Dictator s Daughter (20 page)

“Mr. Stone and my source are connected
somehow.”

“Dad, what is the name of Eliwese’s and
Beth’s source?”

“Riley…
Riley
!” Paul looked at Sean
with disbelief in his eyes. “It’s him! They are the same guy! I’ve
dealt with Riley for years now; though, I don’t understand.”

Dr. Randall spoke up. “It was a setup,
maybe.”

“Maybe,” Paul paused, “maybe not. I don’t
know what to think. He was the one who shot Beth. I recognized his
voice when he called me by name. I realized my own source turned us
in and yet my source for all these years has been Rawlings’ Head of
Security…and he shot his own mother.”

“A set up, Paul,” Dr. Randall repeated. “She
crosses with a sob story of abuse and uses her position to locate
Sara.”

“What about Beth?”

“Maybe he planned on killing her all along.
I’ll bet she had a hefty life insurance policy with his name on
it.”

“So, Eliwese locates Sara for Victor, and
Riley is able to cash in on the whole deal.”

Sean cut in, “Are you two implying Eliwese is
a spy?”

“Sean, its possible Eliwese was used to
locate your mother,” Paul said.

Sean’s immediate thoughts were ‘
No
way
’, but then he remembered the red flags she raised when she
asked about other crossers. No. He dismissed the accusation; he
trusted Eliwese. She was no spy.

“Yes, that would explain why Riley would be
involved in both the crossing and the retrieval.” Dr. Randall
added, “And why they took Sara and Lyndee instead of killing
them.”

“What? No.” Sean was losing his patience.
“Eliwese is not a spy.”

“Your mother was a crosser, I mean, that’s
how we met. You know the story.”

“Yes, I’ve heard it a hundred times at
least.”

“Well, not like this you haven’t. Your mother
crossed at a young age and hid in our home. The reason she crossed
was because she was the intended bride for the dictator’s son,
Victor. Her father was an advisor to Reginald Rawlings and Victor
had his eye on Sara. Reginald arranged with Sara’s father for her
hand, only Sara didn’t want any part of it. Her father died soon
after and she was taken to the palace. Dr. Randall was the palace
doctor at that time and would help with her infirmities, and after
awhile he helped her cross the border.

“She hid here for a little while, with heavy
heat constantly buzzing. Then one day, they raided our home and she
and I fled to the cabin. We were ratted out, because I didn’t know
how to keep my mouth shut, and captured by Reginald’s men. We were
both taken across the border to the palace, only they placed me in
the dungeon, and she was scheduled to marry Victor. Once again Dr.
Randall made the arrangements for her and me to escape and stage
our deaths. The staged deaths were so convincing that no search was
ever initiated.”

“Mom and Victor Rawlings? Dr. Randall, you
worked in the palace? That’s incredible! You’ve spent time in the
palace dungeon, Dad? How come you never told us
that
story?
That’s amazing!”

“We couldn’t have it slipping out that Sara
was the intended bride who supposedly died all those years ago.
Besides, the basics of the story were all you needed to know ‘till
now. Victor’s Head of Security located Sara and has returned her to
him.”

“Well, then how do you explain Victor willing
to exchange Eliwese for Mom and Lyndee?”

Dr. Randall and Paul looked at each other
with the same perplexed look.

“Eliwese told me Riley runs the underground
independent of Victor. She didn’t know until she entered into
hiding. He wants to oust Victor from position by fathering the
heir. He let Eliwese cross but with the threat of her mother and
sister’s deaths if she tried to flee. Riley is working alone.”

“So, Rawlings and Mr. Stone may not even
realize who his hostages are?” Dr. Randall asked.

“Eliwese crossed with information about her
father she intends on using to bring him down. She plans on
blackmailing him with it for the release of Mom and Lyndee.

“Be careful son.” Paul warned. “She may be
playing all of us. Her life has been one of deceit, lies, and
manipulations. Her father is a very vile man. He will stop at
nothing to get what he wants. And somehow, Riley fits into all of
this. We need to find out what that’s all about.”

“Riley wants to be dictator, but he can only
achieve it through Eliwese. She is not a spy.” Sean said.

