instead I get you.  So where is the little punk?”

Rico stayed silent.  He knew Starsky was behind him tied to a chair, but he refused to allow it have any power of him.  Once he did, it would be the end for the both of them.

“I ain’t askin’ again”, Anthony said as he pulled his black leather gloves out.  “I want Nicky Starsky and I want the tape.”

Rico didn’t say anything as he felt his arms grabbed by Zunni’s goons.  He steeled himself because he knew what was going to happen.  The images of those he loved floated in his mind and he would do it for them, he told himself.

Anthony stretched his fingers in the gloves as he pulled them on.  He made a show of how the leather tightened around his hands as he flexed them. Rico took a deep breath as he watched Anthony fisting his hands.  Before he felt even ready, Anthony buried a hard fist into his gut.  Then he suddenly felt two more knock the wind from him.  He was almost to a knee, but the goons held him up.  He coughed and he felt nauseous from the assault.  He felt someone grab his hair and yank his head up.

“What makes you think they’d tell me where Nicky is”, Rico told him through gritted teeth.

“That wasn’t for Nicky”, Anthony told him.  “That was for Tomey.  And so is this.”

Anthony gave Rico a hit across the face and another one in the gut.  Rico moaned in pain and he could feel the warm liquid pouring from his nose.  He was counting on the fact that his nose was broken from the feel of it.

“I ain’t even got started with you yet, kid.  You’ve got a hell of a lot of payin’ for takin’ Tomey out”, Anthony told him.  “Hell, you probably don’t know where Nicky is.  But I’m willin’ to bet that before it’s over you’ll be beggin’ for me to kill you.  You’re Uncle Sal was beggin’, Rico.  I never heard a grown man cry so much in my life.”

Rico felt his anger boil over at the mention of his beloved uncle and he strained against the arms that held him.  He looked straight ahead and kept his focus.  He knew he had to keep his focus.  His head was grabbed again only this time Anthony was yanking it up by his gloved hand.

“Where’s the tape”, Anthony ground out.  “I know you got it, kid.”

“I don’t have it”, Rico breathed angrily.

“He might have it on a ship”, Gino told his brother.

“Is that what you did, Rico”, Anthony said as he yanked on his head.  “Did you put it on a ship?”

Rico angrily spit at Anthony and he got a backhand across the face for his effort.  Anthony walked away and motioned for his brother.

“He won’t talk”, Gino told him. 

“If he put it on a ship, it’s only a matter of time before it goes public”, Anthony told him.  “It’ll tear down our entire operation.”

“I’ll have some cages rattled and see what shakes loose.”

“No”, Anthony told him.  “I’ve got another idea.  Just follow my lead.”

Anthony walked back over to Rico who was catching his breath.  Anthony looked at him.  He knew the kid was barely standing as it was and he almost smiled at his next tactic.

“Rico, did you know I used to work for your old man?”

Rico looked up at Anthony Zunni and kept his tongue.

“It was a long time ago.  You were just a squalling little brat.  You’re old man and I parted ways.  He had no problem lettin’ me find my own way even though I didn’t get his blessing.”

He looked over at Gino who was moving to stand over by Starsky.  He motioned for his men to bring Rico over.  They walked Rico over to were Starsky sat in the chair.  He felt a sudden kick in the back of one of his knees and he landed on the hard cement.  A wooden desk separated them.  Rico was tightly held as he looked at Starsky at almost eye level.  Please no, he begged silently.

He looked over at a noise being made and Anthony was picking up an aluminum baseball bat out of the corner.  Rico watched him swing it around like a baseball player warming up for his step up to the plate.  Anthony walked over to Rico and carefully took his time as he approached him.  He kneeled down next to Rico and put the bat on the desk for all to see.

“You see, kid.  I started working for your old man almost two years before you were even born.  He had this thing for this gal back in the neighborhood and at first she didn’t give him the time of day.  It was funny watchin’ him make a fool out of himself over some dame who didn’t give a rat’s ass about some wiseguy.”

Starsky looked over at Anthony Zunni and then over at Rico who was struggling to break the hold he was in.  Anthony scooted in next to Rico and put his arm around him.

“I was there”, Anthony told him.  “I sat downstairs in that old house and listened to your old lady yelling as she spit you out.  I watched your old man coming down those stairs carrying a screaming kid.  You know what, Rico.  That kid was you.  You’re brother was peeking around the banister when your old man walked out of that house with you.”

Rico looked at Starsky and he could see the denial on his face.  Rico looked at him squarely.

“It’s not true”, Rico told him.  “I lied to you.  It’s not true.”

Rico prayed Starsky would believe him, but he wasn’t sure if it was working or not.  Anthony stood up and walked behind Rico and yanked his head by the hair forcing him to look at Starsky. 

“He kinda looks like her, don’t ya’ think”, Anthony asked Starsky.  “Frank told us if we said anything we’d be digging our own graves.  I knew this little piece of information would come into good use so I filed it away.  I never thought I’d need it for something like this.”

“It’s on a ship”, Rico told him.  “My port call is past due and it’ll be docking before you even get a bullet in my head.”

“Rico”, Gino said.  “It ain’t even noon yet.  I’d bet good money your port call ain’t even due yet.”

“You willing to bet your life”, Rico said.  “You know how it works.  If I’m dead, you all are dead.  If the tape goes public you either go down for life or you’re dead for cuttin’ a deal.”

Anthony had a satisfied look on his face and he picked the bat up off the desk.  He used the end of the bat to nudge Starsky’s head just enough to look over at Rico.

“So what do you think of your kid brother”, Anthony asked him.  “Who’d have thought he’d be a cop like his big brother?”

“It’s a lie”, Rico told him.  “Don’t believe it.”

“I don’t”, Starsky said with an even look at Rico.

The bat came crashing down in the middle of the wooden desk leaving an indentation the size of a baseball.

“Rico”, Anthony said as he set the bat on his shoulder.  “I used to watch Nicky leadin’ you around by the nose.  I must’ve seen you and your brother go into the ole lady’s house a thousand times over the years.”

Anthony looked over at Starsky and saw a flash of gold around his neck.  Anthony reached over and yanked it off of his neck breaking the chain.  Starsky gave him a deadly look as he held the locket in his hand. 

“This was in his bag”, Anthony said to Starsky.  “I’d say you found it there and you had a million questions for the kid.”

Anthony tossed the locket on the desk and he grabbed Starsky by the hair and forced him to look at Rico.

“You’re kid brother over there has a ship with something I want”, Anthony ground out.  “He ain’t told anybody who his ship is and I’m willin’ to bet that he’ll sing like a canary if he sees his big brother, the cop, getting busted up.”

Anthony motioned to his men and Gino dragged an empty chair over to the desk.  Rico was thrown into the chair and tied down.  They walked over to Starsky and untied his hands.  Starsky was held by one man while his right hand was forced onto the desk. 

Starsky looked over at Rico whose eyes were wide at what was about to happen.

“Rico”, Starsky said.  “No matter what…”

Starsky felt a hard hit to the back of his head and he heard a shut up from someone.  He concentrated on Rico.  Starsky still didn’t believe it, but what mattered was the fact that Rico believed it.  Rico started to close his eyes and his head was yanked back painfully.

“Don’t close your eyes, kid”, Gino whispered in his ear.

Starsky was taking several deep breaths and he tried to pull his hand away, but to no avail.  He struggled as hard as he could and when he looked over at Rico he was being held tightly as he was forced to watch the ugly scene play out.  Anthony swung the bat up and it crashed down on Starsky’s hand.  Starsky let an involuntary scream escape his throat as the agonizing pain hit him instantly on all sides.  He felt his hand released, but he was afraid to move the broken limb.  He slowly pulled it over to him and cradled it in his lap.

The man to his left pulled that hand up as well and put it on the table.  Rico looked over at Anthony who was swinging the bat around with his right hand.  He saw him raise the bat over his head and he looked at the pain-filled eyes of his brother.

