The Liberian Agenda Read online

  The guests sang happy birthday songs to Dwe in both English and a Liberian dialect. The Minister looked pleased as he blew out the candles. During the singing, Tara excused herself from the table and slipped out a side door onto a terrace. She extracted an earpiece from her clutch and put it in her ear.

  “Status,” she said.

  “Jared is still in Dwe’s study,” Naimah said. “We’re having trouble uploading the information from the computer. I’m trying to figure out what the problem is. Everything looks normal on my end.”

  “Jared, can you hear me?” Tara asked.

  “Loud and clear,” he said.

  “What does it look like on your end?” she asked.

  “It’s quiet in here. I didn’t see any security roaming the halls on my way in. There was no alarm system or other security system in Dwe’s study as far as I could tell. The computer screen is blank. I don’t know why the information isn’t uploading. Maybe there’s something wrong with the drive.”

  Tara was silent for a moment as she decided what to do. On one hand, this was the best opportunity they’d had to get the data. On the other hand, it would be easy to lose track of the Saytumahs now that the program was over. Jared was taking a huge risk. Plus, she didn’t have a good feeling about the mission. “Abort. I don’t like it.”

  “Are you sure?” Jared asked. “It will be a long time before we get another opportunity like this.”

  “Yes. I’m sure. Abort,” she said.

  “Roger that,” Jared said.

  ***

  Tyrone watched a guard enter the ballroom, walk up to the head table and whisper in Dwe’s ear. Dwe turned and caught Saye’s eye. When Saye approached, Dwe whispered in his ear. Saye nodded, straightened and headed toward the door. He motioned for a guard to follow him.

  Tyrone excused himself from the table and joined Tara on the terrace. “Something’s happening. Saye just left the hall with a guard. What’s the status?”

  Tara turned to look at him and a knot formed in Tyrone’s gut. She looked tense. She never looked tense.

  “There’s a problem with the uplink,” she said. “I told Jared to abort. He should be leaving Dwe’s office now.” She touched her earpiece. “Jared, tell me you got out of there. Saye just left the ballroom. We believe he’s coming to you.”

  Tyrone slipped in his earpiece just in time to hear Jared curse.

  “I was trying to give Naimah one more minute to fix the uplink.” Jared said. ”Naimah, how does it look out there?”

  “Let me check,” she said. “Oh my God.”

  “What do you mean? Don’t say that,” Jared said.

  “What is it, Naimah?” Sonia asked.

  “Armed guards are headed to Dwe’s study from all directions. Saye and one of the guards are two corridors away coming from the direction of the ballroom. Another contingent is one corridor away coming from the other direction. Jared, there are no windows in the study. You need to get out of there right now. There’s a room two doors down on the left. The plans show it has a terrace,” she said.

  “Move!” Tara said.

  “Moving,” Jared said.

  “Hurry,” Naimah said. “They’re going to have a visual on you in twenty seconds.”

  Tyrone could hear Jared moving quietly. There was a pause, and he could visualize Jared picking the locks. He heard the quiet closing of a door and barely made out the sound of Jared’s footsteps as he crossed the room. He heard the sound of a sliding glass door quietly opening and closing and then there was silence. He couldn’t even hear the sound of Jared’s breath.

  “Naimah, are you sure this is the only way out?” Jared asked.

  “It’s the only one I can see at the moment,” she said. “Why?”

  “I’m looking down at a sheer drop of at least a hundred feet into the sea,” he said.

  “What? Oh that’s right, the Saytumah family mansion is on beachfront property. That whole side of the house overlooks the water,” she said.

  “I don’t see any beach,” he said. “Just a whole lot of rocks.”

  “Hold your position for now,” Tara said.

  Chapter V

  Saye and the guard walked down the corridor to Dwe’s study. He opened the door and stepped in, the guard following closely behind. The room was empty.

  He headed over to his father’s desk and checked the computer. It was turned on. He checked the security program on the computer and saw that a U.S.B. drive had been attached to the computer and then removed. He sat there for a moment stroking his beard.

