SquidgeWorld Archive

Up Against A Wall
By Karen B.

Desperately trying to elude the manhunt that hounded them, the two bold outlaws continued upward on foot. They lead their horse along by its reigns, as the animal was no longer able to carry their combined weight. The trail twisted through windblown shrubs up the dusty hillside. They had no choice but to follow it even though they had no idea where it led. They were tired, thirsty and red-faced from the sting of the sun. But better that than the stony white skin of prison. Their one man horse was done in, no longer able to make the climb, slowing them, so they turned the roan loose. Gunshots echoed off the canyon walls and they could hear the resounding cadence of hoof beats not far behind them.

"Tell me something?" Hutch pressed his hat firmer to his head. "Whose idea was it not to go to Bolivia and knock off a couple banks there?" He huffed out of breath as he continued to climb upward.

"Don't start with me, partner. You won't win."

"Starsk, just keep moving."

They heard a few more gunshots going off and moved along quicker. "Hutch, they're playing our song."

"Not funny."

"You know where the hell you're going?" Starsky asked as his foot slipped on a rock and he caught himself.

"Sure! I know where I'm going."

Starsky looked past his shoulder to see a cloud of dust closing in on them fast. "They're boxing us in."

"Not a chance in hell, buddy, trust me."

Starsky clenched his teeth in irritation. "Hutch, they're boxing us in. We're going to--"

"Make it, partner. We're going to make it. Keep moving."

Looking up with a start, Hutch slid to a stop, putting out his hand to grab at Starsky's shirt, but it was too late. They both tumbled head over heels down a steep embankment. There was no soft grass to ease their fall. Their backs racked over rough rock till they landed in a heap. Hatless now, they wasted no time in getting to their feet. They straightened their backs and leaned against each other pausing to catch their breaths. Both men were dumbfounded to find themselves on a rocky plateau overlooking a wide-mouthed canyon, then down to the roaring river below. Guns barked behind them louder; it was the end of the line.

"I told you, damn it, we're boxed--"

"In." Hutch finished the sentence, his face flushed redder, looking guiltily toward his partner, his mind vacant of any other bright ideas.

They crouched down with their backs up against a wall, cold sweat trickling down their faces. Both men pulled their guns and slid their bullets into the chambers. "What are we gonna do?" Hutch asked.

"Fight our way out." Starsky's glance wandered up the hillside to the men taking up position along the ridge above them.

Hutch hiked a brow. "You've got to be joking?" He looked up to well-armed well-manned posse. "It's suicide." He thought a moment. "Look, I got you into this. You make a break for it. I'll hold them off long as I can."

"I knew you'd come to your senses." Starsky's blue eyes showed fear even though he tried to smile wide.

"Take my half of the money," Hutch offered seriously.

"Don't want your money."

"Starsky, damn it, take it."

"Hutch, I don't want it. Ain't that kind of man. Not leaving you here. You know that."

"I know." Hutch shut his eyes realizing his mistake probably had their names etched on a tombstone already. They both probably would die here. He opened them again a few seconds later, not liking the image, and looked to the river far below.

Starsky's eyes followed his gaze. The river churned angrily. Feeling dizzy he pressed farther against the wall. "Starsk, don't look down," Hutch said, noticing the slight shiver in his friends shoulders.

"Hutch, you tell me, where am I supposed to look?"

"Look at me."

"You ain't that beautiful." Starsky snuffed, looking back up to the men who ducked in and out from behind large boulders. "What the hell they waiting for?" He nervously used his teeth to pull at the dry skin on his lower lip then licked away the blood, not liking the taste in his mouth.

"They got all the time in the world n-now." Hutch's voice broke. "C-Can starve us out. Bury us beneath a pile of rock or shoot till we're dead."

"That's you opinion, Hutch."

"You got a better one?" Hutch asked.

"Yeah, they could just give up. Walk away."

"Starsk, you must be out of your mind," Hutch growled at the ridiculous notion.

Soft dust swirled around them and they were silent for a long time. Hutch's nerves were on edge and his heart pounded. He kept his thumb on the hammer, and his forefinger on the trigger, knowing the gun wouldn't save either of them.

