The Circle: Dayvid

by Ty Marshall

  Dayvid crossed the street and went around the back of the shop. Banging on the door, he waited for a few seconds. He could hear the chains start to move as the door slowly began to lift up. Three guns were pointed directly at him when he was in complete view, the exact greeting he thought he would receive. Dayvid raised his arms to his side and allowed for one of the men to search him.

  “He clean!” the young man yelled over his shoulder.

  “Bring that nigga over here!” Saint shouted his adrenaline pumping and his chest heaving up and down. Saint grabbed Nova’s chair and slid her to him, spinning her around.

  Nova’s head was still spinning from being hit in the head with Pharaoh’s gun. She had dried up blood on the back of her head, down her neck and the lights from the auto shop weren’t helping much. Nova slowly tried to relax her eyes from squinting and focus on the men walking towards her. Nova’s heart skipped a beat when her eyes landed on the man being led towards her at gun point. Through the overgrown, ungroomed beard and tattered clothes, she could still see Dayvid as clear as day. It was his eyes. In those eyes she saw the man she loved with every fiber in her body and hated with everything in her at the same time. How could this be? He’s really alive, she said to herself. The struggle of emotions inside of her were overwhelming. Looking at him walking towards her felt like a weird, sick dream, one that she had experienced on many of nights after hearing of his death.

  Dayvid stared in her eyes trying to gage her reaction, but through the terrified look on her face it was hard to read how she felt about seeing him again. Instead, he decided to offer her some reassurance that everything would be okay.

  “Everything is gonna be aight,” he said as he was brought to a stop a few feet from her.

  Nova just looked away, breaking eye contact with him.

  “She don’t look happy to see you, my nigga,” Saint taunted. “Let me help you out,” he continued before grabbing Nova’s face and forcing her to look back at Dayvid. “Dayvid is here because I offered him the chance to trade his life for yours. I’m not sure how much that really means since he’s supposed to be dead already. But either way that’s some romantic shit,” he laughed then snatched the tape from over Nova’s mouth.

  “No Dayvid don’t do this!” Nova shouted as tears formed in the wells of her eyes. She couldn’t lose him twice. She knew she wasn’t strong enough to go through it all over again. She would rather die with him. “You can’t trust him, Dayvid!”

  “You can trust this, one of y’all are not walking out of here,” Saint declared.

  “I see you grew some nuts since the last time I saw you slim,” Dayvid said glaring at Saint with a deathly cold look in his eyes. “You got a lot more mouth than I remember.”

  Saint pulled the gun from the small of his back and pointed it at Dayvid. “Yeah, this what the fuck I got to say nigga.” The game had come full circle for the two men; now it was Saint in a position of power. He wanted to see the fear King Dayvid had instilled in so many exuding from him. But Dayvid showed no such fear, he had come to trade his life for the woman he loved. He had once told Nova, he would give his life twice for her and Dayvid was prepared to do just that. He was steadfast in his loyalty to her and now he was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.

  “You waving that gun around supposed to scare me?” Dayvid asked calmly. “Just let her go and let’s get to it.”

  “Get on your knees muthafucka,” Saint said moving closer to Dayvid and pressing the gun up against his forehead. “Get on your knees and beg for your life,” Saint shouted with a crazed look in his eye.

  “I don’t bend knees for nobody but God, Slim. If you gonna kill me you gonna kill me on my feet.”

  “Get this nigga on his knees,” Saint ordered spit flying from his mouth.

  Pharaoh hit Dayvid in the middle of his back with the butt of his gun, followed by another blow that finally dropped him. Seeing Dayvid on his knees, Saint struck him across the face with his gun sending blood spewing from his mouth. Nova screamed as Saint struck him again.

  Dayvid wiped the blood from his mouth and smirked. “So this is what the city has come to huh Pharaoh? Ya’ll let an outta town nigga come out here and dictate to you. Y’all that weak? I remember when we used to send niggas like this back up north in a body bag. Now you doing his dirty work, sucking his dick for a living,” Dayvid laughed. “I’d rather be dead.”

