Curse of Yamashita’s Gold: The Sequel to the Improbable Life of Billy T. Kettle

By T. Clement Robison

The remarkable saga continues in this adventure packed sequel to the original story, The Improbable Life of Billy T. Kettle. The author’s imagination is at its peak as he entices his readers to bear witness to this incredible tale of the life and times of the world’s most unique personality. Inspired by actual events, the Curse of Yamashita’s Gold is a whimsical re-write of some of history’s more important events.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 5, 2020
• ISBN: 9781796099904

T. Clement Robison

OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR W.I.A. (Wounded in Action) Enemy of My Enemy Operation Duck Hook Lost Treasure of the Grand Strand The Improbable Life of Billy T. Kettle Corpse on Cape Romain

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Previously from:

THE IMPROBABLE LIFE OF BILLY T. KETTLE

Yes, William. I am here. Don’t worry; you are going to be all right.

Billy tried to sit up but he did not possess the strength to do so. Where am I?

You are in a hospital in Manila.

Manila? How did I get here?

You were brought out of the jungle by a group of natives five days ago. Do you remember?

Jungle? Natives? What was I doing in a jungle?

You were on one of your adventures searching for Yamashita’s gold.

Billy’s weathered face folded into a frown. How long ago did I go looking for gold?

Barton hesitated, not wanting to shock him with the reality of what had happened, and when.

Billy stared at Barton waiting for an answer.

Reluctantly, Barton replied, You left Boston for the Philippines over three years ago.

Three years! You must be mistaken. I couldn’t have left home that long ago. I would remember; I’d remember three years, wouldn’t I?

Barton did not reply.

Wouldn’t I Barton? Billy persisted in a panicked voice.

After several minutes of confused thought, Billy came to the realization Barton could not be wrong about such an important event.

Their conversation was interrupted by a nurse at the door with a tray of food. You need to take some nourishment, doctor’s orders, she announced.

Billy looked at the protein packed food and his stomach began to churn. Within a few seconds he was vomiting a cloudy liquid into a small metal pan held by the nurse.

When he finally settled back and wiped his face with a damp cloth, the nurse moved the tray table away from the bed. It will take some time to get used to normal food other than the rice and few vegetables you have been surviving on for such a long period of time. But you must try. You need to intake at least three thousand calories a day in order for your body to begin to repair itself, the nurse instructed and left the room.

Billy looked up with sad eyes. Barton, I don’t remember any jungle. All I remember is...wait. I do remember; I remember an explosion, yes, an explosion and then darkness.

Billy buried his face in his hands.

It will take time William. You need not hurry.

Billy removed his hands from his face. How long can you stay Barton? Do you need to get back to Boston soon?

I can stay as long as you wish. There is no pressing business needing my attention, Barton replied.

Business! Yes, I know, we are business partners…partners, right?

Yes, William, we are friends and business partners, Barton painfully replied, not wanting to divulge the current situation in regards to their business relationship.

For the next four days Barton continued to spend the entire day visiting with his friend. Slowly, Billy’s memory began to repair itself.

On the evening of the last day, as Barton stood to leave, Billy’s memory of the cave and the treasure kicked in.

We found it, Barton, he announced.

Found it, William? Found what?

The treasure, we found the treasure. I remember now. It was in the cave right where we thought it would be.

Barton returned to the bedside and sat down. You found the twenty-million-dollar treasure?

No, not twenty million, significantly less than that, Billy said as he stared into space trying to remember details.

After a few minutes the facts became clearer. No, not twenty million…closer to five or six million.

And your share was forty percent of the final amount?

Billy didn’t reply; his mind lost in thought.

Barton sat quietly as a troubled look crept over Billy’s face. They tried to kill me, Barton, he blurted.

Kill you? What are you talking about?

The explosion…they tried to kill me by blowing up the cave before I was out.

Who are ‘they’?

"Harris and Greenwalt, when they found out there was only six or so million, they blew up the cave hoping I would be killed so they would not have to pay me my share. It’s all coming back to me now.

I was in the back of the cave checking to see if the last charge was properly set when I turned and saw Harris standing at the opening. He said something about my body never being found and then he blew up the cave.

