The Prime Minister's Daughter

by William Manchee

  Chapter 2

   

  Sunlight had just begun to creep into Kevin’s bedroom when the alarm went off at six. He hit the snooze button with one quick swipe and then turned over. Nine minutes later the alarm sounded again and Kevin unconsciously repeated the maneuver. Before he could fall back asleep, the door opened and his mother, Pat, stood in the doorway. She turned on the light.

  "Kevin, it's time to get up. We have to be at Medical City by 8:00 a.m."

  Kevin pulled the pillow over his head to protect himself from the glare. He was a night person. Getting up in the morning was pure torture.

  “Kevin!” his mother yelled.

  Kevin turned over and looked up at her. "Okay. I'm getting up," he said and then turned over and pulled the blanket back over his head.

  Pat sighed. “Never mind. Just go to school today. You don’t need to be hanging around the hospital all day."

  "No. I want to go. I'm getting up."

  Through eyes squinted against the glare, he saw his Mom frown, shake her head and finally close the door. Kevin kicked off the blankets and jumped out of bed. He went into his adjoining bathroom and turned on the shower. After he had showered and shaved, he got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. His mother had already filled his plate. She handed it to him as he went by.

   "Thanks, Mom," Kevin said.

  He put the plate on the kitchen table. Before sitting down to eat, he turned around and stood in front of his mother.

  "I wish you didn’t need this surgery?"

  She shrugged. "Me too, but this is the only way to get rid of the pain."

  "I know, but what if something goes wrong?”

  “Dr. Shindler is a good doctor. I asked the nurses at the hospital and they all agreed he’d be the one they’d pick if they needed surgery.”

  “I wasn’t worried until Brent said his uncle went in for some minor ear surgery and end up with brain damage.”

  “Oh, don’t say that,” Pat moaned. “Come on. You’re supposed to be positive and upbeat.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s just—”

  “I know. You’re worried. So am I. It’s only natural, but I think everything will be okay.”

  After breakfast they all got in the car and drove to Medical City Hospital. While Pat checked in Kevin looked around the upscale facility. It looked to him more like a fancy department store than a hospital. He noticed a commotion at the door as a man entered the hospital. He was accompanied by his wife, two daughters and several bodyguards. Several reporters and photographers were following him as well as a TV crew.

  Kevin wondered who the man was and then he remembered the story he had read the day before in the Dallas Morning News. The man had to be Prime Minister Ahmad Shah of Trinidad and Tobago. As the entourage went by Kevin couldn’t help but notice the Prime Minister’s daughters. If he hadn’t known they were from Trinidad and Tobago, he’d have thought them from India or Pakistan. Either way, they were both gorgeous.

  After his mother was admitted she was taken directly to surgery and he and his father were told to go the surgical waiting room on the fourth floor. Kevin’s father, Glen Wells, told him to go on ahead as he had some phone calls to make. Five minutes later when Kevin walked into the waiting room he was surprised but delighted to see the Prime Minister’s wife, one of their daughters and a bodyguard. He smiled at them and then took a seat across the room. The bodyguard gave him a hard look.

  The daughter got up, went to the magazine rack and picked up a People Magazine. She was so stunningly beautiful Kevin got goosebumps just looking at her. He suddenly had an urge to get the latest Sports Illustrated. When she turned to return to her seat Kevin smiled. “You must be one of Prime Minister Shah’s daughters,” he said.

  She nodded giving him a once over. “Yes, I’m Kiran.”

  “Hi. I’m Kevin Wells.”

  She smiled warmly. “So, why are you here?”

  “Ah. Well, my mother is having her gall bladder out. It’s just routine.”

  “Oh. I hope it goes well.”

  “Thank you. . . . So, were you here all week with your father?”

  “No. We just flew in yesterday.”

  “Oh. Do you get to the U.S. often?”

  She nodded. “Quite a bit. My father goes to Washington at least once a year and he usually lets us stay in Miami while he is working.”

  “Oh, that’s cool. I love the beaches in Miami. They are so beautiful.”

  “Oh, you haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen the beaches of Trinidad and Tobago.”

  “Really?”

  She smiled radiantly. Kevin’s knees felt weak.

  She laughed. “Yes. I spend a lot of time at the beach, believe me.”

  Kevin smiled. “I believe you. The nearest beach around here is 500 miles away so, needless to say, I don’t go there often.”

  “Kiran,” her mother said in a raised voice from across the room. “Don’t be a bother.”

  Kiran glared at her mother. Kevin smiled at Kiran’s mother trying to show that he wasn’t being bothered at all.

