by Navi' Robins
“Fuck no,” Daniel snapped.
“So, you’re a bitch now? You were all gung ho about my end of the bet, but you can’t do yours?”
“What is it about Ayana? Why do you want me around her?”
“Because in the short time she’s been around, you’ve actually started to show some signs of life, even if they are annoying as fuck at times. Before, I couldn’t get any meaningful emotional responses from you. Now, you’re talking more, and none of this started until Ayana showed up. So, maybe with a little more time with her, things will work themselves out. I know it’s a long shot, but I’m a doctor trying to cure cancer, so I’m used to long shots.”
Daniel didn’t want to play this game with Timothy, but he really needed to prove that Timothy wasn’t as skilled with the ladies as he thought he was. Yeah, sure, a lot of women were as he described, but not all of them. He wanted to prove him wrong for once. Despite his fear of losing the bet and having to be around Ayana and her attempts at fixing him, he accepted the bet and started making his way toward the dancing woman.
Timothy watched his friend maneuver across the dance floor. He was excited to see how it would turn out, and he was confident that he was accurate concerning his assessment of the dancing woman.
He’s gonna feel so stupid when she rejects him.
Daniel moved slowly, staring at the woman until he caught her eye. She looked back at him and gave him a mischievous smirk. She caught him watching her, and she liked it. Still moving toward her, Daniel never took his eyes off her. The longer he stared at her, the more sensual her movements became. She turned to the side while dancing, exposing the perfect crescent moon that was her ass. Daniel was only a few feet from her as he continued to push forward in her direction. He was now so close that he could smell the sweetness of her perfume, feel her body heat, and the sweet smell of the fruity chewing gum she had in her mouth. Timothy stepped away from the bar, so he could get a better view of the coming rejection, but what happened next made his mouth drop. Instead of Daniel walking up to her, he proceeded to walk past her as if she weren’t there, sending a strong feeling of rejection in the woman’s direction.
The woman, now shocked and intrigued by Daniel’s reaction, quickly and forcefully grabbed his arm and pulled him close to her. Wrapping her arms around him like a mother’s embrace and without uttering one word, she began to dance with him. Pressing every curve against his body, she seemed desperate to get as close to him as humanly possible. Daniel accepted her embrace, and the two embarked on a rhythmic journey so sexual, Timothy was sure Daniel was going to pop before it was over.
Seven songs later, a sweaty Daniel returned to the bar with the biggest smile on his face. Timothy’s face made it clear he wasn’t happy with his loss and the consequences he would have to face. Daniel could tell Timothy was confused at how things played out, and he was all too eager to give him the lesson he should’ve learned ages ago.
“Dude, you forgot about me, didn’t you? All the game you have, you got from yours truly. Just because I’ve been focused on other shit doesn’t mean I don’t know how to get a woman’s attention. It also helps that a brother is considered quite attractive by the ladies. I don’t need a profession. I got all I need with me at all times to pull any woman I want. You just forgot, young Padawan learner, who your master is . . . May the force be with you, and the pussy be away from you for the next ninety days.”
The thought of being sex free for three months started to sink in, and Timothy immediately felt faint. Watching his reaction caused Daniel to laugh loudly as he ordered a drink and handed it to his friend.
“Tim, you look like you need a drink.”
“Gloat all you want, Yoda. I will honor our bet, but I still believe you should give Ayana a chance.”
“How about you take this drink and give celibacy a chance . . . Father Avers.”
Timothy immediately gave him the finger, while gulping down the drink his friend just handed him.
Laughing loudly, Daniel headed back out on the dance floor, looking for another dance partner.
Chapter 6
Breaking Point
The next afternoon, Daniel sat in his office, rocking back and forth in his chair, twirling a writing pen in his hand. His mind wandered beyond the confines of his office, replaying the conversation between himself and Ayana the other night.
“Dr. Bennett?” The nurse’s voice called out to him from the doorway of his office.
“Yes, Ms. Davis.”
“There’s someone here to see you.”
