The Liberian Agenda Read online

  “There have been too many mistakes made on this mission. We need to move, and move fast, before Joseph is able to legitimize his new government. The world might have recognized Saye for the brutal dictator he would become, but Joseph is much more polished than his brother. With his wife’s political connections and the passage of time, he might just be able to smooth this over in the international arena. We need someone on the inside to help us get the leverage we need. What about Sonia Saytumah? Do you think you’ll be able to turn her into an asset?” Ben asked.

  “Either she’s an Academy-Award caliber actress or she was genuinely shocked to learn that Joseph had carried out a coup,” Tyrone said.

  Tara shook her head. “No-one’s that good of an actress. She was terrified and very worried about Joseph. I don’t think she believed us when we told her it was him who had executed the coup. With that being said, we still don’t know how she’ll react when she finds out it’s true. She could accept it and decide to help him or she could reject it, and then who knows how Joseph will react. I believe they really have feelings for each other; still, that won’t stop him from carrying out his mission.”

  “Well, we need someone on the inside and it sounds like Sonia has Joseph’s trust. He won’t expect for her to ally with us and double-cross him. I want you to feel her out and figure out the best approach. Should we appeal to her patriotic side or lean on her by threatening criminal prosecution? We also need to find out how much she knows. She may be less likely to remain loyal to him if she knows the whole truth,” Ben said.

  “But Ben, Sonia is a civilian. We sent a trained agent in and he was killed. How can we expect Sonia to be able to pull this off?” Tara asked.

  “Women have been sneaking around and lying to men for centuries. It’s called marriage,” Tyrone said.

  Tara rolled her eyes at him.

  “Tara, if you have reservations about continuing this mission, let me know now. Otherwise, I want you to devise a plan to make this work,” Ben said.

  Tara swallowed the rest of her protests. She wanted to see the mission through to the end. “I have no reservations, sir. We’ll get to work on that plan right away.”

  “Good,” Ben said. “I expect to receive weekly progress reports.” He signed off.

  Tara sat back in her chair and blew out a breath.

  Tyrone raised his eyebrows. “That was a little tense.”

  “You don’t say,” Tara said.

  “Look, I know how you feel about using a civilian to get what we need -- especially a sweet one like Sonia. I have reservations about that myself. But, as much as I hate to admit it, Ben’s right. It’s our only play,” Tyrone said.

  “Don’t you think I know that?” Tara said. She sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be snapping at you. It’s just that I don’t know what I’ll do if she ends up getting killed and that poor little boy is left without a mother.”

  “Well then, I guess we’d better make sure that doesn’t happen,” he said.

  Tara nodded. “Yup. Let’s get to work.”

  Chapter X

  Sonia sat in the family room of the Presidential mansion. Her son played with his toys on the floor. Sonia watched him thoughtfully.

  A lot had changed. It felt as if the coup had taken place two years ago instead of two months ago. Joseph had the servants pack up their things and move them into the Presidential mansion within days of the coup. They were escorted by soldiers who kept guard outside. Sonia had felt like an intruder invading what had just been President Sirleaf’s home. She still felt that way.

  On top of that, the place was huge. There were not only living quarters, but a huge hall and salons for entertaining, and several offices. It was a maze Sonia would have to learn her way around if she didn’t want to keep getting lost on the way to the makeshift nursery they’d created for David.

  President Sirleaf had had an army of servants, staff members, and armed guards to tend to her every need. They’d inherited that staff. Although Sonia was surrounded by dozens of people at all times and had virtually no privacy, she’d never felt so alone or so afraid. Although the staff members were careful not to show a hint of emotion, Sonia could only imagine what they felt about their president being taken away at gunpoint. Neither she nor David would ever be safe in this place. She hugged herself and rubbed her arms.

  Whatever love she had felt for her husband had died the night she found out who he truly was. At first, he’d tried to act as if nothing had changed between them. When he entered their bedroom a few nights after the coup and tried to have sex with her, she felt nothing but revulsion. She fought him and continued to fight him until he stopped making advances and retreated to his side of the bed. She’d lain there, wide awake, not trusting him to leave her alone while she slept. Finally, at dawn, he got up, took a shower, dressed and left.

  Later that day, he’d sat her down in the family room and lectured her about her duties as the first lady of Liberia. She was to conduct herself as a lady, attend and plan social events and political functions, oversee the redecoration of the Presidential mansion, and use her charm, legal skills, and negotiation skills to assist his administration. She also was expected to perform her wifely duties.

  When Sonia laughed out loud at that last bit, he threw her a very serious look. “I understand that you are upset right now. It’s only natural. You have suffered quite a shock,” he had said. “In light of that, I will give you some time. But make no mistake, Sonia, you are my wife and you had better start acting like it, and soon, or life will become very unpleasant for you.”

  A shiver travelled down Sonia’s spine as she remembered the look in his eyes. The man was dead serious.

  She had to find a way to get the hell out of here and take her son with her. If she could get to the airport and catch a flight back to the U.S., she could go off the grid. Technically, she’d be kidnapping her own child, but screw that. He was her son. He had grown inside her for nine months. The Hague Convention be damned. Joseph had no right to keep them prisoner in Liberia or to place them in danger by taking over the government.