“Alright”, Rico screamed out with tears in his eyes.

Anthony stopped what he was doing and walked over to him and set the bat on Rico’s shoulder.

“Rico”, Anthony said.  “Is that your brother over there with the busted hand?”

“Yes”, Rico whispered. 

“You’re old man knocked up his old lady.”

Rico nodded and he closed his eyes when he saw the looking coming from Starsky.   He felt the metal bat under his chin and Rico looked at Anthony.

“Who’s your ship”, Anthony asked him.

“You can’t find him”, Rico told him.  “I don’t even know where he is.”

“When’s your port call, kid”, Gino asked him.

“Six tonight”, Rico said with a broken voice.

Rico was yanked out of the chair with his hands still tied behind his back and he was staring into the vicious eyes of Anthony.

“That’s over 8 hours”, Anthony said with gritted teeth. 

“I could tell you who he is, but everyone think he’s just a down on his luck drunk.  He’s floating and he won’t make an appearance until I make my port call.”

“Where does he pick up his call”, Gino asked with a yank.

“I don’t know where”, Rico told him.  “It could be anywhere.”

“If you’re lyin’, Rico, you’re brother over there won’t be walkin’ cause I’ll take his legs off”, Anthony said with an evil tone.  “Lock ‘em up.  They can bond as brothers should.”

Rico was yanked away and he heard a groan coming from Starsky.  He knew he was being pulled on as roughly as he was.  God please let it be enough time, Rico thought to himself.

After they were taken away, Anthony motioned for Gino.

“Eight hours might be just to buy him some time”, Gino told Anthony.

“We can push the time and the search for the ship”, Anthony replied.  “I want the number on the blonde cop.  He’ll have more than enough motivation to make it happen.”

“He’ll try and bluff us, Anthony.”

“He won’t dare”, Anthony said with knowing eyes.

Hutch paced Captain Dobey’s office relentlessly.  He could feel his sanity slipping away every minute that passed with no word from Starsky.  He still remembered the broken body of Sal Moretti and he prayed Starsky and Rico would escape the hellacious torture.

“I had to pull a hell of a lot of strings to get these records from the feds on the Zunni brothers.  There’s nothing in there that will help us track down Starsky and Rico”, Dobey told him.

Dobey sighed as he looked at the worried face of Hutch.

“Hutchinson, I’ve got every cop in the city looking for Starsky and Rico.  The APB’s on the Zunni brothers might break soon.”

“I’m not going to just sit here and wait”, Hutch said with a raised voice.

“What the hell more can I do”, Dobey yelled back.

“I know what we can do.”

Hutch slung the door open and Dobey followed him out to the squad room where detectives and cops were working.

“Listen up”, Hutch hollered.  “Starsky and Rico Moretti have been abducted as you all well know.  The Zunni brothers from back east are the ones that took them and they’ve been hidden underground.  I want every one of you to get out on the streets and rattle every snitch you’ve got.  If the Zunni’s have a girlfriend, boyfriend, dog or cat, check ‘em out.  If you even think you might know where they might be get word out.  Don’t try and be a hero.  I don’t give a damn if it’s an old warehouse, doghouse or outhouse.  Get back-up.  These people are deadly and they will not hesitate to take out a cop.”

No one moved after Hutch finished.

“Get the hell out of here and get to work”, Dobey yelled.

Everyone moved and Dobey looked over at Hutch who was putting his jacket on.  His phone rang and Hutch answered it.

“Hutchinson.”

“You’ve got four hours to get the tape or the boys in blue die.  We’ll be in touch.”

Hutch never had a chance to even speak when he heard the click of the phone.  He looked over at Dobey.

“We’ve got a clock”, Hutch told him as he set the receiver down.

“How much time?”

“Four hours.”

“Jesus”, Dobey breathed.

“I’ll check in with Huggy and I’ll start strong arming everyone I know.”

“Watch yourself”, Dobey told him as he left.

Rico leaned back against the wall and looked over at Starsky who was hunched over cradling his broken hand.  He hurt like hell and he could only wonder how badly Starsky felt.  He wiped the blood from his face and ran his hand on his jeans.  He scooted over to Starsky and saw that the hand was indeed broken.  It looked like Anthony’s bat had bashed in the top of his hand in and the fingers looked to be all intact. 

He looked around the room and saw a pile of dirty towels in the corner.  Rico grimaced as he pushed himself up and walked over to them.  He sorted through them and found one that looked to be big enough.  He made his way back to Starsky and sat near him.

“Let’s get this immobile”, Rico whispered.

Starsky kept silent but Rico could see the contortion of pain on his face as he fashioned a sling around him.  He was careful as he set the hand inside of it.  When he was finished Rico looked at Starsky.

“I’m sorry”, Rico told him.  “I just couldn’t let ‘em…”

“It’s okay”, Starsky said as he pulled himself up.  “I knew it wouldn’t take long.”

“I can’t believe I was so damn weak”, Rico said as he sat back against the wall.

“These guys don’t play by the rules.  Their tactics would have been enough to break anybody.  You might have bought us enough time for Hutch to find us.”

“You don’t believe me, do you”, Rico told him.

“Rico, I think you believe it.”

Rico leaned his head back against the wall and sighed.

“Even after what Anthony Zunni said”, Rico replied.

“Now there’s a paragon of virtue”, Starsky said with pain in his voice. 

Starsky moved around a bit in hopes of finding a more comfortable position, but it was useless.  He figured he’d be hurting for a while.

“This ship of yours”, Starsky asked.  “When is the call?”

“At four”, Rico answered. 

“So if we hang around here, and the ship docks…”

“We could be dead before the time is up if word gets out.”

“You just made my day”, Starsky said with a small smile.  “I was supposed to have a date tonight.”

“I was supposed to read that stupid SOP”, Rico said with a chuckle.

Hutch sat across from Huggy as the waitress poured him a cup of coffee.  After she left, both men leaned forward to talk.

“The word is all over about Starsky and Rico”, Huggy told him.  Nobody is talking.  Everyone’s trying to protect what little they got.  Turning on the mob isn’t exactly the most healthy thing to do.”

“Huggy, you’ve got to pull in some favors.  Someone’s got to know something.  The Zunni’s have to know someone here in order to stash Starsky and Rico like they have.”

“I don’t know”, Huggy said.  “I’ve got a few sources over by the waterfront I haven’t talked to in a while.  Maybe they know something.”

Hutch sat back and looked away for a moment.  Huggy saw a sudden far away look on him and he was starting to think Hutch had fallen off the deep end.  Hutch looked back at him.

“Ships”, Hutch said simply.

“What?”

“I heard Rico mention a ship and floaters.”

“The mob uses them a lot for their blackmail operations.  They hand over something important to someone they trust.  They’re called ships.  The ship floats around and will only dock unless under very specific instructions.  They do quite well financially speaking.”

“Rico gave the tape to a ship.”

“This guy will float around, make sure he’s not seen.  The way I figure it, Rico makes a port call and if it’s missed, the ship docks.”

“It goes public”, Hutch guesses.

“It goes to whoever he instructed it to go to.”

“Rico’s only been in town a few weeks”, Hutch told him.  “He hasn’t made any friends that I’m aware of and the only person he hooked up with was Sal.”

“These guys are very private about their ships, Hutch.  It’s a life and death thing and it takes a load of cash to keep ‘em floating.  Otherwise, they’d drop it and move on.”

“We find who has that tape.  It might give us what we need to find Starsky and Rico.”

Hutch rubbed his face and stood up.  He was turning around when he heard the phone ring.  He looked back at the payphone and started to leave and then he stopped.  The phone kept ringing and he took a few steps towards it.  He looked at Huggy.

“That runner”, Hutch said.  “Paulie.”

“Yeah.”

“Where is he?”

“I haven’t really paid any attention, but come to think of it, he hasn’t been around for a couple of days.”

