The Manila Deception Read online

  THE MANILA DECEPTION

  A JAMES ACTON THRILLER

  J. ROBERT KENNEDY

  About the James Acton Thrillers

  "James Acton: A little bit of Jack Bauer and Indiana Jones!"

  Though this book is part of the James Acton Thrillers series, it is written as a standalone novel and can be enjoyed without reading the other installments.

  What readers are saying about the James Acton Thrillers Series:

  “A great blend of history and current headlines.”

  “You stop breathing from the first page.”

  “If you like Indiana Jones then you will love these stories.”

  “The Acton series is one of the most entertaining and enjoyable series I have read.”

  “Non-stop action that is impossible to put down.”

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  BOOKS BY J. ROBERT KENNEDY

  * Also available in audio

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  The Templar Detective

  The Templar Detective and the Parisian Adulteress

  The Templar Detective and the Sergeant's Secret

  The Templar Detective and the Unholy Exorcist

  The Templar Detective and the Code Breaker

  The James Acton Thrillers

  The Protocol *

  Brass Monkey

  Broken Dove

  The Templar’s Relic

  Flags of Sin

  The Arab Fall

  The Circle of Eight

  The Venice Code

  Pompeii’s Ghosts

  Amazon Burning

  The Riddle

  Blood Relics

  Sins of the Titanic

  Saint Peter’s Soldiers

  The Thirteenth Legion

  Raging Sun

  Wages of Sin

  Wrath of the Gods

  The Templar’s Revenge

  The Nazi’s Engineer

  Atlantis Lost

  The Cylon Curse

  The Viking Deception

  Keepers of the Lost Ark

  The Tomb of Genghis Khan

  The Manila Deception

  The Fourth Bible

  The Special Agent Dylan Kane Thrillers

  Rogue Operator

  Containment Failure

  Cold Warriors

  Death to America

  Black Widow

  The Agenda

  Retribution

  State Sanctioned

  Extraordinary Rendition

  The Delta Force Unleashed Thrillers

  Payback

  Infidels

  The Lazarus Moment

  Kill Chain

  Forgotten

  The Detective Shakespeare Mysteries

  Depraved Difference

  Tick Tock

  The Redeemer

  The Kriminalinspektor Wolfgang Vogel Mysteries

  The Colonel’s Wife

  Zander Varga, Vampire Detective Series

  The Turned

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Table of Contents

  The Novel

  Preface

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Chapter 73

  Chapter 74

  Chapter 75

  Chapter 76

  Chapter 77

  Chapter 78

  Chapter 79

  Chapter 80

  Chapter 81

  Chapter 82

  Chapter 83

  Chapter 84

  Chapter 85

  Acknowledgments

  Sample of Next Book

  Don't Miss Out!

  Thank You!

  About the Author

  Also by the Author

  For the over half-million civilians and military personnel who died in the Philippines during the Japanese occupation in World War II.

  “People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil—soil consecrated in the blood of our two peoples. We have come dedicated and committed to the task of destroying every vestige of enemy control over your daily lives, and of restoring upon a foundation of indestructible strength, the liberties of your people.”

  General Douglas MacArthur upon landing in Leyte, The Philippines October 20th, 1944

  “I pray for the Emperor’s long life and prosperity forever.”

  The last words of Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita February 23, 1946

  PREFACE

  During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army systematically looted the conquered territories in Southeast Asia. This included government and bank holdings, museums and galleries, as well as private holdings. The scale of the theft was massive, totaling by some estimates in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

  This substantial hoard was consolidated in Singapore, with plans to move it back to Japan to finance the war effort. When the war turned against the Japanese, plans changed, and the stolen valuables were believed to have been transferred to the Philippines where one of the men largely responsible for their looting had been transferred to stop MacArthur.

  General Tomoyuki Yamashita.

  There is no disputing the hoard exists, as the looting is documented. There is also no disputing that the vast majority was never returned after the war, meaning it is either still out there, or has been found and that fact hidden.

