Donovan: The Life of a Hitman

     Cadence left her shift at Knight’s like she always does at midnight.  She had class in the morning at nine and she still had homework to do finish.  Normally she walked to the corner and around the block but tonight she decided to take the alleyway.  She was tired and wanted to get home as quick as possible.  Her mind switched to the three ass-holes that continued to harass her at the door.  She never got mad when customers would mistake her for one of the dancers because of her voluptuousness.  She just chalked it up to guilty by association or a hazard of the job, but these three niggas would not leave her alone.  RayJohn, head of Security, had to throw them out.  They shouted obscenities at her and him as they were escorted to the outside.  As soon as it was over, she thought no more about them and continued her shift.  Two more hours she worked and because they were featuring dancers from Baltimore and Philly she made almost three-hundred dollars in tips.  One guy just wanted his cell phone charged and he gave her fifty bucks.  Another guy wanted his Black and Silver Benz parked as close to the front door as possible.  The best she could do was to park it two cars behind Mr. Knight’s and he broke her off seventy-five dollars.  Now she could pay her cell phone bill early and maybe get some take out from Red Lobster for lunch one day after class. 


She quickly dismissed the idea as she thought about her three-year savings plan.  She zipped her jacket up and tugged at her book bag to make it tighter.  “Shit!”  She forgot her mace.  She shrugged it off and kept it moving.  Out of nowhere one of the guys that got thrown out stepped in her path.  “Hey Bitch I got some money for your Ho ass,” he said as he flicked one dollar bills at her.  “Look man, I told you before, I’m not a dancer.  I work at the door!  I am a Front Door Hostess.”  One of the other guys jumped out from behind the dumpster and said “Front Door huh, well let’s see about that.”  Just then the first guy punched her hard in the face and she almost fell over.  She tried to duck away and swing but the third guy grabbed her back pack which caused her to lean back and the first one kicked her in the stomach.  She toppled over in pain and the second guy punched her in the jaw and she fell on her knees.  The one who grabbed her back pack kicked pushed her over with his foot.  She was now sprawled face done and a piece of glass was lodged in her hand.  Two of them grabbed her by the feet and dragged her over to the side with the open gate and yanked her down to steps to the side of the insurance company that had been out of business for years.  The first one who punched her in the face tore her leggings off and ripped her underwear.  By this time her ears were ringing and her head was hurting from when they yanked her down the steps.  She tried to be as non-respondent as she could because she knew she could not fight them all.  The first one penetrated her and he pushed as hard as he could but the only thing he succeeded in was irritating her stomach from the zipper on his jeans.  “You like that don’t you Bitch!”  She closed her eyes as tight as she could and turned her head.  The Migraine was taking over and she could not think.  “Man, get the fuck up, you ain’t doing nothing...let me get at this trick.”  “Hold on Jimmie, I’m almost done.”  He ejaculated on her stomach and kicked her in the thigh when he was done.  The other one climbed inside of her and he was bigger than the first one and her vagina cringed in pain but she did not make a sound.  When he finished he slapped her a few times and told her to wake up because he knew she felt him.  He got up and let his cum drip in her face.  She started crying and he stepped on her face with his dirty stained shoe and told her to shut up.  The third guy turned her over and was about to do the unthinkable.  “Leo, we need to go man.  Two cars just drove by.”  “Nah man, not until I get mine.  This Bitch has a smart mouth.”  He spit on her and looked around at his two buddies and laughed.  “From now on, you’ll be the Back Door Hostess.”  He unzipped his pants and before he could get the zipper half way down, he fell over on top of Cadence.  The other two looked around but they did not see anyone and before they could even speak a word or finish a gasp of shock, they too fell over dead.  Three shots fired; three men down and poor Cadence just laid there in shock and disbelief.  She really couldn’t move just yet not just from fear but from the pain all over.  She could barely hear because her ears were still ringing from the punches and her head felt like it was going to explode.  Cadence mustered enough strength to say “Help” but it was such a whisper that only the three dead guys could hear her.  She passed out and began to dream.