  “Don’t mind my mother,” she said and walked defiantly over to where Kevin had been seated and sat down. Kevin quickly joined her. “She’s worried I’ll make friends in America and leave Trinidad.”

  “Have you threatened to do that?”

  Kiran nodded.

  “Then why don’t you introduce me. Maybe she’ll feel better if she knows I’m harmless.”

  “Are you harmless?” she asked wryly.

  Kevin didn’t answer. Kiran got up and escorted him over to where her mother was seated.

  “Mother. This is Kevin Wells. His mother is having surgery today too.”

  “Oh. Hi. Mr. Wells. I’m Anila.”

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “I hope your mother isn’t here for anything serious.”

  “No. Just a routine gall bladder surgery.”

  “Good.”

  “I was just reading about the Caribbean Trade Conference in the Dallas Morning News yesterday,” Kevin said nervously. “It’s too bad the delegates didn’t listen to your husband and ratify the free trade agreement. That would have been good for everyone.”

  “Yes. It would have.”

  “Kevin,” Kiran said. “Let’s go get something to drink.”

  Kevin nodded. “Good idea.”

  The bodyguard gave Kiran a dirty look but her mother nodded that it was okay.

  “We’ll be right back,” Kevin assured them.

  After they’d left the room Kiran laughed. “My mother can be a real pain sometimes.”

  “No. She seems very nice. She’s so beautiful.”

  Kiran smiled. “Yes, she is.”

  “And you definitely take after her,” Kevin heard himself saying.

  Kiran blushed. “Thank you.”

  They got to the snack room and walked inside.

  “Well, I hate to admit it, but I know nothing about Trinidad-Tobago.”

  Kiran laughed. “Well I rarely meet anyone in the United States who does.”

  “I do know there’s been a big oil discovery in Cocos Bay. That was in the article I read. That must be pretty exciting.”

  “Yes. It will be a big boost to our economy once we get it into production.”

  “Right. I guess that takes time.”

  “Time and lots of money. My father’s been spending a lot of time negotiating with oil companies lately.”

  “It must be exciting to be the Prime Minister’s daughter. Do you have to attend a lot of political events?”

  “Yes and social events as well. I like all the parties and the charity events.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. Being the Prime Minister’s wife or daughter is the perfect job. You get to have all the fun but without all the pressures and worry that the Prime Minister has to deal with.”

  “Right. That’s a good point.”

  “So do you like to party?”

  Kevin s
ighed. “Well, not so much.”

  “Really. I thought all Americans like to drink and smoke marijuana.”

  “Not me. I lost my sister to drugs and alcohol a few years back.”

  “You lost her?”

  “Yes. She was only seventeen. Now, she liked to party. Every weekend she’d get drunk, smoke marijuana, drop a few pills, and end up in some stranger’s bed. My parents tried to control her but the harder they tried the more rebellious she got. Then one night the police came by our house. I was alone, so I had to go identify the body.”

  “Oh, my God! How terrible.”

  Kevin nodded. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. I’ve never told anyone about it before.”

  Kiran sighed. “Sometimes, it’s easier to tell a stranger something like that than someone you know.”

  “I guess. Anyway, whenever I go to a party it brings back memories of my sister and her pale, lifeless body lying on a cold steel table in the morgue.”

  She frowned. “Oh, your poor boy.”

  Kevin shrugged. “I need to get over it, I know. It’s spoiled my social life.”

  “You will. It just takes time.”

  “My friends think I’m am some kind of moral zealot. But it has nothing to do with morality.”

  Kiran nodded knowingly. “No. It’s not.”

  “How long will your father be in the hospital?”

  “A few days.”

  “Well, maybe I’ll see you again.”

  “I hope so,” Kiran said with a warm smile.

  When they got back to the waiting room Kevin’s father had made it back so Kevin went to sit with him and Kiran sat next to her mother. A few moments later the door opened and a nurse stepped inside.

  “Mrs. Shaw. Your room is ready if you want to follow me.”

  Anila, Kiran and the bodyguard got up and followed the nurse out of the room. Kiran smiled at Kevin as she was leaving. Kevin returned the smile lamenting the fact that he’d probably never see her again. There was something about her that really excited him and it wasn’t just her stunning beauty.

  “Who was that,” Glen asked.

  “Kiran and Anila Shaw. The Prime Minister’s wife and daughter.”

  “How do you know them?”

  “I read in the newspaper that they were going to be here, so when I saw them I just put two and two together and decided to introduce myself.”

  He laughed. “Wow. That was very courageous.”

  “Yeah. It was a little scary but I’m glad I did it. Kiran is really nice. Too bad I’ll never see her again.”

  “Oh, you never know,” Glen said seeing Kevin’s disappointment.

