Martyrs and Miracles 10: Death and Destruction vs Resurrection and Hope
For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered . . . in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:36-37)
Previously . . . Lovesick Miguel secretly took Sophia to Ketchikan. Once there, she discarded him. He returned, repentant, to the Eagle Claw community.
The Janitor’s Bargain
Ketchikan, Alaska
Jerry whistled as he pushed his cleaning cart down the hallway, the fresh spring air wafting through the open windows of the Southeast Alaska Regional Government’s headquarters.
The scent of budding flowers and the sight of puffy white clouds in the sky lifted his spirits, despite the mundane nature of his job.
As he approached the Dragon Lady’s office, raised voices emanated through the closed door. Jerry couldn’t help but listen.
“Incompetent fools!” Lilith’s heavily accented voice cut through the air like a whip. “Why have you allowed these rebel communities to flourish right under your noses?”
Mumbled apologies followed, but Lilith’s rant continued. “If you don’t stop them, they’ll soon outnumber us! I will not let that happen, not in my region!”
Jerry’s eyebrows raised as he processed Lilith’s words. The Christian communities were growing? A grin spread across his face as an idea formed in his mind. I might have the information Lilith needs. This could be my ticket out of this dead-end job.
His mind drifted to Sophia. She confided in him about her life in the Christian communities before she came to Ketchikan. If anyone had inside knowledge that could help Lilith, it was Sophia.
Jerry’s hand hovered over the door, poised to knock. Hesitation gripped him as he considered the implications of his actions. Was he willing to betray Sophia’s trust for his own gain? His jaw clenched as he weighed his options, the internal battle raging within him.
The door suddenly swung open, startling Jerry. Lilith’s icy blue eyes narrowed when she saw the janitor lurking outside her office.
“What do you want?” she snapped, her gaze glancing at his name tag.
“Jerry, is it?”
Jerry swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. “Ms. Thornblood, I couldn’t help but overhear your concerns about the Christian communities.”
Lilith’s eyes flashed with irritation. “And what of it? Don’t you have floors to mop?”
“I have some information that could help you,” his heart pounding in his chest. That’s it, you’re committed. There’s no going back now.
Lilith’s sculpted eyebrows arched. “Is that so? And what information might a lowly janitor possess that could be of use to me?”
Jerry took a deep breath, steeling himself. “I know someone who recently defected from the rebel communities. She has insider knowledge that could help you find them.”
Lilith’s expression changed, a glimmer of interest sparked in her eyes. “Go on.”
“Her name is Sophia,” Jerry continued, his confidence growing. “She’s a friend of mine. I could convince her to meet with you, to share what she knows.”
Lilith studied him for a long moment, her gaze calculating. “And why would you do that? What’s in it for you, Jerry?”
Jerry met her gaze, his own unwavering. “I’m loyal to the UN, to the cause. I want to help you succeed in your mission, Ms. Thornblood.”
A slow smile spread across Lilith’s face, but it held no warmth. “Bring her to me,” her tone laced with a dangerous edge. “If her information proves useful, I’ll reward you for your loyalty.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Jerry nodded, a mix of relief and guilt washing over him. He’d tentatively secured Lilith’s favor. But at what cost?
As he walked out of the building, the spring air no longer felt fresh and clean. Instead, Jerry felt a slight chill. There’s no turning back now.
He rehearsed his pitch on his way home. I’ll convince her to meet with Lilith, to share what she knows. But, in the back of his mind, something didn’t feel right.
It’s for the greater good, he assured himself, rejecting his pangs of conscience.
Jerry entered his house. In the living room, Sophia looked up from the book she was reading.
“Jerry? You’re home early. What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
He forced a smile, hoping he looked more sincere than he felt. “Sophia, I need your help. And trust me, it’s an opportunity you won’t want to pass up.”
Kataan
Three days later…
Cruising at 500 feet over the water—below Ketchikan’s radar coverage—Katie and Rachel were halfway back to Kataan after proclaiming the gospel ultimatum in distant villages.
Katie’s thoughts drifted to the warmth of the longhouse and the welcoming faces of Ethan and Buster. She was eager to share the stories of the day with Ethan and the others, to celebrate the small victories and plan their next steps.
