Prologue
The fledgling rays of the early morning
sun shimmered across the still waters, turning faded pewter into brilliant
translucent shades of opal, silver and
bronze. The strengthening shafts of
light stretched across the harbor to a battle scarred ship that was waiting in
silence for the sun to warm her decks and playfully dance along shimmering
brass fittings. She came to this
anchorage to heal the wounds suffered during a desperate encounter with the
elusive Japanese destroyer, which was sent by a merciless conqueror to destroy
the last British citizens who fled Singapore.
She waits now, in silence, to feel the pulse of oil pumping life into
her array of pipes and tubing, as her engines—her heart—come to life and beat
in a steady rhythm. Soon her human
masters will breathe new life into her and she will experience the pleasurable
taste of salty spray streaming across her sleek newly painted hull.
Her name is Mariah.
Chapter 1
Katrin Lee Albright stood alone on the
tree-covered hill that overlooked Surabaya Harbor. She and her father, Joseph Albright, an
Anglican missionary priest sent from England before the 1929 world financial
crisis, went into hiding when the Japanese began their lightning-quick
offensive through the small island state. Two nights ago, they witnessed the brutal
flashes from dueling ships across the horizon in the distant Java Sea. The few returning ships gave witness to the
lopsided battle of failure and defeat.
Her twenty-two-years on Earth had not
prepared her for the increasing fear she experienced, as the Japanese Army relentlessly
pushed closer to her childhood home.
Brushing long, golden-brown hair away from her face, she anxiously watched
the remaining Allied ships while sailors scurried about, preparing them to sail.
Katrin hoped her father would return before
darkness fell, and relieve her anxiety.
She knew he believed God would protect them, and he prayed with her to
place them in His hands. He told her to
believe it was already so and it would be—just as Jesus had promised so many
centuries ago. She had to trust the
lessons of the Bible that her father taught since early childhood, but fear of
being discovered made her tremble.
Katrin felt a shaft of fright penetrate
her soul, when a sudden rustling in the undergrowth caught her attention. The sound was coming closer, and Katrin held
her breath when she could see movement coming toward her hiding place. She waited after hearing the low whistle her
dad used to announce his return from searching for lost or wounded Allied
soldiers near the Japanese lines. A sigh
of relief came when she saw his face emerge from among the trees and recognized
the uniform of the tall man following him as American.
“Kitten, are you here?” Katrin heard her
dad call before she ran to meet him.
“Dad, thank goodness! All the ships look like they’re getting ready
to leave. I was afraid the Japanese Army
was near Surabaya
“They will be soon, Kat. Captain Logan said the Allies are being
overrun; Captain, my daughter, Katrin.”
“It’s going to take years to push them
back to Japan,” said the lanky dark eyed lieutenant, and second in charge, from
among the small group of soldiers. “It’s
like an exploding ant farm, the way they’re infesting the East.”
“You’re right there, Russ.” Turning to Joseph Albright, Logan said,
“Father, we should move on before long, in case a patrol sees signs of our
presence in the area.”
“We have two choices, Captain. We can go to our base camp—a day’s hike from
here, but well hidden; or, the abandoned farm we’ve used for two nights. I don’t think any of the invading forces have
gotten close yet, but I can’t be sure.
I’m afraid a dash to the harbor is too risky with Japanese snipers
between us and the town.”
Logan ran a hand over his sweat-covered
face before answering. “I guess we better go for the closest and move on at
daybreak. I’ll have Sergeant Ledowski
take point. He’s the best scout around. The two British rangers that are with us are
pretty bad off, and Private Adams needs a Doc soon.”
“Katrin, please let Sergeant Ledowski know
where our campsite is located,” Father Albright said before turning to help the
injured soldiers.
Five minutes later, the ragged group of
soldiers moved out, with their unlikely rescuers along the tree-lined
ridge. Sergeant Ledowski would move out
of sight at times, and then double back to let Captain Logan know that no one
was around to trouble them. Katrin
thought it looked like a boy playing hide-and-seek. But
this is real. She shivered at the unpleasant thought.
The group stopped several times to help
the four wounded soldiers and the two British rangers suffering from malaria,
before reaching the abandoned pig farm.
At least the dilapidated buildings still had a usable house and fresh
water. Father Albright had found a small
unopened can of axel grease, which he used to grease the hand-pump in the
tumble down shed so it wouldn’t squeak, when he and Katrin had first
arrived. “God will protect us,” he had
said, “but sometimes He asks us to help ourselves as well. He is somewhat busy with more urgent matters
than us, at the moment.”
Katrin listened that evening while Captain
Logan and her father discussed their next move.
Will we ever be really safe again?
she thought.
“Captain, I think we need to get these men
in better shape before we try to move any father. We can see the surrounding country-side and
would have ample notice if the Japanese were to come this far. They’ll most likely be interested in securing
the towns and villages before they go exploring these remote areas,’ Father
Albright said.
“I’ll have Sergeant Ledowski post some
guards, Father, and we’ll see how things look tomorrow. I’m anxious to see if your short-wave will
reach any of our forces to evacuate you, your daughter, and our wounded from
Java.”
“I understand. We’ll see what God brings us in the morning.”
“Lieutenant Crammer, have guards posted,
and tell them to keep alert,” Captain Logan ordered the dark eyed young man he
had come to rely upon.
“Yes sir.”
The few able-bodied men rotated the night
duty, carefully listening for any unusual sounds beyond the wind rustling the
trees. Captain Logan stepped onto the sheltered
porch, as a hint of light touched the sky the next morning, to confer with his
trusted sergeant about the approaching day.
“Sergeant, all quiet?”
“Yes sir.
The birds ain’t even makin’ much noise.”
“Good.
Be ready to move out within the hour,” Logan ordered. “I’m not sure the good Father realizes how
dangerous things are.”
“Yes sir; we’ll be ready to move.”
Before the small hand of the clock reached
the approaching hour, the ragged group of survivors vacated the worn buildings
and moved into the jungle, after meticulously erasing any sign of their
presence. Sergeant Ledowski covered the
rear, while Father Albright pointed the way to their last chance for sanctuary.