But we received a report from the government of the Philippines, Barton said.

A report, what kind of a report?

The government sent out a search party when your group did not return to Manila. They found the skeletal remains of two males who the government believed were Harris and Greenwalt, Barton replied.

Billy thought for a moment. I heard two gun shots just before the explosion. There were two members of the security force waiting for me outside the cave. Harris or Greenwalt must have killed them and then tried to kill me.

Are you saying Harris and Greenwalt were capable of murder?

That is exactly what I’m saying. They both had been in the war as combat soldiers. Killing was nothing new to them. Besides if they wanted to kill me for my share, reducing the number of members of the security force would mean even more money for them. They could easily blame the deaths on bands of outlaws roaming the jungle, or even Japanese soldiers who had not surrendered. We received reports both groups were in the area of the cave. That is why we had our own security force.

But what about you William? You were missing for over three years. Where were you all that time?

"The doctors tell me I have amnesia. The explosion must have affected my memory. I remember now, crawling out of the rubble of the collapsed cave. The explosion blew me against the collapsed back wall. When I awoke, I could see sun light. I’m sure I must have been confused and disoriented. I wandered the jungle for days until a group of natives found me and took me to their village. I was there for a very long time. They treated me as if I was one of them. They gave me food and shelter. They even tried to marry me off to one of their women but I resisted.

Finally, my malaria returned. They were concerned I might die so they carried me out of the jungle and contacted authorities. I remember it all now. They saved my life.

You were very lucky, Barton replied.

It wasn’t luck, Barton. It was my guardian angel. And I believe she was the same one who saved us from the night club fire; you remember, right?

Yes, I remember, but a guardian angel?

"There can be no other explanation. I have felt a presence watching over me my entire life. I even saw her in a dream as a child. I can accurately describe her to this day. She has protected me in the past and I am confident she will continue to protect me in the future.

"Barton, I need to find Harris and Greenwalt and bring them to justice. They need to be punished for what they have done and what they tried to do to me. I’m the only one who knows all the facts.

I need to get out of here and back home so I can get ready to come back and start the search for those murderers.

Barton had known this moment would come, the time when he would have to tell Billy the whole truth.

William, there are some things I need to tell you. I don’t know if this is the right time, but you need to know before you return to Boston.

Sure, go ahead and tell me. I’m sure there are a lot of things I need to know. I mean, three years in a remote jungle is a long time to be out of touch with the world. It’s reasonable things in Boston have changed a great deal while I’ve been away.

Yes indeed, a great deal, Barton agreed.

Barton began to inform Billy what had transpired with Kettle Enterprises and with the Will, selling the mansion and the dividing up of the estate.

In addition, he was especially thorough in explaining the judicial process and why Billy T. Kettle was now legally dead. Billy sat quietly and listened without saying a word.

When Barton got to the point in the briefing about why he was in Hawaii to buy land to lease to sugarcane growers, and then heard about an American being brought out of the jungle, Billy smiled with pleasure, knowing his hunch about leasing sugarcane land had been so successful. It was the only emotion he demonstrated.

"I’m sorry William. I didn’t know what else to do. The facts as I knew them indicated you would not be coming home. I don’t know what else to say except I’m very sorry, if I had only waited an additional year.

My portion of the estate will, of course, be returned to you. But I’m afraid the rest given to the staff is irretrievable.

No…no! Everything is to remain as decided. There will be no changes, no returning anything. You did what you believed was the right thing to do, Billy replied, placing his hands on Barton’s shoulders and smiling broadly.

You don’t know it but you’ve done me a great favor.

Favor? I don’t understand.

Anonymity will serve me well. It’s best if Harris and Greenwalt believe I was killed in the explosion. You must tell the hospital you made a mistake and I am not Billy T. Kettle. Tell them you don’t know who I am. I’ll handle it from there.

What will the hospital staff think? I have been here for nearly two weeks. They will think it’s odd I stayed so long if you are not my friend.

"Let them think what they like. Without a positive identification, I will remain simply an unidentified John Doe.

"Now listen carefully, the gold was to be sent to Hong Kong. Harris and Greenwalt can’t bring it back into the United States. The authorities would surely become involved.

