Not on my watch

I was probably 18 at the time of this story, so that would have been back in 2000. I worked over night at a gas station which had a parking lot just for the truckers to rest up. I don't remember the exact timeline of events, the order of everything or even what time of the year that it happened. I just remember it being very cold, so it was probably winter.<br><br>It was a very slow night, no one was really out on the roads so I was just standing by the window, staring into the parking lot which was right out in front of the store. Staring at whatever, don't remember, I noticed a woman who was walking back towards the store, she had her arms around her, not really wearing much and just walking very slowly and looking back. <br><br><br>I looked to my left out the window, following her line of sight and that is when I noticed a man following her, he was wearing a red jacket with a hood up and jeans. The woman had stopped, turned around and was staring at the man. Then she took off in a full sprint towards the door I was standing at. <br><br>I reached over and hit the panic alarm, which was a silent alarm that would notify the police and I stepped outside and in between her and the gentleman. I don't remember what she said to me, all I remember was the fear in her eyes as she stood next to me. I bulled up my chest and stood tall and tried to make myself look bigger than I am. <br><br>He approached me and I told him he needed to leave or I would call the police. He looked at the woman, she was clinging to me for dear life and started to walk away. That is when I called the police and reported what had happened. <br><br>I was told that a unit was already on the way and that they had received a few other calls about the gentleman. So I stayed outside and watched him walk away, I didn't lose sight of him until the police arrived and took him away. <br><br>He was spotted by several other people, one even called the police when she saw him hiding behind a dumpster, waiting to rob someone. They found several knives on him, some rope and a ski mask. <br><br>I like to think that I might have saved a life that night, I don't know what might have happened, but I do know that it would not have been good. <br><br>So guy in the red jacket, this is for you, let's not meet again.