Tag
Copyright© 2025 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 7
2 a.m. Monday, Tag went downstairs and stretched, did his exercises, and finished with tai chi. Then he headed upstairs, took a hot shower, and sat nude in lotus and center. This session is the strongest yet. Tag puts on sweats and checks his email and the glued book. It looks perfect, and he puts it in his carry-on. He’s thinking about the attack and realizes that Grampa said he would accompany an airline employee until he met him outside security. He said it was policy to prevent problems.
Someone was bought off and left him high and dry. Well, let’s see who it is. It’s getting close, so Tag set the trap for stash and closed his closet door. He dressed in Western attire and moved all his luggage to the kitchen door. Tag confirmed he had everything and moved the luggage outside. He heard the car pulling into the driveway, and he set the alarm, closed, and locked the door. Tag headed to the car. The driver has loaded his suitcases into the trunk and opened the door for him.
We were off, and an hour later, we arrived. His luggage was checked at the curb. He thanked the driver with a tip and confirmed the pickup time. Tag headed to the ticket counter and showed his reservations to the attendant. She said Are you Thomas Andrew Gallo? He said yes, and she asked him for a government-issued ID. He looked behind her, saw an official-looking man, and waved him over. Tag said sorry to bother you, but your employee asked a ten-year-old for a government-issued ID. Now, unless the rules have changed and nobody knows what to do? He looked at his employee like she was a fool and asked if he had his birth certificate. Tag reached into his carry-on and produced it. He looked and said Mr. Gallo, you’re flying first class to Montana today? Tag said yes, and he printed his boarding pass. Please wait; he will get someone to escort you to your gate.
A few minutes later, a lady arrived and said to follow her. We bypassed the security, and Tag asked if he could stop and pick up some items for the flight. She said ok, and he went to the newsstand and picked up a couple of martial arts mags, a body-building mag, some trail mix, and two bottles of water. We proceed to the gate. The gate clerk had me sit within eyesight, and his escort left. He saw a newspaper on the seat next to him and read it. It was announced we would start boarding, and the clerk waved to Tag, and we walked down the tunnel to the plane.
A stewardess took Tag to his seat and asked if I wanted anything. He requested water and continued reading until the plane left the gate. Tag concentrated on the aircrew in the cockpit. They seemed very experienced, so he relaxed and kept his shield on. He’s been doing that since killing those assholes in the room. It was a pleasant flight, and we arrived safely. The stewardess asked Tag to stay seated until the plane was unloaded. We finally departed, and after clearing the ramp, she took off (cunt).
He was now on his own and knew when the attack would occur, so he walked towards the baggage claim. Just before Burger King, Tag used his TK to force his attacker to stick himself in the leg. Then he stopped and helped the attacker sit at a table. Tag read his mind as he checked his pockets, and he was a contractor. Pickup and delivery only. He had a friend in a green Dodge sedan waiting. Tag got the address of the delivery along with everything he had with him. Tag left him, stroked out, exited at the baggage claim, and saw a man who looked older than his father.
He rushed and hugged Tag. We got the luggage and passed by the green car. The guy looked panicked, and he gave him a stroke. When we got to Grampa’s pickup, Tag asked if we could stop on the way home. He looked like he wanted to ask a question, but didn’t. Tag gave Grampa the address, and we arrived in 15 minutes. He asked him to stop a few doors away. Tag got out of the pickup and circled to the back of the house. He looked inside and saw six men armed to the teeth. Tag sent a sleep signal, and they all collapsed.
Tag opened the back door, kicked each man in the nuts, and then applied pressure to the point for deep sleep. He exited the front door and waved for Grampa to come inside. He pulled into the driveway, got out, and followed Tag into the house. When Grampa shut the door and looked around, he was surprised. Tag explained his kidnap attempt at the airport, and these assholes are the customer. He pulled the ID on the first man, and he was CIA. Tag and Grampa stripped the men of their weapons and IDs. Reading their minds, a section chief named Ron Booker wanted Tag for some leverage. No one had any more information.
Tag asked what Grampa wanted to do, and he said to put everything back on them and stand by the front door. He exited the kitchen on a run, and we left hurriedly. Two blocks away, a huge fireball shot up in the sky. We continued to the ranch. Man, what a piece of land! As far as he could see, it was white/snow. The mountains looked like you could reach and touch them. It was almost like they were calling him. We finally reached his house. It was huge, sitting in the middle of nowhere. Next to the House was a barn, and next to that was a garage that looked supersized. Grampa hit a button, and the door opened.
We drove inside, and Tag saw all of Grampa’s toys. Five cars and over ten motorcycles. Four snowmobiles and four off-road vehicles that looked like they would go anywhere you wanted. Gramps said they were four-wheel drive John Deere’s and called the working mules. Tag followed him into an underground tunnel that ended in the house. That was neat and important in this kind of weather. We ended up in a small room in the basement.
