A Gift From the Heavens
Copyright© 2026 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 4
Early Friday morning, he was in the basement practicing martial arts on the heavy bags. When he finished, he showered, dressed, and went to the kitchen. Mom arrived, and while eating breakfast, she asked what he would do today. Hudson said Practice my superhero skills. I’ve got to be ready for the next damsel in distress. Mom laughed, told him to keep his phone handy, and left for work.
Hudson went to the barn and searched the duffel bags and the metal box. Jim Jones, as his ID said, was ready for anything. One duffel bag contained his clothes, so he took them and dug out the bloody clothes. Hudson put all the clothes in the hole, poured gas on the clothes, and then set them on fire. While they burned, he wondered why Jim didn’t have any cash. Once the fire burned out, he covered the hole and returned to the barn.
He drove to the SUV again and did a more thorough search. Under the cargo mat, he found a briefcase, and that answered his question. There had to be over 50k in cash in it, and he noticed something odd. Hudson found that the file area had been pulled away and that there were 10 USB drives. He took the briefcase, returned home, went to his room, and plugged in the first drive. Hudson was shocked to find all the states listed, along with major cities.
Then it listed places to get supplies, and most were self-storage units. But it also listed specialty services, including fake documents, safe lodging, and emergency transportation. These had to run by the government to be so extensive. Hudson noted there was a storage unit in Colorado Springs that also listed documents. There was a gate code and unit number listed, so Hudson got into the Tahoe and drove there. He checked for security cameras, and there were two on each row of storage units.
He went to the local convenience store and bought a ball cap, sunglasses, and two bottles of water. Then he drove behind the store, mixed some dirt and water, and smeared it on his license plates. Putting on the ball cap and sunglasses, he returned to the self-storage and entered the gate code. Hudson stopped at unit 324 and entered the lock code. He lifted the door, turned on the lights, and quickly shut the door. There were racks filled with everything a government agent or assassin would need.
There was a small area set up for documents along with disguises. Hudson took one matching his complexion and hair color, then made several fake IDs using the aliases Tim Burns, Jon Mays, and Robert Jones. He used beards, mustaches, and glasses for the photos. He listed 21 as his age on the driver’s license and printed it along with his passport and credit cards. Then he searched the computer and found there was a file recording what was made. He deleted his alias and shut it down.
Then he checked out the racks and took six pepper sprays and four stun guns. Then he saw bug and camera detectors along with tracking detectors, so he picked up two of each. There was a log to list what was taken and by whom, and he laughed. Hudson closed the unit and returned home. He ate an early lunch, then drove the mule to the cave. He entered, stripped, got into the hot springs, sat down, and passed out. Hudson woke up, floating in the springs, got out, dressed, and returned to the barn.
He parked the mule, went to his room, and saw it was past 5 p.m. Hudson said shit; he was in the hot springs for almost five hours. Sensing Mom was close, he went to the kitchen. Mom arrived, and while they ate dinner, she told Hudson that Thomas had agreed to your subcontractor agreement. But he wants to test your skills, and she gave him a case file. Hudson asked if Jody and the girls had made plans to visit Johnny in the hospital this weekend.
Mom laughed and said no. He’s in the secure wing, according to Thomas. He tried to call his Dad collect from the hospital, and Jody refused the call. Junior’s office is empty, and his name was removed from the firm’s website. Thomas and John are doing everything they can to distance themselves from him. Mom changed subjects and said,” Let’s go to the yard and farm sale shopping on Saturday. Hudson agreed, finished dinner, and went to bed.
As soon as he fell asleep, Hudson had a dream where he teleported to the cave, undressed, and got into the hot springs. For the first time, he viewed himself pass out, then he was gone. Hudson was so shocked it almost woke him up. Then, suddenly, he reappeared, floating in the hot springs. It was like a remote viewing as he watched himself wake up, get out of the hot springs, dress, and teleport to his bedroom. The dream ended, and he fell into a deep sleep.