  The door opened again and the nurse came in again. “Glen Wells.”

  Glen and Kevin stood up.

  “Your wife is out of surgery and you can see her in recovery if you like.”

  “Yes, please,” Glen replied.

  “Follow me, then.”

  Glen and Kevin followed the nurse down the hall to the recovery room where Pat Wells was just coming out of her anesthesia. She was pale and shaking.

  “I’m so cold,” she said.

  Kevin pulled her blankets up around her and tucked them in. “How do you feel?”

  “Tired,” she said. “I just want to sleep.”

  “The nurse said everything went fine,” Glen said.

  “Good.”

  “In a few minutes they will be taking you to your room. The nurse gave me the room number, 1002.”

  Pat closed her eyes and drifted off. A few minutes later a nurse and an orderly showed up. The nurse took her vitals.

  “You can go back to the waiting room for about fifteen minutes, then you can come up to her room, if you like.”

  “Yes. Thank you,” Glen said.

  The nurse and the orderly rolled her down the hall to the elevator. Kevin and Glen watched them roll her in. When the door closed they went back to the waiting room.

  “I’ve got to go make some more phone calls,” Glen said.

  Kevin nodded. “Okay. I’ll meet you up in the room.”

  Glen patted Kevin on the shoulder and left. The waiting room was empty now so Kevin’s mind wandered to his encounter with Kiran. She was so delightful the thought of her made him smile. He couldn’t wait to tell his friends he’d met the Prime Minister’s wife and one of his daughters. He imagined her in a bikini on the wonderful beach she’d told him about.

  The door suddenly opened and a tall, black man in a grey suit walked in. Kevin wondered if it was another of Shah’s bodyguards. The man gave him a hard look and then turned and left. Suddenly an ominous feeling came over Kevin. There was something about the scowl on the man’s face that bothered him. He was a man on a mission was the best way he could describe it, but what mission? If he was a bodyguard he would have known the Shah’s had been moved to their room. He looked at his watch and saw it was time to go up to his mother’s room, so he put his magazine away and left the room.

  On the way the elevator he decided the man could have been a doctor or a someone who had just learned a family member was sick. That would account for his sullen demeanor.

  When the elevator door opened on the 10th floor Kevin was shocked to see Kiran waiting to come aboard.

  “Kiran. Are you on this floor?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Yes. Isn’t that funny. We’re in room’s 1008 and 1009.”

  “Good. We’re neighbors. Where are you going?”

  “To find my sister. She’s been shopping at NorthPark with our tutor. I’m to meet her in the lobby.”

  “Oh. Great. I’ll see you later then,” Kevin said as he got off the elevator and Kiran got on and punched the down button.”

  Kevin felt exhilarated at the prospect of hanging out with the Prime Minister’s two daughters. He was smiling broadly as he turned the corner and ran into the same man he’d seen earlier in the waiting room. The man had put on scrubs and was pretending to be an orderly. Kevin’s heart began to race. What in the hell is going on? He looked away so the man wouldn’t recognize him. Then he turned and followed him cautiously.

  Kevin saw a nurse come out of a patient’s room. He went over to her and whispered. “Ma’am, do know that man?”

  “What man?” the nurse asked.

  Kevin pointed to the man just as he was going into to room 1009.

  “No. Who is he?”

  “I don’t know,” Kevin said and took off running. There was a muffled gunshot just as Kevin came barreling through the door. The bodyguard was lying on the ground blood gushing from a wound in the chest. The assassin looked up at Kevin, leveled his gun in his direction and fired. Kevin felt a sudden jolt and his body jerked backwards. He crashed into a food cart and fell to the ground unconscious. The Prime Minister scrambled off the bed and fell to the ground. When the assassin turned to shoot him the Prime Minister was out of his view. Just then the nurse and an orderly rushed into the room.

  “Oh, my God!” she screamed bending over Kevin’s body. The assassin gave her a frustrated look and then took a step to get a clear shot at the Prime Minister. The orderly lunged for his gun and got a grip on it. They struggled for a moment until the gun fell to the ground and got kicked across the room. The assassin, realizing he had but precious seconds to escape, pushed the orderly away and ran out the door.

  The orderly rushed over to the Prime Minister and helped him back into bed while the nurse worked frantically on Kevin to keep him alive. Suddenly, Kevin woke up and began choking and coughing. His skin was pale and he was struggling to breath. The nurse pulled over an oxygen tank and put a mask over Kevin’s mouth while another nurse put in an I-V. A moment later two orderlies rushed in with a gurney and took Kevin away to surgery.

  As they were rolling Kevin down the hall to the elevators Kiran came running around the corner and stopped dead in her tracks.

