Chapter 1 Recruitment

It was the first day of summer vacation. I was seventeen, and couldn't find a job. I had just finished my Junior year of high school, and the economy in my home town had been in the toilet since the air conditioner manufacturing plant closed.

I suppose I could work at my father's campaign office. He was running for congress in November. But I'd just be a gopher, making coffee and copying flyers. And knowing my dad, he'd pay me next to nothing, saying that the experience would look good on my college resume.

Instead of that, I opted for the same job I'd had since I was twelve: mowing lawns. It was hot but easy work. I had an established line up of customers, who seemed to like my work. It wasn't what I wanted to do, but it was honest work; and by the end of the summer I'd have a tidy sum, which I would save for college.

When I mowed, I'd zone out everything around me, lost in my thoughts. So I didn't notice the stretch limo that was cruising down that residential street. It pulled up right next to me. I didn't even notice that until it honked.

Limousines were not a normal sight in this town, so I turned off the mower, and walked over, to see who was inside and what he wanted. As I approached the car, the window in the passenger compartment rolled down, to reveal Roy Paxton.

I mentally slapped myself upside my head. Who else could it be?

Roy Paxton was the local boy who made good. He started a company that made cheap silicon chips, of acceptable quality. He became a billionaire overnight. He had houses all over the world, including one in his hometown. It is said that the work he provided to locals was the one thing that kept us from becoming a ghost town. What he wanted with me, I had no idea.

"You're Bill Hayden's boy, Kevin, right?" he asked.

"That's right. And you're Roy Paxton."

"Correct. I went to school with your dad. I used to date your mother."

Mentioning my mom brought a lump in my throat. "She's dead you know."

"I know. Cancer. I sent a bouquet for the funeral."

I thought back. "I remember. Thank you."

"I have a job offer for you. It will pay a lot better than mowing lawns."

"What kind of job?" I asked, a bit suspicious.

"Come on sit inside, where it's cool."

"I'll stay out here."

The businessman smiled. "You don't trust me. Good. Look, I'll have my driver, Charles, pull over to the curb, and then give you the keys. We won't be going anywhere until you are ready to go."

I could not see any flaw in that plan, so I agreed. When the driver handed me the keys, I climbed into the back.

Inside, it was refreshingly cool. "Would you like a Coke?" my host asked. "Or would you like a Gatorade?"

I had just started mowing, so I wasn't really ready. But I figured I could hold onto it for later. "Gatorade, please."

He reached into a cooler, and pulled out a twenty ounce bottle.

I thanked him, and asked "What is this job?"

"You must have heard I own a number of properties."

I nodded.

"One of my favorites is a little hundred acre island ten miles off the coast of Lanai. That's one of the Hawaiian Islands. I bought it last year, had it renovated, and now it is a wonderful retreat.

"It sounds great."

"It is. Unfortunately, I can only spend a few weeks a year there. Too many irons in the fire; you understand."

Actually, I didn't, but I nodded anyway.

"One day, I hope to retire there."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"I need a caretaker; someone, to make sure that the roof doesn't leak, and the grass stays mowed; that kind of thing."

"But I don't know anything about fixing roofs."

"You don't need to. There's a carpenter on-call on Lanai. We'll have him flown over to fix it. But someone needs to be there to call him.

"There's more to the job than that. You will be busy, but not so busy you can't go out and watch the sunset on the private beach."

I paused. This sounded too good to be true. "Why me?" I asked, finally.

The middle aged man stroked his chin. "Partially, I'm doing this as a tribute to your mother. She was my first love. I had been keeping tabs on her life, and was glad she'd found happiness.

"When she died, your dad threw himself into politics. He is running for Congress, risking everything, including your college fund in the campaign."

This, I had not heard.

"If he doesn't get elected, which is a definite possibility, you will have no funds for going to college. This job will help."

"And how much does this job pay?"

"Five thousand dollars."

"For the whole summer?"

"No, per week."

My jaw dropped. Working there this summer would pay for my whole four years of college.

"Are you interested?" he asked.

At a loss for words, I nodded.

"One condition of your employment is to not tell anyone your salary. Agree?"

"Agreed."

"In that case, we better run this by your father."

"Okay."

"Charles will need his keys back."

If anything, my dad was more enthusiastic than I was. We talked to him at his office in the "Hayden for Congress" headquarters.

"This'll be a great experience for you. It'll give you a chance to shoulder some real responsibility. It'll look great on your resume."

Chapter 2 »