Ava's Crucible- The Complete series Box Set

by Mark Goodwin

  Thank you for your service and dedication to this country and for your commitment to your motto, “Not on Our Watch.”

  To donate to this worthy cause or for information on joining Oath Keepers, visit them online at Oathkeepers.org.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I would like to thank my Editor in Chief Catherine Goodwin, as well as the rest of my fantastic editing team, Stacey, Glemboski, Jeff Markland, Frank Shackleford, Kris Van Wagenen, Sherrill Hesler, Paul Davison, and Claudine Allison.

  CHAPTER 1

  And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.

  Zechariah 13:9

  Ava lay motionless on her pillow, her entire body aching. One eye was swollen shut. She opened the other eye to see Charity walk in the bedroom. “What time is it?”

  “A little after noon.” Charity bent down to clip the leash to Buckley’s collar. “But don’t worry, I walked Buck this morning, and I’m going to take him out again now. You just rest.”

  “After twelve? Why didn’t you wake me?” Ava grimaced as she slowly sat up.

  Charity looked on with a sympathetic expression. “You needed the sleep.”

  “Did I miss anything?”

  “Ross spoke this morning. The networks claimed he was giving his concession speech. It was anything but.”

  “Oh yeah?” Ava flexed her stiff, swollen ankle and winced.

  “He basically said Texas and Florida would hold new elections, and that he’d have the National Guard secure the polling stations this time.”

  “Don’t the state governors have to activate the National Guard?” Ava gritted her teeth as she reached for her crutches.

  Charity rushed to help with the crutches. “Not according to Ross. He cited the 2007 NDAA, which expanded the president’s authority over the Guard.”

  Ava gingerly rose from the side of the bed, placing her weight on the crutches. “The Markovich camp is going to sit back and allow Ross to have a new election?”

  “The media pundits don’t think so, but the Markovich campaign hasn’t released an official statement about Ross’ claim yet. There’s no denying that Antifa’s actions swayed the vote in Florida and Texas. The facts are clear.”

  “Facts have never proved to be an obstacle for the media. I can’t see Markovich letting them get in the way.” Ava navigated a path to the restroom.

  Charity led Buckley toward the front door. “I’ll be right back. Betty saved you some breakfast.”

  “Thanks.” Ava closed the bathroom door. Her stomach sank as she looked into the mirror over the sink. “I look like Quasimodo’s ugly cousin.”

  Her morning routine took three times longer than usual. She delicately washed her face, blotting the water from her swollen eye and split lip. She quickly learned to take the pain of hitting a sore spot without gasping since deep breaths sent searing pain to her cracked ribs. Shallow inhalation and glacial movements were her only defense against the constant torture of her injuries. Eventually, she emerged from the bathroom.

  “Good morning!” Betty Hodge stood at the end of the hallway wearing a pleasant and perky expression. “How did you sleep?”

  Ava made an attempt to smile with the uninjured side of her mouth. “Fitful. But that’s because of my cracked ribs. The accommodations were superb. I put one of the blue towels over my pillow so I wouldn’t get blood on it.”

  “Oh, don’t even bother.” Betty waved her hand. “Those old things don’t matter. Come on into the kitchen. I’ve got some biscuits and ham waiting for you. How do you like your eggs?”

  Ava followed her to the kitchen where a place was set for Ava at the eat-in counter. “Scrambled—if it’s no trouble.”

  “None at all, dear.”

  Sam Hodge walked in from his study near the front of the house. “Ava, you survived the night. That’s a good sign. How are the Steri Strips holding up on your lip?” He came closer and examined her face.

  “Still there,” she said.

  He nodded pensively. “Probably could have used a couple stitches, but you’d been through so much already. Ribs and ankle about the same?”

  “Yeah.” Ava took her time mounting the bar stool at the counter.

  “Hey!” Foley entered the kitchen.

  “Good morning.” Ava breathed in as she looked him over. He was so cute. She really wished he hadn’t seen her all beat up, especially at this early stage of what she hoped might be the start of a real relationship.