  There is one claim that the treasure had been f
ound in the Philippines by a man named Rogelio Roxas, then stolen by President Ferdinand Marcos. This led to a court case filed in Hawaii that led to, at the time, the largest judgment in history, amounting to $40.5 billion with interest. The Appeals Court summarized the original judgment with these words:

  “The Yamashita Treasure was found by Roxas and stolen from Roxas by Marcos’ men.”

  Yet even that alleged discovery couldn’t account for all that was stolen.

  Leaving an unanswered question.

  Where is the rest of Yamashita’s Gold?

  1 |

  Mindanao, The Philippines Present Day

  “Everybody down!”

  Archaeology Professor James Acton extended his arms and herded everyone toward the rockface, the large stones from an earlier collapse providing some cover. He was desperate for a weapon, yet if any of them were armed, they would likely be killed.

  Their only hope of survival was to stay out of the line of fire.

  Shouts erupted from their private security, their Tagalog a language he didn’t understand, yet they sounded professional and calm.

  Something he certainly didn’t feel, his heart slamming, his ears pounding. He draped himself over his wife Laura, Tommy doing the same with his girlfriend Mai, and a surge of pride in the young man rushed through him.

  He too was willing to take a bullet for the woman he loved.

  Gunfire erupted from the jungle and he spun his head to see what was going on. The three members that remained of their security detail returned fire as they took cover, though judging from the muzzle flashes from the thick trees and the night sky, they were vastly outnumbered.

  Somebody cried out and one of the defensive positions fell dark. Mai was sobbing now, Tommy was shaking, and the man that had brought them here, the man that had assured them they’d be safe, was curled up in a ball on the ground, muttering to himself.

  And their chief of security was headed away from their camp and to safety.

  Another cry, then only one gun remained, and it fell silent moments later. The steady fire from the jungle stopped and the sound of their attackers advancing echoed through the now silent jungle, even the creatures that filled it quiet.

  “Everybody just stay calm. No threatening moves. You know what they said. We’ll be taken hostage if we just remain calm.”

  Acton stood, raising his hands, then turned to face their new captors.

  “We surrender.”

  2 |

  14th Area Army—Shobu Group Headquarters Baguio, The Philippines October 25, 1944

  “Well?”

  Sweat trickled down Captain Takuma Kijima’s back, even more than usual, the heat and humidity today oppressive to say the least. Normally temperate at this time of year, Baguio City was experiencing a heatwave, and they were all paying for it. He had grown up near the foothills of Mount Fuji, the son of a distinguished local official, allowing him the luxury of a university education. And that had meant a commission when the war broke out.

  Though none of that had prepared him for the heat of the Philippines.

  And now his commanding officer, the man he served as his aide, was expecting good news.

  And he had none to give.

  “I’m afraid we lost them all.”

  General Tomoyuki Yamashita paled slightly, his mouth agape at the unexpected news. “All?”

  “Yes, sir. An American submarine intercepted the convoy and all the cargo ships were sunk.”

  General Yamashita’s shoulders sagged as he dropped into his chair, gripping the arms. “How much did we lose overall?”

  “Almost twenty percent.”

  Yamashita shook his head. “We can’t risk the rest. We need it to finance the counterattack.”

  “Will there be a counterattack?” Kijima immediately regretted the question as Yamashita bristled, his knuckles turning white as his fingernails dug into the arms of his chair.

  “You doubt the Imperial Army’s ability to defeat the Americans?”

  Kijima snapped to attention, his shoulders thrust back, his chin high. “Never, General!”

  Yamashita sighed. “Then you are alone in this room.”

  Kijima’s eyes widened, though he remained at attention.

  And silent.

  Yamashita gestured toward the door. “Close the door then sit. We must come up with a plan.”

  Kijima closed the door, but remained standing, instead walking over to a large map of the Philippines tacked to the wall, the latest troop positions indicated, including the Americans who had just landed in Leyte, led by that devil MacArthur.

  They were losing the war, though no one wanted to publicly admit it lest they be executed. Yet the general himself had just suggested he too had his doubts.

  It was shocking.

