A Gift From the Heavens
Copyright© 2026 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 5
Early Saturday morning, Hudson met Mom in the kitchen. They stopped for a newspaper, then went to McDonald’s. While eating breakfast, they looked at the classifieds and found four yard sales. After breakfast, they went to the first one, and Mom bought some place mats for the kitchen table. At the second sale, he bought a camo tree colored bib and jacket. It looked brand new and still had the tags on it. At the third yard sale, Hudson bought a cattle guard that was still in the box.
It listed his year Tahoe and came with a rear bumper guard too. Mom asked him why he needed it. Hudson said that if he accidentally ran down Thomas, it wouldn’t hurt his Tahoe. They laughed and went to the fourth sale, but it was a bust, so they headed home. Upon arrival, Hudson unloaded the Land Cruiser, put the cattle guard in the garage, and brought Mom’s purchases into the house.
Mom made lunch, and while they ate, Hudson said your valet has put your purchases in your room. But I overheard him talking to the ranch hand, and they were planning a strike. So don’t be surprised to see pickets soon, and they laughed. When they finished lunch, they heard gunshots close by. Hudson told Mom to keep her shot close by and shoot anyone who comes through the door. Mom asked how she would know it was him, and Hudson said he’d knock and say a unique phrase you’ll recognize.
Hudson grabbed his Glock 19 and shotgun, then ran to the barn. He drove the mule south towards the shots he heard. The ranch south of theirs had two black SUVs parked in front of the house with one man guarding the door. Three more were dead by the vehicles, so he parked the mule in the woods. Hudson snuck up on the man and knocked him out, then added several kicks to the head to be sure he would wake up too soon.
Then he peeked in the house. There was a man in a suit beating an old man tied to a chair. He quietly entered the house, knocked out the man in a suit, and freed the old man tied to the chair. He asked him who he was, and Hudson told him his name. He and his Mom bought Henry Cosgrove’s ranch. The old man asked Hudson to get his first aid kit and told him where it was.
When he returned, the man in the suit was dead, and so was the man at the front door. The old man said his name was Raymond Bishop, and that he and Henry were friends and had gone to college together. While Raymond treated his injuries, he told Hudson they were recruited by the CIA upon graduation. Henry went through the farm and into intelligence. With a science degree, I went into special projects.
I got my doctoral degree while working, and Henry moved up within the CIA. He was in charge of special projects, and we kept our friendship a secret but met regularly. When we had our twenty years in, we bought these properties and gradually prepared for our retirement. Hudson said he knows about Henry’s secret room and tunnels. He gave me a map when we bought the place. Raymond said Henry must have trusted you to do that and asked if he’d had any intruders.
Hudson said there was only one so far, and he fed the wild animals a great meal. They laughed, and Raymond said they were persistent, so he should expect more visitors. He asked about Hudson’s education and was surprised to learn that Hudson had a master’s in computer programming and was pursuing a law degree. They chatted some more, then Raymond told Hudson, “If something happens to me, look here.” He showed Hudson a hidden compartment in the brick fireplace.
Raymond also told Hudson about the fake rock in the garden with the key to the front door. Hudson asked if he needed help with the bodies, and Raymond said yes. He got his pickup truck, and Hudson loaded the bodies in the back. Raymond thanked Hudson for saving his life and loading the trash. They laughed, shook hands goodbye, and Raymond told him to stop by anytime.
Hudson returned home with several unanswered questions. Henry had a hidden room, a file room, and tunnels. What did Raymond have at his ranch that the government wanted so badly? He parked the mule in the barn and knocked on the front door. He said It’s Thomas, and I’ve got a nice engagement ring I bought at the dollar store. Will you marry me? Mom was laughing hard when Hudson entered, and when she recovered, she asked Hudson what had happened.
He said it was a massacre with bodies everywhere. I helped Raymond Bishop, our next-door neighbor, haul the bodies to a pit behind the barn. Then we poured gas on them and roasted marshmallows while discussing the weather. Mom laughed and asked the real story, and he made another one up, but it was believable enough that she bought it. Hudson told her that Raymond Bishop was their next-door neighbor and that he had trespassers on his property. Raymond suffered a minor wound, and they talked while treating it.
