Tag Leonards

In HotZone, paranoid demo-man played by Jess.

Taggart "Tag" Leonards has always loved blowing things up. As a child he exploded ant-hills with homemade explosives and fireworks. He went to school and excelled in sciences, then he later became an Explosive Ordinance Disposal technician where he was quite effective and respected by his peers. That was until a bomb he diffused later went off, killing members of his team as they were chuckling and patting each others backs for again saving the ignorant masses from another seemingly senseless terrorist attack.

Taggart and one other member of his team lost their jobs and their reputations were destroyed. Tag fell into disarray and his life fell apart. He lost his girlfriend. He began to lose his sanity. After disconnecting from all social circles, some by choice some by unsavory lifestyle shifts, Taggart was living in a dive apartment when he decided to join the service.

Now that his head is mostly together, Taggart believes he was setup and now constantly watches his back and questions everyones' motives. He served for three years in the Central Asian Crisis, mostly as demolitions and siege consultant, staying off of the front lines whenever possible. He tired of being shot at by enemies and yelled at by allies, he also suspected someone was out to get him killed what with putting him in the line of fire, often with explosives. So, he unofficially ended his military career by blowing up a building while he was supposed to be planting a charge for later detonation.

Shortly after disappearing himself and traveling the world, he met a fellow American named Jack Stone whom he met when kidnapped (confirming his paranoia) while in some small middle-eastern market. He had no idea why he was being taken prisoner, other than he was one of the only two Americans in the market at the time. As they were tied to chincy wooden chairs (just like in the movies) in some dark basement room, Stone "explained" to Tag that he was an American diplomat and that it was simply a misunderstanding and that he would have it all cleared up and they would be back at the embassy before dinner.

For whatever reason, Tag liked this guy and helped him escape...before dinner. The two of them laid low together for a few days over which they developed something of a friendship and Stone gleaned that Tag was somewhat aimless and useful and offered/convinced him to work with him. Lacking anything better to do, Tag shrugged his shoulders, as he looked back over them and walked into the misty dark Middle-Eastern alley with Jack. That was five years ago.