The Liberian Agenda Read online

  “Yeah, but how am I going to handle Joseph? I mean, he asked me if I was married, he paid me all these compliments, and he looked at me as if I were lunch and he was starving.” Sonia said.

  Charlene laughed. “Is he married?”

  “No, but that's not the point. Do you remember how obsessed he became in college? I can't risk something like that happening again and causing me problems at the firm,” Sonia said.

  “Well, I would just make it clear that this is strictly a business relationship and nothing more. He’s an old friend who brought you a bit of business. That's all,” Charlene said.

  Sonia shook her head. “I don't know if I can pull that off. We’ve always had such strong reactions to each other.”

  “That’s true. I remember you used to come back from a night out with him with a smile on your face and a glazed look in your eye,” Charlene said.

  Sonia laughed. “We certainly did enjoy each other. I remember one time he was mad at me for cursing him out . . .”

  As she told the story, it was 1989 again, her last year in college. Joseph had acted like a jealous maniac, calling her at six in the morning and demanding to know where she’d been the night before. Unfortunately for him, she’d been working half the night on her senior thesis and wasn’t a morning person. Instead of answering his question, she’d told him off and then hung up on him.

  He called her back that afternoon to ask her out to dinner. Feeling a little guilty about the way she’d treated him, she accepted.

  He picked her up promptly at 7:00 p.m. He didn’t say much when he greeted her. He just gave her a polite peck on the cheek, helped her into the car and got behind the wheel without saying another word. They exited the campus through the main gate and headed toward a nearby diner. The silence between them became unbearable.

  She turned to look at him. His gaze was focused on the road, his expression inscrutable. “About this morning. I’m sorry. I was stressed out and tired. I didn’t mean to go off on you like that. I’m not used to having to answer to anybody concerning my whereabouts so when you demanded to know where I’d been, I went ballistic. I realize now that I could have called you. I was just trying to get my thesis done.”

  “Do not worry, my lady. I understand that you American women are very independent and not used to us Liberian men. You will have the opportunity to pay for the things you said this morning.” He flashed a wolfish grin at her then reached over and slowly ran his hand up her leg and under her skirt. His fingers trailed the sensitive skin of her inner thigh from her knee to her groin. Sonia gasped and squirmed. What he was doing felt good. He smiled and removed his hand.

  He took her to the diner. They chatted about her thesis, his classes, and other things. Sonia was distracted throughout the entire meal thinking about what was to come. Her appetite suffered.

  Joseph teased her. “I thought you were hungry, my dear. We should have the waitress wrap your food up and take it to go. You will definitely have an appetite later.”

  Sonia hit him on the arm. Little butterflies danced in her stomach. They hadn’t been dating long and had only had sex a couple of times. Her face warmed as she thought about those encounters. Joseph was a skilled and demanding lover. She didn’t know what he had in mind for her. She just hoped to survive it. The last time they made love, he almost drove her crazy. She never knew she could have multiple orgasms.

  They left the restaurant soon thereafter. He didn’t take the road leading back to the campus.

  “Where are you taking me?” Sonia asked.

  “To the house where we may enjoy some privacy,” he said.

  There wasn’t enough privacy at the dorm? What did he plan to do to her?

  He pulled into his driveway and shut the car off. He then turned to her, grabbed her by the shoulders, jerked her toward him and kissed her roughly. She was lightheaded and breathless when he broke off the kiss.

  He helped her out of the car and led her by the hand to his front door. He opened it, drew her inside, closed it, and rammed her back against it with his body. He ravaged her lips. She moaned. He pulled away and looked at her. She sagged against the door, looking back at him.

  “It is now time to pay for your earlier behavior, my lady,” he said.

  “Oh yeah? What do you have in mind?” she asked.

  Joseph took her by the hand and led her into the living room. He brought her to stand a few feet in front of the couch and released her. He sat down on the couch facing her.

  “Take off your clothes,” he said.