Henry Cosgrove and Raymond Bishop were long-time friends. He asked if you could help him with the cooking, cleaning, and laundry. I told him my Mom would be happy to help him for free in her spare time. Hudson warned Mom that Raymond is a spry old man, so be careful bending over, and they laughed. She said I’m not doing anything for a horny old man. Hudson said, “But Mom, he promised me $40 every time you visit.” Hudson left, saying, “How does it feel to be pimped out?” and left Mom laughing.
Returning to his room, Hunter got an interesting call from John Mullens, Thomas Rhodes’ law partner. He said We got a case that’s right up your alley, but it involves the Senate. So, Thomas or your Mom can’t know, or it will be a conflict of interest, and we will lose the case. John said he’s willing to accept your subcontract terms, include a firm credit card for expenses, and pay a car allowance. John asked if it was agreeable and when they could meet away from the office.
Hudson said yes, but we’ll need a cover story for my mom. We can meet for lunch on Sunday or Monday. John said,” Let’s meet on Monday at 11 a.m. and told Hudson the restaurant name. He said I’ll bring the signed and notarized subcontract agreement, along with the case file and credit card. They said goodbye, and Hudson wondered what he had agreed to do. He enjoyed the idea of not having Thomas involved and hoped to avoid working for him in the future.
Mom called him to dinner, and while they ate, she said I’m surprised Thomas hasn’t called. Hudson told her he was probably busy visiting pawn shops looking for an engagement ring, and they laughed. Mom said Thomas wasn’t that bad, and Hudson said, “Oh shit, Mommy has a sweet spot for her boss.” We’d better get you in to see the doctor for a checkup quickly before you lose all sense of reason, and they laughed. They finished dinner and went to bed.
Sunday morning, Hudson met Mom in the kitchen for breakfast. While they ate, he asked her if she remembered his middle name, and she said Alexander and asked why. Hudson said that with Alzheimer’s, the long-term memory is the first to go. Mom laughed and said I don’t have Alzheimer’s because I think Thomas is a good person. Hudson said he needed to look up what causes short-term memory loss. Mommy seems to forget that Thomas tried to cheat me out of my pay, then lied about it.
Mom laughed and said, “Ok, he’s a ruthless businessman but has a good heart.” Hudson said you forgot he’s a politician who kisses babies, then steals their pacifiers. But I’ll agree he has a good heart, and until we see him without his shirt on, we’ll not know if he stole that, too. They laughed, and Mom called him cruel, and Hudson said, “Maybe, but I have a good heart,” and that ended breakfast.
After breakfast, Hudson installed the cattle guard and rear bumper guards on the Tahoe. He had some trouble with the holes not lining up, so he drilled new ones. It looked sharp and a bit mean, and he liked it. Then he loaded the empty gas cans in the F250 and drove to the service station. While filling up the gas cans, he saw police and the fire department pass with their lights and sirens on. When done, Hudson drove to see what all the excitement was about.
Arriving at the accident scene, he saw Raymond Bishop’s old pickup and a body covered with a tarp. Hudson parked, got out, and asked a bystander what happened. She said a car ran the red light and hit that poor old man on the sidewalk, then took off. Hudson said shit and drove the F250 to Raymond Bishop’s ranch. Using the key in the fake rock, he opened the front door and went to the fireplace. Hudson moved the brick, opening the hidden alcove. He removed everything, closed it up, locked it up, kept the key, and returned home.
Hudson read the papers while sitting in the truck and was shocked to see that Raymond had signed the deed to the ranch over to him. It was even notarized, so he had to know his death was imminent. Like Old Man Cosgrove, Raymond drew a map with X’s marking spots. There were keys and titles for his vehicles, also signed over to him. Now that Raymond was dead, there would be a break to find what the government wanted. He started the truck and drove to Home Depot.
Hudson bought the best padlock and cable to lock the gate. They were guaranteed not to be cut and were made of titanium. He searched for materials to make traps and bought two boxes of nails. He needed to visit the farm store for better traps, but the nails would do for now. Returning to Raymond’s ranch, he put nails under the entry mat at the front and kitchen doors. Then he put the cable and lock on the gate and went home.
