Chapter 4 — Ace

“Jacen Griffin, please come down to the office.” A voice crackled over the PA system. “I repeat. Jacen Griffin, please come down to the office.”

I nearly poked out my eye with the microscope.

“I can send you pictures of the cells so you can answer the lab questions.” Michelle fidgeted with the corner of the instruction sheet.

Everyone acted nervous around me today. No doubt word of the fight had made its rounds of the school. Ms. Jamal wrote me a hall pass before I left.

The principal formed a steeple with his hands as I sat down in front of him.

“It is an expectation for students of Jefferson High to abide by the rules, and they must serve their punishments when they have done wrong,” he said. “You weren’t in detention yesterday, Mr. Griffin. Care to explain?”

I leaned back in the chair. “I didn’t feel like going. And the worst thing you can do is assign me more detention.”

“I could call your parents.”

“Is that supposed to scare me?” I laughed.

There was a knock at the door.

The principal sighed. “It’s open.”

Josiah walked into the room with his arm in a blue cast.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I’m the student monitor who’s been assigned to watch you.”

I gaped at him. “You’re joking.”

“You must check in with him at the end of each day and walk with him to your classes.” Mr. Giovanni turned to Josiah. “I know you are one of the most responsible students in school.”

I snorted.

“But considering the circumstances, no one would blame you if you handed off the responsibility to someone else.”

“It’s no trouble.” Josiah steered me out the door. “Have a good day, sir.”

I shrugged him off. “Don’t touch me.”

“I’ll do whatever I want, ghetto boy. I’m in charge of you while you’re on probation.”

“No one’s making you watch me. I’m sure you’re just as eager for us to avoid each other as I am.”

“It’s my responsibility,” Josiah said. “Besides, I’ve got more leverage over you than our poor principal.”

I turned to face him. “And that is?”

“I can sue you for all you’ve got. Don’t forget, you attacked me unprovoked, and my family can afford the best attorneys in the country.”

My hands clenched into fists. “Do you want me to break another bone of yours?”

“Ah, but you forget, you can’t do that without losing everything. You’ll check in with me, do as I say, and go to your detentions like a good boy if you don’t want me to make a call to my lawyer.”

“This is blackmail. I can tell the principal and—”

“You think Mr. Giovanni doesn’t know? It’s why I’m good at keeping students in line.”

Josiah sat next to me in math class again as Ms. Lamar lectured about the equation of a circle. I made sure to keep my pencils out of his reach.

Even though we were in different classes next period, Josiah insisted on walking me to Mr. Coleman’s room for study hall. There were fifteen people in the class. A burly senior sat in the corner doodling on his math worksheets, and several girls gossiped at a table under the guise of working on a group project.

Nicholas was there too, writing on a piece of notebook paper.

He looked up as I came in. “Hi, Ace. Want to join me?”

I sat a few desks away from him. He had pelted me with questions yesterday, too fast for me to come up with decent lies. I wasn’t eager for a repeat. As I opened my copy of Henry V, I watched Nicholas out of the corner of my eye.

He was unremarkable at first glance, brown hair and brown eyes with no distinguishing scars or birthmarks. Before I had seen him in the room, I even had trouble recalling his face.

But something about him bothered me. He was a little too friendly, a little too eager, and seemed to fit in like he had been at the school all his life.

Nicholas met my gaze and raised an eyebrow. He knew I had been staring at him.

I turned back to my play. It was interesting, if a little hard to comprehend. I was absorbed in a scene between Henry and the Archbishop when the bell rang. Nicholas tore up his paper and tossed it in the recycling bin before heading out the door.

After making sure no one was watching, I fished out a scrap. A series of letters marched across the paper like a line of soldiers. I scooped out the rest of the pieces to put together later.

Josiah showed up a minute later, trailing a group of friends and admirers. Cheryl hung off his uninjured arm like a human purse.

“Let’s go,” he said. “Don’t want to be late.”

I stared at the floor as I walked. The moment we reached the cafeteria, I broke off toward the lunch line.

Josiah grabbed my arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To get food,” I snapped. “Where do you think?”

He let me go. “Be sure to bring me an ice cream sandwich.”

“You’re rich. You can buy it yourself.”

Maybe I could stab him through the chest with a stiletto. It was quick and far more satisfying than pulling a trigger.

“When you’re on probation, you’ll do as I say. Now chop chop.”

My hands balled into fists. “I’m not your servant.”

“Of course not. Servants get paid.” Josiah walked away. “Come to my table when you have it.”

I almost didn’t grab the ice cream sandwich just to spite him, but my mother and I couldn’t afford a lawsuit without money coming in from the Underground.

Maybe I could slip poison into Josiah’s water bottle one of these days.

When I got to the table, I chucked the ice cream sandwich at him as hard as I could. Josiah caught it in one hand.

“Sit down, ghetto boy,” he said. “I need to keep an eye on you during lunch. Don’t want you terrorizing the school, do we?”