“Remember that ring Rico was talking about”, Hutch told him. 

“He’s the ship”, Huggy told him.

“Get a line on him and call me when you get something.  My ears only, Huggy.”

“You’ve got it.  I should know something soon.”

“We’ve got less than four hours before the clock runs out.”

Hutch quickly left and got into his car out front.  He started it up and headed back to the precinct.  He knew putting an APB out on Paulie might not be such a wise idea.  He didn’t want to risk Paulie getting caught before he could find Starsky and Rico.  If Huggy used his resources, it would pay off faster than an all points bulletin.

He sighed as he thought about ways to get Starsky and Rico.  The clock was ticking down and every second that passed was that much less than they had.  Hutch’s mind wandered for a bit as he drove and he thought about how Rico had seemed to know what he was doing in every situation he found himself in.  From there it seemed to be a natural progression to Paulie who looked to be the prime candidate as the ship. 

Hutch remembered watching Rico talking to him and he remembered watching Starsky talk to him.  Where would a guy like that go?  Hutch suddenly recalled how much alcohol the guy had put away on those two short occasions he had observed him.  As the thought hit him, he shook his head a bit.  No, Hutch told himself.  But it made sense, too.  It was the one place the mob would never think of looking and Paulie would be able to answer his calls.

He floored the accelerator of his car and pushed the car as hard as it would go.  It made sense to Hutch, but he knew everyone would think he was crazy.  It was a hunch and he would bet Starsky’s car he was right.

Hutch walked up to the officer sitting behind the desk and flashed his badge at him.

“I need to see your arrests in the last 24 hours”, Hutch told him.

“Sure.  Who are you looking for?”

“Paulie”, Hutch told him.  “Look in the drunk tank.”

The officer went through the names on his clipboard and as he looked at the second page he shook his head.

“No, Sgt.  There isn’t even anyone by the name of Paul.”

“What about John Doe’s”, Hutch asked. 

“Looks like we’ve got four of them.  These guys are usually so out of it by the time we get ‘em, we’ve got to wait a while before we can get any names.”

“Take me back there”, Hutch told him.  “I want to see who you’ve got.”

The officer grabbed his keys and after a few minutes, Hutch was looking through the bars at the various drunks lying around the large cell.  He sighed when he didn’t see him and he walked to the next one and he carefully looked.  He saw the familiar checkered blazer he remembered from before.  He pointed at him and sent the officer inside after him.

Hutch watched as the young officer tapped him on the shoulder.  He saw his head come up and Hutch watched as Paulie sat up and looked over at him.  The officer pulled him to his feet and brought him to Hutch.

“I need a room”, Hutch told him.

The officer pointed to a room just down the hall and Hutch pulled Paulie into it.

“You’re the cop”, Paulie told him.  “I remember you.”

“You’re the ship”, Hutch said.  “I need the tape.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”, Paulie denied.

“My partner and Rico Moretti are missing.  The Zunni brothers have them and if I don’t move fast, they’re both dead.  Either you can help me get them back or you can find yourself accessory after the fact.”

“If anyone finds out about me, I’m dead”, Paulie told him.  “If Rico doesn’t make his call, I drop it at the D.A.’s office.”

“If you turn it over, they will kill them”, Hutch told him.  “If I’ve got the tape there’s a chance they’ll come out of this alive and the Zunni’s go down.”

“It’s too dangerous for me to get to it”, Paul explained.  “If by some chance, Rico’s talked, they’ll be looking for me.  I know the Zunni brothers and they will make him talk if it’s the last thing they do.”

“How were you planning on getting it to the D.A. if Rico didn’t make his call?”

“I know a guy by the name of Jackknife.  Everyone thinks he’s a fruit, but he pulls the act so he can watch without being seen.”

Hutch heard a knock at the door and the officer poked his head inside.

“Sgt. Hutchinson, there’s a call for you.  You can use the phone on the desk.”

Hutch walked over and picked it up.

“Hutchinson.”

“It’s Huggy.”

“Tell me you have something.”

“I’ve got a hooker”, Huggy said.  “She was invited to do a strip show for some wiseguys three nights ago and apparently the party got out of hand.”

“Was it the Zunni’s?

“Sounds like it.  One of ‘em worked her over pretty good and she had to give it up for all four of them.”

“Where was this party?”

“There’s an old office building that’s supposed to get renovated on Canal Street.  The old Carlisle theatre sits caddy corner from it.”

“I know where it’s at”, Hutch said as he looked over at Paulie.  “Huggy, I need a favor.  Be out front of your bar in fifteen minutes.”

Hutch hung up the phone and looked over at Paulie.

“I’ve got an idea that will keep you out of the picture”, Hutch told him.  “If this works everyone wins and the Zunni’s go down.”

Paulie followed Hutch out of the office.  They got into Hutch’s car and he sped towards Huggy’s.  He stopped the car out front of the bar and Huggy walked over and put his hand on the hood and peered inside.  Hutch pulled his notebook out and wrote something down. 

“Huggy, do you know Jackknife?”

“Yeah, he’s a loon with good eyes.”

“Get him over here”, Hutch told him.  “Paulie’s going to tell him where to get the tape and I want it delivered to this person at this address.”

Huggy took the paper and looked down at it.

“Are you crazy”, Huggy asked him.

“Huggy”, Hutch said.  “No matter what happens, the Zunni’s will kill Starsky and Rico.  I’ve got to make sure this gets out while there is still time.  Keep Paulie on ice.”

“If this tape goes public, they’ll be dead”, Huggy argued.

“I want that tape delivered by three”, Hutch told him.  “If you don’t hear from me by then, it won’t matter because Starsky, Rico and I will be dead.  No matter what happens that tape has to be delivered.  All the networks will pick up the feed and the Zunni’s will go down one way or the other.”

Hutch put the car in drive and sped away squealing the tires as he went.  He reached for his radio and brought the mic to his mouth.

“Headquarters, this is Zebra 3.  Patch me through to Dobey.”

After a minute of waiting, Hutch looked down when he heard Dobey’s voice.

“This is Dobey.”

“Cap, I know where Starsky and Rico are.  I need a team of about twenty cops and they need to be ready to go by the time I get there.  I’m ten minutes away.”

“You’ll have it.”

“Also, we need a blueprint of an office building on Canal Street.  It’s on the corner of Junction Avenue.”

“I’ll get it and there’ll be one with the surrounding buildings as well.  We’ve got two hours to plan and get set up.”

“We’ll do it”, Hutch said with determination.

Less than ten minutes later, Hutch was parking outside the station where Dobey was waiting for him.  He got out of his car and hurried around to walk inside.  Dobey met him and both men headed inside.

“I’ve got the men waiting for the briefing”, he told Hutch.  “Why not just bluff them and trade for Starsky and Rico?”

“These people are animals, Captain.  They’re not stupid.  Our best bet is to hit ‘em when they least expect it.  How many are plainclothes?”

“I’ve got four teams.  Any idea how you want to proceed?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a real good idea.”

Hutch and Dobey walked through the squad room doors and Hutch took long strides and stood at the head of the room.  He looked at the maps pinned to the wall.  He scanned them quickly and turned around.

“The clock runs out on Starsky and Moretti in less than two hours”, Hutch told the room.  “I want SWAT to take the roof on this building.”

Hutch pointed to an area on the map and he continued.

“Starsky and Rico are more than likely in one of three offices near the center of the building.  The outer offices have large windows so don’t expect to see them playing cards in them.  I’ll have two teams with me to go in through this back entrance and I want three teams around each side of the building.  With the exception of SWAT there is to be no one in the front of the building.  The Zunni’s get wind we’re there before we’re ready, they’ll use Starsky and Moretti as hostages and it’ll blow up in our face.  The plainclothes will scatter and play indigenous.  I want you people in place before we get there.  Keep your radios handy and when the word comes down, we’ve got to move fast.  It’ll be the Zunni brothers and two others inside.  Remember, these are dangerous men and they are not above taking out a cop.  Shoot to kill.  I want everyone in position in less than 45 minutes.  Let’s move.”