  “Kevin! What happened to Kevin?” she demanded.

  “He saved your father’s life,” the nurse said. r />
  Kiran just stared in shock as they took Kevin away. When he was gone she turned and rushed into her father’s room and into his arms.

  “Oh, father. They tried to kill you,” she said tears flowing down her cheeks.

  “It’s alright,” Ahmad said patting her on the shoulder. “I’m okay.”

  “Kevin saved your life?”

  “That boy who was shot. His name is Kevin?”

  “Yes, Kevin Wells.”

  “Who is he? I don’t know him.”

  “He’s a friend. I just met him an hour ago in the waiting room.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing you did.”

  “But what if he dies father? We can’t let him die. He saved your life.”

  “I know. We’ll make sure he has the best doctors. I promise.”

   

   

   

  Kevin's mother heard all the commotion from her room but she was too weak to get up and find out what was happening. A few moments later a nurse came in and gave her a worried look.

  "Ma’am, I know this sounds bizarre, but your son has been shot."

  “What?”

  “Kevin. He’s been shot.”

  "Oh my God! How? Who would want to shoot him?"

  "It looks like it was an assassination attempt. Somehow, Kevin saw it happening and tried to save the Prime Minister's life."

  Mrs. Wells began to cry. "Oh, no! Is he okay?"

  "I don't know. They took him to surgery."

  Pat tried to get up, but the nurse came over and restrained her.

  "There isn’t anything you can do. Just rest. I’ll keep you apprised of his condition. “As she was talking Glen walked in with a baffled look on his face.

  “What’s all the excitement about.”

  The nurse told him.

  “Oh, my God!” Glen said taking Pat hand and holding it tightly.

  The nurse turned on the TV.

  “Maybe there will be something about it on TV.”

  The screen came on a Channel 4 reporter was standing in front of Medical City Hospital giving his report.

  “The facts are still sketchy. No one knows who attempted this assassination of Prime Minister Shah. No one had any clue what was happening. How this brave teenager from Plano High School was able to detect the assassination attempt and try to prevent it continues to be a real mystery."

  “We're talking live with Donna Price at Medical City Dallas, where a young Plano High School student has just foiled an attempt on the life of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Ahmad Shah. We have learned the identity of the Plano student from hospital officials. His name is Kevin Wells. The condition of this young Plano High School student, who took a bullet in the stomach, is unknown at this time. A spokesman for the hospital would only say that he was in surgery and his condition was critical."

  Glen ran his fingers through his hair barely able to keep his composure. Tears flowed down Pat’s cheeks as she wondered if her son would live or die. The nurse handed her a tissue and she wiped away her tears as she watched the news intently.

  "Okay, Paul, we'll get back to you when you have more news from the hospital. Meanwhile, we've got Barbara Scott at the Dallas Police Department where Police Chief Virgil Harris is about to have a news conference."

  "Ladies and gentlemen. As you know, there was an attempt on the life of Prime Minister Shah of Trinidad and Tobago, who had been the keynote speaker at the Caribbean Trade Conference held last week at the Dallas Convention Center. Fortunately for Mr. Shah, a young man from Plano High School apparently saw the assassination attempt unfolding and tried to stop it. Kevin Wells was at the hospital because his mother had just undergone surgery. He apparently was on his way to her room when he saw the assassination unfolding.

  "Kevin Wells is in surgery right now and no one knows his condition. Immediately after the assassination attempt, police officers searched the hospital for the assailant but didn’t find him. We believe the attack came from a single individual who disguised himself as an orderly. When he entered the Prime Minister’s room he killed his bodyguard but before he could kill the Prime Minister Kevin Wells entered the room and distracted him. He then shot Wells. It appears the assailant may have escaped by helicopter. One was seen leaving the hospital heliport just minutes after the assassination attempt took place.

  “The Prime Minister was transferred to another hospital to thwart any additional attempts on his life. His family has returned to Trinidad.”

  "The FBI is now on the scene and has taken over the investigation. They’re working closely with military and security police from Trinidad and Tobago to try to determine who is responsible for the attack. That's about all we know right now. I'll be happy to answer any questions at this time." Chief Harris concluded.

  "Chief Harris. What’s the Prime Minister’s condition?”

  “He suffered minor injuries trying to escape from the assailant, but his doctors seem to think he’ll be okay.”

  "Chief Harris, does the Prime Minister have any idea who might be responsible for this attack?"

  "I haven't talked to the Prime Minister, but we've been told by members of his staff that there’s a lot of political dissension in Trinidad over the Prime Minister's support of a Caribbean Free Trade Treaty. Perhaps the attack had something to do with that."

