I lean back against the wall and fold my arms, chewing on his statement. Brant didn’t seem like the guy who would sell someone out. After all, I thought they were best friends. Maybe that’s why he’s dead. “Do you know where he is now?”
“You know, I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for him. I would’ve been off the grid, enjoying my life in the mountains. Instead, I’m stuck here.”
“In the mountains,” I interject with a sarcastic giggle.
“Shut up.”
I shrug with an innocent smile. “It looks like you are here for a reason. I feel better already.”
“I’m glad my misery brought you joy,” Ace scoffs, throwing the utensils into the dishwasher.
“How did you get here anyway? If Brant sold you out, he obviously didn’t delete your archive, right? Or did you not have an archive, because you were, uh, what’s it called again?”
“Off the grid. And believe it or not, they still had an archive on me. Even if you don’t create an account, the government gives you one so they can keep tabs on you.”
“Was it your sister? You said no one else knew your address but—”
“Lin, you’re getting a little personal.” Ace holds up his hand.
I direct my attention back at him with a clenched jaw. “So, what can you tell me?”
“The Liberty party found me at my home and threw me in jail. I was there for two weeks before someone bailed me out. With cash. I haven’t seen cash since I was a kid. An artifact from my grandfather. Anyway, they told me I could be off the grid again if I agreed to come here. I’m awaiting further instructions for my purpose here.”
His words catch my attention. Await further instructions. Sage told me the same thing that day we bumped into each other on the street. Does she know Ace’s hacker? Are they all working together?
Chapter Thirty-Two
Before I can ask any questions, Susan busts through the door, startling me. She looks back and forth between the two of us. “What are you doing here, Lin?”
I nod toward Ace. “He needed help cleaning after meals. I like to clean.” My words are innocently true, but the blood rushing to my cheeks makes me feel like I’m lying.
Susan purses her lips. “You’ve never needed help before, Ace. Looks like you’ve got a new friend.”
I smile, the tension easing from my face. I have a new friend.
“Might I remind you, Lin, that we have rules in the Community. Be careful with how much time you spend with members of the opposite sex. He could seduce you and try to get you to share information about your hacker, bringing danger upon us all.”
I feel my cheeks flush. We just got past the awkward stage. Why is she bringing this up?
“And Ace, I sure hope you didn’t get Lin to talk about her hacker.”
Ace and I shake our heads simultaneously. He only told me what I already knew about him. Well, except for the part about his sister.
“Good.” Susan fluffs her skirt. “I’m glad that you’re making friends here, Lin, but you have to be careful. You never know who’s a snitch among you.”
Acid catches in my throat. Don left me those same words in his latest video message to me.
“Lin, would you like me to walk you back to your cabin while Ace finishes up?”
I cast a glance at him, and he gives me a nod of approval. “Sure.” I leave the kitchen in silence, following Susan, praying that she isn’t going to reprimand me on the way. Catching a glimpse of another yogurt stain, I realize that I didn’t mop the floor. I sigh. I guess I’ll do it another time.
The fresh air is a relief after being in the stuffy kitchen for an hour. I take in deep breaths, pacing myself behind Susan. “So, do you know my hacker?”
She stops walking to allow me to catch up with her. “Are you trying to break another rule today? Why would you ask that?”
“You said a phrase that he told me not too long ago. I was wondering if it was a code. You said anyone could be a snitch among us.”
“Yes, that’s true. I can tell you this much. Our hackers are all working together to overthrow the Liberty Party. If we know their whereabouts, we could accidentally tell someone who could sell that information to the Party.”
“But, if all our hackers are working together, and they brought us here, why would we want to betray them?”
Susan studies the grass as she walks. “One can never be too careful.”
“Do you know where they are? Because I don’t know where my hacker is. I couldn’t tell anyone, even if I wanted to.”
“All I’d need is a name, and I could betray him in an instant.”
“But do you know where yours is?”