  Sonia giggled. “Right here?”

  “Yes. Do it,” he said.

  “Yes sir.” She kicked off her sandals and reached down to pull her shirt slowly over her head. Next, she unbuttoned her skirt, pulled it over her hips and let it drop to the floor. She stepped out of it and kicked it aside. She then put her hands on her hips and posed a little in her bra and panties. “Now what?”

  Joseph took his time and looked her over slowly. He licked his full lips. “Take it all off.”

  Sonia hooked her hands into her bra straps and peeled her bra down over her shoulders. Turning it around, she unhooked it and threw it aside. Next, she slid her fingers into the elastic waistband of her panties, peeled them over her hips and pushed them down her legs. She stood there completely naked and looked at him.

  Joseph stared at her for a moment, drinking in every inch of her body. Then he looked up into her eyes. The hunger she saw there made her shiver. “Come here.”

  Sonia walked slowly toward him until she was standing between his legs with her shins up against the couch.

  He leaned forward, kissed her belly and ran his hands up and down the backs of her legs and over her behind. He grabbed her buttocks with one hand and pushed her pelvis forward. Sonia moaned when the fingers of his other hand slid across and then into the folds of her vagina and found her clitoris. He held her in place while he worked her with his fingers. It felt so good. She moaned and writhed against his fingers.

  He let go of Sonia’s buttocks and brought his hand back against them sharply. The sting and the shock made Sonia yelp and jerk her pelvis forward against his fingers. She moaned. He repeated the process, spanking and pleasuring her at the same time until her senses overloaded and she could no longer differentiate between the pleasure and the pain. She came so hard that her legs almost collapsed beneath her.

  Joseph rose from the couch, got behind her and pushed her forward. She landed on her knees on the edge of the couch, her hands resting against its back. She heard him unbuckle his belt and the sound of his pants hitting the floor. He yanked her hips back and pressed down between her shoulders until she was bent over, her behind high in the air. He spread her legs wide, positioned himself at her entrance and rammed himself into her in a single stroke.

  His well-endowed member stretched her wide. Pain and pleasure caused her to cry out as he plunged in and out of her, his hand grasping her hips and yanking her back onto him again and again. After a while, the pain disappeared, leaving only pleasure. He rode her long and hard until she had two more orgasms.

  “Damn that sounds good right about now,” Charlene said, bringing Sonia back to the present.

  “It does, doesn't it? Oh, what am I going to do Charlene? With memories like these, it’s going to be hard to keep our relationship strictly professional,” Sonia said.

  “Hell, with memories like that, I might have to jump him,” Charlene said.

  “Charlene!”

  “Just kidding. Sort of. Look, there's no use agonizing over it. It sounds to me like your managing partner isn’t giving you much of a choice. Just handle the transaction, keep your eyes open, and take it one step at a time. A lot of things can change in thirteen years.”

  “You’re probably right. What would I do without you?” Sonia asked.

  “I don't know -- trip down memory lane with somebody else?”

  Sonia laughed.

  ***

  The next day, Tara and Tyrone me
t with Jared and told him about the mission.

  He could barely contain his excitement. “You mean I finally get to work with you two? The baddest spooks in the agency?”

  Tyrone threw him a sharp glance. “I suggest you pay close attention to what we’re about to tell you. This is a very dangerous mission. Liberia is no joke. If they catch you, that’s your ass. The last thing I need is for some fool to blow our cover and get us all killed.”

  Jared sucked his teeth. “Can’t a brother celebrate for a split second?”

  Tyrone and Tara simply stared at him. He sobered, settled back into his chair, and crossed his arms. “Please proceed.”