Grampa said Listen, but do not talk. Tag nods, and he makes a phone call. A man answered and said, Reynolds. Grampa said you asshole do you know what Booker is doing? Reynolds answers and tells Mac to calm down before you do or says something that cannot be fixed. Gramps says you cock sucker, you knew what he was doing. He should have guessed you suck Senate’s cock. Well, hear this, and you had better listen well. Booker sent a crew to kidnap my grandson. Two contractors were responsible for the tag and grab, and six agents were responsible for holding and detaining.
You may be scratching your diseased ball sack, wondering how I know all this. Well, guess asshole? No, ok, I’ll tell you. Your crew was eliminated with extreme prejudice. Now with your asshole starting to pucker, you have one hour to eliminate Booker, or I will do it and include you and your family. Do you understand, or has sucking so much dick rotted your brain? You sent a team for a ten-year-old boy, and I will see you in hell. It’s your choice, and I warn you to choose carefully for your family’s sake.
Gramps hung up and called a number, and the voice said to speak. Gramps told the guy that Reynolds would warn Booker and take them both out and hung up. He looked at Tag and said let’s get something to eat and talk. We went into the kitchen, and he fixed some sandwiches with chips for us. Gramp had coffee, and I had water, and then he started. Ten years ago, we worked a program off the books like always. Programs never go on the books unless they work and are approved. That’s the keyword.
Approval is based on who’s in power at the time. So, you could be working on something for 10 years and get it to work. Happy and excited you handed your project in for review and approval. It could be your golden parachute. The current people in power shot it down, funding is withdrawn, and you are left with nothing for 10 years of work. Well, back to the story. One of the scientists succeeded with lab animals, but adults rejected the process during human testing and got sick. I mean, really ill, and some died. Notice was sent to shut down the program.
During this time, your mother had a breakdown after your birth, and your father was useless. He took you in for a few weeks until your mother got better. During that time, the head scientist snuck into your room at night and injected you with the serum. He didn’t know then, but you got sick for a few days and were fine. Your mother got better, and you were returned. Several months later, the scientist hanged himself in his garage. He didn’t know about it because we were not close, and working on these types of programs, you learn not to get close because of the fallout when closed down.
One day, a registered letter arrived and asked him to call the attorney listed. He called, and the attorney said I am in the scientist’s will. Please come in asap. Well, I arrived, and the attorney gave me a box, and that’s it. I headed back home and opened it, and it was all the research on the program that was supposed to go into the archives. I looked through everything, and a letter dropped out addressed to me. I open it, and the scientist tells me what he’s done and prays I will forgive him.
From that day forward, I kept loose tabs on you. When your parents put you up for adoption, I changed my will and had the attorneys mail a letter to your parents. They spent $50k getting you back; now you know the story. Except for Booker, a powerful senator’s nephew, who was hired because of his influence. He was given a no-thought job in research. Well, he found our brief file. Every program, off or on the books, has a brief file. It’s vague for a reason, so no one can hang someone after the fact.
Like a dog with a bone, he requested the research and found none. Then, he started applying pressure on anyone in the program. By this time, he was the only one left, and he came after me. I told him to kiss my ass as I wasn’t in charge and had no control of the files, but he persisted. I retired and went to his desk and broke his jaw. I told him he fucked with the wrong person. Well, shit hit the fan, but I took the cash option so that they couldn’t do shit to me.
Booker sent some people after him, and Gramps sent him to the hospital for two weeks. Now you’re involved. There was a beep on his phone, and he smiled. Gramps looks at Tag and says Now, what is your story. Tag asks him if he had a bug detector, and he looks like he shot him. Yes, he had one, and Tag requested it. We went to his storage locker, and then Tag asked for a secure room 10x10 or larger. We went to a room twice that size and swept the room. We found three audio bugs, went through the whole house, and found 25. Looking for the receiver and found three. They were programmed to dump in the middle of the night. We removed the batteries and wiped the memory on the receivers.
So, Tag sat down and told Gramps his story right up to today. He questioned me about each problem I had and laughed about the FBI agent and the difficulties getting a hard-on. Tag told him to wait a few minutes and went to the center of the room. Tag removed his clothes and sat in the lotus position. He was centered, and the feeling was so much stronger. Tag felt the need to go north to find the answer. When he finished, Gramps looked at him with a shocking stare. Gramps said he was glowing and elevated a foot off the floor. He looked at the knives and said your Sensi knows his business.
Tag removed the knife from his hand and put it back in its holder by TK. He got dressed, and we ate dinner. Tag asked for a room to exercise in, but it was more than okay when Gramps showed him his room. We said good night and headed to our rooms. Tag stretched extra-long because he was sitting for so long. Then, his forms and TK exercises that he could do and stretched again. After a hot shower, he sat nude in the lotus position and centered.
A voice said to come to me now. Tag, dressed in fresh, warm clothing, left Gramps a note and took off, the sound of the voice. Tag had no idea of time, but a voice welcomed him to the cave when he arrived. He was instructed to remove all his clothes lying in the pool, and the learning started. While this was happening, he had no idea what was happening outside the cave, but he felt really good and didn’t want to leave. A voice informed him that training was complete for now, but that he would return at the same time in one year. Tag redressed and headed back. Gramps looked at Tag and said he had changed.