Hutch walked to the back of the room while everyone spilled out of the office.  Dobey walked over to him and put his blazer on.

“I’ll coordinate at the scene.  Take a SWAT team member in with you.  They’ve got a few new toys that’ll help you get inside quietly.”

“We can’t jump the gun on this, Cap”, Hutch told him.  “We’re playing it pretty close to the wire as it is.”

“We’ll get ‘em out of there, Hutchinson.”

Hutch could only nod and he followed Dobey out of the squad room.

Rico looked over at Starsky who was starting to look a little pale.  He had perspiration on his forehead and he could only lean back against the wall with his eyes closed.  Rico felt his forehead and he could feel the warmth coming from him.

“You’re starting to burn up”, Rico said with a worried look.

“I guess those damn Zunni’s did a better job on me than what I thought”, Starsky said with closed eyes. 

“They’ve always been good at what they do”, Rico said as he checked Starsky’s hand.  “Do you think Hutch’ll find us?”

“If I know Hutch, he’s probably crawling up some ass to get to us.”

“The Zunni’s aren’t known for their patience”, Rico told him.  “They might have tried to push up the clock.”

“We’ll get out of here”, Starsky told him as he slowly opened his eyes.  “Hutch has never let me down before and he won’t this time.”

Rico leaned back against the wall and sighed.  Please let it be true, he thought silently.

Hutch had his .357 out and made sure it was loaded and ready to go.  They were two blocks from the building and Hutch pulled out his radio and checked to make sure it was working.  He looked over at Dobey who was talking on the radio.  Dobey tossed the mic in his car and looked over at a SWAT team member walking towards them.

“Hutchinson, this is Walker.  He’ll go in with you.”

“What have you got”, Hutch asked him.

“I’ve got a scope that’ll fit under the door.  We’ll be able to see if anyone is in that hallway.  I’ve also got a little device the CIA let us have.  It’ll unlock the door with very little noise.”

“You’d better be sure about that”, Hutch warned him.  “If they know we’re coming before we get in, we might as well bury Starsky and Moretti right now.”

“It’ll work, Sgt.”

“Let’s go”, Hutch told him.

Dobey watched them and looked down at the street.  It had been cornered off and he hoped this plan of Hutchinson’s worked.

Hutch walked with the officer towards the rendezvous with the other officers and when he heard his radio he pulled it out.

“Hutchinson.”

“Mason with SWAT”, the voice said.  “I’ve got two in sight right now.”

“Scan the room.  See Starsky and Moretti?”

“Negative.  I do see a few automatics on a table.”

“Keep watching them and don’t move until you get the word.  Radio silence until further notice.”

Hutch turned the radio down as they approached the waiting officers.

“Soon as we get through the door split up.  Walker, you’re with me.  The rest of you fan out and keep out of sight.  I’ll use two clicks on the radio for the go.”

Everyone nodded and readied their weapons.  As they were walking down the alley, Hutch looked over at walker who was pulling a device out of his backpack.  When the back of the building came into sight, Hutch sent two officers to scope it out.  He pulled his gun out and the group made it to the back door without being seen.

Hutch looked over at Walker who set the scope down and put the end just under the door.  It was a tense few seconds as he looked through the view finder.  He looked over at Hutch and gave him a thumbs up.  Hutch reached over and turned the knob, but the door was locked as expected.  Walker then pulled out a compact size detonator with a small amount of C-4.  He attached it to the door knob and a second later a hissing sound was heard and smoke came from it.

Not wanting to take any chances whatsoever, Hutch motioned for Walker to use the scope once again to check for anyone in the hallway.  Walker looked through the view finder and he suddenly held his hand up.  Hutch froze and watched the SWAT officer relax and then give him another thumbs up.

Hutch slowly eased the door open and he peered inside.  The hallway split straight ahead and to his right.  He eased himself inside with Walker and the team behind him.  He and walker moved straight ahead with their weapons ready while the two teams eased down the hallway to the right. 

Rico sits next to Starsky on the floor and looks up at the Zunni brothers.  Starsky manages to lean his head back with his eyes open looking at the two men.  He notices Gino is the one holding the baseball bat.  Gino walks over and points it at Starsky’s chest.

“Think your blonde partner has the know how to find the ship”, Gino asks him.

“What’d you do”, Rico asked him.

Anthony walks over to Rico and puts his foot against his shoulder and pushes him back against the wall.

“If he don’t answer our call in thirty minutes, they’ll be diggin’ you out of cement shoes”, Anthony told him.

“We figure it like this”, Gino said looking down at Starsky.  “If he don’t get us the tape, your brother gets it.  Then we’ll give your buddy till the port call to get it to us.  By then, it won’t matter one way or the other.”

Rico looked over at Starsky who was breathing hard.

“I never met such stupid wiseguys”, Starsky breathed.  “It won’t matter whether we’re dead or not.  You’ll be lying face first in a river.  How long do you think you’ll walk when Frank Moretti gets wind of what you’ve done?”

Anthony leaned down and jerked Rico to his feet.  He throws him against the wall and hits him in the gut.  Rico starts to go down and Anthony pulls him to his feet and holds him against the wall.

“I figure it won’t matter who we off first”, Anthony stated.  “I’ve had my eye on Rico, here, for offin’ Tomey.”

Anthony held his hand out and Gino tossed him the baseball bat.  As soon as Anthony catches it, he steps back and swings it at Rico’s ribs.  Soon as it hits, Rico goes down with an agonizing scream escaping his lips.  He falls to the floor holding his ribs and rolls on the floor gasping in pain.

Starsky moves towards him and Gino plants a foot in the middle of his chest and shoves him painfully against the wall.

“You son of a bitch”, Starsky yelled.

Anthony ignored Starsky’s outrage and looked over at Gino who still had his foot on the cop’s chest.

“Get the boys and tell them to be ready.  That cop might get a few ideas before we get the tape.”

Gino nodded and left the room.  Anthony looked down at Rico who laid on the floor groaning.  He looked over at Starsky.

“This kid’s weaker than you”, Anthony said with a snicker.

Starsky watched him leave and after the door was closed he slid over to Rico and put his hand on his shoulder.

“You’ve gotta hang in there”, Starsky told him.  “We’ll get out of here.”

Rico couldn’t answer from the intense pain in his entire chest.  He felt like he was dying and he could feel the comforting hand of his brother as he lay on the floor.

Hutch was positioned farther down the hallway and he could hear the Zunni brothers and the men just around the corner in the open room where they had set up shop.  He had heard something loud, but he didn’t know what it was.  Please don’t let it be Starsky, Hutch prayed as he reached for his radio.

He looked back at Walker and motioned for him to be ready.  It was time to move.  Hutch pressed the button twice giving the signal for everyone to move.  He moved out suddenly with Walker next to him and they jumped out with guns drawn.

“Police!  Freeze”, Hutch yelled.

At that moment on the other side, the other officers appeared with guns drawn as well.  It was then all hell seemed to break loose.  The four men grabbed their guns and ducked for cover.  Hutch and Walker had to dive for cover when machine gun fire erupted around them.

The officers returned fire as the Zunni brothers and their buddies used wooden desks for cover.  Hutch used the opportunity to pick up his radio to give an order.

“Take a shot when you’ve got it”, Hutch yelled into the radio.

The gun battle seemed to last an eternity and the officers were finding themselves outnumbered by the automatic weapons that were leveled at them.  The Zunni brothers were well protected, but they knew they needed a way out.

Gino made it to the room and yanked Starsky away from Rico.  He pulled him out and Starsky was too weak to fight him as he was used as a shield.  Starsky looked back at Rico who was still lying on the floor.

Hutch’s breath caught as he saw one of the men pulling on Starsky.  He grabbed his radio.

