Tag
Copyright© 2025 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 10
Early Wednesday morning, Tag was in the kitchen with Candy Brew and went to the gym. He did weight and Sensi’s routines and slow stretching. Then he changed into black clothes, practiced his ninja moves for an hour, and returned home for a hot shower and centering. Tag worked on game programming and thinks the base will be done soon. Then, adding locations and extras. He ate breakfast, started the laundry, and returned upstairs to tutor homework. He finished the homework, put a load in the dryer, and started a new load in the washer. With the ninja outfits, it took five loads.
He finished and drank water, waiting for Sammy. She arrived, and we worked all afternoon, with her leaving at 4. Tag hopped on his moped and rode to the apartment. Everything was fine, and he rode the Harley to the actor’s workshop. We had fun reading a love story with guys having to play women’s parts and girls playing men. Some of it was hard not to laugh. After class, Tammy wanted him to read (audition) for a part. It was a two-night gig, and he was the bad guy. She thought it would be good for him to get experience.
Tag said he would, and the reading was scheduled for Thursday at 1 p.m. He rode the Harley back to the apartment, locked everything up, and rode the moped home. When he got home, Tag called Grampa and asked him to watch the 11 o’clock news. We met in a private chat room, and Tag told him about the part he was auditioning for. He said to do it and gain acting experience. Tag said thanks, and we signed off. It was too late to exercise, so he took a hot shower, centered, and slept.
At 2 a.m., Thursday saw Tag in the kitchen with Candy’s Brew, followed by Sensi’s workout in the gym. He added spinning kicks, flips, and sweeps. A few dives and some heavy bag work. Then Tag was out the door dressed in black by 3 a.m. He worked on the wall, walking, moving without detection, and disappearing. Returning home to shower, sit nude in the lotus position, and centered. Then he worked on the game programming until breakfast. After breakfast, he did his tutoring homework and programming until 11. Then he rode the moped to his apartment, picked up the Harley, and rode to addition.
It was easy playing the tough guy because it came naturally. Tag got the part, and the rehearsal was at 7 p.m. and again at 1 p.m. on Friday. The dress rehearsal is on Saturday at 1 p.m., and the show opens at 7 p.m. The last show is Sunday at 2 p.m. Can you see what a cluster fuck this is going to be? Talk about screwing up his schedule. Oh well, he’ll get through it. He returned to the apartment, locked up everything, and rode home.
Well, Tag got through all of the bullshit schedule, and he thought his performance was okay. He got the keys to his new house Friday morning, brought the Cuda, and parked it in the garage. There was little time left between acting, rehearsing, training, and not adding commuting. He was wiped out, and centering was a real lifesaver. Then he went to bed and fell asleep.
Early Monday morning, Tag was in the kitchen consuming Candy’s Brew. Then, he went off to the gym for the Sensi and weight training, followed by heavy contact with the bag and the big three indoors to complete the workout. He showered and centered, followed by programming until lunch. Tag got dressed for Cat and tutored till 4. He called three local contractors to get bids on the work at the new house. They were set up for Tuesday at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m.
Tag was just about to get something to eat when the doorbell rang. He looked through the new eyepiece, and it was the neighbor with the dog. Tag opened the door, and the dog looked inside as his neighbor came in with a box. Tag took the box and set it on the kitchen table. He apologized but never asked your name. I’m Thomas, but he goes by Tag, and you are? She said her name was Nancy Holland, and Tag asked for the traitor’s name when he was scratching his neck. Nancy says Apollo and Tag looked at him and asked if it was ok.
Apollo has a goofy look on his face. He asks Nancy how much he owes; she says it is $100. Tag pays her and asks how she is doing regarding the divorce. Nancy said it’s at a standstill because he’s hiding money and having difficulty tracking it. Tag tells Nancy he’s good with computers. If it’s out there, he can find it. But he won’t do anything illegal. Nancy agrees, and now he has Nancy’s husband’s current address, occupation, and full legal name. Tag told her he would be busy for a few days, but should have something by Thursday evening if it’s out there. We say goodbye, and they go home.
Nancy’s husband was an accountant who was hiding money. Something was fishy, and he’d check him out in the morning. Tag heated one of Nancy’s dinners, and it was great. Then he consumed one of Candy’s Brews and headed for the gym. Tag did his evening workout, took a shower, and centered. Then, he programmed until he fell asleep.
