Mr. & Mrs. Riveria

By Liberty Dendron

Mr. & Mrs. Riveria is a dramatic, hair-raising adventure, alive with extraordinary people only Liberty Dendron can weave into the strange and exotic world of Virginia and the Caribbean.
Set in Hampton Roads Virginia just after the retreat from Saigon, this exciting spy story tells of two Americans fleeing for their lives into the wild, high country of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Thirty days after Justin Riveria married Catalina Walker, he was drafted and left her for the war. A sudden assignment of the CIA in the summer of 61 sent him off to write war stories and, before Catalina could join him, there he vanished. Justin disappeared completely, with last reports indicating that he had turned collaborationist. Soon after the war was over, Catalina moved to Hampton, Virginia, where she eventually found an unfamiliar and much changed Justin. Shabby, harassed, and strangely uncommunicative about his past, he seemed to be in trouble.
Filled with striking bits of local color, this tingling escape story depicts the turmoil and tension of a post-war American spy facing the trials of the Cold War.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mamba Books & Publishing
• Release date: May 3, 2019

Liberty Dendron

Lafayette A. Johnson Jr., Ph.D. in Creative Writing, Literature, and English I’m Liberty Dendron

Book preview

Mr. & Mrs. Riveria

By Liberty Dendron

Mamba Books & Publishing

ISBN,13: 978,1,948407,73,1 

Book-14351-illustration-450X270 Px

Chapter 1     A Good Man

On the wall in central operation room there was a huge monitor, and on it a very large map.  As the planes reported Approaching enemy target, General Barmer placed little planes on the map. When all twelve planes had reported, there were twelve planes marked Louse, in Southeast Asia.

As soon as our pilots drop their bombs and start home, we'll hear from them, General Barmer said. Right now they're too busy to talk to us. They’re making their run for their targets, and they’re trying to duck enemy fire.

Is anti,aircraft fire always this heavy over Louse? Senator Plummer of the Senate United States Intelligence Agency asked.

I was over there a few days ago, General Barmer said solemnly, and I promise you, the anti,aircraft fire was so heavy you could cut it with a knife.

I can imagine what it's like over Louse with a hundreds long bright streaks of light reaching into the sky, trying to kill Captain Riveria and the others.  I can imagine thousands of bright, angry flashes, exploding all around them.

The radio started sputtering.

Squadron Leader Lundy reporting.  Okay, roger and out.

Other pilots reported in, just using their names and the words, Okay, roger and out. One by one they reported, eleven of them; and then there was silence.

What about Riveria? General Barmer asked Lundy. We haven’t heard from him yet.

No, we haven‘t, he said softly. General Barmer moved eleven of the planes away from where Louse was marked on the map, and pointed them in the direction of South Vietnam. He left one airplane, representing Captain Reveira at Louse.

Try to contact Captain Riveria. General Barmer said to the radio operator.

Clipper calling Riveria. Clipper calling Riveria. The radio operator repeated it over and over. Clipper was the code name for that particular airfield, and the operator kept calling for thirty minutes, but there was no answer.

It was around 3:45 a.m. when General Barmer moved the eleven planes close to the South Vietnam coast on the map, there was still no word from Riveria.  One by one the other eleven pilots checked in. Their voices sounded cheerful as they flowed through the radio. No one in Central Controls mentioned Riveria now, but everyone was thinking of him.

Let's go outside, General Barmer said softly.

They walked out of the building, it was 6:03 a.m. and dawn was slowly chasing night away. Then sun appeared over the horizon, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Justin and I have been friends for a long time, General Barmer said. He's the baby you know.  Fifteen years younger than his brother Eric, I was Eric's best friend. Eric and I grew up together, we went to high school together, and played football at Princeton together. We had just completed our senior year when the Korean War was started, and we joined the air force together.

Perhaps he and his crew bailed out, said Senator Plummer hopefully.

General Barmer shrugged his shoulder, and quickly lifted his head.  Faintly they could hear the sound of motors. And then in a few seconds the faint sound became a roar as the first bird came into view. It circled the field once and landed, and glided to an assigned spot and a jeep hurried over to pick up the crew. Other planes arrived. The birds were coming home to roost, but not Justin Riveria. The jeeps carried the crews straight to Central Controls where they reported everything that had happened. It was full daylight now, and the sun was warm. Eleven planes had landed and all eleven crews had gone into the building called Central Controls. General Barmer looked worried. Don't give up hope, he said softly. We never do. Then they heard the sound of an engine, but it was so faint and faraway that it might have been a truck engine. It didn't sound very smooth. The engine backfired several times, but the sound didn’t grow louder.

General Barmer grabbed Senator Plummer's arm pointing west shouting, Look. In the distance they could see an airplane heading towards the air station. As it got closer, the engines still sputtering, it looked lopsided and General Barmer noticed that one of its wings was shorter than the other.  General Barmer shouted a couple of quick orders.  A fire truck and ambulance rushed out onto the runway and parked. That's Riveria, General Barmer said grimly, and he’s in trouble; half of his left wing was gone." The plane circled the base once, then, circled it again.

