In Dire Need

By Jon Seawright

This morning Mary Barton received an unexpected phone call from her ex-husband, Bad Bob. This troubled her, as she now drove to meet him at clear Lake State Park.of all places as this was where they use to secretly meet while dating in high school. He told her he needed to go over financial things that were divided up during their divorce.But Mary never had a chance to see him again alive.

As her head started to clear and the pain subsided enough for her to be cognizant, Mary slowly realized that she had been struck over the head, back at the park, and now was held captive in the truck of a moving vehicle. But it wasnt just any car. It was her own. Then, out of nowhere, it was suddenly rear-ended by two carjackers, causing a minor dent in the rear fender and hood of the trunk. A small hole was also created, big enough for Mary to slightly see out of, enabling her to witness the shooting of her would-be kidnapper Bad Bob!

She later discovers that her purse was thrown into the trunk along with her body, and in the purse was her cellular phone and its dying battery.

Marys life now relies upon her ability to recognize, through her small peep-hole, the various landscapes that fly by, as her car makes its way south.from Lakeport, in northern California, down through the Sierra Mountains, past the high deserts of Yucca Valley, and eventually, on to the Salton Sea and Calexico.

She has to describe her whereabouts to F.B.I. special agent, Mac McPherson, without the carjacker ever knowing that she exists. Horror fells her whole body as the days go by and she realizes that if she isnt able to lead Mac to her location, before the phone battery gives out or her car reaches the Mexican border she and her cell phone.would both be found dead.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 22, 2007
• ISBN: 9781462825783

Jon Seawright

Born and raised in Hermosa Beach, California, Jon Seawright graduated from the University of Arizona in Tucson where he lives today with his wife Gail and their two Goldendoodles. From his diverse style of living, Jon’s writings revolve mainly around his various types of employment, mixed in with his world-wide travels. Jon’s other books include “In Dire Need,” “Early Bird Special,” and “A Can Of Worms.”

Book preview

Chapter 1

THE DOORS FLEW open and the expected gust of cold air hit her in the face as it always did. And as usual she hated it because it made her feel like her hair was now a mess. But it never was, because her naturally thick, dark brown hair seemed to always fall back into place like a Barbie doll’s. It maintained its integrity.

Surviving the air curtain, she made her way on into the 11th street Safeway supermarket and grabbed the end shopping cart that wedged itself into the long line of other carts.

Fighting briefly to free it, Mary managed to push it ahead of her when one of the wheels began to chatter and then locked into a position that protested the direction in which she was moving. It was the same technique used by her dogs whenever she tried to get them to enter Lov’in Pup Veterinarians.

Damn! she muttered to herself, another sick grocery cart! Why can’t these stores ever fix them? she thought in disgust. Pushing the lame cart aside, she headed for the stack of arm baskets that were neatly arranged to one side of the freezer of Party Ice and ice blocks. This is all I really need anyway, she concluded, and then as she mentally scrolled down her brief shopping list, she muttered  . . . . let’s see . . . . Milk!

If she needed four items, then it would have been written out on a Post-it note. But this afternoon she needed only three and therefore she could remember them. But four! Forget it! That’s one too many and that is exactly what she would have done. Without making any unnecessary movements, Mary made her way to the dairy section by the most direct route. She never liked to shop anywhere else, not because the produce or customer service was any better here, but because she knew the lay-out of the store so well; that she could find things faster here than some employees could.

She once mussed that Stove Top Stuffing was the hardest item to find in any grocery store because it could be categorized just about under any section; that the true test in knowing one’s supermarket was the Stove-Top Stuffing test.

Just as she placed the plastic, gallon bottle of non-fat milk into her arm basket, a shrill voice shattered the normal market drone. It called out her name.

Mary! Mary Barton! I thought that was you! Are you off work early? . . . . Boy, you and your banker’s hours. I always thought that was a myth . . . You know, banker’s hours and getting off early.

Slightly biting her lip at this analogy, Mary thought, while standing there in her faded jeans and favorite University of Arizona sweatshirt that read Bear Down across the front . . . . Pam knew that she hadn’t just come from work and probably had been home already. Mary also knew that Pam wasn’t that interested any more in Mary’s personal activities, and therefore was making small talk in a cute but sociable way.

No Pam, bankers do work normal hours; they just do it behind locked doors. Actually I have the day off and was just about to leave for Kelseyville . . . . You know, to look in on mother.

Mary and Pam grew up together and both attended Clear Lake High School, but weren’t really close friends. They married at a relatively young age, and then later came to know each other better through the friendship of their husbands.

Bob and Tim were reserve firemen for Lake County and routinely drank beer and shot pool in the back room of the fire station on Main Street. This gave Pam and Mary time to themselves, which they usually spent together. More recently they worked out at the Lakeport Gym and Fitness Center; however, Mary noticed that Pam had not been there in several months.

And just how is Bad Bob these days? Have you heard from him lately? Pam asked, seeming to goad her.

Oh God, Mary thought, how strange Pam should ask. Bad Bob was a nomenclature she and Pam had given her husband, Robert Barton, when things started to go bad between Mary and him years ago.

