In Search of Paradise: Gingtong Luha (Golden Tears)

By S. Alan Ward

In the book In Search of Paradise: Gintong Luha, five gold coins save the lives of Eric “Wake” Palmer and his fiancée, Dr. Kathleen Mercado. This is a story of a couple who fall in love and then, through circumstance, are betrayed by a trusted acquaintance that results in their abduction by pirate-terrorists while on a sailing excursion. What ensues next is a struggle for survival and finding a means of escape from cruel and lethal captors who would not think twice about cutting their heads off and placing them on a bamboo pole if their ransoms are not paid. The story is engrossing and will have readers turning pages to learn of the couple’s fate and what events will prompt the story to continue into book 2 of the In Search of Paradise series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9781633389090

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In Search of Paradise

Gingtong Luha (Golden Tears)

S. Alan Ward

Copyright © 2019 S. Alan Ward

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books, Inc.

Meadville, PA

Published by Fulton Books 2019

ISBN 978-1-63338-908-3 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63338-909-0 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Dedication

Outside of writing reports and studies in my career as a professional engineer, it has been many years since I have written something of nontechnical consequence that brings both meaning to my life as well as the potential to do the same for others. I have my lovely wife, Jovy, and our two amazing children, Antonette (Toni) and David, to thank for igniting the passion to write an inspirational novel series. What is interesting is that fictional writing was an important part of my life in my youth, and the development of the In Search of Paradise series has reawakened the desire to tell a story forty years later! I guess God’s plan for me included the concept of all in good time! As such, my choice of topic was an easy selection, given my own trials and tribulations during my personal journey to find and know the Lord. While each book in the series builds upon a fictional story, readers may be surprised to learn that many of the character elements, events, and lessons learned are reflections of my own life. Accordingly, I am pleased to dedicate my first novel to my wife and children, but the glory and amazing message of each story in the In Search of Paradise series belongs to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Like many of you, I am just a servant of the Lord… May peace be with you!

1

Bearer of the Sword

Several gunmen screamed, Dapa! Dapa! Dumapa kayo! Papatayin kita! as they stormed onto the deck of the Paradise Diver’s boat.

Kat yelled out to Wake, Lie down on your stomach! Do it quickly, or they will kill us! She said this while starting to cry.

Tumahimik ka! Tumahimik ka! a gunman screamed while pointing an automatic weapon at them.

He is telling us to be quiet. Don’t move or say a word, Wake! Kat pleaded with him. A gunman grabbed Kat by her throat and then swiftly kicked her in the stomach and yelled, Tumahimik ka! While doubled over in pain, she looked sharply at Wake and subtly shook her head, not wanting him to say anything or move. The same gunman still standing before her grabbed a mass of Kat’s long hair and then pulled her up from the boat deck. With his other hand, he grabbed the front of her tank top and ripped it open, exposing her undergarments, of which he swiftly turned her around and pushed her onto the deck while undoing the belt on his pants. Huwag! Wala na tayong oras! (Stop! We don’t have time!) Kat heard another man yell to the gunman. Kat was let go and remained lying on the boat deck. She and Wake remained silent and absolutely still, but they could still hear the men speak in Tagalog, of which she heard them say, Move quickly as it is daylight and we do not want to be seen!

A man wearing camo and a black ski mask came up to Wake and put the barrel of his weapon against the back of his head. Another man dressed totally in black walked up to Kat with duct tape and started to secure her hands behind her back, and then he taped the ankles of her feet together as well. All of a sudden, it went dark for Wake as someone put a black sackcloth of some sort over his head. They grabbed his hands and placed them behind his back, of which his wrists were duct-taped together, followed by his ankles, just as they did with Kat a few seconds ago.

As Wake couldn’t see anymore, he yelled out in desperation, Kat! He was instantly punished with an immediate blow to the upper corner of his right eye with the rifle butt of one of the gunmen. The pain was intense, and he could feel his own blood run down his face and into his mouth. Wake was close to blacking out as the blow was severe and clouded his mind. He was not even aware of being kicked in the stomach after the blow to his head. All he heard were bits and pieces of words from a man yelling, Tumahimik ka! Papatayin kita! (Shut up! I will kill you!) and a ringing in his head.

After a few minutes, and still reeling from the impact of the rifle butt, Wake could half-sense men around him. He felt their sweaty hands grab him as they picked him up and carried him a short way to what he assumed was the edge of their dive boat, where he was now being lowered down to what felt like a rubber boat. It was not long after that when he heard the outboard motor start up and felt movement. Based on the ride he was experiencing while lying curled up in the rubber boat, he knew they were moving rapidly as his body was unstable and bobbing up and down from jetting over the sea waves. He did not even know if Kat was with him, which prompted great concern.

