The Adventurer
Copyright© 2025 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 7
Trey woke up after midnight, dressed in black, grabbed a ski mask and gloves, and drove to Randell Carlton’s house. He was president of Carlton Pharmaceuticals and was involved in stealing drug research from Jack’s company. Trey parked by the alley and entered Randell’s property from the alleyway. He sensed the house, and Randell was in his home office, asleep. He tried the patio door, which was unlocked, so he entered. Trey quietly went to the home office.
Randell was passed out, sitting at the desk. A round mirror with a pile of white powder, a razor blade, and straw was on the desk. The computer was on and on the Carlton Pharmaceutical’s network. Trey put Randell into a deep sleep by a pressure point he learned from his Sensei. Then he moved Randell out of the way, deleted the stolen files, and reformatted the backup drive. Trey scheduled a system backup immediately and moved Randell back behind the desk.
He searched the office and found a safe in the closet, and it was open. Inside were guns, cash, a large zip lock bag of white powder, a smaller zip lock bag full of pills, a journal, and a box of documents. He took the journal, left the safe and closet door open, then called 911 using the house phone. Trey mumbled several words, then said HELP and didn’t hang up. He left by the alleyway and drove home. It was useless to return to bed, so Trey changed into sweats. He did his forms, went to the dojo, did his martial arts workout, then showered and dressed.
Trey grabbed an old lamp and drove the mule to the cave. He was excited to see if the wind generators worked. Once inside, he plugged in the lamp and turned on the breaker. The lamp turned on, and he yelled, “Yes.” The electrical problem was solved, and now he needed to install the drywall, a door to the hidden room, and paint. Then, he needed to build or buy shelving and make a hidden entrance. There was still a lot to do, so he exited the cave and returned to the garage.
He parked the mule, went to his room, reviewed the freeware antivirus program, and started programming his new one. Trey finished it and checked the time. It was late, so he saved his work and went to the kitchen for breakfast. Mom and Grandmother were eating, so he fixed a plate and sat at the table. Mom said she would stay the night at Jack’s condo after lunch. Trey told Mom she could send the pictures to us first and that Grandmother and I could recommend which ones to send to Jack. Grandmother and Mom laughed, and Mom said there won’t be any photos.
After breakfast, Trey returned to his room and tested the firewall and antivirus programs. Then he thought about encrypting the programs so they couldn’t be stolen. He downloaded a freeware encryption program and reviewed it. Then, he started programming, and he was in a zone. His fingers seemed to have a mind of their own as they flew across the keyboard. He was amazed to finish the encryption program within two hours. It was an AES 512-bit encryption program, which he applied to his firewall and antivirus programs.
Trey saved his work and then resumed programming on the CIA’s project. He was anxious to see if combining all the projects he programmed would make a working program. He finished as his mom called him for lunch. While they ate, Trey asked Mom if she had stocked Jack’s condo with vitamins from GNC yet. She picked up a fork and threatened him while she and Grandmother laughed. They finished lunch, and Trey told Mom to stop at CVS and get condoms so she wouldn’t be wearing a maternity dress at Jack’s swearing-in ceremony.
Trey left Mom and Grandmother laughing hard at the table and returned upstairs. He combined all the projects and reviewed the complete program. Trey corrected the programming issues caused by combining the projects and double-checking his work. The backdoor was well hidden, and when he confirmed everything was right, he made two copies and encrypted them. Then, he deleted all the programming work he did for Jacob from his computer and emptied the recycle bin.
He shut down the computer and went to the kitchen. Grandmother giggled seeing him and said Your mother wants to kill you. Trey said all he was doing was asking her to practice safe sex, and they laughed. They ate dinner and then went to the den and watched TV. When the program was over, Trey said goodnight and went to bed.
Early Friday morning, Trey did forms, went to the dojo, and did his martial arts workout. Returning to his room he showered, dressed, went to the stable and saddled Blackie. They took off for their ride, and Trey saw a glimmer of light as they approached the bluff and quickly turned to the trees. Once inside the trees he maneuvered Blackie through the trees to the back of the bluff.
Trey dismounted Blackie told him to stay and climbed the trail. He felt the energy surge as he reached the top and remembered the rock samples in the garage. Peaking over the top of the bluff, he saw a man setting up a sniper’s nest and read his mind. He was hired by Ethan Sattler, deputy director with the CIA, to wound me so I would need treatment immediately. They had two other men ready in paramedics’ uniforms with a stolen vehicle two miles away.
The plan was to drug him, then transport him to the airport and fly him to a remote location and torture him until he cooperated and finished the program. Trey silently walked across the bluff and broke the man’s neck. Then he searched the man and found his vehicle keys and wallet, but nothing else on his body. He found a military-grade radio in his supplies to contact his team members. Trey stripped him and then threw him off the back of the bluff. He gathered his gear and returned to Blackie.
Trey left the gear in the woods, took the vehicle keys and radio, and finished their ride. He cared for Blackie then drove the mule searching for the vehicle. Trey found it parked off the road, a ¼ mile away. Then he drove the SUV looking for the paramedic’s vehicle. It was parked off the road in the bushes, and the men had set up a campsite. He parked off the road and entered their campsite, surprising them, and killed them with kicks to the head. Trey gathered their gear and loaded into the SUV. Then he carried them deeper into the woods, left them there, and moved the paramedic vehicle next to the road. After wiping down everything he touched, Trey drove the SUV back to where it was parked. He left it there, drove the mule home, and cleaned up.
He entered the kitchen as Grandmother was cooking breakfast, and they sat and ate. Grandmother told him not to forget the wedding reception tomorrow night. Trey asked if it was a good idea for him to attend with all the publicity from the movie ads and the interview. He didn’t want to take the attention away from Mom and Jack. Grandmother said it was a valid point and to talk with Jack at work today. She said your Mother is preoccupied with planning the event.
