The Adventurer
Copyright© 2025 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 12
Early Saturday morning, Trey completed his forms, went to the gym, and performed his weightlifting routine. He returned to his trailer, showered, dressed, and went to the canteen for breakfast. After breakfast, he went to the wardrobe department and tried on clothes and accessories for three hours. When Trey thought they were done, a man entered with several black suits. He tried them on, and Diana chose the one, and it was marked up for alteration.
They finished at noon, and Trey went to the canteen for lunch. While eating, he ordered a Lyft ride. After lunch, Trey got his clubs and met his ride at the gate. They went to the Lakeside golf course, and he went to the pro shop and paid the course fee. He warmed up on the practice range and then went to the starting line. There was no one waiting, so he teed off.
He took it easy at first because he hadn’t played since the trip to Fort Lauderdale. By the 9th hole, he felt loose and used full power on his drives. Trey noticed his drives went farther and wondered if the shot Cheryl gave him caused it. His putting improved, too, and he could read the greens better. When he finished the 18th green, Trey added up his score and was surprised he shot an eight under par.
Trey ordered a Lyft and arrived at the staging site at 4 p.m. NSA Director Nathan Clark called when he got to his trailer and said the problem had been handled. Ken Jefferson was transferred to their Australia office, and the CEO, Kenneth Loe, wants to meet with you. Trey thanked Nathan for his help but said he was tied up with a project until the New Year. Nathan told Trey to call him when he was free on his cell and gave him his number, and they said goodbye.
Then Richard called and said Russell Carter, the producer, reduced his offer and won’t budge. It’s still a decent offer, but not what they promised. Trey told Richard to call Russell back and tell him I’m insulted and packing to go home. They can find someone else unless they increase their original offer by 20%. Richard asked if he was sure, and Trey said yes, and Richard said to keep his phone close by and said goodbye.
He went to the canteen for dinner, and while he was eating, Richard called. He said Russell panicked and agreed to the new price. Trey said good, but look at the contract closely because he doesn’t trust Russell. Richard said he would email it to him to compare with the final agreement, and they said goodbye. Then Trey returned to the trailer and called Jack on “The Silent” app. He told Jack and Mom about the contract issues. He asked them to stop by Universal Studios to sign the contract or pick him up on the way to the airport.
Jack said they would, but he’d bet they slipped in something that wasn’t agreed to with Richard. Trey agreed and said if they do, he’s walking away. Jack said we’ll be there by 2 p.m. to give you time to pack, and they said goodnight. Trey watched CNN for an hour, locked the trailer, and went to bed.
Sunday Morning, Trey did his forms, showered, dressed, and went to the canteen for breakfast. While eating, he ordered a Lyft ride to the Lakeside golf course. After breakfast, he returned to his trailer, picked up his clubs, and met his ride at the gate. When they arrived, Trey went to the pro shop, which had just opened. He paid the course fee and went to the practice range.
Once warmed up, he went to the starting line, and no one was there, so he teed off. Due to his increased strength, he adjusted his log for the new distances of his clubs. Trey was surprised when he finished the round. It took less than three hours to complete 18 holes. He didn’t add up his score, but knew he scored better than yesterday and ordered a Lyft ride back to Universal.
Upon arrival, he packed and got ready to leave. He had a feeling Russell would slip in one or two unagreed-upon clauses. Something wasn’t right for them to change the terms of the contract after he arrived on set. He’d bet they would wait until the last minute to give them the new agreement. That way, they would be rushed and not pay attention to the contract language.
After he finished packing, Trey went to the canteen for lunch. A few crew members were there, and he read their minds while eating. They were hoping for the shoot to finish before Christmas. They were getting paid for the delay, but it wasn’t sitting around doing nothing. It was interesting that no actors were here, and he wondered why. Trey finished lunch and walked by Glen Massey, the director, and Russell Carter, the producer, and tagged their phones.
He read two e-books for his upcoming courses. At 2 p.m., Jack called, and they were 15 minutes away. Trey told him he would meet them at the gate. He went to the canteen, borrowed a golf cart, packed his belongings, and drove to the gate. When they arrived, Jack helped Trey load his luggage into the SUV and headed to the airport. On the way, Jack asked what happened, and Trey replied that nothing happened. He waited for the contract, but it never arrived.
Dan, the pilot, was waiting by the Gulfstream and helped load their luggage. They took off at 3 p.m. and landed in North Dakota two and a half hours later. Russell called while loading their luggage into the SUV and asked where he was. Trey said he was at the airport in North Dakota, getting ready to drive home. Since you delayed getting the contract ready for our signature, I have no reason to wait in a trailer. So, courier the contract here and we’ll review it. It will be signed if approved, and we’ll set a date for my return.
Russell said it would delay production, and Trey said you should have thought about that instead of playing games. I’m looking forward to seeing the agreement. Have a good day, then he hung up. Jack said there’s something wrong with the production for the producer to act that way, and Trey agreed.
When they arrived home, Grandmother gave them kisses and hugs, and the dogs welcomed them. She pulled dinner out of the oven and asked what happened to the movie while we ate. Trey said the producer played games with the contract, and we finally worked that out. Then, the producer fails to deliver the agreement before Jack and Mom leave. So, I decided to come home with them and force them to stop playing games. But on the positive side, I got to play two rounds of golf, and everyone laughed. After dinner, Jack and Mom went home, and I said goodnight and went to bed.
Monday morning, Trey did his forms, went to the dojo, and did his martial arts workout. Returning to his room, he showered, dressed, went to the stables, and saddled Blackie. They took off for their ride and took the long trail to burn off Blackie’s extra energy. When they arrived at the stable, he cared for Blackie and went to the kitchen. Grandmother and Maria had breakfast ready, so they sat and ate.