Susan stops walking and folds her hands in front of her. “Lin, I know this is hard for you. You’ve lost everything you know in the last few days. But we’re doing this to protect you. To protect ourselves. Knowing where your hacker is won’t help you.” She nods toward my cabin. I didn’t realize we’re standing in front of it. “Get some rest. I’ll see you at dinner.”
“Thank you.”
As I close the door behind me, thoughts reel through my head, my heart pounding uncontrollably. The dust in the air chokes me and I grasp my chest, struggling to breathe. Why hadn’t I noticed this dust before? Taking in short breaths, I scan the area for a broom, a mop, anything to get some order. Suddenly, I realize that there’s dust in this whole place. The couch. The floor. The counters.
I need soap, water, and paper towels.
Before I know it, I’m scrubbing the ceiling, working from the top down to the floors. I refuse to acknowledge the guilt in my heart and the questions in my mind, choosing instead to focus on the black residue that shows up on the paper towel after running it past my counter. Is that dust? When was the last time anyone cleaned?
My muscles throb as I strain to clean in the kitchen, wiping the windowsill and glass panes of the grime that has accumulated from neglect. Who lived here before me? I shudder as I think about who could’ve left this place in such a mess. Then again, if this property was vacant during the shutdown, it may have been years since anyone set foot in this place.
I make my way into the bedroom, swiping the dust out of the light fixtures and sweeping up the debris off the hardwood floors. The bedsheets have wrinkles in them from my tossing and turning all night. Maybe it’s time to wash them. After all, I’ve been walking up in a sweat after seeing Dad in the middle of the night.
The washer/dryer unit in the bathroom has a jug of laundry soap on top of it. I pour some in the top, throw in the sheets, and start the machine. I remember having to wash my clothes by hand when Tobi stopped running my appliances for me. Having a functional washer feels more like home than dunking my bedsheets in the lake.
A knock on my door interrupts my thoughts. Maybe Susan’s back to remind me to head to dinner. When I walk into the living room, I notice the sun has set. How long have I been cleaning?
As soon as I open the door, my heart skips a beat.
Ace.
Chapter Thirty-Three
“You missed dinner. Susan’s going to give you a lecture, you know.”
I try to take a deep breath, but it catches in my throat. “W-what?” I choke.
His mouth breaks into a playful grin, easing the nervous tension in my shoulders. “Relax, Lin. I’m kidding.”
I look down, a smile creeping on my own lips. “I guess I’m making an excellent first impression here, huh?”
“You are with me.”
I laugh so hard that I snort, and I throw my hand over my face. “Sorry.” He has to be joking. After fangirling over him in front of everyone in the Community, he thinks I’m making a good first impression?
“May I come in, or are you going to make me stand out here all night?” He takes a step toward me, his hands behind his back, and I push myself in front of the door.
“No way,” I scoff, folding my arms over my chest. “After getting reprimanded by Susan for being alone with you, you’r
e going to come into my cabin?”
“Yep. Sounds about right. You missed dinner, so I brought you something to eat.” He pulls a sandwich out from behind his back. “Ham, cheese, tomato, lettuce, and mayo. You want?”
I look past him, to my left and right, and take the sandwich out of his hand. “I guess you’re not worried about Susan’s consequences.”
He lowers his head, his coffee brown eyes catching a glare from my front porch light. “You want to know the truth?”
I nod, folding my arms over my chest and leaning against the door.
“You’re the first person to have a real conversation with me since coming here. To know anything about my life before this. And, I don’t know, it’s nice to feel a connection with someone.”
My heart races again as I feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. Feel a connection. Is it possible that my celebrity crush might actually have a crush on me?
“I guess we won’t tell anyone,” I whisper breathlessly, backing into my kitchen away from the door. “Would you like some coffee or tea?”
