The Seven Locks of Samson

By Derrick Parker

The Seven Locks of Samson

A city's shattered peace serves as a rallying cry. In the land of Jabesh, an army looms near, carrying the blood of the inhabitants of conquered lands on their blades. King Dagon sets his sights on Jabesh and every tribe on its land. An ancient

• Language: English
• Publisher: Derrick Parker
• Release date: May 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781008964785

Derrick Parker

A twenty year veteran of the NYPD, Derrick Parker headed the first special units force dedicated to the investigation of hip-hop related crime. Now off the force, Parker serves as media's rap-related crime expert, appearing in Rolling Stone, New York Magazine, Blender, Vibe, The New York Times, Newsday and dozens of other magazines and newspapers as well as shows on MTV, Fox, VH1, Unsolved Mysteries and Court TV.

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The Seven Locks Of Samson

Copyright © 2021 by Derrick Parker

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 978-0-578-91324-7 (Paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-008-96478-5 (eBook)

Thank You Page

First, I would like to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for giving me the wisdom to write this book. I want to send a special thanks to Ronder Scott and her sister Felicia Cooper. Because without them this book would not be possible. I want to thank my mother Ethel Parker, and my sisters Paula, Vikki, and Felicia Parker for their support. And finally, I want to thank Derrick and Tiara Parker, and Chandra Brown for their support.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter One

For King Gilead, king of the city of Jabesh, the matter of ruling was a worrisome task. It was worrisome when the kingdom was at peace, but even more worrisome when war was at its gates. He stood atop of the city walls as he looked at the army that was headed to their city.

King Dagon, the king of Nob had finally made his move, his greed for more land and resources had taken his army to different cities and now it was their turn. He stared intently at the approaching horses as he waited, his eyes watered from the sting of fine sand being blown into them. He wiped his eyes slowly and looked calmly at the army as he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart.

A figure could be seen leading the army, even from afar, this person had a distinctive figure. It was Zattu, King Dagon’s favorite butcher. They had all heard the stories about this large man who seemed built for war and killing; Zattu was taller than any man and stronger too. He often cut his way through the battlefield with reckless abandon, his body would be dyed red with blood as he fought and his eyes would glint with cruelty.

The shine of his armor was often dulled by the layers of blood on it, and this was not restricted to the battlefield, his cruelty even extended to the inhabitants of the cities he conquered. He had no respect for human life and it showed.

A man like that feared nothing because he believed in nothing, the only thing he believed in was his strength and ability to crush anyone he wanted dead. His personality and brute strength pleased and suited King Dagon, he climbed up the ranks quickly and soon began to lead armies on the battlefield.

The sight of this famous killer sent a jolt through everyone watching, as people hurried to leave the city. No one wanted to still be there when the army reached the city walls. King Gilead refused the suggestion of his trusted advisors when they asked him to leave the city too. As a king, it was his responsibility to stay back to lead the army and protect the city. A flash of determination shone in his eyes, giving up was not an option.

How are the preparations? Do we have enough provisions to help us get by if there’s a siege? King Gilead reluctantly took his eyes off the cloud of dust in the distance to ask the nearest advisor. As the man clutched his scroll and confirmed the figures with his subordinates, King Gilead felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him; he tried to jolt the exhaustion out of himself by rubbing his now tired eyes as the voices of his advisors behind him faded into a hazy blur.

The weight that rested on his shoulders seemed heavier as he watched his citizens flee through the underground tunnels with the few belongings they could carry. The plan was for them to flee to the mountains, belongings could be replaced, cities could be rebuilt, but lost lives could not be regained. He sent an armed escort of soldiers with them, if they lost the war, protecting their lives would be the last good deed he could do for them as their king.

What was left of the royal family would be going along with them too, although they were distant relatives at best with no claim to the throne, they would still be treated as choice hostages by King Dagon’s army. He knew the ways of King Dagon and the people who followed him, the cruel acts they inflicted on normal citizens could only be outdone by what they did to their royal hostages, to that tyrant the best hostages to torture and humiliate were the ones with royal blood, no matter how far off the person was in the line of succession. This was why King Gilead’s advisors pleaded with him repeatedly to flee the city with the citizens. However, King Gilead could not honestly do that, the words his tutor often said to him when he was still a prince reverberated through his mind over and over again.

For a king to abandon his country is like a soldier leaving his post. While there is breath in a king’s body, he is to stand tall against the winds for his people. He is to shield his people, not to use them as protection from the enemy.

Those were the words he had always tried to live by, so much so that they weighed heavily on him now. He sighed heavily, his advisors insisted that the country would be no more if he was killed but they stayed silent when he asked them if they would have him be a king without his people.

He walked atop the walls, surveying the weapons placed there, he instructed the people in charge of them to double check them and have their scouts watch the approaching enemy closely. After that, he called a meeting with his generals; he did not want his army to fall apart if an archer managed to land a shot on him.

However, he had not resigned himself to death yet, even as he made plans for the possibility of his passing, he still sent out scouts and held meetings with his advisors, he was searching for a solution that would have him and his people remain safe. As he was wondering if the existence of such a solution was nothing more than a pipe dream, the door to the throne room was flung open as Elon, one of his most trusted advisors ran in, panting as he looked more disheveled than King Gilead had ever seen him looking.

He had sent Elon out a few weeks ago, when he first heard that King Dagon might set his sights on his city, he asked him to help search for a solution to the biggest threat posed by King Dagon’s army; Zattu the giant and the beasts.

He knew that it was a shot in the dark when he sent him out, but his heartbeat quickened as he saw the look on Elon’s face. It seemed like there was a chance for survival, with a nervous smile on his face, King Gilead spoke to his still panting advisor.

What news do you bring? He asked, with a pounding heartbeat and the rekindled flame of hope sputtering back to life in his soul.

On the other side of the battle that had not yet begun, King Dagon’s soldiers were tired and miserable but they did not dare give voice to these feelings. The most they could do was mumble among themselves, as they wondered why they had to keep travelling at a breakneck pace.

Ever since they disembarked from the ships, their king had them set off immediately without any stops for food or water. As the dust kicked up by their horses and the beasts beside them got into their eyes and mouths, their eyes stung and their throats grew increasingly dry, however, they did not receive an order to stop and rest.

However, they kept their backs straight and eyes forward as they pressed on, the punishment for insubordination was not one any of them wanted to shoulder. Their eyes fell on the figure leading them, the giant among men who stood taller than the rest of them; Zattu, to them Zattu was only good as long as they obeyed orders and did their parts.

With his almost unnatural strength, they had seen him tear apart a horse with his bare hands, he was a man who lived for the thrill of war, and for a moment they pitied the soldiers on the other side who would face Zattu. The battle they were about to fight in was one that they did not think