Darksome Love Stories of the Chinese Civil War - Part III: Endgame: Red China vs Blue China 1946 to 1951

By Cal Pflugrath

Book three follows the continuing exploits of three young women and their friends, fighting to reunite China. They struggle against terrible odds and treachery to save themselves and their nation, freeing women and slaves from an ancient mindset. Along the way, they find love and build their lives, while learning what it takes to rule wisely.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781329959835

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Darksome Love Stories of the Chinese Civil War - Part III: Endgame: Red China vs Blue China 1946 to 1951

Darksome

Love Stories of the Chinese Civil War

A Work of Historical Fiction

By Cal Pflugrath

Book Three

Endgame:

Red China vs Blue China

1946 to 1951

Part One:

A Cancer of the Mind

Chapter One

The Final Detail

Colonels Song, Littlebit and Chung, followed soldiers into a barn beside the Chinwo River. Holding noses against the stench her unit’s intelligence captain led their way. Littlebit’s seven thousand soldier brigade had just re-occupied Chinwo City between the Red and Blue lines.

That smell of decay seemed overpowering. Fortunately a stiff breeze blew through the structure. The temperature stood well below freezing in December of 1945.

The naked, rotting bodies swayed in that breeze. They hung by their ankles and wrists. What is this? Colonel Littlebit asked examining the partially severed privates of an unlucky young man.

Both Song’s had become accustomed to the dying and dead. This appeared somehow different. The origins of what happened here possessed strange and sinister overtones. The Lady Ting rarely felt frightened by her time at war. This would be an exception.

Colonel Littlebit asked, How many?

Thirty-three, Ma’am, her intelligence chief answered, sixteen men and seventeen women. All young people slaughtered as you see them.  Some internal organs have been removed. All the victims seemed to be stuffed as though prepared for consumption."

Chung sighed. "I've heard of something like this before. It was in the south. I'll need to do research but may know who and what this is.

Littlebit asked, "Who would do this and why?

Colonel Chung grimaced head shaking. Not who Littlebit, but what.

Amy knew her chances were bad but needed to try. She felt desperate and was fast running out of time. Colonel Yamoto used the name hoping it might be enough.

General Lance Kuirta refused her requests to visit him in prison. His execution four days away the only one he would see was his older brother Dato.

Wounded back during the Tokyo firebombing that killed over ninety thousand civilians he found himself currently confined in a wheelchair.  Dato felt lucky to be alive.

March ninth, ‘Night of the black rain’, as those Japanese survivors referred to it saw three hundred B-29s drop sixteen hundred tons of napalm on Japan’s Imperial capital. A firestorm ensued overwhelming the beleaguered fire response teams. The water lines went dead. Those fire fighters were reduced to bucket teams working from local ponds, lakes, and rivers.

Some few survivors fled the flames. Those who took refuge in water cisterns slowly boiled to death or became overcome by the thick ash and smoke. Over one million people would be left homeless by the attack.

Running with his wife and only remaining daughter Lance’s brother looked on in horror as a brick wall collapsed upon his loved ones. With bloody and burned hands he pulled their badly wounded bodies from the wreckage. Dato carried them over a mile through that blazing Hell like inferno.

At an overwhelmed aide station his wife of twenty years and eleven-year-old daughter died waiting for medical help.

Captain Dato Kuirta stayed at a lovely old temple housing wounded soldiers and sailors. It stood near the prison just outside Tokyo where his only sibling awaited execution.

Amy stared at the temple doors shivering in a pouring rain. It was late January of 1946.

A pretty though frighteningly thin nurse opened the doors and bowed to her. Captain Kuirta will see you, Colonel. He is not well and finding the prospective demise of his brother troubling. Try not to upset him. The name, Cricket garnered his interest. Please speak of that and nothing more.

The nurse led Amy into some small comfortable room overlooking a beautifully sculpted rock garden. Rain swept across a small dark pond at its center.

