The Circle: Dayvid

by Ty Marshall

  The funeral was just about to begin as the SUV he was riding in pulled into St. John Cemetery in Queens. Mike patiently watched from a distance as the mourners there to pay their respects gradually filled up the empty seats. As his vehicle slowly came to a stop only feet from what was to be his mother’s final resting place, Mike finally got a glimpse of the casket. The custom bronze finished casket with rich, dark russet shades sat surrounded by an assortment of floral arrangements that had been sent by those who had loved and cherish her throughout her lifetime. Many saw the funeral as an opportunity to get noticed by the head of the family, sending large expensive arrangements hoping to land in his good graces. The smell of the flowers mixed with the bright sun on an unusually warm fall afternoon gave the scene a heartwarming feel. Mike fought back tears as the harsh reality began to set in. He was there to say goodbye to the one person in the world that loved him unconditionally. From his earliest run-ins with the law, she had never wavered with her love and support for him. He may have been a psychopath to the rest of the world but to her he was still just Little Mikey. A cold blood killer whose heart was black as night, he held a special place in it for her that hadn’t been consumed by his wicked ways. He knew he was responsible for the looks of disgust she received from her neighbors and church members. The things they read in the newspapers about him were sickening but he always admired how she never showed an ounce of disappointment in any of his actions.

  The doors of the SUV swung open and three armed men dressed in dark colored suits spilled out, and were joined by another group of men, also armed, that had exited the two SUVs that had accompanied him. Finally one of the men opened the door allowing Mike to step out of the truck and all eyes were immediately focused on him. Dressed in a tailored black suit, black dress shirt and tie, all courtesy of Giorgio Armani, the stylish 53 year old looked more like a CEO of Fortune 500 company than the commander in chief of a criminal enterprise.

  Mike walked down the aisle as every eye remained glued to him, slowly approaching the casket with a few of his soldiers shadowing his every move. He turned to the stocky built man on his right and whispered something in his ear while pointing to a group of people seated in the front row of mourners. The man immediately turned and gestured to another one of Mike’s men to clear those seats, as that was where the boss intended to sit. Mike continued his trek to the casket with his men closely shadowing him.

  “Can I get some privacy here?” he sarcastically asked in his thick Italian accent, as he noticed how close his soldiers were to him. Hoping to say his last regards without the men hovering over him. The two men in front nodded and receded a few steps as Mike got closer to the beautiful casket and began speaking to his mother. “Mama I know I’m responsible for this. I’ve caused you nothing but stress and pain since the day I was born. I’ve broken your heart over and over again, no wonder it finally decided to give out on you. I have to live with knowing that, but I ask that you please forgive me. I love you.” he said touching the casket. Looking back over his shoulder at the men standing behind him then back at the casket one last time just as a single tear began rolling down his face. The tear shed wasn’t in sadness but in shame at the thought of what he had become. As a child his mother had always hoped he would grow up to be a lawyer or even a baseball player but instead he had become a money hungry tyrant with a voracious appetite for power and blood. The thought of unfulfilled promise caused a few more tears to trickle down his face and land on top of the casket. The remorse disappeared as suddenly as it had arose and he quickly wiped the tears away. Who was he kidding, he loved his position as an apex predator atop of the criminal food chain. Even in the mist of war he still controlled the bulk of drugs and illegal activity in and around the Tri-State area and refused to cut any of the other families in. In fact he was willing to do anything if it meant remaining in power. Even using the police to do his dirty work, providing information to put his competition out of business. A deplorable act, but his addiction to power had become stronger than his morals and respect for the rules of underworld.

  As Mike turned to walk towards the seats his men had cleared, the top of the casket suddenly flew open and a gunman with a black bandana covering everything on his face except his eyes popped up holding a Tec-9 and without warning began spraying everything in sight. Mike didn’t stand a chance as the bullets began entering his back one after the other causing him to drop instantly. The two men closest to Mike were caught off guard as well and were killed before being able to reach for their weapons as shots struck them in their heads snapping their neck’s back and dropping them. Chaos ensued and screams rained out as mourners in attendance scrambled frantically trying to find cover from the hail of bullets, while others hit the ground trying to avoid catching a stray. The remaining henchmen drew their weapons and began returning fire at the man as he leaped from the casket while still shooting. As the gunfire intensified two men dressed as groundskeepers pulled a pair of AR-15s out of trash cans and joined in, leaving the mobsters outgunned and unprepared for such an ambush. Bullets began ripping through the group, mowing them down like blades of grass.

  When the gunfire ceased every man that had escorted Di Toro laid dead. Mike however was still clinging to life as he slowly crawled on his stomach a bloody mess. The gunmen who had sprung from the casket stood over him replacing his clip with a new one before using his foot to turn Mike over on to his back. Staring down at the supercilious gangster begging for his life to be spared made the masked man chuckle a bit.

  “Not so tough now, huh champ” he said sarcastically, then squeezed the trigger emptying his clip into Mike’s body and head.

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