The Samoa Seduction

by Alan L. Moss

  Michael moved off of Stephanie. He looked into her eyes. They were open but lifeless. Gently, he closed her lids.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, kissing her gently on the lips.

  ***

  Demanding revenge, he saw the wounded assassin’s gun on the floor. He picked it up, removed the silencer, and followed the FBI agents. Unlike their mad dash, Michael moved deliberately, scanning the coconut trees and palms that covered the area. His heart was pounding but he knew what he was doing. If the agents missed their prey, he would not.

  Then, he heard a weird scraping sound coming from a short stump, the remains of a downed tree. The stump turned and flipped over. An arm rose from under the ground and pitched a long rifle, which came to rest on a nearby bush. The third assassin, a black hood covering his face, rose from his camouflaged lair and tried to get his bearings.

  Michael backed up and fired the revolver into the air. If they were alive, the agents would be sure to return.

  The assassin flinched at the sound but recovered quickly.

  “Why don’t you put your gun down and walk away. I assure you, I’ll retrieve my rifle and blow your brains out before you think through your options. You’re a goddamned bureaucrat. You’re not going to shoot me.”

  Michael was surprised that the killer knew his identity.

  “Don’t make another mistake. If you move, I’ll end your life right now.”

  The man lunged to his left and grabbed his weapon. Staring at the assassin’s stomach, Michael fired three shots. The man fell to the ground as two shots discharged from his rifle, flying wildly into the sky.

  Michael took the rifle, bent down, and removed the man’s hood.

  Clinging to life, the man looked into Michael’s eyes.

  “Why couldn’t you just leave it alone? These Samoans couldn’t care less.”

  Michael engaged the safety on his revolver. Coldly, he looked into the eyes of the mortally wounded assassin.

  “Maybe that’s why,” he answered. “Someone has to care.”

  Blood pouring from his wounds, the man stiffened. Then, his body relaxed as death took hold.

  The two FBI agents approached.

  “Michael? Are you okay?” Hodge asked.

  “I’m okay.”

  “Is he dead?”

  “I think so.”

  Agent Hodge approached the dead man to get a good look at him.

  “Shit, that’s Matautu, the Governor’s top assistant. I planned to question him about the tax certificate and the sixty million dollars.”

  “It’s all part of a long story I have to tell you,” Michael said.

  CHAPTER 56

  I WANT

  July 23, 2004

  Greymouth, New Zealand

  The sun disappeared on the horizon and the wind blew hard up from the sea. Harold Beamer had a two-acre lot on the outskirts of Greymouth. Six FBI agents and thirty New Zealand policemen surrounded the ranch house. They saw no movement in or out. As soon as Agent Hodge gave the signal, they would break down the front and back doors simultaneously and search for Joy.

  Michael prayed she would be there, unharmed. It had been almost two weeks since Joy disappeared from the TranzAlpine. He bet her life on the assumption Health-Cell employees would not commit murder. Now, he would see if his judgment was sound.

  After the fireworks ended at the Agelu Lodge, two ambulances transported the bodies of Stephanie Pecura, Galeai Matautu, and the unidentified dead assassin to the morgue. Agent Schnorr accompanied the injured assassin to JFK Medical Center. Later, he was flown to Honolulu for safekeeping.

  On the flight to Greymouth, Agent Hodge told Michael that the captured assailant had sung like a bird, implicating Matautu in the murders of Karen Bloom, George Partain, Ianita Lauvao, and Bob Tagata. With the information provided by Michael, the police arrested Congressman Pecura and Dr. Jacobs. Michael also learned that the man who had tried to kill him in Auckland died in jail from a drug overdose.

  The next day, New Zealand authorities would be briefed on the conspiracy. Health-Cell would be shut down pending a comprehensive investigation. Warrants would be issued for Gregory Ponsonby and John Seaton, even though the South Africans wouldn’t honor them.

  Michael stooped behind a squad car, waiting for the action. Without warning, the entire team rushed the house, flattened the doors, and seemed to fill all the space inside.

  No shots fired. Must be a good sign, Michael thought. Maybe the letter and picture he sent spooked Beamer and he took off, leaving Joy behind.

  Michael checked his watch. One, two, three minutes passed. Worried about Joy, he came out from behind the car and walked to the house, climbing the steps to the front porch.

  Agent Hodge appeared in the front door opening, leading Joy by her forearm. She looked pale and weak but was walking on her own.

  “Michael, this lady says she’s missed you very much.”

  Michael and Joy embraced with renewed passion.