They are most likely still someplace in Asia. In any case, that is where I intend to begin my search.

Begin your search? What are you talking about? Barton asked.

Harris and Greenwalt must be found and stand trial for their crimes. I intend to find them and turn them over to the authorities, Billy replied.

Are you serious? That may not be easy. They could be anywhere. Asia is huge. How will you locate them and how will you finance your search? As I told you, you no longer have any resources, Barton protested.

Billy smiled, I will go to work for Kettle Enterprises as its overseas representative. That will be my cover. I will use a different name. And while I am at it, I’ll look after your interests in Asia. I will keep you informed as to my activities.

Barton smiled back and asked, Are you saying you will be working for me?

Yes, why not? All I ask is that you cover my expenses. I will try to keep them to a minimum.

But it could be very dangerous. Harris and Greenwalt killed once. They won’t hesitate to do it again, especially if it means keeping the gold and staying out of prison. What will you do when you do locate them and they violently resist your efforts to bring them in?

It has been said, my friend, sometimes violence must be met with violence. I’m not afraid. There are two men out there who tried to kill me and who stole what rightfully belongs to me. Such treachery cannot go unpunished. We both know what I must do.

But William, Barton pleaded.

Billy could see the concern in his friend’s eyes. Barton there is no William. From this moment on Billy T. Kettle no longer exists!

CHAPTER TWO

When Japan surrendered in September of nineteen forty-five, Hong Kong reverted back to British control. A military administration was established and Hong Kong was once again a Crown colony even though China had never conceded its sovereignty over the territory.

The civil war in China caused a huge incursion of refugees into the area, providing a cheap labor force. Along with the refugees, financial investors arrived, bringing money and experience and began planting the seeds of capitalism. A thriving export industry emerged from the war-torn city and the economy grew quickly despite an embargo imposed by the United States on Chinese goods as the result of the communist takeover of that country. A totally unregulated banking system developed which attracted depositors and investors from many often-unscrupulous sources.

New economic opportunities and lose money caused a resurgence of secret criminal societies and gangsters. Violence increased exponentially. Because of the proliferation of gang activity, some wealthy merchants were required to hire their own security forces. These security forces were composed of largely veterans from the war. In addition, a blackmarket for stolen goods also flourished. Nearly anything of value could be purchased from these criminal enterprises which were mostly controlled by the Chinese Mafia.

Unregulated banks was the main reason Billy was drawn to Hong Kong in the first place. He knew Harris and Greenwalt would take advantage of the absence of government oversight of the financial institutions and would use the banks’ vaults as a depository of their gold. He also knew they had a three-year head start. He hoped they had established themselves in the Hong Kong area and would be fairly easy to locate. He was soon to discover his optimism was foolhardy.

Immediately after stepping off the junk from Manila, he came under surveillance by the colony’s emerging police force. All westerners arriving at Victoria Harbor came under the same suspicion and scrutiny.

Billy had anticipated he would be stopped by the authorities and asked for identification and a statement of his purpose for coming to Hong Kong. Before leaving the Philippines he had purchased fake identification papers including a forged passport which listed his name as Robert T. Langhorne. He also had business cards printed stating his profession as an investment consultant.

He rented a room at the Peninsula Hotel on Salisbury Road in Kowloon, across the harbor from Hong Kong Island. Referred to as Hong Kong’s Grand Old Lady, the hotel, first opened in nineteen twenty-eight, attracted the wealthy and famous from all over the world. Billy hoped it might have attracted newly enriched westerners like Harris and Greenwalt and possibly he could pick up their trail. Regardless, he felt it was a good base from which to begin his search.

Assuming the trail to find Harris and Greenwalt had gone cold over such a long period of time, Billy decided to recreate the path they most likely would have followed to ensure their stolen gold could not only be protected but also how it could be invested to reap the highest rate of return. They would not be satisfied with just depositing their booty and sitting back and living off the interest, he was sure of that. Billy had many questions which needed to be answered; but one thing he knew for sure, his former treasure hunting partners were greedy and their greed would be their downfall.

