Dictator s Daughter Read online

  Sean had at least four to seven days off before he would become responsible for another crosser. Sean’s father, Paul, understood the emotional toll this job had on the psyche and the importance of unwinding after sending off a crosser. Paul was born into this lifestyle and continued with it his whole life. He knew more about it than just about anyone else; in his opinion. His compassion was matched only by his mother, Sara, as she had been a crosser too.

  A knock on his bedroom door brought him back to the present.

  “Sean,” his mother stood in the doorway. “Your father needs to speak to you in his office, now.” She wasn’t usually that direct and it struck Sean as odd.

  Sara was close to the same age as her husband, Paul, and in equally good physical condition; if not better for a forty-five year old. She had beautiful long gentle waves in her dark brown hair and her brown eyes had gentle smile lines around them indicating a happy life. Her skin was like beautiful porcelain and her facial features were small and delicate. It was obvious that Sean’s parents still loved each other very much.

  Sean walked downstairs to the basement where his father’s office was located. He and his father looked so much alike, it was amazing. They were the same height, had dark brown hooded eyes, muscular body type and deep brown hair; except that Paul had some gray wisdom hairs over his ears where Sean did not. Many people have said that when he reaches his father’s age of forty-six he’ll look exactly like Paul does now. Sean wasn’t bothered by statements like these because his father looked great.

  Paul’s job held the greatest importance as he dealt with the most dangerous situations of everyone. He talked with the actual ‘sources’ that helped the defectors flee across the border. His intuitive senses had to be at their fullest when dealing with these potentially crooked individuals. One wrong assumption could mean disaster.

  The ‘sources’ had their own methods of getting crossers past border control; each different, yet effective. Paul didn’t know how they succeeded in fooling the border guards, only that they did. The crosser would be at the drop off point every time without fail.

  The border between the two countries was heavily patrolled by Rendierian soldiers who performed meticulous vehicle searches. Outsiders could go to Rendier to visit, but Rendierians couldn’t leave their country without a passport. As a result, passports were next to impossible to attain, and it was common knowledge around these parts that Rendierians only left their country on their way to heaven or hell. So, it increased Paul’s curiosity as to how his source was always able to cruise through security unchecked.

  As Sean approached the slightly opened door, he heard his father speaking on the phone. “My requirements must be met all the way, or we won’t make the pick-up. Are you sure you can’t wait three more days? What is his current health status? OK… Alright, we will be prepared for that…. No, we’ve got that under control. Alright, give me two hours and we’ll meet at the rendezvous point.” Paul finished his phone conversation and hung up the phone.

  Sean’s stomach dropped; a new crosser would be arriving tonight. Tonight! No break, no unwind time and no dinner date with Chandra. She wasn’t going to be happy about that.

  “Come in, Sean. We have an injured crosser in critical condition I’ll be picking up tonight.”

  “Are you serious?” Sean asked in a whining tone.

  “Serious about what?”

  “Usually I get at least a few days’ break before I get another crosser.”

  “Apparently, this one has been in hiding for over a week already and cannot receive medical help without being discovered. There’s no option on this one, Sean. This crosser has an extreme amount of heat on his head. In fact, he may be the ‘hottest’ one we’ve ever housed. You will need to exercise tremendous caution,” Paul warned. “Now go get your room ready with level-one medical supplies and I’ll be back around seven o’clock.”

  Sean walked back up the stairs begrudgingly. His night with Chandra was ruined and he probably wouldn’t get any sleep either because of the medical condition of his new crosser, and what did his father mean when he said this one had a lot of heat? All crossers were ‘hot’!

  Sean worked hard to get everything ready by six o’clock so when Chandra stopped by they could at least spend an hour together. He set out all manner of bandages, ointments, gauze, antibiotic injections, medications (some of which he had just picked up at the pharmacy), scissors, medical tape and a few other odds and ends. He didn’t know what kind of injuries this crosser would be arriving with, but his father had referred to them as critical, so Sean planned as such.

