by Iris Bolling
“Wow, they are great,” she said still smiling at Joshua. “Are they real?”
“Yes,” Joshua replied.
“May I touch them,” she stood, reaching out to touch his face.
“Sure,” he bent over.
She touched his dimple with the tip of her finger. “Wow, they’re deep, too.”
Samuel cleared his throat. “The Senator.”
“Yes. Of course.” She picked up the phone. “Mrs. Paxton, there are two very attractive gentlemen here to see the Senator.” She held the receiver. “Your names?”
“Lassiter, Samuel and Joshua.”
She smiled. “Who’s who?”
“I’m Samuel and he’s Joshua.”
She almost curtsied at Joshua. “Samuel Handsome and Joshua Hot.”
The person on the other end of the phone must have said something because the woman straightened and got her act together. “Yes, ma’am, right away.” She cleared her throat. “The Senator will see you now.”
The two walked towards the double doors. “I can’t imagine what life is like for you.”
“Hey somebody has to live it.” Joshua smiled.
“Good afternoon,” Kathy said as she greeted the men. “My, my, my,” she said then smiled. “Would you give me one moment?” She picked up the phone and pushed a button. “You’re forgiven,” she said and hung up telephone. “Right this way, gentlemen.”
Royce stood as the Lassiter’s walked into the room. “Samuel. It’s good to see you.”
“Same here,” Samuel replied as he accepted the hand extended.
“You must be Joshua.” They shook hands. “We seem to have a bit of a situation on our hands.”
“One I believe we can end with a little guidance from you,” Joshua replied.
“Have a seat, gentlemen. You want my help, after you landed a chopper on a building under construction and had a gunfight in the middle of Washington, D.C.? The appropriate time to have asked for my help would have been before all of that occurred.”
“We were under fire from members of a foreign government.” Joshua’s tone elevated some.
“You had one of their citizens in your custody. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
Before Joshua could go on, Royce stopped him. “Why is a citizen of a foreign government here without proper documentation?”
“You know damn well why she is here.” Samuel touched Joshua’s arm to calm him down. Joshua took a deep breath. “As you are aware, there is a sealed file in the Asmere folder. I believe the information contained in that file will go a long way to shed light on a few unanswered questions.”
“What has led you to believe that?”
“Oh, I don’t know, being chased through the wilds of Africa with gunfire as the incentive to run, or, the fact that one of my agents took a bullet earlier today, may be an indication that something is amiss.”
“Your choosing. Your instructions were to not enter Asmere. You went there against orders, possibly causing damage to current delicate situations above your grade level. Now you want to do a witch hunt into files that may affect national security.”
Samuel touched Joshua’s arm. “Senator, there are a few extenuating circumstances here.” He nodded to Joshua.
Joshua sat forward and told the Senator what he knew of the situation, leaving out Akande’s belief that he is her father. “I believe if we can get the two of you together, we can get to the bottom of this.”
“You want me to be in a room with a woman whose sole purpose, according to you, is to kill me?”
“Senator, I know this sounds unreasonable. But it is our best chance to get answers.”
Royce sat back. “Son, while I believe in your plight, you are asking a lot. This young woman has told you a tragic tale, one that many suffer in a foreign country. However, no one man can lift sanctions. That is something that would have to go before Congress.” He sat forward. “However, there is a portion of your story that concerns me greatly. You believe a member of the royal family of Emure is connected to the kidnapping of their own Princess?”
“Yes, sir, I do.”
Royce glared at Joshua. He was indeed an asset to the United States. His logical deduction of the situation was accurate. He only wished his manner of handling situations was less dramatic. “Give me twenty-four hours.”
“Senator, time seems to be an issue here.”
Royce stood and extended his hand. “Twenty-four hours.”
Joshua stood and hesitantly shook the man’s hand.
“Thank you, Senator.” Samuel shook the man’s hand.
Once the men were out of the office Royce paged Kathy. “Get the Secretary of Defense on the line.”
***
Monique stood outside the hotel where Prince Raheem was seen. She couldn’t let what Akande said go. She did not want to jump the gun and assume what she believed to be fact. It was far better to know the answers before you ask the questions. With that theory in mind, after the shootout at the D.C. corral, she was treated at the Quantico Medical Facility. Afterwards she went back to the hotel and did what she did best, she looked at the numbers.
Monique had a unique ability. Her analytical mind when it came to formulas was impressive and her ability to decipher codes was a skill that the CIA desperately needed. But, it was her ability to read or hear something once and repeat it verbatim that made her a candidate they couldn’t afford not to secure. This situation in Asmere simply had her intrigued. She knew there was something more from the Akande end. It was her gut that told her there was more under the surface on the Princess Zsa Zsa end. Now there was another piece to the puzzle. Prince Raheem. The further she dug, the more disturbing the information became. It had to be handled delicately or a family would be destroyed. Diplomacy was needed in this situation. Joshua was not the person for this. She called the best diplomat she knew.
“Hi Aunt Tracy, is Uncle JD, around?”