  Hand in hand, they walked down the porch steps and looked into each other’s eyes.

  “If you want, I’ll never leave you again,” Michael said.

  Joy kissed him hard on the mouth.

  “I want.”

  EPILOGUE

  July 25, 2004

  Tafuna Village, American Samoa

  Stephanie’s mother looked at the nightstand and spotted the gold Hawaiian fishhook. In her rush to see Michael, Stephanie forgot to fasten the pendant around her neck.

  Her mother remembered when Stephanie called the necklace her good luck charm. The old lady would make sure her daughter was wearing it for the burial ceremony. Hopefully, it would help Stephanie to find a better place.

  July 30, 2004

  Garden Route, South Africa

  Gregory Ponsonby relaxed as his sailboat cut through the waters of Mossel Bay. He remembered how his daughter’s symptoms reappeared close to three years after John Seaton administered the stem cell cure. At first, Ponsonby and his wife believed it might be psychological. When the signs persisted, they had Jill tested, confirming that diabetes returned.

  Ponsonby didn’t know if Jill’s experience would be repeated among the fifteen other patients, or if Tiri and his staff might be able to figure out what went wrong and fix it. Given the dollars they accepted and the promises he made, he wasn’t going to stick around to find out. The fifty-one million dollars he received from Matautu saved Health-Cell, and formal testing of the stem cell procedure, including its application to other diseases, seemed to be going well.

  Word of their promising experiences leaked out and several giant pharmaceutical companies offered large sums for the firm. Ponsonby contacted one of the companies and agreed to sell his holdings in Health-Cell for fifty-seven million dollars. John Seaton followed suit, reaping fifty-five million for his shares. With these funds safely deposited and the required papers signed, Ponsonby and Seaton purchased estates on the Knysna Lagoon in the western part of Cape Province.

  While living in South Africa required a significant adjustment for their families, the country’s lack of extradition treaties assured their safety from any prosecution in the future. Given the news from Ashburton, they were sure they made the right decision.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Alan L Moss is a unique and emerging voice in the thriller genre. His writing draws upon Ph. D. research capabilities and many years in Washington D.C. as a federal Chief Economist, Congressional Fellow in the U.S. Senate, and Adjunct Instructor at the University of Virginia's Northern Virginia Center. In 2002, he put his government career aside and moved to the Jersey Shore to pursue his writing. His published novels spin sophisticated tales of conspiracy, love, sex, revenge, and subterfuge. After years of politics and bureaucracy, Alan has found the freedom of writing fiction an intoxicating and satisfying calling.

  The Samoa Seduction takes advantage of Alan’s time in American Samoa administering the minimum wage hearings fictitiously portrayed in the novel. His insider knowledge
of Washington politics, and how policies may be distorted to support powerful interests is clearly demonstrated in the web of betrayals that drive the story forward. His personal familiarity with the Samoan people and the beautiful landscape of the Island of Tutuila provide a fascinating backdrop to the story’s telling. Alan’s strong thriller competencies are revealed in the protagonist’s journey fighting to raise Samoa’s poverty wages, yielding to a beautiful Samoan seductress, paying a high price for his infidelity, and then seeking revenge for the damage done by returning to the South Pacific to punish those responsible.

  Alan’s recent work on The Insidious Deception Saga chronicles how a pre-med student and a brilliant college professor become entangled in conspiracies hatched by al Qaeda and a ruthless CEO. The two resulting novels include: Insidious Deception (Whiskey Creek Press/Start-Media 2013), and the sequel, Surviving the Endgame (Whiskey Creek Press/Start-Media 2014). His work on these novels and participation in a Middle East Dialogue sponsored by the Policy Studies Organization of the American Political Science Association resulted in preparation of the unique Middle East peace plan featured in Insidious Deception. The plan for a Middle East Union has been published in Middle East Conflicts & Reforms, Westphalia Press, Washington, D.C. 2014

  Dr. Moss’ non-fiction offerings include Selling-Out America’s Democracy (Praeger 2008) and Employment Opportunity (Prentice-Hall 2000).

  For more information about Alan and his writing, see www.alanlmoss.com. For Alan's series of BLOG columns see www.alanlmossmyview.com.

  RECENT REVIEWS

  INSIDIOUS DECEPTION

  ForeWord Reviews (Mark McLaughlin): Moss is to be commended for creating simple, honest and, most of all, believable characters. His heroes and villains are straightforward, focused, intelligent, and normal. This is how Moss 'sells' his tale of terror, political intrigue, and corporate mayhem. He makes the reader believe that his story could, and even might, happen. That is no small accomplishment in any genre, let alone a thriller. Many authors attempt to fictitiously resolve the Middle East. Moss is unique among them, however, because his plan is not far-fetched, nor does it depend upon some apocryphal event or magic technological breakthrough.