  Six o’clock came and went and Chandra didn’t arrive. Sean paced the living room in anticipation of his fiancée and her reaction to their evening plans being squashed. She’s going to blow a gasket, Sean thought to himself.

  Chandra finally arrived at six thirty.

  “I’m so angry!” She announced as she stormed past Sean. Her long golden hair flew past Sean’s face. Her delicious perfume trailed behind her in an invisible presence making Sean lose focus. “The stupid girl who was supposed to take the shift at six didn’t show up on time. When she showed up she was all like, ‘I’m sorry, I had to drive my brother to the hospital to get stitches.’ Like that’s my problem or something. Some people don’t have any consideration for others! It’s like, hey, I have a life too, you know.” She took a calming deep breath and her voice softened and turned sickeningly sweet, “But I’m here now so let’s go.”

  It never ceased to amaze Sean how Chandra’s personality would teeter back and forth with a Jekyll/Hyde kind of intensity. He chose his words carefully, “Chandra, we can’t go anywhere tonight. I’m sorry.”

  “What?” Her smile faded from her face.

  “I have a new crosser arriving tonight,” Sean hesitantly informed her.

  “So soon? It’s too soon… It’s not right… This isn’t fair!”

  “I know.”

  “This is our night! Doesn’t anyone ever think about us? About me?”

  “I’m sorry,” Sean apologized further.

  “You will just have to say no. You tell your father no this time!”

  “I’m sorry. My father is picking him up right now. Look, I’m not any happier about this than you are,” Sean tried to convince her.

  “You always get a week long break! Why not this time?”

  “I don’t know; apparently it’s an emergency.”

  “An emergency, huh? Can it be any more important than our relationship?”

  “Chandra-”

  “How can we even pretend to be engaged if we never get any time together?”

  “I know and I’m sorry, Chandra.”

  She pouted as she realized there was no way to win this, “Well, can we at least go grab a bite to eat?”

  “No, there isn’t enough time. My father will be back any minute.”

  “Your job stinks,” she sulked with her bottom lip jutting out, “like mine.”

  Sean didn’t say anything.

  “So, that’s it for tonight?” She said after a short silence.

  “I’m sorry Chandra. I’ll make it up to you.” Sean tried to smooth it over.

  “Yes, you will.” She whirled around and left the house.

  Sean’s mood turned sour with his fiancée storming out like she did. Or perhaps it was only the fact he wouldn’t be getting a break between crossers.

  Shortly after seven, Sean saw his father’s car pull in the driveway with Dr. Randall in the passenger seat. The relationship between Dr. Randall and Paul went way back. He was the only doctor Paul trusted to work with their crossers within their home. Dr. Randall kept the Cutler family well stocked with medical supplies and he trained both Sean and Lyndee often on first-aid and basic medical procedures. Sean thought of him as a nice enough man, but not very talkative about his relationship with his parents. Dr. Randall never married and Sean supposed him to be about fifty-five years old. His white hair and horn rimmed glasses completed h
is medical professional persona.

  Sean went out the back door to offer help to his father.

  “Go back in the house, Sean!” Paul nearly yelled.

  Sean turned around and went back inside feeling more than a little slighted. He sat in the living room in a chair facing the open staircase waiting for everyone to come in. After about ten minutes of waiting, the doctor and Paul carried the injured crosser up the stairs and into Sean’s room. Sara went up with them, too. Even from the ideal vantage point Sean had, he couldn’t see the new crosser’s face.

  As the night hours ticked by, Sean grew more irritated. He and Chandra could have gone somewhere and been back by now. They hadn’t needed him at the house all this time; it aggravated him to no end.

  “What are you doing down here?” Sean’s younger brother, Ryan, asked as he came in the front door.

  Sean rolled his eyes in abject frustration. “I’ve been kicked out.” Ryan was the last person he wanted to talk to right now. It wouldn’t matter what Sean said, Ryan would find a way to tick him off. Sean seemed to always be frustrated with Ryan these days due to the fact that Ryan constantly shirked his responsibilities; forcing their mother and father to pick up the slack. And for a twenty-year old young man, it was simply unacceptable behavior.

