The Adventurer
Copyright© 2025 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 8
Thursday at 2 a.m., Trey was doing forms. Then he went to the gym and did his weight-lifting routine. When he finished, Trey returned to his room, showered, dressed in a suit, grabbed his laptop bag, and drove to the airport. He arrived 45 minutes early to see if any unusual activity was around the Air Force Gulfstream jet when it landed. The plane landed, and two men talked to the pilot, gave him a gas mask, and exited the plane. When the men entered the private terminal, Trey read their minds. Sleeping gas was rigged to activate by a remote control given to the pilot.
The men entered the restroom, and Trey followed them inside. He beat them severely, breaking several bones, then took their IDs and put them into the bathroom stalls. Trey returned to the lobby and waited for Jack. When he arrived, they went to the plane, and the pilot met them. Trey told the pilot to give him the remote and the plan, or he would never pilot a plane again. The pilot gave Trey the remote and said his instructions were to land in Stratford, Virginia.
Trey told him there had been a plan change, and they were going to Andrews Air Force Base. After removing the battery from the remote, they boarded the jet and took off. Jack asked what that was about, and Trey told him about arriving early and what he saw. Jack said shit, these people are ruthless and he agreed. They landed at Andrews and were driven to the White House without problems. After going through two security checkpoints, they were escorted to an office outside the Oval Office and told to wait.
While waiting, Trey asked a woman if she could draft an agreement for our meeting with the president. She agreed, and he dictated it to her. It stated, “I, Daniel Cole, Director of the CIA, contracted William Bowman III to build a communications program.” It also specified, “Mr. Bowman will receive a Beechcraft Baron twin-engine plane (new or used but under five years old and in excellent condition) within three months of the delivery of the program to Nathan Clark, Director of the NSA.” Trey requested signature lines for both directors at the bottom and three copies. He thanked her and said the president would call when we were ready for the agreement.
They were escorted into the Oval Office, where introductions were made. Trey explained how Jacob Cohen contacted him, then Ethan Sattler, and finally Daniel Cole. He also recounted the kidnapping attempts by Jacob and Ethan. Daniel asked what proof he had to back up his story, and Trey passed out Ethan Sattler’s email. Then Trey said he didn’t care about the program anymore, deleted all his work, but kept one copy. So, gentlemen, do you want the program or not?
Daniel said yes, and Trey asked the president to call his staff to bring the agreement. They did and Daniel was pissed. He asked why the NSA was getting the program, and Trey said because that’s where it belongs. They signed the agreements, and everyone got a copy. Then Trey gave the program to Nathan on a portable drive and said that completes our business, except for the plane’s delivery.
Oh, there’s one last thing: He placed the two IDs and the remote on the coffee table. The two CIA techs who installed the sleeping gas on the Air Force plane are in the private terminal restroom in North Dakota. They will need hospitalization and several months of rehab. It was a foolish move, Daniel, but I’ll visit you sometime at home, and you can explain it. Daniel stood up and left quickly. The meeting concluded, and Trey thanked the president and Nathan for their help.
On the way back to Andrews, Jack asked if the plane was the final payment from the start. Trey said no, he included it today, and they laughed. Then Jack asked why the delivery was delayed on the plane, and Trey said to give him time to get his pilot’s license. He’s completed ground school online, but the single-engine certification requires 40 flight hours. Then another 40 hours for dual engine. The problem is doing it without Mom or Grandmother knowing. Grandmother wouldn’t care, but your wife would have a meltdown, and they laughed.
The flight home took under two hours, and Jack went to work from the airport. Trey went home and made a sandwich for a late lunch. Grandmother and Mom are gone, so he didn’t have to explain what they did at the meeting, and he went upstairs after lunch. Trey changed clothes, and Richard called, saying the production company refuses to increase their offer. Trey said,” That’s fine, don’t call or return their calls.” When asked what’s next during the premiere interviews, I’ll say we’re talking with several production companies, and there will be an announcement soon. Richard said Brilliant and he’ll keep me updated, and said goodbye.