  Readers Favorite (Maria Beltran): 5 STARS Alan Moss writes with a restraint that is admirable. His narrative is paced in such a way that the story becomes real and not contrived. The author sets the stage for an outbreak and after that you can almost feel the debris falling around you. The build-up of the narrative is done in such a way that you think the story might just as well be happening right now.

  Midwest Book Review: No good deed goes unpunished in Insidious Deception. An exciting thriller that will entertain for hours.

  SURVIVING THE ENDGAME

  Readers Favorite (Jack Magnus) 5 STARS Alan L. Moss's political thriller, Surviving The Endgame, is a literate and entertaining action and adventure novel. Moss builds a very relevant and credible plot about the high stakes involved in the market for the rare earth minerals that are crucial for the production of modern technology. He also weaves other highly relevant issues into the story such as: the ecological damage done by mining, the dangers of the nuclear industry, the domestic use of drones and the undue influence of corporate interests in the American political system. Surviving The Endgame is a fast-paced and exciting read with a great cast of characters and a fabulous plot. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Alan L. Moss and highly recommend Surviving the Endgame.

  Midwest Book Review (Diane Donovan) Entanglements range from the highest levels of political office to the Cloud itself, with circles of conspiracy ever-widening in a satisfying complex manner. Events hold many surprises as they unwind, and nothing is guaranteed – not even the protagonist survival or happiness. It’s about loss of life, survival against all odds, and recapturing power in a seemingly endless game that perhaps nobody can truly win. Even the most seasoned thriller reader will find Surviving The Endgame filled with delightfully unexpected moments.

  THE SAMOA SEDUCTION

  BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  What does Health-Cell’s gamble on George Partain and the conspiracy tell you about mixing medical research and the pursuit of profits? Are there real life parallels in today’s pharmaceutical company environment?

  In the novel, the U.S. Department of Labor consistently supports the continuation of low minimum wages in American Samoa. Assuming this was actual Department policy at the time, what might have been the motivation? Is such a stand consistent with what you would expect from a federal Department of Labor?

  Michael risks his marriage to fight for the higher wages of a people he hardly knew. Is his progressive stand a product of clear analysis or does it reflect an era of belief in government solutions to inequity? If Michael had not experienced the sixties and seventies first hand would he have taken the same path?

  If you were in the shoes of the Flanagans, would you have opted-in to the stem cell pilot program? Did the family have other, better options?

  Given her advanced education, beauty, and athletic ability, would one expect Stephanie to have a good life and happy ending? Where did she go wrong? Are there key points in her life where you would have provided advice to shape a different, more favorable outcome or was she destined to reach a sad ending?

  Can you explain the dynamic between Michael, Karen, Stephanie, and Paul Pecura? Removed from the conflict inherent in the Samoa minimum wage process, the stem cell conspiracy, and earlier commitments, who belongs with who?

  Would you condemn Michael for his infidelity or, given the drug given to him, was his initial sexual liaison with Stephanie understandable? After that, was his dependence on her a product of true love, sexual pleasure, or insecurity?

  What lessons did you learn by following the proceedings of the minimum wage hearings? Were you surprised that the tax certificate and threats from the Lieutenant Governor took precedence over the objective criteria that were supposed to determine Special Industry Committee decisions? Is there a way that the process could have been safeguarded?

  When did Stephanie decide to go ahead with Matautu’s plan to poison Michael? Is there irony in the fact that the nine-one-one call was credited with saving Michael’s life? What did that call signify for Stephanie?

  Is there a relationship between the actions of Matautu’s hoods and the history of inadequate minimum wage increases in American Samoa? Are the poverty wages there symptomatic of a lack of concern for Samoan youth and insufficient incentives for entry into a legitimate, modern labor force?

  How did you feel about Michael’s relationship with Joy? Were you offended that Michael committed to her so soon after his wife’s passing? What is your prognosis for the depth and length of their romance?

  When Paul Pecura called Stephanie to inform her of the FBI’s investigation into the minimum wage hearings and related developments, did he know she would run? What was his objective?

  When Genevieve called Stephanie to tell her Michael had returned and was in Room No. 4, was that of her own intent or was she ordered to make the call by Matautu?

  How would you have written the final scene in Room No. 4?