He smiles, sending warmth throughout my whole body. “I’ll take some black coffee. Thanks.” As he follows me into my cabin, I close the door, praying that no one saw us. I draw the curtains to give us some privacy. The last thing I want is for us to be the conversation topic around the breakfast table tomorrow morning.
He whistles, scanning my humble cabin. “Wow, this place is huge. Do you realize how lucky you’ve got it here?”
I roll my eyes, pulling the can of coffee grinds out of my cabinet. “This place is nothing compared to my place back home.” Am I allowed to say that?
You never know who could be a snitch among you.
“You should see my cabin. It’s much smaller than this place. In fact, I think this is the biggest cabin we have. I guess your hacker had a lot of money.” He sits down on my green couch, taking off his shoes and extending his legs over my soft cushions.
At least he took off his shoes.
A snort comes out of my nose again, and I turn my back to him. “Why do you want black coffee so late at night?”
“It’s not that late. I’ll be up for a few hours, at least.”
His tone is ominous. Does he expect to spend the night here? I shake the thought from my head as soon as it comes, but it nags in my mind like a throbbing headache. How will he get back to his cabin without someone seeing him leave mine?
As the coffee brews, I sit down on my recliner, every muscle in my body relaxing. Oh right, I spent the whole day cleaning today. I take a bite out of my sandwich and my mouth salivates.
“So, you know how I got here. I think we’re safe, as long as we don’t use names and specifics. What do you think?”
I swallow, Don’s words ringing in my ears. As much as I want to trust Ace, he might be a snitch. He was a celebrity. Maybe he has a direct connection to the Liberty Party.
The coffeemaker beeps, interrupting my thoughts. I put the sandwich on my end table and skip into the kitchen. “You sure you don’t want milk or sugar? Or chocolate?”
“Yep. I like the natural taste of coffee beans. Don’t you?”
“Well I usually have it with condensed milk and chocolate. Maybe I just like chocolate.” I giggle, bringing his mug over to the sofa. Now that I’m at ease, I focus on eating my sandwich.
As I stuff a bite into my mouth, I watch Ace swig his coffee. He swallows the first gulp and closes his eyes softly. “Ah, what a beautiful cup. Thank you.”
I blush. “Thanks for the sandwich.” Suddenly, it hits me. I didn’t practice thankfulness today. Before I take any more of my sandwich, I whisper into it: “I’m thankful for the nice weather. I’m thankful for Ace. I’m thankful for this sandwich. I’m thankful that Susan didn’t punish me—”
“So, I have to admit. You knowing my backstory better than I do was a little unnerving.” He sets the mug down on my wooden table and leans back on the sofa. “That’s why I’m very curious to know yours.”
I swallow the last of my sandwich and sit forward. “Susan warned me not to talk about my past life. She said anyone could be—”
“A snitch. I know. But I also know that you’re new here, and you need to trust someone. You can’t be at odds with everyone.”
“Well, how do I know that I can trust you?” After what happened in the kitchen, when he asked me to help him knowing that spending time alone with someone of the opposite sex is frowned upon, I can’t seem to trust anyone anymore.
Ace purses his lips, and I imagine him making the same face when he’d answer one of Brant’s argumentative statements. “I told you enough information about me for you to report back to the Liberty party. If you tell me just as much about yourself, I can report you to the Liberty party.” He throws one of his hands into the air, the other one holding up his head. “But, to be honest, if anyone contacted the Liberty party, we’d be putting the whole Community at risk. Including ourselves. And since I was already in jail, I don’t plan on going back any time soon.”
I purse my own lips, leaning back in the recliner. After all his years of hosting a podcast, he’s learned how to argue. How to persuade. His words have the same effect on me as it did the day of the shutdown. Only this time, I can’t tell Tobi to turn off his voice.
“I guess you’re right,” I sigh, allowing myself to relax in his presence. It’s comforting to imagine that I can trust someone, especially a celebrity whose podcast helped me so much when I was going through my divorce. As I take a deep breath, I recall my life in Brooklyn, a life that seems like a dream now.
