Chapter 1: Wealth and Toys

Jim is a rich man. He came by his wealth the old fashioned way, he inherited it. When he was about 20-years-old, his parents were killed in a plane crash. Along with several hundred million dollars, and several manufacturing companies, his parents had left him a huge home located on nearly 60,000 tree-covered acres in a Colorado mountain valley. The nearest town was twenty miles away. Jim's home was accessible only by one very long and rough dirt road, or aircraft. There was a landing strip behind the house with a short taxiway up to his home.

Jim flew frequently. His proudest possession was his Gulfstream jet. He was his own pilot, and the plane allowed him to travel the world overseeing his holdings that had continued to grow since his parents had been killed. At any time, on nothing more than a whim, he'd fire up the Gulfstream and fly off for business or pleasure.

His home was a two story stone structure with a full stone-lined basement. The walls were two feet thick and had few windows. The ceilings of the basement and first floor were made of massive wooden beams that served as the base of the floor above. All and all the house strongly resembled an ancient castle, including the turrets. Thus, Jim called his home, The Castle.

His parents had been avid students of the medieval era. At one time, the ground floor had been used to entertain the occasional guests in a manner similar to that of the legendary kings of Europe. Though the kitchen was ultra modern with the latest appliances, the main room was decorated to look like the banquet hall of an ancient castle. There were hidden electric lights, but gas-fired torches mounted around the outside walls provided the main lighting. Heat, when needed, was provided by a massive fire pit in the center of the room.

The upper floor was Jim's personal space. Like the kitchen, it had all the most up to date comforts and conveniences. A high performance computer controlled the sound system, the numerous high tech cameras throughout the house and about the property, and the other security system components. The computer also allowed Jim to manage his far-flung holdings. The image from any single camera, or multiple cameras, could be easily displayed on the computer monitor or the large TV screen hung on the wall opposite the foot of Jim's oversized bed. The computer also controlled the electronic locks installed in all the doors. The locks opened automatically if the properly coded chip imbedded in a key fob or other item came within six feet of the door. Without that fob, the heavy doors simply could not be opened.