Early the next morning, Tag was in the kitchen with Candy’s Brew and went to the gym for a Sensi workout. Then, dressed in black, he went to Nancy’s asshole husband’s address. Tag brought his BE backpack but hoped he didn’t need it. He circled his house and sensed him asleep in the bedroom. Tag read his mind, and he has two accounts in the Cayman Islands. He’s an accountant for the mob and gets all the account information for him and his employer.
Tag practiced his ninja moves on the way home, taking a shower and centered. He logs in through six servers to Nancy’s ex-husband’s bank. He logs in and checked the balances, then went to his boss’s account and said, holy shit, six billion. Tag follows the hacker’s handbook and looks to see where the asshole’s business is. It was five miles from his home. Tag still has time, so he rides his moped to his business and checks it out. There were no cameras or alarm systems. What a fool. He picks the lock, logs in to the boss’s bank, and transfers 5.5 billion around Europe and into Mexico to the Cayman Islands, where it disappears in pieces. He erases his activity, logs out, locks up, and returns home.
Tag takes another shower and programs, and the base program is finished. He tests it and has adjustments to make. So, he takes a break, does the tutor homework, gets in his truck, and gets breakfast at the stop and rob on the way to meet the contractors. The first one arrives, and he’s a jackass. Tag sends him a message that the job is shit, so he blows it off. The second contractor takes measurements and asks questions. Tag would have a bid by Wednesday in his email with estimated schedules.
The last contractor was a nice guy, but well over his head. He’d never done a job like this and had to guess the cost, so Tag turned him down because it was above his experience level. He headed home for a late lunch and started troubleshooting his program. He finds several errors and continues until dinner. Tag ate another great Nancy meal, consumed Candy’s Brew, and hit the gym. He does the Sensi program with spins, kicks, and flips (Flying Circus). He finished, showered, and centered. After he came out, he fell asleep.
At 2 a.m. Wednesday, Tag was drinking Candy’s Brew in the kitchen, then went to the gym for Sensi’s and weight training. Then he dressed in black, went outside to practice his ninja moves, returned home, showered, and centered. Tag continued troubleshooting his game, finding several input errors and finishing it. He was ready to check it when the doorbell rang. Getting dressed quickly, he looked, and it was Nancy and the traitor.
He answers, and she’s nervous as all get out. Tag invites her inside. It seems a large amount was stolen from one of her husband’s customers, and he’s in trouble. She asks if he had any luck looking for hidden funds. Tag told her he’s been busy writing a program and hasn’t started. He reminds Nancy that he told you he would be busy until Thursday. Then she remembered and said sorry, but it had shaken her up. Her husband’s two accounts in the Cayman Islands came out while investigating the missing funds, so he’s off the hook.
Tag tells Nancy good luck, and they leave. He returned upstairs, ran the program, and found two more errors. He fixed them easily, and he was able to run the basic program error-free. Tag was extremely happy, backed up his files to his portable drive, and put them in the stash. Then he gets in his pickup and goes to the computer store. Tag buys three more computers and a laptop. He stops by the new house and puts one in the garage. Then he drives to the apartment, puts one in the apartment, and drives home. Tag put the last computer in the master closet.
He ordered high-speed internet for the apartment and the new house. While setting up the laptop, he routed through four servers and searched for the best defense attorney in the area. Tag noted the name and contact information and finished setting up the laptop. He mirrored the hard drives, removed the bloatware, and fixed startup files. Tag powered it down and back up. He checked, and everything worked great, so he shut it down and put it in the stash. Then he reformatted the disk top twice and, using the software that came with the computer, reinstalled all the crappy programs.
As this happened, Tag called the attorney, and luckily, there was a cancellation. The attorney could see him in an hour. Tag changed clothes, hopped on the moped, and took the scenic route. He stopped and backtracked to make sure no one was following him to his appointment. Jim Shaffer’s assistant shows him into his office, and we review the basics. Then Tag explained that he did not want to be the only one left without a chair in the game after his early morning visit.
Jim and his assistant laughed but said that Tag did the right thing. Tag paid Jim Shaffer’s retainer. Jim gave him a special number to call in case of emergency, along with the standard ones on his card. He also asked Tag to wear a wire when interacting with Nancy, as she could be used to try to set him up. Jim recommended a make and model that doctors and professionals use and told him where to buy it. Jim advised Tag to follow the directions on the device to back up all conversations with Nancy. We shook hands and left to get the recorder.
Tag went to the store and asked for charging and backup information. The sales clerk produced a small device that could charge two batteries and said it was the most popular. The backup was a cable to a computer, and the unit instructions explained it. So, he purchased it with two extra batteries and the backup cable and left. Tag stopped at the deli and picked up a couple of pounds of roast beef and ham with three different types of cheese, all the fixings, and buns. The meat there was far superior to stop and rob.