Instantly feeling annoyed, Daniel assumed it was either Meagan or Ayana.
“Who is it?”
“He wouldn’t give his name, but he’s definitely not from around here.”
“Not from around here?”
“Yeah, from this country . . . from the US . . . I believe he may be African or Jamaican . . . I’m not completely sure.”
Now confused, Daniel told the nurse to show in his guest. She returned with a dark-skinned man of such a massive stature that Daniel was afraid he wouldn’t fit through the office door. He wasn’t an obese man, but a man built like a tank. His muscles bulged through the three-piece grey suit he wore, and while watching him step through his office door, Daniel was surprised a suit existed to fit a man with such a large frame. The man smiled and began to speak with his hand extended to greet the doctor.
“Hello, my name is Satu, and I am here as a representative of Kronte and the freedom fighters of Southern Sudan.”
His introduction caused Daniel to freeze in his chair as a cold sweat started to build all over his body. Seeing his reaction, Satu smiled brightly and sat in the seat on the other side of the doctor’s desk. As he slowly took a seat, Daniel secretly reached down and quickly entered the security code of his gun safe located in an opening on the right side of his desk. The quiet yet sharp clicking sound of the safe’s door lock disengaging made the doctor cringe, hoping the gigantic man that was making himself comfortable didn’t hear it.
“I assure you, Doctor, I am not here in an aggressive capacity. I am here to deliver a message from our wrongfully imprisoned leader. He sends his condolences for your loss in Sudan, but he assures you that neither he nor his followers had anything to do with that raid. Because of this fact, he hopes that you would refrain from testifying in the courts, falsely accusing him.”
Daniel’s hands were now cold as ice, and he began to rub them together, attempting to warm them. His nerves were in a frenzy, and sending this hulk of a man to his office to relay this message was the definition of intimidation. Daniel assumed Kronte thought this large man would instill a fear in him that would keep him silent. Daniel was nervous, not because of the man, but what his presence caused him to relive. It was as if the universe was hell-bent not only on torturing him in his sleep but also while he was awake.
Satu, noticing the confusion on the doctor’s face, grinned while reaching into his inside jacket pocket, which made the doctor jump back in his chair. His reaction sent a look of satisfaction on Satu’s face, and then he slowly pulled out a large, yellow envelope.
“Kronte also wanted to give you this gift, a token of his appreciation and sorrow for your loss in his country.”
Looking confused, Daniel stared at the envelope now lying on his desk. “What is that?”
“A gift of $100,000 US. He knows that he can’t replace a life, but he believes this can be the beginning of many gifts that can help you forget . . . with your cooperation, of course.”
Daniel’s emotions were now in freefall, and fury began to boil inside of him. He wanted to attack Satu with the butterfly pocketknife in his coat pocket, but he wasn’t sure how the hospital staff would take him slicing and dicing a man in his office. He tried his best to calm his nerves and decided to lean back in his chair and give Satu a very concise piece of his mind. He’d had enough, and it was time for him to let his guest, and the one who sent him, know.
“Your leader must really
be a generous man to pay $100,000 in restitution for someone else’s crime. I mean, you did say he didn’t have anything to do with the raid, correct?”
“You are correct, Doctor Bennett.”
“One hundred thousand, huh? I take it your leader, being so generous and innocent, didn’t want to appear desperate by offering more. I get it. Thing is, I’m confused concerning a few details, especially the claim that your boss wasn’t present and responsible for the massacre in the village and the attempt on my life. They didn’t fail from a lack of trying. I can tell you that.”
“What are your concerns? Like I’ve said, my leader wasn’t responsible for that raid.”
“Hmmm, that’s strange, because I remember clearly while I was getting my ass beat and shot up, your leader was one of the men pulling the trigger. Actually, I clearly remember spitting in your boss’s face. Now, I know the sun was bright that day, and usually, it can play tricks with your eyesight, but your leader . . . well . . . You know, you hang with him all the time . . . He’s a pretty dark-skinned man. I mean, standing next to him in the sun is like hiding under a very luscious tree. So, I’m sure the bright sunlight wasn’t a factor in me seeing clearly. Also, the emblem on your suit that represents your (cough) freedom fighters . . . The men that raided that village also wore the exact emblem.