After breakfast, Trey drove the mule to the SUV and emptied it, wiped down the areas he touched, drove to the bluff, and picked up the sniper’s supplies. He put everything in the cave and returned home. Trey parked the mule in the garage, went upstairs, and completed his flight ground school. After printing the certificate, he did the homework for his online college courses.
Trey went to work after lunch and met with Jack in his office. Jack asked what he did to Randell Carlton. He said Honest judge, I’m innocent, and the coppers are framing me, and they laughed. Jack said Randell was arrested at his home for possession of narcotics with the intent to distribute. Media reports said authorities found two pounds of cocaine and 5,000 ecstasy pills in his open safe. There was also cocaine on a mirror on his desk, where they found him passed out.
Trey told Jack he removed their stolen data from Carlton Pharmaceutical’s mainframe and backup drive from Randell’s computer, but that’s all he did. Oh, and he called 911 and asked for help, then he left. Jack laughed and said there were rumors about his drug use, but he never thought Randell was dealing either. Then Trey asked if it was a good idea for him to attend their wedding reception with all the publicity. Jack said he would talk with Kay tonight, but to plan on going. Publicity isn’t a problem unless it’s bad. Trey said ok and he’ll bring plenty of Sharpies, leaving Jack laughing.
He went to the mainframe computer and uninstalled the firewall and antivirus program. Then Trey installed his programs and ran a virus check. It found six viruses and a worm. He copied them to a USB drive and then deleted them. Then he went to the IT department and helped them for the rest of the day. Trey stopped by Jack’s office and told him he installed a new firewall and antivirus program on the mainframe computer. He then ran a virus check and found six viruses and a worm. Trey said he removed them, and they should be fine now. Jack thanked Trey, and they shook hands goodbye.
Trey arrived home, and Mom was there. He told Grandmother they had an intruder and to call the police, and everyone laughed. They sat and ate dinner, and Mom said he talked with Jack, and you’re attending the wedding reception. Trey said Great, where are you setting up the autograph booth, and will it have a private area for body autographs. Everyone laughed, and Mom said no autographs. Grandmother said that’s easier said than done. Trey’s a celebrity, and if he refuses to do autographs, he’ll get negative publicity. So, if you want him to attend, he’ll have to honor requests for autographs and pictures, too. Mom said shit and she would call Jack.
Then Richard called and said the movie premiere is scheduled for two weeks from Saturday. He’s arranged for you to be fitted for a new tux in Beverly Hills on Monday at noon. Then you will fly in on Thursday before the premiere for a final fitting. We also arranged a wardrobe fitting while you’re there for your tux fitting on Monday, so you’ll be staying over until Tuesday. We’re close to a contract agreement, but your interview on The View upped the price.
Richard said your itinerary was emailed and wished Trey good luck at the wedding reception. He said to sign all autograph requests and pose for pictures, then said goodbye. Trey and Mom said shit simultaneously and Grandmother laughed. Then Trey asked if the senator was invited, and Mom said yes. But he couldn’t attend because of a committee meeting. Trey said that’s bullshit but he’ll miss the press exposure. Mom asked what press, and Grandmother said someone has leaked it, so expect them. When they finished dinner, he said goodnight and went to bed.
Early Saturday morning, Trey drove the sniper’s SUV to the interstate, wiped down the areas he touched, left the keys in the ignition, and jogged home. He did his forms, then went to the gym and worked out with weights. After his shower, Trey dressed and turned on the computer. He routed through six foreign servers and opened bank accounts in Ethan Sattler’s name in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belize, Panama, Mexico, Singapore, the UAE, and Germany. Then, Trey changed the login and password to Ethan’s company account in the Cayman Islands and transferred everything except $10,000 worldwide, starting with Switzerland. All those banks have strict privacy laws, and getting the information would be difficult, if not impossible. That should pucker Ethan’s asshole and panic. He’ll be preoccupied covering his ass than worrying about me.
Unknown to Trey, the Cayman Islands Bank notified the CIA of a large withdrawal from the company account under Ethan Sattler’s control. It went to the Director’s office, and they called Ethan Sattler into the CIA offices under the guise of a terrorist threat. When Ethan arrived, he was escorted to an interrogation room. Ethan denied any knowledge of a large fund transfer. A polygraph was next, and then truth serum followed, and they discovered Ethan’s covert operations. Then the torture started, and finally, they gave Ethan a lethal dose of morphine. The report was forwarded to the director, who gave orders to track the funds. The techs knew it was a useless effort, but did it anyway.
At breakfast, Trey asked his Grandmother what he should wear to the wedding reception that could not be ripped off easily. Mom was there, too, and they both laughed. Then, they said a suit and tie. He said, “Great, the hormone-filled females could choke him with the tie while removing his clothes.” He’d be more protected wearing a Speedo, so there was minimal clothing to grab and he could escape. Mom and Grandmother were laughing hard, and he went upstairs.
Trey examined the black journal he took from Randell’s safe. The first page had his drug supplier’s name, address, phone number, amount owed, and date due. The next pages had his drug buyer’s information and listed the transactions. It looked like Randell was keeping records to bargain with should he be arrested. Randell’s supplier was Miguel Sanchez, and Trey decided to pay him an early morning visit.
Then he searched for flight training schools, and none were in their area. Trey checked the Los Angeles area, and there were several, including at Burbank Airport, which wasn’t far from Universal Studios. He’d need to think up some training for the movie and spend a week taking flying lessons. Then it hit him that he could say he needed to attend Los Angeles court trials to get familiar with their procedures. That would give him a good start, getting the hours required for his license. Then take lessons on off days when the movie starts shooting.