Lance's older brother lay in bed with a blanket to his neck hiding those horrible burn scars that covered ninety percent of the Captain’s body.  He smiled and nodded. Amy was surprised how much his unburnt face looked like Lance.

Dato had been a bomber pilot assigned to his Majesty's Imperial Naval carrier Kaga at Midway in June of 1942. Unexpected American dive bombers roared down from the clouds.

Three five-hundred-pound bomb hits later mighty Kaga’s huge plane covered flight deck resembled a scene straight out of Hell. Fire suppression crews were quickly overwhelmed and incinerated.

On fire Dato struggled from his plane’s cockpit for the burning deck. He was shortly doomed about to be barbequed alive.

His bomber exploded hurling him over the carrier's side like one of his lost daughter’s rag dolls. Tumbling into those cold north Pacific waters Dato’s dying bomber saved his life.

A half hour later he was pulled from the frigid ocean by an attending light cruiser’s crewmembers. Clutching the escort ship’s railing Captain Kuirta watched that massive smoking Kaga a thousand yards north in her final death throws. She went down by the stern heading for a pitch-dark ocean floor over three miles below.

Kaga took nearly seven hundred sailors and pilots down into the darkness with her. They were the cream of Japan’s naval air crop never to be replaced.

He spent almost a year in the hospital. Dato’s combat days over he would teach prospective pilots fighting a doomed war against impossible odds.

Amy bowed. Thank you for seeing me, Captain Kuirta.

Dato politely returned her bow. Please call me Dato, Colonel. The nurse says you wished to speak with me concerning my lost daughter, Cricket? You have news of her death?

I was spared the worst by Lance. As her father I have a responsibility regarding the truth no matter how unpleasant. Do not withhold the details from me and I will grant you what is in my power to give.

It was a bargain only people of the Rising Sun could truly understand.

Amy gulped, nodded and began. She did not share the grimmer aspects about Cricket's last moments but conveyed that event thoroughly, and clearly pointed a finger of guilt at her sadistic murderer.

Dato sighed and lowered his shaking head. Thank you, Colonel. I am greatly in your debt. What can I do to repay you?

Colonel Yamato smiled. Please call me Amy, Dato. I must see Lance. He refuses meeting anyone but you. Can you convince the General to let me attend him one last time? I hold the Kuirta line’s key within me but need your help.

Dato thought for a moment then looked up and said, "As the older brother I can arrange this. Once in his company you must make it happen.

The Kuirta line expects it. I will require this in exchange. Should you become fruitful I will insist upon partial visitation rights as the senior surviving male influence.

Amy bowed. Of course. I will be honored, Dato.

The captain smiled. Lance is very lucky to have such loyal and lovely friends.

At the prison Lance was escorted into a small, windowless room. Inside were some chairs and a couch where a smiling Amy sat. The guard looked at her and said;

You have an hour, Colonel. He left their room locking the door behind him.

Lance came over sat down and hugged Amy.

Why would you want to see a used up old man like me? the general asked.

How could you refuse meeting with me and your men? she responded. Your soldiers love you and wish to pay their respects. I love you as well, Lance, and require one last thing before leaving you for your undeserved fate.

No. Let the Kuirta line perish with Dato. He at least fought as an honorable sailor.

Amy looked him in the eyes and shook her head. "Questions of honor have no relevancy now. I'm not here for your honor, sir.

I wish to love my man in the short time left him. Please, Lance. Do not deny me this one last human request. Refuse me and I may go mad. Help save me this last time the only way you now can, General.

Kuirta smiled sadly then conceded, Third time pays for all.

They quickly disrobed and made love on the couch. Amy orally worked him stiff then mounted his tall slick manhood with a gasp and smile. She leaned in and they kissed long and passionately. Together they quietly climaxed.