I plopped down in the chair and stabbed a piece of broccoli, pretending it was Josiah’s face.

“He really is like a dog,” one of the football players marveled. “He can sit and fetch.”

“Maybe he can roll over too,” his friend added.

“You heard Ethan, ghetto boy, roll over.”

Maybe I could trap the entire football team in a room and release carbon monoxide.

Josiah laughed. “Don’t bother, Bryce. A dog only listens to his master. I’ve got to train him before he’ll take orders from someone else.”

I changed my mind. Poison was too good for them. A slow strangulation seemed like a better option.

“He broke your arm, Josiah,” Preston said. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to taunt him?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got him leashed.” Josiah patted me on the head.

I dropped my fork and grabbed his arm, twisting it around enough to make him uncomfortable. “I’ve told you not to touch me.”

Josiah stumbled when I released him. From across the room, Cheryl gave me a death glare. The weekend could not come fast enough.

Everyone in school seemed to feel the same way, judging by the energy that filled the air on Friday. Even Josiah and his friends were more amicable.

After I got off the bus, I walked over to Genevieve’s. Her place reminded me of a fairytale cottage. A picket fence surrounded a tiny lawn with a cobblestone path running through the grass.

A red and black motorcycle was parked outside the house. I scrambled over it to unlatch the gate and ring the doorbell.

Genevieve answered the door. “Ace! It’s so good to see you. I swear you’ve grown three inches since I’ve seen you. Come on in.”

I grinned. “It’s good to see you too, Gen. Are those brownies I smell?”

She swatted me playfully. “You’re as bad as David.”

Genevieve had cut her hair since last time. It framed her face like a blonde halo. David was eating a brownie when we entered the kitchen.

“David,” Genevieve scolded. “What have I said about eating those before they’ve cooled?”

“They smelled so good. It’d take a will of iron to resist.” He nodded at me. “Hey, Ace of Spades. How’s school treating you? A big step down from an Underground assassin, huh?”

“Still a step up from a runner,” I said.

David staggered back with his hands clutched over his heart. “You wound me, Ace. You wound me. Can you see the knife in my back because I can definitely feel it.”

Genevieve sighed. “Boys.”

David grabbed a handful of brownies. “I’ve got to go soon. Rich kids are throwing a party and they want some toys to play with. Are the drugs in the same place?”

Genevieve nodded. “Be careful.”

He kissed her on the cheek. “I’m always careful. Bye, Gemstone. Bye, kiddo.”

She watched with worry in her eyes as he left.

“I’m sure David will be fine.” I helped myself to a brownie. “These don’t have weed in them, do they?”

Genevieve shook her head and poured me a tall glass of milk. “I’m still afraid for him though. You never know where the police will strike. Less than a year ago, EAGLE almost caught you too.”

“I’m alive and out of jail, aren’t I?” I said. “Anyway, when are you and David going to tie the knot? You’ve been together for three years.”

They had met through the Underground. Genevieve stored the drugs and David brought them to the customers. It wasn’t the ideal meet cute, but they made it work.

“I don’t know,” Genevieve said. “I love him, but I want stability in my life. With both of us in the Underground and dealing drugs, I can hardly have that.” She shook her head. “But enough about me. How’s the new school?”

“There’s this guy named Josiah who—”

She squealed. “Ooh, does he know you like him?”

I spat out my milk. “No! That’s not what I meant. Josiah’s made my life miserable after I broke his arm. Most of the school’s on his side because he’s popular.”

“Sounds like he doesn’t bully you unprovoked. Honestly, Ace, there are easier ways to get a guy’s attention.”

“You’re terrible at playing matchmaker.”

“Sounds like someone’s in denial.”

“Gen!”

She held up her hands. “He’s the only person from school you’ve mentioned. I don’t have much to work with.”

“Well, here’s another name.” I dumped the scraps of code on the table. “Nicholas. He wrote this during a study hall then tore it up. I was hoping you could help me piece it back together.”

My attempts at home had been disastrous.

“Sure thing.” Genevieve stood. “I’ll get the tape.”

An hour later, the entire roll was gone, and the completed sheet of paper sat on the kitchen counter.

“I swear I’ve seen this encryption before,” I said. “Do you know what it is?”

Genevieve smoothed the page. “David would, but he gets back late and the ghetto streets aren’t the safest place at night.”

“I’ll be fine.”

She pursed her lips. “Only if you’re the one cooking dinner.”

Genevieve could bake desserts fit for a king, but I had seen the woman burn water.

When David came home at eleven, I showed him the code.

“Looks like a Playfair cipher,” he said. “Did Nicholas have a grid when he was writing this?”

I shook my head.

“Huh.” David looked confused. “I could have sworn it was. Gen, do you have any scratch paper?”

She handed him an old inventory log. He drew a five-by-five grid and scribbled on it for over twenty minutes.