  Who would dare to do this? It must be the Americans.

  He picked up the telephone handset and dialed the security office. The head of security answered.

  “Sir?”

  “I want you to confirm the whereabouts of all the American diplomatic personnel and their staff on premises immediately. Let me know if any are unaccounted for.” Saye replaced the handset and turned to the guards who were with him. “Someone has been in here using this computer. I want you to do a room by room search of the house and the grounds. You are looking for anyone who doesn’t belong here and any guest who is out of place.”

  ***

  Jared waited on the terrace and tried to figure out his next move. He heard Naimah’s voice in his ear.

  “Guards are now everywhere. It appears that Saye has ordered a grid-by-grid search of the mansion, and a headcount,” she said.

  “Oh no,” Tara said.

  “Jared, they’re checking the room across from yours now. Your room is next,” Naimah said.

  Jared looked down at the sea crashing into the rocks below. He had to do something. He couldn’t let the guards find him. He threw his leg over the edge of the balcony, climbed over the rail, and lowered himself until he dangled from balcony floor by his fingertips. From his precarious position, he heard the guards enter the apartment. A moment later, he heard the terrace doors open. One of the guards stepped out onto the terrace. Jared held his breath. After a moment, the guard stepped back into the apartment and closed the terrace doors. A few moments later, Jared heard the door to the suite open and close.

  “They’ve left the apartment and cleared the corridor,” Naimah said.

  Jared breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he’d get out of here alive after all. One thing was for sure, he’d always take mission briefings seriously in the future. He’d no idea how nerve-wracking fieldwork could be. Tara’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

  “Get out of there and get back to the limo,” she said.

  “Yes ma’am.” Jared pulled himself up the side of the balcony and climbed back onto the terrace. He then walked over to the terrace doors and tried to open them. They were locked. “Um, I’m having a slight problem following that order.”

  “What problem?” Tara asked.

  “The guard locked the terrace door,” he said.

  “Well, can’t you pick the lock?” Tara asked.

  “No. There’s no keyhole. It’s locked with a deadbolt on the inside. I’m either going to have to break the glass in the door or find another way inside,” he said.

  Tara groaned. “This is a disaster. What else can go wrong with this mission? Don’t answer that. Naimah, is there anyone in the corridor outside the apartment?”

  “No,” Naimah said.

  “Okay,” Tara said. “Jared, you’re good to go.”

  Jared looked around for something he could use to break the glass in the terrace door. He settled on a wooden chair. He picked it up, raised it over his head and brought it down against the glass. The door shattered with a loud crash. Jared waited a moment listening for any sign someone had heard the glass break. Hearing nothing, he stepped into the apartment, strode across the living room and reached out to open the door leading to the hallway. He froze when he heard Naimah’s voice in his ear.

  “Oh no,” she said.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Saye just stepped out of the study into the hall and he has a gun,” Naimah
said.

  “I thought you said there was no-one in the corridor,” he said.

  “There wasn’t. He must have been in the study,” Naimah said. “He probably heard the glass breaking. Oh my God, he’s pulling out a key.”

  Jared knew he was about to be caught. He couldn’t afford to be captured; there was too much at stake. He knew what he had to do. He turned around, ran to the terrace and climbed over the balcony ledge. He looked down at the sea below and tried to figure out the best way to jump and survive. “Listen, we all know I can’t let them capture me. If they do, we run the risk of compromising your cover. I can’t let that happen. I’m going to jump off the terrace and hope for the best. I suggest you have the embassy send over another driver for my limo.”

  “No Jared,” Tara said. “Don’t jump. Are you crazy? We’ll find a way to get you out of there.”

  Jared heard the apartment door open. “It’s too late.”

  He had run out of time and options. Saying a silent prayer, he let go of the balcony rail.

  ***

  Tara heard a rush of air, a loud splash, and then silence.

  “Jared. Jared!” she said.

