A Gift from the Heavens

A Gift from the Heavens

Copyright© 2026 by A Well Traveled Man

Chapter One

Maggie Sterns worked for a top-secret lab in the foothills of Southern California. It looked normal from the outside but had six floors underground, where they performed top-secret work. She had a doctorate in Biology and had worked at the lab for 5 years. The last 3 years were the most difficult because they had developed and refined the artificial womb.

The lead scientist was Doctor Henry Paxton, a hard-driving, grade-A asshole. You did it his way or were out the door, and there were rumors that no one had left the program alive. The lab had ten artificial wombs and had successfully grown babies from the sperm and eggs. If it didn’t meet Doctor Paxton’s expectations, the baby was incinerated, and we started over. That had been the case for years, it seemed, but now we were using all ten artificial wombs.

Doctor Paxton would mess with the feeding formula and alter the DNA of babies one by one. If we lost one, it was no big problem. We had more to experiment with and test. If the treatment was successful, all the babies got it. Five babies survived the latest round of treatment, but Doctor Paxton wasn’t satisfied. Maggie became attached to a male baby that was about as perfect as you could get, and she couldn’t let him be incinerated.

So that night, Maggie bought a life-sized baby doll that cried and moved its arms and legs. She smuggled the doll into the lab and replaced it with baby number 10 the next day. All the remaining babies were incinerated, and Doctor Paxton said to go home, and we’ll start over tomorrow. Maggie smuggled the baby out after giving it a mild sedative. Then she packed her things and ran away from the lab and Doctor Paxton.

What Maggie didn’t know was that the ashes were tested on each baby that was incinerated. The search began when Dr. Paxton discovered baby number 10 wasn’t human. Video footage confirmed Maggie Sterns was the culprit, and the hunt was on. Poor Maggie wasn’t experienced at evading pursuers, and they found her within two days.

Maggie escaped the first attempted capture through the motel’s back door. Desperate, she put baby number 10 in a dumpster behind a law office and hoped and prayed someone would find it. Maggie wasn’t so lucky and was killed by a hit-and-run driver five blocks away.

A young couple had been trying for over a year to get pregnant, but nothing worked. Ben and Carol Stone were tested, and no problems were found. Ben worked as a computer specialist for the State of California, and Carol was a legal secretary for a high-profile law firm.

One day, Carol was leaving her office late when she heard a baby crying on her way to her car. Investigating the noise, she found a baby boy in the dumpster behind her office. She picked him up, looked around, saw no one, and took him home after stopping at the market for baby supplies and formula. Arriving home, Carol told her husband, Ben, Look what I found in the dumpster behind our office. Ben extended his finger to tickle the baby, and the baby latched onto it, and he had a new home.

Ben and Carol had selected baby names in case they got lucky, and baby number 10 became Hudson Alexander Stone. Then the problems began: getting a birth certificate, adoption papers, and a believable story for friends and work colleagues. Ben knew people in his line of work and handled the paperwork. Carol came up with a story that a childhood friend died, and they adopted her baby.

The next problem was daycare, and Mrs. Stanford, a widowed, retired schoolteacher and next-door neighbor, was more than happy to watch Hudson. After her husband died, she retired early, and the school district was cutting staff. So, Helen Stanford, with 20 years of service, took early retirement and a nice exit bonus. With her late husband’s life insurance, money wasn’t a problem.

Helen tutored students in the afternoon to keep herself busy, but without children, Hudson provided the spark in life she needed. Hudson was a smart baby and learned to walk and talk early, and loved girls and women. There was Carmen Sanchez, a divorcee with a preteen daughter, Isabella, who lived across the street and would watch Hudson when she needed help.

Then there was David Kim, a martial-arts Sensi who ran a dojo. He lived at the end of the street and was among the few men Hudson liked besides his Dad, Ben. David was in a friends-with-benefits relationship with Carmen and took an interest in Hudson through her. He developed an exercise routine for Hudson and was doing forms, rolls, and kicks when he was three.

Hudson was so advanced by age five that public school wasn’t an option. Hudson’s Mom, Carol Stone, had him tested, and he was at or beyond the sixth-grade level. Hudson learned Spanish from Carmen, Japanese from David, and Russian and German from Helen. Ben, Carol, and Mrs. Stanford met after Hudson’s testing and decided homeschooling was the only option.

Through his government contacts, Ben Stone secured a computer education program, and that’s how Hudson learned about computers, too. Ben would teach Hudson computer programming after dinner. Carol Stone brought work home and taught Hudson the law and how it worked. Hudson was a sponge for knowledge, and he read anything he could get his hands on, even his mother’s romance novels and his Dad’s Playboy magazines.

No one noticed or paid attention to a building fire in the foothills of Southern California. It happened on a weekend when no one worked in the subfloors except Dr. Paxton. After baby number 10 was stolen from the lab by Maggie Sterns and her death, his research turned to shit. The artificial wombs developed a virus, and after a year of trying to fix it, they started over and built new ones. Little did he know his research team was sabotaging his research. They had had enough of Dr. Mengele, as they called him behind his back.