Panting and grinning at Lance, Amy hugged knees up hoping to assist gravity with her ovulation cycle. Yesterday might have been better but today still had a good chance of working. If the Yamoto girls were one thing they were very fertile.

Lance held her to him and they kissed. She gently stroked his cheek and smiled. Thank you, Lance. I will now not be that bitter old crazy woman complaining at the back of some bar. You have saved me from that sad fate, my love.

He nodded. What will you do now?

I shall return to China and work towards her unification. Our people are obligated repairing the damage of past evil. There is much to be done and I have loving friends within the Middle Kingdom. I trust them and feel comfortable in their presence.

Leave at once, Amy. Do not stay.

She shook her head. We have forty-nine hours left together. I will spend every minute possible with you. She kissed Lance again slowly pushing him down towards the couch. Her clever little fingers delicately found their way back on his privates returning to the business at hand.

Amy spent all the time with him prison management would allow.  Many of the allies believed in Kuirta's innocence and felt badly about his unfair fate.

They also knew about Colonel Amy Yamoto's amazing exploits and seemed more than willing trusting her experienced judgment. She had become something of a superhero in the eastern war theatre, saving lives on both sides. The prison authorities felt honored granting her this one final request.

Lance was now on suicide watch so there would be no more private visits. The two of them talked about their times together with his guards.  They laughed a lot.

Thousands of his former soldiers were allowed a few moments each with their beloved wartime leader. The line stretched over a mile outside those prison gates. His men stood in the freezing rain for hours.

Among them came many wives and children. They thanked General Kuirta for returning those Japanese soldiers as men not monsters.

That evening before the end two very important Chinese visitors were allowed to attend General Kuirta. They joined Amy and Lance for a last meal and insisted upon spending the night.

Peoples Republic Major General Zhu Jin and Brigadier Tan Tia felt pleased enjoying this time with their dear friend and savior.

Because of their rank and status they were not searched and managed to sneak in several sake bottles.

The American guards became quite fond of Lance and Amy. They didn't see any reason upholding contraband rules this late in the condemned man's final hours. Everyone, guards included, got quite drunk.  The toasting went on until nearly dawn.

Just before sunrise his friends escorted Lance to the appointed place of execution. They mounted the gallows beside him.

Amy and General Kuirta kissed one last time. It wasn't easy but she managed not to cry. Behind Little Devil sniffled wiping tear streaked cheeks on her dress uniform sleeve. Jin tightly held her other hand.

Amy sighed, Good bye, Lance. I will never forget you, my love.

He smiled back. Make the world a better place, worst spy ever.  Because of you and your friend’s efforts I now go proudly to my ancestors. Kuirta looked down, then smiled back up at her and proclaimed, I believe my heart loved you from the first moment we met, Kiko/Amy. Since then I wasted so much time that should have been spent loving you, being a soldier instead of your husband. Duty drove me from my desires and in the end failed us both.

Head shaking Amy patted her belly. Not completely, Lance. Our love has a future. Trust me this one final time.

Amy stepped between Tia and Jin holding their hands. The executioner noosed General Kuirta. An officiating officer read out those charges and findings of the court. He pronounced sentence and asked if the condemned had any last words.

Smiling Lance shook his head.

He refused the offered hood, glanced back to Amy and stood at attention his hands cuffed behind him. That trap door swung open and one of the finest officers Imperial Japan ever produced, educated, and put in the field returned among his ancestors without complaint.

Chapter Two

The Red and the Blue

That second Sino/Japanese War officially ended. Nearly two million Japanese men and women occupiers were shipped from China and Korea back across the Yellow Sea.

General Kao Sun returned to Hawks Nest with his family and advisors. These wars, civil and worldwide took a great toll upon the Chinese people. Sun felt the need to re-organize before his nation's final inevitable agony played out upon a world stage.

This warlord was no fool and though he tended towards optimism Sun shared no illusions about an uneasy peace between the Nationalists and Socialists.

In private communications with House Song he