  Tyrone grabbed her by the arm. “Keep your voice down.”

  Jared didn’t respond. The air felt like it was being pressed from Tara’s lungs. Dear God let him be all right.

  Tyrone reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “Sis, there’ll be time to worry later. Right now, we have to do damage control. I’ll call the embassy and arrange for another driver to take Jared’s place. Naimah, I need for you to arrange a search for him. We need to find him before Saye does. If they find him, it’ll cause an international incident. We can’t have that. We won’t be able to continue our work and Jared’s sacrifice will have been in vain. Tara, you and I have to go back in there, maintain our cover and act as if we don’t have a care in the world. Can you handle that?”

  Tara stared at him and wondered if she could, then a cold rage slammed into her burning out the worry and the grief. She’d be damned if she’d let the bastards win. “Yes. Of course.”

  “Good girl.” Tyrone nodded his approval. He pulled out his cell phone and called the embassy, then he and Tara walked back into the hall, took their seats, and engaged the other guests in conversation.

  ***

  After dinner, the R&B diva Regina Belle joined the band onstage.

  Sonia turned to Joseph. “I can't believe your father flew Regina Belle in to perform at his birthday party.”

  “Actually, that was my birthday present to him,” Joseph said.

  Sonia gaped at him. “You arranged this?”

  Joseph nodded, then extended a hand. “Shall we dance?”

  “Oh, but this is a slow song,” Sonia said.

  “Exactly.” he said.

  He led her onto the dance floor and pulled her into his arms. They fit well together, and she found herself melting into him. Three songs later, he led her off the dance floor and out into the gardens. It was a warm, clear night. The moon seemed impossibly large and the stars exceptionally bright as he led her into a quiet corner of the garden. A slight breeze carried the scent of exotic blooms.

  “It’s so beautiful out here and it smells wonderful. What flower is that?” she asked.

  “That would be the night-blooming jasmine. It used to be my mother’s favorite flower; however, the most beautiful flower out here tonight is you.” He took her into his arms and kissed her. Lust snaked through her belly. It felt like old times. She returned the kiss.

  “Come with me.” He took her by the hand and led her into the mansion through a side door. They entered an office. He led her through it into a hallway and down the hall.

  “Where are we going?” Sonia asked.

  “Somewhere we can have some privacy.”

  “You're not going to give me a tour of your bedroom like your brother suggested, are you?” she asked.

  “Yes. For once my inappropriate brother was correct,” he said.

  “Don't worry, I won't tell him he was right. You'll never hear the end of it,” she said.

  “I appreciate that.” His dry tone made her giggle.

  He led her by the hand to his bedroom. When they got there, he pulled her inside and kissed her. His lips were rough, demanding. His hands gripped her hair and pulled her head back to give him greater access.

  Yeah, just like old times. Her fingers dug into his shoulders almost of their own volition. She could feel his hardened manhood pressing into her belly. Desire shot like a flame down her belly to her pubic area causing her to moan. He broke off the kiss and pulled her across the room, to stand next to the king-sized bed. He slid his fingers under the straps of her dress and pushed them over her shoulders. He then got behind her and unzipped it. It fell into a pool at her feet.

  He pushed her hair to one side and sank his teeth lightly into the back of her neck. It was erotic and, at the same time, it made her feel vulnerable. She shivered. His pulled her back against him and began playing with her breasts through her bra. He reached inside her bra and began pinching and rolling her nipples between his fingers. She arched her back and moaned; the movement pressed his erection firmly against her.

  He let her go, unhooked her bra and pushed it over her shoulders. It joined her dress on the floor. He planted kisses from the nape of her neck all the way down her spine. He then gripped her hips and sank his teeth lightly into her behind. The tiny pain made her gasp. He took two fingers, pushed them into the folds of her vagina and massaged her clitoris. What he was doing felt so damned good that she groaned and writhed, spread her legs a little wider, and rubbed herself against his hand like a cat.