Katie’s Premonition
Something doesn’t feel right.
Katie checked her plane’s instruments. Everything looks normal.
Looking outside, she didn’t see any other planes that could be a threat. What is it, Lord? What’s wrong?
Rachel said, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? God’s creation never ceases to amaze me.”
Rachel’s comment pulled Katie out of her dark premonition.
The setting sun painted the sky with vibrant red, orange, and gold. As Katie nodded, a sense of peace and God’s comforting presence washed over her. “Yes, it is. We’re certainly blessed.”
Death From Above
About fifteen miles from home, Katie saw a series of violent, bright flashes ahead, briefly illuminating the distant horizon near Kataan. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the sight. Cluster bombs?
“No, no, NO! Please, God, no.”
Rachel looked at her. “Katie, what is it? What were those flashes?”
Katie swallowed hard, her grip tightening on the yoke as she fought to keep her composure. “They looked like CBUs,” she managed, her voice strained. “Cluster bomb units. I saw them used in the war. It’s a thousand-pound bomb containing hundreds of baseball-sized bomblets. The bomb opens after the plane drops it, scattering its bomblets over a wide area, killing and destroying everything below.”
Rachel’s eyes widened, her hand flying to her mouth as the implication sank in. “You don’t think…”
“I don’t know.” Katie’s heart raced. She shoved the throttle forward. “But we need to get there, fast.”
Five minutes later, the extent of Kataan’s destruction became clear. Plumes of smoke rose from the smoldering ruins, the acrid smell of explosives and burning wood filled the air. The longhouse, once a beacon of hope and unity, lay in shambles, its roof caved in, its log walls smoking.
Tears blurred Katie’s vision as she struggled to comprehend the scene below. She guided the plane over her and Ethan’s cabin. It was damaged and smoking. She didn’t see Ethan. Maybe he escaped?
How could God let this happen?
Beside her, Rachel reached out, her hand resting gently on Katie’s arm. “Have faith,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. “God’s love will see us through, no matter what.”
Katie nodded, blinking back salty tears.
She forced herself to subdue her emotions and concentrate on landing safely in Kataan’s cove.
Safely down, she quickly water-taxied to Kataan’s broken dock.
A Joyful Reunion
Ethan blinked as a blinding white light enveloped him. Warmth spread through his body, filling him with a profound sense of peace and love unlike anything he’d ever experienced.
As his eyes adjusted, he found himself standing in a lush green meadow dotted with vibrant wildflowers. A crystal-clear stream meandered through the grass, its gentle babbling a soothing melody.
Beside him, Juan, Catalina, and Buster stood in awe, their faces illumined by the soft, golden light that seemed to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at once. The air smelled of honeysuckle and jasmine, and a gentle breeze caressed their skin like a loving touch.
“Where are we?” Catalina whispered, her voice filled with wonder.
“I think,” Ethan said slowly, a smile spreading across his face, “we’re in paradise.”
As if on cue, two familiar figures emerged from a nearby grove of trees. Uncle Andy and Moses, looking younger and healthier than Ethan had ever seen them, strode towards the group with open arms and beaming smiles.
“Welcome home,” Uncle Andy said, embracing Ethan in a warm hug. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
Tears of joy streamed down Ethan’s face as he returned the embrace, the weight of earthly worries and sorrows forgotten in the presence of pure love. Moses greeted Juan and Catalina, his laughter ringing out like music across the meadow.
Buster bounded through the grass, his tail wagging furiously as he chased butterflies and reveled in the endless expanse of green. The sight filled Ethan’s heart with a lightness he’d never known, and he couldn’t help but laugh along with the others.
As Uncle Andy released him, Ethan noticed two more figures approaching from the grove. A man and a woman, their features foreign and yet familiar, their eyes brimming with love and pride. With a jolt, Ethan realized he was looking at his mother and grandfather, family members he’d never known in his earthly life as an orphan.
“Mom? Grandpa?” he whispered, his voice catching in his throat.
