Tag
Copyright© 2025 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 3
Smith never left the meeting room. Tag followed the group to Dr. James’s car and convinced them that safety belts were uncomfortable. They ended up crashing into an overpass when Dr James collapsed. Tag woke in a sweat and ran to the bathroom, losing whatever was in my stomach. He checked the time, and it was 3 a.m. Tag showered and looked up Smith’s address. It was three miles from his house, so he dressed in dark clothes and ran to his home. Tag broke the back door and headed to his office. The safe was behind a picture and opened easily. He removed all the contents, closed and locked the safe, and left.
Tag arrived home at 4:45 and took another shower. When he returned to his room, Tag checked the contents of the safe. He had $10,000 cash, several files on people at the university (including him), and a little black book with bank accounts and passwords listed. The last items were several passports with different names. Tag checked the time, and he had about 45 minutes before Kim arrived, so he logged into VP Smith’s bank accounts (4) and changed the logins and passwords.
Tag then researched the banks and found he could open an online account. He opened bank accounts and transferred everything, but left $1000 in each account. Tag wanted to keep the accounts open to see if he had regular funding coming in. He logged out and did his forms. When he finished, Tag ran downstairs for a drink of water and waited for Kim. We exercised, ate breakfast, and then drove to the dojo.
Sensi started with forms at full speed, then switched to ½ speed to check his form. Then we went to sparring. We finished with weapons training and more blue marks on him. Kim and Tag headed home to wait for Grampa’s call. After eating lunch, Tina showed up looking really sad. She said Vice President Smith died sometime last night. He was found in a meeting room off campus. The university issued a statement saying it appears he had a stroke or seizure, but would wait for the medical examiner’s ruling on the cause of death.
Tag wondered why we hadn’t heard about the other three. Oh well, on to tutoring with Tina. We broke for dinner and asked Maria if he had received a package. She said yes, and it was on his bed. As he descended the stairs, he thought about what had happened last night and today. Walking into his room, Tag debated whether or not he should feel bad for killing four bad people. The result was them or me.
Now, I wondered what happened to Grampa. He was supposed to call around 4 p.m. and was over two hours late. Sitting on the bed, he opened the package and found $1500 cash and a .38 revolver snub nose inside the pants holster. It was designed for concealment and carry. A note also told Tag he wouldn’t call him this afternoon, but he should be ready to chat at 9 p.m. tonight. Checking the time, he had 90 minutes to kill.
He checked some of the files in Smith’s safe, and they were blackmailing several high-ranking university staff. He plugged in the thumb drive, and there were over one hundred photos depicting all sorts of sexual intercourse. Tag removed the thumb drive and hid it with the other files. He needed a hidden storage room for this stuff. He was looking around for spots where he could easily remove and replace. The closet was the obvious choice, and I looked real hard, trying to see where he could build a stash closet. It had a shelf system in the middle that went about ¾ of the way to the ceiling. He checked to see what was backing up to the closet shelving and found a linen closet in the bath.
He needed to check this further. It was getting close to the timed meeting, so Tag powered up the computer and opened the chat room, waiting for Grampa. He logged in at nine and invited him to a private room. Tag activated the encryption software, and we went live. Tag asked what he found, and Grampa gave me a rundown. Smith was CIA. Drs. James and Sanders were employed as researchers by a company owned by Mrs. Brown and Smith. They move frequently and have so many names that no one knows who they are.
Grampa asked if he’d heard any news on the group today, and Tag said Tina came for tutoring and that VP Smith died last night in a conference room by himself. Officials are saying stroke or seizure. The university said the medical examiner will find the cause. That’s all he’s heard. Gramps said the other three were traveling at a high rate of speed in the carpool lane when they had to swerve to avoid a stalled car and ran into a bridge support. All were killed on impact.