   

   

   

  A tall man in a light blue suit entered Pat’s hospital room. He smiled and approached Glen and Pat.

  "You must be Mr. and Mrs. Wells," he said.

  "That's right," Glen replied. “Are you a doctor?”

  The man pulled out a badge and flashed it in front of Glen's face. "I'm Agent Simmons with the FBI. I'm sorry about your son. Is he going to be all right?"

  "We don't know yet. No one’s told us anything."

  Agent Simmons walked to the end of Pat’s hospital bed. "Well I want you to know there's a massive manhunt going on right now to find the terrorist responsible for this outrageous act."

  "Any leads yet?" Glen asked.

  "Oh yeah, we've got leads, but nothing has materialized yet. Hey, your son, boy he's one brave kid, huh? Takes a lot of courage to run after someone who has a gun."

  "Kevin's never been an ordinary kid," Glen said. “He’s very mature for his age.”

  Agent Simmons nodded as if he understood. "Well maybe he should consider a political career. Kevin Wells will be a household name by tomorrow at this time. We’re all hoping he comes through this okay."

  Glen clenched his teeth at the thought that Kevin might not pull through. "He'll make it. Kevin's a tenacious fighter. He never gives up. He'll pull through this thing. I know he will."

  "I hope you're right. Without his help we may never know who the killer was."

  Just then a doctor poked his head into the room.

  "Mr. and Mrs. Wells? May I have a word with you?"

  "Yes," Glen said. “Come in.”

  The doctor came in and stood before them.

  "Your son is out of surgery. His condition is critical, but stable. The bullet pierced through his lung and lodged in one of his ribs. We were able to remove the bullet and there is some lung function at this time. Your son lost a lot of blood on the way to surgery."

  Pat began to sob. Glen put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze to comfort her.

  "In fact, he lost so much blood we had to give him three units during surgery."

  "Is he going to be all right?" Glen asked.

  "It's too early to tell. He stopped breathing a couple of times. We'll have to watch him carefully. There could be brain damage."

  "Oh my God!" Pat wailed.

  Glen sat down on the bed and put his arm around her. "Kevin's going to be all right, honey. I just know he will."

  "I wish I had better news for you, but you need to know what we're up against."

  "We want you to be honest with us, Doctor," Glen said.

  "Of course. Your son is in intensive care
now. You can visit him if you’d like. However, I want to warn you, he's unconscious and he looks pretty bad."

  “I’ll go,” Glen said. “You should stay here and rest, honey.”

  Pat nodded and Glen immediately left. When he got to Intensive Care a nurse took him to Kevin’s bed. Glen cringed at the sight of his son just lying there, limp, with dozens of machines hooked up to his body. A nurse smiled at him as he made his way to the head of the bed. He watched Kevin for a few minutes but then began to worry about his wife, so he returned to her room.

  When he walked in he saw that Agent Simmons had been joined by two Dallas police detectives. Agent Simmons introduced them and the detectives filled them in on the latest developments.

  "There's a big crowd gathering outside, curious about your son's condition. All the local and national media have set up camp down the street. The lobby of the hospital is so full, no one can move."

  "Really?" Glen said.

   "Yeah, your son's a real hero. The whole nation is praying he'll pull through this thing. If you turn on the television, you'll see what I mean."

  Glen went over to the TV and pushed the power button. The picture came on and Howard Slocum, the President's news secretary, was in the middle of reading a statement.

  "At this moment, we do not understand the motivation behind this senseless act of violence. Whether political opponents of the Prime Minister or those in opposition to free trade sponsored it, we do not know. But what we do know is that one young man, without the slightest hesitation, put his life in jeopardy to protect someone he didn't even know. For all the critics out there who have constantly complained about the immorality and indifference of our youth today, take heed. There are heroes amongst our young people. Kevin Wells proved that today.

  "This administration will not tolerate terrorism. Those responsible for this outrageous act will be brought to justice. If they thought this attack would derail our efforts to bring free trade to the Caribbean, they were dead wrong. There will be an even greater urgency because of what has happened here today.

  "I will be praying, as will all Americans and millions of people around the world, that Kevin Wells will survive and recover fully from today's assault. We all want to meet and get to know this extraordinary young man. I look forward to meeting him personally when he recovers. Thank you, and may God be with you, Kevin Wells."

  Glen pushed the power button and the TV screen went blank. Everyone in the room was silent. Glen walked over and sat on the bed next to his wife. He laid his hand on one shoulder and wiped the tears from her eyes. Agent Simmons looked at the two detectives and motioned that they should all leave. The room was quiet as Pat and Glen waited to learn if their son would live or die.