The Phenomenal Event
Copyright© 2025 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 2
Sundays were a day of relaxation at the Barrett household. Since Mom left, Dad spent an average of six days a week at work, and Grif was busy with school and work, too. Dad would sleep in, and Grif would go on walks around the neighborhood early in the morning. It was a peaceful time that allowed him to think without any distractions. A lot happened the past week, and Grif sorted the events in his mind. His thought process seemed clearer, and the changes in his body were dramatic.
His senses and reflexes had improved, and he was aware of everything around him. Grif wondered what Dr. Bohn was working on with the material he had been exposed to and how the CIA was involved. There were a lot of changes going on inside his body, and he welcomed them. The photographic memory was a surprise, and then the martial arts. He picked it up like he had been practicing for years. Activity ahead brought him out of his thoughts, and there was a yard sale.
An older Asian lady, whom Grif suspected was Japanese or Chinese, was selling items on the driveway and garage. He looked at the items and found a box of books that interested him. Inside were a dozen leather-bound martial arts training manuals, and ten foreign language binders issued by the US Government were in a box beside it. Grif asked the lady what she wanted for the boxes, and she said $30. He paid her and carried the boxes home.
Dad was up cooking breakfast and asked what he got, and Grif said he bought some books at a yard sale. He put the boxes in his bedroom and returned to the kitchen. While they ate, they discussed where to go on their vacation. They decided to head north to Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota and then return home. Heading north, they would avoid the heat of the summer. Dad said,” Let’s plan to leave when school ends,” so there’s time to visit your mother. Grif said that’s assuming I’m still welcome after the premiere, and they laughed.
After breakfast, they went to the market and bought groceries for the week. While shopping, Dad asked Grif what vehicle he wanted when he got his driver’s license. Grif said a nice used 4x4 truck, a Chevy or Ford with an extra cab, so there’s room to put things in the back. Dad said they had plenty of time to look, but let him know if he sees a deal. They stopped at Sam’s for a few items, got gas, and headed home. They stopped at the Whataburger drive-thru and got lunch on the way.
When they arrived home, they put the groceries away and ate lunch. Dad asked if he was coming to work on Monday since it was a teacher’s day. Grif said shit, he forgot, and said yes, he’ll go with you for the day. They finished lunch and watched NFL football on TV. Grif watched and memorized the movements of the defensive ends and linebackers.
Dad ordered pizza for dinner, and they watched the Eagles vs. the Giants game while eating dinner. By halftime, the Eagles had won the game, so they turned off the TV, said goodnight, and went to bed. Grif closed his eyes and imagined he was fighting Bruce Lee, making all the punches and kicks. After 30 minutes, he was exhausted and went to sleep. It was the same dream, but with different sensations in his body. He felt pain all over his body, and his head hurt so bad it almost woke him up. Then it went away, and he fell into a deep sleep.
On the way to work, Dad stopped at McDonald’s drive-thru and got breakfast. When we arrived at Allied Technologies, Dad and Grif had to get new ID cards. The guard said they updated the security after an attempted break-in on Saturday night. They now had restricted entrance to the labs. If your ID didn’t authorize you, an alarm would go off. Iris scans and more cameras were also added this week. Grif was given broad access because he helped in multiple labs.
Grif didn’t say anything, but he read the security guard’s mind while he was talking to them. It shocked him at first, but then he thought it was cool. It was the night guard’s fault for falling asleep and allowing the intruders access, and thankfully, a noise woke him up. He hit the alarm, and the intruders fled. When they passed Dr. Bohm’s old office, it was now stripped bare. All the furniture had been removed along with Dr. Bohm’s name on the door.
Grif realized his new skill didn’t work unless he focused on the person. He wondered if the pain in his head last night while asleep had caused his mind reading. Grif also felt comfort when entering the labs and wondered if there was a threat, would he know it? He helped run tests and log the results on the computer. At lunch, Grif went into the lunch room, and everyone there sang Happy Birthday, embarrassing him. They had cake and ice cream, and he got a polo shirt with the company name and logo.
When they left work, Grif noticed a plumbing van parked across the street. He somehow knew it was a surveillance van, and two people were inside. The van’s logo was Chase Plumbing and Leak Repair. He didn’t tell Dad and looked up the company on his phone on the way home. No plumbing company named Chase was in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They stopped for Mexican food takeout on the way home.
While they ate dinner, Dad told Grif to be aware of his surroundings when going to and coming home from school. The company suspects the CIA had something to do with the attempted break-in. They have no proof, but the break-in after trying to get Dr. Bohm’s computer, files, and notes is too much of a coincidence. So, they issued a memo warning all employees to be aware of vehicles following them. It said if a vehicle was following them, call 911, pull into public places where people are, and wait for the police.
Grif told Dad about the Plumbing van parked across the street from work. He said it was Chase Plumbing and Leak Repair, so he looked it up on his phone again and showed the results to his Dad. Dad said shit and called work to report it to security. They thanked Dad for the information and said they would report it to the police. Dad said he would get us pepper spray on the way home from work tomorrow.
They finished dinner and watched The Bourne Identity with Matt Damon. Grif memorized all the fight scenes, and when the movie ended, they said goodnight and went to bed. Grif didn’t realize that he had created a place in his mind and combined all the martial arts and fighting scenes into his own martial arts program. So, when he closed his eyes, he replicated the films’ moves, punches, and kicks. After thirty minutes, he was exhausted and fell asleep. There was no dream tonight, but the tingling sensation radiated throughout his body, and he fell into a deep sleep.