Unfortunately, it was this way for what might have been for an hour, which was when the rubber boat finally started to slow down. Its motor almost went to idle, and he could hear the voices of men again from both his position and from somewhere close by. When the talking stopped, Wake was picked up and moved again. While he could not see, he could hear the sea splashing up against something solid. Wake was guessing that he was being transferred to another boat and, based on the time he was carried and the sound of the engines, it must be a much larger vessel, perhaps a cargo ship? At some point, those that were carrying him just stopped and basically threw him on what he assumed to be the ship’s surface deck.

A few minutes later, he felt another person thrown against his body along with a slight gasp of a woman’s voice as she landed hard against him. Wake immediately recognized this to be Kat! He quickly rolled himself around and tapped his fingers up against her body. He received a quick tap back. He confirmed it was her, which caused his heart to race with great relief in that they were still together! Paghiwalayin mo sila! (Separate them!) a man yelled out. Immediately, Wake was picked up and moved, followed by two harsh kicks to his back.

Wake remained motionless at that spot for what seemed to be a couple of hours, after which someone walked up to him and picked him up by his bound feet. They dragged him through a ship’s passageway, as he could feel his body hitting the steel bulkhead hatch openings at regular intervals along their traverse, until the individual stopped and he could hear him open an interior hatch door. Wake was then thrust through the hatch opening, followed by being kicked several times, which prompted his body to roll across the floor like a rolled-up carpet. As he stopped moving, Wake could hear the man walk away and close the hatch.

When he thought the man that had dragged him was completely gone, he listened intently for the sound of anyone else in the room. To his disappointment, other than the sound of the ship’s boiler room below him, it was deathly silent. He knew he was by himself, and the thought of Kat came back into his head again. Where is she? he thought. Is she still on this boat as well? Is she okay? Wake wanted to be with her to help comfort her as he knew she must be terrified, just as he himself was. He wished he could talk with her to reassure her that things would be all right, even though he knew, in reality, the situation might be detrimental for them.

Wake remained bound and alone in this space for several hours, maybe even close to a day, maybe more. The ship’s deck was extremely uncomfortable to lie on for so many hours, and the sweltering heat was deepening his thirst for water. Not being able to see, he could not tell if it was night or day, but he knew that the ship was moving by the vibration of the floor and the slight rocking his body was making across the decking. The cut on the corner of his eye felt bad. While he could not touch it, he knew it was quite swollen as it was still radiating a great deal of pain. To add to his burdens, his bladder was about ready to burst. He had to urinate badly. He was wondering if someone would allow him to get some fresh air or use the head? Probably not, he thought to himself. These were some sadistic bastards, and they could probably care less if he had to piss.

When Wake couldn’t hold it any longer, he relieved himself while lying on the floor. It is not pleasant to be in the dark, with unbearable heat, and lying in your own piss, he thought. But with his bladder relieved, he did feel better and decided to close his eyes and try to think through the situation they were in. It had all happened so fast and was completely unexpected. Based on the events that had taken place at that point, he was sure the solution to get free from these people would not be an easy opportunity or be forthcoming. At this point, things were not looking good, particularly when there was no apparent explanation of cause for their capture. As such, it was very disturbing to try to rationalize what had happened to them. These men are willing to kill us if the order came down to do it, he thought. But who are they, and why do they want us? They were all perplexing questions, but with his train of thought, it didn’t take long for exhaustion to take hold of him and his body to succumb to sleep.

The boat has stopped! Wake said to himself as his eyes opened. The floor was not vibrating, and he could hear some faint movement outside as well as talking. He was very hungry, and his body was stiff and in pain from the gunman’s blows as well as lying on a hard floor. He had no idea on how long he had been in the room. Perhaps one and a half to two days? he thought. Maybe longer as it’s hard to tell without having an account of night and day hours. Probably doesn’t matter, he surmised, as with another week in this sweatbox without food and water, I will be dead for sure!

His mind wandered to thoughts of Kat again and how she was doing. He felt bad and powerless over their situation. This is some predicament we’re in, he said to himself. It’s a hell of a way to die, and I don’t even know why we’re here! He had to urinate again and did, as it did not matter to him anymore. As he relieved himself, he closed his eyes and tried to put his mind somewhere else to provide comfort.

To Wake’s surprise, the hatch to his space opened again. He could hear two men talk, but it was not Tagalog. The language sounded Vietnamese. One man walked near him, and then Wake was greatly surprised to have water thrown on him. A second and third round of water was thrown at him as well. It felt good and cooled his skin immediately. He even tried to drink the drippings that were coming through his head covering by having his tongue explore for seeping water making its way through the cloth. But his throat was burning, and his thirst would not be easily quenched. The little bit of water he got through his head covering only increased his desperation, and thoughts of anger raced in his head. I need some water! he was tempted to yell out. Why won’t they give me some water? he thought to himself with sudden depression. But the answer to that question would not come at that moment as the two men suddenly picked him up and started to walk somewhere down the ship’s passageway.