They would need someone who was well-connected to the financial system and knew the best investment opportunities available. Therefore, the most logical place to start was with the largest bank in the colony.

A Scotsman by the name of Thomas Sutherland founded the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in eighteen sixty-five. Due to Billy’s past experience as the vice president of the Langhorne State Bank he was familiar with the history of the bank. It was the first bank in the colony to issue its own banknotes which quickly became the currency of choice amoung the local merchants. The stable currency aided greatly in increasing trade and manufacturing throughout all of Asia.

During the Second World War the bank was forced to move its offices to London and then back to Hong Kong at the war’s end where it immediately began loaning money to help rebuild the economy and the infrastructure in the region. The bank purchased other smaller banks and began a program of growth by opening several branch offices to meet the demands of the population growth occurring in the region.

Billy entered the bank’s main branch lobby located at 1 Queens’s Road Central soon after it opened and selected a brochure from the rack in the center of the room. The pamphlet stated in English the various departments within the bank and the contact person for each department. Billy’s eyes focused on the Investor’s Relations Department and the name Wang Bo Huang, manager.

A long counter stood in one corner of the expansive room. The sign suspended over the counter read: INTERPRETERS, in several languages. Behind the counter five oriental women sat at small desks.

Billy instantly knew the procedure he needed to follow. As he approached the counter one of the women stood, walked up to the other side of the counter and smiled. He bowed politely and said, English please.

She turned and motioned for a younger lady, dressed in western style clothing, to approach the counter. The young lady bowed and said in English, My name is Mei-ling, how may I help you?

Billy handed her his business card, I would like an appointment with Mister Wang Bo Huang.

Mei-ling took the card, smiled and walked around the counter. She stood next to Billy and motioned for him to follow her. She led him down a long corridor and into a small office at the end. An older Chinese woman sat behind a large desk in the center of the room. Mei-ling handed the woman Billy’s card and spoke to her in Mandarin telling her he wished an appointment with Mister Wang.

The woman read the card and frowned. After a short conversation with the woman, Mei-ling turned to Billy and said, She wishes to know the purpose of the meeting and the amount of time you are requesting.

Billy explained he represented several investors in the United States and was requesting investment advice from Mister Wang. He didn’t expect the meeting to last more than twenty minutes. After Mei-ling interpreted what Billy had said, the women grunted a few words and returned to her work. Mei-ling smiled at Billy and said, You come back tomorrow at two-thirty in afternoon.

As Billy walked back to the outer office, he asked Mei-ling if she would be interested in working for him as an interpreter while he was in Hong Kong. When she appeared reluctant, he added, I’ll pay you fifty dollars a day if you will help me.

Fifty dollars a day? she repeated. I don’t make that much money in a week here at the bank. But you will be here only for a short time; I could not give up my position at the bank to help you.

Do you have any vacation days available you could use? he asked.

Employees do not receive what you call vacation days however in China the family is very important so I may be able to be granted a few days to assist my family. I will ask and tell you my answer tomorrow.

Billy walked out of the bank and into the streets teeming with thousands of refugees who had escaped the Chinese revolution. Many lived on the street or on dilapidated barges moored along the rivers and harbors. Poverty could be seen everywhere. Street merchants with their small wheeled carts had sprung up overnight selling cheap merchandise, fruits and vegetables and cooked food items. A westerner could not walk more than a few steps before being surrounded by young children hawking trinkets or begging for money.

He quickly hailed a rickshaw and climbed aboard. As best he could, he directed the driver to take him back to his hotel. Surprisingly, the rickshaw handler could speak English which he stated he had learned as a child at a Catholic mission in Hanoi. He told Billy he, too, was a refugee but not from the Chinese Civil War but from the Anti-French Resistance War currently being fought in Vietnam. He and his mother left Vietnam after his father, who was a soldier in the Viet Minh Army, was killed by the French.

The conflict, which began as a peasant insurgency, had escalated into a full-blown conventional war. The Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh along with the People’s Army of Vietnam led by Vo Nguyen Giap on one side and the French Union’s Far East Expeditionary Corps Forces and Bao Dai’s Vietnamese National Army on the other. But it was the rickshaw driver’s next statement which piqued Billy’s interest.