  He withdrew his fingers, scooped her up and tossed her onto the bed. She landed on her back. As she lay there trying to catch her breath, he stripped off his clothes and crawled between her legs. He yanked her legs open, put his head between them and proceeded to drive her insane with his mouth. He sucked and gently nibbled until she was writhing in ecstasy. After she reached orgasm, her girly bits became very sensitive. She tried to get away from him but he was relentless. He pinned her down and continued his efforts until she thought she’d go mad.

  After she came for the second time, he put his hand around his engorged member, moved up on the bed and drove it into her. Pleasure and pain had her crying out, as he began thrusting in and out of her. He gripped each of her legs under the knee, pushed them upward toward her shoulders and continued pounding away. She could feel herself being stretched to the limit. Then he found her g-spot and all discomfort melted away as pleasure took over. He hit it again and again. This time, the orgasm was so strong that she could swear she went blind for a moment.

  She gasped for air.

  He didn’t stop even after she came down from the orgasm. He reached down and began playing with her again. His hard pounding and his fingers on her supersensitive flesh sent aftershocks through her until, finally, he came. He roared, dug his knees into the bed, and ground his hips into her.

  Afterwards, they lay there quietly, their arms wrapped around each other and drifted off to sleep. He woke her up in the middle of the night. This time, he took her from behind. It felt like he was pounding into her very soul.

  ***

  Jared didn’t make it.

  Tara, Tyrone and Naimah sat in the living room of the Nkrumah family home. Tara’s head ached and her eyes felt swollen and irritated. She wiped at the tears on her face. Tyrone’s arm around her shoulders provided some comfort. She knew he also felt the pain of Jared’s death.

  Neither one of them had ever lost an agent before. It was a minor miracle actually. The Agency had high rates of turnover -- for good reason. It was dangerous work they did -- important work, but still dangerous. Knowing that did nothing to lessen the pain and guilt Tara felt. She sagged against her brother. His arm tightened around her shoulders.

  Tara glanced at Naimah. Her usually happy face was streaked with tears and pinched with misery. She sat there i
n silence, her shoulders slumped, just staring out into space.

  She needs for me to be a leader -- to be strong -- Tara thought, and straightened, dislodging Tyrone’s arm. She grabbed some tissues from the box he had placed on the dining room table and blew her nose. Then she looked at Naimah. “What happened?” she asked.

  “It was all my fault,” Naimah said. “I ran a diagnostic after it all went down. The best I can tell, Jared tripped a silent alarm when he turned on the computer. That must have alerted the guards. By the time we were able to alert him that the guards were coming, it was too late. He had no choice but to go into that suite. When you asked me to check the corridor, I did. It was empty. But I lost track of Saye. I didn’t know he was still in the study. If I had known that, I would have told Jared not to break that terrace door and he’d still be alive.” Naimah covered her face with her hands.

  Tara rose from the couch, walked over to Naimah and touched her arm. “No Naimah, you don’t know that. It’s not your fault. We checked that place inside and out. There was no way we could have known about the silent alarm. And with so many cameras to monitor it’s no wonder you lost track of Saye. None of us thought he’d still be in the study – not you, not me, and not Jared. Jared knew what the risks were. He knew we couldn’t afford to let him get caught. He did what he had to do.”

  Naimah was silent for a moment. “I never lost an agent before.”

  “It may be your first time, ours too, but unfortunately, it won’t be our last,” Tara said. “Now look, we have to report this fiasco to Ben. Let’s get our game faces on and our stories straight.”

  Naimah nodded. “I’m going to go make some repairs to my face.” She got up and left the room.

  Tyrone stared at Tara.

  “What?” she asked.

  “That was a nice little speech you gave Naimah and good advice. Just make sure you heed it too.”

  Tara walked back over to the couch, sat down next to her brother and hung her head. “I can’t help but feel responsible. I hand-picked him for this operation and now he’s dead. I can’t help but wonder if he would have gotten locked on that terrace if he had a little more experience.”