Wherever we are going, it is outside, Wake said to himself as he felt the sun on his skin. It was hot. He could also hear waves hit the side of the ship and a large vehicle’s engine running nearby, which he thought to be a truck. Then it dawned on him, and he knew they were docked at a pier! Wake could feel himself being carried at an angle, which made him think the men were walking down a gangplank, particularly when they leveled out after a few minutes and the sound of the surface under the men’s footwear changed tone. Those that were carrying him actually walked a pretty good distance and then suddenly stopped. He heard and recognized that a tailgate was being dropped. And accordingly, the men lifted him up and tossed him into the back end of what Wake now knew to be a truck. Perhaps it was the truck of whose engine I had heard earlier? Wake thought. The tailgate door was closed, and he relaxed for a bit.

While in the back of the truck, Wake somewhat meditated to clear his mind and remove the thirst and hunger from dominating his constant thoughts. At the same time, he sensed that he was not alone. At the very least, he could feel objects next to him but did not know what they were or whether people were associated with them. Wake thought, Perhaps it is Kat and she just doesn’t want to talk in fear of being punished? Wake did not know, but after taking a rifle butt to the head, he would have to be cautious in his effort to find out.

At this point, however, all he wanted to do was sleep. He was so tired and physically exhausted. He longed for this transport to wherever they were going to just simply end. And as the vehicle started to move, Wake began to drift off again. He thought, If I could just sleep for a few minutes, I would feel better.

The brakes screeched as the truck came to an abrupt halt, which woke Wake up. He must have fallen asleep as he had no idea on how long they had been traveling. The sound of the tailgate dropping again instantly turned his head in the direction of the noise though. He felt hands grabbing him as he was dragged across the truck bed and then allowed to drop to the ground when he went past the back of the truck. Someone then picked up his bound feet and dragged him across the ground. He could feel twigs, grass, and sand brush up against his back. Then suddenly, his legs were dropped, and he stopped moving. It was quiet again.

Wake lay still, trying to hear if Kat had been dragged out of the truck as well. He could not hear or sense anything, which disappointed him. He was about to risk calling her name out when someone walked up to him and pulled off his hood. Instantly, the sun was bright and hurting his eyes. In fact, he deliberately kept his eyes closed tight as he still did not have use of his hands to help block the intensity of the light that was on him. With Wake still wondering where he was, a man spoke to him in English with a deep voice and a slight British accent and said, Mr. Palmer, do you know what has happened to you? Wake tried very hard to open his eyes so that he could see who was addressing him, but the light was just too bright for him. I’m sorry, sir, I am having trouble seeing right now. I mean no disrespect in not responding to you, he said slowly and with a shaky voice.

Your eyes will adjust to the sunlight in a few minutes, the man replied. My name is Sayyid Abubakard Abirin. I am the leader of the Abu Sayyaf that is in jihad with the Republic of the Philippines, and you are my prisoner!

As Wake’s eyes started to adjust to the light, he saw before him a bearded Asian man, perhaps in his late thirties, wearing camo pants, military-style boots, and a black T-shirt with matching bandanna plus a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses. He was also wearing a shoulder holster with what looked to be a 9 mm pistol. Wake pleaded with his captor. Sir, my fiancée and I were just returning from a short vacation in Palawan. We are nobody of consequence, for I am recently retired and was looking to live a quiet life here in the Philippines.

Sayyid laughed a bit and informed him, Mr. Palmer, I am well aware that you are a retired US Government federal employee and had cash-purchased a sailboat for a great deal of money in Puerto Galera, Mindoro. You were in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, to have this same boat get refurbished, which is also going to cost you a great deal of money. Your fiancée, who, by the way, is sitting behind you, is a physician and working as a hospitalist in Puerto Galera. Wake immediately turned around and saw Kat sitting below a tree with her hands bound to the front with a ziplock tie. To her left was Lily Tan, who also had her hands bound to the front with a ziplock tie, and to her right was a man Wake did not know, perhaps in his early sixties, and who was lying on the ground on his side with both his hands and feet bound.