“Oh, my sweet boy,” his mother said, cupping his face in her hands. “I’m so proud of the man you’ve become.”
Ethan’s grandfather laid a hand on his shoulder, his touch firm and reassuring. “You’ve done well, son. You’ve had a hard life, but you remained true to your faith and your heart.”
Overwhelmed with emotion, Ethan could only nod, his vision blurred by tears of joy and gratitude. He looked around at the faces of his loved ones, both old and new, and marveled at the sheer beauty and peace surrounding them.
“I never imagined it would be like this,” he said softly, his voice filled with awe. “Katie tried to tell me, but words just can’t describe it.”
At the mention of Katie’s name, Ethan experienced a flicker of sadness. He knew she’d be grieving his death, but he took comfort knowing that she experienced this paradise for herself, so she’d know where he was, and that he’d be waiting for her.
“She’ll be all right,” Uncle Andy said, as if reading Ethan’s thoughts. “Katie’s strong, and she has a mission to complete. When the time comes, you’ll be reunited, and your relationship will be even better than before.”
Ethan nodded, a sense of peace settling over him. He knew Katie would continue her mission, spreading the gospel and offering hope to those still trapped in Hussein’s world. And when her journey was complete, they’d be together again, in this perfect place, their love forever untouched by the trials and sorrows of the world left behind.
A gentle breeze swept through the meadow, carrying with it the sound of distant laughter and music. Ethan’s mother took his hand, her smile radiant.
“Come,” she said, “there’s so much for you to see and experience. This is just the beginning.”
Hand in hand, surrounded by the love of his family and friends, Ethan stepped forward into the eternal joy of paradise, his heart full and his spirit forever at peace.
A Grisly Discovery
It was almost dark as Katie and Rachel walked with flashlights into the smoldering ruins of Kataan. The acrid stench of smoke from the bombs, mixed with the sickly-sweet odor of charred flesh assaulted her nostrils.
“Rachel, if you see what looks like a metallic baseball, stay away from it. It’s an explosive bomblet.”
They discovered the bodies of Ethan, Juan, Catalina, and dear Buster—all in the longhouse. Tears streamed down Katie’s face, carving tracks through the soot on her cheeks.
She kneeled beside Ethan’s body, his features nearly unrecognizable beneath the burns. Gently, she cradled his head in her lap, her body wracked with sobs. “I’m so sorry, Ethan,” she whispered. “I should have been here.”
Rachel placed a comforting hand on Katie’s shoulder. “There’s nothing you could have done.”
Katie nodded. You’re right.
Having recently lost Moses, Rachel empathized with Katie and left her alone to feel it and get it out of her system.
Katie felt hollow, as if part of her soul had been ripped out. For ten full minutes Katie allowed herself to wallow in grief, her cries full-throated, her tears flowing onto Ethan’s lifeless face.
Slowly, Katie regained control.
I know where he is, and I know he’s happy there.
Now I’ve gotta be strong. For Rachel, for the other communities, and for the mission.
Katie laid Ethan’s head down gently. With effort, she rose to her feet and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, smearing soot on her cheek.
Raphael
Rachel returned with Raphael—Juan and Catalina’s son.
Rachel said, “He’s a little shell-shocked. He must’ve been out fishing when the attack hit. I found him sitting in his boat with a 30-pound halibut.”
Their Plan
The women decided not to spend the night in the ruins of Kataan. Instead, they’d hop down to the In-Processing Center (IPC). If needed, they could leave Raphael in Claire’s care and come back tomorrow with Ben and others to bury their dead.
Before they left, Rachel whispered to Katie, “Tomorrow they’ll be stiff as boards, and we don’t want to bury them in contorted positions. We should straighten them out before they get stiff.”
Katie nodded.
Raphael watched as they reverently worked together to position his mother, father, and Ethan in a peaceful, sleeping pose, looking up, with hands folded over their navels.
Rachel helped Raphael into the floatplane. He stared ahead, traumatized.
As they lifted off, Katie glanced down at her home, her friends, her husband—all gone in a cruel twist of fate.
At the IPC
They flew to the IPC. Mercifully, it hadn’t been attacked. Ben met them, his face etched with concern as Katie and Rachel recounted the tragedy in halting voices.
