Embers of Empire

by Mark Goodwin

  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?”

  Ulysses turned to Foley. “We drove by a group causing trouble out by Bee Creek.”

  Foley nodded. “Bee Creek is still a pretty good distance from Paleface, but it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared.”

  Ulysses looked at Sam. “We should assign a watch schedule and come up with a plan to defend the property.”

  Betty Hodge joined the pow wow. “A watch schedule? Sam, what’s happening?”

  “It’s just a precaution.” He put his arm around her. “They saw trouble out by Bee Creek. We need to be ready if they come this way.”

  Foley said, “We should put a couple guys out by the road; make them real visible. If we look like a hard target, Antifa will pass us by and find somebody else to pick on.”

  Ulysses shook his head. “It’s a good theory, but I don’t think it’s the best call for our situation.”

  “What do you suggest?” Sam asked.

  “Antifa is looking for trouble. If we tell them this is the place to find it, they’ll send in a huge force to squash us.

  “In the Art of War, Sun Tzu said to appear weak when you’re strong. I recommend we let them think we’re unprepared. If anyone comes looking, we draw them into a kill box and eliminate them before they can call for help or give away our location.”

  Foley crossed his arms. “Sun Tzu said to appear weak when you’re strong and to appear strong when you’re weak. I’m familiar with his writing. Compared to Antifa, we’re weak.”

  Ulysses nodded. “That’s true, but we won’t be up against Antifa. We’ll only be dealing with a small recon team at best. With us in fortified positions having predetermined fields of fire, we’re much stronger than a small raiding expedition.”

  “I disagree,” Foley stated. “You and I are the only experienced shooters.”

  “They can all fire a weapon,” Ulysses replied.

  “But they’re not trained.”

  Ulysses paused then looked up at Sam. “It’s your home, and ultimately your decision.”

  Sam tucked his pistol in his pants pocket and rubbed his lower jaw in contemplation. Finally, he turned to Ava. “What do you think?”

  “Me?” Ava did not want to be pitted against Foley or her father in this debate. “What do I know?”

  “You’re quick on your feet; always have been. Anytime something comes up at the office, you figure it out. I’ve watched you for years. You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

  Ava looked at Foley and Ulysses; she considered the two proposals. “Antifa is ruthless and sneaky. I think if they saw guards posted out front they’d pass by and send people back through the woods later—taking out the guards from cover. Sorry, Foley. I have to agree with Ulysses on this one.” She turned to her father, “I meant to say Dad.”

  Foley straightened his back. “Then I’ll fully support Ulysses’ plan. Let’s put it together and get some basic tactics training going.”

  “Thank you,” Ulysses said. “Sam, may we use your study?”

  “Absolutely.” He nodded.

  Betty held her hands up. “Can we figure out how we’re going to fight World War Three after we eat dinner?”

  Ulysses cracked a smile. “That’s the best idea yet.”

  CHAPTER 3

  He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.

  Samuel 22:35-36

  Ava sat on the foot of Foley’s bed in the upstairs guest bedroom. She pretended to shoot her AR-15 at hostiles outside of the window. “Bang, bang, bang.”

  “Okay, you’re empty. Change mags.” Foley instructed.

  She repeated the motion of ejecting the spent magazine from her rifle and replacing it with a new one from the bag around her shoulder. As she’d done before, she attempted to pick up the empty mag.

  “Leave it,” Foley said. “If you live through the gunfight, you can go get your mags later. If you don’t, you won’t need them anyway. But you don’t want to take your eye off the enemy to pick up magazines.”

  “Okay.” She nodded.

  “Let’s do it again.”

  “Again?”

  “Yeah. This is important. When people are shooting at you, your heart will be pounding and you’ll be shaking like a leaf. If you’ve changed magazines a couple hundred times, muscle memory will take over. Otherwise, the extreme stress of the situation may keep you from being able to perform the very rudimentary task.”

  “Alright.” She ran the magazine-change drill four more times, using up the remaining magazines in her bag.

  “Good job.” Foley collected the empty mags laying around on the floor and placed them back in the bag.

  “I didn’t thank you for not being mad at me.”

  “For what?”

  “Picking my dad’s plan over yours. It was nothing personal.”

  He chuckled. “I know that. You made a rational choice. If I got mad at you over that, I wouldn’t deserve you.” He leaned in for a light kiss on the side of her mouth that hadn’t been split open in the attack.

  Thursday morning, Ava awoke early. She looked on the floor next to her bed for Buckley, but quickly remembered he’d been assigned a permanent position as official guard dog on the front porch. Once again, she felt stiff from her injuries, but the swelling in her face continued to subside. Charity remained asleep, so Ava reached quietly for her crutches. She tucked the clip-on holster of her Glock 43 onto the waist of her sweatpants before exiting the bedroom.