“One of ‘em’s got a cop”, Hutch barked out.  “Get a shot on him.”

“No shot. No shot”, the voice over the radio said. 

Hutch bit back a curse as he kept his gun out.  The gunshots were lessening as everyone realized that Starsky was going to be used to keep them alive.  As quickly as the shots died down, Starsky was pushed forward and he went flying to the ground.  At that moment, the sharpshooter fired killing Gino instantly.

Starsky looked up from the floor and he saw that Rico had been the one to get him out of harm’s way.  He looked up and saw an agonizing evil look in the eyes of Anthony.  Starsky’s breath caught in his throat as Anthony leveled his gun evenly right in the eyes of Starsky.  He knew he was dead from the malice in the man’s eyes.

Four loud shots echoed in the room and Anthony Zunni crumpled to the floor in a heap.  Starsky breathed a sigh of relief and leaned his head back on the floor.  He put his hand on Rico’s neck and felt a strong pulse coming from the young man.

Watching their two bosses die in such a way encouraged the two henchmen to drop their guns.  As Hutch stood up, the uniformed officers converged on the men.  As he walked over he picked up the radio.

“Captain Dobey, this is Hutchinson.

“Go ahead.”

“We’ve got ‘em.  I’m headed to Starsky and Rico now.  I think we need a couple of ambulances here.”

“They’ll be there.  Good work, Hutchinson.

Hutch turned the radio off and when he walked over he kneeled down next to Rico who lay half on Starsky. 

It’s about damn time”, Starsky told him as he slowly pulled himself up with Rico in his arms.

“Don’t blame me”, Hutch said as he sat down.  “The place wasn’t listed.”

“I know the sound of that cannon anywhere”, Starsky told him.  “You took Anthony out.”

“He was aiming at you, wasn’t he”, Hutch asked.

Starsky didn’t have to answer the question.  Hutch already knew. 

Hutch sat in the waiting room rubbing his eyes.  It had been a hellacious day, but he was thankful to see it come to an end.  Rico had suffered four broken ribs and it appeared there were no internal injuries.  The doctor wanted him kept in over night for observation.  Starsky was sent to surgery to get his hand put back together and the doctor said if the bat had been positioned any differently from where it had hit, he would have suffered permanent damage.  Starsky would have to wear a cast for the next three months. 

Starsky had some dehydration, and a couple of cracked ribs.  Couple that with the abuse he had taken in the last twelve hours, he looked like hell, but he would pull through.  Hutch was starting to wonder if the hospital should just name a wing after them for as much time they had spent here. 

Hutch looked at his watch and he saw Starsky would be getting out of surgery pretty soon.  He heard the sound of footsteps and he looked up to see Frank Moretti walking towards him.

Hutch stood up and met him halfway.

“I was told my son was here”, Frank stated.

“He’s fine.  He’s got some busted ribs, but otherwise he’s in good condition.”

“Thank God”, Frank said with relief.

“You got here quick.”

“I came as soon as I heard what was going down.  Actually Paulie contacted me.”

“He did you the favor”, Hutch observed.

“Paulie’s a good man.  A little down on his luck, but a good man nonetheless.”

“You know you had an obligation to report this as soon as you heard about the tape.”

“Detective, I shouldn’t have to remind you what we’re dealing with here.  If you’ll remember, one of those men is a ranking member of your profession.  There was no other choice in the matter.”

“My partner almost died because of that tape.  Maybe if it had been reported, all of this could have been prevented.”

“You’re partner, Nicky and my son could also have been dead either way.  I saw the footage on the news, Detective.  The ends have justified the means in this situation.”

“I know the truth about Rico”, Hutch told him.

“What do you intend to do with this information”, Frank asked with steely eyes.

“I intend to make sure Starsky knows the truth.”

“Detective, this secret has been kept for precisely what happened today.  When I discovered it was the Zunni brothers that had my son and his brother in their sights, I knew hiding them separately was the only option available.  They would have been used against each other if caught.”

“Everyone will know after I complete my report”, Hutch replied.

“Think about this, Detective”, Frank said as he took a step closer.  “I know about you and your partner.  I know the kind of people you both have dealt with and I know the history you both share with the cosa nostras.  Were the truth to come out, Rico, my son, your partner’s brother could be used against the both of you and myself included.  It was precisely the reason his existence has been kept secret from the world.  I stepped away from that kind of life because of a promise I made to a woman I loved.  If Rico’s connection with his partner and brother were to ever come to light, it would be very dangerous for all of us involved.  I think you understand what is at stake here.”

“The truth won’t keep forever”, Hutch told him. 

“My brother is dead”, Frank said sadly.  “I don’t have much time myself on this earth.  When I die, I will be the last of the Moretti family with any connection to the cosa nostras.  Only then, will it be safe for Rico to live his life with the people he loves with no fear of the retribution which would happen otherwise.”

Hutch was silent as he watched him leave.  He found himself in a situation now.  He could write the report as it happened and the truth would come out, or he could lie.  Hutch had never falsified a report during his entire career.  Him and Starsky both have skated around the truth a few times, but never an outright lie.  Hutch shook his head and walked back into the waiting room still unsure of how to handle the situation.

Rico had watched the footage a dozen times since he had been put in this hospital room.  He turned the TV off and laid back on the bed.  Hutch had told him Starsky was fine and he was relieved.  Starsky still didn’t believe he was his brother, but Rico figured it was just as well.  It hurt, Rico thought to himself.  But he kept telling himself it was for the best. 

He looked over at the door opening and he saw his father walking in.  Rico smiled and when his father reached him, they hugged each other tightly.  Frank pulled a chair over and sat close to his son.

“I didn’t think you’d be here so soon”, Rico told him.

“Paulie let me know what was happening early on.  I came out as soon as I could.”

“What about Nicky?”

“Nicky will be here tomorrow evening.”

“Did you talk to him?  Is he okay?”

“He’s fine, son.  Just take it easy.  It’s so good to see you.  I had no idea how long it would be”, Frank said emotionally.

“I know, Pop.  Anthony Zunni knew about me.”

“If there had been any way to prevent this, I would have done it even though I made a promise to your mother.”

“She would have understood”, Rico told him.

“How much does Dave Starsky know?”

“He knows it all”, Rico said with a sigh.  “But he doesn’t believe it.”

“I’m sorry, Rico.  I know it hurts you.”

“Maybe it’s for the best.”

Frank could see the disappointment in his son’s eyes and he realized how much it would mean to his son to have his much older brother’s approval.

Starsky sat up in the bed early the next morning working getting to an itch inside the bulky cast on his right hand.  He reached over to his breakfast tray and grabbed the butter knife.  He stuck it inside towards the forearm and as he used it to scratch the painful itch, he laid his head back on the bed in relief.

The door opened up and Hutch walked in with a sack.

“Tell me you got something I can eat other than this airplane food they give us”, Starsky told him.

Hutch set the sack on his partner’s lap and looked at him with pleasure in his eyes.

“Cinnamon rolls and donuts”, Hutch said.

Starsky’s eyes lit up and he opened the sack with his free hand and pulled out a large roll.  He took a large bite of it and Hutch handed him the carton of milk sitting with his uneaten breakfast.  After watching Starsky finish off the roll and drink the milk, Hutch pulled a chair over and sat next to him.

“Starsk, Frank Moretti is here.  He came in last night to see Rico.”

“Did you tell him what an idiot he is”, Starsky asked as he wiped his hands with a napkin.

“He has suggested I leave certain information out of my report”, Hutch told him carefully.

“What information is that?  The crap they fed that kid about my mother.”

“Starsk…”

“No, Hutch.  I know Ma.  She would never have anything to do with these people.  Especially after what happened to Pop.  They can believe what they want, but I know the truth.”

“Do you?”

“Don’t tell me you’re feeding into this garbage”, Starsky said angrily.  “These people will do anything and use anyone if it helps them get over.”

“Maybe you should just hear Rico out”, Hutch told him.  “Give it a chance.”