After Maggie Sterns’s death, the researchers banded together and felt the only way they could survive was to kill the project slowly. They figured out that if the program succeeded, they would be killed to keep the research secret and to prevent it from being exposed. That caused trouble for Dr. Paxton with his superiors at the CIA, who were funding his research. They finally set a deadline for Dr. Paxton to produce or face termination of the program.

That caused Dr. Paxton to work nights and weekends alone. He felt his work was being sabotaged. So, he secretly did it alone in a remote section of the lab to which he had the only access. That caused him to take shortcuts on safety because it was impossible to do everything without assistance. That’s how the explosion happened, and the fire engulfed the entire building. It killed Dr. Paxton and the project, and destroyed all the records and research.

So, Hudson Alexander Stone was the only baby to make it out of the secret lab, and all the records of Maggie Sterns and baby number 10 were destroyed in the explosion and fire. Maggie’s theft of baby number 10 was kept secret from the researchers, and only Dr. Paxton knew all the details. The security team pursuing Maggie was only told that she had stolen classified material from the lab.

Hudson was growing like a weed and stronger than an ox, as his Dad would say when they played basketball in the driveway. When Hudson was seven, Carol took a rare half-day off and took him to the doctor for a checkup. That didn’t happen until Hudson researched the local pediatricians and chose Dr. Ann Davis. His previous pediatrician had moved to Florida to retire.

The receptionist asked his name when they arrived at the doctor’s office. He said Hudson Alexander Stone, and I’m single if you are interested, causing everyone to laugh. When called, the nurse took them to a treatment room and told Hudson to undress and put on a gown. Then, the nurse checked his height, weight, and blood pressure.

Dr. Ann Davis entered the treatment room and said So you’re the one trying to pick up my receptionist. Hudson said, “Guilty as charged,” but she was cute, and I had to try, and Dr. Ann and his Mom laughed. The doctor asked Carol about her concerns regarding Hudson. Carol said that Hudson is seven and growing so fast that we wanted to be sure everything was okay.

Dr. Ann said we’d do a complete physical, but Hudson looks healthy and is tall for his age. She drew blood and then asked Hudson to pee in a cup. When he returned, Dr. Ann asked Hudson to remove his gown and checked him from head to toe. When she was done, Dr. Ann told Hudson he could get dressed. Then she said Hudson is a healthy young boy. He’s taller and weighs more than normal, but that’s nothing to worry about. Hudson is also larger than normal below his waist, which makes them laugh.

Dr. Ann said she would call when the test results came in, but didn’t see anything to worry about. The only thing she recommended was a child’s multivitamin. There may be more on that front when the tests are done. When they were leaving, Hudson asked Dr. Ann not to tell the receptionist what she saw because I wanted her to be interested in my mind. The rest can come later, and Dr. Ann and his Mom laughed.

On the way to Carol’s work, she asked Hudson what he thought of Dr. Ann Davis. Hudson said she was cute and had a nice figure, but she should have left her hair in its natural color. Carol laughed and said Hudson, I meant as a doctor. Hudson said she was fine but licked her lips, feeling my cock and balls. Carol had to pull the car over because she was laughing so hard.

Carol told Hudson he was large for his age and larger than some grown men. So, he needs to be careful, and Hudson said, “I understand, Mom.” Women want to use my scepter for their gratification. Carol laughed and told Hudson to stop reading my books. When they arrived at Carol’s law office, Hudson followed her to her desk and read the law books on the credenza behind her.

When Carol finished her work at the end of the day, they were the only ones in the office. So, Carol set the alarm, locked the door, and they walked to the car. A man came out of the bushes, pointing a knife at them, demanding her purse. Hudson kicked him in the balls and the head, knocking him out. Hudson was ready to continue, but Carol told him to stop and called 911.

When the police arrived, they arrested the man, took their statement, and left. On their way home, Carol called Ben to let him know they were on the way and would be home shortly. Ben had ordered Pizza for dinner, and it arrived when they did. Carol first told Ben about the attack in the office parking lot. Ben high-fived Hudson and praised him for protecting his Mom. Then Carol told Ben about the doctor’s office visit. Ben laughed at the story Carol told him.

Hudson continued to grow and advance in his education and martial arts. At the age of ten, he reached two milestones. Helen Stanford told Carol and Ben that Hudson had passed the 12^th-grade exam and was ready for college courses. They talked it over, and online college courses were the only option. Helen said they should apply to several and choose two for his studies. She explained that they only let you take 4 or 5 courses per semester, which isn’t enough to keep Hudson busy.

Then, as Hudson called David Kim, his martial arts instructor, Sensi, told Carol and Ben he had reached black belt level. They asked what that meant, and David said it was the highest level we teach at the dojo. David told them that Hudson needs specialized training to advance, and with your permission, I would make some inquiries. They looked at Hudson, and he nodded his head. They told David to go ahead.

Hudson’s computer skills also advanced to his Dad’s level, and he passed them in an area Ben had never tried hacking. Hudson would go online late at night and join chat rooms where hackers discussed their hobby. He learned to avoid getting caught by using ghost servers and never staying on a site too long. That was a sure way to get caught, so you had to research what you were looking for before hacking the site.

