Red Eye's Rage

By Ralph A. Sinnett

Bob Lane's entire life has consisted of living on the outskirts of a small city, isolated from evil and media. His mitigated understanding of the world changes when a chance meeting with a weary traveler enlightens him on the presence of real evil. Bob and his new friend, Stacy Rickman, begin to trek across several continents, spreading the world's wealth to those less fortunate. These two men work to hinder despotic government bullies looking to dispose of their most valuable commodity: common people trying to eke out an existence. Everything they do must be performed unnoticed by those in authority around the world, or both men and their families could be in grave danger. Themes of friendship, adventure, romance, and self-discovery fill the pages of this science fiction novel. "Red Eye's Rage" is for readers who want a story about destroying the evil in the world, while learning success comes at a great cost. A Reader's Favorite book review calls Sinnett's novel "an exciting book that kept my interest from beginning to end. The plot is completely original, with lots of satisfying twists and turns of events."

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Oct 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667862415

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Copyright © 2022 by RALPH A. SINNETT

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author, addressed Attention: Permissions at [e-mail].

Ralph A. Sinnett

3624 W. 87th Street South

Haysville, KS 67060

Ordering Information:

For details, contact [e-mail].

Print ISBN: 978-1-66786-240-8

eBook ISBN: 978-1-66786-241-5

Printed in the United States of America on SFI Certified paper.

First Edition

Everyone has a story to tell.

The one failure in life is to never share it.

To Roger who always had a story to tell me.

Preface

Decades ago, the modern worlds societies used to evolve on a year-to-year basis and eventually it became month to month. Nowadays, it seems nearly every second the world is changing in ways we could never have imagined. War, famine, murder, poverty or even the gloomy threat of inflation seems to be increasing in number all the time. But, what if? What if something could be done to alleviate some of the devastation to human survival? Supply the needs the world over wants but, often can’t attain?

There are so many natural and manmade resources in the world that are squandered, hoarded, or miss appropriated. Bob Lane, a sedentary retiree knew this from a lifetime of listening. Hearing the news from a neighbor, family and friends who had travelled abroad, and saw first-hand the condition of the worlds people. Bob knew living at his isolated Kansas homestead, there was nothing that he could directly do about the plight of the world. That was until his chance meeting with Stacy Rickman. A man of means.

Stacy had these unique abilities which allowed him to instantly travel around the world. Bob was to become his much older partner. Stacy offered an opportunity to take Bob places around the world that desperately needed help. Perhaps, saving lives along the way. But there was more to Bob than just being a helper to a secretive man. Bob had his own secrets and love was one of them.

There was this woman he wanted. Someone that could fill the large hole left in his heart. A woman that had everything, or so he thought. A real woman that was about to experience a change in Bob. A change that could halt the evil in parts of the world.

So, what if? What if one changed, older man could move the rudder of the world and alter its heading just enough to make things better. Alter it so millions would benefit. What if?

Ralph A. Sinnett

Contents

Chapter 1. Turning the Corner

Chapter 2. Changing Direction

Chapter 3. Ocean to Ocean

Chapter 4. Overwhelmed

Chapter 5. Cleanup

Chapter 6. Notorious

Chapter 7. Smoke on the Horizon

Chapter 8. Twinning

Chapter 9. Rescue

Chapter 10. A Hop, Skip, and a Bump

Chapter 11. Trial and Error

Chapter 12. Better Late Than Never

Chapter 13.Finally, at Last

Chapter 14. Suit Up

Chapter 15. Syria Be Damned

Chapter 16. First Step

Chapter 17. To Arms

Chapter 18. Awakening

Chapter 19. No Brainer

Chapter 20. Steps to Palisade Park

Chapter 21.Break a Leg

Chapter 22. A Bump in the Road

Chapter 23. Close to Home

Chapter 24. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Chapter 1

Turning the Corner

Click! The only audible sound came from the small, flat-screen TV as it turned off. The black-framed twenty-two-inch TV sits on the tan, marble-topped, and dark wood dresser in the master bedroom. Rising from his comfortable, overstuffed, easy chair located across from the flat screen, Bob Lane walked a few feet towards the dresser. He placed the remote control on the dresser’s countertop next to the squawk box. Five minutes. Just five minutes was all he could stand watching the early morning local and world news—too much murder, robbery, accidents, floods, and fighting for his taste. It seemed the world was running amuck these days. Bob did not want the constant infusion of bad news to penetrate his brain and remind him how humanity was failing. He thought it was already hard enough to stay positive without that trash blasting at you all the livelong day.