            Donovan did not want to leave the house tonight but he promised his Uncle that he would stop by Knight’s and pick up some money for him.  He got up from the couch to put his clothes on but there was a knock at the door.  He went to the door and looked out the peep hole but didn’t see anyone.  He touched a panel on the wall and it opened up.  He pulled a gun with a silencer on it and said “Who is it?”  “It’s Mario D, can I come in please.”  He opened the door and let Mario in.  His Mother’s boyfriend had hit him again; Donovan could tell but he knew Mario would never say that he did.  “Are you hungry man?” Donovan asked.    “Yes sir,” Mario answered.  “Ok, go in the bathroom and clean yourself up and I’ll take you to…”  “Wendy’s” Mario exclaimed.  “OK man, Wendy’s it is.”  “This is the second time this week you’re up here at ten o’clock at night.  Is everything alright?  Now remember before you answer, if you are going to tell a lie, it’s better to not even say anything.”  Mario just looked at him with those big sad eyes like one of those cute puppies.  “You do your homework?”  “Yes sir,” he said in a low voice.  “But I need some help with some of my Math so I’m not finished.”  “When is it due?”  “It’s due on Friday.”  “OK, we got two days.  I will help you tomorrow night around seven-thirty.  Cool?”  “Yep, I mean yes sir.  Thank you Donovan.”  Donovan just looked at the young boy he had taken an interest in due to his lack of parental care, “No problem; go in there and wipe your face off, your washcloth is still in there.  He went to change into his outdoor gear, grabbed his keys and knocked on Mr. Green’s door.  Donovan didn’t have many friends nor did he communicate with too many people, but Mario, Mr. Green and the couple downstairs didn’t mind him being a man of few words.  He would never let anything happen to them.  He really cared about these people, but Mario’s Mother was a different story.  If he wouldn’t be depriving Mario of a Mother he would have killed her a long time ago.  His thoughts were interrupted when Mr. Green opened the door.  “Hey Mr. Green, I’m taking Mario here out for a second, do you need anything.”  He touched the device attached to his throat and told him no.  With that said, he and Mario headed to Wendy’s.  Mario used to be scared of Mr. Green’s voice box, but once he figured out that Mr. Green meant him no harm, he became more comfortable around him.  As they passed by Mario’s door, he could hear the party that was going on inside.  Donovan just shook his head and he and Mario left to get some Wendy’s.  “Welcome to Wendy’s, would you like to try a combo or how may I help you?” the voice in the speaker box said.  Donovan told Mario to order what he wanted.  “Can I get a chicken nugget meal and two cups of oranges?  Please.”  He looked at Donovan when he said it.  Donovan smiled and tapped him on his back.  “Would you like anything else with that order sir?”  Mario laughed, “She called me sir.”  Donovan laughed too.  He loved being around this kid; it was one of the rare times he got to smile and laugh.  He just didn’t trust people but this child was innocent and a true product of his environment.  If it were up to Donovan, he would let him live with him but his lifestyle didn’t afford him such a luxury.  He couldn’t even remember that last time he had a female over to the house.  They pulled up to the window, paid for the food and pulled off.  When they got back to the apartment building, Mario’s door was opened and he could hear someone banging on his door upstairs.  Mario yelled up to her, “Ma, here I am.”  She came downstairs in a roar and smacked upside his head.  “Where the fuck you been this time of night?”  Frightened Mario answered “Donovan took me to the store Momma that’s all.”  She looked at Mario in disgust for whatever reason and turned toward Donovan.  “I would appreciate you not taking my child anywhere without my permission.  You never say two words yet you got time to run off with somebody else’s child.  You are a grown-ass man and you don’t need to be hanging around no little boys.”  While she was spouting her mouth off, her boyfriend appeared in their doorway wearing nothing but a towel.  Donovan did not want to kill this man but he saw it coming.  He ignored her ranting and raving and told Mario he would see him tomorrow.  Donovan went up the steps to his apartment; all the while he could hear their smart-ass comments and just felt sorry for the child.  He knew one thing and that was if something happened to Mario or if he personally saw that nigga put his hands on him, it would be lights out for him.  He went into his apartment, changed guns and shoes and secured his place.  He left his place at eleven-thirty thinking he could make it back by midnight since Knight’s was close by and he had a long day ahead of him.  He parked at the corner and walked towards the front door.  As he passed the alleyway he saw three guys that looked like they were up to no good but he went on about his business.  He made a mental note that none of them were over six feet tall and it didn’t look like they were carrying anything.  He greeted RayJohn at the door with physical gestures never speaking a word.  Donovan knew that people were cunning and could manipulate you with your own words so he made it a point to say as little as possible.  Everyone who worked there knew who he was.  He made eye contact with Cadence and she smiled.  He ignored her as usual and kept walking. Donovan walked toward the back and paid no attention to the dancers on stage.  He continued walking pass the bar and Sadie gave him a drink and he dropped a twenty on the bar never missing a step.  He went through the open doorway that led to the dressing rooms and offices.  He knocked three times on the door that he knew Knight would be in having his usual drink surrounded by women.  “Come In young blood,” he said.  Donovan laughed inside because Knight was such an old-school dude.  “Your Uncle don’t miss a beat, do he?  The envelope is right there and it’s forty-seven hundred in there.  Please count it so we are both at ease.”  Donovan counted the money, put it in his jacket and gave Knight a nod.  He walked out; finished his drank and left the glass on the bar.  He walked over to the side and had a conversation with Sadie for a few minutes.  They’d been cool since elementary school.  She never told anybody what she saw to this day and she understood his quiet deadly nature.  He said his good-bye and started toward the exit.  One of the dancers from Baltimore touched his arm and said, “hey daddy, how you doing?” He grabbed her wrist and squeezed it real tight and he gave her the meanest look.  Boy if looks could kill, she would have been dead and she knew it.  He continued walking toward the front door as she mumbled something and he never gave her a second look.  He saw Cadence walked out the door, then his cell phone rang and he moved to the side and answered.  It was his boy Bones on the other end.  “What’s up D?  I’ll pick you up at six am.  We should stop by O’Malley’s and get something to eat.”  “What is it, the usual?”  Donovan asked.   “No, I think I’ll get something a little different this time,” he responded.  “Ok, no problem.  See you in the morning. “

            Cadence lay there, bloody, dirty, beaten and battered.  Donovan was amazed that all of this happened in the last fifteen minutes.  He just saw her walk out the door.  He should have known something was up with them niggas.  He got on his cell phone and called Bones back.  He told Bones to send Mr. Clean to the alley by Knight’s and he ran to get his truck.  He flipped a switch and the tire treads on his truck changed and the two back rows came down to a flatbed.  He picked Cadence up and put her in the back of the truck.  She was unconscious and he knew he should take her to the hospital for the brutality she just suffered but he had another plan in mind.  Before Donovan could close the back of the truck, he saw Mr. Clean’s van pull up.  They exchanged a look and Donovan got in his truck and drove off.  He pulled into the parking garage at the back of the building.  Cadence was now drifting in and out of consciousness.  He locked her in the truck and went inside the back way and knocked on Nino and Kaitlyn’s door.  Nino opened the door, “Hey D, what’s up; trouble in the mix?”  Donovan looked at him and shook his head.  “I need your wife to come up stairs and tell her she will need her black bag,” Donovan said it in such a somber tone that Nino knew somebody was seriously hurt.  When he got back to the truck, he looked around to see if anybody was lurking and he didn’t see or hear anyone.  He opened the back of the truck and pulled a blanket from the side and put it over her.  He lifted her as gently as he could and carried her up the fire-escape stairs that led to his apartment.  He pushed a button under one of the rails and the back door to his apartment opened.  He took Cadence in the guest bedroom and laid her on the bed.  He then went to the front door and Kaitlyn and Nino were already at the door.  “Hey Sweetie,” Kaitlyn said.  “Are you hurt or is it someone else?”  He pointed her towards the guest bedroom.  Donovan and Nino followed.  He told her what he thought happened and she asked them both to leave the room.  Kaitlyn was a Doctor; this was her second year working at Howard University Hospital.  She knew what to do.  While she worked on Cadence, Nino and Donovan went into the living room.  Donovan made two drinks and gave one to Nino.  Nino asked what happened to her and Donovan told him all that he knew to tell and they both sat in silence after that.  At least forty-five minutes passed and Kaitlyn still hadn’t come out of the room yet.  Two more drinks later, Nino started a conversation about Mario.  Donovan snapped out of his trance and listened intently as Nino told him how one night he came home from picking Kaitlyin up from the Hospital and Mario was outside in his pajamas.   “Man, I don’t know what the hell Lacey is doing with a kid.  She don’t know the first thing about being a Mother.  I didn’t even bother to wake her ass up.  I just picked the boy up and brought him into our apartment and put him on the couch.  You weren’t here so I went to the twenty-four hour Walmart and got him some stuff to where to school.  Do you know that this Bitch did not even open her door until after one o’clock in the afternoon?  She knocked on our door asking had we seen him.  I just told her I saw him leave for school and I don’t even think she knew he was outside.  Where the fuck did she get this clown-ass nigga from?”  Donovan looked at Nino and said “I don’t know, but I will find out by tomorrow.”  Nino, knowing that Donovan didn’t talk much left it at that and he didn’t know Donovan as well as Kaitlyn but he knew enough to know that sooner or later some shit was going to go down and he felt sorry for that nigga downstairs.  Kaitlyn came out of the room.  She looked at both of them and went to her husband and just put her arms around him.  When she collected herself she said “She is messed up mentally right now.  She won’t say a word.  She needs to be checked thoroughly but she doesn’t want to go to the hospital.  She barely wanted me to touch her.  She may need to stay here for awhile and she won’t be too much good around a bunch of people and even more strangers.  What do you want to do D?”  He rubbed his hand over top of his forehead.  “I’ve got business in the morning and I won’t be back until sometime after six pm.  Are you working tomorrow?”He asked Kaitlyn.  “No, I’m actually off for the next two days but we don’t have any room in our apartment for her to sleep.”  This is not what Donovan wanted but he wasn’t going to see the girl out in the street or have her frightened any more than she already was.  “I tell you what; you and Nino stay here until I get back tomorrow.