Hudson began his college education and advanced martial arts training with Sensi Chen. On David’s recommendation, Sensi Chen tested Hudson and accepted him as a student. Sensi’s first point was that there should be no competition. What he taught wasn’t for anyone to know or see, not even David or his parents. Sensi Chen taught Hudson to increase his speed and movements, so they seemed like a blur. Then he learned special strike points on the body, for rendering a man unconscious, up to killing him outright with one punch.

When Hudson reached thirteen, he graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree, was working on his master’s in computer programming, along with taking law courses. Another thing that happened was puberty, and that caused him all kinds of trouble. He was quite large, and it was hard to hide when soft. But when he got a hard-on, it was printed on his pants for everyone to see. Hudson had to relieve himself two or three times a day to control it.

Puberty caused another problem or opportunity, depending on how you view it. Hudson’s senses improved, and he could see, smell, and hear better than before. But the biggest thing was that he could now read minds. It caused him trouble at first to deal with it. But he learned to control it and use it when needed.

Hudson had also started working with his mother and father one day a week. Hudson would go with his Dad to work and spend a day at his Mom’s work the next week. They felt it exposed him to the professional environment he would need in the future. Of course, their employers loved him coming to work, too. They got free work from him, but Hudson also learned a great deal from the experience. Dealing with assholes and bitches without violence was beneficial. Hudson learned the art of banter and could give as good as he got. That pissed off several people who wanted to cut him down to size.

Hudson’s sixteenth birthday was a special milestone. Hudson got his driver’s license, and his parents bought him a three-year-old Chevy Tahoe from a government auction. It was seized in a drug bust and had a damaged front end. So, Dad got it cheap and took it to one of the state’s authorized repair shops. They fixed it like new and added stabilizers to improve handling and cameras, front and rear. Now, it’s a sweet ride.

Then, Dad got a notice from an inside source that his department would be shut down in three months. All their work would be subcontracted to the lowest bidder. Dad and Mom were worried, so Hudson told them he had an idea. Mom asked Hudson, What’s your idea? Hudson told Dad to start a consulting company. Use the three months to set it up, set your prices, and solicit business from your state contacts. When the time comes, accept your severance package and submit a bid to do your old work. Dad said to Hudson, “That’s a great idea,” and Mom agreed.

Hudson also graduated with his master’s degree in computer programming. He minored in law and was two semesters short of taking the California Bar Exam. Hudson couldn’t practice law until I was eighteen, but he could work as an associate at a law firm. Mom’s firm wanted Hudson, so he had to make some hard decisions soon and didn’t want to piss off her firm.

The hormone problem stabilized, but he still had to relieve himself twice a day. Then Hudson accidentally acquired new skills, and he could now read minds and move things with his mind. He reached for a water bottle, but it was too far away. Then it moved into his hand, and he was shocked at first. Now, Hudson was moving small items around his room in private. He would only read minds when necessary, and never his parents’.

Then the biggie happened. Mom and Dad threw him a surprise birthday party. It was at Carmen Sanchez’s house; everyone was there. Carmen said Happy birthday to you, Hudson, and hugged and kissed him. Then, all the women had their turn, and Isabella, Carmen’s nineteen-year-old daughter, was last. Issy, as he called her, felt his hard-on and said, Hudson, we’re going to have to take care of that soon.

The party had cake and ice cream, and Hudson left for the restroom halfway through. Issy followed him, and he had to fight her off, but they got plenty of feels. Issy said My god, Hudson, you’re huge and attempted to pull her panties off. But a knock on the bathroom door interrupted them. It was an experience Hudson would never forget. Issy was moaning in frustration, and they left the bathroom separately.

Hudson returned to the party so he wouldn’t be missed. Mom smiled and said Hudson, have you seen Isabella? Carmen is looking for her. Hudson told his Mom he hadn’t seen her, lying through his teeth. Issy showed up a few minutes later in a different outfit. She said I spilled something on my dress and had to change into a new one. The party wound down. Hudson thanked everyone for the wonderful birthday party, and they went home.

Then, Hudson was shocked when Mom and Dad sat him down. They said to Hudson, “We know what Issy did and are not upset.” It had to happen sometime, and being someone who cares about you was a good thing. But you must promise to wear a rubber from now on and never force yourself on anyone. Dad said Hudson, girls and young women will be looking to take advantage of you, so be careful. What may be consensual sex could turn into rape if a boyfriend or parents find out.

Dad said a friend of mine fell in love with a Hispanic girl in high school. He was Caucasian, or white, as we said then. Their relationship was kept from her family because she knew they wouldn’t approve. One thing led to another, and they had unprotected sex, and she got pregnant. She was catholic; abortion was out of the question for her, and they were under 18. So, they couldn’t get married without their parents’ consent. Long story short, she accused him of rape to be able to stay at home. He got sentenced to 7 years in prison for loving the wrong girl.