  He approached Ava and pushed her hair back from her bruised face. He kissed her ever-so-tenderly on the forehead.

  Ava looked at the floor. “My face is a disaster.”

  “You’re still cute to me.”

  “Normally, I don’t give much credence to insincere flattery; but I’ll make an exception—just this once.”

  He leaned in for a soft kiss on the lips. “Oh, I’m sincere. Cross my heart.”

  She looked up to see her father come through the door with her laptop opened. Her heart melted more for him than it had for Foley. His presence represented a lifetime of secret hopes and hidden dreams that she’d told herself would never come true. Yet here he was, in the same room with her.

  “Good morning, Ava.” Ulysses smiled at her compassionately. “Did you get some rest?”

  “I did, thanks. And you?”

  “I slept enough. I’ve been lurking around the Antifa message boards and social media pages, trying to get a sense of what they’ll do next. I borrowed your laptop. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Ava wondered how risky that might be, especially since her father was connecting via Sam Hodge’s WiFi. She knitted her brows together. “Is that safe? I mean, couldn’t the government track the IP address and confuse us with Antifa?”

  Ulysses shook his head. “I’m running the Tor browser and I have an incognito operating system booted on your laptop. So there’s no record of anyone ever visiting any of the sites on your machine.”

  Ava looked curiously at him. “You’d never even seen a modern computer until two years ago. How do you know more about all of this than me?”

  Ulysses sat on the bar stool next to Ava. “Computers, cell phones, and the internet frightened the heck out of me when I first came home. I felt like the future had left me behind. It was overwhelming, and I was worried that I’d never be able to catch up. At first impression, it seemed I couldn’t function in society without the ability to navigate the technological landscape.

  “That guy from the State Department who was helping me re-integrate set me up with a laptop and a smartphone. He showed me the basics. The rest, I learned on YouTube. I got caught up in a matter of weeks. Afterward, I kept going. I wanted to learn all I could about it. For someone who missed nearly three decades of technological advances, it’s fascinating.”

  “Yeah, I guess I’ve grown up with the internet. I probably take most of it for granted.” Ava felt inspired by this man who had been through so much but not lost his will to live and drive to keep learning.

  “I’m sure you heard that Ross is going to have new elections for Texas and Florida.”

  “Charity told me.” Ava nodded.

  Ulysses tilted the computer screen for Ava to see. “Antifa is lashing out over Ross’ recall. They’re targeting your area for more mayhem.”

  “What do you mean by mayhem?” Ava inquired.

  Ulysses pointed to the laptop. “The Twitter hashtag is #BurnItDown. They’ve issued a sign amongst their members. Any vehicles or homes with a black ‘A’ on them will be spared.”

  Foley peered over Ava’s shoulder. “Like the anarchy ‘A’. Once again, we have the communists, who want absolute government control, contradicting themselves by espousing the symbol which stands for no government. So they posted the secret symbol for anyone to see?”

  Ulysses shook his head.
“No. I’ve been active on their message boards and on social media for a few months. I made up a profile to stalk them. I’m a member on one of their forums on Blackbook.”

  “What’s Blackbook?” Betty asked as she plated Ava’s eggs with the leftover ham and biscuits.

  “It’s the darknet version of Facebook,” Ulysses answered.

  Sam Hodge seemed concerned. “Isn’t Tor and all that dark web stuff for criminals?”

  “If Markovich has his way, every conservative who owns a gun will be considered a criminal this January.” Ulysses moved the laptop out of the way so Betty could place Ava’s breakfast in front of her.

  “Thanks, Betty. It looks delicious.” Ava began eating while the others talked.

  Foley lifted his shoulders. “Truth is treason in the empire of lies.”

  Sam rubbed his chin, as if the reality of Ulysses’ statement was sinking in slowly. “I suppose you’re right.”