  The force of the blow from Pharaoh’s foot sent him to the ground flat on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. “Fuck you nigga, you talking that B-More shit. You took from your own. You and your sisters robbed every nigga in the city,” Pharaoh barked.

  “I can’t blame you Slim, a nigga like you ain’t never seen no real money. What’s ya split, 50-50?” Dayvid asked. “Nah, dumb nigga like you ain’t getting 50 percent of shit. You look like a 10 percent nigga. 10 percent of a 1.5 is good for a nigga like you.”

  “1.5?” Pharaoh asked turning to Saint perplexed. “What this nigga talking ‘bout?”

  Caught off guard, Saint was at a loss for words. “This nigga just talking son. He saying anything to save his ass.”

  “He telling the truth!” Nova screamed. “The money is in my trunk.”

  “Fuck this,” Saint yelled. “Kill this bitch too,” he ordered one of Pharaoh’s henchmen.

  “Hold up,” Pharaoh shouted. “Nah, don’t move. Let the lady talk,” he said to his henchmen.

  Saint pointed his gun at the henchmen “You heard what I said, kill this bitch.”

  “Nah nigga you heard what I said?” Pharaoh cocked his gun and aimed it at Saint. “You the snake, you holding out on me.”

  Saint turned pointing his gun back at him. “Hold up nigga, I was gonna break bread with you,” Saint lied. “You my nigga, you know I got you.”

  “I just watched you torture and kill ya so called nigga. So you can miss me wit’ that.”

  BANG!

  ***

  The distinct sound of a gun going off caught U.S. Marshal Torrence’s attention immediately. “Angelo!” she yelled frantically waking her partner from his nap. “Shots fired!” she screamed jumping from the car, pulling her weapon from her holster and zig zagged through oncoming traffic as cars honked at her.

  “Roni!” Palmeri called out trying to stop her to no avail. “Fuck!” he said to himself opening the door and taking off after her.

  ***

  The shot reverberated throughout the auto shop as everyone ducked for cover. The side of Saint’s head exploded like a smashed watermelon and brain matter splattered everywhere as he collapsed to the ground. Blood leaked from his head forming a red stream spilling from his body. Jaz, Pharaoh’s henchmen, stood over Saint holding his gun.

  “I hate New York niggas,” he voiced as he picked up the keys to Nova’s car from next to Saint’s lifeless body.

  “That’s what I’m talking ‘bout lil nigga,” Pharaoh bragged, singing his youngin’s praises. “Now let’s kill these muthafuckas, get the money and get the fuck outta here.”

  “No doubt,” Jaz said. “But we ain’t leaving here together,” he informed the rotund hustler aiming his weapon at him. “Never been good with division,” he said squeezing the trigger, hitting Pharaoh once in the chest and once in the shoulder.

  “U.S. Marshals, nobody move!” Veronica Torrence screamed.

  Jaz turned and fired at her. The other henchman fired several shots at her as well. Torrence took cover from the haul of bullets. Dayvid raced towards Nova, who was still duct taped to the chair in the middle of the shop with bullets whizzing all around her.

  “Dayvid!” she cried out.

  “I got you,” he assured Nova pulling her out of harm’s way, while picking up Saint’s gun off the floor.

  Dayvid, Torrence thought to herself hearing the woman’s screams. No way. She tried her best to get a look at the homeless man but his back was to her.

  Palmeri burst through the door returning fire at Jaz and the other gunmen. “Roni, you o
k?”

  “Yes,” she shouted as she popped up and joined in the gun battle.

  Palmeri struck Jaz’s partner with two bullets dropping him. Jaz took off running. Palmeri gave chase while continuing to fire at the young gunner.

  Dayvid quickly released Nova from her restraints and she leaped from the chair, wrapping her arms around his neck, almost squeezing the life out of him ignoring the crud he was covered in. “Not now, we gotta get outta here.”

  “What about the money?” she questioned.