Mary believed that all good women have had one Bad Bob in their life; that there was always that one rotten guy every woman must experience, and for some reason his name was usually Bob. Mary unfortunately married hers. How strange that you should ask, she reiterated, because I haven’t talked to him in months, ever since I moved all my things out . . . . and then, out of nowhere, he called me this morning. I can’t quite understand what he wants, but it’s something about trying to sell the house.

Glancing at her designer watch, she read 4:47. I’ve got to meet him in about half ’n hour before I leave town.

Well, Pam huffed, it sounds like nothing has changed between the two of you. Tim and I keep thinking that something will work out . . . ’cause, you know, we really miss having you two together as friends. As she spoke, Pam and Mary’s eyes seemed to avoid each others.

I know, Pam, but things just aren’t the same and I really don’t believe that will change.

Mary was suddenly interrupted by a faint beeping noise. The sound seemed to emanate from her body.

Oh you bankers! Pam shrieked. Now you’ve done it! You went and got yourself a pager! You do know that your life will never be the same. You’ll forever be a slave to it.

Fumbling with her handbag, Mary had figured out what it was. "No Pam, it’s not a pager. It is the second worse thing technology has dumped on mankind. It’s my new cellular telephone, and it’s trying to tell me that I have once again left it on and the battery is nearly dead.

Bad Bob gave this to me last Christmas, but I haven’t used it much. I soon found that my phone bills needed collateral so I only carry it with me when I go on the road. It just seems to make me feel better knowing that I can always call if I need help."

Mary then sighed, But of course it doesn’t do much good when one forgets to turn it off and it goes dead.

Yeah, I see what you mean . . . . Hey, please say `hi’ to your mom, Pam said, as she dug into her grocery cart as if she might find something unexpected inside.

I hope that she is fine and that maybe you and I can get together sometime. You know, like for lunch at the Pine Tree Inn, like we use to do.

Not waiting for an answer, Pam waved a goodbye as she disappeared between the chips and Value-Pack shelves. Suddenly Mary became a little depressed.

She hadn’t thought that much about Bad Bob in a long while and now he calls her up for some kind of confrontation, only to be followed up by the rekindling of a lost friendship with her best old-friend Pam.

It’s strange, she reflected, how one could be so close to two people, such as these, and then to continue on in life without them, as if they didn’t happen, or even worse, that they never really mattered.

Rounding out the rest of her mental shopping list, Mary filled the arm basket with several bottles of Calistoga mineral water, which she would need after her aerobics class tomorrow night, and a large container of Double Rainbow raspberry sorbet, her mother’s favorite.

Before the young check-out clerk had time to quote the purchase total, Mary had pulled out her coupon organizer. Under Desserts she found it: a 50-cents-off coupon for any size of Double Rainbow. With double discounts at Safeway, that was a dollar.

Thrusting the clipped paper at the clerk, Mary felt triumphant. Gotcha!

The clerk studied it for a moment and then squinched up her face. I’m sorry Ma’am, but this expired last week.

Damn! Mary murmured.

Paper or plastic? the clerk asked. But Mary was still upset over the coupon and didn’t hear her.

Ma’am, would you like a paper or plastic bag for this? Irritated with herself, Mary managed to finally reply, Paper! She always took paper bags to be later used as a trash bag. She felt good knowing that they were used at least twice.

Then, checking to make sure that the ice cream was packed with insulated paper, Mary reluctantly paid the face value of the bill. Although feeling slightly defeated, she knew, in the back of her mind, that she would be back, but next time she would be better prepared.

Once again, engaging the air-curtain that hung over the automatic doors, Mary departed. A customer passed by pushing her shopping cart. The front left wheel chattered.

Chapter 2

AFTER CAREFULLY PROPPING up the two bags of groceries in the trunk of the car, using her heavy handbag as a holder, Mary slipped into the driver’s seat of her new Cadillac and guided it out of the parking lot and up 11th street, and then out onto Route 29.

Although she had just filled her car with gas that morning, Mary still glanced at the fuel gauge. It was a habit of hers as she did not want to ever run out of gas. It was such an inconvenience. She also noticed the clock of the car’s dashboard, which read 5:20, and deduced that her wrist watch must be running slow.

Kelseyville nestles west of Clear Lake, just about 10 miles south of Lakeport. As she drove, Mary filled with anxiety . . . . but she wasn’t quite sure why. She needed to reminisce for a moment about her past; of the wonderful times captured in youth.

She thought of Bob and how they met in school. They truly were the odd couple and everyone told them so. Bob was 6’2 and played varsity football. Mary was 4’10and was in the finance club. He was good looking and had a great laugh but at times was mentally a little slow. Mary had an acute sense of humor and often thought that for such a tall guy, a lot of things sure went over his head.

Mary wasn’t necessarily pretty but she was very cute. Bob teased her, that sometimes she really was cute, and that at other times, she just thought that she was cute.

His family had roots in the area that went back a couple generations. They owned one of the largest farms of walnuts, grapes and pears, both Asian and Bartlet. She came from a Hispanic background, one that she couldn’t trace.

Her parents moved to Lake County just after she was born but she never really knew her father, as he simply left home one day and never returned. Rosa, her mother, was a survivalist and was able to raise Mary by cleaning motel rooms and private homes. After graduating from high school, Bob wanted to attend the University of Arizona in Tucson. The school had offered him a