Then he went online and ordered a pair of wireless noise-canceling headphones for Mom. They were rechargeable via a USB cable. Trey checked his email, turned off the computer, and went to the basement. He practiced golf on the simulator until Mom yelled dinner was ready. While they ate, Trey asked Grandmother where she and Jack’s wife had gone this afternoon. They laughed and said they were shopping. Mom asked how the business meeting was, and he said ok.
There were a couple of older men debating whether Viagra or Cialis was better. What are they? Mom spat her drink across the table, and Grandmother laughed. Then Grandmother explained what they were, causing more laughter. We finished dinner, watched TV for an hour, said goodnight, and went to bed.
Trey woke up at 1 a.m. Friday, dressed in dark clothes, grabbed a ski mask, gloves, two duffel bags, a lock pick set, and went to his F250. He drove to Miguel Sanchez’s house, the drug supplier for Randell Carlton. He parked by the alleyway and entered Miguel’s property from the rear. He sensed the house, and there were two men in the den asleep, and Miguel was sleeping in his bedroom. Trey picked the kitchen door lock and put the two men into a deep sleep by pressure point in the den. Then he went to Miguel’s bedroom and put him into a deep sleep, by a pressure point.
Then he read Miguel’s mind, and they were meeting a plane at an abandoned farm tonight at 11 p.m. He would pay for the last load and get more drugs. The abandoned farm was five miles from their ranch, and a plan formed in Trey’s mind. He got the safe combination from Miguel’s mind, opened it, and found a duffel bag of cash inside. Trey emptied the duffel bag, filled it ¾ with books and magazines, and then topped it off with bundles of cash.
He returned the duffel bag to the safe and saw a journal. Not wanting Miguel to notice the intrusion, Trey took pictures of the first six pages, returned the journal, and locked the safe. Then he put the remaining cash in his duffel bag and left. On the way home, he laughed and planned to watch the drug delivery and pick up tonight. He’d bring a sniper rifle in case one party survives the exchange. Trey parked the truck in the garage, went to his room, changed into his sweats, and did his forms. He went to the dojo, exercised martial arts, and returned to his room.
Trey showered, dressed, and went to the kitchen. Grandmother was alone, cooking, and he asked where Jack’s wife was, and she laughed. Then she said the governor’s vetting team is interviewing Kay and Jack. Trey said,” Oh, does that mean you and I will be interviewed too? Grandmother said you will be if they pass their interviews. I won’t be because I’m married to the asshole there wanting to replace. Trey said Great, maybe he’ll be filming a movie and unavailable. Grandmother said that wouldn’t stop them and that they would visit the movie set. He said the sailboat idea is sounding better all the time, and they laughed.
Then he called Jack, and Trey asked if he had received a letter or phone call from the governor about the vetting team. When Jack said no then said shit, I have calls to make asap and hung up. Fifteen minutes later Jack called back and said you saved our asses. The governor already vetted us, and the fake vetting team is being arrested at their hotel. We were also invited to dinner at the Governor’s Mansion on Monday night. Jack said we’ll talk after work today and said goodbye.
After breakfast, Trey drove the mule to the cave and mudded and taped the drywall joints. It wasn’t a professional job, but it would do for a workshop. He returned to the garage, cleaned up in the sink, then went upstairs and changed clothes. Trey ate a quick lunch and then drove to work. He helped IT with replacing the workstation monitors and working on network connections.
At the end of the day, Trey went to Jack’s office. Jack said they were going golfing to celebrate this weekend. So, we’ll pick you up at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow and go to South Carolina again. Trey asked Jack if his wife was coming too, and he laughed and said Yes, your Mom is coming. She’ll enjoy the spa and shop while we’re golfing. They shook hands goodbye, and Trey drove home.
Upon arrival, he parked in the garage, entered the attic, got the sniper’s rifle, night vision binoculars, and a roll of plastic, and put them into the F250. It would be a late night, and he wouldn’t get much sleep. Grandmother had dinner ready, and they sat and ate. She said Kay called and was thankful the vetting interviews were canceled. Trey said I’ll bet Mom was relieved not having to answer questions about her high school and college days and they laughed. After dinner, he told Grandmother they were leaving early for South Carolina, so he was going to bed and said goodnight. He set the alarm and took a nap.