Mom said Hudson, mixed-race relationships are difficult without the disapproval of family and friends. But the scenario your father told you could also happen if they were the same race, so we ask that you be cautious and always wear protection. Hudson said I promise, but nothing happened with Issy except exploring and feeling. Now who’s going with me to get the right-size rubber? His Dad said Your Mom, of course. Mom called Dad a chicken, and everyone laughed.

Hudson was now 6’2” tall and weighed 180 pounds with shoulder-length blond hair and blue eyes. Wherever Hudson went, he drew the attention of males and females. The males were jealous, and the females were attracted to him. He started wearing baseball caps and sunglasses at his mother’s suggestion when not working, which helped. The trip to CVS with his Mom to get rubbers was hilarious.

She asked the young salesgirl for assistance in picking the right size, style, and texture. They bought a three-pack of XL and XXL rubbers with no frills. On the way home, Hudson asked his Mom if he should ask Suzy, the receptionist, for instructions on putting the rubbers on, and his Mom said, “You had better not, laughing. Suzy was the receptionist at her work, always hitting on Hudson. When they arrived home, Mom told Dad about our rubber-buying experience.

Things were changing around the neighborhood. Mrs. Stanford sold her house and moved to a 55+ Active Retirement Community in Irvine. The new owners, Donald and Kaura Fisher, were a young couple in their late 20s. Dad said they were a strange couple, and Mom warned Hudson to stay away from Kaura. Several other houses in the neighborhood were sold, and younger couples moved in.

Hudson did all the research to help his dad become a subcontractor for the State of California. Ben rented a small office near home so his business had a physical address, and Hudson helped set it up. Then Hudson spent a few days a week soliciting business, building a website, and doing his programming work.

Hudson had developed a game in which players could enter chat rooms to discuss the game and strategy. They could also send messages to each other. He was going to use it for his master’s project, but decided against it because the school would own sixty percent of it. It was a climbing game, and you had to pick the right route up the mountain, or you would fall and have to start over. That would reset the routes and traps, so there was no right way to the top that could be passed on to other players. It was pure luck, but the players didn’t know it.

The game’s hidden purpose was to communicate in secret. Another unknown option existed once a player logged on and entered the chat room. A new login would pop up by holding down the Alt and Ctrl keys and pressing the asterisk key. It asked for the player’s group number, player number, and password. One person besides him controlled the group and could add or remove players. They could send private messages or have group chats within the private chat room. Once the message was opened, it was erased within a minute. The group chats were erased when the chat ended.

The final security piece was that the game would be erased if someone tried to save, print, or copy a chat or message. It would also notify the group controller and him. Hudson added another security measure to prevent the game from being hacked. If the player logged in from a different computer or location, they would receive a message: “Server Busy. Try back in 15 minutes.” The game would notify Hudson of their location, computer ID, and host information. Then, the player would continue to receive error messages until he could verify the information.

Once Hudson thoroughly tested the game, he realized a feature was missing. It was notifying a player of a message or a chat request. Hudson added it, encrypted the game so it couldn’t be copied, and then thought about his marketing plans. Hudson concluded that only the government or criminals would pay to use his game. The government would try to steal it under the guise of national security, leaving criminals.

Hudson got his first customer by sheer luck while working at his Mom’s law office. Nathan Lake ran a successful hedge fund and was prosecuted for insider trading. His Mom’s law firm defended him. After they won the case on a technicality, Hudson approached Nathan Lake and showed his game. Nathan loved the idea that he could communicate privately and that it would be erased when finished.

They struck a deal under which Hudson would get 5% of any profit from trades made through the game. Nathan set up an account for Hudson with his hedge fund to deposit his earnings, and Hudson had his first customer. Unknown to Nathan, Hudson could watch the private chat rooms, so he knew what was being discussed. What’s the old saying Trust but verify?

Another business Hudson had was building and maintaining websites, which was done with his parents’ knowledge. Hudson didn’t advertise and gained new customers through referrals, so he made a modest but steady income. So, Hudson kept busy by continuing his online law degree courses and working out with Sensi Chen. Then he helped his Dad with his business and worked part-time at his Mom’s law office.

One day, Hudson went to work with his Dad and asked who tipped him off about his department’s closing. His Dad said Bernie Whelan, the regional operations manager. Hudson wondered whether Bernie could submit a bid himself and be involved in selecting the subcontractor. Dad said shit, that’s what he’s doing. The other day, Bernie told me not to worry about getting a job. Whoever won the contract would need quality people; he would speak well for me.

Hudson told his Dad he’d research Bernie Whelan and see whether he’d recently formed a company. When he had the information, they could decide what to do. Then Hudson went to his workstation and searched for Bernie Whelan online. After gathering all the information he could, Hudson waited until lunch. Then he went to Bernie Whelan’s office and hacked into his computer. Hudson copied the hard drive to a USB stick, installed a backdoor, and returned to his workstation.

On the way home, his Dad asked Hudson if he had found anything. Hudson said just Bernie’s Facebook, his Grindr, and his Tinder profiles. His Dad said, “ Oh my god,” and they laughed. Hudson told his Dad that the next day, he would search the government database for companies registered to do computer consulting and contracts that are out for bid.