Bob liked living out in the country on his five-acre homestead, where it was gloriously quiet. Across from his country home were acres and acres of soybeans with no house in sight. Behind his home was another pasture planted with at least five-hundred acres of corn. The closest town was Haysville, Kansas. A small, city-type suburb nestled in the southern part of Kansas and just on the outskirts of Wichita’s many times bigger metropolis. With a small-town population of around ten thousand people and some simple industry, Haysville was a convenient drive for local farmers growing their rotating crops to go in and get supplies.

Thank goodness, Bob was retired, which had its advantages. He liked being in charge of his own time, though; it seems, in reality, he was a lot busier now than when he was working. These days he often took time to sit and rest at the local diner and enjoy a meal before tackling his day with a busy schedule. He was often reminded of one particular mystery at the diner, which was that he never seemed to brew a cup of coffee at home better than the one the diner served. Of course, considering all the good things going on in his retired life, there was still a nagging presence in the back of his mind that something was still lacking. He was not sure what it was but hoped to figure it out one day.

Today was like most other weekdays as Bob would help his daughter Julie. She worked the early morning shift as a head nurse on the ICU floor at Wichita’s St. Francis hospital. Bob considered it an honor and privilege to pick up his two granddaughters from Julie’s home in Haysville. He would deliver the precious cargo to their respective schools for the day’s learning. One was fourteen and went to the Haysville Middle School and her sister of fifteen was attending Campus high school. Both schools were located within the city limits of the suburbia town of Haysville.

On that particular bright, sunny Thursday in early May, Bob stopped in front of his granddaughters’ home located on Turkle Drive in the southern part of Haysville. Standing at the end of the driveway waiting for him were his two beautiful granddaughters. Each kid naturally had a cell phone in one hand and backpack in the other. The oldest granddaughter opened the passenger door and slid across the bench seat of Bob’s old, red, 1970 Chevy pickup. As they buckled the seat belts Bob had specially installed for them, he drove towards their respective schools. Once the two girls were deposited at the front door of each school, Bob headed for the diner to get breakfast. While driving he thought about how much he loved those two girls. Eva was a tall, long-legged, blond high schooler with fair skin. She was nearly sixteen and would be driving soon. Oh boy, people better watch out, Bob smirked. Her sister Audrey was not far behind her as a very mature, brown-eyed junior high student in the eighth grade with long brown hair. Audrey’s hair was now so long; it was down to the middle of her back. It was an achievement only because it had hardly ever been cut during her entire life. Both girls will be heartbreakers. Both girls were so bright and the loves of Bob’s life. Spending time with them was always a joy.

The girls, fortunately, lived with their divorced mom, Julie, in the small town of Haysville. Their dad hadn’t been in the picture for well over a decade since he took off for parts unknown. It had been double duty for Bob as a grandpa and dad to the two beautiful girls.

The early morning rush for breakfast should be over at Bob’s favorite diner, and he’d be able to sit and relax while eating a good meal and starting the day with a full belly. Besides the excellent menu his favorite diner provided, there was something that was not bad to look at. A raven-haired waitress in her early fifties kept his mid-sixty widower’s heart blood pumping every time he saw her. His imagination accelerated when he saw or talked to the woman of beauty.

