by Iris Bolling
Akande’s world had just been turned upside down. “Asmere is poor. It has nothing to offer.” Akande blatantly corrected her aunt.
“It will not be for long. That is the glorious part of the entire story. Asmere will prosper again.”
“It will never prosper as long as evil rules. You and Tarik will never be the true rulers of Asmere. Never.”
Sermyera moved quickly. “Tarik is Asmere,” She slapped Akande across the face.
The anger was so deep that Akande did not feel the assault from her aunt. The hurt and anger of her words had already killed her. All she could do at this point was give Joshua the time to find them. How, she did not know, but she did trust that he would.
“It was all a strategic move.” She smiled down at Akande. “You have to admit, the plan worked perfectly.” She sighed happily at her antics, then spread her arms out. “Here we are.” The men snickered with her. “As the Americans would say, you were played.”
“Your hand must really be killing you. You slap her, you slap me. What do you do all day, go around slapping people?” The woman turned to her. “I mean, really. You have to be sorely disappointed for you went through all of that for nothing.” Shelly shook her head. “Senator Davenport will never let you walk out of here alive.”
Sermyera sneered at Shelly. “You have balls for a woman. I like that. But in my country you would die for speaking to me in such an insolent manner.”
“Then it’s a good thing we are not in your country. For this would certainly get me killed.” She kicked out, knocking Sermyera’s feet from under her. Akande, kicked out at the same moment, knocking the man in front of her to the floor. Before they could do more damage, the third man was at them with his gun pointed directly at Akande’s head.
Sermyera stood slowly. “You are right. You will die first.”
“I wonder,” Akande spoke urgently, “Why isn’t Tarik here?” She waited for Sermyera to turn towards her. “Why did he not come to claim the document?”
“He has a country to run, you fool.”
Shrugging her shoulders, “If it were me, and my country was at stake, I would have come, if for no other reason than to ensure the death of my enemy. That’s what I did. I came here to kill the man who you claimed to be my enemy. Could it be he knows this was a fool’s mission and chose to send you instead?"
"Are you trying to get me to kill you now by infuriating me with your words?"
“You might as well kill me for I have lost the desire to harm Senator Davenport and have nothing more to live for.”
“Akande, you are wrong,” Shelly spoke. “If what she says is true, you now have a country that is going to need you to lift the cloud from these monsters.” She glared at Sermyera. “Please be sure to invite me to the execution.”
Sermyera smirked. “I tire of this foolishness. Kill the woman.”
***
Parked in a black SUV two houses down from Senator Davenport’s townhouse, Monique turned to Joshua. “How do you want to handle this?” He had not said a word since leaving the hotel. Her only indication that his mind was on the situation was him studying his handheld. Sitting there she could still feel the anger radiating from him each time he changed the screen.
The device indicated there were seven people in the room. One he was certain was Akande. From his position he could see two men near the door, one standing behind Sermyera then another next to Akande with a gun pointed to her head. There was another woman tied up who had not been identified yet. Joshua signaled to Monique."We are going to enter here." He pointed to a basement window. "At the top of the steps you go left, I'll go right. There are three sitting. I believe the one sitting here with a larger body mass behind them is Sermyera," he growled at her. "She is mine. One of these is Akande. Until we have eyes in that room, we will not know for sure. The other person in there is an unknown. We will make that call once we are inside."
"Joshua." Monique pointed. "Two heat sources are on the move.
They looked up to see two men walk out of Davenport's house. "They are setting up a perimeter. Just means they will die first."
"Will we question them first?"
"In the movies, the bad guy always get a jump on the good guys when we waste time asking questions. Kill them, then figure out why. You'll live longer." Joshua put the silencer on his gun, got out of the SUV, raised his gun and fired twice in quick succession. Both men dropped to the ground. Neither one had an opportunity to pull their weapons.
Monique had barely made it out of the vehicle as she watched the back of his coat flapping from the slight breeze. He pulled one man by the leg and threw his body behind the hedges. If the bullet had not killed him, his body slamming against the brick house would have from the impact. He picked up the other man and threw him so that he lay in a pile with his partner. He looked over at her.
"You coming?" he asked, then walked to the back of the house.
She grinned. "Hell, yeah. I want to see a master at work."
"Let's go."
At the small basement window, Joshua used his device to determine if any security feature was activated. There wasn't. From his coat he pulled out a flat round item. He pushed a button and it inflated into a small suction cup. He stuck it to the window then checked to ensure it was secure. He then pulled out his laser, pointed it, and seared through the outside of the rectangular shaped glass. He put the laser away, bent down and pulled the glass out then laid it to the side. Monique slipped in first. She winced from the pain in her left arm, but landed firmly on the carpeted floor of the basement, pulling her weapon to secure the area. Joshua followed doing the same. They walked the lower level ensuring the area was clear. They did not want anyone walking up behind them. They followed the plan, easily reaching the main level of the home. Monique went to the left, Joshua forged straight ahead.