While Dad told Mom about Bernie Whelan, Hudson went to his bedroom and plugged the USB stick into his computer. Hudson found Bernie’s company name, Certified Computer Consultants, and his bid for the subcontract work. But what was interesting was Bernie’s collection of photos and videos. Bernie was a voyeur and had placed hidden cameras in the women’s locker room and bathroom at work. Hudson thought about the best way to expose Bernie without him knowing and getting rid of the evidence.

During dinner, Hudson told his parents that Bernie Whelan has a new company, Certified Computer Consultants, registered with the State of California. His Dad asked what they should do, and Hudson said, “Nothing now.” Until Bernie’s company submits a bid, he’s done nothing wrong, and his parents agree. After dinner, they said goodnight and went to their bedrooms.

That night, Hudson devised a plan to nail Bernie Whelan to the wall. The next morning, Hudson drove to his Dad’s work and parked a block away. When he saw Cheryl Stanton riding her bike to work, he waved for her to stop. Hudson told a story about going into Bernie Whelan’s office yesterday to drop off a file. Mr. Whelan didn’t notice him because he was watching a video of her in the locker room on his computer.

Cheryl was pissed and said that explains the creepy way he looks at me in the office. Hudson asked her to keep his name out of it and to be careful how she reported it. If Mr. Whelan gets wind of it, he’ll erase the evidence and get away with it. Cheryl said I have a friend who works for the State Police, and I’ll be sure Bernie the pervert burns for his crime. Cheryl hugged and kissed Hudson, thanking him for the information and promising to keep his name out of the shit storm coming, and she continued to work.

Hudson laughed and drove to his Dad’s new office, wondering what would happen to Bernie Whelan. Arriving at the office, Hudson spent the morning soliciting business for his Dad and the afternoon maintaining the websites he had built. Hudson locked the office and drove home at the end of the day. His Mom arrived home, started dinner, and asked Hudson to come to work with her the next day. She told him we had a new case and that she could use his help.

Hudson agreed to help her, and his Dad came home excited. He told them they wouldn’t believe what happened at the office today. Just after lunch, two State Police officers went to Bernie Whelan’s office. Then, a team of technicians entered the women’s locker room. Bernie Whelan was handcuffed and escorted out of the office an hour later. They seized his computer and cleaned out his office. Dad said Cheryl told him Bernie had put cameras in the women’s locker room.

Mom said that’s sick, and I hope they put the pervert away for a long time. Hudson noted that solves your problem with Bernie bidding against Dad, and they laughed. His Dad said Bernie had better never set foot in the office again. The women want to kill him and want his balls as a trophy, and everyone laughs again. After dinner, his Dad went to his home office, and Hudson and his Mom went to the den.

She told Hudson about the new case they got involved in: bid-fixing county contracts. Their latest client is Tony Morelli, who owns a construction company that has been working for the county for 5 years. Mr. Morelli claims the district attorney is out to get him because he’s Italian. After Mom finished briefing Hudson on the case, they said goodnight and went to their bedrooms.

Chapter 2

Hudson rode to work with his Mom and parked behind the law office. Hudson noticed a man working on the building’s phone lines. He told his Mom it was odd that there was no phone company truck in the parking lot. When they got inside, his Mom went to her boss, David Berch, and told him what Hudson had seen and said. David said they didn’t have problems with the phone lines and called the police. Then David asked Hudson to accompany him outside to question the phone man.

Carol Stone waited outside to direct the police once they arrived. The phone man tried to run when he saw David and Hudson approaching him. Hudson easily caught him, and they waited for the police. When the police arrived, they found out the man wasn’t a phone repairman but a private investigator named James Daly. James claimed that District Attorney Keith Daniels hired him and authorized the wiretap.

The police arrested James Daly, and David Berch called Judge Sandra Cruz, who was hearing the case involving Tony Morelli and District Attorney Keith Daniels. Judge Cruz called an emergency meeting in her chambers for 10 a.m., and all hell was about to break loose. David Berch left for the meeting, and Hudson helped his Mom with her work until lunchtime.

Hudson and his Mom went to lunch, and when they returned, her boss, David Berch, called them into the conference room. David sat with a happy Tony Morelli and told them what happened in the Judge’s chambers. Once District Attorney Keith Daniels learned that his private investigator, James Daly, had been arrested for tapping phone lines, he admitted he had authorized it.

The case was dismissed with prejudice, and District Attorney Keith Daniels was arrested for authorizing an illegal wiretap. Tony Morelli thanked Hudson for being observant, and Hudson walked Mr. Morelli to his car. Tony gave him his business card and asked Hudson to call him so he could thank him properly. He left, and that’s how Hudson got his second customer for his game.

When Hudson returned to the law office, David Berch thanked him for the excellent job he had done that morning. David told them to take the rest of the day off with pay and that he would see Carol the next day. Hudson asked his Mom what pay when they left, and they laughed. They stopped at the market on the way home to pick up steaks and potatoes for a celebration. She said my bonus would be great this quarter, thanks to you, Hudson.