Starsky swiped the sweat off his brow. "Got a pack of cards?" His laughter broke the silence.

Hutch dropped his head back to rest against the wall behind them, swallowing down more dust. "Got a beer?"

"Got a toothpick," Starsky said, pulling one from his shirt pocket and popping it into his mouth. Chewing hard on it and rolling it between his lips he pulled out another and handed it to Hutch. A few stray shots bit into the cliff just above their heads, scattering small pebbles that rained down on them. Both men resisted the urge to fire back, conserving their amo. "They're playing with us." Starsky's toothpick danced between his lips as he spoke. "How long you think they'll give us?"

He looked to Hutch when he didn't get a response. His partner was gazing downward at the river again in a trance-like state. "Hutch? Hey." Starsky nudged him with an elbow but got no response. The look in his partner's eyes made his blood freeze. "Hutch. Hutch. You hit? Answer me."

"Jump!" Hutch suddenly said sternly, still looking to the white swirls below.

"What? Starsky screeched. "What do you mean, jump?" Starsky's mouth gaped, hoping he heard wrong.

"We have to jump."

"Like hell!"

"Starsky, jump to it!"

"You jump to it!" Starsky's whole body shaking now.

Hutch twisted his boots so he could face his friend. "We have to jump, partner," Hutch returned his tone to calm.

"Now who's contemplating suicide," Starsky said. "That jump's big enough to kill us."

"That posse's big enough to kill us. You want to die like pigs in a pen, Starsky?"

"Oink, oink." Starsky sarcastically grunted.

Hutch stood, holstering his gun. "You're making to much of this. It's not that far down." Hutch could see his friend quivering. "You're afraid." A hand touched his shoulder.

"No." Starsky firmly pressed his back up against the wall, holstering his gun too.

"You're afraid. And I know it. It's just water Starsky," Hutch reassured. "You know? You drink it?"

"You know, you drown in it?" Starsky snapped back, standing up next to Hutch, still shaking in his boots. He looked Hutch's way, pulling away from the wall. "Not afraid. Cold."

"Take a deep breath and hold it, partner."

Starsky's stare hardened. He couldn't see anything else to do. He didn't know how this would all turn out, but he realized that they had no choice.

Hutch gave a fluttering smile as if to say 'your decision.'

Starsky would be damned if he wouldn't follow Hutch to the edge of the earth. They both took a moment to breathe, looking out over the canyon. Starsky felt for the money belt and gripped it hard. Hutch did the same.

"Hold on," Hutch suddenly said, deciding it was time.

Holding the money belt like a rope between them, they began to run like hell toward that very edge.

The ground quickly disappeared beneath their boots, and they dropped through the sky to the river below.

"Huuuuuuuuutch!"

****

They crashed into the foamy water, both heads popping back up quickly as they were swept down the river. They clung to each other as the waves of water hit them in the chest. Hutch paddled hard, maneuvering them around boulders and navigating them down the river.

"You got to do some work here too, Starsky." Hutch yelled, but he could see his partner struggling for breath.

Starsky flailed about trying to paddle. "Jumped." He sputtered. "What more you want? He kicked his feet, gripping tighter to Hutch.

"That's it buddy, keep going." Hutch struggled to hold on to his friend, but his weight pulled him under and he came up sputtering.

"Hutch, let me go!" Starsky choked out, seeing he was dragging his partner under.

"Partner, I won't let you go."

They pitched here and there. The rushing river, hammered noisily in their ears, wildly plunging them into floating limbs and rock. Slip sliding over smooth slate, they tumbled over small waterfalls. Hutch tried to drive his heels into the rock bed, but the water was too strong and he couldn't chance losing his grip on Starsky. He could tell by his friend's gasps, he wasn't holding his own very well against the water. Hutch jerked him here and there, dropping his head down fast when he saw they couldn't avoid smashing up against a jumble of large boulders in their path.

He winced when he heard Starsky cry out. "Hang in. Hang in there, partner."