Exhausted and emotionally drained, the two women washed up, then collapsed into longhouse beds, falling immediately into a deep slumber.
Katie dreamed of Ethan. His face beamed with joy and peace in that paradise of indescribable beauty.
“I’ll be waiting for you,” he promised, his voice echoing as if from a great distance. “Finish the mission, my love. I’m so proud of you.”
She awoke with soot and tears on her pillow, but with a newfound sense of resolve.
“Thank you, Lord. I needed that.”
Return to Kataan
After a fitful night’s sleep, Raphael seemed to snap out of his shock. “I’m okay now,” he said, “I want to go with you to bury mom and dad, and to say goodbye.”
Katie hugged him, fighting back tears. “You’re a good son.”
Katie, Rachel, Ben, Raphael, and three male IPC candidates departed in Ben’s commercial fishing boat, enroute to the ruins of Kataan.
The journey was somber, each lost in their own thoughts.
Eagle Claw?
During the trip, Ben and Katie stood on the boat’s bridge. Ben said, “Last night, after you told me about Kataan’s destruction, it made me wonder if it was related to something else that happened yesterday. I was talking on the Ham radio with the Eagle Claw community when they suddenly stopped transmitting. I figured it was just radio trouble. Let’s hope it wasn’t something worse.”
“After we finish our work in Kataan today, I’ll fly up there tomorrow and check on them.”
Ben nodded. “Great, thanks. Hopefully, it’s just a radio glitch. There’s a big learning curve with Ham radio, so technical issues are pretty common, especially with new operators.”
At Kataan
After their two-hour journey, they arrived at Kataan. Wisps of smoke still ascended skyward from a dozen places around the community. It still smelled of burned wood, but the explosive scents had dissipated.
Just before going ashore, Katie warned everyone, “If you see what looks like a metallic baseball, stay away from it. It’s an explosive bomblet.”
Onshore, the seven immediately noticed the crunch of debris underfoot and the taste of ash in the air.
Ben assigned one of the IPC candidates, a teenage boy, to stand watch. “If you see any boats or planes approaching, ring this alarm bell for about 10 seconds to make sure everyone hears it, then follow us as we hi-tail it up the mountain to Kataan’s tsunami bugout location.”
With this watchman posted to detect potential threats, the others focused on the grim task of burying the dead. Thankfully, ravens, jays, and eagles hadn’t yet discovered the bodies.
Burying Their Dead
There was room available in Kataan’s native cemetery, so Katie and Raphael agreed to bury their dead loved-ones there.
Katie insisted on digging Ethan’s grave herself. Each shovelful was a labor of love, a final act of devotion to the one who’d loved her unconditionally since their first meeting.
He was so strong. That’s what I thought the first time I saw him. He was carrying his dead friend toward my helicopter.
Her muscles burned and her hands blistered, but she welcomed the physical pain.
In the hospital, he needed treatment for his own wounds, but he patiently watched as the doc stitched my face and pulled shrapnel out of my arm.
The next time we met, I’d gone to pray for a severely-burned Kyrgi girl in the base hospital. I didn’t recognize him. But he recognized me, asking about my Klinatok tattoo. That’s when I told him I’m from Ketchikan.
He remembered everything about me. After the Army kicked me out, he came to Ketchikan and found me in the Breakwater Restaurant’s kitchen, where I was a lowly dishwasher. But he didn’t care about my job.
Grateful tears flowed out of her heart.
He loved me. It took me a long time to open my heart to him. He was so patient. Ethan didn’t care about my past, or that I couldn’t have children. He loved me.
“I’ll love you forever, Ethan. Thank you, God, for giving me Ethan to be my husband.”
Rachel fashioned crosses and wrote the names of each of the deceased on them to mark their individual graves.
Ben helped her wrap Ethan’s body in a bedsheet, then carry him to the grave and gently lower him in.
As she patted the last shovelful of earth onto Ethan’s grave, Katie felt a change within herself. Her all-consuming grief dissolved, replaced by steely determination. Ethan was at peace. She knew he was waiting for her in that wondrous place she’d already visited. But she still had work to do here on earth.