“No”, Starsky said vehemently.  “Once I do that, they got me.  I won’t let them think they’ve got anything to use on me or Nicky.”

“You don’t think it’s more than that”, Hutch asked him.

“What more is there”, Starsky said simply.  “They think they’ve got a way to get to me and Nicky.  I just got to make sure I get Nicky out of it before he falls for it.”

“Moretti’s bringing Nicky here”, Hutch told him.  “He’ll be here sometime tonight.”
            Starsky threw the paper napkin down angrily and leaned his head back against the pillow in frustration.

“They fed this same crap to Nicky and he bought it hook, line and sinker”, Starsky said with a shake of his head.

“If you would just hear Rico out”, Hutch began.

“That’s enough, Hutch!  You put in your report what you want and what you believe, but don’t expect me to go along with it otherwise.”

Hutch sighed and leaned back in the chair.  How on earth was he going to convince Starsky that it was true?  He had no doubt about it given the conversation he had with Rico the day he was taken.  Hutch could see from the look in Starsky’s eyes, he wouldn’t be able to convince him.  As far as Starsky was concerned, it was a lie to use against Starsky and his family.

“The doctor said you could go home tomorrow”, Hutch told him.

“You giving me a ride home”, Starsky asked warily.

“Of course”, Hutch said with an easy smile.  “What else would I do?”

Starsky gave Hutch an apologetic smile.  He watched Hutch stand up and pat him on the shoulder as he left.

It was late afternoon and Starsky felt like he was losing his mind.  He was bored out of his mind.  The visit from Huggy had did little to ease it and Hutch had stopped back by.  He knew Hutch believed the wild tale Rico had been fed since he was a child.  Even listening to Anthony Zunni spout off about it, didn’t sway Starsky one bit.  The guy was an animal and he had no reason to believe anything he said. 

Starsky adjusted his pillows and laid his head back only to see the opening of the door.  He was surprised to see Frank Moretti walk inside the room.  Starsky’s eyes never wavered as Frank walked to the foot of the bed.

“I understand you saved my son’s life”, Frank said.  “I’m in your debt.”

“You know where you shove your debt”, Starsky told him.

Frank sighed and set his coat on a nearby chair.  He walked to the window and stuck his hands in his pockets.

“If you’re here to try and snowball me the way you snowballed my brother, you can just turn around and leave”, Starsky told him.

Frank looked over at Starsky and said nothing for a moment.  He looked back out the window and he remembered something.

“I had some business to conduct in a little grocery about four blocks from your house.  I was leaving and I saw you just off the street pitching pennies with some of the older boys.  They weren’t the best kids to hang around at the time.  I was putting my coat on and I saw your father walking his beat.  He saw you.  I remember watching him running off those boys and he came down on you pretty hard.  You were such a little kid at the time.  You’re like him.  Everything is black and white in your eyes just like your father’s.  I respected him for his strong belief in his family and for the way he raised you.”

“Did you have my father killed”, Starsky asked him.

Frank turned and saw the seriousness in Starsky’s eyes.  He knew the look demanded an answer.  He turned towards Starsky and walked to the foot of the bed.

“No.  I didn’t.”

“You know who did”, Starsky told him.

“It’s much more complicated than you can imagine”, Frank answered.  “Very few people are alive today who know the entire truth.  Even I’m not privy to such information.  It would mean my life and the life of my son.  Perhaps even yours.”

 “If I find out…”

“Detective, I’m not here to discuss your father or his killers.  I came to speak to you about Rico.”

“You say one word about my mother and you won’t even make it to the door”, Starsky threatened.

“I loved your mother”, Frank told him.  “I would have done anything for her just as she would do anything to protect her sons.  I am asking that you hear me out and if you choose not to believe I will leave here and never bother you again.”

Starsky didn’t say anything but he kept an eye on ever movement Frank Moretti made. 

“Joe Durniak asked me to check up on her not long after your father was killed.  She was a beautiful woman and given the short amount of time that had passed since your father’s death, I dared not approach her.  I would speak with her, but she didn’t want to have anything to do with a wise guy like me.  For over a year, I made sure she had everything she needed.  She refused everything I bought for her, but accepted whatever I brought for her sons.”

Frank walked around the bed and sat comfortably in the chair not far from Starsky.  He could see how rigid his jaw had become and he carefully chose his next words.

“Rachel Starsky was the best woman I had ever known in my life.  Any woman would pale in comparison and I had eyes only for her.  I was a fortunate man when she chose to return the affection she felt for me.  I will cherish our time together for the rest of my life.”

Starsky looked over at Frank and he could see he was on the verge of losing his control.  The grief in his eyes were obvious and Starsky remained silent.

“I remember she was having a time with you”, Frank told him.  “I told her that I would help her with her troubled son, but she adamantly refused.  She was quite aware of what I was and what I did.  It was because of that she refused all my proposals.  She feared for her own safety, but more for her sons.  When she discovered she was pregnant, she realized that the life of her sons and unborn child were at risk.”

Frank leaned in closer and looked at Starsky.

“She sent you here not only to live with your aunt because of the problems you were facing, but also to protect you.  She knew if our relationship ever got out, you would be used against me as well as your brother.  She also knew she would have to hide the pregnancy from you and Nicky.  It was a difficult decision for her keeping this secret, but she was determined to protect her children as much as possible.  I begged her to marry me and live with me.  I told her I would give up everything to take care of her and her children.  She refused saying that they would never let me go.  The death of her husband was never far from her thoughts.  I couldn’t blame her”, Frank said with a sigh.  “My life was still rather violent at that time.”

Frank slowly stood and walked back to the window and took a deep breath before his final part of his statement.

“I was there when Rico was born.  I had never felt such emotion even when my oldest son Marco was born.  She held him tightly in his arms and kissed him tenderly.  Rachel looked at me with love in her eyes and gave her son to me.  I refused at first.  I knew how much she loved him and I knew what it would do to her if she gave her child up.  She said people would discover the truth.  She said I was the only one that could truly protect him.  No one could ever know who his mother and brothers were.  It broke my heart to see the pain on her face as I took him in my arms.”

Starsky swallowed a lump in his throat at the emotion he saw in Frank Moretti.

“How did you explain his sudden appearance”, Starsky asked as he cleared his throat.

“A young woman who was unmarried died in childbirth a few days prior to this.  I made it known I had adopted her child.  It was rather easy in those days to forge birth certificates and such.  I remember Joey telling me I had lost my mind.  He had been telling me this from the beginning.  I took Rico and raised him.  A few days after Rico’s birth, Nicky showed up at my home demanding to know why I had taken his brother.  I wasn’t aware he had witnessed everything that had happened.”

“Nicky knew”, Starsky stated.

“He knew this baby was his brother and I told him I was entrusting him with a secret he must never tell anyone.  Nicky took the promise very seriously and he never told a soul.  I know he and Rico must have discussed it at length.  Even now, they are very close.”

“So Nicky was on your payroll”, Starsky said with a hard look at him.

“No”, Frank told him angrily.  “I told my boys if any of them breathed a word of this, it would be the last breath they take.  Rachel heard me and she made me give her word I would give up my activities and raise Rico.  Nicky wanted to be his big brother.  It wasn’t until a few years later he was allowed to come to the house.”

Starsky laid his head back and he debated whether or not to believe the story.  He couldn’t see it in his mind, but he remembered seeing Rico smile and he knew where he had seen that same smile.  It was his mother’s.  Starsky felt a stinging sensation in his eyes and he rubbed them.  He didn’t speak for a moment and then looked at Frank.

“Why did you come here to tell me this”, Starsky said trying to get a handle on his emotions.

“I think Rico needs you”, Frank answered.  “I know he does.  You’re the reason he became a cop.”

Starsky was surprised to say the least by Frank’s last statement.  Frank could see how much of an impact his last statement made on Starsky and he saw no reason to stay any longer.  He stood up and picked up his coat.  He was headed to the door when Starsky stopped him with a final question.

