Ava's Crucible- The Complete series Box Set

by Mark Goodwin

He looked like he was choking back tears. “I love you, too, sweetheart. Even before I knew if you were a boy or a girl. All that time, sitting in that prison, thinking about you as a little baby, I loved you all that time. And that’s why we’re not doing this deal.” He turned out the lights and closed the door.

  “Wow! She’s a big one.” Ava reached over the side of the pen late Wednesday morning.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Foley grabbed her hand and jerked it back. “She can crack pecans and hickory nuts with those teeth. Your fingers wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  The wild pig squealed and grunted as it twisted around in circles, frantically seeking an exit.

  “Oh! I didn’t know they would bite.”

  “A caged chipmunk will bite. An angry hog will tear you up.”

  Ava shuddered, erasing the savage vision of being eaten by a feral hog from her mind. “So now we have two females and no male.”

  “You’ve got to catch some more fish so we can reset the trap. Maybe tonight will be our night. I’m sure your dad would enjoy fishing with you again.”

  “I don’t know about that.” Ava sighed.

  “Why would you say that?”

  Ava gave Foley the details of her covert plot to obtain explosives.

  Foley shook his head, his mouth hanging open wider than his astonished eyes. “I can’t believe you! Do you realize how dangerous that would have been?”

  “Foley! We’re basically going to war against the most powerful military in the history of the earth. That’s like jumping out of a plane without a parachute while lecturing me about running with scissors.”

  “Not quite,” he contested. “We’re talking calculated risks.”

  “Yeah, going up against the US military is a calculated risk.”

  “It’s not all of the military. More than a third have either defected to the Alliance States or were stationed there already and have fallen in under Blackwell’s command.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Okay, since we’re only going up against two-thirds of the US military, that’s a calculated risk. And spare me the scolding. I’ve already been tarred and feathered by my dad.”

  Foley rubbed his forehead. “What’s done is done. But next time, talk to me first. I want you to know you can trust me.”

  “I do trust you, Foley. But involving you would have put you and my father at odds. I don’t want that.”

  “Thanks, but it won’t matter if you get yourself killed.”

  “It’s war. That’s what people do.” Ava stomped toward the house.

  “Where are you off to?” Foley tagged along.

  She huffed. “To get my fishing pole. It’s the only thing people think I’m good for around here.”

  Charity met them at the deck. “Hey guys, the news is on. You should hear what they’re talking about.”

  Ava turned to Foley. “Can you go wake my dad up? He’s sleeping in his trailer. If it’s something important he’ll want to know what’s going on.”

  “Sure.” He turned to go back.

  “And Foley,” she said before he left.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry I snapped. I get a little defensive when I screw up. That’s something I’m working on.”

  “All is forgiven.” He winked and continued his quest.

  Ava followed Charity to the television. “What’s going on?”

  “The Senate confirmed all of Woods’ Cabinet appointments.”

  “Let me guess, they’re all from Markovich’s short list.” Ava plopped down on the couch.

  Charity sat next to James who was already in the room.

  Betty sat in Sam’s recliner. “How did you guess?” she asked facetiously.

  “Par for the course,” Ava replied.

  Charity elaborated on the situation. “The new Secretary of Defense and the new Secretary of Homeland Security are going to give a joint press conference. The media is speculating as to what it will be about. Everyone seems to think it will cover the Alliance States and what action DC will take against them. Some think they’ll talk about the gun ban.”

  Ava bit her lip in anticipation.

  Foley hurried in and was soon followed by a crazy-looking Ulysses. When he was groggy, his lazy eye gave him a disoriented appearance. And while it had frightened Ava before she knew him, she now saw it as cute; evoking feelings of endearment toward the man.

  Foley sat on one side of Ava and Ulysses on the other.

  The television broadcast an image from the White House Press Briefing Room. Woods’ Press Secretary stepped to the podium. “Thank you all for coming. President Woods will be meeting with all of the new Cabinet members later this evening to welcome them. Today is going to be a big day, so we won’t have time for many questions, but you will be hearing from a few of the new senior officials in the President’s Cabinet.

  “Allow me to welcome to the podium, a man who you already know since he has been acting Secretary of Defense, filling the vacancy until his appointment could be formalized, Ryan Coleman. Also the new head of DHS, Secretary Alexander Douglas.”

  Coleman approached the podium with Douglas standing at his flank. “Thank you.”

  A barrage of flashes from cameras persisted for more than a minute then finally subsided. “Thank you all for coming. As you all know, the trouble we’ve had with Governor Blackwell and several other governors out west doesn’t seem to be going away. We’ve tried to have an open dialogue with them, but some people refuse to be reasoned with. How we’re going to handle this very volatile and serious situation will be the topic of much discussion. President Woods, as well as President-elect Markovich, will be involved in those conversations.

  “In the meantime, something we can all agree on is the new gun control legislation. Both the president and the president-elect understand that this change is challenging for some citizens. The rhetoric from Blackwell and his co-conspirators has caused a lot of anxiety in the hearts of otherwise-peaceable citizens. So, we’ve decided to declare a one-week amnesty period for folks to turn in their firearms. They can bring those into any state or local law enforcement branch. In areas where there have been some disagreements between local and federal law enforcement, Mr. Szabos is readying his organization to be able to accept those weapons on behalf of a grateful government.

