steel knife in the windpipe [john smyth]

[shana helena stone]

It was a Thursday, a cold night. Yellow street lights dotted Port Reese's sidewalks. It wasn't too busy on Lincoln St. It was the street were it was about to get bloody. Shana kept her eyes upon the alley below the apartment where she sat. Sitting on the window sill a 9mm pistol resting in her hands upon her lap. Her eyes shifted from the alleyway's entrance down towards the back of the alleyway where it ended with a wire fence. Her partner Jackal a fellow hitman had a man Joey Pollonzo on his knees, the barrel of his silencer against the back of his head. It was a hit, and it was happening as Shana watched for people that might be noisy to look into the alleyway. If they did Shana would take care of them.

Jackal took a moment to look up to the open window where Shana sat, she didn't move or even acknowledge Jackal looked up to her, he returned his attention to Joey. Shana watched hearing the silence go off, it wasn't too obvious in sound to attract attention from people passing by, Joey's body fell forward and Jackal backed up from his body. The alleyway was dark, the only light came from a light that hung above a side door leading into the apartment that Shana was in. The room was empty, Jackal and Shana had rested there for two days to finish this hit for the New York mafia family they both worked for.

The people that had taken Shana in, her thoughts wondered to Blackbird before she heard Jackal yelled up to her "Hey, Shana!" he cocked his gun and shot, missing the man and hitting brick. Shana swore under her breathe and bolted up cocking her pistol she exited through the window and made her way quickly down the iron stairway on the outside of the apartment. When on the ground she looked to Jackal before he motioned for her to start the chase. Shana took off into a sprint, this man would not get away from her.

[John Alan Smyth]

John was walking home, he has just shoved his glasses into his bag when he looked up and saw a rather burly man just shoot some poor guy in a dingy alley. John's first thought was "wheres my pen?" Being a journalist, this story might just make front page.Hearing a rather panicked "HEY" John was jolted out of his dream state just as the man lifted up his gun and began to shoot at him. flinching the bullet missed and hit the brick behind him.

Seeing the bits of broken brick John was thankful that it wasn't his head. "OK now its time to run" he told himself. Turning on his heel John bolted down the street, turning to look behind him hearing what he thinks was a name being called out into the night, either that or he was alerting his partner. John knew a lot about crime. He knew that Hitmen, always had a 'second' Some one to watch their back as they preformed the hit.

John was now the prime target. Looking behind him once more he noticed that it wasn't the burly man that was chasing him it was a sleek woman with blondish cropped hair. From what John could see in the darkness, she was quite a cutie, but the fact that she was trying to kill him really put a damper on her cuteness.

John tried to bob and weave in and out of alley ways and groups of people. John prayed to god that she didn't see his face.

[shana helena stone]

Shana exited the alleyway, her pistol in hand as she weaved through people and obstacles. This guy was fast, but not that fast. It was dark but the street lights and lights coming from still open stores was enough to provide her with vision. Enough to at least see the guy. She pushed people aside ignoring their comments. Turning into an alleyway Shana saw the guy bolt down it. She saw him look over his shoulder, great he had seen her face, now she'd really have to kill him and fast.

Nearing him she shot trying her best to aim as she ran, her boots made it somewhat difficult. She had to wear the boots, she mentally kicked herself for wearing them tonight. She hoped Jackal was in the car now following her, she didn't need to be cornered by this guy, have her gun taken or someone else intervene. No this had to be fast and quiet. Reaching him she decided to outreach and see if she could grab him. It worked, her fingers gripped his black jacket as she put her weight into the shove, hoping he'd land on the ground.

[John Alan Smyth]

John felt a hand grab the back of his collar as she could feel himself slowing down. "shit shit shit shit" was all he could manage to grumble as she woman put her weight into the shove. Thankfully John managed to keep his balance and just stupidly backed himself into a wall. Now he was cornered and trapped. John tried his best not to seem phased by the fact that he was basically staring Death in the face.

As more lights from the street flickered on as the night became darker. his assailants face seemed to lit up. Death my ass, this woman was beautiful. John pictured some hideous woman with horrible teeth. But this woman was none of the above. John loosened his grip on her wrist and let his arms fall.

Feeling almost mesmerized by her beauty John had to think of a way to get out of here. Preferably not in a body bag. Who would take care of Lonny? what about all his bills? way to much work for him to just up and die. Then it came to him.

John did his best to keep a straight face, and mustered the most stern glare he could. "My right pocket, you might want to have a look" he said. Johns voice was as dangerous sounding as he could get it. Normally his just a huge kitten.

[shana helena stone]

Shana kept the 9mm pistol at her side as the man hit the wall, a motioned detected door light came on further down the alleyway and provided Shana with more visibility. She took in his look, he looked about her age, but his face was gorgeous, he had kind eyes. It was a shame she'd have to put a bullet in his forehead. She inched closer to him as he spoke, his voice sounded slightly threatening. He'd better not have a fucking gun on him, she'd shoot him right there. Raising the pistol she pressed it to his temple, leaning into him so she could get her free hand into his jeans. To an onlooker this would either look like a stick up, or a "session" in the alleyway, no matter as long as they didn't stick their nose into it.

Shana pressed her body closer to his, her nose caught his cologne, it smelled good, she felt his heavy breathe upon her cheek, she tried her best to ignore it. Slipping her hand into his faded dark blue jeans she felt plastic, hard plastic like a card. He brown eyes flickered to his her hand still in his pocket "this better be something good" she muttered, taking the thin piece of plastic from his pants the warmth left her skin. She kept the pistol on him as she held the card up to the yellow light. His ID, it said he was a journalist, freelance but working for a company called 'Morton'.

"What the fuck is this supposed to do?" she questioned holding it up to his face. Was this just to buy time, this asshole was about to die.

[John Alan Smyth]

John swallowed as he felt the gun press harder into his temple. Man this chick wasn't kidding.

"What the fuck is this supposed to do?" She asked

John raised an eyebrow. Beautiful but slightly dumb.

"That means Im a journalist, and we usually travel in pairs. So if you eliminate me, that means more will be on you're ass, and if you don't want to be plastered all over the news, then I suggest you let me go" John loosened his grip on her wrist as an act of faith. John seemed to be full of that, this beautiful woman was staring him down with a gun shoved in his face and he was acting on a leap of Faith? Man John needs to set his shit in order. John didn't care look away when he heard the sound of rolling engine as he heard them get closer he saw a quick flash of headlights as a car slowly pulled up to the mouth of the alley.

Must be her ride. John's rich brown eyes stared her down and glinted with the dim yellow light from the shady back alley. He prayed that she would just leave. Let him live to die another day.

[shana helena stone]

Shana swore under her breath, the bastard was right. She heard an engine and saw the lights, it was Jackal. Her brown eyes looked him over before she aimed the gun to the brick wall and shot it, she'd fake shooting him, let him go and then just kill him another day. But he wouldn't know that, she knew where he worked now the bastard. She raised the back of her waist leather jacket and shoved the pistol into the back of her tight jeans.

"I'll let ya live, for tonight" she said taking his ID card she still held in her hand, holding it up to his face in the light. She leaned in and inched her hand back into his pocket leaving the card there before pulling her hand out, she leaned closer to his ear. "This is yours" she said in a lowered tone. Shana turned walking towards the alleyway's mouth. When out she spotted Jackal's black car, hoping in she looked to him. "It's done" the care then drove off at high speed, screeching tires.

THE END