Daniele’s birthday is just like any other day, today she is making 12 years. David asked me to accompany him to pick up her birthday gift today and we have to set off to the store before the party commences at 8pm.

For all the years I have known David, we have become so close that we know each other so well. I head out after preparing myself, and he is waiting for me outside my apartment. It’s cold it being next to waters and the country itself is cold.

I drive for 20 minutes and get to the store. Daniele wanted a Jordan for her birthday, but I suggested we get her Nike. It looks better on her. We get the shoes and we head out. I get the feeling like someone is watching us.

“Someone is following us, stick close to me and don’t give it off” David says as we move without rushing and with the same pace as before.

“I realised that 10 minutes ago. On our 5 o’clock and 9 o’clock” i say as we head to our car.

“Am driving” suggests David as I hand him the car keys and we get in.

We drive off and the people also get in their car to follow us. As we drive we realise, it is not just one car but 4 cars following us. David looks through the rare mirror and sighs.

“Call Timothy for me” David says as he increases the speed of the car as I dial the number. Timothy picks up and I place the phone in loud speaker.

“Bro”

“Tim, Zuella has found me, he does not know about the rest of you. Go to Daniella and call Anton, it an emergency. And tell dad just incase”

“Okay, be careful” Timothy hangs up and the cars behind us open fire. David is a professional; driving is a piece of cake to him. He speeds up as they cars get closer to us. Our car is an old jeep Comanche(MJ) 1989 and these guys are driving Audi SUVs. Their cars are so fast, but David is a pro. The first car drives and gets close to us, and David drives right into it on the right and holds it still.

Infront i notice a truck coming in our direction.

"David.....David.... David?" i call out but he seems to know what he is doing. He stays on that side and the other car has no plce to return to sice other SUVs are right behind it. David drives and slids off the side in time and the truck hits the SUV driving it off a cliff. The other dodge it and they loose control in the process and they stop. We get away and drive for about an hour after finally losing them.

David parks under a bridge and he gets out of the car and I follow him with Daniele’s birthday gift in my back pack. We stand next to the waters and he turns me around to face him.

“Ray, whatever happens tonight protect Danielle, I feel today will not end well, she is all I have and you are the only one I trust when it comes to her. Tell Anton to cover up any tracks leading me to her and to Rosey. She must never be found by anyone. You protect her, my family will help, and they already know you can protect her for us all” says David as he smiles

“I will, but we are protecting her together.  All of us, we are a family. Family fights for each other, you always teel me that. So you are going to be around while we protect her David”

“Yes I will, but just in-------” David pushes me hard and I fall in water,and the next thing i hear is an exploation immediately after the bullets. My ears deaf to the explosion, the next thing I hear are bullets again. I stay underneath the water and I swim under the bridge and come out on the other side close to where the car was parked. I pull out my phone and thank God it not dead. I send I text to Anton and Uncle Ramos and then record a direct video for them and mute their microphone.

Bullets are fired in the place I fell and the next thing I see is blood coming on top. Am not sure what they hit but that stops them from shooting.

“Look who we have here” a man states as I hear David cough and spit. I get to a place where I can see what is happening clearly. I see I man with tattoos, one on his face, and another on his arm and two others on his chest since he is shirtless.

He steps on David’s chest wound, evident of a bullet and bleeding. David grumbles underneath his chest with pain. He does not shout at all or scream. I know what that means that is his way of saying don’t come out.

I watch in anger, am so frustrated I can’t do anything, am outnumbered all the guns were left in the car that is now on fire. All I have with me is my back pack that contains Daniele’s present.

“I really don’t know your name man, but before you die, you should at least tell me your name as a piece offering for Silver. I don’t like going back empty handed, he will have my head.” The tattooed guy says with a grin on his face.

That only makes David laugh out in pain and amusement. The guy, steps on the gun wound more and pulls out a picture and shows it to him.

“Who is this, I need answers. A man named Santos senior told me you can lead me to him and that I should send you his regards” the guy says but David stays silent and laughs.

“You see, Silver is looking for this young man. You see in this picture he is about 6 or seven he must be 20 or 24. Am not so good with faces but am sure this is you and this is him. Where can I find him.” The man says, am sure they are looking for me but I don’t know why. 

One of his men come and hand him the phone and whispers in his ear. He turns and looks at David in amusement.

“We have found him, pardon me. We found someone that can led us to him you are no longer needed” he states as he lifts his gun and shoots David twice. David shuts his eyes and they get into their cars and leave.

I rush from my hiding place and reach for David; he picks my phone from my hand with his shaky and bloody ones. Tears roll down my cheeks, I cannot say a word. Words don’t seem to come out as I open my mouth. David lifts his other hand that is bloody and rubs my tears away.