  “We also understand some collectors have thousands of dollars tied up in their guns. We will be issuing receipts which can be filed with your taxes for a deduction in the amount of the replacement value of your firearms. Deductions are fully refundable, which means even if you don’t owe any tax, you’ll get a check for the value of the firearms. It’s basically a buyback, it’s just that you’ll have to wait until tax time to get your money.

  “We met with the secretary of transportation, attorney general, and the commerce secretary before coming in. Collectively, we’ve decided that while citizens have been granted a one-week amnesty for possession, a ban on interstate transport of firearms should go into effect immediately.

  “I personally want to urge everyone listening not to wait until the last minute to turn in your guns. You need to get them together, locate your nearest collection point as long as that does not involve crossing state lines, and get them exchanged for your tax-deductible receipt. No receipts will be issued after the amnesty period, and those in possession of banned firearms will be subject to federal prosecution and up to twenty years in prison per firearm. Thank you all once more for coming out today.”

  “Mr. Secretary! One quick question. Will you be regulating bows, crossbows, pellet guns, and black-powder weapons?”

  The secretary of defense began to walk away but paused. “We said no questions, but that is a very valid inquiry. The answer is not at this time. I’m sure once the inauguration has passed and we’re all settled in, we’ll revisit that issue. Thanks again.” He waved and made a quick exit with the Secretary of Homeland Security.

  “Well heck, if it’s tax deductible, maybe I’ll reconsider.�
� Ava’s statement wreaked of sarcasm. She looked to her left and right. Foley and Ulysses wore matching expressions; grim and pensive.

  She gave her father several minutes to fume while listening to the sympathetic media personalities praise the wisdom of their dear leader in selecting such prudent men to guide us through this tumultuous period. Ava knew the reporters and their unbiased guest commentators would continue to rub salt in Ulysses’ wounds as they competed with one another to issue ever finer accolades for the administration. She bided her time, knowing that the pundits were pushing him ever closer to accepting her plan.

  CHAPTER 14

  Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.

  Psalm 17:8-9

  The others exited the living room, one by one, eventually leaving only Ava, Foley, and Ulysses by themselves. Ava watched the two of them. Ulysses’ ears were a blotchy cranberry color. His eyes glared at the television, and the back of his neck also appeared warm with anger. Foley’s arms were crossed and his lips were puckered inward.

  Ava felt the two of them would soon have had enough and would likely turn off the television, allowing themselves to calm down and return to their senses. Her scheme required that not to happen. She looked at her father with beseeching eyes. “You know, it’s not too late.”

  Ulysses looked past her to Foley, as if it were up to him to make her give up this unyielding line of petitions.

  Foley glanced over only for a moment and quickly turned back to the television. He could have screamed leave me out of this and the message would not have been clearer.

  Ulysses looked in the opposite direction at the desert landscape picture hanging on the far wall of the living room. But no one was in the far side of the living room nor in the vacant desert painting who could help him plead his case. Turning his head straight, he huffed and clenched his jaw.

  Minutes passed and no one spoke.

  Ava sat patiently.

  Ulysses made a sound somewhere in between a guttural growl and the clearing of one’s throat before he spoke. “If I agree to game this out on paper, it by no means implies that I’ve decided to move forward with the mission. It is an exploratory exercise to investigate the full range of outcomes should we commit to such an endeavor. I’ll tell you now, the prognosis is bad; very bad, which translates into being highly unlikely that anything of the sort will ever be executed.

  “Do I make myself clear?”

  Ava bit her tongue to contain the smile which was about to erupt into a shriek of glee. “Yes, sir.”

  He leaned over to catch Foley’s eye. “Do I make myself clear?”

  Foley seemed amazed to be included in the conversation of which he’d obviously wanted no part. Nevertheless, his answer was straightforward. “Yes, sir.”

  Early Friday morning, Ava, Ulysses, Foley, and James looked at the computer map of the area where Ava would be making the buy.

  Foley fidgeted with the zipper on the front of his black hoodie. “I really wish she wasn’t going in there alone.”

  Ulysses zoomed in on the building where she was to meet Chewy2K. “I’ve thought this through, and we don’t have a choice. This guy is agreeing to meet her because he’s a lonely nerd. If one of us goes in with her, we lose the honeypot effect. And I’m not confident enough in Charity’s ability to handle herself. If something goes wrong, we’ll only have one mission; to get Ava out of there. If Charity is with her, we essentially have two missions.

  “If anything happens, we can be inside in a matter of seconds. I’ll be on foot, on the side of the building, along Navasota. You guys will be in the truck, parked two blocks up in front of those loft apartments.”

  “You don’t think that looks suspicious? Two guys sitting in a parked car?” James asked.

  Ava replied, “Those lofts are almost all young people; lots of low-level drug dealers live in the lofts. People will assume you’re waiting for someone inside making a pickup. No one will think anything of it. As long as you’re wearing your black hoodies, you’ll blend right in.”