“Yes, he’s here playing with Jazzy. You need to speak to him?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Monique.”
“What’s up, Unc?” she laughed.
“You have five minutes.”
She loved to pull the hood talk on her Uncle and he loved it too. She could hear his smile through the telephone. “Okay, sorry, I had to do that.”
“Everything okay?” JD asked.
“Have a situation, I need your advice.”
“Shoot.”
“Ouch, please don’t say that.”
“Tell me you were not involved in the Absolute situation.”
“Can’t tell you that.”
“Were you hurt?”
“Just a little, but look Uncle JD, before you start with the, ‘this game is too dangerous for me,’ listen to my situation and give me your take, then you can fuss. Okay. Oh, and you have to promise not to tell Aunt Tracy. She will tell Daddy and that will not be good.”
“All right. What’s the situation?”
“How well do you know Prince LaVeré?”
“Pretty well. Why?”
“Is he a true patriot to his country?”
“From what I know of him, yes.”
She exhaled. “Well, I’ve come across something and will need to meet in private with him. Is that something you can arrange? Like now.”
“I’ll make a telephone call.”
“Uncle JD, no one else can know about this meeting.” She heard her Aunt Tracy in the background. “No one.”
“I’ll make it happen.”
Here she stood, a few hours later watching, waiting, and wondering. If this goes awry, it could blow up in her face. But she knew she was right. Her cell phone chimed.
“Day.”
“You good?” Joshua’s voice came through the line.
“I’m good.”
“What did the doc say?”
“The human body wasn’t meant to take bullets.”
“Sounds like him. You need anything?”
&n
bsp; She smiled. “You love me. I know it.”
“No, I don’t. I just don’t want you bleeding all over my suit if we have to do this shit again tomorrow.”
It was good to have him back. “How is Akande?”
“She’s good. She’s tougher than she looks.”
“I believe that.”
“Thanks for keeping her safe. Any idea how they picked up on you?”
“An idea. I’m checking it out now.”
“Be careful.”
“You too, you’re the one with the target now.”
“Moved to another location.”
“Good move.” She hesitated. “Hey, she worries. That means she cares about you. Just thought you should know that.”
He didn’t respond for a minute. “Not sure if it’s right.”
“Well, it’s not good, that’s for damn sure. But you know how to handle business. Handle it. Check you in the a.m.” The call was disconnected.
She watched as the black sedan pulled up and entered the parking garage. There was no turning back now. The back door opened and Monique slid inside. She bent over and kissed her Uncle JD on the cheek. “I knew you couldn’t resist.” she smiled. “Hey Brian, Sammy.”
“Hey, Squirt,” Brian Thompson, JD’s body man, smiled through the rear view mirror.
“What the doc say about the arm?” Samuel asked.
“I’ll live.”
Then she turned to the man who had been invading her dreams for months now. “Prince LaVeré, I’m pleased you could join us.”
“I do not believe we have been formally introduced.” He extended his hand. “LaVeré Ashro of Emure.”
She hesitated for she knew before touching him, she was going to have a reaction. She placed her hand in his, and a warmth so delicious sped through. “Monique Day.”
His hand closed around hers. “Ms. Day, it is a pleasure to meet you.” He sat back and released her hand. “How may I be of service to you?”
***
Joshua sat at the window of the hotel room, where Akande was asleep. From the window he saw the activity below, but it did not register with him. People were going about their business, living their lives. One day he wanted to be like them. He wanted what Samuel and his sister Diamond now had: a loving family. He knew it was a long shot, but he believed he could have that life with Akande. Once this situation was over, she would have no reason to return to Asmere. The truth was, her aunt would kill her the moment she sat foot on Asmere soil. Her mission would be complete and her aunt would no longer have any use for her. The same question still gnawed at him, why Akande? Why was the Queen insistent that Akande carry out this mission? He did not have an answer to that question. Right now, he had to make a decision.
He pulled up his Bible on his phone. As always he read The Book of Joshua, all verses in Chapter 1. His interpretation always came out the same. He believed God knew Joshua’s heart. He knew Joshua had a strong, righteous heart. God knew Joshua had the potential to lead, but just did not believe in himself. That’s why he spoke to Joshua.
When he finished reading, he closed down the Bible on his phone. He reached under his shirt for the cross his mother had given him years ago. He closed his eyes and prayed that he was making the right decision. This was one time he had to push past the fear of losing. He had to put everything on the line and let God lead him.
He pushed a button on his phone.
“It’s about time you touched base. When did you get back?”
Joshua smiled at the image of his housekeeper Lucy. “Late last night.” He smiled when he heard his dog Commando bark and run up to the monitor. “Hey boy. I miss you, too.”
“You don’t look good. What’s wrong?”
Lucy had a way of picking up on his moods. She was ex-CIA with I.T. skills any company would kill for. She ran his command center from his home. It’s his system and he had limited access, however, no one including him, entered Lucy’s cave without permission.
