The Phenomenal Event
Copyright© 2025 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 8
Grif ordered a Lyft ride after breakfast on Wednesday morning and went to the Harbor Lakes Golf Club. He paid the course fee at the pro shop and warmed up on the practice range. Then he went to the starting line and teed off. The golf books recommend that golfers log their distances with each club. So, he recorded each club when possible. When he reached the 17th green, Grif saw a mirror reflection in the woods by the fairway. He adjusted his drive to the reflection and heard a scream, then a thud.
When he reached the spot, Grif saw a man lying on the ground unconscious. He searched the man and found his FBI ID, car keys, cell phone, and wallet. The FBI ID and driver’s license looked new, so I assumed they were fake. A duffel bag and a camera hanging from a limb were in the tree. Grif retrieved the items, stripped the man, and used his golf cart to complete his round. He dumped the clothes, ID, wallet minus the cash, and the man’s phone in the trash bin behind the pro shop.
Grif went inside and rented a locker to store his club, then ordered a Lyft ride. While waiting, he searched the parking lot for the man’s vehicle. He found it, a Toyota Corolla rental. Grif searched it and found only a laptop under the driver’s seat. He took it and put it in the duffel with the other items. His ride arrived and brought him home. Grif put the duffel bag in his closet and changed into his sweats.
He went to the garage and practiced martial arts on the heavy bag for an hour. When he finished, Grif stripped at the laundry, showered, dressed, ate lunch, and inspected the goodies in the duffle bag. First, he looked at the camera and viewed the pictures. There were photos of their house and of him leaving and arriving at Harbor Lakes Golf Club. He erased the pictures and hacked into the laptop. There were hundreds of photos and dozens of files, so he was a PI. The question was who hired him, and why was he following me?
There wasn’t one on him, so maybe he just got the job. The rest of the items in the duffel bag were clothes, snacks, and camera lenses. Grif put the camera, lens, duffel bag, and laptop in his stash. He put the clothes and snacks in a trash bag by the garage to be disposed of later. Returning to the kitchen, he sensed Dad was nearby and waited at the table.
Dad arrived with dinner, and while they ate, he said they were going shopping on Saturday for ski clothes in Dallas. Dad said Amber gave him a list of things we need, and Grif asked if it included underwear. They laughed, and Dad said yes, but we must get thermal underwear. We will rent the skis, poles, and boots, but we need everything else. She said the prices at Vail are high, so we’ll get everything here. We’ll leave a week from Friday and return on Christmas Eve.
After dinner, they watched The Recruit with Al Pacino and Colin Farrell. It was a great espionage thriller with many twists and turns. Grif paid close attention to the main characters’ actions, and when the movie ended, they said goodnight. He fell asleep immediately, and the tingling sensation started. Then he fell into a deep sleep.
Senator Douglas James paced his office, upset that the PI he had hired hadn’t responded to emails and calls. Joe Nixon came highly recommended, and it cost him dearly to drop his current case. 50k deposit and 25k upon completion. He was to investigate Richard Barrett and his son Griffin. Douglas wanted to know everything about their family before his only daughter, Amber, married Richard. And the investigation had to be discreet, or his wife, Katherine, would divorce him.
The last time Amber was serious about a young man, they got engaged and met with him and his wife to give them the good news. He hired a PI, and he found out the young man was wanted for murder in another state. Douglas contacted the authorities, and they arrested the young man. It turned out that a different man with the same name was wanted, and the wedding was called off. His wife, Katherine, and Amber wouldn’t talk to him for months, and he swore he wouldn’t do it again.
Nothing exciting happened on Thursday or Friday. They were normal days with studying, exercise, and playing another round of golf. Then, in the evenings, we watched movies and football.
On Saturday morning, Grif and Dad drove to Dallas and went to Sun & Ski Sports. The sales lady, Tammy, set them up with everything they needed for under $3,500. When they left, Grif asked Dad if it was good for him, and they laughed. Dad said that was a hell of a lot of money for something we’ll wear for a few days. Grif agreed but said he sees more expenses in his future, and they laughed.
On their way home, they stopped at Subway for subs. While they ate, Dad said he had a date tonight with Amber. Grif said that was a good idea because if the meeting with the parents goes to shit, you’ll have a nice memory, and they laughed. After lunch, Dad went to his home office, and he went upstairs and turned on the computer. Grif checked his emails, and his finals were scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday next week. Four on Tuesday and two on Wednesday.
Then, he started reading the e-books he purchased online. He had completed two e-books when Dad called upstairs to say he was leaving for his date. Grif yelled to be careful, or we’ll be greeted with a shotgun next week. Dad left laughing, and he ordered Pizza Hut for dinner. Grif rode his e-bike to pick up the pizza and returned home. He ate dinner watching A Fist Full of Dollars with Clint Eastwood. He memorized the gunfighting scenes and went to bed when the show ended. Grif fell asleep, then the tingling started, and he drifted into a deep sleep.
Grif walked early Sunday morning, thinking about the previous week’s events. The major ones were plans to meet Amber’s parents in Vail and discovering that he could read fast at the library. But sabotaging the robbers’ escape plan and catching a PI photographing him on the golf course were close seconds. His interest in Law and Golf was for business, and he had no urge to pursue them. When he returned home, Dad cooked breakfast, and Grif asked him if that was a hickey on his neck.
Dad put his hand on his neck, and Grif laughed, sitting down. He realized he’d been had and laughed, too. While they ate, Grif said he had a dream, and the Great Swami told me You have a great deal of ass kissing in your future. But I should follow my own path and avoid following yours. Dad laughed hard and said That’s good advice when he recovered.