Hudson woke up Saturday morning, confused about last night’s dream. While he showered, he thought about teleporting, and it would be a useful skill. But the disappearance from the hot springs concerned him. He got dressed and met Mom in the kitchen. They picked up a local paper and went to McDonald’s for breakfast. They found one farm sale and three yard sales listed.
After breakfast, they went to the farm sale first and saw a John Deere tractor with a mower and a snowplow attachment on a trailer. Mom asked the lady what the price of the tractor was, and she said $6,500. Hudson read her mind, and she needed $3,500 to pay off the loan. Hudson told Mom there was one at the dealer used for $5,700, and it came with a two-year guarantee. Mom ended up buying it for $5,000 after starting it and checking its condition.
Hudson hooked it up while Mom paid the lady, got the operating manual, and signed the title transfer. Leaving Hudson, asked Mom if she planned to have her free ranch hand use the tractor. She laughed and said, “Yes, you’re going to mow the lawn twice a month.” He said, “Oh, so you’re going to do the snow plowing in the winter, that’s a fair trade-off.” Mom laughed and said, “In your dreams.”
Two of the yard sales were a bust, but at the third, Hudson bought a box of geology books and a box of tools. Returning to the ranch, he unloaded the tractor and the attachments, then backed the trailer and the F250 into the barn. Hudson entered the kitchen, and Mom had lunch ready. While they ate, he asked her when she would get horses for her free ranch hand to care for. Mom laughed and said Horses aren’t in my plans unless you piss me off and they laughed.
After lunch, Hudson reviewed the case file, then went online and subscribed to the law library that Mom’s old law firm, Berch, Martin, and Sanders, used. He selected Colorado for both local and federal law. The case involved the sale of counterfeit goods, and the prosecutor filed felony state and federal charges alleging that the defendant knowingly bought and sold them. Hudson reviewed the state’s case and evidence, then began writing his report.
He quoted both state and federal laws, saying the state hasn’t proved our client knew he was buying or selling counterfeit goods. So, file for a dismissal of all the charges. That prevents them from filing the same charges again. Then the worst they can charge our client is selling counterfeit goods, which is a misdemeanor. Hudson printed his report and included a bill for three hours at $250 an hour. He added a note that if further consultation (phone calls or meetings) were needed, it would be billed separately.
Hudson put his report and bill in the case folder and laughed, wondering how Thomas Rhodes would react. Mom called him to dinner, and he went to the kitchen. While they were eating, Hudson said he had forgotten to add an item to his cost sheet. He asked Mom what he should charge if he dreams about the case. Should it be twice his hourly rate because it interrupted more pleasurable dreams? Mom laughed and said he should file an addendum to his cost sheet, and we will see what Thomas says.
Hudson said Thomas will freak out and call me. Then I can bill him for the call, and they laughed. Mom changed the subject and told Hudson he needed to mow the lawn with the tractor. Especially along the fence line, so it isn’t a fire hazard. He asked if ranch hands had a labor union, and they laughed, finished dinner, and went to bed. Hudson went to his room and tried to teleport, but it didn’t work. Then he thought of a specific place in the barn, and it worked. He returned and went to bed excited.
After breakfast, Sunday morning, Mom took off to get food and supplies for the week. Hudson went to the barn, hooked up the mower attachment to the tractor, and slowly mowed the grass along the fence line. It was over two feet tall and on uneven ground. He’d made about a dozen passes cutting the long grass when Mom returned, honked the horn, and waved, passing him. He didn’t pay her any attention and continued mowing.
She drove to him fifteen minutes later and yelled, “That’s enough for today.” It’s lunch time, so get cleaned up, and she returned to the house. Hudson lifted the mower attachment, put it into high gear, and returned to the barn. He got cleaned up and went to the kitchen. While they ate, Mom sensed he wasn’t happy and apologized for her actions, returning home. Hudson said that’s all right. I apologize for wanting to kill you and leave you for the wild animals to eat.