Dad came home happy and said Bernie Whelan was fired today, per a memo distributed to all employees. Overnight, Bernie’s car caught fire in the parking lot and was fully engulfed by the time the fire department arrived. Dad said I think Bernie’s safer in jail and we agreed. Then Mom told him about her day and how Hudson caught a man wiretapping the law office phone lines. That led to our case being dismissed with prejudice and the District Attorney being arrested for ordering an illegal wiretap.

We enjoyed Mom’s steak-and-baked-potato dinner and talked about the good luck the Stone family was having. Dad said with Bernie out of the way, his chance of landing the subcontractor contract was almost a sure thing. Hudson told his Dad he would have to start discreetly approaching the key people in the department. Maybe say you are thinking of starting your own company, and if they want to change jobs, keep him in mind.

His Dad said I’ll bet Bernie told more people than me, and now they are wondering what to do. Mom said to wait a few days for the Bernie fiasco to blow over before you start. After dinner, they said goodnight and went to bed.

The next morning, Hudson went to the dojo to train with Sensi Chen. He went to the dojo three times a week and practiced his forms every morning. Sensi Chen put Hudson through a grueling two-hour workout, which was never the same. He believed that repetition builds complacency, so every workout was different, taxing Hudson’s endurance to the limit.

Sensi Chen was a strong believer in using your inner strength or chi. Sensi said building your chi was better than building your body with weights. So, for every workout, Hudson tried to keep his chi active for as long as possible. Sensi Chen would notice when he lost it and then tell Hudson to stop, regain his chi, and continue. That persistence on Sensi’s part was hard, but now Hudson could almost make it through a workout without losing his chi.

Sensi Chen instructed Hudson to maintain his chi throughout the day while performing his tasks. Sensi believed the more you use it, the stronger it gets. Therefore, the stronger and more aware you are of life’s challenges. Exhausted from the workout, Hudson bowed and thanked Sensi for his instruction. Then he went to the locker room, showered, dressed, and called Tony Morelli.

Mr. Morelli told Hudson to come to his office at 1 p.m. Hudson stopped at Carl’s Jr. for lunch, then went to Tony Morelli’s office. He arrived at 1 p.m. and was escorted to Mr. Morelli’s office by the receptionist. Mr. Morelli welcomed Hudson and told him to call him Tony. Tony said, “Hudson, you saved me a lot of money and headaches, so I would like to extend my gratitude and handed an envelope to Hudson.

Hudson thanked Tony and said You might not know, but the law isn’t my first passion. I just graduated with my master’s in computer programming, which I find interesting. I’ll finish my law degree next semester, but I have no interest in becoming a lawyer full-time. I developed a game during my master’s studies that may interest you. The game is a front for the program’s real purpose.

Then, Hudson explained the game and how it worked. Tony asked for a demonstration, so Hudson gave him one. Tony loved the idea of the game for secure communication and asked what the program cost was. Hudson said there is no fixed cost per se, but you can choose to pay what you feel it is worth every month. My other customer, a stockbroker, offered me five percent of the trades made using the program. What you offer is fine, but remember that I maintain the game and keep it secure.

When Hudson left Tony Morelli’s office, he had a new customer, and this one was paying cash, which was a bonus. Tony agreed to have Hudson come to his office once a month to do computer work and receive his payment. On the way home, Hudson thought it would be a good idea to have two or three other games ready in case the climbing game was compromised.

Online poker was popular, so that could be one of them. Solitaire was also a popular online game, which made two. The third should be different, and then an idea came to Hudson that was too good to pass up. The third game was “The Pickup Artist.” A man enters a bar, and there are fifteen women. When the man approaches a woman, he’s given four pickup lines to choose from to see if he scored.

The way into the secret room is to have the man approach the bartender and ask for a drink; 20 options then pop up. If he chooses the right drink, the bartender says, “Cherry is waiting in the back room.” You lucky dude. When the man enters the room, a login screen appears. It asks for your player number, login name, and password. The key to the game is that the drink changes every week, adding an extra layer of security.

When Hudson arrived home, he started programming the new games. The only thing that changed was the beginning, so it wasn’t as difficult as the first game. When Hudson’s Mom arrived home, he saved his work and went into the kitchen to help her with dinner. His Mom said she got a ticket on the way home, and the officer said she hadn’t come to a complete stop.

Hudson asked his Mom to draw out the intersection and where the police officer was when he observed her infraction. When his Mom drew it out, Hudson said it was physically impossible for the officer to make that determination. He didn’t have a clear field of view from two cars behind you. Have your boss subpoena his dashcam footage, and the Judge will dismiss the charges.

Hudson’s Mom thanked him and said she would have her boss subpoena the dashcam footage. Hudson told his Mom that once they get the subpoena, they may drop the charges rather than go through the cost and time of producing it. When Hudson’s Dad got home, they ate dinner, and he said We got our termination notices today and our severance offer. The department is closing in 30 days.

Mom said that we’d better submit the subcontractor bid immediately. They must have a subcontractor in place by the time the department closes, and Dad and I agreed. Hudson told his Dad not to forget to include a coordinator and a receptionist when recruiting. If he had to train them from scratch, it would be a nightmare, and he agreed.