Tag asked how much, and Gramp said he looked more mature. Tag asked how long he had been gone, and he said it had been 24 hours. He was ready to go looking for him when he walked in. Tag told Gramp that he needed to return at the same time next year. Gramp’s just knotted his head and then said are you hungry. We ate, and he asked to see the ranch if possible. We cleaned up and hopped in one of the work mules, and he said he owned four sections.
Gramp said he started with one, but people moved out for various reasons, and he picked them up at a really good price. They are all connected, so it’s a perfect square. We reached the eastern boundary, and Tag sensed trouble. He put his hand on Gramp’s arm and pulled him down just as a crack and boom were heard. Tag looked, and two men in snow camo were on the ridge, and they fell asleep. Tag directed Gramps to the spot, and we hiked to the men.
Tag scanned them, their boss ordered the hit, and we had a name. He sent directions to the men to return and report that the job was complete. Then, 24 hours later, they kill their boss and themselves. We left, continued our tour, and headed home. As we ate dinner, Tag asked about getting a few fake IDs in case he ran into problems. One with his real name listed him as 18, so he could do things that a minor couldn’t. Gramps said he would and agreed it was a good idea. We retired to our rooms for the evening. Tag stretched and did his forms, TK, and exercises, followed by tai chi. After a hot shower and nude lotus centering, he fell asleep.
It was 2 a.m., and Tag had no idea what day it was. Wednesday, possibly. Who knows. He stretched, did his forms, exercises, TK, and tai chi, and stretched again. Then, a long hot shower and nude lotus centering. Tag dressed and went to the kitchen. He grabbed two bottles of water and walked outside, looking in all directions to see if he sensed anything. Tag noticed movement on a small hill not too far from the house. It was a person in camo moving slowly towards the house. When he got closer, Tag read his mind. He was coming for the bugs and receivers. Tag sent him a command that he had already retrieved the material, and to go home. He turned around and was gone.
No one was around, so he headed inside and met Grampa in the kitchen. Tag asked if he could try something, and Gramp said Sure. He went around the table, put his hands on Gramps’s shoulders, and centered himself. Tag saw that his knees were sore with arthritis. He concentrated on the knee joints and felt it was done. Tag removed his hands, returned, and sat down. Gramp looked at him and asked what he did. Tag told him, but he got really nervous.
He said that of all the things you can do, this will get you in the most trouble. Because once you do it, someone always knows someone who needs help. And they will bring them for you to see, and you can’t refuse. It will snowball to where you will have no time for yourself. People will start spreading lies and calling you names until you have to run or be killed. That doesn’t even factor in the government finding out, putting you in a lab, and never seeing daylight again. He can’t stress this enough. Never use that skill, or your life will be over before it can begin. You have kept your other skills a secret. Keep them all hidden.
Tag was surprised by his response, but he could see it happening on reflection. Gramp looked at Tag and asked if he had heard the saying about keeping a secret. Tag said no. Gramp said, “Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead” –Benjamin Franklin. Gramps said it would test you when you see something you could have helped. In those moments, focus on what you can achieve, not be sucked in to try to help everyone. Gramps told me about a friend who had to help anyone he saw. He put his whole life into it and achieved nothing because he was laser-focused and couldn’t see the world around him.
Gramp helped him with one project, and he returned until I told him no. He accused me of many things, and we never spoke again. In his death notice in the paper, he was killed by someone he was helping, and they thought he had money. He said I am not saying you don’t help anyone, but you should look at the whole picture. He said that he only donates anonymously after his experience with his friend. We had lunch, and Gramp asked Tag if he wanted to go to town.
Tag said sure, and they drove to town it, which seemed 40 miles. He asked Gramps about it, and he laughed and said he makes a list and goes every 2 to 3 weeks. If you call it a town, we hit town with about 12 stores and a gas station. First was the gun shop. He had some work done on his revolver, and it was ready. Tag browsed the store and saw a double rig like the old Westerns. If he lived out here, that would be what he would own. We left and hit the leather shop for soap and leather for repair. The last stop was the supermarket, and we picked up our grocery list. He bought two cases of water and saw some good homemade trail mix.
We headed home and unloaded the truck. Tag recommends bug sweep any time you are away. He swept his house 2 to 3 times a week, saving his life. We checked for bugs, and everything was clear. Gramps had Tag stand against a white background and took several photos. Then he pulled out a small suitcase and opened it. It had beards, mustaches, wigs, and all kinds of bottles. Gramps put a mustache on him with glasses and took a few pictures. Then, with a beard. He said that should do it, and we went to the kitchen for dinner. Then they retired to their rooms, and he exercised, took a hot shower, and did nude centering. Tag felt someone telling him to keep his skills secret, and he fell asleep.