James Patterson’s Journal—The Story of The Congregation of Andria Church During the Dark Time (Patterson’s Tale #6)
“By this time Pastor Lee was not only our spiritual leader but was the militia leader to the Jesus Sect community, not only in Andria but in villages up and down the Tomak river for many miles. He had his personal fortified compound deep in the forest, many miles inland from the river. Only a few people knew how to find it, and none of our JS members had ever been to his fortified home. He had a fanatically devoted group of around 80 militiamen who protected us, and him. We knew that only about half of them were true JS followers, but all of them despised the Enforcers and Overmasters. They also did their best to protect the Jesus followers from the pagan villagers, and it was not uncommon for those evil mockers and harassers to themselves be brought to justice by our militia. Whippings were the most common punishments for their first offense against us, but severe beatings and executions were not unknown either. Right or wrong, we had concluded that, in order to survive, we could not always “turn the other cheek” without some form of resistance.
ANDRIA VILLAGE SPLITS BETWEEN PAGANS AND JESUS FOLLOWERS AS THE ENFORCERS TRY TO CAPTURE PASTOR RACHARD LEE
“Pastor Lee’s militia had only about 40 firearms for defense, but they all were trained in an ancient form of physical combat that used hands, feet, and large staffs, or clubs. To my knowledge the Enforcers did their best over the next several years to capture Pastor Lee but they never did. They did capture or kill a few of his militia from time to time, but we never heard of any of them who betrayed us, even under torture. After experiencing punishment from Lee’s militia over a period of time, our pagan persecutors decided to leave us alone, with the village becoming almost divided down the middle by the pagans on one end and the Jesus followers on the other. Our poor non-committed fellow villagers eventually got the message and some moved to the outer limits of the village, or into the forest. But most of them moved into the JS portion of the village were they were warmly welcomed and felt much safer. Some of them even became Jesus followers, praise God! I believe that they knew that a time of darkness and death was about to descend upon all of us. How right they were.
A DEADLY SICKNESS DESCENDS UPON ANDRIA VILLAGE, KILLING MANY VILLAGERS
“Around the year A.D. 2406 a great sickness descended upon our village, and on most of the nearby villages up and down the river. There were only one or two men or women in each village who had any kind of medical skills, except for the “Child Bringers”, women who assisted in the births of our babies. There were several of them in each village, and they were kept very busy most of the time (my Leah had befriended one of them, a woman named Jenlen, who delivered both of my daughters). The few medical practitioners in each village were among the first to die of this great plague, which caused running sores, or poxes as Pastor Lee called them, all over the bodies of those who caught it, and very high body temperatures.
“The death rate was at least 8 out of 10 who caught this pestilence, but only a relatively small number of the members of the JS community caught it, for our Pastor had long before insisted that we all keep our homes and our own bodies very clean. He taught his flock how to find and eat various wild herbs from the forest, how to use them in our food and drink, and how to use them for emetics if we caught the pestilence. As a child I had caught a similar pox disease and I didn’t become afflicted with this newer but more serious pox. Leah had tended her parents’ cows in Fillyelfia as a girl and had also come down with a pox-like disease in her youth. We had both recovered after a week or so, and Pastor Lee told us that he believed “cow pox”, as he called it, gave us immunity from this newer, more serious infection. He also had a milder pox disease in his youth and was unaffected by this new, terrible pox. Our daughters kept their children strictly isolated and, thank God, they were spared.
“Unfortunately, Lee’s wife, Rachele, a lovely and caring woman, had no previous immunity from this new pox, and after several days of her going among some of the sick villagers to help and comfort them, she herself came down with this plague. Leah spent 4 days and nights with her mother, caring for her, doing her best to keep her clean and trying to comfort her. Rachele passed into Heaven in my Leah’s arms on the 5th day after she was afflicted. The other Jesus followers did what they could to help, but aside from prayers, little could be done. Pastor Lee was shattered by Rachel’s death, and for two or three weeks we didn’t see him, even on the Sabbath eve service, which one or two of the older men among us conducted. When he eventually came back among us I could sense he wasn’t the same man as before. He still led our small group, but he seemed much more withdrawn and quiet.
NEW FORCES, INCLUDING PASTOR LEE’S SON EDROOD, COME TO ANDRIA VILLAGE BRINGING GOOD AND BAD NEWS
“The event that seemed to bring back Lee’s old self was the unexpected appearance among us of his son, Edrood, with his wife and 3 children—a son and 2 daughters—along with about 40 of his own militia followers. Edrood had been forced to flee from the area around Filly where he had maintained a militia presence since his father’s leaving. Edrood was about 12 years older that his sister, Leah, who screamed and cried with joy when she saw her brother after so many years. Edrood was a strong Jesus follower like his father, and his entire family and all of his militiamen were also followers of our Savior. He told all of us about a great battle around Filly that had ended three months previously, when the Jesus Sect militia had attacked the two Enforcer stations and the Overmasters’ fortified compound outside Filly, and had killed most of the Enforcer beasts and all of the Overmasters.