After breakfast, they went to the market and bought food for the week. Then, they went to CVS and Walmart and bought travel-sized shampoo, soap, and deodorant containers. Dad got his shaving supplies and they returned home. After putting the groceries away, they watched the pregame shows. Then the first game started, and at halftime they took a break.
Dad made lunch, and they watched the second half while eating lunch. Grif asked Dad what he knew about Amber’s family during the break between games. Dad said her father is a U.S. senator for Colorado, and her mother manages their homes in Colorado and Maryland. She also helps organize the political fundraisers. Grif said that explains why a PI was following me and taking pictures of me playing golf on Tuesday. I thought it had something to do with what happened at work, but it didn’t make sense using a PI.
Dad said shit and told Grif what Amber told him about her previous fiancé and their breakup. He asked Grif how he had dealt with the PI. Grif told Dad about seeing a mirrored reflection in the trees on the fairway and hitting his drive into the trees. Then he lied, telling Dad he checked on the PI, deleted his surveillance photos, and continued his round. They laughed, and Dad told Grif not to say anything about it, Amber, or her family. The previous incident almost caused a divorce, and this one would create a shit storm. Grif said At least we don’t have to worry about the PI anymore and they laughed.
At the end of the second game, Dad ordered pizza and went to pick it up. They ate dinner while watching Sunday night football. When the game ended, they said goodnight and went to bed. Grif stayed awake and thought about Amber’s dad. He would have to research him, and he finally fell asleep. Then the tingling started, and he fell into a deep sleep.
On Monday morning after breakfast, Grif went to the Library and searched for books on the CIA and the training at the farm. He found a three-book series by a retired farm instructor. Grif read and memorized all three books and finished before lunch. It took him longer because he made mental notes on items he needed to purchase, find, or develop. Then, he found two books in the legal section, one on contract law and another on criminal law, and checked them out.
Grif ate lunch at Burger King and read people’s minds nearby. He caught a young man using his laptop to sign into the dark web on Burger King’s free Wi-Fi. Grif memorized the web address, login, and password and then tagged his phone. The young man had rules when using the dark web: first, never log in at home. Second, always pay with a prepaid credit card. Third, have any items purchased sent to a vacant house. Grif was excited, finished lunch, and rode home.
He took cash from his stash, grabbed his laptop, and rode to Walmart. He purchased two $500 prepaid Visa cards and returned to Burger King. Grif logged into the dark web and was surprised at what was for sale. He bought a Master Locksmith lock pick chest with three books with instructions on how to open various locks. It almost maxed out one of his prepaid credit cards with express shipping. He had it sent to a vacant house two blocks from home.
Returning home, Grif changed into sweats, went to the garage, and practiced martial arts on the heavy bag. After an hour, he was drenched with sweat, so he stripped at the laundry and showered. While getting dressed, he sensed Dad was nearby, so Grif went to the kitchen. Dad arrived with Mexican takeout, and they sat and ate. While they ate, Dad asked Grif to get two nice duffel bags for their ski gear tomorrow at the mall. That way, they can save two more suitcases each, and Grif agreed.
After dinner, they watched Monday night football. The Steelers played the Bengals, and it was a defensive battle, with the Bengals winning 17 to 10. Grif paid attention to the defense alignments and the defensive ends’ play. When the game ended, they said goodnight and went to bed. Grif fell asleep, and then the tingling started, and he fell into a deep sleep.
Grif logged onto his online college testing site on Tuesday morning. When the professor arrived, the testing began. They finished the four finals at 11:30 a.m. and confirmed his testing time tomorrow. Then Grif went to the mall and bought two leather bags from a luggage store. They were as big as a duffel bag but a lot nicer. Grif left the mall and saw a man running across the parking lot with two policemen chasing him. He saw the man throw something in a planter during the pursuit.
When the man reached the street, he dodged oncoming traffic and was hit by a truck. Soon, it was a circus of emergency and police vehicles. Grif retrieved a bag from the bushes and rode home. Upon arrival, he opened the bag and found five driver’s licenses, with social security cards in different people’s names. So, the man was a forger, as the IDs were brand new. Also, inside the bag was a receipt for rent paid on unit 224 at Save Rite Storage, a set of keys, and two envelopes of cash.
Grif figured the police saw the man selling fake IDs or had set a buy, and the pursuit began. He put the receipt and keys in his pocket and put the rest in his stash. Then he looked up the storage company’s address online and rode his e-bike to the location. There was a gate with a keypad for restricted access. Grif went to the office and inquired about the cost of renting a storage unit. While the clerk quoted him the prices, Grif read his mind and got the master access code.
He thanked the clerk, took a pamphlet, and left, planning to visit again tomorrow. Grif rode to the Harbor Lakes Golf Club and paid the course fee at the pro shop. After warming up on the practice range, he went to the starting line and teed off. He felt more comfortable on the course for a second time and added his score when he finished the round. Grif was happy with a two under par and rode home.
Grif planned his visit to the storage unit. He would need a hat, sunglasses, and rubber gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. He would park his e-bike a block away and enter on foot. Grif sensed Dad was nearby, so he went to the kitchen and waited. Dad arrived with Chinese takeout. While they ate, Grif told Dad about his plan to ask the Senator, his wife, and Amber questions first. That way, they will be so confused, I’ll bet you’ll avoid the Dan/son-in-law meeting.