“They will not get to you, I need to call Timothy so he gets away”

I feel my heart being torn into pieces. The phone gets through and I cannot hear I thing, am filled with emotions and anger and rage. All I see is his mouth moving and him smiling, until he loses all his strength to hold the phone.

My senses come back and I put the phone on loud speaker, and I hear her voice, Daniele. The one person I have sworn to protect the one person I must protect by all mean.

 I hear her joyful voice until the line goes off, David gives me one last smile and in the next moment he is gone. I freeze, I shake him, I call him but I cannot hear my own voice coming out.

I scream, I shout, I cry , I shake him, I look around me, but I cannot see, I lose control of myself, all I see is David dead right in front of me. I see hands holding me tightly but I feel nothing, I shout and shout but nothing happens.

Until I remember David’s voice ring in my head saying

“Hold your breathe Ray, breath out and repeat the process three more time” that was the 7 year old me being told to breath and am doing the same thing at 24 years.

I repeat that and finally calm down, I look up and it’s Anton looking right at me. I can see through his eyes, he is more broken than I am but he is strong for me. I cannot measure how each one of us is broken, but we all are.

I stand up and hug him tightly.

“Ray, we need to handle this fast, we all must be on the ship and head out. I have talked to Johns and Paul they are bringing Miles and Claris”

“What about Daniele?”

“She is with Timothy, they will be here soon, let’s load up”

…………………………………………………………………..

2 hours ago

Daniella

 

I am so excited for my birthday; my dad will be home soon. My mum left when i was five, I don’t remember much about her but I have a picture of her. I still wonder why she left me.

Well, today is my 12^th birthday and am expecting another yearly gift from my dad, my friends Claris, Miles and Ray who always gets my favourites. When my mum left, they have always brought home a yearly gift for me. My day always gets the extraordinary; let’s call it a human gift.

My dad believes in self-defence and learning a few skills. When I was six I learnt tai chi, when I was seven I went for judo, when I was eight I learnt karate, when I was nine I was taught kung fu, when I was ten I learnt tae kwon do and last year I learnt kickboxing and this year am waiting for my new skill, am so excited about it.

My dad always made sure I learn properly but I do not know why, so it became fun for me. As I wait patiently for my dad, the doorbell rings.

“Dad is that you? Dad!” I open the door in excitement. To my dismay its uncle Tim, he is my dad’s brother and only family to me.

“Uncle Tim,” I call him out in disappointment.

“Are you that excited?” he asks while entering the house and I nod a “yes” to him.

“Guess what I got for your birthday little Daniella.” I look up to him with eagerness.

“What did you get Uncle Tim? You know you’re my favourite and only uncle.” I say as I cling to him with a teething face.

“I won’t fall for that, you always say that to get me to speak, it won’t work on me.” He says that with a smirk on his face. He learnt all my tricks, I can’t fool him again.

“You know am the birthday girl today.”

“If you guess it right, am taking you for free UFC training at my gym.” Oh my God, I really want to learn that, am dying for it. Every time I brought that up, he refused. My Uncle Tim trains UFC starters. He does not train champions because he hates flash lights.

“You promise?”

“Of course, you know am a man of my word.” That is true; my uncle keeps all his promises. Well the problem is now me guessing what he has brought me.

“How many chances do I get?” I ask him with a smile on my face

“Just one” he says that while sitting on the couch and crossing his arms

“That is not fair”

“It is fair, am giving you free training, remember?” he has a point. I need to think about this carefully or free training is getting away.

“You’ve bought tickets to a movie.”

“Wrong, why do you never use your brain?” he asks while laughing it out.

“Thinking is not for everyone, and I am among the not everyone.” I frown and sit next to him.

“You will get only your birthday gift, no training for you” he hands me a shopping card at that. Am confused because am not a shopping person and I don’t have any friends except for the boys at his centre.

“Seriously, a shopping card” I narrow my eyes at him.

“Yes, a shopping card. You only have gent’s clothes that your dad buys while buying his. His sense of fashion is weird, am not into it. You are a young lady buy clothes that suit your age and gender” he is damn right, I do not have any female clothes, even my undies are boxer that fit. Claris does not help much, she wears the same clothes I wear. However, I have never gone anywhere beyond this small neighbourhood with no name and no shopping mall.

“Where will I shop? It will basically expire before I use it.”

“I never said you’ll start using it today, and it won’t expire, a student of mine gave that to me and it works in any shopping mall. And it is limitless.” This is shocking, how is that possible

“It’s possible my dear little Daniella,” was he reading my mind

“I know you well, it’s simple to know what you’re thinking.” He right, he has known me since I was a baby and I have spent most of the time with him. Still lost in thought my phone rings, it’s my dad.