Book One: The Bastion of Christ
~Inside the unfinished Catedral de la Almudena. Past Midnight. July 12, 1936.
Father Domingo Arturo Santiago sat at the helm of the roofless cathedral and looked at the dark skies above his head, construction in Madrid had halted and the streets have been lined with mobs and the Spanish Army has been deployed into the streets of Madrid and the government was under complete military protection from the rioters inside the capital of Spain itself.
"Carlos Ruiz," says a suprised Father to the young boy, "What brings you out here at such a time of night. And how does your wife do with your six-month old infant?"
"Muy bien."
The Father laughs, "Now perhaps one day the people of our nation will put a roof over my head."
"Perhaps not."
"What do you mean?"
"Take a look, the streets of Madrid are in chaos. We're leaving this god-forshaken city in the next week. Can't you see it? Civil War is approaching our beloved country, and God will not side with anyone besides the poor and the wounded. The Carlists have raised a militia in the north of Spain and the Facsists are preparing a army with the support of Hitler and Mussolini. What does that leave us with? Nothing but a standing army, a poor standing army who's allegiance will likely change when the war begins."
"And when can we expect the war?"
"Father, I hoped you could tell me. Perhaps a few weeks, months, or in the next few days? I really have no idea."
Outside the mobs grew in force and began to march pass the cathedral shouting and chanting as they approached a Rebulican Fortifaction on the streets with the soldiers shouting at the people to disperse. A Rebulican Officer rode out on horseback with his right arm up and aimed his pistol at the crowd and shouted, the crowd erupted in screams and hysteria. Father Santiago and Carlos Ruiz rushed outside after the seemingly streaking sound of thunder was heard. The crowd was silent and in disbelief. A man held a dying Spanaird in his hands and looked back at the Rebulican soldiers.
The crowd grew into a fury and they armed themselves, the leaders rushed in front and the crowd of over 500 rushed the Rebulican lines. Father Santiago and Carlos were separated in the confusion and chaos. The Rebulican officer on horseback fled back to his safety and ordered his soldiers, 10 to 12 strong to unleash a hail of bullets against the crowds.
"Fuego!" shouted the officer on horseback and the soldiers began to fire upon the crowd who began to panic in the onslaught. Few armed with any weapons, those who didn't attempted to flee and those who did stood to fight the tyranny of the Rebulican Government. The streets turned red with blood, the puddles filled and the screams of hundreds and gunshots of a few could be heard across the once glorious city of Madrid.
Juan was being knocked around by the fleeing people. From the dark corners of an alley-way an inconspicious man looked at the carnage from a distance and Juan moved in panic towards the alleys. He rested upon the ledge and looked at the streets of dying and dead and the Rebulican soldiers looked and silenced their weapons as the crowd totally dispersed. The man placed his arm on Juans' shoulder and he smiled.
"Remember me," said Lt. Valliez.
"Valliez."
"Juan, I have a warant for your arrest."
"Not again, I'm a free man."
"Not if I have anything to say with it," Lt. Valliez pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Juan and pulled the trigger, jammed.
In the confusion of the Spanish lieutentant Juan managed to flee from Valliez who he had just knocked out with a devestating punch to the mouth. Juan now calmly walked to his home when the policía moved in on the streets. The days of the old Spanish Empire were long gone, now the days of the Spanish Rebulic were numbered as well. Juan looked at the fearsome Spanish Mounted Policía and rushed into another alley and looked at the time on his watch, '3:07.'
Juan entered his home some time later and began to sit on his couch where he began to cry and that soon placed him to rest. The newspapers seemed to cover the incident last night with such speed and dubbed it the "Massacre at Almudena" in which 37 civilians were killed and 46 were injured; 2 Rebulican soldiers were injured and 5 police officers were injured. This was one of the final straws in the streets of Madrid. With Spanish forces being deployed north to deal with the Carlist Militia formations and the rest being deployed to major cities like Madrid, civil war seemed all but inevitable at this time of July 1936. And how will the Spanish populace take to the carnage and wickedness of civil war? For none can take minor skirmishing in the streets of the once glorious capital of Spain, think not their thoughts when the war erupts.
Some of the Peoples' Militia pose for a photo in Madrid, these men are the first "Nationalists" to wage a battle against the Republican Government.