The next thirty days went fast, and Dad won the subcontract. He hired the best computer techs in the department, Cheryl as his coordinator, and Debbie as the receptionist. Like any government agency, they were overstaffed and had too many layers of management. So, Dad’s bid saved the State money and made Dad a lot more money. He was able to do the job with half the staff and offer them a pay raise.

A lot has happened in Hudson’s life in the past 30 days, too. The office was too small, so he worked remotely from home. He completed his semester, took the finals, and signed up for his last semester of law school. Then Sensi Chen said he should take up a team sport, preferably outdoors. Sensi Chen told Hudson that he spent too much time indoors and needed a physical sport to interact with others his age.

Hudson told his parents about Sensi Chen’s recommendation, and they discussed his options with him. Football was ruled out due to injury risk and was played by schools Hudson didn’t attend. Basketball was an option, but those would be pickup games. Soccer was the only team sport left, and how he would learn to play the sport was the question. Hudson’s Mom said she would ask some friends at work, and Hudson said he’d check at the YMCA.

When he went to work with his Mom the next week, they had a new client who got pulled over, and a large amount of money was found in his vehicle. The client was Jose Ramerez, and there was no doubt he was a drug dealer. The question was if the traffic stop warranted searching his SUV. Hudson found case law that said if the officer pulling over the vehicle didn’t smell or see drugs in plain sight, calling a drug dog was an illegal search. He also found case law that said a majority of money in circulation would test positive for drugs.

David Berch was ecstatic and filed a motion to dismiss the charges of illegal search, supported by the case law Hudson found. Two weeks later, the case was dismissed with prejudice, and the money was ordered returned to Mr. Ramirez. That’s how Hudson got his third customer for his game and soccer training. It turned out Jose Ramirez was a soccer fan and sponsored a junior league team. Mr. Ramirez hooked Hudson up with a trainer and arranged for him to practice with his team.

As his Dad would say, Hudson took to soccer like a fish to water. Hudson earned an attacker-midfielder spot on the junior team within three months. His Dad’s business was doing well, and his Mom earned a record bonus. Hudson had two cash-paying customers and a healthy investment account. Things were going great for the Stone family.

Then, two months later, tragedy struck the Stone family. Ben Stone got sick and went to the doctor and found out he had an advanced form of cancer. Within two months, he died, and Hudson and his Mom’s lives were turned upside down. They got another surprise at the funeral when Ben Stone’s Dad arrived. Ben had told Hudson and his Mom that his father and mother died when he was in college.

Ben’s father, or my Grandfather, told us what caused the family separation. Ben and his older brother, Tom, never got along and were constantly fighting. Tom was good at sports but did poorly in school. Ben was the opposite and got straight A’s, but wasn’t good at sports. Tom stole Ben’s girlfriend in high school and then got her pregnant. Ben was so upset that he never spoke to Tom again. When Tom had just graduated from high school, Grandfather said he had hired him at his company so he could support his wife and child.

When Ben graduated from high school, he got a scholarship, and I promised to support him if he returned home and computerized the company. While in college, Ben didn’t come home but once a year and stayed with friends. Tom, his wife, and his baby lived with us, so we had to meet him at a restaurant. When Ben graduated, we threw him a party. Tom wasn’t invited, but he showed up and told Ben he would be working for him at the company as a joke.

The next day, Ben was gone, leaving a note saying he had no family anymore and that he didn’t want to be contacted ever again. Tom divorced his wife because Ben wasn’t around to rub it in his face. His wife took him to the cleaners with alimony and child support, and Tom turned to drinking and killed himself while driving drunk. Tom was my wife’s favorite son, which kept me from doing more for Ben. When Tom died, my wife died six months later. I had to sell the company because I could not compete with their computerized systems.

Hudson told his Grandfather he should sell his story to Hollywood. It would make a good movie or mini-series, and everyone laughed. We exchanged contact information and promised to keep in touch, and Grandfather left for home. Mom said that Ben’s Dad had no balls, or he would have put his foot down and stopped that shit when it happened, and he agreed.

Hudson’s Mom sold Dad’s company through a broker, and with Dad’s life insurance, we were okay financially. Our lives continued almost as if Dad hadn’t died. Mom continued to work at the law firm, and Hudson continued with his studies, side business, working out at the dojo, and playing soccer. With Dad’s business sold, Hudson had more time, so he went to Mom’s work twice weekly. It made Mom feel better that Hudson was around more, and now they were paying me for my time, which helped.

The next surprise was that Grandfather died of a heart attack. His lawyer notified us, and Hudson was surprised to learn that he was the beneficiary of his estate. Mom said it was probably your Grandfather’s way of paying Ben back for how he was treated, and Hudson agreed. We had to travel to the lawyer’s office and sign the paperwork. Mom and Hudson were shocked by the size of his estate and had the lawyer place it in a trust fund with Mom as trustee.