Driving down the tree-lined streets of Haysville’s main drag, Bob Lane made a left onto Grand Street. He then headed east for a couple more blocks towards a combination of small businesses and residential areas. At the end of those blocks, there was the local eating establishment called Mom’s Diner. The place was just across from the small town’s post office and hardware store that he patronized. The diner had a large black asphalt parking lot in front and on both sides of the building. There were parking spaces for perhaps twenty-five cars. It was convenient for Bob to park on the left side of the lot at the rear—usually, fewer cars there. This time, when he pulled into the parking lot, there was only one spot available in the back, right next to the overgrown evergreen trees. This is my spot, anyway, thought Bob as he hoped it remained open just for him. Looking around as he pulled into the empty parking spot, he wondered why at that time of day, the lot was so packed. Bob exited his old Chevy truck, locked the cab, and walked along the narrow sidewalk next to the restaurant’s brick façade. Along this route, he noted the old sign, which faded long ago and needed repainting on the side of the restaurant wall advertising their excellent, home-cooked food. There really was a Mom at this diner. She was the owner and for decades had been in the kitchen cooking on the grill whatever was ordered from the menu. Unless some of his old-time friends were at the diner, Bob usually ate alone because his wife of forty-plus years had passed six years before. However, today nearing the end of the workweek apparently people in the small town were all hungry on that early morning. Walking through the front door of the restaurant, the place is crowded. There were a lot of people in the diner. He smelled the usual intensity of cooking grease rising off the kitchen’s grill, penetrating the room. That heavy smell was what makes the diner feel a little homier. Everyone seemed to have ordered breakfast at the same time. Perhaps it was the expectation of a well-cooked and delicious meal. That was Bob’s opinion as he entered and looked over to his left at the twelve bar stools along the dining counter, seeing no open seats. Glancing over to his right at the diner’s row of eight booths, he saw they were full of people who hadn’t gone to work yet, or perhaps they were a bunch of retirees lazing around. Despite the place being packed, he didn’t see anyone he knew!

A man sitting by himself in one of the booths appeared to have already eaten since his empty breakfast plate and used silverware on the table he had pushed away.

Bob was very hungry and sized up the man. He was a nice-looking guy, perhaps in his mid-forties, a full head of brown hair, with slight graying streaks starting to show in his sideburns. He seemed to be rather tall and in good physical shape. The guy wore nice, casual clothes—tan shirt with blue jeans and lace-up boots. The man was alone, reading the morning paper with the only open space across from him available. Bob decided to walk over and excuse himself for disturbing the man and inquire if he might share the booth because there was not another seat to be found. The younger man looked up from his paper with deep blue eyes and kindly invited Bob to sit. Being polite, the man in the booth folded his newspaper and started a conversation about the beautiful weather, current economics, and whether Bob was retired and enjoying life. The opening questions led to a bevy of short responses from Bob.

Karla Avers is the waitress who arrived at the booth shared by Bob and the younger man. Karla has known Bob after his years of visiting Mom’s establishment. She asks him if he wanted breakfast. When it was busy, she called him Mr. Lane. On other days when the demands of her job were not so intense, it was just plain Bob. It was the way she looked when addressing him that put a broad smile across his face. Karla was a woman to admire. She had raised her two kids by herself, worked hard to give them the best, and still managed to take care of her girlish figure. She was a big distraction and nice-looking. Today, she looked extra good with her still long, auburn hair that had grown past her shoulders, braided into a ponytail—wearing a white blouse and skirt with a checkered, red, and white apron tied around the waist. The apron complimented the ample curves and narrow hips of her still, young-looking body. She wore nice, comfortable-looking white athletic shoes with short, crew socks to match. The short skirt allowing a good look at those athletic legs.

Karla emanated a pleasant, light perfume scent as she stood next to Bob holding an order pad and pencil. It was always the same when he ordered the usual two scrambled eggs, fruit, and coffee. Karla had already placed a full coffeepot on the table and left it for Bob and his tablemate to refill their cups. Just as she was leaving, Karla leaned over to Bob and whispered, asking if there was anything else he needed. As she turned, Bob was sure he’d blushed slightly and felt certain the man sitting across from him caught the slight redness in his face.