Trey woke up at 10 p.m., dressed in dark clothes, grabbed a ski mask, gloves, and two duffel bags, and drove to the abandoned farmhouse. He parked in the treeline off the road, grabbed his supplies, and checked the mailbox. There was a letter from the county, so he took it and walked towards the back of the property. He heard a plane approaching, so he hid and watched it land. It landed on a grass runway, taxied to the back of the property, and disappeared.
He followed the runway and saw a barn in the woods that had been turned into an airplane hangar. The plane was inside the hangar, and a man was unloading it. Trey picked a good vantage point and set up his sniper’s nest. Then he saw vehicle lights approaching, and an SUV stopped outside the hangar. Three men got out, and one was Miguel Sanchez, carrying a duffel bag. Miguel said Good to see you, Jose, They shook hands, and Miguel gave him the duffel bag.
Jose opened it, and Miguel said it’s all there. Jose said probably, but his employer would kill him if it were short. Jose checked the duffel bag and then carried it to the plane. He got an Uzi and killed Miguel and his two men. Trey lined up Jose in the scope’s crosshairs and fired, killing him. Then he went to the hangar, looked at the carnage, and saw a mule parked inside. Trey put plastic in the back of the mule, loaded two men, and drove into the woods.
Trey saw a ravine and dumped the bodies. It took two more trips to dump the other men and drugs. Then he checked the plane for a tracker and found one in the cockpit. Trey removed it and took the battery out. Then he pulled Miguel’s SUV inside the hangar, got his supplies, closed the hangar, returned home, set the alarm, and fell asleep.
His alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. Trey showered, dressed, and packed. He included the audio/video detector and the drug planes tracker, and he took his bags and clubs to the front door. Jack and Mom picked him up at 5:30 and went to the airport. Trey activated the tracker on the way. The Gulfstream awaited when they arrived, so they loaded their bags and took off for South Carolina. They landed after 8 a.m., and while Jack rented a SUV, Trey crushed the tracker and threw it in the trash.
Then they drove to the Sage Valley Golf Club hotel and got settled in their suites. Trey swept the suites with his detector and found nothing. Mom went to the spa, and Jack and Trey went to the Pro Shop. He paid their fees, got two buckets of balls, and they went to the practice range. After warming up, they went to the starting line and were third in line. Trey asked Jack why the women wore short skirts and moved their hips before swinging. Jack said he didn’t know, but it was entertaining, and they laughed.
Their turn finally came, and Jack teed off first. Trey teed off next, hitting his drive over 50 feet past Jack’s. Jack missed his putt and bogeyed the first hole, but he scored a birdie. Three young women were ahead of them, chatting instead of teeing off. Trey approached them and asked if they could go ahead. One said Sure, if you can guess our pantie colors. Trey said, pointing to the first woman, red, and baby blue to the second woman, and said the third was going commando.
They moved ahead and teed off, leaving the women laughing. Jack asked Trey how he did it, and Trey said they were flashing him while lining up their putts. They laughed, and Jack said You’d better not tell your mother, or she’ll cancel our golf trips. Luckily, no more females were ahead of them, and they finished their round without any delays. He scored a six under par, and Jack was two over par. They returned to the hotel, put their clubs in the suite, and met Mom for lunch.
She asked why they were late, and Trey told her women golfers talk too much, and everyone laughed. Then Jack explained to Mom that three women were ahead of us, chatting instead of playing. Finally, we asked to proceed, and they agreed to let us. They finished lunch, and Jack and Mom left to do their thing. He returned to the suite, changed into a swimsuit, and went to the pool. He swam laps for thirty minutes, returned to the suite, showered, and napped.
Trey woke up to someone knocking on the suite door. He looked out the peephole and said, “We don’t want your crap.” Then he opened the door to Jack and Mom laughing. Mom told Trey to get dressed to go to a steakhouse for dinner. He said to go ahead without him; otherwise, autograph seekers would spoil the dinner. Mom insisted, so he dressed, and they went to the restaurant. Before going inside, Trey told Mom to remember this was her idea.