The men were unprepared. Their weapons were down, not raised and ready to fire. That had proven to be a fatal mistake. Two head shots and both were down before a weapon was fired. He hit the floor and rolled as the man standing near the window fired once, then went silent. Joshua pointed his weapon at Sermyera, who was now standing with her hands on Akande's shoulder and a knife to her throat.
"Ahh, you must be this Absolute I have heard about," Sermyera taunted. "Well, do you think your bullet can reach me before I slit her throat?" The menacing laugh filled the room.
"The only thing keeping you alive is your niece. All she has to do is blink her eyes one time and I will put a pretty red mark right between your eyes."
"I don't think..."
The bullet hit her right between her eyes so fast her body had not registered she was dead. Monique grabbed the knife from the woman's hand before she hit the floor.
"You don't waste much time talking, do you? Shelly asked, with blood streaming down her face.
Joshua stood there, grinning at Akande as Monique cut her loose. "You blinked four times."
"I wanted to be certain you received the message." She ran into his arms the moment she was free.
Monique was cutting the other woman loose when they heard a sound behind them. She jumped in front of the woman and Joshua pushed Akande behind him. They both pulled their weapons ready to fire.
"Hold up. Don't shoot!” Shelly yelled, then ran towards the man. "This one is mine."
They lowered their weapons when they recognized Royce coming from the back. He lowered his weapon just as Shelly flung herself into his arms.
"Senator, tell me you did not come here alone." Monique sighed.
Before he could reply, his front door was kicked in. "Secret Service. Everybody on the floor."
Monique and Joshua groaned. “Late as usual.”
Shelly looked up at Royce. “Surprise,” she threw her arms up in the air. "I don't think we will be eating in the dining room tonight, dear."
They all looked around and laughed. Bodies were everywhere.
Royce kissed her. "This isn’t what I had in mind for the weekend.�
��
“Not my idea of a good time.” Shelly smiled, with blood dripping from her nose. “I must say it was interesting.”
Royce kissed the tip of her nose.
“Ouch.”
He frowned. "Let's get that nose looked at." He stopped and looked at Joshua, then at the woman in his arms. “Akande.” He smiled. “They were right to keep you hidden. You are the spitting image of your mother.” He exhaled. “I am not your father.”
Akande took a step towards the man she had hated most of her life. Now, she did not know what to think or believe. “I was told many things, that I now know are false. While I have no desire to harm him you, I do not know who to trust or believe.” She looked at Joshua, then back to Royce. “Joshua believes you to be a good man, an honorable man. Then I will believe it as well, for I trust him. You have this proof my aunt so desperately wanted to destroy?”
“I do,” Royce replied.
“Then we must confirm the information before we go any further.”
“I will have Secret Service escort you back to your hotel.”
“We’ll take care of that.” Joshua took Akande’s hand, then looked over his shoulder at Monique. "Let's get out of here."
Monique looked at the Secret Service agents. "You guys can clean this up, right?" She grinned then followed Joshua and the Senator out of the room.
Chapter Twenty-one
The tension in the room was thicker than a dense fog on a stormy night. No one knew how this confrontation was going to end up. While all in the room believed a viable solution was on the table, it was anyone's guess if the guilty party would accept or reject the offer.
Monique watched as Prince LaVeré stood at the window with his back to the others essentially blocking everyone from his thoughts. She could feel the anger radiating from him. As he said, to him, the offer was rewarding treason. The alternative was far worse. His family would be ripped apart if the information went public. His mother and father would be devastated and his sister, well, it’s unclear how all of this would finally impact her. However, it was his brother, King Aswan who would have the most difficult task. He would have to order the punishment for treason, death, against his own brother. Monique did not envy what LaVeré would have to endure in the next hour. If it were at all in her power, she would take the pain for him by simply putting a bullet in his brother Raheem’s head.
A knock at the door prompted Monique into action. She pulled her weapon before opening the door. Taking the note from security, she glanced at it, thanked the gentleman and proceeded to close the door. She walked over to where Prince LaVeré stood. "Senator Davenport and Governor Harrison are on their way up. Would you like to talk a minute before they arrive?"
LaVeré turned to her. His facial expression was unreadable. "I believe all has been said Ms. Day," He looked at her arm in the sling. “Men trained under my tutelage caused you harm. For that please accept my apology on behalf of my country."
The sincerity in his eyes sent shivers through her. She looked away. "It will heal."
“I’m certain the flesh will heal. But there are the underlying wounds that do not reach the surface.”
“Are we talking about me, or your sister?”
A feeling of sadness came over him. His features became unreadable, but the anger and concern were clear. “I cannot trust my brother to make wise decisions. I love them, both of them however, their concern is for country first. I made the mistake once of putting my country before my happiness and that of someone I once cared about. I know now that was a foolish move. Now, I must put Zsa Zsa’s future and safety before all else. It is going to be difficult to convince my parents to allow her to move to the United States with me, without disclosing my reasons why. I must try. For Zsa Zsa is innocent in all of this. I cannot allow her to be used as a pawn again.” He looked up at Monique. “Do you agree with my assessment?”