“That event, he explained to us, had been interpreted as a sign of God’s blessing, but unfortunately after that time of victory the two Council members who lived near Filly ordered a huge Enforcer army to attack Fillyelfia, which they had done ruthlessly. He told us that half of the town was destroyed by this large army, and despite a strong resistance by the combined militia forces, the Enforcer army of around 1500 men had been victorious, killing at least half of the militia. It was then that Edrood had decided to withdraw and come to Andria and join his father. We were happy for his coming to us, and for his help, but as it turned out, the Council members in Filly had no intention of allowing him to escape from their vengeance.
ANDRIA VILLAGE FACES ITS FIRST MAJOR THREAT BY A LARGE FORCE OF ENFORCERS, WHO ARE DESTROYED
“Six months after Edrood came among us with his family and his militia, Andria village was threatened by a force of around 500 military style Enforcers who reported directly to the Supreme Council. They were all armed with automatic rifles and handguns. Their officers were armed with the new blaster style hand guns that fired a contained plasma charge. At this time, the JSA militia had, at most, 50 projectile-style handguns and long rifles, but we had no automatic versions. Clearly we were out weaponed as they attacked us one early morning in Fall late of A.D. 2406. They had planned a sneak attack but we had been warned by several alert horse riders who had been sent by a JS spy who had been living among the pagans in a larger village downriver. All we had were fast horses, but by the time the first company of Council Enforcers arrived in Andria in their motor trucks in the middle of early morning, we had already evacuated most of our families and had set up a nasty little surprise for those beasts.
“A group of pagans who hated the Enforcers more than they hated us agreed to lead our enemies into our trap, in a large farm clearing deep in the forest, about 4 miles from Andria. As our families his in the forest, we sprang our trap. Our pagan fellow villagers brought this company of Enforcers into the clearing, and told them that all of the militia had retreated into a crude fort less than a mile into the forest. They even pointed out the trail, agreeing to lead our enemies to us, telling the Enforcers that they hated us as much as the Enforcers did. The first Enforcer group to invade Andria consisted of about 100 men who eagerly followed their guides as they envisioned the killing soon to come of those who they believed to be poorly armed village troublemakers. As soon as they were well into the forest, several of our people ignited their trucks with fire oil, and soon they were burning and exploding in the clearing.
“At the same time, hearing the explosions of the Enforcer trucks, a force of about 50 pagans from the village attacked the Enforcers from both sides so fast that our enemies were not able to effectively use their firepower against them. The pagans were given the task of killing the Enforcer officers, which they did quickly, suffering only minor losses. By the time our pagan allies had done their damage with their war clubs and spears, the 50 armed members of the JS militia attacked them from their hiding places deeper in the forest along the trail. The pagans withdrew, allowing our projectile weapons to attack the Enforcers. This killed about 20 or more in the first attack. The pagans then launched their fire oil pods, small and thin rubber containers hooked near the tip of their war arrows, with a wick that was ignited just before the arrow was released. The remaining pagans, about 40 of them, were very deadly with these fire pods, and within minutes of our firearm attack at least half of the remaining Enforcers were burning and screaming in pain. The rest were shooting blindly into the forest in panic, trying to retreat back down the trail from which they had come.
“With their officers all out of action, panic became their worst enemy. The militias of Rachard and Edrood Lee waited until the terrified Enforcers emerged into the clearing where their trucks were burning, and then attacked them ruthlessly with firearms, spears, and clubs. Some of our people were killed or wounded, but within 20 minutes most of the Enforcers were dead or incapacitated. The pagans claimed many of the firearms taken from the defeated enemy, and our militia captured many also. The pagans went to all the Enforcers and killed any who were wounded. There were 3 of them left alive and unwounded, and the pagan leaders, who were all from Andria village, brought them to Rachard and Edrood. In great panic they looked around at all their dead comrades, and pleaded to be spared. Rachard agreed to let them live if they revealed the plans that their leaders were going to follow to further attack us.
“At first they refused, but one of the pagan leaders, a brute name Lamash Kalmark, immediately grabbed the head of one of the prisoners and began to slowly cut off one of his ears. Rachard interceded and ordered him to stop the torture, but Kalmark merely laughed and told Lee that he would have his information within minutes. Fearing for their lives, the other two Enforcers agreed to tell all they knew, while their unfortunate friend screamed for mercy, to no avail. The Lees both turned away while Kalmark slowly slit open this enemy’s throat, his blood draining out over his uniform.
“We learned that the rest of the Enforcers were even then attacking two small villages downriver, being determined to rid them of the Jesus Sect followers and militia leaders who lived there. Enforcer leaders had assumed that eliminating the Jesus followers in Andria was going to be an easy task for 100 armed Enforcers. Then the bulk of the Enforcer army was to come to Andria to finish whatever killing still needed to be done. We were told that they especially were seeking the Lee father and son duo to capture, torture, and kill.