  “Why have you been kicked out?” Ryan was intrigued and a half smile lit up his face.

  “Not sure. Dr. Randall is helping Mom and Dad with a new crosser. They don’t want me up there.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know! Weren’t you listening?”

  “I’m asking ‘why they don’t’, but you’re saying ‘they just don’t’. What is the reason, Sean?”

  Ryan’s idiotic way of thinking was what irritated Sean the most. “Why don’t you go ask them, Ryan?” Sean hoped his brother would feel egotistical enough to actually do it. Then Sean could enjoy a good laugh when Ryan was reprimanded.

  “Well, if I were you, I would. But since I’m not you, and the crosser isn’t my responsibility, I have no reason to go ask, do I?” Ryan seemed to love this trite conversation with his brother.

  “Don’t you have anything else to do instead of sitting here pissing me off?”

  “I already did and I must say, she was fine,” Ryan was already exiting the room as he gloated in his conquest.

  That was Ryan in a nutshell; conceited, irresponsible, annoying and rebellious. Ryan’s very DNA seemed to be dissenting. His appearance was nothing like the rest of the family. His dirty dishwater blond hair and light hazel eyes stuck out wildly in the family portraits and he was short; he only stood five foot five inches. There were enough familial traits such as his facial bone structure and hooded eyes to confirm he was a Cutler, he just caught all the other recessive genes.

  Ryan’s good looks made it easy for him to find girls, but his over confidence and arrogance pushed them away. Paul often joked that neither of his sons could keep a girl; Sean was always too concerned with other people, and Ryan was always too concerned with himself.

  Dr. Randall left at ten o’clock PM and Sean was finally allowed to enter his room. His attitude preceded him as he sauntered in, but when he saw the new crosser on the bed, Sean became speechless. All prior frustrations melted away as he examined the badly beaten young teenage boy not more than fifteen or sixteen.

  Chapter 2

  The boy, Sean would later find out was named Eli, appeared incoherent and in a daze. His face was covered with bruises, the side of his mouth inflamed, and one eye swollen completely shut. They had him lying on his back in the bed wearing a blue jogging suit zipped up to his chin. Dr. Randall had inserted an IV into his right arm and the other hand was wrapped in a splint. His left leg was splinted to the ankle preventing the knee from bending.

  The anger and aggravation of the hours before had slipped from Sean’s mind as he wondered what had happened. Who had beaten this boy, and why?

  “Is he going to be alright?” Sean asked.

  His mother wouldn’t say anything and Sean knew better than to press the issue. Sean inspected Eli’s one good brown eye. Eli looked back at Sean without blinking. For a second, Sean wondered if he had a pulse, until Eli closed his eye and let out a slow breath.

  The night played out like Sean expected. He tended to Eli by keeping cool packs on his eye and changing the IV bag when necessary. Sean had been given strict orders not to touch any of the bandaged wounds. Dr. Randall would be back in the morning to clean the wounds and re-bandage them. Sean couldn’t remember the last time Dr. Randall had been so involved with one of their crossers. These injuries must be life threatening to demand this much attention.

  Sean kept up with his responsibilities and tended to the injured teen all through the night. He couldn’t imagine what had happened and what kind of trouble Eli must have been in to get these serious injuries.

  Early in the morning hours, Eli’s body started shaking and trembling. Sean wasn’t sure how to handle it. He didn’t know if it was a seizure or a nightmare. Should he get help?

  “Stop, Stop! Nooo!” Eli yelled out in a high pitched voice, waking himself from the now evident nightmare.

  “It’s alright, you’re safe,” Sean calmly placed the cool washcloth on Eli’s face and watched as his rapid breathing and shaking began to relax.

  At six-thirty in the morning, Sean’s mother came in the room to spell him off. “Sean, you’re tired. Go down to the spare bedroom and sleep. Dr. Randall will be here soon. I’ll care for Eli today till five tonight, then you can take over.”