With the burials completed, Ben led them in a brief memorial service, using John 11:25-26 as his text.
Jesus promised, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”
Preparing to Leave
Finally, they all scoured the village for anything salvageable—food, tools, boats, and supplies to bring back to the IPC.
They piled everything on the dock, in preparation for loading it into Ben’s boat.
The warning bell rang out, startling everyone. Katie looked out into the cove and saw a boat, a mile away, coming toward them at high speed.
Plan B
Katie, Rachel, Ben, Raphael, and the three IPC candidates raced up the mountain trail, their hearts pounding.
When they reached a safe vantage point, about 100 yards up the forested mountain slope, they stopped to catch their breath.
Ben said, “You guys keep going. Katie and I will watch them from here and follow you shortly.”
Rachel nodded, then led Raphael and the three IPC candidates up the hill at a normal hiking pace.
Ben and Katie remained hidden in the forest as a dozen of Lilith’s soldiers arrived in the Police boat and fanned-out, storming the ruins of Kataan, guns drawn, their voices carrying up the mountainside.
Two entered the longhouse. “Clear.”
Another entered Katie’s cabin. “Clear.”
She heard, “Nothing here.” from somewhere blocked by trees.
She saw a bright flash and heard an explosive blast as one of the soldiers flew three feet into the air, his severed leg going in a different direction. He landed in a heap, moaning incoherently. Another soldier must’ve been hit by shrapnel. He collapsed near the explosion, his red hands clutching his neck.
Katie whispered, “They must’ve set off a bomblet.”
“Let’s get out of here!” one of the other soldiers shouted. “This place is booby trapped.”
The remaining ten soldiers cautiously retraced their steps, as if they were walking through a minefield, back to the dock and the safety of their police boat.
“Jake, what about our two dead?”
“You can get them if you want, but I’m not risking my life. They’re dead, so they won’t care. The rebels have this place booby trapped, and they’re probably up there in the woods, with snipers, watching us right now.”
The soldiers didn’t like it, but none disagreed.
Ben’s Boat
“But, before we go, Lilith will kill me if we leave these supplies and boats for rebels to use.”
Pointing at two of his men, Jake ordered, “We need to dump their stuff and destroy their boats. Follow me.”
The three pushed the believers’ pile of food, tools, and supplies off the dock, dumping it all, except for one large bath towel, into the salt water of Kataan’s cove.
Jake took the bath towel, soaked it with gasoline, ignited it, and flung it into Ben’s boat. Then, he said, “Okay boys, time for a little target practice. Let’s put some holes just below the waterline.”
Ten machine guns all fired a full magazine into the underwater hull of Ben’s boat, sending splashes six feet into the air.
Katie saw Ben’s jaw clench as he watched them murder his boat.
Finally, Jake, who seemed to be their leader, reloaded his gun and sprayed bullets into the bottoms of two smaller boats, sinking them.
As the police boat sped away, billows of black smoke and flames steadily grew in Ben’s boat.
It listed to starboard as water entered through hundreds of underwater bullet holes. Within four minutes, it sank next to the broken dock. Its mast and bridge remained above the surface, like a half-submerged submarine. Ben hung his head, his eyes glistened with tears.
Katie wrapped an arm around Ben. “I’m sorry, Ben.”
Ben gathered himself, nodded, and said, “Okay. Let’s go.”
Catastrophe
Before they’d gone a hundred yards uphill, Ben clutched his chest and fell to his knees, gasping for breath.
“Heart attack,” as he collapsed.
The cumulative events of the day overwhelmed her.
“No! We can’t lose Ben too!”
“Ben, can you hear me?”
Kneeling beside him, she tried to remember her EMT training.
ABC. Airway, Breathing, Circulation.
His airway is clear.
No chest rise—he’s not breathing.
No pulse. His pupils are fixed and dilated.
Ben was dead.
Rather than do CPR, she chose to pray. She placed one hand on his forehead and the other on his chest, then prayed fervently.
“Lord God, please have mercy on us. Don’t let Ben die today.”
