PIECES

Chapter Forty.

            Tokunbo.

                       "Dad!"

                      "Papa!"  She and her brother  lunged for their Father as soon as he stepped into the house that Friday morning. He hadn't been home throughout the night before.

                        "Did you catch all the bad guys Dad?" Timi asked looking up into his face.

                        "I caught enough." Her father replied gruffly. "Now go get dressed so I can drop you at school before I go to work. I will sleep at the station. I hate night duty."

                          Tokunbo chuckled and pulled away from him. "Yes papa."

                           She walked towards the dining table. Her abandoned breakfast stared coldly back at her.

                         "We got proof that the boy didn't do it." She heard her father tell her heavily pregnant mother. Tokunbo was certain the due date was very close.

                          "Which boy?"

                          "Our neighbor's son." Her eyes widened. "Apparently he was framed and falsely accused by the gang we've been trying to get rid of. A video of them beating up the boy was sent to us. Spent all night rounding them up."

                         The police finally knew! Eli was free.

                         But how?

                         She frowned at the cold custard. Who could've sent that video? There was no way it was Demi.  It had to be  the guy who stole the flash.

                          On the bright side, Eli can come home!

                          "I have to tell Betty!" She murmured excitedly to herself and grabbed her bag. "I'm ready to go Papa."

                        A few minutes later, she and her brother held each other tight on her Father's bike as he drove down the school lane. A wide smile on her face. Eli would no longer need to be Demi's puppet. They would no longer worry about being expelled from school.

                      ...I had thought it was goodbye forever...

                        The smile on her face died as she recalled Vicky's words. Demi would not stop. She would keep on striking until she got what she wanted. A twisted kind of Justice.

                         Except...

                             "No." She whispered.
 
                            "Will you get off or should I  push you?' Timi hissed alerting her that they had arrived at the school gate.

                           "Behave Timilehin." Their father cautioned. After dishing out his usual instructions, he kicked his bike on.

                            "Dad!" Tokunbo called out. His brows raised in question. "Uhm... Be safe."

                            He threw a vague nod her way and zoomed off.

                            You too Tokunbo.

                            Ignoring her brother's weird looks, she stormed into the school and headed for the East wing's arena. A huge space where Students simply did nothing.

                          "You guys!" She yelled as soon as she spotted Betty and Vicky admist the sea of students.

                          "Whoa! Do small small. We can't have you breaking to pieces."  Vicky smirked.

                          "I have good news." She grinned ignoring the jab.

                           "You found Demi's diary?!" Betty squealed.

                            "Ah... No."

                          She scoffed. "What could be better news than that?"

                          Tokunbo rolled her eyes. "Oh I don't know. How about your brother no longer being wanted by the police?"

                          Betty's eyes almost popped out their sockets.  "Stop joking Tokunbo."

                          "I am not! My dad spent all night rounding the culprits. He said so this morning."

                          "Holy Lord! That's great!" Vicky screeched.

                         "Let's call him." Betty jumped excitedly, whipping out her phone. "When he picks the call, let's scream 'FREEDOM!'"  .

                       Vicky's face morphed into an annoyed expression while Tokunbo  smiled so wide her cheeks hurt.

                       "One... Two... Three-"

                        "FREEDOM!" She and Betty chorused.

                         A wild laugh echoed through the receiver making the hairs on Tokunbo's neck stand on end.

                        "Demi." All three girls murmured bitterly.

                        "You didn't think I would let my only chance of winning go, did you?"

                         "Wh... Where's Eli? Why are you with his phone?!" Betty's body quivered with each words that fell from her lips. Tokunbo snatched the phone from her before it fell to the ground.

                          "I don't know how you all managed to turn the Skylars against me. Really impressive. But I have loyal people and they will not fail."

                           "Where. Is. Elijah?" She asked in the calmest voice she could muster.

                           "Where else sweet Tokunbo? With me of course. Here's a message for Victoria. Let's end this game honey. Meet me at the warehouse in an hour or pick the remains of your dear Elijah." And with a click, the call was disconnected.

                         "Oh God." Betty whispered, her face blanched. "She won't stop will she?"

                       Tokunbo shook her head silently. "She won't."

                          Except we get rid of her. Permanently.

***
It is happening.