The man across was Stacy Rickman, and he was just traveling through town and decided to stop and refuel at the diner. Bob learned that he was interested in finance and traveled a lot. He had been to every continent multiple times and visited over sixty countries. Considering it refreshing to travel the world, Stacy said he always returned home to America, appreciative of the country we live in. There was no better place to live than America but, he noted other countries did have some unique cultural benefits.

Stacy asked, Bob, have you ever traveled abroad?

Bob responded with a slightly saddened, No, he wished he had. Bob explained after he retired, his ailing wife eventually kept them both homebound. Her health issues prevented them from travelling. She died nearly six years ago.

I am truly sorry to hear about your loss. Stacy then explained that he, too, is married with one daughter and can’t imagine life without them. The two men talked for a while longer. Discussing where Bob would love to go and what it would take to get there. A whole lot of money and a lot more than he had ever accumulated was the reason offered to the man across from him. It was essential to do more than just travel, Bob told him. His ultimate desire was to learn more about people in the world and write about them in a story that would both inform and entertain others. If possible, the things he would write might hopefully bring attention to their struggles and maybe benefit them in some small way. Have you ever done any charity work? Bob asked.

Yes, I have Bob, a lot. There are people around the world that need our help. No matter how little or how much we might give to charities, I like to give directly rather than simply supporting some organization that does the work I could be doing. I’m a kind of a hands-on guy, which is my approach, said Stacy. Of the sixty countries I have visited, twenty of those I’ve been able to provide food, medical and shelter supplies. I like to think I’ve done my part to keep people alive and ease their suffering if only just a little.

What organization do you work for, that you can accomplish all this?

I do it all by myself, Bob. I have made contacts over the years around the world to find out about their needs. For the most part, I just locate what they need and get it to them as quickly as possible.

Sounds like a lot of work for one person, said Bob.

It can be, but I’ve found ways to cut through the logistics of acquiring and providing supplies. It does get tiring at times, even though my wife occasionally helps me, Stacy explained.

It sounds wonderful to have a wife who gets involved, Bob noted, I always wanted a situation like that.

Stacy nodded in agreement.

My wife became a homebody in her later years, said Bob. That always bothered me because there was such a big world out there to explore. She had great communication skills when dealing with people from all walks of life. Just a sad thing to see someone wither away with such skills and not be the best they could be!

As they continued their conversation, Bob could tell that Stacy was beginning to admire his spunk to help others.

He hoped that Bob would find a way to travel abroad because, admittedly, there were great rewards in store for anyone who took the plunge. Stacy asked him about the charitable work he had done?

About that time, Bob looked up to notice Karla standing just behind Stacy at the next booth. He watches her gracefully lean the ample curves of her upper body forward to pour coffee into the patron’s cups. Bob’s eyes become fixated upon her while studying her profile. She was exactly the woman his imagination would want. An extra voluptuous woman he could dream about for hours. From Bob’s vantage point, he stared at Karla with her tied-up, raven-colored hair as she set down the pot of coffee at the other booth. She turned to her left and walked away towards the other end of the restaurant. Eventually, she headed to the counter lined with rotating stools, where she continued taking breakfast orders.

Karla Avers, is a woman no one knows much about when she’s off the clock. Perhaps that gorgeous, reddish-brown hair she has is an all-natural color because of some Irish ancestry? When she leaves the diner, will Karla go home, take her shoes off and relax in a recliner? Does she change clothes—hopefully, into something skimpy or decides to not wear anything at all? Does Karla have a boyfriend and if not, would she go for an older guy? Someone about ten years her senior but still in excellent physical shape—a guy with receding white hair and an old truck? Would Karla even desire to be close to a man again? She’s been divorced for at least ten years from what has been said by other people. Is she a good cook or would she prefer to go to a fancy restaurant?

Bob, Bob, you still here?

What? Oh, sorry, Stacy. I was just thinking.

With a smirk, Stacy turned his head and noticed what Bob was looking at. I think I know what about Bob.