“Joey knew about Rico”, Starsky whispered.  “You had him killed, didn’t you?”

Frank gave Starsky a sad look for a long moment.  He didn’t answer the question and slowly walked out of the room.

            Starsky sat on the bed thinking about the strange conversation and he felt his heart pounding.  His chest was hurting and he tightly closed his eyes.  He could see it and Starsky sat up and pushed the table away from him.  He swung his legs around to the edge of the bed and slowly stood.  It took a moment to get his bearings from being on his back for so long and he walked to the closet.  Starsky slung the door open and began pulling his clothes out of the closet.

Nicky stepped out of the cab and slung his bag over his shoulder.  He dug a few bills out of his pocket and handed them to the driver.  He looked at the small place and sighed.  He figured he might as well get it over with rather than procrastinating.  He took a deep breath and walked up to the door.  Nicky knocked on the door and after waiting a few minutes his brother opened the door.

Starsky didn’t move for a minute when he saw Nicky and he pulled him close.  Starsky tightly hugged him and he could feel Nicky relax.  He stepped aside and Nicky walked in the door.

“I heard the place got ripped up”, Nicky told his brother.

“Yeah”, Starsky said after closing the door. 

“It don’t look too bad.”

Starsky didn’t say anything as he walked into the kitchen and pulled a beer out of the fridge.

“I got to the hospital and they said you left.  I called Hutch and I guess he’s not too happy you checked yourself out.”

“I had to practically kick him out of here an hour ago”, Starsky said before taking a long drink of his beer.

“That cast on your hand looks big enough to crack my jaw”, Nicky said with a nervous chuckle.

“You worried that I will”, Starsky asked with a bitter smile.

“You know”, Nicky said with a sigh.

Starsky looked over as his brother took the bag off of his shoulder and set it near the couch.

“I know you got in over your head with the mob once again”, Starsky told him.  “I know that you damn near got yourself killed and I know you’ve been practically shacking up with them for years.”

“I had to take care of Rico”, Nicky told him.

“Who in the hell was taking care of you”, Starsky shot back.  “You’ve made your own rules just like always, Nicky, and this time it damn near got me and Rico killed!”

“Are you gonna pass judgment on me again”, Nicky yelled.  “I can’t live up to your rules and your damn expectations!”

“That’s not what this is about”, Starsky said as he hit the counter with his hand.  “You should’ve came to me on day one about that damn tape and you sure as hell should’ve told me about Rico!”

“Why? Because it’s what you think is the right thing to do?  I did what I thought was right, Davy!  Whether you agree with it or not I did it and I’m not sorry about it!”

“You’ve never been sorry about any of the idiotic choices you made!  You could’ve came out here with me a long time ago and look what’s happened since then!  You’ve been up to your neck with those damn wiseguys!”

“No”, Nicky yelled.  “I’ve been with my kid brother!  Where I should’ve been from the beginning!”

“Is that what all this is about, Nicky”, Starsky asked quietly.  “That I left.”

“God damn it”, Nicky yelled in frustration.  “This has nothing to do with you leaving!  I had a responsibility to Rico and I wasn’t going anywhere!”

“You don’t even know the meaning of the word”, Starsky said as he shook his head.

“That’s where you’re wrong”, Nicky told him evenly.  “I’ll admit I’ve screwed up in my life, but when it came to Rico I was there every step of the way and I will be for the rest of my life!”

“That’s another thing”, Starsky said.  “Who in the hell planted it in your head that Rico was your brother?”

“Even after everything that’s happened you still don’t believe it”, Nicky asked incredulously.

“You know what I think”, Starsky told him.  “I think Moretti saw his chance to get in good with Nicky Starsky and his cop brother.  He started with you and he knew once he got you hooked, that it was only a matter of time before he got me.”

“I don’t believe this”, Nicky said throwing his hands up.  “What more do you need?”

“Ma would never have anything to do with those clowns, Nicky, and you know it.”

“I was there”, Nicky yelled.  “I saw Frank Moretti carry Rico out of the house.  Ma cried for months after he was gone.  It damn near killed her to give Rico up, but she knew it was the right thing to do.”

“Shut up”, Starsky said as he pointed his finger at Nicky.  “You saw what you wanted to see.”

“I think it’s the other way around”, Nicky told his brother.

Nicky walked into the kitchen and stood near Starsky.

“You hate the fact that Ma loved somebody else besides Pop”, Nicky said quietly.

Starsky reacted instantly when his open hand slapped across Nicky’s face.  When Starsky looked into the wide eyes of his brother, he immediately regretted it.

“Nicky”, Starsky breathed.  “I’m sorry.”

Nicky looked around for a moment not sure what to do.  He took a few steps back and walked into the living room.  Starsky was following him, but Nicky didn’t slow down once when he grabbed his bag and headed out the door.

Starsky stared at the open door for a minute before slinging his beer bottle against the wall.  He went the couch and slumped down and buried his head in his hands.

Rico opened up the door of the hotel suite and as soon as he saw Nicky at the door, he launched himself into his brother’s arms.  They held on to each other tightly for a moment and Nicky pulled back.  He had a smile on his face as he looked at his brother.

“You don’t look the worse for wear, little brother.”

“Just don’t make me laugh”, Rico told him.  “It hurts like hell.”

Nicky walked inside and set his bag next to the door.  He closed it behind him and Nicky looked down at the bag.

“You’re not staying with your brother”, Rico asked.

“You know me and him don’t get along”, Nicky said as he looked around the room at the furniture.

“You should make it right with him”, Rico told him.

“Rico, this has been going on a long time.  I doubt me and him will ever see eye to eye.”

“Yeah, but he’s still your brother.”

“He’s your brother, too”, Nicky said quietly.

Rico didn’t say anything and he walked over to the couch and sat down.  Nicky watched him as he looked deep in thought.

“No, he’s not”, Rico stated quietly.  “I’ll never be his brother and you know it.”

Nicky walked over to the couch and sat down next to him.

“He just doesn’t want to believe it, Rico.  Give him some time.”

“Stop it, Nicky”, Rico said with a shake of his head.  “You’ve made sure I’ve looked up to him over the years and you’ve tried to convince me that he was my brother.  He’ll never want to believe that our mother loved someone like my father.  My father is a good man and all he’ll see is a wiseguy who stands against everything he is for.”

“As much as Davy and I don’t get a long, he’s a good man, Rico.  Don’t think less of him for this.”

“How am I supposed to look at him, Nicky?  My entire life, I’ve looked at his picture and listened to you tell me how great he was.  The first time I meet him, I could see the hatred in his eyes for my father.  I think it’s for the best that we just let him keep seeing what he wants to see.  It goes against his grain to believe otherwise.”

Nicky leaned back against the couch and sighed.  There was no convincing Davy what the real truth is and Rico was ready to walk away.  Nicky wanted both of his brothers.  He wanted to share in their love together ever since the day that he discovered he had a new brother.  He had pictured three brothers loving each other as brothers.  It was a dream of his that was crashing before his very eyes.

Hutch stood at Starsky’s door and paused before opening it.  Hutch had learned Nicky had stayed at the hotel with Rico until they were ready to return to New York.  He knew he was treading on dangerous ground with his best friend, but Hutch knew if Starsky didn’t deal with this, he might never.  He took a deep breath and walked inside and found Starsky doing a poor job of washing dishes. 

“Need some help”, Hutch asked.

“I give up”, Starsky said as he reached over and turned off the water.  He picked up a towel and dried his castless hand.  “What are you doing here?  I didn’t expect to see you till tomorrow.”

“I talked to Nicky and he said they’re flying back tomorrow”, Hutch told him.

“I figured they would”, Starsky said as he opened the fridge.

“You don’t want to go see him or Rico?”

Starsky grabbed a beer and slammed the fridge shut.  He opened it up and took a long drink.