It was a good thing Mom was working tomorrow, so he had a free morning to buy and set up more traps. Lunch was a problem, and hopefully it wouldn’t last too long. His thoughts were interrupted by Mom calling that dinner was ready. Hudson went to the kitchen, and while eating dinner, Mom asked where he had gone. He said he went to the gas station to fill the gas cans so he could practice mowing on Tuesday. Mom laughed and said, “In your dreams.” They finished dinner and went to bed.
Arriving in his bedroom, Hudson teleported unconsciously to the cave, stripped, got into the hot springs, and passed out. He awoke, floating in the springs, got out, dressed, and teleported back to his bedroom, feeling rejuvenated. He sensed danger at Raymond’s ranch, so he went to the hidden room, grabbed the Barrett .338 MRAD and a silenced Glock 19, then sprinted down the tunnel to the barn. He drove in the dark and was surprised by how well he could see.
He parked 25 yards from the gate and saw an SUV parked there. Then he approached the gate and saw two men walking towards the house carrying bags of tools and equipment. They must have made several trips because there were already items at the house. Hudson hopped the gate, walked quietly behind them, and shot each one in the leg with the Glock. They screamed, falling to the ground, and he said,” You’re trespassing on my property. Who ordered you here?
They said nothing, so Hudson shot them again in the shoulder, and one screamed that they didn’t know. They were hired by email and didn’t know who ordered it. He read their mind, confirming their story, and broke each of their necks. Hudson got the mule, put the bodies in the back, and drove deep into the ranch. Finding a hillside, he stripped them, laid them on the hill, and returned to the house. He loaded up the equipment in the mule, then searched the SUV.
It was clean, so he returned home, parked the mule in the barn, and returned to his room through the tunnel. It was too late to go to bed, and he didn’t feel tired after the hot springs, so he changed and went to his dojo. Hudson envisioned those responsible for Raymond’s death and killed them several times. Returning to his room, he showered, dressed, and went to the kitchen. Mom arrived, and they ate breakfast. Hudson told Mom, while massaging Thomas’ feet to make his good heart feel better, to be careful that something else doesn’t pop up for a massage.
Mom lost it laughing and fell out of her chair, then shook her finger at him until she recovered. She said You have a dirty mind, and Hudson said, “Just stating the facts, ma’am,” causing her to laugh again. She left for work giggling, and Hudson drove the Tahoe to Raymond’s Ranch. He drove the SUV a mile away and parked in the woods. He teleported back after wiping down the areas he touched and drove to the Farm and Ranch supply.
He bought three bobcat traps and returned to Raymond’s ranch. He placed one inside the front and kitchen door, then turned off the breakers so the lights wouldn’t work. The last one he placed outside a window that looked like a target, as it was concealed from the road’s view. Returning home, he changed for his meeting and hurried to the restaurant. Hudson arrived on time and was escorted to a private room. John Mullens welcomed him, and they ordered lunch.
Nothing was discussed until their lunch arrived, and John told the waiter they wanted privacy. Then John told Hudson he couldn’t discuss it with anyone. His cover, if needed, was that the law firm of Collins and Collins hired him. They are one of our rival law firms and have offices here and in Denver. Tell your mother they hired you, and she can’t tell anyone. If she lets it slip to Thomas, there’s no way for him to confirm it or find out what you’re working on.
To that, tell your mother you can’t talk about the case or cases you’re working on because of a conflict of interest and client confidentiality. John had Hudson sign an NDA, and Hudson laughed inside, knowing it wasn’t legal as he was sixteen. John told Hudson to be careful investigating this case. There are powerful people involved, and they will do anything to protect themselves.
John gave Hudson the case file, and it turned out to be an atomic bomb that no one wanted to touch. The State’s Attorney General farmed it off to a special prosecutor who hired John Mullens to investigate the charges. It involved Senator Hal Sanders, the Senate Majority Leader, accepting kickbacks for directing work to Scott Construction Services. John told Hudson to follow the leads wherever they go and to stay under the radar, or evidence will be destroyed, and there will be no case.