Oh, it’s nothing. With a little blush, he looked directly at Stacy, What was it you were saying?

You were about to tell me something? Stacy reminded.

Oh yeah. All my charity work has been for the communities I lived nearby. I only did my small part, but some of my efforts have been successful in helping feed kids, supporting the betterment of school education, and giving young people a chance to become good leaders and athletes. I’ve hoped that my small endeavors through various organizations have helped kids become better professionally in life or just good citizens. There’s always a need for good citizenship.

I agree Bob one hundred percent. People need motivation or opportunities to be the best they possibly can be! Sometimes it’s the person on the outside of families or friends whose efforts make the most impact on people to succeed.

"One of my firm beliefs in life Stacy is the state of a person’s mental being. Even at my young age of sixty-six years, I haven’t lived half my life span and still plan on doing a lot within this community with the time I have left.

Bob continued eating his breakfast. The coffeepot finally emptied, Stacy excused himself and went to the restroom. Bob finished eating a couple of minutes later. Karla had stopped by the booth, and Bob paid the check for both the two men’s meal. He was leaving a tip on the table when Stacy returned.

Surprised, he remarks, Bob, you didn’t have to do that.

The elder man at the booth explained how much he’d enjoyed his company. At that point, Stacy sat back down at the table for a moment longer to continue promoting the idea of Bob finding a way to travel soon. Bob thanked him for the advice and hoped to see him again someday.

Wishing him a great day, Stacy said goodbye then rose from the red leather booth seat and walked out the front door of the restaurant. Finishing his last sips of coffee, Bob left the booth a few minutes later. While walking to the front door, he noticed that the diner had pretty much emptied out. There were only two other customers still sitting in one of the booths. Smiling, Bob thought, finally plenty of places to sit! While exiting the front door, he turns to take in one long last glimpse of Karla while mentally soaking in the prospect of a future date. He wondered if he should go back and take a chance. Not yet, he thought. Not quite yet.

Stopping outside, Bob took in a deep breath of fresh air and admired the bright solar light shining from above. Putting on his sunglasses, he started for his parked truck just around the left side of the restaurant. His parking space was next to a row of twenty-foot-tall, evergreen trees located on a secluded side of the restaurant. Out of sight and out of mind was Bob’s motto for parking there. At least one side of my truck isn’t likely to acquire door dings by some old geezer not paying attention when they park to close and get out of their vehicles. These days some people don’t seem to respect the material things of others.

While unlocking the driver’s door and about to step inside, Bob heard someone calling his name. Bob! Bob, do you have a minute?

Looking around past the edge of the truck’s cab Bob saw just twenty feet away was his newfound friend, Stacy Rickman. He was walking across the parking lot towards where Bob was standing. Shutting the truck door, Bob looked kind of perplexed as to what he wanted.

Bob, I have a question for you. Do you really want to travel, as you said?

Of course, I do. I traveled for the Boeing Company as a Procurement Agent for over thirty years. I miss the procurement work, the fun of traveling and kind of wish I could do it again. I always loved the change of scenery when traveling. Of course, I only traveled within the United States.

Standing now just a couple of feet away, Stacy looked straight at Bob and said, I have an idea as to how you can travel to anywhere in the world with little or no expense.

Well, at a statement like that, Bob was all ears, and the thought of how that could be, sounded a little pretentious. How is that even possible?

It was then this man he’d only just met started talking in earnest. Bob listened intently because this young man sounded so sincere. Stacy explained how he had seen much of the world, and the need was so great to provide aid to impoverished people that governments purposely had forgotten.

Bob agreed and mentioned that doing that effectively was not easy. The time involved and logistics of such an effort would be tremendous. From Bob’s years of procurement experience, he knew what it would involve to achieve any type of success.

Bob said, "I still have responsibilities at home. I help care for my two granddaughters—getting them to school and safely back home. Neither of the girls lives with me, but I have these important duties! Their mom counts on me to keep an eye on them while she works. My time to help others in need