Extraction Prologue

*****

Twenty years prior…..

                Herrata Yamashita was a privileged and trusted member of the Imperial family of  Japan . Herrata often wondered what the world outside the island of the Empire was like. He had traveled extensively within the limits of his countries borders, but never seen other societies or foreign cultures.

                In 1942 Japan was at war and Herrata was inducted into the imperial army as an officer. A full Colonel.  His limited travel experience was about to change extensively and it would give his family great honor to have Herrata in such a position of responsibility for a person of only 23 years of age.

                Carlos Dario was working in his office in Manila the day the Japanese Army invaded the Philippines. He was an educated man and had a family that included two very lovely little girls and a wonderful wife. His position as a master chemist and metallurgist made him a valuable employee for the mining company where he worked. His background and education was published in the company literature along with his photograph and he was recognized as one of the best precious metals authority in Southeast Asia.

It took the Japanese Army only a few weeks after their occupation to have the mine and plant running to top speed and all the employees indoctrinated into the new work order. The mine, plant and smelter became a very important provider of lead and copper for the manufacture of munitions for the imperial Army.

                Carlos had continued his job as well as he could under the conditions. He wanted to join the gorillas fighting in the hills but his better judgment said that his family needed him at home with them.

                Colonel Yamashita promptly became one of the most important officers in the Imperial Army. Not because of his family’s influence but because he was entrusted by the Emperor to bring all of the treasures to the homeland that the Army had taken from the occupied countries that they had overrun in their rapid advance through China and the islands of the Pacific. He had a disciplined close cadre of soldiers that followed his orders unquestionably and to the letter. It became a tremendous job to assemble all the gold, gems and artifacts and get them safely on to Japan. It was therefore necessary in many instances to hide the material in hidden locations within the occupied country for transport later. Yamashita became a much feared individual even within the Imperial Army. Stories were told of how he dealt with officers and company commanders that decided that the treasures and gold they obtained by killing and torture of civilians should be shared and not turned over to Col. Yamashita.

                Lt. Yoto had just taken Colonel Yamashita his morning tea and rice cakes into the Colonel’s office when he noticed him reading an advertising brochure from a Company in Manila. The photograph of Carlos Dario had been circled.

                “Bring this man to me immediately.” Herrata instructed the Lt. “Instruct your men that he is to be treated honorably but firmly and that I want him here in Singapore before the end of this month. He is to have priority transportation and proper meals and rest on this journey.” Leave instructions with the local commander in Manila that his family is to have proper care and protection during his absence.” Thinking about this in detail, I have decided that you will go to Manila to escort this man to my area here. Do it rapidly and as I have instructed.

                When  Lt. Yoto entered the laboratory where Carlos was doing a strength test on a sample steel bar, he was accompanied by the local Japanese Commander in charge of the area.

                “You will have the rest of today with your family and then tomorrow you will leave on a journey with us. Your family will be in trusted hands and provided for so long as you comply with the orders and instructions from Colonel Yamashita.”

                Carlos was astonished. Who will test the metal and provide the reports if I am not here? Why would the Japanese treat me with such courtesy?  

                Carlos left the office after taking only several books and reference material with him. He had no idea why the Japanese would want him.

                “I do not know how long I will be in the service of these monsters.” He told his wife and children that evening which was the last time he would see them for an unknown time.. He found his friend and neighbor Antonio  willing to watch out for his family regardless of what the Lt. had promised.

                “Carlos---you must do me a favor.” Antonio’s request was even more surprising to Carlos. Antonio was in the underground and provided information to the gorillas and in turn to the allies on the daily happenings of the Japanese. He wanted Carlos to provide him with information on the operation and movement of Col. Yamashita. Antonio showed Carlos how to encode the messages in his letters home to his wife. He surely would be able to write his wife?

                After the first six months working with the Col. In China and other Asian occupied countries,  Carlos was told one day that he was to accompany the Col on his next assignment in the Philippines. Carlos was delighted to find that he was finally going to be close again to his wife and family.

                The encampment in the Philippine jungle was heavily fortified by the Japanese. The excavation was being dug by American and Australian prisoners of war. The cave was nearly completed and the entrance was designed to collapse if the doors were entered without the proper authorization. Several hundred tons of rocks and dirt were on the top of the entrance to the excavation. The prisoners were instructed not to talk about their work and where they were in the jungle under penalty of death. Only a small detail of twelve soldiers were privy to the location and happenings at the excavation. It was Carlos’s job to make sure the treasures and gold bars were properly encased in the crates marked “Munitions”. He had worked melting and smelting the bars assisted only by one of the gorillas captured in the area.

                The work party climbed from the truck and slowly entered the excavation to do their work. The prisoners all knew that the cave was nearly complete and they wondered where their next prison was going to be. The guards all entered the cave with the prisoners this day. Col. Yamashita had said there would be a ceremony that day to celebrate the occasion of completion. He wanted all the soldiers that had part in the detail to wear their class A uniforms that day and take enough money to have a good time in Manila. The Colonel told the soldiers they would leave directly from the excavation and would not be returning for  twenty days. The soldiers were all telling of what they were going to do in Manila with the young Filipina  girls  they would find. The remaining few soldiers in the camp were told to be ready to move on to their next assignment.

                The day was a usual hot and humid one when the party all entered the cave. Evidently there was now a night crew working the excavation because there were several large crates marked  with the symbol for ammunition  piled a distance into the mine. The ceremony would be conducted in a military manner with the prisoners assembled in the rear of the mine and also the guards in their spotless class a uniforms would form ranks in front of the prisoners. The party would greet Colonel Yamashita and Carlos with the usual salute when they reached the back of the mine where the entire excavation party was assembled.  Sergeant Metiko was about to ask what was taking so long when he heard the colonel and Carlos approach the entrance. The party came to attention and waited on the commander and his trusted engineer to enter their area.

                “Do not go into the mine today Carlos. Stay close to me at all times” instructed the man responsible for stolen gold movement through out the Japanese Empire.

                As the colonel and Carlos approached the entrance, the colonel did not enter the opening. Instead he went over to the bushes back about a hundreds yards from the excavation opening and picked up something from the bush.  It was a detonator. Carlos watched in astonishment as he plunged the small handle into the device and the opening to the cave with tons of rock and dirt tumbled down the mountain sealing the cave. The colonel smiled as he congratulated himself that this operation had gone as smoothly today as the many he had accomplished prior to today. It was the usual success. Any person that knew of the cave’s location and what was in it was inside the tomb. That is, with the exception of him and Carlos.

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