  Sean did as she said, and once he settled into bed, he turned on the television to watch the news reports of missing or wanted people from Rendier. If he could piece together Eli’s past life, it would help him to communicate better. Unfortunately, there weren’t any reports on the news about a missing teenage boy, so he turned it off and went to sleep.

  The next few days carried out quite the same with Sean taking the night shift and his mother the day. Dr. Randall came twice a day, giving medications and changing bandages. Eli’s swollen eye had reduced and the smaller cuts were healing.

  Sean kept watching the news for any clue about Eli, but nothing stood out, no reports of missing individuals or abductions, and nothing to imply scandal or illegal activity. Sean’s father had said the heat on Eli’s head would be huge, but Sean couldn’t see any. Usually missing persons reports preceded the arrival of a new crosser or were posted shortly after; but not this time.

  In the meantime, Sean’s older sister Lyndee finished up with her crosser, Janice. After Janice had been shipped off to parts unknown, Sean found a moment to talk with Lyndee.

  “What did you find out about Janice?” Sean watched his twenty-six year old sister go into automatic mode. She had assisted crossers two years more than him.

  “Janice felt secure enough in her position to question Victor Rawlings about dubious activities happening in the palace,” Lyndee’s brown eyes closely resembled her mother’s.

  “Did she give you details?”

  “A little. She said she was Victor’s personal secretary and her responsibilities included making appointments for wealthy men and collecting money. She was to place the money in a certain bank account. She started to question Rawlings about the appointments, not even knowing what they were for or why money was paid up front. He dismissed her for questioning his authority.”

  “That sounds like Rawlings.”

  “Right, but before the end of the next day, she had to go into hiding because a death warrant had been issued on her head.”

  “Clearly, Rawlings didn’t want her blabbing what she had discovered,” Sean deduced.

  “I never got the skinny on your crosser, James.”

  “Oh, well I’m kind of thinking Janice and him were involved in the same thing. James said he suspected Victor of money laundering. He was on the accounting team and the other accountants told him to look the other way and not say anything, but James couldn’t. So he questioned Victor about th
e origins of the many deposits of large amounts of money, and the next day he had to go into hiding.”

  “So what do you think they stumbled upon?” Lyndee asked.

  “I don’t know, but Rawlings sure is going overboard by telling the world his country is financially secure. Why he’s laundering money is a mystery to me.”

  “What do you think happened to your new crosser?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’m almost afraid to find out.”

  “Janice told me most people who work in the palace or around the dictator have an escape fund set aside for the moment they realize there’s a bullet with their name on it.”

  “Huh, we save money for college or new trucks, in Rendier they save money to escape.”

  It had been a week since Eli arrived and his injuries were mending well. He hadn’t had any more nightmares since the first night and Sean had coaxed some conversation from the boy. Sean could hardly wait to learn more about Eli and ask him detailed questions; not just questions about comfort or hunger like, ‘can I get you a drink?’ or, ‘are you warm enough?’ So far, the only conversation they had centered on was the subject of the king-sized bed and evacuation procedures. Eli had asked Sean why there was only one bed in the room and it was clear to Sean that Eli was uncomfortable with the two of them sharing a bed. Sean explained that if a raid took place, it wouldn’t look as suspicious. Separate beds in an adult’s room was a surefire sign of housing crossers. Sean used the opportunity to explain the evacuation procedures to Eli.

  “In the event of a raid, your safety is number one. If I say jump, you do it. No questions, no hesitations, agreed? We have a number of escape routes out of the house and, in the event we need to flee, I’ll choose the safest one. You’ll need to trust me completely and not question.”

  “Have you ever been raided?” Eli asked in his timid voice.

  “Well, not in the sense that men have stormed into the house with guns or anything, but we’ve had some close calls where I’ve had to run with my crosser. Don’t worry about it, Eli. If I sense danger, I won’t hesitate to do whatever is necessary to keep you safe.”