The Liberian Agenda Read online

  David watched her, a big smile on his face. “We going out, Mommy?”

  Dear Lord. If he got too excited and started announcing the fact that they were leaving to the world, they’d never get out. She should have drugged him or something. But no, she couldn’t do that. What if she gave him too heavy a dose? She’d never forgive herself. She looked at him thoughtfully. There had to be some way of keeping him quiet for a few minutes. Maybe it was time they started playing the secrets game.

  “Yes, baby,” she said. “We’re going out.” She put her finger to her lips. “Shh! It’s our secret. Don’t tell anybody.”

  David put his little finger to his lips. “Shh.”

  She picked him up, gave him a kiss, left the master bedroom and quickly headed down the hall. When she got to the entrance of the living room, she stopped, put her back to the wall and peeked into the room. David kept his fingers to his lips and leaned forward trying to peek as well. The living room was empty as was the foyer.

  She straightened and carried her son out the front door. Her driver was waiting outside. She’d told him earlier that she planned to take her son to the market.

  “Are you ready to go, ma’am?” he asked.

  “Yes, thank you,” Sonia said.

  David held a finger to her lips. “Shhh Mommy. It’s a secret.”

  The driver smiled at him. “It’s a secret young man?”

  Oh great. This is what I get for playing a secrets game with a two year old.

  She rolled her eyes and smiled at the driver. “Don’t mind him. It’s just a little game we were playing earlier.”

  She turned to David. “All right silly, no more secrets. Mr. Johnson knows we’re going out. He’s going to drive us to the market.”

  David’s eyes lit up. “The market? Yay! I like the market, mommy,” He clapped his little hands together.

  Sonia sighed and glanced around to see if anyone was paying them any particular attention. No-one was. She strapped David into his car seat and they were off. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief as the car left the presidential compound.

  David was still chattering about the market.

  Sonia caught the driver’s eye in the rearview mirror and smiled. “He just loves the market.”

  “Well then,” the driver said, “let’s get this little fellow to the market.”

  Traffic was at its usual crawl. The drive felt like it took forever. She kept thinking she would hear the driver’s cell phone ring and someone would give him orders to turn around and take them back to the mansion.

  When the car finally pulled up to the curb next to one of the market stands, she reached over and unhooked David from his car seat. “You don’t have to wait around for us. Since he loves the place so much, I figure we’ll shop for a while and then get something to eat. Plus, there are lots of kids here for him to play with. We’ll meet you back here in a couple of hours.”

  The driver nodded. “Yes ma’am. I will pick you up right here in two hours. If you need me sooner, you can call me on my cell and I will get here right away.”

  Sonia smiled. “Sounds like a plan.” She picked David up out of the car seat, set him down on the sidewalk, and closed the car door. “See you later.”

  “Yes ma’am.” The car pulled away from the curb.

  Wasting no time, Sonia took David by the hand and set off in search of a stall that sold children’s clothing. She bought a new outfit for David and a little baseball cap. She stopped at a few more stalls and bought some things to change her appearance – a bright flowery sundress, large dark sunglasses that covered much of her face, a red wig. She took her purchases into the ladies’ room where she and David did a quick change act. When she was done, she stuffed their old clothing into the baby bag and checked herself out in the mirror. She looked like a tourist from hell, but at least she looked nothing like herself. She smiled.

  When she finished, she inspected her son. He looked adorable. He had fussed a little when she changed his clothes, but he loved his new hat. She told him they were playing dress-up.

  “You look pretty, Mommy,” he said.

  “Thank you, sweetie.” She picked him up and gave him a kiss.

  They left the restroom and headed toward the street where the taxicabs were lined up. She motioned to one of the drivers. He pulled up and they climbed inside. He looked in the rearview mirror at Sonia and said something in a thick Liberian accent she didn’t understand. She assumed he was asking her where she wanted to go.

  “I need to go to the airport,” she said. “I’ll pay the full fare. We’re in a hurry and don’t have time for you to pick up more passengers.”

  “You are American yes?” the driver asked.

  Sonia nodded. “Yes. We are American.”

  “I know. You Americans are always in a hurry – especially in New York,” he said. “Do you know New York?”

  “Yes, I know New York.” Sonia smiled. Taxicab drivers were the same all over the world. She could have been in New York. The driver would fit right in with all the other taxicab drivers there with thick accents. She sat back and relaxed for a second. She and David were on their way to the airport. So far, her plan was working.

  She’d have to go into hiding. Despite what he had done, Joseph still had parental rights. The last thing she needed was for him to win custody of David or have her arrested for kidnapping her own son. She knew the kidnapping would not look good to a family court judge.

  She also ran the risk of Joseph taking a more direct route. She didn’t doubt for a second that he was capable of having her and David snatched and forcibly returned to Liberia. There was a large Liberian community in New York. Any one of them might be looking to curry a little favor with the president of Liberia.