  She needed a good plan to make this happen. If he caught her, she’d lose her window of opportunity. Joseph would never trust her again to take her son out alone. And she didn’t even want to think about what else might happen. She couldn’t protect David if she were dead or severely injured. She swallowed.

  Fatima walked into the family room. “Is everything all right, my lady? Is there anything you need?”

  Yeah, I need information.

  “Fatima, come and sit with me for a moment.” Sonia patted the cushions of the couch next to her.

  “Of course, my lady.” Fatima took a seat.

  “I told you to call me Sonia. I’ll never get used to that title. So, what has my husband put on the agenda for me this week?”

  “Well, there are a couple of public appearances he has scheduled for you to attend. One of them is the reception being held at the United States Embassy. Our relationship with the United States is very important to Liberia. They will be concerned about the coup and we will need to demonstrate that the government of Liberia is now stable,” Fatima said.

  “Stable? How can Liberia show stability when my husband overthrew the democratically elected president? How do you feel about this?” Sonia asked.

  Fatima shrugged. “It is the way things are. I’m fortunate to be working with the president.”

  “I hear on the radio that there is still unrest in the countryside. I’m so scared Fatima. I read that at least one of Liberia's former presidents was killed in this place. Are we safe here? What's to stop someone else from trying to take over? What guaranties do we have that we’ll get out alive if that happens?” Sonia asked.

  “There are no guaranties, ma'am,” Fatima said. “All we can do is pray.”

  Chapter XI

  Fatima and Saye sat on the couch in the living room of the Saytumah family mansion having cocktails. Fatima was dressed in a red negligee
.

  “So, how are things at the Presidential mansion?” Saye asked.

  ”Not so good, I am afraid. The first lady grows more and more worried every day,” she said.

  “And well she should be. It was not enough for my brother to take over the family business and my father's position in the Liberian Ministry. No, he had to take over the entire country as well. The greedy bastard. It would serve him right if someone else executed a coup,” Saye said.

  “You are the first-born. You are the rightful heir. It should be you living in the Presidential mansion, not him,” Fatima said

  “Yes, and as soon as we put our plan into motion, that will happen,” Saye said. “When my brother realizes that his son is not safe in Liberia, he will take his family back to America. My brother was kidnapped and tortured as a child. He will not want that for his son.”

  “And then you will take over and I will be at your side,” Fatima said.

  “Yes. You have been a very loyal ally,” Saye said.

  “Sonia is already very worried about their safety. I would not put it past her to attempt to flee the country. What if she does that before we can execute our plan?” Fatima asked.

  “Joseph told me that he has forbidden her to take my nephew out of the country. We just have to make sure she doesn't. Enough shop talk. Come here. I require relaxation,” Saye said. Fatima smiled, slid closer to him kissed him on the lips, then on his neck, and then down his chest before continuing her journey down his body.

  ***

  Sonia paced back and forth in the family room of the Presidential mansion then threw herself onto the couch. She was completely frustrated. Her plan to get a message to her father had not worked out at all. Joseph had interrupted her conversation with General Peters and spirited her away just when she had worked up enough courage to say something to the man. It was almost as if Joseph knew what she was going to do.

  The party at the Embassy had been a prime opportunity to get a message to her father through an Embassy official. Now, she’d have to wait until the next diplomatic event. Even then, there were no guarantees. Meanwhile, Joseph could try to force her to fulfill her so-called wifely duties. She shuddered at the thought.

  She stood up and began pacing back and forth again. No, she couldn’t put herself through that. She refused to join the ranks of those poor girls at the rape crisis center. She had to get out of here. But how?

  She needed to devise a plan to get herself and David to the airport. Maybe she could check the flights and buy the tickets online using a credit card and then contact her father when she landed.

  The week before, Joseph had let her take David to the market in downtown Monrovia. The driver had dropped them off at one end of the long street and picked them up at the other end. David had loved the market with all of its sights, sounds, smells and throngs of people milling about. He’d been talking about it nonstop ever since and demanding to know when they would be going back.

  Sonia stopped pacing as the plan began to unfold in her mind. She could get the driver to take them to the market. While there, she could buy outfits for herself and David, change their clothes, hop into a taxi – they were always available at the market – and take it to the airport.

  She flashed back to the look in Joseph’s eyes the night before and shook her head. It would never work. He knew she’d intended to slip General Peters a message. He knew she was plotting a way out of this situation. If he knew she was planning to take David out to the market without the nanny, he might stop her or find some other way to thwart her plans. She had to find a way to distract him. She walked back over to the couch and sat down.

  Fatima entered the room. “My lady, can I get you anything?”

  Sonia looked up at the woman and saw opportunity. Fatima had continued to be Joseph’s administrative assistant even after he became the president of Liberia. Since part of her job duties entailed informing Sonia of events she was expected to attend as the first lady and coordinating her calendar, she’d become sort an assistant to Sonia as well.