“I’m not certain I’m qualified to answer that question,” Monique replied. “It’s a family matter.”
He held her eyes with his. “I see wisdom in your eyes. Wisdom that is much deeper than your years reflect. You know the situation. I seek your advice.”
“You really want to know what I think?”
“I do.”
“If it was up to me, your brother would be dead. I don’t know the reasons for his actions. But, as my father says, blood is blood. He would never have done anything to put his sister’s life in danger. Blood is supposed to protect blood.”
LaVeré stared at the young woman. She was as beautiful as he thought the first night they met. She was young, but wise. “Your father should be very proud of you. I’m not certain I would allow a daughter of mine to be in your line of business.”
“Allow?” Monique raised an eyebrow. “Prince LaVeré we are in the United States of America. You...do not allow. I do and you accept.”
LaVeré braced his legs apart and stood with his arms folded across his chest. She reminded him of Cynthia Thornton with her feisty ways and smart mouth. The fact that she was standing there daring him with her eyes, to disagree almost made him smile. “I think your father may have given you too much liberty. An attitude such as yours could lead to trouble.”
“My middle name is trouble.” Monique smirked. “You should know, there’s good trouble, and there’s better trouble. It doesn’t necessarily have to be bad.”
He took a step towards her. “Trouble is trouble; I don’t care how you look at it.”
Monique didn’t cower at his menacing stance. “Some men find trouble enticing.”
A knock sounded at the door. Neither one moved as they stood a breath away from each other. The knock sounded again.
“I think you need to get that,” LaVeré stated as he stared at the woman who barely reached his chin.
Monique grinned. “Trouble is a dangerous game, Prince LaVeré. Don’t start a game you can’t finish.” She walked by him towards the door.
“LaVeré.”
She stopped to look over her shoulder at him.
“My name is LaVeré and there are few games I am not a champion of, Ms. Day.”
She began walking towards the door again. “Monique is the name. Your play.”
She swung it open. JD, Royce and Samuel entered the room.
Monique hugged her uncle. "Hello, Uncle JD," she kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be outside."
"No, you should stay," LaVeré stated.
Monique looked around the room. No one seemed to have objections. She nodded, then stepped back near the door. “Very well.”
"The President has signed off on the agreement," Royce stated. "With stipulations."
LaVeré nodded. "Understood. King Aswan will be advised.”
"Until the new leadership demonstrates they have Asmere’s best interests at heart, certain sanctions will remain in place," JD added. "If there is any sign of unrest, the United States will consider it an act of war and we will respond accordingly."
LaVeré looked up at JD. "I cannot believe our countries have come to this."
“Your brother’s actions have put Emure in a difficult position,” Senator Davenport stated. “It has blemished the reputation of the royal family.”
"You have not gained the agreement of all parties. This deal is null and void without it." Samuel added, clearly angry about the situation.
"The alternative is to leave the new ruler and the country unprotected for any of Tarik' s men to take over," Senator Davenport stated. "Which would you prefer?"
"People are going to be hurt," Samuel replied.
"One broken heart for the stability of a country," LaVeré countered.
"Two," Samuel corrected. "Two broken hearts."
"As you said, Samuel," JD added, "All of this is null and void if both parties do not agree."
LaVeré stood. "I will present this to my King. We will have a response within an hour." He looked at Monique, “Is everyone in place?"
She nodded. “Yes, Your Highness."
He
nodded then left the room.
***
Akande had been moved to a lavish suite with Secret Service agents surrounding the entire wing of the hotel. The DNA testing had proved that she was indeed Sofiat Abdulrazaaq, Queen of Asmere.
“Your Highness, you almost look as good as me.” Joshua grinned at the woman dressed in a royal blue top and skirt set, with gold trim and long dangling earrings, that made her face sparkle.
She turned in her new outfit, giving him a full view. Her smile was so alive when she turned back to face him, he had to kiss her one more time before they left for the meeting with the President.
Seeing the intent in his eyes, she opened her arms wide to him and welcomed his loving embrace. His lips scorched hers as their tongues tangled freely, without fear, of danger or death between them. It tasted of the life to come, free to love each other. His cell phone rang.
“Argh,” he growled as his lips left hers, then kissed her neck. “Hold that thought.” he smiled at her displaying those tempting dimples. “Lassiter,” he said into the phone as Akande dipped her tongue inside one.
“We’re ready.” He closed the phone and held out his hand. “Your Highness, the President of the United States awaits. Shall we go?”
“By all means,” Akande took his arm. “The sooner we go, the sooner we may return.”
“My thoughts exactly; there’s something we desperately need to discuss.”
She looked sideways at him. “You have something up your sleeve, Joshua. That’s the same look you had before you threw me in the river.”
He opened the door. “I did not throw you in the river. We jumped in together.”
There was something in the way he said together that made her tingle.
