Toka-Ace #1: The Re-Emergence
Chapter 16

The casket was slowly lowered into the ground.

The dirt was thrown onto the casket.

People cried. Some mourned silently. Then little by little they left. After a while it was Dominic, Carla, Andrew, and I left at the grave.

Andrew looked crestfallen. He stared at the grave uncharacteristically solemn. I felt a hand come down on my shoulder. “Troy,” Dominic said.

“Please, give us a few more minutes here,” I requested.

“Of course,” Dominic said. “We’ll be waiting in the car.”

I heard his footsteps getting further away. Now only Andrew and I were left standing in front of our mother’s grave. Dominic and Carla kept a respectful distance.

I could see Aug-Ig standing twenty yards away leaning against a tree. It almost seemed as though he was giving me time to grieve.

“So?” Andrew cut the silence.

“So?” I echoed.

“What is going on?” Andrew asked. “Why did Tovlin bring me here?”

“I made a deal with Tovlin,” I answered.

“What?” Andrew asked. “What kind of deal did you make?”

“I agreed to let Tovlin take me, but in exchange they had to leave you alone.” I confessed.

For a moment neither of us said anything. I avoided looking at Andrew but I could feel his eyes on me.

He grabbed me and turned me towards him. “What do you mean you agreed to go with them?” Andrew demanded angrily. “Did you forget that they tried to kill us?”

“No Andrew, I didn’t forget,” I said. “But I did realize that this is best.”

“Best?” Andrew repeated. “How are you defining ‘best’ here?”

“It’s the best option so that no one gets hurt,” I said.

“So that’s it, you’re giving up?” Andrew asked.

I sighed and suddenly I was irritated. “Andrew, I’m doing this for you, for everyone that we care about. Tovlin has demonstrated that they don’t exactly care about who gets in the way. For God’s sake, man, when they kidnapped you I thought they might kill you.”

“Would you have given up like this if they did?” Andrew asked.

“I can’t believe that you have a problem with this. All I’m trying to do is take control of the situation and keep everyone safe,” I said forcefully.

“What?” Andrew shrieked. “Of course I have a problem with this. My brother is sacrificing himself on some half-baked plan. That’s not taking control. You could have run and you could have thought of something else to do.”

“Like what?” I challenged. “Look at all the good running and hiding did. Look, Andrew, even when I was trying to protect you, they still got you,” I said defensively. “I can’t win now, so I’m doing the next best thing.”

“Giving up?” Andrew hissed. He was insistent. “That’s the next best thing? Are you serious?”

I was irritated. “You think I like this?” I asked. “I don’t. All I’m trying to do is protect everyone. Katherine can’t do it. She helped us, and Tovlin still got to us. What Tovlin wants is me. If they get me, they’ll leave you and everyone else alone. Look man, I know that you’re not going to approve, but I am telling you, not asking, what I’m going to do.”

Andrew looked as though he wanted to argue but he had nothing with which to counter. He knew that I was right and it was sinking in. Tears welled up in his eyes. He walked right up to me and grabbed me. He threw his arms around me and hugged me. “I love you man.”

“Stop it,” I commanded. “I don’t want my last thought of you to be you in tears.”

Andrew wiped his eyes. “Sorry. I’m going to miss you.”

“I know,” I said. “I’ll miss you too. But I need you to take care of Elyse for me. Make sure that she doesn’t end up with some d-bag. Let her know that I care about her and I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there. I want you to make the most out of your life. Be successful, stay focused, and do your best.”

“You’re starting to sound like Mom,” Andrew said.

“Yeah,” I laughed. “I guess it all sunk in too late.”

Andrew barked a bitter laugh.

“Troy,” Aug-Ig’s voice cut in. I looked over at him. “It’s time, come along.” he instructed.

Reluctantly, I stepped away from Andrew. Andrew tried to keep from crying. “I love you brother,” I said. “Stay strong and do your best. Goodbye.”

I walked beside Aug-Ig. Four of his assistants fell in behind us.

I tried to let all thought fall away from my mind. But all my anxieties were clamped onto my thinking. I was going to miss out on everything. Along with my anger and my fear, those thoughts of a lost future came too, so bright and painful.

“You know, it’s not our intention to hurt anyone,” Aug-Ig said.

“Well you could have fooled me.” I said snippily.

“What happened with Mibweet was unfortunate.” Aug-Ig said quickly but firmly. “Anyway, I made sure that no one would step in this time. Your legal guardians have been pacified and rendered unconscious while we take you. With you turning yourself over peacefully and honorably, there’s hope for us not having to hurt the others. Instead we can peacefully negotiate all the others turning themselves over.”

“Why didn’t you do that with my mom?” I demanded.

“Mibweet was determined to interfere,” Aug-Ig explained.

“So just what do you want with me anyway?” I asked.

“Your power will be utilized to help us implement our order.” Aug-Ig answered.

“Hmm.”

“I thought you’d have more to say.”

“Well forgive me, I don’t exactly feel like carrying on a conversation at the moment.” I said.

“That is understandable,” Aug-Ig said. He looked down and then he looked at me. “I often wonder about all the children that we empowered Troy. I wonder what you would have been like had there never been the betrayal, if we could have made you see things our way. Well it doesn’t matter. You will soon have a firsthand look at why you are needed and why Tovlin must succeed.”

The car was a four-door sedan parked maybe fifty yards away at the end of a winding dirt driveway that cut through the middle of the cemetery. The dread was building, choking me. My neck grew tight. My heart beat in a slow hard rhythm. I had to prepare for…for I didn’t know what.

Andrew would live a long happy life. Yes that was the key, that was the thought that I needed to hold on to. I wanted so badly to stay and have a happy life too.

One of Aug-Ig’s assistants was waiting by the car. He opened the door when we got close. Aug-Ig got in.

“Now you,” the assistant ordered gruffly.

I sighed heavily and let go of everything. I shuddered and started to get into the car.

HISS! A billow of smoke exploded around the car. The smoke got into my eyes and made my eyes water. My nose and throat burned. I coughed and choked on the smoke.

Aug-Ig’s assistants coughed and gagged.

Another canister was thrown and smoke poured from it. The air filled with the gray gas.

I stumbled back. Then I felt a strong arm grab me around my throat and I was being dragged away. I was unable to make sense of anything.

I was roughly thrown into a car. The car started and quickly pulled away throwing me, still coughing and choking against the back seat.

“Turning yourself over to Tovlin? That was a profoundly stupid, boneheaded thing for you to do you little idiot.”

“Katherine?” I choked out.

“Who else,” she said. “Somebody’s got to save your dumb ass.”