He took the scenic route home again, put everything away, and made himself a sandwich. Tag pulled out his laptop and continued programming until it was time to bike to the apartment. He took the BMX through the woods and cut 15 minutes off the ride. Tag checked everything out and headed to the actor’s workshop on his Harley. We read a comedy, and as he was leaving, Tammy stopped Tag and asked what had happened at the reading. Tag told her about it and the performance, and she was impressed. He thanked her for the lead, rode back to the apartment, locked up everything, and took the off-road trail home.
He had dinner and Candy’s Brew and did his nighttime routine. Tag did his tutoring homework on the regular computer and restored his previous homework. Then, he started programming a card game as part of his homework and shut everything down. He showered, centered, and crashed.
For the next two weeks, everything was routine. The contractor submitted his bid, and he approved it. We agreed to a clause that any changes would be time and material. It was just as he requested, with backup power and access, which would change and not be on the plans. The contractor’s crew was professional and will complete the work next week. The acting workshop continued, and he was learning about assuming or becoming the person in the part.
It’s like having a multiple personality disorder, where you drop yours and assume another and act totally different. When we were using the round table technique, we changed and adapted it. Tammy started randomly calling names for the next part (shotgun approach). On the training front, Tag was seeing a lot of progress. His body was balanced out or symmetrical. His upper body and legs gained muscle and definition. He has a checkup scheduled with Rob on Tuesday.
His Sensi training has progressed; he can sense 20 feet in all directions. While moving, wall walking, or in the gym, going through full contact with the heavy bag. Tag is totally aware of his surroundings. Tutoring is progressing, but Cat has reached a point where we need to be in a lab to progress further. Tag asked if she could find a solution, maybe joining a group that wants to start something new, or going out independently and working on a lab project. Cat looked at him and said she would get back to him. We parted ways. Sammy was still kicking my ass to the finish line. On the legal front, he felt something was ready to break. He was issued a Subpoena to appear at the federal building. Tag called Jim Shaffer, and he said it was standard, but he would be there.
2 a.m. Monday, Tag was drinking Candy’s Brew and heading to the gym. He did Sensi’s weight routine, dressed in black, and went outside to practice. Tag sees an SUV parked down the street with two people in it, and he goes to read them. They were FBI and had taken an interest in Nancy, and they found her connection to him and wanted to keep tabs. The agents are to follow him 24/7. Tag directs them to see and report nothing unusual. He’s an active person who likes to ride his bike and exercise. Tag also commands them to notify him immediately when a search warrant is requested. He continues his ninja training.
Returning home, Tag took a hot shower, sat in the lotus position, and centered. A new, totally different feeling takes over him; he feels someone is teaching him something, but what? He comes out and checks the time, which is 7 a.m. Dam! Tag goes to the kitchen and gets something to eat. While eating, a thought hits him, and he runs back upstairs and calls Jim Shaffer. Tag caught him driving to the courthouse. He relayed his concern that his house would be trashed tomorrow while we were in court. Jim said he would check today while at the courthouse. Just as Tag hung up, he received a call, and a monotoned voice said a search warrant was requested today for service tomorrow at 1 p.m. and hung up. So that is how it works? Well, the next crew will get new orders. I like updates.
Tag finished his game, and the name is “Taking it for free.” It’s about a thief with different challenges, and there is a toolbox to purchase items to make the job easier to complete. There are ways to make money by buying from the toolbox. The fence is the money box, and you need to complete jobs to fence the goods to get paid. If you get caught, all is lost, and you must start again. If a job goes bad and can’t be completed, you are fined (money and position). Tag created 300 jobs for the thief, and hopefully, he can market it. He saved it on the laptop and the portable backup.
He checked the time, and it was after 11 a.m., so he made lunch. After lunch, he checked his email on the laptop. There wasn’t anything important, so he routed through four servers and searched for how to market a game. He gets a list of 10 companies but sees a warning below. Hire a patent attorney to file your claim and get it copyright-protected. Do the above before even contacting or discussing your invention. These big boys will screw you in a heartbeat and not sweat doing it.
Taking the warning to heart, he powered down the laptop and put it in the stash. Tag is about to start his tutoring homework when the phone rings, and it’s Jim. It seems the Feds wanted to search his house without probable cause. Jim caught the warrant application after it was signed, went before another judge, and canceled it. The second judge called all parties who signed the warrant application into his chambers at 4 p.m. today. Jim was invited, and he would give an update.