“I hope you’re right. But remember, a person
can’t live around that kind of example all her life and not become
part of it.”

“And some people live surrounded by evil and
yet rise above it. She’s like us, Dad; doing everything possible to
defy her father.”

“I hope you’re right, Sean.”

“What will happen to you?” Sean asked his
father.

“I will stay in hiding. But don’t worry about
me, it’s your mother and Lyndee you should be concerned about. What
is your plan for the next few days?”

“Eliwese has it all mapped out in her head.
Ryan and I are just doing what she tells us to do.” Sean
admitted.

“Ryan’s taking orders and actually following
them?” Paul asked with a smile.

“Reluctantly so.”

The doctor piped up, “Sean, you need her to
tell you what the plan is. In her condition, she could slip into a
coma and then where would you be?”

“It’s true son; press her for details.”

“I will.”

“Sean, take Dr. Randall with you to the
cabin; he can help Eliwese. Her recovery is imperative.”

“Wouldn’t that be too risky? I mean I know we
can trust him, but two cars going to the cabin this late at night
is a little obvious, don’t you think?”

Dr. Randall said, “Sean, we can go in my
white SUV. Then, after you leave in the morning, I’ll hike out to
the main road and get a ride into town. We could stop by my office
and gather supplies on the way there.”

Sean looked at his father, and then at Dr.
Randall. Both were in favor of the idea, but deep down, Sean
worried what Eliwese would think about it. He didn’t want her to be
upset with him. However, if she died, then nothing would get
resolved. Sean agreed to take Dr. Randall to the cabin. He bent
down to hug his father goodbye.

“Sean, one more thing,” Paul said, “don’t
tell Ryan I’m alive.”

“Why?”

“Think about how you felt when you found out
I’d been killed. Now, think about how you feel right now. You have
no reason to avenge my death because you know I’m all right. Ryan
saw his father murdered and it’s something that instills deep anger
and hatred in the soul; deep enough to do things we wouldn’t
normally do. Brave things, heroic things; don’t be in a rush to
take that anger away from him. Hold off as long as you can. Let him
use it.”

**********

Sara sat up quickly as the dead bolt clunked
and her door opened. She couldn’t tell who stood in the doorway
because of the darkness.

“How do you feel?” A low resonating male
voice asked.

“How should I feel?” She answered
bitterly.

“Are you hungry?”

She refused to carry out small talk with a
stranger. She folded her arms and looked away.

“Are you cold? I’m trying to help you, do you
even remember me?” the mystery man asked.

“Should I?” Her sarcasm dripped heavy with
irritation.

“Yes.” He stepped closer to her. “You should
have recognized me the moment I entered your home, but you didn’t.
You should have remembered me when I got into the Hummer with you,
but you didn’t.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She
scooted away as he advanced.

“No, you don’t because we never became ‘we’.
And yet, I mourned your death all those years ago. But, look at
you, you’re alive.” He walked a little closer to her and the dim
light stretched across his face.

“Riley?” She asked breathlessly as her back
connected with the wall.

“Yes, there it is. There’s the face I
remember.”

The realization hit her like too much wasabi
in an ulcerated stomach. He had stormed their home and stood by as
men beat her. He, himself, killed Paul at point blank after killing
their crosser, Beth. Now he stood before her like some long lost
lover who searched for years and finally found her. Only it wasn’t
so.

“Riley, I don’t know exactly what you thought
went on between us all those years ago, but I can assure you-”

“Don’t… even finish! You know damn well what
I’m talking about!”

She inched further against the wall. Maybe it
was the glint of madness in his eye, or the fact she knew he would
kill her in an instant, like Paul, that made her want to get as far
away from him as possible.

“We would have been so happy together, you
and I, but other factors came into play, didn’t they?”

“That, and the fact I didn’t want to be with
you. Riley, why do you still work for the ‘other factors’?” she
asked boldly.

“It pays the rent.”

“How did you know where to find Eliwese?”

“The bigger question is how did I know to
place her with you? You see, there is more going on here than you
realize.”

“Does Victor realize what’s going on? Have
you told him?”