I see many westerners come to Hong Kong and make a great deal of money selling guns and bullets to Ho Chi Minh’s forces. I see them load the guns on junks and sail them south to Tonkin where they sell the guns for plenty of gold.

Billy didn’t finish listening to the driver’s story because he was lost in thought. Harris’ and Greenwalt’s military background would serve them well as gun merchants. They could easily parlay the gold they found in the Philippines into an even bigger treasure by gun running.

Billy forced his attention back to the driver. By what name are you called?

I am called Nquyen Lo Quang, he replied.

Tell me, Lo Quang, how do you know all of this about the gun trade in Vietnam?

There are beaucoup of my countrymen who are now in Hong Kong. Many are fishermen who have come with their family boats. But fishing isn’t always profitable. Many parts of the sea are overfished which requires a much longer journey out over the ocean to find the fish. So when fishing is not good nearby many fishermen rent their boats to blackmarketeers who sell guns and other war materiel in Vietnam.

Billy stepped down from the rickshaw in front of the hotel and paid Lo Quang with Chinese currency. You come back here tomorrow at two o’clock and take me back to where you picked me up today, will you do that?

Yes, Lo Quang replied but then asked, how are you called?

My name is Robert Langhorne.

I call you Robert-son. Is that okay?

Robert-son is fine with me. Now pick me up right here tomorrow at two o’clock.

Yes, Robert-son, I will pick you up, Lo Quang replied and then trotted away.

CHAPTER THREE

Billy spent the evening in deep thought planning his next move. At tomorrow’s meeting he would embellish his story about wanting investment advice from Mister Wang. He would drop the hint he needed to make a quick profit from his investors’ money and see what Wang suggested. He would also try to find out if Wang knew of any Americans who may have come to his bank three years earlier with a large amount of gold they needed to deposit or invest. He would tell Mister Wang they were his former business associates. He knew it was a long shot but felt it worth a try.

It was nearly nine o’clock before Billy entered the hotel’s Rose Room restaurant and selected an entrée from the Cantonese cuisine menu. He hadn’t discovered anything about Harris’ and Greenwalt’s whereabouts but he had made a couple of good contacts. He felt it was a good start.

At exactly two o’clock the following afternoon, Billy walked out of the front door of the hotel and stepped into Lo Quang’s waiting rickshaw. Twenty minutes later he entered the bank and immediately walked over to the interpreters’ counter. Mei-ling looked up from her desk and smiled. Good afternoon Mister Langhorne. I will assist you in a minute. Thank you for waiting.

After a few minutes Mei-ling escorted Billy back to Mister Wang’s office and took a seat beside him in the small waiting area in the outer office. The older Chinese secretary from the day before politely acknowledged them and then returned to her work.

Five minutes later a short, stocky, middle-aged Chinese man opened his office door and motioned for Billy and Mei-ling to enter.

Billy introduced himself and Mei-ling immediately began interpreting. As Billy scanned his surroundings, he noticed several very old and what appeared to be very expensive Chinese and Japanese artifacts. Large oriental vases and impressive figurines sat on hand carved mahogany tables and pedestals. A large glass display case sat against one wall. It contained a sizable collection of smaller carved ivory and porcelain figurines, vases and what Billy guessed to be rare books heavily bound in exotic leathers. On top of the case, in a carved ivory holder, was a highly decorated Japanese Samurai sword in a gold trimmed scabbard. In two corners of the room sat huge decorated vases each containing mature stalks of bamboo. Billy doubted Wang could afford such an expensive collection on his meager salary. That suggested to Billy that Wang could be bribed if necessary.

Wang began asking Billy a series of questions about what type of investments his backers would be interested in. He also asked the amount of money they were thinking of investing. Billy knew he had to state a large amount in order to hold Wang’s attention. When Billy responded with a ten-million-dollar figure Wang pressed an intercom button and ordered his secretary to brew tea for him and Billy.

As tea was being served by the Chinese woman, Wang informed Billy his advice came at a price. He at first stated it was fifteen percent of the total amount of the investment. When Billy frowned and replied his investors would only pay five percent, Wang countered with ten percent