  She looked down at her son who had fallen asleep in her arms and kissed him on the forehead. She couldn’t take that chance. She’d have to find a way to disappear and find a new life. She had some savings and she knew her parents would help. She didn’t quite know how she’d go about it, but she’d find a way. She just had to stay off the grid. She and David would never be safe as long as Joseph was alive. He would never stop searching for his son or the wife who had betrayed him.

  The taxicab pulled up to the airport terminal. She paid the driver and got out, then walked into the airport carrying her son.

  * * *

  Joseph sat at his desk in the Presidential office, studying reports on his computer screen. The military appeared to be making good progress in quelling the few dissidents who refused to accept his rule.

  The telephone rang. After a moment, Fatima buzzed him.

  “Sir, it is the Liberian press. They want to know if you are sending your wife and son out of the country as a result of the growing unrest in the countryside,” she said.

  “What? What are they talking about?” Joseph asked.

  “Well sir, according the reporter, the first lady has purchased plane tickets to New York for herself and David. Their flight leaves this evening at six o’clock,” she said.

  He leapt to his feet. “What? Where is she now?”

  “I saw her get into her car about an hour ago,” Fatima said.

  “Did she have my son with her?” Joseph asked.

  “Yes,” Fatima said.

  Joseph’s heart sank. He glanced at his watch. It was 4:00p.m. It would take him almost an hour to get to the airport.

  “Sir, what shall I tell the reporter?”

  “Tell them that my wife and son are not leaving the country and that I have no further comment. Then put me through to airport security. Also, tell my driver to get the car ready. We are going to the airport,” Joseph said.

  ***

  David was fussy as a result of having his nap interrupted. Sonia consoled him as best she could. She handed their tickets to the flight attendant. She had bought first class tickets so that they could be among the first to board the plane and she could make David as comfortable as possible during the long flight. The flight atte
ndant looked at the tickets, hesitated for a moment, and then plastered a smile onto her face.

  Sonia felt her heart leap into her throat. She knew there was a chance her husband would find out about the flight and try to stop her. “Is there a problem?”

  “No ma’am,” the woman said. “If you would please wait here for just a moment.” She stepped over to the desk, picked up the telephone and spoke in a native Liberian dialect.

  Moments later, a Liberian solder appeared. He looked at Sonia and David. “I am afraid you will have to come with me, ma'am.”

  Dear God no.

  Sonia felt herself starting to panic. Anger took over and she decided to try and bluff her way out. ”What do you mean? What’s this about? We’ve already gone through security. I’m not going anywhere with you. We’ll miss our flight. Do you know who I am?”

  The soldier nodded, a hint of a smile playing around his lips. “Yes ma'am. I have orders to escort you to security. Please come with me or I will be forced to detain you.”

  “Detain me? Have you lost your mind? You will regret this. When my husband gets through with you, there will be nothing left.”

  The soldier remained impassive. “Right this way, ma’am.” He put one hand on his weapon and swept the other in front of him.

  David began to whimper. Sonia picked him up, glared at the soldier, and then followed him to a door. He opened it, but did not follow her in. Joseph waited inside a small office.

  He turned to the soldier and nodded. “Thank you,” he said. “You are dismissed.”

  The soldier saluted and left.

  Joseph turned to her. The look in his eye caused Sonia’s mouth to dry out. He looked murderous.

  She swallowed. “Joseph, what are you doing here?”

  “I could ask the same thing of you except I know what you are doing here. How dare you? How dare you try to steal my son from me and smuggle him out of the country? I told you that David is a Liberian and his place is here with me.”

  Anger burned away the fear and gave her the courage to lash back at him. “How dare I? How dare you keep us here with all the unrest in this country? How dare you place me and David in danger of getting shot any minute when the next coup happens? What did you expect me to do? I had to do something to keep him safe. I’m his mother, and his father’s not thinking of his best interests.”

  Joseph stared at her through narrowed eyes. “I see that you cannot be trusted.” His voice was eerily quiet. “I am placing you and David under guard. If you ever try to take my son from me again, I will kill you. Do you understand me? You and he belong to me. There is no leaving. You had better resign yourself to that fact and make the best of it or I will make your life a living hell. You American woman are too spoiled. You need a firm hand to rein you in. Don’t worry. I’ve got exactly what you need.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” she asked. “What are you going to do? Lock me up in a dungeon and feed me bread and water? Oh yeah, that’ll go over well in the international community. I can see the headlines now.”

  “You’ll see. I’ve given you way too much leeway. That ends today. Now, we are going back home. If you make a scene, I will simply knock you out and carry you. Which way do you want to go? Walking or not?”

  Sonia stared at him, looking for some semblance of the man she had fallen in love with. There was no sign of him in Joseph’s furious gaze. “I'll cooperate. There’s no need for violence.”

  Joseph nodded. “You’ve made a wise choice. Let's go.”

  ***

  As soon as they got back to the mansion, Joseph called the nanny and ordered her to take David. He then grabbed Sonia by the arm and marched her into the master bedroom. When she resisted, he backhanded her. Pain exploded across her face. The blow drove her backward.