“Now, unless your organization has some imposters, and your boss has a twin brother, it’s hard for me to accept his claim of innocence. You see, where I’m from, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck . . . well . . . It’s a fuck of a duck. And now you come in here with a gift of $100,000 . . . well . . . for recompense for a crime he didn’t commit. Satu, keep it real with me . . . It’s not a gift, is it? It’s hush money, right?” he asked sarcastically.
“Listen, I too have a message for your boss. Tell your boss he can take his gift and shove it up his degenerate ass. You don’t scare me, and neither does he. Now, take that envelope and get the fuck out of my office!”
Appearing offended, Satu sat quietly. His smile was gone, and he had a look in his eyes that revealed violent intentions. He decided not to leave the office and possibly try to intimidate the doctor further.
“Or what, Doctor? You’ll call security?”
“Security? Nigga, if you don’t get the fuck up out of that chair and out of this office, I will fill your ass up with some hot shit!”
From his gun’s safe, Daniel pulled out the biggest handgun Satu had ever seen. He jumped to his feet in terror, grabbing the envelope, and quickly started backing out of the office.
“Satu, it would be in your best interest if I never see you in this hospital again. I also implore you to leave quietly. If you threaten me in any way or utter one word on your way out, I will attempt to shoot the black off your ass. That’s a lot of shooting, but I got refills here so . . .”
Shaking his head, Satu quickly backed out of Daniel’s office and ran down the hall toward the elevator.
Americans and their guns, Satu thought, stepping inside the elevator alone.
Looking out his office door, Daniel watched Satu until the elevator doors closed. Still holding the chrome-plated hand cannon, he began to pace back and forth in his office in a daze. His thoughts were spinning like a hurricane in his head as he tried to grasp the magnitude of what just occurred in his office. Kronte and his henchmen would not give up so easily, and Daniel feared that once the warlord found out he couldn’t buy him out, he would resort to other means to silence him. Running wasn’t an option. Men like Kronte didn’t gamble, and he wouldn’t stop looking for him and would use those closest to him to draw him out. Taking the money would’ve only allowed Kronte to bend him over anytime he wanted, taking all kinds of shit that wouldn’t be worth the money exchanged.
All he wanted to do was to be left alone and allowed to live his life the way he wanted to live it. Now, he was being forced to make decisions against his will, and Daniel hated that. Just thinking about it caused his jaws to tighten like a vice grip as the pressure caused his teeth to grind in his mouth. With the gun still in his hand, his fists tightened as his anger grew. He unconsciously placed his finger firmly on the gun’s trigger while slowly closing his fist. He was lost inside himself, his rage and feelings of entrapment caused his emotions to become unstable, like a house of cards. In his confusion, he didn’t notice the loud clicking sound that kept echoing inside his office until Timothy’s voice snapped him out of his nightmare.
Timothy was looking at his friend as if he were a madman. His eyes kept moving from his hand to his face, searching for any clue about why Daniel was standing in the middle of his office, repeatedly pulling the gun’s trigger with the barrel pointed directly at his temple. The Glock 43’s safety was still on, so the gun never discharged, but the scene was still very disturbing. Timothy was afraid to say anything that might cause Daniel to snap, causing him to do the unthinkable.
Timothy stood in the doorway in complete silence, afraid to move or make a sound. Daniel was looking at the floor with a tormented look in his eyes. Timothy saw his friend was in a lot of pain, and he didn’t know how to help him. Each time he pulled the trigger, Timothy’s heart seemed to stop beating. He was sweating now, and the stress from what he was watching was taking a serious toll on him. Not wanting to expose Daniel’s breakdown to the rest of the hospital, Timothy slowly closed the door behind him and raised both hands in the air, before deciding to call out to Daniel.
“Danny, Danny, what are you doing, man?”
Daniel was unresponsive, appearing not to notice he wasn’t alone any longer.