“I need you to put something in motion for me.” He explained what he wanted done and why.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Then why do I sense some hesitation?” Lucy asked. “This is not something you do out of duty. These aren’t the days of long ago when you were forced to take responsibility for your actions. There are other choices.”
“I’m not being forced to do anything. This is the right thing to do.”
“And, your career? Are you giving it up?”
“No, just adjusting.”
Lucy stared at him through the monitor for a long while, and casually shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll handle it.”
Chapter Eighteen
The call Joshua was waiting for came through. A meeting had been setup with Senator Davenport and the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. He looked over at Akande who was sleeping next to him. Each day she pulled at another part of him. This morning it was especially hard leaving her.
He reached over and pulled her sleeping body into his arms. “Sleepy head, I need you to wake up.” He took her bottom lip between his and sucked on it until she came awake.
“That is not the proper way to wake someone in the morning.” She smiled up at him.
This was what he wanted to remember, her smile, her eyes sparkling. The way her body felt next to his. He prayed this would not be the last time.
An hour later he was at the Pentagon meeting with the Secretary of Defense and Senator Davenport.
“I received a call from Governor Harrison requesting I share what information I could,” Senator Davenport started. “The problem was, until now I was under orders to withhold this information. Once you receive it you will understand why.”
“You stumbled into a delicate operation when you went to Emure,” The Secretary stated. “King Aswan and his brothers will be here today to address the issue of the attack by Emure’s troops.”
“As for the issue at hand, the United States knows King Tochi had a child. We believe that child, who is the rightful leader of Asmere, is alive and under Tarik’s control. Once the rightful leader is put in place we will again, open commerce with Asmere.”
“This all occurred over twenty years ago. The child would now be of legal age. If this person is under Tarik’s control why wouldn’t he present them?”
“That is the very question that gives us the belief that one day Asmere can be an ally rather than an enemy. Tarik may have the true leader, but has not been successful in corrupting them. He’s giving the country and their people hope.”
“Why now? It’s been twenty years. Why the urgency now to have the sanctions lifted?”
Royce looked at the Secretary of Defense. A slight nod was given. Royce sat forward, then turned back to Joshua. “It’s not about the sanctions. We believe Tarik has used what funds the country was able to secure to build an army. It is not a formidable army according to our stats, however, against a small country, such as Emure, this army could be successful. Some believe since King Ahmed stepped down, Emure is in a weakened state. While King Aswan is holding his own, he has empowered the people more, giving them more freedom towards establishing a democracy. As with any democracy, there will be factions, who do not necessarily agree with their leadership. To keep this under control, you will need a strong leader, who would bring down the abusers of this freedom with a clear, decisive message, dissuading others from following suit. King Aswan has not done this. He believes in diplomacy rather than force.”
“Why would Tarik chance attacking a country we have a relationship with? He has to know we would aide Emure in this war? What is in Emure for him to consider such an attack? Oil?”
“No.” Royce pushed a button on the table. The monitor showed pictures of military personnel and workers excavating the area. “When Emure began its quest to eliminate the class system of its country, they allowed citizens to expand into the countryside. One such expansion took place on the far Northwest region of the
country. Many stayed away from this area for years because of its proximity to Asmere and Tarik’s reign. Emure’s military forces were preparing the region for possible settlement, when they came across this.” He pushed another button and the monitor filled with pictures of diamonds.
Joshua sat forward.
“Uncut diamonds. Some of the clearest we have ever seen.” Royce stated. “The find lines the border of Emure for miles. The area is about to become one of the richest in the region.”
“Tarik wants a part of that,” Joshua stated.
“Yes,” Royce acknowledged. “Whoever controls Asmere, will share in the wealth.”
“Tarik doesn’t share. He wants it all.”
“Affirmative.”
“This Senator, who they want taken out, has some type of proof that Tarik is not the true leader of Asmere. They want this proof destroyed so they may have control over this vast fortune that has been discovered near their borders.” Joshua shook his head. “All of this is based on greed.”
“You stumbled on a highly volatile situation. If Tarik is successful in his bid to take over Emure, there will be a shift in power in the region that the United States cannot afford.”
“There is another problem,” the Secretary of Defense stated. “The discovery of the mines has not been publicized. Only the highest ranking officers and certain members of the royal family of Emure know of this. Someone in that group is working with Tarik.”
The conversation he had with Zsa Zsa when this all began came to mind.
“There is still the task of determining who the solider was King Tochi befriended. It is conceivable that solider was given the information. That folder in the Asmere file needs to be opened. We need to find that soldier.” He held the Senator’s stare as he waited for the response.
The Secretary of Defense slid a file his way. Joshua opened the file and began to read. He looked at the pictures, then at Senator Davenport. “You are the target?” Royce nodded. Joshua looked back down and continued to read. When he came to the end, there were more pictures in the back of the folder. There were pictures of King Tochi and Queen Maya. Then there was a picture of a woman with King Tochi with a child. The woman was not Maya. He held the picture up. He suppressed a groan. “Who is this?”