On Tuesday, while on his way to school, Grif noticed a van following him. He turned into an alley and hid behind a bush. The van stopped at the alley, and a man got out. Then the van drove off, and Grif waited until the man reached him. He jumped out of the bushes and beat the man unconscious. Grif searched the man and found a Glock 9mm with a silencer, a disposable cell phone, and a new wallet with an ID that was also new. He turned off the phone, hid everything under some bushes, and continued to school.
His friends Nick and Greg met at the entrance and asked Grif if he was ready for Coach Rolston’s punishment. Grif said the coach should punish the offense, not us. But if he does, let’s pay the offense back during practice. Greg and Nick agreed they needed punishment and laughed as they went to class. Hallie was sitting in the front of the class, and Grif whispered to her not to forget their counseling session and left her laughing.
Grif sat at the back of the class and looked up, learning to read Japanese online. A program was available online and qualified for college credit, so Grif purchased it and completed the first chapter during class. By the sixth period, he had completed six chapters and had six more. Then he went to the gym and dressed for football practice. Nick and Greg were right. Coach Rolston made everyone run laps before practice. The offense knew they were pissed and worried.
It wasn’t a good day for the offense, as they hadn’t gained more than ten yards during practice. Grif was in the backfield, interrupting the quarterback and running back during the first part of practice. Then Coach Rolson moved me to linebacker so they could complete some plays. The rest of the defense made them pay for every yard. At the end of practice, Coach Rolson pulled him aside and said Carl Plummer, the JV defensive end, had hurt his knee during the game on Saturday. So, you’re taking his place, and practice is at 6 am tomorrow. Then he handed Grif the defense playbook, told him to study it tonight, and left.
Grif said shit, showered, dressed, and walked home. He didn’t see the van, and when he got home, he studied the defense playbook. He still had an hour before Dad got home, so he listened to two CDs in the Japanese language program he bought at the yard sale. He wanted to learn to read and speak Japanese before reading the martial arts training manuals.
CIA Section Chief Ron Tover was pissed that his plan to recover the money and journals from Dr. Rodney Bohm had failed. He had contractors break into Allied Technologies, and they were discovered before getting anything. Then he hired contractors to monitor Allied Technologies, and they got arrested. Then another contractor got beaten up and was in the hospital following a kid who worked there. This whole operation had gone to shit, and now he had to cover his ass before someone talked.
Dad arrived home with Italian takeout for dinner, and they ate. During dinner, Dad mentioned that the police arrested two people in the plumbing van and found surveillance gear inside. They had tapped the phones and hidden listening devices in Gerry Reed’s office, linking them to the break-in, and now they face serious jail time. Grif didn’t tell his dad about the van following him after hearing about the arrests. Dad handed Grif the pepper spray and told him to keep it ready, as he wasn’t sure the threat was over.
Grif told Dad about his promotion to the JV team. Dad said it was great, and they play on Saturday night, so I will attend the games. Grif said this week’s game is at home, but he isn’t sure where the last two games will be played after next week’s break. Dad told Grif to make it hard for them to replace you by playing solid football. That will guarantee your spot on the JV team next year.
After dinner, they watched Hard to Kill with Steven Seagal. Grif memorized all the fight scenes, and at the end of the movie, they said goodnight and went to bed. Grif closed his eyes and fought Steven Seagal, mimicking his moves, kicks, and punches. After thirty minutes, he was exhausted, went to bed, and fell asleep. There was a dream tonight, but different, and he watched as today’s events were organized in his mind. The tingling sensation followed, then he fell into a deep sleep.
On Thursday, on his way to school, Grif thought about the man he had attacked in the alley. His strikes were precise, and he only hit the man six times. But each one caused damage, and the last knocked him out. When he arrived at 5:45 a.m., he dressed in his football gear and went to the practice field. Coach Rolson told the team that Grif Barrett was taking Carl Plummer’s place at defensive end for the last few games. Practice was more intense than the freshman team, but he still got into the backfield and disrupted the quarterback and running back. That earned him respect from his new teammates.
Gary and Nick saw him after practice and called him a traitor for moving to JV. Grif said he asked Coach Rolson if they could come with him. The coach said he didn’t want any pussies on the squad, and everyone laughed. Grif said he only got promoted because Carl Plummer hurt his knee in the last game. He has three games to prove himself, and the players are bigger and stronger than the freshman team. Grif told them to grow some balls and that they would join him on JV next year, and he left them laughing.
Grif sat in the back of the class and accessed the Japanese reading and writing program on his laptop. Hallie entered, came to his desk, and congratulated him on being promoted to JV. Grif said thanks and asked if she was his designated cheerleader for the rest of the year. Hallie laughed and asked Grif if he knew who her father was. Grif said yes, he’s the Chief of Police, but he’s old, and I can run fast. Hallie left laughing and went to her seat.
By the sixth period, he had completed his Japanese reading and writing program and had taken the final exam. Grif laughed at his friends practicing in the heat and walked home. Upon arriving home, he changed into sweats, went to the garage, and practiced martial arts on the heavy bag. When he was done, Grif showered and listened to three more Japanese language CDs. He liked his afternoons free to exercise, work, or study.
Dad arrived home with barbecue chicken, and they sat and ate. He asked Grif how practice went this morning, and Grif said it went well. He likes practicing in the morning rather than in the afternoon heat. Dad said the FBI visited Allied Technologies today. They are investigating the CIA’s interest in Dr. Bohm and the following events. Grif asked if they interviewed any employees, and Dad said no, they only met with the company president.