  Sonia didn’t particularly like Fatima. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something about the woman’s passive, obsequious manner turned her off. She just got a weird vibe from her. She was the last person Sonia wanted to rely upon for her escape plan to work. But she had no choice. Fatima was uniquely positioned to keep Joseph busy so that she and David could have the opportunity to escape.

  Although they were never destined to become best friends, they had built up a sort of rapport in the weeks since the coup. And Fatima seemed particularly fond of David. Perhaps she could use that to enlist her help.

  Sonia rose from the couch and walked over to Fatima. “I can't take it anymore.”

  Fatimah’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? What can’t you take? Are you in pain, my lady? Is it one of your migraines? I will call the doctor.” She turned toward the door and took a step.

  Sonia reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her. She shook her head. “No. I don’t have a migraine. I’m just going slowly mad. I can't keep smiling in everyone's face as if nothing were wrong when the truth is that I’m being kept hostage here in Liberia and my son is not safe. I have to do something about it.”

  “What do you mean? Who is holding you hostage?” Fatima asked.

  “My husband will not let me take our son to safety in America. He says that if I leave him and go back to America to live, I’ll never see my son again,” Sonia said.

  “Oh that is terrible, my lady!” Fatima dropped her head and started to wring her hands. “Such a young boy needs his mother. Surely you can find a way to stay here and be with him until he is old enough to go off to college? Who knows? By then, you and the President may get along better.”

  Sonia stared at Fatimah. What? Stay here for another sixteen years? Is she out of her damned mind? If, by some fortune, we aren’t killed before then, I’d wish I were dead. No. Who am I kidding? I’ll have either slit my wrists or taken Joseph out in his sleep and gotten executed long before then.

  She realized that she was still staring at Fatima, her mouth wide open in astonishment. She snapped her jaw closed and shook her head. “No Fatimah. There’s no way I can do that.” She took Fatima by the arm and led her over to the couch. “Look, I’ve figured out a way to get my son to America. But I need your help to do it.”

  “My help?” Fatima’s eyes grew wide as saucers and she shook her head from side to side. “Oh I don't know, my lady. Mr. Saytumah would kill me if he even knew we were having this conversation. I could never go against his wishes. He is the president, not to mention my boss.”

  Sonia reached out and put her hand over Fatima’s. “Fatima, do you have any children?”

  “No yet, my lady. I pray one day to be blessed with them,” Fatima said.

  “Well, when you do have them, you’ll discover that there’s nothing you won’t do to keep them safe. You know about the unrest here. If Joseph and I are killed in the next coup, what will happen to David? You have to help me, Fatima. I'm begging you.” She squeezed Fatima’s hand.

  Fatima lowered her eyes and was silent for a moment, then she looked at Sonia and smiled. “He’s such a beautiful little boy. I do want him to be safe. What can I do to help?”

  Thank God.

  “I've bought plane tickets to take me and David to America. He’ll be safe there. I’ll have the driver take us to the market in downtown Monrovia and then catch a taxi to the airport. I need for you to keep Joseph busy so he doesn’t see us leave. If he sees me leaving with David, he may guess what I’m up to and stop me. Can you do that?”

  “Yes ma'am. We have several very important meetings lined up this week. I can arrange to get Mr. Saytumah out of the house or, at the very least, keep him in his office on conference calls or in meetings while you get away. When are you planning to leave?” Fatima asked.

  “Two days from now, at 2:00p.m. Oh Fatima! I’ll find a way to repay you for your kindness. I know what kind of risk y
ou’re taking and I appreciate it. You’re saving my son's life. I am forever grateful.” She gave Fatima a hug. She’d underestimated the woman. Apparently, she had more heart and more backbone than Sonia had ever imagined.

  “It is my pleasure. Your son is much too young to be kept in this sort of danger,” Fatima said.

  Sonia felt tears prick the back of her eyelids. “Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart.

  Chapter XII

  Two days later, Sonia entered the nursery and gave the nanny a sunny smile. “Hi there. How’s my little man?”

  The nanny returned the smile. “He is wonderful, ma'am. I just fed him lunch. He has a good appetite.”

  Sonia turned to watch David play with his new fire truck. He pushed it across the floor making loud engine noises. He loved that toy. She’d have to get him a new one once they got to the States. She turned back to the nanny. “I haven’t been spending as much time with him lately, what with all the first lady responsibilities. I’d like to spend the rest of the day with him. There’s no need for the two of us to be here. Why don't you take the rest of the day off and come back in the morning? I'll make sure you get paid for the whole day.”

  “Really ma'am? Are you sure you don't want me to stay or to come back in a few hours? It's no trouble at all.”

  “I am sure. Now go on. Live a little.” Sonia smiled at the nanny to put her at ease.

  “Thank you very much, ma'am.” She did not have to be told twice; she gathered her things and left the nursery.

  Sonia turned to her son. “Come here, sweetie.” She crouched down to his height and opened her arms wide. David got up from the floor where he’d been playing and toddled over to her. She scooped him up and carried him to the door of the nursery. She opened it and looked up and down the hall. Seeing no-one, she carried her son to the master bedroom and set him down onto the bed while she grabbed her purse and a baby bag she had packed earlier.