They laughed, and Hudson told Mom she needed to get her happy ass on the tractor and mow for four hours. Then he’ll drive by while honking and waving. Hey, that’s a great photo op for Thomas’ election campaign. He can say that’s my legal secretary, and she’s a farm girl at heart. It will appeal to the rural voters, and Mom was laughing hard, begging him to stop. You could wear a cowboy hat, a tube top, shorts, and cowboy boots. That ended lunch, and he left Mom laughing.
After lunch, he filled the tractor and mule with fuel, then took the empty gas cans to Walmart. He bought four more five-gallon gas cans and then filled all six. He also filled up the Tahoe, returned home, and put the gas cans in the barn. The tractor held ten gallons, and the mule five, so he’d have enough for two weeks. Hudson checked the oil and tire pressure on the tractor and mule, then teleported to his room. It was a handy skill, but I would have to use it carefully around Mom.
She called him to dinner, and while they ate, Hudson informed Mom he had to fly to California to service two clients. It will be a day trip, hopefully, depending on the flight schedule. So, he’ll leave the tractor gassed up for her to mow in his absence. Mom laughed and said, “I’m not mowing anything, and when are you planning to leave?” Hudson said probably Thursday early and return late or early Friday. They finished dinner and went to bed.
Early Monday morning, Hudson was practicing martial arts in the basement on the heavy bags. He noticed his punches and kicks had more power, and the heavy bags were swinging wildly. That added the challenge of hitting moving targets. When done, he showered, dressed, grabbed the case file, and went to the kitchen. Hudson gave the file to Mom while they ate breakfast. He told her to remind Thomas that it’s not healthy to stiff my son on his pay.
Mom laughed and said, “You can tell him if he calls.” She left for work, and Hudson grabbed Old Man Cosgrove’s map. He drove the mule to the second location marked by an X. He found a concealed cave opening and, using his phone’s flashlight, entered the cave, which ran deep into the mountain. The energy field got more intense the further he went, and he felt dizzy, so he returned to the opening and stepped outside. Returning to the pole barn, he wondered what had caused the effect he felt and parked the mule.
Thomas Rhodes was handed the completed case file he had given to Carol Stone for Hudson to do, and she said his invoice is enclosed. Thomas said this was a non-paying test case. Carol told Thomas You didn’t tell me that, and it wasn’t in the file. I’ve already damaged my relationship with my son by telling you about his legal skills. If you fail to pay him, I will resign, and you will regret the day you met Hudson. He already knew you weren’t going to pay him and warned me.
Thomas said, “Alright, I’ll pay the little,” and stopped short of calling Hudson a bastard. Carol said, “Good,” but he won’t ever do any work here or set foot in this office again. After what happened at my old firm, he didn’t trust law firms in general. What you tried to do reinforced his belief, and he will refuse to do any legal work unless paid in advance. I’ll bet he has a new cost-of-service form drawn up. Now cut his check so I can smooth the troubled waters at home.
Carol left his office, and Thomas viewed Hudson’s work and said dammit and called Kevin Bale, an associate, into his office. Thomas asked Kevin about the status of the counterfeiting goods case. Kevin said he was reviewing the prosecutor’s case but had a plea offer. They are willing to offer 3 to 5 years on each charge to run concurrently if our client pleads guilty on all charges. Thomas asked Kevin to describe the Prosecutor’s case, and he said he’d need to reference my notes.
Thomas asked Kevin how long he’s been reviewing the state’s evidence, and Kevin said three days. Thomas asked if he felt comfortable recommending the plea deal to our client, and he said yes, they have a solid case. Thomas handed Kevin Hudson’s review and said I had a subcontractor review the case. In three hours, he recommended we file a dismissal on all charges. He said the prosecutor never provided proof that our client knowingly bought or sold counterfeit goods.
So, it raises the question of what you did for three days with this case. I’ll bet you sat on it and waited for a plea offer while billing the client for your time. Thomas called security and told Kevin he was fired. He told Kevin that security would escort him out of the building. Kevin asked about his personal items, and Thomas said we’ll send them to you after confirming there are no client or firm files within them. What you did was billing fraud, and you won’t get a recommendation from us.