  Ulysses watched Ava eat. “If I can borrow your Jeep, I’ll go put some A’s on your building and apartment door. Black electrical tape should work, and it’ll come off easy when the threat has passed. I can grab some more of your stuff, if you like.”

  “Let me finish breakfast and I’ll go with you.” Ava forked another bite of ham into her mouth.

  “You’re in no condition. If we get into trouble, you’ll be at risk. I couldn’t deal with that.” Ulysses shook his head adamantly.

  “I’ll go with you. I’ll drive.” Foley offered.

  Ulysses stared at Ava for a moment then turned to Foley. “That would be fine.” He then looked at Sam. “I appreciate you letting us stay here. It might turn out to be a prolonged event. I’m thinking of getting a travel trailer so accommodations won’t be so tight. Would you mind if I keep it here until we leave?”

  Sam smiled. “I have no problem with you bringing a trailer here, but I assure you, we don’t mind sharing our home for ever how long it’s necessary.”

  Ulysses glanced back at Ava. “It would be good to have options. I’ve got a trailer picked out.”

  Ava wasn’t sure what her father’s financial situation was, but he didn’t seem to be strapped for cash. “You guys be safe. Can I still use my computer?”

  “Yeah.” Ulysses rebooted her laptop and removed a small flash drive from the side. He placed the thumb drive in his pocket and looked at Ava nervously. “Can I get another hug?”

  She held her arms open wide. “Sure.”

  Ulysses was very gentle as the two of them embraced. “I’m so glad I got to meet you.”

  Ava choked back her tears. “Me, too. I pray God will give us many years to catch up.”

  CHAPTER 2

  None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

  Isaiah 59:4

  Ava sent yet another text to Foley.

  “Still haven’t heard back from them?” Charity walked into the Hodges’ living room with James at her side.

  “Nothing.” Ava glanced up from her phone. “Phones are completely overloaded. Texts aren’t even going through. I should’ve had them both sign up for WhatsApp before they left.”

  “Why would that work if texts aren’t going through?” James inquired.

  Ava put her phone down. “I don’t know that it would. But it operates on a different network which might not be overloaded. It has fewer users.”

  Charity took a seat next to Ava. “You said your dad was going to buy a travel trailer. Maybe he needed some stuff for it.”

  Ava let her head droop forward like a stalk of limp celery. “I finally get a dad and a boyfriend, and they both go missing at the same time. I should have known better than to get my hopes up.”

  Charity stiffened her upper lip and put her arm around Ava. “Why don’t we give them ‘til sunset before we start writing their obituaries.”

  Ava huffed. “Fine. But I should have gone with them.”

  Charity smirked. “Yeah—you shouldn’t even be out of bed today.”

  “The local news will be coming on.” James turned on the television.

  Ava looked on more for the distraction than out of concern for what was happening. The swelling around her eye had gone down considerably since that morning, allowing her to see out of both sides.

  The female anchor in the newsroom addressed a correspondent in the field. “Porter, downtown Austin looks like a scene from the middle east. It’s absolutely unrecognizable—apocalyptic.”

  Behind Porter were three tan Humvees flanked by soldiers wearing body armor and armed with M4 rifles. On either side of the Humvees, burned-out vehicles lined the streets. Smoke damage crept up exterior walls and plastered over the insides of buildings which could be seen through windows of broken glass. “That’s right, Jennifer. President Ross has already begun mobilizing the National Guard to stabilize the so-called problem areas. Of course, the cities where he didn’t win are the metropolitan areas which have been labeled problem areas.”

  The newsroom anchor replied. “It does look pretty rough where you’re located, Porter. Do you question the president’s sincerity?”

  Porter shook his head. “Jennifer, our team was right here last night. I know you were back at the station, but just like the folks at home, you saw the same things I saw. The vandals responsible for last night’s pandemonium were mostly associated with right-wing extremist groups like Right Now and Oath Keepers.”

  The female reporter replied, “Those are the people I was seeing in the streets last night as well. But, Ross has put all the blame on Antifa and the Social Justice Warriors League.

