Chapter 1

At the age of 28, John Baker was a loner. He went to work every day in the accounting department of a small manufacturing company. His primary responsibility was to enter invoices received into the computer and pay them when they were due. It was a dead end job with almost no possibility for advancement, but for John that didn't matter. He had no ambition, no drive to climb the corporate ladder. As long as they paid him, provided a couple of weeks of vacation and a few other benefits, he would be loyal to the company and do his job the best that he could. Every day at five o'clock, he would get into his six-year-old Chevy and drive home to his apartment. He would make himself a can of soup or a sandwich and settle onto the couch for a night of watching TV. After the ten o'clock news he would shut the TV and get ready for bed. In a word, John's life was boring.

John wasn't a bad looking guy. He was 5'7", 135 pounds, with a rather slim almost petite build. He had brown hair and brown eyes. He dressed conservatively, as was his nature. His clothes were always cleaned and pressed. He was the kind of guy that never stood out in a crowd. The guy that always got overlooked or ignored. He was shy around women, primarily because growing up no girls were ever interested in him, so he never developed the skills or the confidence to interact with the opposite sex. Naturally, he was a virgin.

His parents had died in a car accident five years ago. He had no brothers or sisters and knew of only one living relative, his Uncle Joe. He had never met Uncle Joe. His mother had once told him that Joe was her only brother, that he had left home at eighteen to join the Navy and see the world. She had told him that they hadn't seen each other since he had left home and that the only contact they had with each other was their annual exchange of Christmas cards, in which she would update him on the family news.

She had no idea where he was living. His mailing address was a PO Box in Los Angeles; but she had been told that the mail was always forwarded elsewhere. That's why it was such a shock when John came home one day to find an envelope sent certified mail from Joseph Taylor, Los Angeles, California. In the envelope were a one-page letter and a one-way first class airplane ticket to Los Angeles. The letter was short and to the point:

Dear John, I require your presence at my beachfront estate in Malibu. Enclosed you will find an airplane ticket. A car will be waiting for you when you arrive. I have a proposal for you that I believe will be to our mutual benefit.

Sincerely,

Uncle Joe The next day John went into work as always. When his supervisor arrived, John asked to take a week of vacation. He apologized for the short notice, but he had to fly to Los Angeles the following Monday because of a family emergency. Although annoyed, his supervisor granted his request because John never caused any trouble and was a hard worker.

John made arrangements to stop his mail and newspaper, let his neighbor know he would be gone for a week, and arranged for a ride to Newark Airport on Monday morning.