  Ava’s ability to move noiselessly on her crutches improved rapidly. She closed the bedroom door without waking Charity. Ava checked the window before opening the front door. Buckley rushed to her side. “Good morning, Buck! You kept the bad guys away all night. Good boy!” Ava leaned against the door frame to bend over and pet the dog. She moved cautiously to the stairs, lowering herself to sit down and spend some quality time with her pet. “Hopefully, this will all be over with soon, and you’ll be b
ack in the house with the rest of us. But for now, just know we appreciate it.”

  Buckley seemed content with the attention he received from Ava. He put his head on her leg and lay next to her on the porch. Ava relaxed on the porch for half an hour. Her mind drifted and she found herself praying, asking God for protection and pleading for the safety of those with her; especially Ulysses and Foley. Afterward, she kissed Buckley on the head and went inside. He begged to come in with her. “I’ll be back, Buck. And I’ll bring you something really good to eat.”

  The smell of fresh coffee permeated the inside of the house. When she reached the kitchen, she saw her father sitting at the counter. “Good morning. How did you sleep?”

  “Good morning. I didn’t yet. How about yourself?” Ulysses looked up from the laptop.

  “I slept like a log. I let Dr. Hodge—I mean Sam, talk me into taking something a little stronger for my ribs and my ankle. Pharmaceutical reps were always bringing in samples to the dental office, so evidently, he has a pretty substantial stockpile of painkillers and antibiotics.”

  Ulysses poured her a cup of coffee. “Those things could come in handy.”

  “Thanks.” She leaned her crutches against the wall and sat down on the bar stool where the coffee cup waited for her. “Why didn’t you sleep? I thought Foley and James were supposed to take turns for night watch.”

  Ulysses nodded. “They did but I stayed up all night keeping watch from the window above the garage. We’ve got no reliable form of communication other than our cell phones. We’re running walkie-talkie apps on our phones, but the app drains batteries like crazy. And if we don’t have cell service or WiFi, the app doesn’t work. So, that’s my mission for today. I’ve got to get us some radios.”

  Ava sipped her coffee. “Where are you going to get radios?”

  “Good question.” Ulysses scanned the screen of the computer. “Vandals hit the shops of the Galleria and broke into homes as far out as Falconhead last night. I’m trying to find an outdoor shop or big-box retailer who is still open around here.”

  “Falconhead? That’s not far from us.”

  “Nope, which makes it all the more important that we’re able to communicate.”

  “Did you try the small towns going away from Austin?”

  “No. I’m not sure they’d have what we need.”

  “Marble Falls is probably only twenty miles from here. I doubt they’re getting much fallout from Austin. I’m sure they have a Walmart, and probably one of the big-box home improvement stores. Do you think a place like that would have walkie-talkies?”

  Ulysses searched the map on the computer. “Probably won’t have the best radios, but beggars can’t be choosy.”

  “I’ll ride out there with you if you want. I can’t imagine we’d have trouble out west.”

  “Maybe not, but we could run into problems on our way back. I think it would be best if you stayed here.”

  “Sure.” Disappointed, Ava looked down at her coffee mug.

  Ulysses hesitated as he put his hand on her back. “You don’t know how bad I want to take a car ride with you; to sit and talk, and hear about everything I’ve missed over the last twenty-nine years. But I need you to be safe. How about if I pick up a couple of fishing poles while I’m out? One day this week we can drop a line in the river behind the house; just you and me.”

  Her eyes brightened. “That’d be great.”

  “Mornin’.” Sam took a coffee cup from the cupboard.

  Ulysses looked up from the computer screen. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning, Doctor,” Ava said.

  “Remember, it’s just Sam ‘til we get back to work.” Hodge smiled.

  “Right.” Ava nodded. “That’s going to be a tough habit to change.”

  Sam filled his cup and walked over to look at Ava’s face. “Swelling is almost gone. You’ll probably have some discoloration for a while. Your lip might start itching too. But don’t pick at the Steri Strips. They need to stay on for a few more days. Did the pills help you sleep?”

  “Yes, thanks.”

  “Good. But leave the pills alone during the daytime. You need the pain to remind you to stay off that ankle until it can get better.”

  Betty Hodge entered the kitchen. “I bet the pharmaceutical reps would have crossed you off their route if they heard you talking like that.”

  Sam furrowed his brow. “Dentists, doctors, psychiatrists; the entire industry makes it too convenient for people to pop a pill every time they have a bad day. If somebody is in serious pain, they need medication, but my colleagues in the medical field have helped to create the most over-medicated society on the planet. Eighty percent of the world’s opioids are consumed by Americans who make up 4 percent of the global population. The US is also the top consumer of antidepressants.”