  “Fuck it, I’ll just have to figure something out,” Dayvid said grabbing her hand and running towards the emergency exit.

  Nova ran as fast as she could trying to keep up with him. Finally, they reached the door and Dayvid pushed it open setting off the alarm. Nova raced through the door while he held it open.

  “Dayvid Porter!” Torrence shouted. “Don’t move you’re under arrest.”

  Hearing his name called made Dayvid’s heart skip a beat, realizing that his cover had been blown. Turning he saw the familiar face of the Marshal that brought him the news about Rain while he was in North Branch. This bitch, he thought. Without hesitation, Dayvid lifted his gun and began walking towards her and firing. Torrance had no choice but to dive for cover. Dayvid then hauled ass out the exit. A few second later Palmeri came rushing around the corner out of breath with his gun drawn but he was too late.

  “My guy got away,” he said trying to suck in some air. “Who was the bum with the girl?” he asked helping Torrence up off the ground.

  “That,” she paused getting to her feet and dusting herself off. “That was Dayvid Porter,” she announced. “He’s alive.”

  Palmeri stood there bewildered. Her revelation had confounded his thoughts and rendered his tongue useless.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Hatred stirs up dissension; but love covers all transgressions.”

  (Proverbs 10:12)

  Dayvid and Nova maneuvered their way through the block as quickly as possible towards the Ford Explorer Dayvid parked a block away from the scene. Earlier that day he paid a visit to Miss Jackie and sat with her for a couple of hours explaining all that had taken place. He asked her about him and Rain’s biological father. Dayvid wanted to know what made Miss Jackie so sure that after explaining to David Banks that the Porter twins were his kids, he would help.

  Miss Jackie’s reply was, “One thing I know for sure was that, that man loved your mother just as much or even more than she loved him. It had to be something out of his control or without his knowledge that would keep them apart.”

  Miss Jackie and Dayvid conversed some more while Dayvid explained the proposition given to him by Saint. She asked if there was anything she could do to help but Dayvid would have none of it. He wasn’t sure if his plan would work but if it did he would need a reliable vehicle to get him and Nova out of town. Miss Jackie, without hesitation, offered her 2005 Ford Explorer. She rarely drove it, preferring to walk, but she kept it running good and it would definitely get them where they needed to go.

  Nova was out of breath and feeling dizzy from the blood loss she had from her head wound. Dayvid opened the passenger’s side of the car and sat her inside. Dayvid got in the driver’s side and immediately sped off. He knew it wouldn’t be long before the U.S Marshals would be on his ass, or the backup they most certainly called would catch wind of the speeding vehicle. When Dayvid got at least six blocks away he slowed down to normal speed trying to remain undetected. Nova sat in the passenger seat quietly, nothing was heard but the sniffling from her nose. The tears flowed from her eyes and the silent whimpers left her mouth. She could not believe the turn of events in her life for the past six months. She had lost love, regained it and lost it again. Now she was sitting next to a ghost. Dayvid looked over at Nova and reached his hand over to wipe the tears off her cheek. Nova moved away from his touch, unsure of how she felt about him at that moment. She was on the verge of losing her life and Dayvid had come to the rescue like he always did. But she was still upset, if he hadn’t faked his death and left her for self, she would have never met and fell for a nigga like Saint. Dayvid knew with him in the picture there would have never been any room for another man in her heart.

  “I know you got a lot of questions. I promise you as soon as we get to where we need to be, I’ll answer everything.”

  Nova stared at Dayvid, who was now focused on the road. She studied his appearance and how different he looked. Nova knew what he wore was a disguise but she could see deeper than the ripped and ragged clothes or even the dirt spots he wore on his face. Nova saw a man who had been through some things that the mind could not fathom. But so had she.

  “For six months I thought you were gone,” she spoke solemnly. “Six whole months a part of me was empty, missing. I felt ripped apart. I had to rebuild myself, figure out who and where I wanted to be. And all I was left with was a one page letter and a key,” she said as her voice began to rise and crack. “What were you going through that I couldn’t be a part of Dayvid? I would have went to the end of God’s earth with you, and straight to hell after. But you closed me out, lied to me, and you left me alone. Now all you can say after all this time is you know I have questions.”