“Danny! Bruh, what are you doing?”
Daniel appeared to be trying to listen to something, as he slightly turned his head in Timothy’s direction. Feeling that his friend was coming out of his trance, Timothy decided to speak louder, hoping that Daniel would come to his senses before his thumb accidentally hit the safety switch.
“Danny, what is that in your hand, bruh? Look at your hand.”
Daniel seemed to understand and turned slowly toward the hand that held the gun. Upon seeing the shiny barrel directly in his face, he quickly jumped back, covering his face as if someone else were holding the weapon. Noticing that the gun was in his hand, Daniel examined it before letting his arm drop to his side. Exhaling deeply, he turned to face Timothy, whose frightened eyes were filled with questions that demanded answers. Watching Daniel walk over to his desk and slide the gun back in the drawer, Timothy became furious at how calmly Daniel was behaving. It was as if he just walked in on him eating lunch instead of about to eat a bullet.
“You wanna tell me what the fuck that was about?” Timothy asked, without trying to hide his anger.
“Not really, but I don’t have a choice, do I?”
“Hell no, you don’t! Look, man, I’m too backed up for this stressful shit. I can’t even release the stress I’m feeling right now, so you need to tell me what’s going on.”
“Okay, fine. Have a seat.”
Refusing to say a word or sit, Timothy folded his arms and remained standing. His posture of defiance amused Daniel, and he smiled while he calmly took a seat behind his desk. The fact that Daniel continued to smile aggravated Timothy to the point of madness, and he secretly wanted to knock that smile right off his friend’s face.
“So, are you going to talk or sit there smiling at me like some kind of car salesman ready to fuck me over on a ten-year car loan?”
His comment wiped the smile off Daniel’s face, causing him to shake his head, annoyed at Timothy’s attempt at forcing him to reveal things he didn’t care to talk about. Knowing he had no choice, however, Daniel told Timothy about the conversation he’d just had with Satu. Once he was done, Timothy still had a look of disbelief on his face. He knew that Daniel was still leaving a lot out, and he wasn’t going to be shortchanged, not after what he just walked in on.
“What else, Danny?”
“That’s it. That’s everything.”
“Hey, asshole! I k
now there’s more, and you need to spill it. I’m not fucking around. I’m your boy, but I will go to the board about this. You are a danger to yourself and the patients with that suicidal bullshit, and I’m in short supply of patience and an overabundance of sexual frustration, so don’t test me.”
“Hey, you can’t blame me for your sexual frustration. You came up with that—not me.”
“Danny, I’m not playing . . . I want it all, and I want it now. Spill it!”
Daniel, seeing that Timothy wasn’t going to let it go, decided to explain everything, including his violent nightmares, but kept assuring him that he had things under control, and he shouldn’t be worried.
“I shouldn’t be worried after I walked in on you with a gun to your head? Yeah, that seems real reasonable.”
As Timothy continued to complain, Daniel’s shattered mind tried to pull itself together. Momentarily closing his eyes, he attempted to bring himself into the present, but Timothy’s constant complaining made it difficult to concentrate. Clinching his fists, Daniel inhaled deeply and said, “Listen, I understand you are concerned, and I would love to delve deeper into this, but right now, this isn’t the time or the place for this discussion. I need to get back to the ICU, and the last thing I need is for someone to overhear this conversation and misunderstand the situation.”
“Misunderstand the situation? Dude, screw that! If they overheard this conversation, they would get exactly what they should from it. Your ass is unstable, and you need help . . . serious help. It’s one thing to be standoffish and cold like a robot, but it’s another to point a loaded gun at your head and continuously pull the trigger.”
“The safety was on . . .”
“Danny, I don’t give a flying fuck,” Timothy snapped back.
“Keep your voice down,” Daniel warned, looking toward his office door. “This is why I said we need to talk about this later.”
“Cool. Tonight . . . We will get real deep into this madness, and I swear, Danny, if you play stupid with me tonight, I will inform the hospital board. You may hate me now, but you’ll thank me later.”