Chapter Thirty-Four
“I had questionable social media activity on my account. I, well, I threatened to kill someone. But it was just a joke, ya know? The Liberty party didn’t think it was funny. They sent a patrol officer to my house to make sure I was still alive, but I didn’t answer the door. But when my rations ran out, I went to visit some family, and one of the people I love got arrested—” I stop speaking when the thought occurs to me. “Ace, you were in jail.”
He rubs his chin. “Yeah…”
“So you know what it’s like. You know what they’re doing to my…” I cover my mouth before I can say her relationship to me. Finally, I can get the answers about Mom’s whereabouts. I can connect with the only one I haven’t lost yet.
Ace shakes his head. “You don’t want to know what they do to people who go to jail. It’s a wonder that I survived, honestly.”
My head spins, and I steady myself by holding onto the counter. Is she dead? Why did Sage say that I could rescue her? Are Don and Sage keeping her alive, or using her as bait for some reason?
“Please tell me,” I say. “I need to know if there’s any chance someone I love will survive.”
He lowers his head. “There’s a chance, but whoever it is won’t remember you.”
I sit up in my chair, leaning forward. “What? Why?”
“It’s something they do so that you don’t run away. Some kind of brainwashing technique. They erase your memory, so you have no reason to fight to see the ones you love again.”
Mom. All those lunch meetings, all those avoided hugs…She doesn’t remember them. I fight back tears, wondering why I should even save her in the first place. She’s better off without me. I wasn’t much of a good daughter anyway.
“How do you have your memories?” I ask. “Did they brainwash you?”
“Since I was living off the grid, the Liberty party didn’t think I had a connection to the outside world anyway. So instead of brainwashing me to get me to stay, they put me in an isolated box. No windows. No lights. No food.”
“To be honest, I’d prefer that to getting my memories erased.”
“Well, for the guy who talks for a living, it wasn’t exactly a dream vacation.” Ace sighs, clinking his empty mug against the table. “Their sole purpose is to torture you, to get you to do whatever they want. It’s all for unity.”
“Unity? By isolating you?”
“I th
ink their plan was to put me in a box so that I’d be begging to come out. My hacker bailed me out before I got a chance to get too bad, but I was losing a bit of my self-control. If I’d stayed any longer, I would’ve done anything to get food, or even a glimpse of the outside.”
“Well, it looks like you got what you wanted.” I lean back in my chair again, taking in my surroundings. If Mom’s memory is erased, there’s nothing I can do to save her. Even if I broke into jail and got her out, she wouldn’t want to come anyway.
“What happened after your loved one was arrested?” Ace asks, putting his feet on my table and making me cringe.
The memories crowd my mind as I recall them. “We received a letter. The remaining person with me in the house was dying, and the Liberty party cut off our rations because he lived longer than expected.” Tears begin to form in my eyes as I view my lifeless father in my memory bank, so full of hope up until the very end. “He died about a month later. In my arms.”
Ace raises his eyebrow. “In your arms? You didn’t…?”
“Didn’t what?”
He scoffs. “You didn’t, kill him, did you?”
“Me? Why would I kill the only person I had left?”
“Well, to be fair, you did threaten to kill someone on the Internet.”
I grit my teeth again, the smell of Dad’s blood on my clothes etched in my brain forever. “No, I didn’t kill him. If anything, I kept him alive longer than he was ever meant to live. He would’ve died alone if it wasn’t for me.” I would’ve died alone if it wasn’t for him. The thought crosses my mind like a breeze blowing through my ears.
“So, how did you get here?” He asks, leaning forward.
“Someone picked me up. Said he could help me find the one who got arrested. He also told me to wait for further instructions, just like your guy, Ace.”
“Hm. Interesting.” He stands up and puts his shoes back on. “I guess we are part of their plan to overthrow the Liberty party.”
In Real Life Page 12