Riley countered with, “Why didn’t you ever
tell your children about your life in Rendier? Or that you were
married to Victor? I’ve done the math, Sierra; I know whose she
is.”

“He doesn’t care. She’s not a son.”

“No, but she will produce one. Once I prove
you’re alive, the former wife of Rawlings, and you have the eldest
daughter—”

She cut him off. “You’re still trying to get
even with him, aren’t you? How pathetic!”

Riley rushed to her and pinned her shoulders
against the wall.

“He was my friend, you were my life, and he
took you away because he
could!
Did you know, Sierra, my
life ended the day you died? There wasn’t any reason to live other
than to avenge your death.”

“And how’s that working out for you,
Riley?”

He breathed rapidly and Sara felt his humid
breath on her cheek. Her head was pressed against the firm stone
wall as far as it would go, yet she still tried to press
further.

“Even now, I won’t have you. He has set you
back up on a pedestal, a pedestal only I should possess.”

“You see, Riley, that attitude is what turned
me off back then, and still does now. You think I’m some ‘thing’ to
own, but I’m not. I made my mind up all those years ago that I
didn’t want anything to do with Victor or you. Nothing you could do
would change my mind.”

“I saved your daughter’s life, Sierra.”

“But you killed my husband!” she yelled,
knowing her breath was wet on his face, but it was his fault for
having his face so close to hers. “You betrayed me all those years
ago and you haven’t changed one bit. You’re an even bigger waste of
skin than Victor,” she added cruelly.

“Do you know how I found you?”

Sara didn’t reply.

“Chandra worked for me, Sierra.” His face
still so close to hers, he gently traced her hairline with his
fingertips. “She started dating your worthless son so she could get
her hands on some photographs for me. I’ve known about you for
awhile, and it has eaten at my soul finding out you’ve been alive
all this time.”

“I don’t give a damn about your soul. You’ve
become everything evil I thought you would.”

The coldness of her words cut the pieces of
his heart in half. He grabbed her cheeks with both hands and forced
his lips to hers. He kissed her with bruising force and she pushed
at his chest in contempt.

He pulled away from her and stood, his
narrowed eyes never left hers as he straightened his jacket and
tie. He walked toward the door and once reaching it, he turned to
face her.

“You taste like Lyndee.”

**********

It was twelve forty-five am when Sean and Dr.
Randall reached the cabin. Ryan came out to meet them in the garage
with an obvious look of surprise upon seeing the doctor. Sean
wanted to immediately jump out and tell him their father was alive
and OK, but he held back.

“Boy, Sean, you’re going to get it.” Ryan
looked genuinely worried.

“Why?”

“Because you didn’t follow her instructions
completely.”

Dr. Randall spoke up. “Ryan, where is
she?”

They led him into the cabin, to where Eliwese
was sleeping. Her fever still raged.

“How is she?” Sean asked Ryan.

“You see it.” He pointed in her direction.
“Well, first she wrote a bit in a tablet, and then she slept the
rest of the time.”

Dr. Randall glanced around the room at all
the strange items haphazardly strung around as he walked over to
her bedside. He inspected her bullet wounds carefully and poked her
stomach softly. With his stethoscope, he listened to her heart and
lungs, with his thumb he opened her eyelids and flashed a small
light in her eyes. He put his hand on her forehead and then moved
it to her cheek; he turned to Sean and Ryan with a grim expression
and walked out of the room motioning them to follow.

“My educated guess is a severe infection in
her abdomen and possibly a punctured intestine from the bullet. Her
lungs are collecting water. Basically, I feel she will die if we
don’t get her to a hospital soon. I need to surgically clean that
wound and investigate the extent of the injury.”

“I don’t know. If we don’t meet her father in
a day and a half, we may never see Mom and Lyndee again. If we took
her to the hospital now, would she be healed in time?” Ryan
asked.

“No, but if we do nothing, she will be dead
in a day and a half and you lose all hope of getting anyone
back.”

“Let me go talk to her about it,” Sean
said.

He went back in the room and put his hand on
her shoulder and wiggled her slightly to wake her. She didn’t wake
up. He placed his hand on her forehead and called her name. She
still did not stir. Sean shook both her shoulders and called more
loudly, still she slept.