ENFORCER VIOLENCE CAUSES A TRUCE BETWEEN THE JESUS FOLLOWERS AND THE PAGANS IN ANDRIA VILLAGE
“I didn’t participate in this battle, for I had been given the responsibility, along with several other men, of protecting all of our families as they had in the forest. Edrood himself informed me of our victory the next day. But by mid-day an alert rider raced into Andria and informed us that the main enemy force would be upon us the next day. Within a few hours all of the men of Andria village, Jesus followers, pagans, and all the rest, had gathered in the middle of our humble village and had agreed to resist this new Enforcer army. The pagans were always ready to fight and were happy that they were going to get a chance to kill more Enforcers. All of us verbally agreed to a permanent truce in the war of words and violence that had been going on between us for as long as most of us could remember. Surprisingly, the pagans proposed that Edrood Lee be the Commander for this battle, for they sensed that he despised the Enforcers as much as they did.
“We worked all that day and all through the dark of night, cutting down large trees to use as road blocks, digging pits along our paths and dirt roads in the village, putting sharp wooden stakes in them, and then covering then with brush and leaves. We knew that Andria village would probably have to be sacrificed but we were willing to do that. Early the next morning, we said goodbye to our wives and younger children and sent them back into the forest protected by 8 of our young, but responsible, teens that were given 4 of the captured Enforcer firearms to guard our loved ones with. The older teens from the village, those over 15, were allowed to participate in the defense of their homes with their fathers and older brothers. All of us realized that when the day ended, some of us would be dead. We somberly awaited the attack by enemies who had dedicated themselves to wiping out all the members of the Jesus Sect, plus all of the pagans who resisted them or who dared to fight beside us Jesus followers.
“The pagans laughed and drank their strong beer in our ambush nests around our village. A small group of men had been assigned the task of letting the attacking Enforcers see them as they supposedly ran from them in fear. They knew they would be under heavy fire as soon as they were seen, but they all volunteered. I wanted to volunteer for this duty but Edrood Lee, or Commander Lee as he was called that day, refused, telling me he needed me by his side to protect him. It was an honor, I know, but I felt then, as I still do, that he did this to protect me, his sister’s husband.
THE FIRST MAJOR ENFORCER ATTACK AGAINST ANDRIA IS DEFEATED AND THE ATTACKERS ARE MASSACRED
“The first two Enforcer companies, totaling 200 men, attacked Andria from three sides just after sunrise, roaring into our village in many motor trucks that had been equipped with rapid firing turrets built on top of the control deck. They began spraying all of our homes with heavy bullets, totally infuriating all of us. The lead battle truck came down our main dirt street and saw the decoy villagers ahead. The gunner immediately aimed his turret at them and began to shoot Only two of our people were hit and knocked down, the rest escaping further down the street. We were horrified when this Enforcer truck purposely ran over both of our people who had tried to crawl to the road side. The next two Enforcer battle trucks did the same, and we could seen the beasts driving them laughing with each other.
“At the same time, the Enforcer troopers began running down our main village road and down our foot paths, shooting randomly into our now empty homes, killing our cows, bulls, and pigs, and even our faithful dogs who attacked the first Enforcer beasts who threatened their homes. The first battle truck drove right into our pit trap, and the second drove partly into it before it could stop. Several of our men released fire arrows with larger fire oil pods into these first two trucks, igniting them instantly and trapping the attackers in them in the pit. Other villagers threw large clay pots filled with fire oil into the pit, and soon it was a flaming inferno where the screams of those being burned alive soon stopped.
“The fuel in both of these trucks soon ignited and caused a great explosion, which killed some of the Enforcer attackers who were trying to help their burning comrades. These explosions also set on fire the nearest buildings, and soon a large part of Andria was burning. The first attackers who ran down several foot paths through the village also fell into our pit traps, most of them firing their weapons as they fell. Their screams were soothing to our ears as they impaled themselves on the sharp stakes at the bottom of the pits. As soon as some of their comrades stopped running and gathered around the pits to try to help, our people fired their weapons at them from out of the windows of the nearby homes and stores, causing much panic among our attackers, who suddenly seemed very confused and vulnerable in this nest of hornets they had been assured by their officers was not capable of resistance. Commander Lee later told me that he estimated that within the first 20 minutes of the attack, from 40 to 60 of the persecutors were dead or wounded and out of action.
“I was on a hill overlooking this action with Pastor Lee. His son, Edrood, had ordered me to stay with and protect his father. He was now on the other side of the village with his forces. The Enforcers who had run into the village expecting an easy victory were suddenly bunched all together, and those of us on the upper ground, as well as those down among the burning homes were able to aim our firearms directly at them, and for 3 or 4 minutes it was as though we were shooting at a herd of panicked animals that had been caught in one of our hunting traps. But this didn’t last all that long, for soon the Enforcer officers had rallied their surviving forces and had established themselves near the center of Andria that was not yet on fire.
NEXT TIME: The combined forces of the Jesus sect and the pagans of Andria village celebrate a victory over their Enforcer enemies. Jesus followers and pagans share their remaining homes in Andria, and begin the process of trying to understand and live in peace with each other. A permanent truce is agreed to between all surviving inhabitants of Andria village after the initial victory over the enemy forces. The villagers struggle to learn about and understand each other’s ways and beliefs, and some pagans become Jesus followers. But the enemy forces lick their wounds and begin planning their retribution against Andria village, and begin preparing for their final conquest of Andria and the annihilation of its inhabitants.
