Ace of Spades Sneak Peek(78)

I refresh the page again, wanting to snoop some more. Martha must be her sister.

The page finally loads fully and the first picture pops up, Martha’s photos appearing one by one.

Blond hair. There are tremors in my head.

White skin. Searing pain in my stomach.

Her piercing scream. Numbness in my hands.

So much blood.





31


DEVON

Monday


I’m sitting on Terrell’s bed, chest aching, as he stares at me.

“So, let me get this straight.” Terrell has his mad scientist look on his face. “Every ten years, you think they’ve been admitting two Black students, letting them settle in, then screwing them over and trying to ruin their lives?”

I nod.

“And who is Aces?”

“A whole bunch of people at school—students … I saw a list of names—names I recognize.” The memory of Jack’s name sends pangs all over my body. “And I think the teachers are involved too.” Mr. Taylor’s laugh echoes hollowly in my memory. I’m still freaked out. “They all seem to have tasks. And they do this until we have no choice but to drop out, I guess, our futures ruined, or I don’t know … worse.”

“Fuck.” Terrell moves off the bed and sits in front of his old battered computer screen. “Ever researched your school?” he asks, typing Niveus into the search engine. Bullshit is on the table next to the mouse, staring at me like I’m invading his space. Maybe I am.

“Well, yeah, kind of, when Ma put me up for the scholarship, but not properly.”

“Did you know niveus means ‘white’ in Latin?”

I shake my head; of course it does.

Terrell types in Niveus Private Academy this time, then hits enter.

“These people are slick as fuck, but not that slick,” he says, his voice quiet as he concentrates on the screen. “It’s almost like they want you to find this shit. Like they’re proud of it. I mean, right here it says that the school was founded by some of the biggest funders of slavery—popular plantation owners, merchants and bankers who financed operations. It’s all here, you don’t have to go looking too far.”

My head swims and I zone out, the shock making it hard to process it all. Terrell goes on about the school’s founders, but I close my eyes, thinking about the money Ma put into that school, just to get me through. All for nothing. We have struggled every day, every fucking day, and it won’t mean a thing.

“Von.”

I snap out of it and look at Terrell.

“Hmm?”

“The school was founded in 1717. Isn’t it more than coincidence that the computer they use to do all this shit on is computer 17?”

Yeah …

Coincidence …

My heart beats fast as I look at Terrell, his hair jolting as he types, focused.

“Terrell,” I say cautiously. “How did you know that?”

He looks at me. “What? That the school was founded in 1717? It says it right here.”

I shake my head, organs shaking, mind shaking, everything shaking.

“How did you know about computer 17? I never told you about that.”

He pauses, and then dimples appear as he shrugs. “You must have told me.”

I didn’t. I know I didn’t.

I purposely left out details like that. I didn’t want to involve him at all in the stakeout. I didn’t want him to get hurt.

“Weird. I don’t remember saying it to you.”

“Strange how memory works, isn’t it?” he says after a long pause, his voice faltering a little.

The only way Terrell could know that is if … is if he’s in on it too. It’s convenient that he showed up just when this all started, claiming to know me. Maybe he was placed to watch over me like I’m a lab rat, paid by Niveus to pretend to like me.

I’ve been so stupid. Trusted a complete stranger, who, despite everything, is probably working for Aces. The pictures of the purple tube. Pictures of me outside Dre’s apartment. Everything about Dre. Maybe that’s how Jack knows Terrell too … Maybe they were working together, trying to ruin my life, hurt me, for whatever reason.

Why can’t I remember you, Terrell?

I take out my phone, trying not to look panicked. “Looks like my ma needs me home,” I lie, which gets his attention. I move off his bed, standing up at the same time he stands up from the chair.

“Want me to walk you home?” he asks.

I force a smile, shaking my head. “I think I need to be alone right now.”

He nods. “Do you know what you want to do about Niveus?”

I don’t say anything; I can’t bring myself to. I can see him trying to understand my sudden shift in mood, looking at me, unblinking, like he wants to say something.

I just want to leave, so I say, “I’ll see you, okay?” We lock eyes, his face confused and a little sad.

I’m breathless as I spin around, rush out of his room, down the stairs, and through the front door. He calls after me, but I don’t stop or turn or listen. I just run—again.



* * *



When I get home, Ma is standing over the cooker, boiling potatoes. She looks at me, her eyes filled with love as she opens out her arms for a hug.