After breakfast, Trey returned to his room, and Richard called. He asked what happened in LA because Russell called, saying you left the set. Trey said Russell’s right, I left when my parents arrived Sunday at 2 p.m. The contract wasn’t delivered for their review and signature so I came home with them. Russell called me at 5 p.m. PST and asked where I was. This contract bullshit is stopping now, and I’m not going anywhere until I review it thoroughly. I sat there for two days, ready to work, and all Russell did was delay.
Richard said you did the right thing by going home. It will pressure Russell to stop playing games. He assured me the agreement would be delivered to you by noon on Sunday. Richard said he would call Russell to find out what’s happening, and I’ll call you back. They said goodbye. While he was waiting, Trey resumed checking his AI programming for errors. Once he confirmed there were no errors, Trey installed the AI program into the new computer.
His phone beeped, and he received a text message. Trey checked it, and the AI notified him of a new inquiry. He confirmed it was working and then checked his alias cloud account. The person verifying his identity was FBI Deputy Director Adam Spitzer. He accessed Adam Spitzer’s emails on the FBI mainframe using the backdoor his worm provided. Adam received an email from Kenneth Loe, CEO of the Knight Group. Kenneth asked Adam to set up discreet surveillance and document all my activity.
Then Richard called, laughing, and said a contract should arrive by 2 p.m. He mentioned rumors were circulating on set that you left, and Russell is facing a mutiny. The crew is tired of waiting, so please email me a copy of the contract and review it ASAP. Trey said he would, but the earliest he could return is Wednesday if the contract is acceptable. He told Richard the return trip had better be a charter jet or he’d choose to drive, and Richard laughed and hung up. Trey called Jack and said he would work tomorrow due to the contract’s arrival this afternoon, and he agreed.
After lunch, the contract arrived with clauses that Richard’s didn’t. Trey reviewed it, marked the clauses, and emailed it to Richard with a big NO WAY! written on top. Richard called twenty minutes later, laughing, and said he figured Russell would try something. I’ll let him know we’re not interested in working for him. Then Richard mentioned that an interesting script arrived today—it’s a spy/action/thriller about a former Army Special Forces soldier who joined the CIA as a NOC after his tour. He was recruited into a special project and given injections to enhance his strength, reflexes, and understanding. He qualified for the program because he had no family.
Part of the program was to sterilize them so they couldn’t reproduce. He somehow slipped through the system without being sterilized. During an assignment, he impregnated a woman, and she wanted to keep the baby. So, you were born, and unknown to your father or the CIA, his super strength, reflexes, and intelligence were passed on to you. Your father visits you occasionally and provides financial support. When you turned ten, your mother died, and your father placed you with his retired Special Forces sergeant.
That’s the background for the start of the movie. Trey said it sounds good, but fitting everything into one film is challenging. Richard agreed and said it would need to begin with you at thirteen or fourteen, with flashbacks supporting the story. If it’s successful, there will be sequels because the story is so detailed. Richard said he would call and request an interview, and let him know, and they said goodbye.
Trey thought about the FBI surveillance and realized he’d need to check the area early each morning. While he couldn’t stop it, he could cause chaos for FBI Deputy Director Adam Spitzer. Losing a surveillance van and two agents would make Spitzer rethink doing illegal favors for the Knight Group.
During dinner, Grandmother asked about the movie contract, and Trey said he decided not to do the film. Richard agreed that it would be best to distance ourselves from the project. But Richard read an interesting script, and he’s trying to set up an interview. It’s a spy/action/thriller that could have sequels if successful. They finished dinner, watched TV for an hour, and he said goodnight and went to bed.
Trey did his forms and weight workout early Tuesday morning, then jogged to the road. He looked and didn’t see any vehicles, so he returned to his room, showered, dressed, and turned on the computer. Then it hit him—he could see in the dark, something he had never thought about. He figured it was due to the injections at Cheryl’s clinic at work. It was pitch black when he went to the road this morning, yet he could see clearly, as if it were dawn. That gift would come in handy when the surveillance team arrives.
He started programming new software for his computer. When he accessed the Internet, it would automatically route through six random servers before connecting to the site he wanted. This made it difficult for anyone to monitor his online activity. Trey finished the program when he sensed activity in the kitchen. He installed the software, saved it, and turned off the computer.
After breakfast, he went to his ranch and checked the house, pole barn, and hidden barn/hangar. He started all the vehicles and the plane, letting them run for thirty minutes. Then he shut everything down, locked up, and headed home. Starting the plane reminded him that he needed to find a way to take flying lessons soon. When he arrived home, he searched online for flight simulator training at home. X-Plane offered the best pilot training program, so he ordered it and paid for express shipping. That would give him a jump start when he could arrange the training.
After lunch, Trey went to Bowman Pharmaceuticals and assisted the IT department with a programming error. He ran a virus scan and discovered an email that caused the issue in the sales department. Bonnie Milroy, a sales associate, received it from one of her customers. Trey copied and deleted the email from Bonnie’s computer and the mainframe. Then, he sent a worm to the sender in an email from Bonnie. The virus she received was an attempt to access our wholesale product pricing list.
The women around Bonnie teased her about the sender, Jerry, being interested in her. No one knew he had sent the worm, and he had deleted the email after sending it. The women brushed up against him while he worked on the computer, and he wondered what was happening. At the end of the day, Trey went to Jack’s office and reported what had happened in the sales area. Jack laughed, then got serious and said it could be pheromones.