"I'm...I'm." A watery gurgle. "I'm hangin'. I'm--" Starsky cursed, then his words were cut off as he took in a mouthful of water.

Hutch held tighter, feeling Starsky going limp. "Starsk, don't drink the water!" He tried to joke but it fell flat.

Starsky squinted till his eyes were almost shut. "Figure, I could drink it all. Dry up the river." His mouth twisted to the side in a smile.

"Partner, you never could hold your drink." Hutch grunted, pulling their combined weight around another rock.

Blind luck was on their side as the river finally slowed, and they floated their way over to its edge.

They splashed through the shallow water completely drenched and holding each other up as they clambered onto the rocky shore. Hutch kept hold of Starsky, waiting for him to get his balance back, then let go of his arm and moved slightly away.

Starsky dug his spurs into the mud and took a couple steps, but before he knew it he was on his knees in the shallow water. Hutch stood next to him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Jump," Starsky uttered, spitting water out his mouth. "Of all the cockamamie--"

"Ideas? It was the best I ever had." Hutch defended.

"That was no idea, Hutch. That was a death wish."

Starsky gasped, feeling dizzy and his head wobbled. "Quit whining, Starsky. We're alive aren't we?" Hutch flexed his fingers against his friend's shoulder seeing how shook up he was.

"I've taken a dozen hard falls but that--" Starsky got quiet. Lifting his chin and searching the area, he struggled to get off his knees to his feet.

"Take--take your time," Hutch gently whispered, still holding on to his friends shoulder.

"No time for taking anything, Don't you hear that." Hutch helped him to his feet, listening hard.

Hutch could just hear the muffled beat of hooves again. He turned to face Starsky with surprise. "How they get down here so--" He stopped suddenly, getting a gander at Starsky's face for the first time. "You okay?"

"I don't know, why?"

Hutch ran two closely knit fingertips across Starsky's forehead just at the edge of his hairline. "You're bleedin'" He raised his fingers to show him.

Starsky looked surprised, but ignored the blood that made him feel even more dizzy. "I'm fine. We gotta get going." He shook his head and tried to take a step, but his leg twitched, not moving in the direction he wanted it to; he nearly fell again.

Hutch slipped a hand under his armpit and held him up. "Not polite to lie, partner."

"Not what the lie is about, it's how you say it that matters." Starsky stood still, trying to get his vision to stop flickering. "If that lie ain't good enough for you, I'll tell you another."

"Yeah? What's that?" Hutch asked, helping Starsky move out of the water and heading them for the cover of the woods.

"I'd tell you, Hutch, but you wouldn't believe me anyway." Starsky gave a weak smile, leaning against his support harder.

For a long while they were quiet. Beating a trail where there was none, through the thick tall pines. Hutch lead Starsky through the darkness of the forest till they no longer heard the sounds of hoof beats. An owl hooting broke the silence and both men watched it skim close to the ground nabbing a snake in its spiky talons and taking it up into the trees.

Starsky's boot slipped on a rock and he almost fell, but Hutch still had a solid grip on him. "How much longer you plan on holding me up?" Starsky questioned in a tired voice.

Rain suddenly began to fall and a dense fog crawled along the forest floor. "Not much longer," Hutch said. Seeing a large boulder Hutch moved to it and sat Starsky down.

Tearing a piece of his shirt off, Hutch used the corner edge of it, and with a skillful, gentle hand wiped the drying blood off Starsky's head wound.

A pair of calm blue eyes looked to each other, talking things over without the use of words for a long moment.

"Hutch."

"Yeah, partner?"

"Bolivia?" Starsky questioned.

"Bolivia." Hutch confirmed.

"And no matter what happens from here on out. We go down--"

"Together." Hutch finished for him, tucking the bloodied material into his pocket. Then lifting Starsky to his feet, they headed on their way.

The End

Love will live on and never leave...

Fly me up to where you are.
Beyond the distant star.
I wish upon tonight too see you smile.
If only for a while too know you're there.
A breath a ways not far too where you are.
***SONG BY: JOSH GROBAN