“I thought we agreed to give this a rest”, Starsky told him.

“You wanted to”, Hutch pointed out.  “I just don’t want to see you make a mistake you’ll regret.”

“And what mistake is that”, Starsky asked.  “Falling for this crap about Rico and his old man?”

“Starsk, isn’t there a remote chance it could be true?”

“No”, Starsky told him.  “It’s not true.  Those people shot my Pop down in the street and I’m expected to believe that Ma’ fell for one of them.  She would never do it, Hutch.  She would never go near any of those types.”

“Starsk, how can you be so sure?  You were a kid back then.”

“I’m sure”, Starsky said raising his voice. 

“What would she tell you if she were here”, Hutch asked quietly.

Starsky thought about the question and he didn’t want to think about it.  He walked into the living room with his beer in hand.

“Don’t”, Starsky told him with his back turned.  “Don’t turn this around.”

“Nicky was there”, Hutch told him.  “He said he watched Frank holding Rico while he hid behind the banister.”

Starsky slowly turned around and looked at Hutch.  Starsky turned away and took a few steps over towards the couch.  He never even heard Hutch say his name.  He shook his head several times and grabbed onto the couch for support.

“Oh my, god”, Starsky whispered.  “Anthony Zunni saw him.”

“What?”

“He saw Nicky by the banister”, Starsky said.  “The son of a bitch even said so.”

Hutch started to walk to him and Starsky held his hand up for him to keep his distance.  He felt dizzy for a moment as the truth seemed to close in around him.  Starsky closed his eyes knowing he couldn’t deny it anymore. 

“Frank Moretti, must’ve been after here”, Starsky said as he cleared his throat.

Hutch pulled Starsky around to face him.

“You’re grabbing at straws and you know it”, Hutch told him.  “The truth is staring at you in the face.  You’ve got to deal with it.”

Starsky had an angry look on his face and he held onto Hutch’s jacket as he looked at him.

“I have to deal with the fact that my Ma’ took up with some wiseguy who’s probably killed more people than we ever will in our lifetime?”

“You know your mother isn’t like that”, Hutch told him.  “She loved him, Starsk.”

Starsky pushed Hutch away and walked away from him.  He stopped and swung around at him.

“My mother loved my father”, Starsky yelled.  “You can’t stand there and tell me differently!”

“I can tell you that she loved your father, but he died, Starsky.”

“You don’t think I know that”, Starsky said as he tried to grasp onto his out of control emotions.  “Every day that went by and he wasn’t there I knew it.  My Pop died and even now, I’ve got a hole in my chest.  I felt like I was the one that got shot when they told me.”

Hutch could see the way Starsky pounded on this chest how deep the emotion ran.

“My father was a great man”, Starsky told him as a tear escaped.  “He stood for everything that was right.  He loved us and he’s gone.”

“Yes, he was”, Hutch told him gently.  “You’re father was the kind of man that you are now.  You work so hard at not disappointing him and you are still afraid not to live up to the legacy that you see in your heart.”

“Oh, God, Hutch”, Starsky said as he rubbed his face.  “I miss him so much.  Sometimes I still feel like that little kid that used to follow him around on his beat.”

Hutch walked over and tightly held onto Starsky.  Starsky gathered his control and stepped away from him. 

 “She didn’t betray your father”, Hutch told him.  “She loved him and she loved Rico’s father.”

“How could she”, Starsky asked him.  “I don’t understand it.”

“Starsky, do you remember how you used to tell me how she used to make sure every kid on the block had a winter coat every year when you were a kid.  No matter what, she would make sure every one of them were able to stay warm.  It was the kind of woman she was.  Your mother was very loving and very conscious of the needs of those around her.  You said it was one of the reason’s your father loved her.  Could it be that was the same reason Rico’s father fell in love with her?  She may have also seen the good man inside of Frank Moretti that no one else saw.”

Starsky covered his eyes with his hand and then looked at Hutch.  He knew Hutch believed it, but he didn’t know if he could.

“If you don’t believe anyone else about anything, take a good look at Rico, Starsk.  Would someone as good as Rico come from anything less than what your mother and Frank Moretti had?”

The words soaked into his soul and Starsky knew it was true.  The images of Rico’s smile appeared in his mind and he almost smiled.  He looked at Hutch and slowly nodded his head.  Hutch reached over and pulled Starsky over to him. 

Rico carried his bag into the living room and set it down in the middle of room.  He looked over to see Nicky slowly throwing his stuff in the bag.

“I told Pop we’d meet him downstairs”, Rico told him.  “You’d better get a move on.”

“Don’t rush me”, Nicky said.  “I’m not looking forward to a long plane ride.”

Rico turned at the sound of the knocking on the door. 

“I’d bet Pop is sending them after us right now”, Rico called out as he reached for the door.  The smile left his face when he saw Starsky standing in the doorway.

“I thought I should come by and talk to you and Nicky before you both headed out.”

Rico wasn’t sure what to think as he stepped aside and Starsky walked into the suite.  He looked over as Nicky walked inside.  Rico could see that Nicky wasn’t sure if he even wanted to be in the same room as Starsky.  Nicky had not spoken of what had happened between them, and Rico made the choice not to push it.

Starsky looked at the both of them and he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

“I’ve had some time to do something thinkin’”, Starsky told them.  “I’ve worked so hard at not believin’ the truth that it was hurtin’ everyone around me.  I didn’t want to see anything other than what was right and wrong.  I’ve been accused of being judgmental and I would guess I’m not far from it.  I’ve used my own moral standards as a guideline for everyone else to follow including me.  When they didn’t, I let ‘em know that they failed.”

“No, Davy.”

Starsky looked over at Nicky who walked over to him.

“You were looking out for me and I never wanted to disappoint you.  I should’ve trusted you and I didn’t.  I should never have kept any of this from you.”

“I didn’t give you much reason to trust me”, Starsky told him.  “I was too busy telling you what you should and shouldn’t do.  I’m the one that lacked the trust in you.”

Nicky smiled a little at the admission and he was beginning to feel better about leaving.  The thought of leaving with Davy still angry at him didn’t settle too well. 

Starsky took a deep breath and walked over to Rico.  This was gonna be tough, he thought silently.

“I know I haven’t given you much reason to take what I say to heart, so I thought I’d give you something that would say what I feel.”

No one spoke as Starsky reached into his pocket.  Rico could feel his eyes water when he saw Starsky extract the gold locket with the chain intact and held it out to him.  Rico could only stare at it.

“I don’t understand”, Rico whispered.

“It was meant for you”, Starsky told him softly.  “You need to have all of us close to your heart.  It’s what Ma would want.”

Rico couldn’t control the tears on his face as he reached over and carefully took it from his brother’s hand.  He smiled just a bit as he looked at it.

“I don’t know what to say”, Rico told him.

“Just tell me that you’ll pass it down to your kids and let them know how special our mother was”, Starsky told him.

“Thank you”, Rico told him.

Nicky walked over to Rico and put his hand on his shoulder.  He looked down at the locket in his brother’s hand and smiled.  Starsky gave them both a smile and pulled the two of them close.

EPILOGUE

Starsky sat in Hutch’s car looking at the photo of himself with Nicky and Rico.  He smiled as he looked at the three of them together with grins and their arms around each other. 

“Someday, Hutch”, Starsky said.  “Someday, Rico will be able to tell the world about our mother and Nicky and Me.”

“Yeah”, Hutch said.  “You’ll still be able to see him.”

“I know.  I guess I’m just looking forward to the day it’ll happen.”

“It will, buddy.  You’ve got yourself some great brothers.”

Starsky smiled and he pulled his wallet out.  He carefully put the photo inside and before he closed the wallet, he thanked his mother for the both of his brothers.

THE END

These are unrelated stories from opposite sides of the same coin.  I thought the theme was something unique that would challenge these guys on several levels and bring out new aspects of their characters.  I hope I did them both justice.