What If?

It was a hot, sticky August night.  I was serving as the security agent for the Coast Guard Commandant, whom we had dropped off at his quarters after a late night event.  Alvin, my driver and I headed back into Washington, DC to fuel up the limo, drop it off at Coast Guard Headquarters a few blocks away and call it a night, or actually a morning, it was well past midnight.

We stopped in at the usual gas station to fill the tank.  While Alvin pumped the gas, I stepped out to stretch my legs.  I started to sweat as I stood next to the car, checking my Blackberry for email and updates to the next day's schedule.  I felt the drops of sweat roll down the back of my shirt and down my legs, another one of my suits would have to go to the dry cleaners.

In front of the gas station building were about six or seven teen-something girls from the neighborhood who were arguing loudly with each other over something.  I gave them a casual glance and then looked at Alvin, who rolled his eyes and shook his head.

A Jeep pulled up on the other side of the gas pump and another teenaged girl jumped out and shouted over to the girls, "Hey!  You remember me from last night?" and walked over to join in the arguing.

The arguing got louder, then came some pushing, shoving and hair pulling.  Alvin and I watched with amazement as "Jeep Girl" started getting the worst of it, she threw a punch at one of the other girls, then turned and ran back to her Jeep, being chased by the recipient of the punch.

Before Jeep Girl could jump in her vehicle and close the door, the punched girl slammed her body into the door, catching Jeep Girl's leg in the door before she had pulled it in.

Jeep Girl shoved open the door and the punched girl was knocked backwards.  Jeep Girl bolted out of the Jeep holding a large screwdriver with an eight inch shaft and started chasing the punched girl.  The punched girl only ran about ten feet before Jeep Girl caught her by her shirt and spun her around.

While all this was happening, the other girls broke into an all out fist fight with each other.

Jeep Girl had hold of the punched girl's shirt with her left hand, in her right hand she started to raise the screwdriver to stab the punched girl while screaming, "I'm gonna' kill you, B****!"

Without a second thought, I reacted.  In one swift moment I was running towards the girls, my hand had automatically pushed open my suit jacket and drawn my pistol.  In a split second I had my gun aimed at Jeep Girl and I yelled, "Police!  Stop! Drop the Screwdriver!"  Jeep Girl's arm kept going up, getting ready to stab the punched girl. 

My finger tightened on the trigger.