Yes, Dr. Mercado and Ms. Tan are both alive and well, Mr. Palmer, and will remain that way unless you do not cooperate with me, Sayyid said firmly. I will introduce Thompson to you in a minute. In the meantime, I want you to know that I am holding all of you for ransom as my men need food and supplies. Ms. Tan’s family is well-known in these parts to come from Chinese money that originated in Singapore. She has assets and a successful business. And I understand that Dr. Mercado graduated from medical school at the University of the Philippines. Thus, I am sure that both of their parents will gladly petition the Philippine government on their behalf to meet my demands. Thompson is a Canadian, Mr. Palmer. I am actually not expecting any ransom money to be paid on his behalf from his government, as they have notoriously been steadfast in not paying. I made the decision to take him as my prisoner anyways as he has been quite successful in proselytizing Christianity in my islands. As such, he is a dog and will be treated as such. As for you, Mr. Palmer, I am confident that you have additional funds that you can share with our cause both here in the Philippines and back in the United States. Surely someone will miss you back home and petition the US Government on your behalf. And by the way, whether you know it or not, your government has been interfering with Philippine politics for years, and they have quietly paid ransoms in the past as well and will likely do so again for you. To motivate them, I am sure that you can share with me some interesting details from your previous job to spark their desire to pay! As for now though, I am smelling something offensive about you, which I believe was caused by you pissing in your shorts during your transport. As such, I will allow Dr. Mercado and Ms. Tan to help clean you up so that this smell no longer offends me. Two of my men will escort you to a stream that is just a few hundred meters away from here. Take the opportunity to collect yourself, Mr. Palmer. But be warned, if any one of you try to escape, you will all be killed!

Sayyid instructed his men to cut the tape from Wake’s hands and his ankles, and as Wake’s arms were freed from behind his back, he continued in his discussion with him saying, Before you go, I will start to collect some money from you now. Assuming that I am correct on its value, the necklace you are wearing will probably feed my men for a month. Take it off now and give it to me! Wake just sat there, not saying anything in response. He did not want to give him his necklace as it was precious to him. It had high personal value because it was a gift from his late wife, Rhonda.

In celebration of their fourteenth wedding anniversary, and as Wake was an avid diver and Floridian, she had invested in a small piece of Mel Fisher’s Nuestra Señora de Atocha treasure, which was found as wreckage near the Florida Keys. Rhonda Palmer spent $1,000 on the purchase of a single 1622 Spanish twenty-two-karat solid-gold two-escudos coin that was found among the wreckage and had it mounted in a gold bezel with a twenty-inch gold chain. Six years later, she added a second pendant, which was a customized twenty-two-karat gold Moorish idol tropical fish, designed by a jeweler with an embedded diamond fish eye and black onyx striping. It was a beautiful piece of jewelry and was meant to mount just above the top of the Atocha coin bezel, as if the fish was swimming over the treasure coin. The jeweled Moorish idol commemorated their twentieth wedding anniversary, which was spent in Hawaii that year, just prior to her diagnosis with breast cancer. To this day, the necklace was considered irreplaceable by Wake and remained his most cherished possession; thus, again, he did not want to give it to his captor.

Without any visible sign of acknowledgment of his order, Sayyid, while obviously irritated with his prisoner, still remained rational with him. He looked at Wake sternly and said, If I have to repeat myself again, Mr. Palmer, you will lose your head, and I will collect the necklace in that fashion. Do not make this mistake again. If I tell you to do something, you will do it immediately, or I will kill you! Wake quickly took off his necklace and handed it to a gunman next to him who grabbed it from his hand and then kicked him very hard in the stomach with the side of his foot before handing it to Sayyid. If you want me to treat you like a dog Mr. Palmer, I can do that, Sayyid coldly said. I can make you suffer to the point that you will beg me to kill you. Do you understand me?

Yes, I understand you, sir, Wake said while doubled over on the ground. I apologize for my delay in following your instructions. Sayyid walked away from his men and the prisoners with the necklace dangling in his hand. He turned his head toward them after a few steps and, in Tagalog, instructed his men to cut the zip ties from the wrists of the two women and take the three of them down to the stream so they could clean Wake up.

Wake could barely walk down to the stream due to the physical punishment he had taken from his captors. He was incredibly thirsty as well and leaned heavily on Kat with his left arm while Lily propped him up under his right arm. When they arrived at the stream, Kat had him sit down by the water’s edge. She had a half-full bottle of water in her back pocket, which she opened and gave to him to drink from. She then immediately started to strip him of his clothes and then handed them to Lily as she was taking things off. We need to wash all these items as best we can, she said to Lily. What we have on is it, so we need to keep these clothes clean and dry. Take off your underwear and give it to Lily too! Wake looked at her as if he did not want to do that, at least in front of Lily, anyways.

Kat, sensing his apprehensiveness, scolded him and said, Wake, we don’t have time for this nonsense. We have both seen the body parts of men before. Give her your underwear! With a bit of shyness, Wake did as she asked, and Lily stepped into the stream to wash his clothes. When they were abducted on the dive boat, he was only wearing a pair of shorts, a T-shirt, and flip-flops. Kat was right to be concerned. In this environment, it wouldn’t take much to disintegrate these clothes they were in.

With his garments removed and being washed in the stream by Lily, Kat helped Wake up and brought him into the water and started to wash him with her hands. They did not have any soap, so she asked Lily to toss her his shirt so she could use it as a washcloth. Kat rinsed it out several times in the water and then used it to clean the dried blood off his face and neck and then