Tag asked why the university didn’t report it with Smith’s death, and he said because they were not employees of the university. Tag asked Grampa what he thought about our situation now, and he said to lie low and be aware of your surroundings. Also, he advised me to stay away from the university because that is where my problems started. Tag thanked Gramps and said he would follow his advice. Tag did his forms and fell asleep.
Tag woke up at 4 a.m. again. He needs less sleep from now on. He did his forms at full speed and hit the shower. Then Tag went into the closet and studied the shelving. It was free-standing and could be the answer if I could figure out how to make it swing or slide outward. Tag ran to the garage and picked up a tape measure. He measured the distance to the hall from the shelf, then went to the bathroom and took the same measurements. It landed perfectly behind the linen closet. Then, he did an in-depth reading of the linen closet inside and outside. There was a 2-foot difference. Tag had his stash closet, so if he could rig the shelving,
He went to his computer, accessed the private browser, and searched for how to build it. The first set of plans looked like it would work. Tag needed hardware, trim, and paint. Now, how to get it without anyone knowing? I looked up home centers and hardware stores in the area closest to my house. A true-value hardware was 2.5 miles away, so that was on the schedule for Saturday. Wait a minute, tomorrow is Saturday. He has lost track of days because he has no school to remind him.
Kim and Tag finished our exercises, ate breakfast, and headed to the dojo. Sensei said it was time to measure our progress again. First, he weighed me, and he gained 2 lbs. Tag was up to 112 lbs. and gained 1”, so 5’5”. Now, on the scale again, centered and weighed 88lbs. The biggest improvement was the heavy bag. His striking power improved by 25%. He was really making the heavy bag move. Tag thinks that affected the measuring device Sensi set up, but that’s ok. We went through the forms at full speed and then spared to the end.
Tag noticed the hardware store on the way home, and it looked like it would have everything he needed. We had lunch, and Tina arrived in a better mood, so we dug into the lesson plan. Tina asked about going to University, and Tag said that was not being considered now because of our trouble. He asked her to continue her lesson plan and add others as we saw fit. Pam was coming on Monday, so that’s a plus. Kim, Maria, and I ate dinner and then went to his room.
With so much going on, he hasn’t focused on what’s going on with his body. He’s neglected practicing telekinesis. What’s with his dreams? He has no control over when he dreams. But it always happens when I am in danger. Is that the only connection? A lot of unanswered questions. Tag played BB for 30 minutes and then set up a testing plan to see how far he could start/stop moving things. He’d have to give some thought to testing lifting weights. Tag ran through his forms at full speed, then sat in lotus and centered to check his progress. The brain activity seems the same, but I wondered why the previously dormant area is thriving and the rest is operating at a lower level.
Tag followed the blood flow and noticed areas of restriction. He concentrated on that area, and the flow improved. So, he continued to do the same and found three other areas of restriction. With those areas fixed, the color of all areas matched the newly revised area. Then, he checked his muscles and bones and continued to see improvement. Tag wondered if he could toughen his skin to make it harder to cut or scrape. He’ll focus on that next time, and then he falls asleep.
Tag woke up at 3:30 a.m. What’s going on with my sleep? He started his forms at full speed, moved to tai chi and exercises, showered, and powered up the computer. He remembered Al sending me a link, so he activated encryption and activated the link. So, this is the dark web. One sign says the devil’s playground. Everything for a price leaves a lot to be desired. Tag copied the link to his hidden secure folder and checked the list needed for his cabinet. He printed the list and shut down the computer. Thinking he had forgotten something, Tag entered the closet and stared at the cabinet. That’s it. How would he match the paint?
Returning to the computer, he accessed the secure search and typed in the question. A handyman said to take a small piece to trim to match. He also advised him to purchase painter’s tape and a plastic drop cloth and ask the store what brushes to use. Don’t buy expensive paintbrushes if you are only doing this small job. Tag thanked him for his help and ran to the hardware store. He purchased everything needed and returned home. Following the directions, he was able to move the cabinet/shelving.