His radio must have been damaged, General Barmer said, and his landing gear must have jammed. He circling let us know, he’s in trouble, and have the fire trucks and ambulances ready. He should have had his wheels down by now. Come on, let's get out there. General Barmer hopped into a jeep and Senator Plummer climbed in beside him. All the other pilots and their crews rushed out of the Central Controls building and were silently looking up at the damaged bird. You just knew a lot of them were praying that Justin would be able to make a safe landing. They went down to the edge of the runway. The ambulance was on one side of it and fire trucks on the other. The plane stopped circling, straightened out and headed for the runway. Gradually it lost altitude. General Barmer was thinking aloud: That's right, Justin. Ease her in. Careful, my boy, you’ve got no wheels. Land her lightly on her belly, Justin. Easy does it, easy, lift her nose, that’s it. Now, Justin, now.

It was as though Captain Riveria had heard him. Just as General Barmer said, Now, Justin, now, the plane touched the runway. There was a screeching noise as the belly of the plane slithered along the concrete runway.  The fire trucks raced along one side of it, and the ambulance on the other. Then the huge bird swerved to the right, leaned over on its right side and came to a stopped. Great job, General Barmer said softly. That's the best damn landing I’ve ever seen. The fire truck was right beside it now, but there was no need for it. A ladder was raised to the cockpit, and they saw the grinning face of Captain Justin Riveria. He climbed out and quickly came down the ladder followed by the members of his crew. Sorry to be so late, Sir, Justin Riveria said, grinning, the VC's hell us up a little.

Chapter 2  The Interview

Three years later. In the early morning dark shadows appeared near the coast of the Chesapeake Bay. A pod of young killer whales drifted in to rest, and the huge glossy black and white bodies of the marvelous creatures, weighing as much as six, thousand pounds rolled effortlessly with giant waves as they searched for food. This peaceful scene was suddenly shattered by the sound of a message being transmitted by radio. Its sound waves bounced off the houses on nearby Tangier Island like sunbeams merged with the ocean. Suddenly, a burst of spray shot high into the air above the tall dorsal fins of the gentle giants, and they were gone...The ship to shore radio buzzed. The woman said General Barmer of Langley Air Force Intelligence would like to speak to Professor Catalina Riveira. She yawned, than exhaled, and said Catalina speaking. While she waited for General Barmer, she put on her sunglasses and turned on her tape recorder to take notes. Even with her tinted sunglasses she didn’t look like a professor, with a Ph.D. in rare antiques, nor like the assistant director of Norfolk State University, Antique Department Of Fine Arts. It was Probably it was because she was an excellent runner and had the slim body and beautiful face that seemed to help powerful women get their pictures in newspapers more often than women who are ordinary looking.

General Barmer of Langley Air Force Intelligence spoke, his overpowering voice bellowed, one of our agents in the Caribbean has received a cable from our Florida office that Professor Catalina Riveria will be going to St. Thomas to assist Professor Robinson in packing and shipping his antiques, and documents.

Who told you I was going away.

It’s not important.

She said, I don’t like talking to reporters, General Barmer.

General Barmer said if you refuse to be interviewed it might focus even more attention on your trip and Professor Robinson’s rare articles and documents. People will think you’re hiding something. I'd like to see you at eleven o'clock this morning, at Langley?

I'll be there, she said with a sigh. She glanced at her watch. It was now 7.15 a.m. Again she exhaled. Again she yawned. There's something else, said General Barmer’s voice into the wires. About your husband, little lady.

Have you seen Justin, please? she asked excitedly. 

"If anyone asked you anything about him, say very little.

At eleven twenty Catalina handed her business card to the guard at the front gate of Langley Air Force Base? The guard looked at the card: Professor. Catalina Riveria Norfolk State University, Norfolk Virginia, and said, This way, please.  General Barmer is expecting you. She followed the guard into another building upstairs to General Barmer’s office. She knew nothing about General Barmer or his function at Langley.  On his door the sign said, AIRFORCE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES. Before she left Norfolk State University for a year’s leave of absence the director of foreign affairs had given her General Barmer's name as the man at Langley who would purchase her ticket to St. Thomas, where Professor Robinson and his collection were waiting. General Horace Barmer was a hefty thick punchy man, in his middle fifties. He had a huge face, silky white hair and piercing gray eyes. He escorted her downstairs to a large room where newspaper correspondents and cameramen were waiting.

The photographers weren’t there to take pictures of a professor from a small university in Virginia. They were there to cover Senator Piece’s return from Zambia at noon. General Barmer introduced Catalina. The newspaper man’s name was John Scott. He had a balding head; he’d covered many invasions; and Channel 10 in Norfolk Virginia had asked for eight hundred words on the Robinson collection and a thousand more, if he could get them, about her husband.