  She fell onto the bed. Joseph climbed on top of her and began ripping off her clothes. When she struggled, he backhanded her again. Stunned by the blow, she didn’t move as he stripped her naked. He flipped her over and clicked her wrists and ankles into restraints that had already been attached to the bedposts. After he restrained her, he left the room.

  Her mind raced as she lay there, face down on the bed, naked and spread—eagled. She had no idea what Joseph had in mind for her, but it couldn’t be good. He’d never treated her so roughly before.

  She wondered where the restraints had come from. Since they were already attached to the bed, it was clear Joseph had been planning to use them.

  How had he found out about her escape plan? She started to run through possible scenarios, but her mind froze when Joseph stalked into the bedroom carrying a thick leather strap. He stood by the side of the bed and looked down at her, running the leather through his hands. Sonia shivered.

  “It's time to teach you a lesson in obedience,” he said. “I cannot have my wife disobeying my orders if I expect obedience from my troops and the citizens of Liberia.”

  “Joseph, please don't.” Sonia struggled against the bonds.

  “You should have thought about the consequences when you dreamed up the scheme to flee the country with my son. I think fifty licks should do the trick.” He raised the belt high and swung down hard with it. It cracked against Sonia's buttocks, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. She screamed and kept on screaming as it came down again and again, over her back, her buttocks, and the backs of her legs.

  .

  Chapter XIII

  The nanny sat on a bench knitting and keeping a watchful eye on David who played with his brand new puppy on the grass. She looked up at the clear blue sky. It was a beautiful day. The brightness of the sun, the boy’s peals of laughter and the puppy’s happy barks contrasted sharply with the guards patrolling the presidential compound with machine guns.

  The guards became less visible for a very brief period at four o’clock in the afternoon when the shift change took place and there was a one minute gap in their rotation at that portion of the compound. Taking advantage of the gap, a man, who seemed to materialize out of thin air, appeared and snatched David off the grass. He clapped a hand over the boy’s mouth and ran off. David kicked and struggled to no avail. The kidnapper carried him out of the compound and jumped into a waiting Jeep which sped off with squealing tires.

  The nanny sat there, frozen, for at least ten seconds before sounding the alarm. She screamed. “Help! Help! They took him! They took him!”

  Guards come running up to her from all directions. One of them took her by the shoulders and shook her. “What are you talking about? Who took who?”

  “A man came in here and took the presidents' son! It happened so fast I could not believe it! He left in a jeep,” she said.

  The guard turned to give orders to the others. “Bring the cars around and go after that jeep.” He turned back to the nanny. “Which way did it go?”

  “It went west. Oh my God. The president will kill me! It's all my fault. It's all my fault! That poor little boy.” She put her head into her hands and sobbed.

  The guard shook her again. “Pull yourself together! We have to go tell the President what happened.” He took her by the arm and all but dragged her to the Presidential office. Once there, he approached one of the President’s personal guards outside the door. “We need to see the President. It is urgent. His son has been kidnapped.”

  The President’s man nodded and knocked on the door to the office. Fatima opened it. After a brief exchange, she ushered them inside.

  ***

  Joseph, who had been talking on the telephone with a Chinese dignitary, looked up. The sight of the sobbing nanny caused his heart to leap up into his throat. He did not see David with her. “I have to go,” he said into the telephone. “An emergency has arisen. Yes, I will make the arrangements and call you tomorrow. Goodbye.”

  He hung up and looked up at the sobbing nanny. If she didn’t give him some satisfactory answers, quickly, he would give her something to cry about. “Where is my son? Why is he not with you?”

  The nann
y stopped sobbing and cowered. “They . . . they took him.”

  Joseph rose from his seat, came around the large desk, grabbed the woman by her arms, and shook her. “What do you mean they took him? Who took him?”

  “I don’t know, sir. A man ran onto the grounds and took him. I have never seen him before.” The nanny started to sob all over again.

  Joseph glared at her. She had to give them more information than this or they would never find his son. That was not an option. “It was your job to protect him. What were you doing while my son was being kidnapped?”

  “I was watching him. I swear. I was sitting on a bench not more than five feet away. One minute he was happy, playing with his new puppy, and the next minute he was gone. I froze. I could not believe what was happening,” she said.

  Joseph turned to the guard. “Take her into custody. I want her interrogated thoroughly. Then I want you to take a contingent of men and find my son. Do not come back here without him. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes sir,” the guard said. He took the now hysterical nanny by the arm and yanked her out of the Presidential office.

  Joseph turned to Fatima. “Bring my wife here please.”

  Fatima nodded and left the office.

  Joseph sat on the edge of his desk, put his head into his hands and wondered what he could possibly say to his wife. She was right. He had put their family in mortal danger with his blind ambition. And now his son -- a sweet, innocent two year old boy -- was about to pay the price.

  He must be terrified. The thought made Joseph sick and filled him with an impotent rage. He walked over to a filing cabinet and kicked it viciously, creating a huge dent in the metal. If he ever got his hands on the kidnappers he would tear them limb from limb. How dare they take his son from him? How dare they make David feel the terror he had felt when he had been kidnapped all those years ago? At least he had been twelve. David was still a baby.