  Charity came into the room, wearing her robe. “It’s not going to be a pretty picture if we have a prolonged civil conflict and all those people can’t get their meds. I’m the one who gets to hear Dr. Hodge’s patients calling asking for a refill on their Vicodin or Percocet. If they’re still in that much pain, Dr. Hodge wants people to come back in the office to see if they have an infection. You can tell who the abusers are because they always get upset at being inconvenienced. Even though we don’t charge for a follow-up visit, they never come back in.” Charity filled her coffee cup and started another pot.

  “Does everyone like pancakes?” Betty asked.

  “I do, but I’m going to have to decline this morning.” Ulysses stood up.

  “Oh?” Sam sipped his coffee.

  “I’m going to head out to Marble Falls; try to locate some radios.”

  “I’ll ride along if you don’t mind waiting until after breakfast,” Sam said.

  “Thanks, but I want to hurry so I can get back and have the radios ready to use for tonight’s security watch.”

  Betty took out a mixing bowl and the dry pancake mix. “Sam, you were supposed to help me with the garden today. We need to get some more vegetables started in case this thing goes on for a while.”

  “I can help you with the garden,” Charity offered.

  “You should take Sam with you.” Ava’s face showed her concern.

  Ulysses said, “I’d love to have you come along, Sam. But I do need to get moving.”

  Sam chugged his coffee. “Then I guess I’ll tag along. We’ll eat when we get back.”

  “It won’t take but five minutes to whip up a stack for you men. Eat something before you go. I’ll make ours after you boys get on the road.”

  “What do you say?” Sam glanced at Ulysses.

  “Okay.” Ulysses' lips were tight, as if he had a deep sense of urgency. But, he didn’t seem willing to risk offending his hosts.

  Ava asked her father, “Can you show me how to navigate the Deep Web? I can’t help in the garden or do much else, but maybe I can lurk around some Antifa message boards and pick up some intel.”

  Ulysses nodded. “That could be more helpful than you might think.” He opened the Tor browser and retrieved a 3-inch-by-5-inch index card from his back pocket. “This is a list of URLs for the sites I’ve been monitoring. The really malicious actors don’t use indexed sites. Those web pages typically have a string of random numbers and letters rather than words or phrases for their URLs. And they almost always end in dot onion rather than dot com or dot net.”

  Ava watched as he logged into one of the sites.

  He slid the computer in front of her. “Just monitor. Don’t respond or post questions. I’ve built a fairly specific online personality for these message boards.”

  Ava looked at his avatar and screen name. “Harley Quinn?”

  Ulysses nodded. “She’s a comic book character; supervillain. She was the Joker’s girlfriend at some point. A lot of the guys on these boards are computer nerds. If they think they’re talking to a female nerd, they’ll be more open about sharing information. Ha
rley Quinn evokes a certain sexiness, too. Once they start imagining that they’re talking to a hot chick, they get real generous about what they’re willing to say.

  “The intelligence world has always used attractive female agents to extract information via seduction; honeypots they call them. With computers, not only do you not have to be attractive, you don’t even have to be female.”

  Ava read some of the threads on the screen. “I bet you were really good at your job.”

  “The one thing I learned in that Chinese prison was that regret is absolute poison for your mind. But on the few occasions that I did allow myself to wonder what it would have been like, I imagined being an electronics salesman or a delivery driver who came home to his family every night after work. I was good at my job, but I wish I could have been good at being a father.”

  She cautiously put her hand on his. “It wasn’t your fault. And God used my adoptive mom to look after me. She gave me a very good childhood. Besides, you’re here now, and that’s what matters.”

  “Here’s your pancakes!” Betty placed Ulysses’ breakfast in front of him.

  “Thank you.”

  Ulysses and Sam finished their food and hurried out the door. Betty made pancakes for the girls, preparing extra in case James and Foley woke up before she and Charity returned from the garden.

  Once everyone was out, the house was quiet for Ava. She diligently studied the threads on Blackbook and the various message boards her father had shown her. Any information which Ava deemed to be noteworthy, she jotted down on a pad of paper. She clicked over to the Hidden Wiki page. “Wow, these guys are selling guns, cloned credit cards, passports, counterfeit bills, hacking services, PayPal accounts, drugs; it’s the entire black market on one website! I can’t believe I never knew places like this existed on the web!” Ava continued to scroll through the darkest corners of the Deep Web.

  She paused when she heard Buckley barking. She glanced up but couldn’t pull herself away. It was like driving by a car wreck that she wasn’t able to turn away from. Buckley barked again. “I’m coming, Buck.”