When she entered, John Scott recognized her and ordered his cameraman to start shooting. Even with her thick black framed shaded, glasses, and the beauty of her smooth brown face, her curly black hair, and her shapely body underneath her silky pant suit, the flashing lights of the cameras made her look even more enchanting.

He asked, Why wasn’t I told, aren’t you Catalina Walker, from Florida State University? How about standing by that large plant a minute? His cameraman focused his camera. The shades. he said. Take off the shades.

Catalina replied, Why. I can't see well without them?

Work with me, said the photographer to Catalina, Take them off?

She took off her shades and waited and the photographer said politely, Thank you, when he was finished, she replace her glasses and started answering questions from other reporters with short snappy statements, Something’s wrong, for some reason I’m cold, She said. It’s the weather, said John. This fall has been extremely cold and damp, Professor Riveria. He smiled.

It was easy to talk to him. He didn't overpower her. He spoke politely and direct. He didn't challenge her, as had some of those reporters from the Miami Tribune newspapers had done a few years ago; they’d rushed out photos from captured Viet Cong photographers of the execution of American secret agents, requesting her to identify her husband, who was there, standing proudly, smiling and collaborating with Viet Cong officers.

John only asked her questions about Norfolk State University and why they were so interested in Prof. Robinson’s documents. She told him, the Antiquity Department was established in 1945 by a one million dollar donation in the will of Dr. Brooks, who owned several apartment building in Hampton Roads. She didn’t think it was necessary to say that the foundation had been afraid of white extremist and wanted to set up a place after he was dead where somebody could be trusted to gather inflammatory written document that was responsible for social disturbance and then try to develop a means of preventing the future production of such destructive items. The university is always working on that phase; it was still collecting documents and information. That’s why his will is being over seen by the United States government.

"When the United States entered the Korean War, Professor Gerald Robinson  requested a leave of absence. He wanted to return to his own country and offer his services. The university gave him sixty thousand dollars for his personal collection of war documents on early European domination throughout the world. In South Africa Professor Robinson accepted a position at the University Of South Africa. He was a black man passing as a white scientist for many years. Moving silently through the halls of power. Working with Mandela, helping his people. When Mandela was arrested and put in prison Professor Robinson disappeared for a long time. No one at Norfolk State University heard from him again until after the war in Vietnam was over? He sent my father a telegram stating that his life was in danger. A member of the Apathy government had found out that he was black. With the help of his many friends he was able to escape from South Africa. 

He moved to North Africa and rented a house in a small fishing village not far from Aqaba, a little town in the desert of the Middle East. Aqaba was becoming a major entry point for supplies. Its loading docks were always full of rare antiques from all parts of Africa and Middle Eastern countries. Professor Robinson wrote a letter to the University many years later stating: Aqaba has beautiful blue rivers, with golden dry sandy riverbeds and mountains of limestone. And its desert highways start in Saudi Arabia and skirt the Al Jafar Basin heading to Amman. While in Aqaba, Professor Robinson collected and tested every item he bought. For many years, he continued collecting. Now he has thousands of classified documents, hidden in boxes many of them stolen from African and Middle Eastern Governments. He collected everything he could buy or steal, including propaganda documents issued by Asian governments, their orders, posters, newspapers, leaflet, secret letters, pictures, and reels of old war film sold at auction. Catalina said, Professor Robinson is old and in poor health. His documents have to be recorded, packed, and shipped. The university is anxious to help him.  Professor Robinson wrote he couldn’t have any of the articles ready for shipping until next year without help. That's why I'm going to St. Thomas next week, to help expedite the work.  I don't have anything else to tell you. The cameraman rushed to the door. Let's get going, John. We can't afford to Miss Senator Pierce arrival."

Senator Pierce? repeated Catalina. Is he here?

He’ll be arriving any minute. Come on, John.

Wait a minute, said John. Mrs. Riveria, what you’ve told me is of little interest to me, but very informative, at the least.

Thank you. But I need to know more."

I don’t understand. whispered Catalina.

In this business I hear rumors Mrs. Riveria. Before we pulled out of Vietnam three years ago, we were warned by our Intelligence that the VC’s were going to sacrifice thousands of their soldiers to trap us and hundreds of them killed themselves to let the world know they would never surrender, while the intelligent agents went underground and waited for the climate to change before continuing the fight. Did you know that? Everything has happened, so far according to plan except Wong Chow Le and a few others vanished? Le is a good friend of your husband? I was told Le was going to give himself up and claim he’d broken with the VC’s. I’m not sure, Mrs. Riveria. But what I know, is the Viet Cong underground has planted strong roots in this country. What I’d like to ask you is this, your fathers friend Professor Robinson has collected, for example, any of the Viet Cong classified documents and schedules of undercover operations, has he?  The Arabs learned from the Viet Cong underground by financing them. I wonder why somebody in Washington is so interested in having you go to St. Thomas, to work on top classified documents and send them to Langley in a hurry so they could see what the VC’s have taught the Arabs in order to apply counter actions before those oil rich Nigger’s attack us and dig too far underground."

Catalina hesitated, pulling thoughtfully at her curly black