  Foley seemed distressed. “What if they figure out that her phone is transmitting? We may not have time to get her out.”

  Ava took out her phone. “I’ll have a gun, and the only way to figure out the phone is really on is to disable the Void Lock app. I have to draw a very specific design on the screen to make it come on. Until then, the screen is completely black and doesn’t respond to the power buttons. It looks like it’s turned off.”

  James crossed his arms. “What if they won’t let you bring the phone in at all?”

  She said, “That’s the only way I can transfer the Monero from my wallet app to theirs unless they just want to trust that I’ll send it to them when I get home.”

  “What’s your plan, Ulysses?” Foley inquired. “I’ll admit, you make a pretty good homeless person in that outfit, but you don’t think some random homeless guy standing on the corner could make these guys nervous?”

  “Ava says homeless people frequent the area. Trash cans are lined up along Navasota. I’ll pick through them and see if I can find anything interesting. I’ll have my rifle in this old Army duffle.”

  Ulysses turned to Ava. “What’s your phrase to call in the troops?”

  “I’m going to regret this.”

  Ulysses nodded. “Any variation of that phrase. You’ll regret this, I hope I don’t regret this; basically, if you use the word regret, we’ll charge in guns blazing. The first sound you hear after you say the word is your cue to get on the floor so you don’t get caught in the crossfire.”

  “Got it, but hopefully everything will go off without a hitch.”

  “And if they sweep you with a metal detector or frisk you, anything that makes you think they’re gonna take your gun, abort the mission. Just walk away. Understood?” Ulysses put his hands on her shoulders.

  “Yes.” Ava twisted elastic bands around her hair to make ponytails on each side of her head, like the comic book character who Chewy2K would be expecting.

  “Playing dress-up for this guy?” Foley frowned.

  Ava sighed, surprised that she had to respond to such a comment. “I’m playing dress-up for America. I can’t believe you would say something like that.”

  “I just don’t like it. I don’t like any of it.” Foley looked away from her and glanced at Ulysses, as if to implore him to cancel or modify the plan.

  Ulysses was obviously conflicted about the whole thing. He avoided Foley’s eyes, picking up his faded duffle bag. “Everyone, make sure your weapons are loaded, magazines are easily accessible, phones are fully charged, and let’s roll out.”

  James asked, “Shouldn’t we take time to pray before we leave? I can’t imagine a time we’ve ever needed God’s protection more.”

  “You’re right.” Foley nodded, dropping his head like he was somewhat ashamed that he’d not been the one to recommend asking for God to bring them home safely.

  Ulysses smiled at James. “Why don’t you lead us?”

  James bowed his head. “Father, I’m afraid. I’m afraid for myself and for Ava. I’m not sure how everyone else here feels, but if they’re scared like me, I ask that you’ll give us all courage. And I ask that you will hide us from our enemies, watch over us, be our shield. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”

  Ulysses patted him on the back. “We’re all afraid, son. Anyone who says they aren’t in a situation like this is either a liar or a lunatic. As long as you don’t let it paralyze you, fear will help keep you alive.”

  The team members made their way to the vehicles. Ulysses rode with Ava in her Jeep. “I switched out your license plate. It’s the next best thing to having an unregistered vehicle.”

  “Where did you get the plate?” She stuck the keys in the ignition and started the engine. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

  “I kept the plate off of that Civic, the one those raiders came to the
farm in.”

  Ava looked in the rearview to make sure Foley and James were in Ulysses’ truck and ready to follow her. She put the Jeep in gear and drove up the gravel path. Buckley barked as he ran along beside.

  “I’ll be home soon, Buck. You hold down the fort.”

  Ulysses stretched out his legs. “Take Ben White Boulevard to I-35. The highways are less risky than the side streets. Drop me off at Medina and 7th. That’s five blocks out from the warehouse. You’ll have to drive around a while to give me time to get into position, but that’ll also reduce your odds of being seen with me in the vehicle by spotters.”

  “Roger.”

  “Are you nervous?”

  “A little.”

  He reached over and took her hand. “I’ll be watching over you. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you don’t get hurt.”

  “Thanks.” She turned to her father. “And thanks for going along with this. I know you didn’t want to do it.”

  “I said I’d support you.” He looked in the mirror and rubbed the stubble on his face. Between the lazy eye, the scar on his lower lip running down his chin, his disheveled hair, and raggedy clothes, no one would ever guess that Ulysses was not a bonafide vagrant who dwelt among the warehouses and train tracks which enveloped the area where Ava was to make the buy.

  Ava reviewed the plan in her mind as they drove from Paleface to downtown Austin. She exited I-35 and let Ulysses out on the corner he’d requested. She continued up 7th, overshooting the street where the meet was to take place. She watched as Foley maintained a safe distance behind her. She turned right on Chicon and took another right on 5th. Foley pulled to the side of the road at the apartment building two blocks away from where the deal would be made.

  Ava made the conference call to Foley and Ulysses. “Okay, I’m turning off the volume on my speaker and turning on the Void Lock so the phone looks off.” Ava made the adjustments and stuck the phone in her pocket. “Foley, blink your lights if you can still hear me.”