  “Tell us, Porter. In your opinion, has Ross’ dictatorial command to turn the streets of Austin into a police state achieved his goal? Has he put an end to the violence?”

  Porter looked over his shoulder. “The troublemakers have dispersed from the downtown area.” He turned back to the camera. “But I suspect the order will only serve to disperse the violence into the suburbs. What he has done is silence the voices of the people. SJWLs and peaceful protestors from Antifa have lost their First-Amendment Rights.”

  Charity looked at James who’d taken a seat on the upholstered chair next to the couch. “Do you think that part could be true? Do you think Antifa will spread out to the suburbs and rural areas to continue wreaking havoc?”

  “I’m not sure. I suppose it’s possible.” James kept his attention on the television.

  Just then, Buckley began barking wildly on the front porch.

  Ava reached for her crutches. “We need to get our guns, now!”

  James jumped up from his seat and motioned for Ava to stay seated. “I’ll handle it! You’re in no condition for a shootout.”

  “My trigger finger still works. If trouble is headed our way, I don’t want to be lounging on the couch like a sitting duck when they bust through the door.” Ava worked the crutches to maneuver herself towards the downstairs guest bedroom.

  “Then at least let me help!” Charity hurried after her.

  The two girls retrieved their rifles and quickly returned to the living room. James stood by the door with his shotgun in one hand peering out the window. Buckley was still barking.

  “What’s all the commotion?” Sam Hodge rushed into the room with his pistol in hand.

  “Looks like Ulysses bought a truck to go with his trailer. I guess Buckley didn’t recognize the vehicle. False alarm.” James let the curtain fall back into place and turned back toward the others.

  Ava continued on her crutches to the window to confirm James’ report, her rifle slung over her back. “Oh! Thank you, Jesus!”

  Sam Hodge let out a sigh of relief. “I suppose that was a good drill.”

  “Yeah, we should probably each have a firearm on us at all times. At least a pistol. Next time could be the real thing.” Ava watched as Foley’s truck pulled up behind the travel trailer.

  Buckley ceased barking and ran out to meet the vehicles, tail wa
gging.

  She looked closer at the front end of Foley’s F-150. The fender and headlight were damaged, as if Foley had been in a wreck. She watched with concerned eyes as he stepped out of the vehicle. He didn’t appear to be injured. She continued to monitor the two men as they approached the house.

  Her father didn’t seem to be hurt either. He carried a black laptop bag over his shoulder. Ava figured that he’d bought his own machine for stalking Antifa.

  Buckley followed Foley and Ulysses to the door. Ava gave him a firm pat on the head. “Good job, Buck! You stay outside and keep an eye out for trouble.” She looked up at Foley. “Did you guys get in a scrape?”

  Foley looked at Ulysses. “A little one. No big deal.”

  Ulysses offered a reassuring smile. “Yeah, no big deal. Antifa was trying to block the road when we left Austin. Foley gently nudged them out of the way.”

  Ava noticed that neither of them was carrying any of her stuff from the apartment. “Were you able to go by my place?”

  Foley lowered his brow and looked at Ulysses.

  Ulysses put his hand on Ava’s shoulder. “It’s gone. Your building is just a burned-out shell.”

  Ava wished she’d brought more stuff. She had her most important belongings, but she’d never had a chance to go through all of her adoptive mother’s things. Her clothes could be replaced, but she regretted not selecting a few keepsakes from her mom’s belongings.

  “I’m sorry, Ava,” Ulysses said.

  Quickly she realized that she still had Ulysses and Foley. She hadn’t known either of them very long, but they meant more to her than anything she’d lost. “It’s fine.” Ava forced a grin and looked up into her father’s eyes.

  James interrupted, “The news is spinning the riots to be the work of Right Now and Oath Keepers. We know that’s a lie, but they said the National Guard moving into Austin might push the melee into the more rural areas. Could that mean Antifa is headed our way?”