Alleyways by patricia51
(Dark, shadowed alleyways can hide many things. Sometimes there is nothing there at all; sometimes there is something terrifying. But there's also another possibility. Just a quickie built around a single line borrowed from a movie. JJ.)
(Yes I know I'm in the middle of another story and I promise I'm working hard on it but this came to me and demanded to be written.)
She covered her mouth with both hands to keep from screaming. And yet, why wouldn't she scream? That's what people terrified out of their minds did and that certainly described her.
Why oh why oh WHY had she cut down this alley just to save her a few steps and five minutes on her way home? Why had she even walked instead of catching a ride with a friend? She had wanted a little alone time to think. Now she wanted to be alone even more but that wasn't going to happen.
She had passed this alley dozens of times in the daylight. She had even used it as a shortcut before, but once again always in daylight. It had seemed placid, ordinary, non-descript except for the trash that littered it and overflowed from the dumpsters that sat stolidly by the barred and locked back doors to various businesses. So she hadn't thought anything at all about turning down it. Not when she first reached it anyway.
It had only taken a dozen steps and she was swallowed up by darkness. The streetlights, so bright and glowing out there didn't penetrate the gloom. She was reduced to feeling her way foot by foot as her eyes adjusted as best they could. She had worked her way halfway down the alley to where it took a curious twist and jog and she was just beginning to see at least the outline of things when the laugh came.
The laugh was deep, dark and tinged with madness. The most frightening thing, at first, was that she couldn't tell where it was coming from. It seemed all around her. Then a stray beam from the cloud covered moon peeked through and it outlined a hulking figure in front of her and reflected off the great knife that figure was holding.
"Run!" she commanded herself but her legs refused to move. "Scream!" her mind told her but all she could do was drop her pocketbook and try to hide her face in her hands like a child who hopes that if she couldn't see the monster than it couldn't see her. All she could do was whimper as the man and the knife came closer. Now the moon lit his face and the grin of evil anticipation on it was as scary as the knife.
Just as the moon came fully out from its cloudy cloak a footstep sounded beside her. She couldn't tear her sight from the figure before her but the corner of her eye picked up a slender blonde figure calmly walking up beside her and then a couple steps in front. She spoke as her voice was as musical and bright as the alley was dark.
"You ever see the movie 'The Untouchables'?"
No answer came. Not from her, not from the man who abruptly stopped his advance and blinked. She seemed not to care and went on.
"The best line was from Sean Connery who played an honest Chicago cop. It fits very nicely here. I am Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer Jareau of the FBI and don't you feel like a fool now?" The blonde woman swung her arms up, pointing something at the man.
"Because only a fool brings a knife to a gunfight. Any questions?"
(The End)
(This COULD go on but whether the bad guy surrenders or chooses to fight it out we know the result will be the same; JJ rescues the near victim and the Unsub goes down. She already got to give the climatic line.)