Tag cut a one-foot square hole in the wall and shined a flashlight in the hole. He had my stash area. With a yardstick, he marked the wall for the cutout. Taking a box cutter, he scored the cutout, extended the blade, and did it again. The piece of drywall dropped out. I cut it into small pieces for disposal, then looked at the area again. Now comes the hard part: installing the hardware and aligning it right, but the instructions were spot on. When the cabinet was against the wall, you could not see or expect it to move. Tag installed the two hidden latches and installed the trim. The last was the painting, but it was easy. He cleaned the area and vacuumed the closet, and it was done.
He needed shelving, but that could come later. Tag put all the items from Smith’s safe, his birthday gift from Grampa, and items from the boardroom (mean people), the buried cash next door, and closed the cabinet. He looked at it from all sides and could not tell whether the cabinet had moved. Tag put his clothes back on the shelves and was finished. Getting hungry, he ran to the stop, robbing for a sub, chips, and a sports drink. Tag also picked up another two bags of marbles (you can never have enough) and headed home.
Tag spent the rest of the day testing TK. He wanted to respond as quickly as he could with his forms. He knew it would take practice, which is what weekends are for. Tag ordered pizza and played BB until dinner arrived. After dinner, he went to his room and practiced forms and TK with the Nerf ball. He had an idea, so he powered up the computer and searched for Nerf balls. There were many sizes, but I wanted a golf ball size. They had them at the toy store at the mall. He can get Kim to take me on Monday after the dojo.
Sunday started early, at 3:30 a.m., with forms, tai chi, and exercises. After he showered, ate breakfast, and checked the hardware store hours. Tag went to his stash room, measured the enclosure, got some cash, and headed to the hardware store. He needed shelving and a battery closet light. Tag found the shelving, and they had the lighting he needed. He looked at all the items they carried and saw something very interesting. In the bargain bin were plastic knives. Tag checked them out, and they were made of hard plastic, about 6” long and 1 ½ wide. These would be great for self-defense with a little work. He picked up 20 at .50 cents each, got a box of black plastic disposable gloves, and headed to check out. It was a tough return trip, but he made it.
Tag made a sandwich and relaxed for 30 minutes. Then he carried all the items to his closet and opened his stash. The shelves worked perfectly; he organized everything and removed 12 plastic knives. Tag took the knives to the garage and grabbed a file. Putting the knife in the vice and working the edges until sharp. He held it, and it felt good. Then he centered the knife over a wooden dowel, and it tilted toward the handle. Tag shaved some of the handles away and balanced again. It’s just a small tilt, but not much. He did all 12 knives the same way and then sanded them with wet sandpaper. After checking them again, they were perfect.
All he needed was some Velcro or lightweight cloth like a sweatband. A sweatband would work for the arms, but the legs needed something more. Tag went back to the hardware store. It’s becoming one of my favorite stores. He picked up another dozen knives and some elastic material that stretched and had its own fastening system. He was set and headed home. With all the supplies in his stash except his balanced knives, Tag headed to the backyard. Looking for a throwing dummy, he found a box of rags 2 ft x 2 ft. in the garage.
Tag practiced with the knives by putting the box on top of a trash can elevated 36” off the ground. First, throw them, then direct the knives using TK. TK definitely worked better; he had to open the box and fish out the knives. Tag checked the edge and point and held up so I could put everything back and return to the house. Tag stashed the knives around his room. He made leg braces for the knives and had to go to the sporting goods store for sweatbands. Tag ate a frozen dinner Maria prepared and started his forms. He spent the rest of the night moving items around his room until he crashed.
Dam, 3 a.m., and wide awake. Whatever happened with his body requires less sleep. Tag did his forms, practiced TK for speed, and hit the shower. After getting dressed and powering up the computer, I checked email and chat rooms. One girl caught his attention, and Tag asked her to meet me for a private chat. He asked if she had encrypted her chat, and she said no. Tag sent her the link and would wait. She came back 15 minutes later and thanked him. She didn’t know we could encrypt chats.
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