  Yamashita had defeated the British in Malay and Singapore in only 70 days, earning the nickname The Tiger of Malaya. During his tenure there, he and others had organized the systematic looting of the newly conquered territories of Southeast Asia, amassing an incredible fortune and collecting it in Singapore for transport back to the homeland.

  Yet everything had changed when supremacy on the seas had been lost to the Americans. When Yamashita had been reassigned to the Philippines to halt the American advance, a series of daring missions were undertaken to sail the treasure to his new command, with the intention of leapfrogging it back home through Taiwan or China.

  It was a plan that had run out of time.

  The Americans commanded the sea and the air, and the test run they had just attempted had failed miserably, an American submarine taking out the ships with ease.

  There was no way they were getting the gold off these islands.

  And there was no way they could leave it for the Americans to find once the Imperial Army was inevitably defeated. The vast amount of gold and riches would finance the American war effort, and could lead to the ultimate defeat of Japan itself.

  He shuddered at the thought.

  “What are you thinking?”

  Kijima turned to his commander. “We must hide it.”

  The general joined him in front of the map. “Agreed. But where?”

  Kijima pointed to the port in the south where the gold was currently held. “The confiscated items are here, in Cotabato, on Mindanao. Two ships are still loaded, ready for the next run should the first have proven successful. Rather than unload them, I suggest we move them here.” He pointed at the nearest port to their current location, San Fernando. “That way, in the highly unlikely event we do retreat, we can take it with us, and the gods willing, we will succeed in at least bringing a portion home with us.”

  Yamashita frowned. “And the rest?”

  “The bulk is still offloaded, stored in a warehouse.” He pointed at the map, deep in the interior of Mindanao. “There are a lot of caves in the mountains. I saw them when I was first assigned here.”

  Yamashita leaned closer to the map. “It seems remote. Difficult terrain to transport that much property.”

  “Yes, but that’s the advantage of it.” He moved his finger slightly. “There is a small village here, perhaps a couple of hundred people. Other than that, there’s nobody in the area to see our ultimate destination. Anyone else along the route would simply assume we’re another convoy, moving troops or supplies. No one would ever know we were storing the gold in the caves.”

  Yamashita tapped the map. “Except the villagers.”

  “We could…eliminate them.”

  The general regarded him for a moment. “You are an unforgiving soul, Captain.”

  Kijima bowed crisply. “I serve the Emperor.”

  “And you do it without question.” Yamashita shook his head. “No, a massacre leaves too many questions unanswered, including the all-important one.”

  “Which is?”

  “Why.”

  Kijima sighed. “You are correct, of course, sir. What would you recommend?”

  “A massacred village will force people t
o ask why we killed them? What were we trying to hide? An empty village forces people to ask where did they go? Why did they go? It forces people to look elsewhere, as opposed to where they already are.”

  “Forgive me, General, but I don’t understand.”

  Yamashita pressed his finger on the map, the knuckle turning white. “You put them here.”

  Kijima’s eyes narrowed for a moment then flared, his mouth agape as he finally understood. “I will execute your orders personally.”

  3 |

  The Lotus Yakuza Owned Establishment Tokyo, Japan Present Day, Three days before the surrender

  Takashi trembled with fear. There was no other way to describe it, for he was more terrified at this very moment than he had ever been. When he had initially borrowed the money—something he now would freely admit was the stupidest decision of his life—he had been scared. The implications of borrowing money from the Yakuza, what Westerners might describe as the Japanese mafia, were severe. Not paying them back was an option one didn’t dare contemplate, and at the time, he hadn’t.

  For he had been certain he would succeed, and pay the loan off with time to spare, despite the onerous interest.

  “You’re late again.”

  Takashi nodded, feeling faint, his skin clammy and cold as he battled his bladder’s desire to free itself of its contents. “Y-yes, I know, and I’m sorry, but—”

  “But what? You made a commitment, and you’ve failed to live up to it. ‘But’ suggests you have an excuse. I’m not interested in excuses. I want my money.”

  “But—”

  “Again with the buts.” Akira, the eldest son of the Yakuza oyabun for the district, shook his head, looking around the room at his entourage, all standing around the walls, all packing. “I’m a nice guy, right?”