  Nova sat upright in her seat and positioned herself to face Dayvid. In order for her to feel any kind of happiness at that very moment, she had to let out all of her resentment. Dayvid stared straight ahead at the road. He did not say a word, instead just listened. Nova was hurting and he was the blame.

  “I’ve cried myself to sleep, swept the hair off the bathroom floor that I’ve loss due to stress. Not having you in my life was the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with. I mean what the fuck Dayvid! You couldn’t find me, warn me or tell me something? Huh? Look at me, did you even bother to look? Answer me!” Nova shouted in anger, spit flying out of her mouth while she spoke. At that point she needed answers and she wasn’t about to oblige him by waiting until they got to wherever they were going to get them.

  “I did look for you Nova. I turned down the chance for a clean slate and fresh start to look for you. Because I promised you one. Fuck you think I’ve been beasting in these streets tryna eat, tryna to figure out where you were so we could get the fuck out of here. It was hard to find you tho’ cause you was with your man.” Dayvid spewed back with jealousy and anger.

  Nova had a right to feel the way she did and demand answers to her questions, but it hurt Dayvid to the core to know she felt he would willingly abandon her. He only wanted Nova to move on if something was to have happened to him. But to be alive and well and know that she was in bed with his adversary gave him a sick feeling in his stomach. Saint was a weak nigga, not even close to the caliber of a man he was so it bothered him that she had been with him. But deep down inside he knew it was his fault. He had pushed Nova into the arms of another man and truly couldn’t be mad at her.

  “I would’ve never...if I would’ve known…I,” emotions and tears had her tongue tied. Although Dayvid was supposed to be dead in her eyes and she did not know the history between him and Saint, she still felt as if she had betrayed him, breaking their bond. Her heart sunk into her stomach. “What was I supposed to do? I’m sorry,” was all Nova could say.

  Dayvid grabbed the back of her head, pulling her towards him. “No I’m sorry, you don’t have anything to apologize to me for.”

  Nova unclamped her seatbelt and snuggled up as close to her man as possible while he drove.

  “Don’t worry about nothing, it’s all over. I’m here, you’re safe, and we back,” Dayvid reassured, letting her know everything was going to be fine. All he wanted was to get out the game, make Nova his wife and have some kids. He never imagined any of it happening the way it had. But now that he had a second chance, he would not allow anything or anyone to ruin it.

  Nova ran her hand over his chest and down his leg taking in his presence. “You’re really here, I thought I lost you,” Nova said in a soft tone.

 
“Yeah, I’m here and I ain’t going nowhere else without you. I promise.”

  Nova closed her eyes attempting to rest. Before she drifted off to sleep Nova whispered his name.

  “Dayvid.”

  “Wassup,” he replied.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “Miami. We going to Miami. I know somebody out there that can help get us to Mexico.”

  ***

  “I know what I saw Angelo,” Torrence said as they stepped on to the elevator. “This has nothing to do with my lack of sleep,” she insisted as the two of them rode the hospital elevator up to the 8th floor.

  The two Marshals moved quickly down the hallway until they reached room 8031. They entered without knocking and were greeted by a nurse in the room.

  “Hey, you can’t be in here,” she said. “Who are you?”

  Torrence and Palmeri both flashed their badges and explained who they were and why they were there. The nurse was reluctant but eventually agreed to let them speak to her patient.

  “I have some more rounds to make and when I come back I want you two gone. I don’t care what those badges say,” she said every word dripping with sass as she switched out of the room.

  “How you feeling Pharaoh?” Palmeri asked pushing the button on the bed sitting him up.

  “How it look like I feel?” he snapped back. “What the fuck y’all want wit’ me?”

  “We won’t take up much of your time, just got one quick question,” Torrence said. “The man dressed like a bum in the auto shop, who was that?”