  “Thank you,” Tara said. “You’re going to pose as our driver.” She picked up a laser pointer and aimed it at a schematic on a large screen that took up the far wall. “This is the front entrance to the mansion and the driveway.” She outlined the area on the screen. “The drivers are usually allowed into the kitchen to get snacks and into this foyer to wait for their employers. They’re also allowed to use this guest restroom in the servants’ quarters over here. It just so happens that Dwe Saytumah’s study is in the same wing of the house as the servants’ quarters. It’s down this corridor which is near the guest bathroom. The night of the party is the first time you’ll visit the Saytumah mansion. You’ll establish yourself as our new driver and then get lost on your way to the restroom.”

  Jared nodded. “Understood.”

  “The Saytumah mansion has a state-of-the-art security system in addition to the armed security guards patrolling the grounds. That’s why the mission must be completed by someone already on the inside,” Tara said.

  Tyrone chimed in. “From what we can tell, Dwe keeps his information on a stand-alone system in his office. Since it’s not hooked up to the Internet, we have no way of hacking into it remotely. We have to set up a link and upload it from the inside.” He held out what appeared to be a simple U.S.B. flash drive. “Once you get inside the study, turn on the computer and plug this baby in. The device will do the rest.”

  “How long will I need to be in there?” Jared asked.

  Tyrone shrugged. “It depends on how much data is on the hard drive. Not more than five minutes or so. Naimah will let you know when the upload is complete. We’ll be monitoring your progress; however, we’re under orders not to blow our cover under any circumstances. Do you understand? If you get caught, you’re on your own.”

  Jared nodded. “Understood.”

  “I have every faith in you,” Tara said. “I know how good you are. After all, I trained you myself.”

  Jared smiled. “Why thank you, sensei.” He steepled his hands together under his chin and bowed his head in mock deference.

  Tara laughed and returned the bow. “Make me proud, grasshopper.”

  Tyrone shook his head at their antics.

  ***

  Sonia’s assistant Suzette led Joseph, Saye and Dwe Saytumah into the conference room where Sonia waited. “Gentlemen, this is my boss, Sonia Johnson. I’m leaving you in good hands. Sonia will call me to escort you out when you’re ready to leave. It has been a pleasure to meet you.”

  “No, the pleasure has been all ours to meet such a beautiful and gracious lady,” Saye said.

  Suzette smiled, clearly enjoying the attention.

  Sonia cleared her throat. “Thank you, Suzette.”

  Suzette nodded and left the room.

  Sonia approached the men. Before she could say anything, Joseph grabbed her by the shoulders, pulled her in and kissed her on both cheeks. “Sonia, I would like to introduce you to my father, Dwe Saytumah, and my brother, Saye.”

  Sonia extended her hand to Dwe first. Instead of shaking it, however, he clasped it between two of his and held it. It was a little awkward, but there was a twinkle in the old man’s eye and she didn’t have the heart to snatch her hand back. As a senator’s daughter, she’d met people from many different cultures. She knew that not all men were used to shaking a woman’s hand.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Saytumah. I’ve heard so much about you from Joseph,” she said.

  “Please call me Dwe. So, I finally get to meet the lovely and talented lady my son has raved about all these years. She is even lovelier than you described, Joseph,” he said.

  “Thank you.” Sonia raised her eyebrows and looked over at Joseph. “So, he's been talking about me all these years, huh? I hope he said nice things.”

  “He always sings your praises,” Dwe said.

  Sonia smiled. She turned to Saye and extended her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”

  Saye took her hand, raised it to his lips and kissed it. “The pleasure is all mine.” He looked into her eyes. There was no mistaking the leer in his.

  Sonia wanted to laugh. She had to put a stop to this madness. She cleared her throat, gently extricated her hand and gestured toward the conference room table.

  “Please, gentlemen, have a seat. Would you like something to drink? We have coffee, soda and water set up on the credenza there,” she said.

  “No. We are fine for now,” Joseph said.

  Sonia took a seat at the head of the table. “So, Mr. Saytumah, I understand you want to purchase the assets of a small shipping outfit here in the U.S.”