In her mind, she remembered the verse, “Whatever you say, believing, it shall be done for you.”
But when she looked at his lifeless body, his face and hands were already turning a blue-purple color from lack of oxygen. He’s dead.
Then she remembered. It isn’t a lack of faith that keeps us from seeing miracles, it’s our unbelief that cancels out our faith.
I don’t care what the situation looks like. I’m gonna believe God’s word.
Looking at Ben’s dead body, she commanded, “Ben, be healed!”
Ben’s eyes fluttered open. He sat up, his face filled with wonder. “I’m back. I . . . I feel fine,” he said. “Better than fine. Let’s keep moving.”
Rendezvous
They met the others at the rustic, three-sided tsunami shelter.
Rachel said, “We heard all the shooting and were worried.”
Katie and Ben shared what happened with the soldiers and how Ben’s boat got sunk. They all celebrated when they heard how God raised him from the dead.
They opened the cabin’s bear and mouse-proof emergency supply cache, retrieved bedding, food, and cookware, and settled in for the night.
Around the campfire, they cooked dinner and made plans. With their boat destroyed, their best option was to hike to the Beaver Creek Christian community on the west side of the island. There, they’d find brethren to transport them back to the IPC. It would be a two-day hike.
Ben, the Heavenly Messenger
“Ben,” Katie said, “What did you mean earlier when you said, ‘I’m back?’ Back from where?”
“You know where. I spent three days in paradise with Jesus, Ethan, Juan, Catalina, and many of my departed loved ones. Oh, and Buster too. Jesus asked if I’d be willing be come back to help you all awhile longer, and I said I would. That’s when you called me back into this realm.”
Katie smiled. “I was hoping that’s what you meant.”
Raphael interjected, “You saw my parents?”
“Yes, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. My brain must be a little fuzzy from my experience today. They’re in paradise with Jesus and many of their relatives. It’s such a wonderful place. Think of the best place in this world and multiply it by 1000, and paradise is even better than that. They said to tell you they’re fine, and happy, and they’re proud of you. You’ll see them again.”
Raphael’s tears of joy and relief erupted involuntarily, with sobbing. Embarrassed, he walked into the forest a short distance for privacy.
“Katie, Ethan and your uncle send their love. Rachel, Moses said he can’t wait to see you again. They’re all proud of us, and what we’re doing here.”
Rachel smiled.
Katie said, “Thanks. I needed that.”
Katie’s Commitment
Before drifting off to sleep, Katie turned her face toward the stars. “I will not let you down,” she whispered to Ethan, to God, to Uncle Andy, and to herself. “I will finish my mission. And when my time comes, I will join you where you are.”
As Katie laid on the shelter’s hard floor, wrapped in a wool blanket with a small log for a pillow, physical and emotional exhaustion finally overtook her. When she closed her eyes, images of Ethan filled her mind. His smiling face, his gentle touch, his unwavering love.
Rachel’s Second Dream
Rachel woke before sunrise and rekindled the fire.
Katie soon joined her, enjoying the fire’s warmth while stretching her arms, legs, and back to relieve their stiffness. Rachel looked pensive. Something’s on her mind, or bothering her.
Katie said, “How’d you sleep?”
“Last night I had a disturbing dream-vision. I saw masses of people lined up to receive a strange implant in their hand. Their eyes were glazed over, as if they were under some kind of mind control. I heard Hussein say, ‘With this technology, we all become one. You’ll have access to everything on the Internet, through your mind, making you superhuman.’ The people wanted this superhuman capability, to be like gods, but the people actually became nodes in Hussein’s network, like a hive mind. They lost their individuality, their identity as a human being. The implant also somehow modified their DNA, so they were no longer 100% human. As a result, God views them like the nephilim—condemned hybrids who cannot be saved."
“Wow. The mark of the beast?”
“Yes. And God told me it’s here now.”
Coming next week . . . Katie and Rachel complete their mission. Katie recons the dispersed communities to see if any others were bombed.
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Well written and thoughtful!
Too much of the hatred and anger in this story rings familiar with our world today. Sadly. But we also have the same love and faith. We need to thank God for that.