“Does Nicholas have a vendetta against Shakespeare?” David asked.

“Maybe,” I said. “Why?”

“Because I cracked the code, and this is what it says,” he read off the paper. “‘Shakespeare is the devil incarnate and reading his plays ought to be a torture method reserved for the most stubborn of enemy spies.’ It goes along the same tangent for three more sentences.”

I laughed, more from relief than anything else, but David stared at the paper like it would bite him.

“Is something wrong, love?” Genevieve rubbed his shoulder.

“Ace, are you certain he didn’t use a grid?” he asked.

“Positive,” I said. “Why?”

“The keyword for this code is ‘fjeld,’ which was the same keyword used to crack an EAGLE message encrypted with a Playfair cipher a while ago. It sounds like Nicholas has the grid memorized for that specific keyword. There’s no reason he would unless he uses the cipher often.”

“You think Nicholas works for EAGLE?” I said. “But he’s only fourteen.”

“So are you,” Genevieve pointed out. “Be careful, Ace. There are enemies everywhere nowadays. It’s hard to know who to trust.”

The paper weighed heavy in my pocket as I walked home. Even though it was approaching midnight, the streets bustled with activity. The cops stayed out of the ghetto after dark, allowing illegal activities to take place in plain sight. Prostitutes flirted with passersby. Drug dealers announced their wares like hawkers at a market. Several women shared a pipe on the side of the road.

I took a shortcut through an alley, climbing onto the dumpster to reach the bottom rung of a rusty ladder. Voices came from above me. I pulled out my pocket knife and flicked the blade open.

Shadows flitted across the rooftop. It took me a second to realize they were people. The roof was bare, without even a water tank or chimney to hide behind.

I heaved myself over the last rung. The shadows grew still and turned to face me, armed with wicked looking guns. I dashed to the center of the group. If I was in their midst, they couldn’t shoot without hitting each other. None of them had knives, either.

I launched myself at the nearest man, wrapping his neck like an angry scarf before slitting his throat.

The dark made them hard to see. I slashed and stabbed with the pocket knife, but it was too small to deal major wounds. Blood ran down my arm. The men had a hard time hitting me, but the few punches that landed left throbbing bruises that would turn all sorts of colors later.

When I turned around, pain exploded in the back of my head. I fell to my knees. The attacker grabbed my arms and wrenched them back.

“Let this be a lesson to you, boy,” he hissed. “Don’t mess with things that don’t concern you.”

The barrel of a gun touched my temple. I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Wait,” a voice commanded. “Spades, is that you?”

I looked up to see a tall, thin man dressed in a three-piece suit. The darkness of his hair blended in with the night. In contrast, his green eyes glowed like fireflies.

“Hi, boss,” I croaked. “Long time, no see.”

The attacker holding the gun to my head seemed confused. “You know this kid, sir?”

“Indeed, Will,” said the leader of the Underground. “You have one of my best assassins at gunpoint. The one who has been missing these past few weeks.”

“You’re Spades?” Will looked aghast. “But you’re only thirteen!”

“Fourteen,” I muttered. “Now can I get on my way?”

The concrete dug into my knees and my arms ached from being held in an unnatural position.

“Not so fast,” my boss said. “I’m going to ask you a few questions first. Answer honestly or my men will blow your head clean off your shoulders. Understand?”

I nodded.

“Why were you following me tonight?”

“I wasn’t.”

“No lying, Spades.”

“I’m not,” I spat. “I was visiting a friend and took a shortcut home. You and your men happened to be in the way.”

The grip on my arms tightened. I winced.

“Keep in mind who’s listening,” my boss said. “Those were their friends you killed.”

I shrugged. “An occupational hazard.”

Will clicked off the safety. “Can I shoot him, sir?”

“Patience.” The Underground leader turned to me. “Tell me, Spades, who was it you were visiting?”

“Angel,” I said, using Genevieve’s code name. “Harley dropped by too.”

“I didn’t know you did drugs.”

“I don’t.” I had seen enough of what they could do. “They’re my friends.”

“And why have I been unable to contact you?”

“I’m taking an enforced rest from my job, courtesy of my lovely mother, who will be beside herself if I don’t get home soon.”

My boss leaned in close, searching for a sign that I was lying. He stepped back a few moments later, satisfied.

“You’re telling the truth. That’s unfortunate, but I do so hate loose ends.” He nodded at his men. “Shoot him.”

Will’s finger curled around the trigger.

I pushed off my knees and kicked back, connecting with someone’s chest. The bullet missed my head, shattering a window in the building next door. I twisted free and sprinted for the edge of the roof.

And jumped.

There was a black car outside the building with EAGLE painted along the side. The agents could keep my boss occupied long enough for me to get away.

I took several detours to throw any followers off my trail. By the time I picked the lock at my window and slipped inside my room, the sun had risen. I pulled the curtains shut and collapsed on the bed.

Maybe my mother would let me sleep in on a Saturday.