  “Yes. When I discussed this with Joseph, he told me that you negotiate these types of deals all of the time. Please tell us about that.”

  “Well, I’ve been with the firm for the past ten years. I made partner two years ago. During the time I've been here, I’ve negotiated all types of deals -- mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, asset purchases and leveraged buy-outs. The type of transaction you propose is very similar to a deal I negotiated earlier this year for another client of the firm -- a Greek shipping company that wanted to expand its presence in the U.S.,” she said.

  “What kinds of issues are likely to arise in connection with a transaction of this type?” Dwe asked.

  “Well, in addition to the usual price and deal point issues, there will be regulatory issues having to do with you being a foreign national entering into this line of business, and tax implications as well. Fortunately, some of my partners specialize in those areas and will be able to assist us with those aspects of the deal,” she said.

  Dwe nodded. “Good.”

  “Why don't we discuss what you hope to achieve with this deal and some of the parameters? Then, we can decide how we should proceed,” Sonia said.

  “How we should proceed? What do you mean by that?” Dwe asked.

  “Well, for starters, I need to know who will be the point person on the deal -- the one who interacts with me the most and/or takes the lead on the business side for negotiations,” she said.

  “For the interaction with you I appoint Joseph. Since you two are old friends, you should work well together. Also, his English is the best among the three of us. With respect to negotiations with the other side, I will be the point person,” Dwe said.

  Sonia stifled a groan. Under Dwe’s proposed arrangement, she and Joseph would be spending a lot of time together over the next few months working on the deal. With the attraction they still felt for each other, that could lead to disastrous results. There were ethical rules prohibiting attorneys from having sexual relationships with their clients and, although her background check on Joseph and the company had revealed nothing sinister, she still didn’t trust him completely. She had to find a way to convince Dwe to be the one to interact with her.

  “Your English is fine, Mr. Saytumah,” she said. “And since you are the lead decision maker and will be the point person in negotiations with the shipping company, may I suggest that you also be the one to interact directly with me as well? That way, there’s one person in charge of both areas.”

  Dwe shook his head and dashed her hopes of avoiding prolonged contact with Joseph. “No. My son has had the benefit of an American education. He is much better able to handle the paperwork side of the deal. Besides, working toge
ther will give you two the opportunity to catch up.”

  Although his expression never changed, Sonia could swear she detected another twinkle in his eye. She wanted to laugh. The old rascal knew damned well the position he was putting her in.

  Oh well. There was nothing she could do to change things short of refusing to take on the matter. And that wasn’t an option. She was just going to have to do her best to keep her relationship with Joseph strictly professional.

  She glanced over at him and found him watching her. He caught her eye and sent her a mischievous grin -- almost as if he’d read her thoughts. Her lips twitched with the effort not to grin back at him.

  ***

  Two weeks later, Sonia and Joseph sat at a conference room table. It was well into the dinner hour. They’d been working on the deal all day. Used coffee cups lined up next to multiple stacks of paper on the table. Boxes piled up around the room.

  Sonia marked up a large document with a red pen as she discussed her proposed changes with Joseph.

  “They want to keep this provision in the agreement, but we need it taken out. Maybe if we let them keep this other provision, they’ll let us get rid of that one,” she said.

  “I am sure my father will find a way to persuade them to see our point of view,” Joseph said.

  “We'll see,” Sonia said.

  The long hours were starting to take their toll. She yawned, stretched a little and rubbed the back of her neck.

  Joseph stood up, walked behind her and started to massage her aching neck and tight shoulders.

  Sonia moaned softly and felt her body relax. What he was doing felt good -- too good. It was also highly inappropriate. She stiffened.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “I am giving you a massage. It's late and you have been working very hard for my family. When you started rubbing your neck, I realized how tired and stiff you must be from sitting in here all day and half the night,” he said.

  Sonia slapped his hands away. “Stop that! It's making me nervous. You’re paying me to work hard for your family. You don’t need to give me a massage too.”