Mom asked Hudson what he would do now that he was a multi-millionaire. Hudson said Take care of my old, decrepit Mom, and she laughed and punched him in the shoulder. Hudson said Continue doing what I’m doing now and leave the money alone to grow. Hudson’s Mom said it was a good idea. Too many people would go crazy buying things and regret it when the funds are gone.

Hudson and his Mom continued, and his Dad’s death became a distant memory, but they still thought about him. Hudson’s play as a soccer player improved, and professional scouts watched his games. He was moved to forward and became the team’s top scorer. Hudson’s work at his Mom’s law firm, Berch, Martin, and Sanders, was also being noticed.

Hudson was a top researcher and was requested to attend jury selection at trials. He had a knack for identifying which potential jurors were beneficial or harmful to his cases. As a result, the law firm won more trials and was recognized as a top law firm. Mom warned Hudson not to work more than two days a week and to slow down. She said the attorneys will bury you in work and unrealistic deadlines.

Hudson asked his Mom how that would affect her job. She laughed and said she works there because she likes doing the work. But she doesn’t need to work because your father left us in great financial shape. That took a load off Hudson’s mind, and he asked his Mom if he should consider working as a consultant instead of an associate. His Mom thought it was a great idea and would cut her law firm’s dependence on him.

So, with his Mom’s help, they set up Stone Consultants LLC, specializing in legal research and jury selection. That didn’t require Hudson to have a law degree. Then Hudson planned to market his programming and website design under the same LLC, using a different business card. Running his legal and computer work through the same LLC simplified things and potentially enabled cross-over services.

Two weeks later, when three attorneys put cases on Hudson’s desk, he gave notice to David Berch. Hudson told David what had happened and said I’m not a full-time employee. Yet everyone expects me to do that volume of work in two days. Even the associates are giving me work to do. So, from now on, if you want something done, it will be done on a subcontract basis.

If you don’t want me working for you anymore, I understand, and there are no hard feelings. I’ve started my own consulting company, and I’m getting enough work to keep me busy. But I’ll give you priority if you want to continue our relationship. Hudson said, by the way, Mr. Berch, your associates are a bunch of lazy asses, and you’ll find out once I’m gone. Hudson left David Berch, stunned, sitting at his desk.

When Hudson passed his Mom’s desk, he gave her a thumbs-up sign and smiled. Then David yelled for Carol to come into his office. When she did, Carol asked if she had been fired or if he wanted her resignation. David, god no, I just wanted to find out why Hudson resigned. Carol shocked him when she said it was my idea. Everyone in this office has been piling work on Hudson and then bitching about when it would be done.

Carol said Hudson is the top producer in the office and works only two days a week. You pay Hudson peanuts and the associates a nice salary to play games on their computers. So, I told him to become a subcontractor and get paid what he’s worth. Then Carol told David there were six cases on Hudson’s desk. David said I didn’t know that was happening, and Carol said the partners knew three of the cases were theirs and left. David called an emergency partner meeting.

When Hudson’s Mom got home, she said he caused a shit storm at the office today and laughed. Hudson said all I did was turn in my resignation. Why would that cause a shitstorm? His Mom noted several reasons unrelated to him. However, all work he performed for partners and associates was billed to clients at their rates. That’s billing fraud. And the only one who didn’t do it was David. That’s because I filled out his case billing reports.

During dinner, Hudson asked his Mom what would happen now, and she said, “I don’t know.” If the firm reimburses the clients, it would cost a small fortune. If a client finds out or a disgruntled employee reports it, they could lose their law licenses. Hudson said it was an easy fix. David should demand that the partners repay their clients before dealing with the associates. That way, they can claim they found and fixed a billing error.

Hudson said David should seriously think of leaving the firm. If David’s partners willingly overbilled clients, there’s more he doesn’t know about. Hudson’s Mom said Oh my god, David got himself into a real mess. I’ll talk to him tomorrow and see what I can find out. I don’t want to work there if they are doing illegal things.

Two weeks later, nothing had been done, and Carol gave David Berch two weeks’ notice. At the same time, Hudson filed a whistleblower complaint with the California State Attorney General’s Office against the law firm Berch, Martin, and Sanders for overbilling clients. Hudson kept a detailed record of all the cases he worked on, the time he spent on each, and who gave him the file.

Hudson’s soccer team, the Marauders, made the playoffs, finishing second in their division. But we lost in the quarter-finals, and it was a heartbreaking loss. The game was tied, and with three minutes to play, the opposing team scored. Jose Ramerez, who sponsored the team, was thrilled with how well it did. It was the first time the team made the playoffs.

Hudson received an offer from the LA Galaxy to attend their summer soccer camp for junior players. Hudson talked with his Mom about the offer. He had no interest in becoming a professional soccer player. Hudson’s Mom told him to consult with Sensi Chen before deciding. He met with Sensi Chen after his training session and told him about the offer. Sensi asked Hudson if he was going to pursue soccer professionally, and Hudson said no.

Sensi advised Hudson to turn down the offer because there are only so many people invited. You would keep a player out whose lifelong dream is to play professionally. Hudson thanked Sensi for the wise counsel and headed home. He called the LA Galaxy and respectfully declined their invitation. Then he called his sponsor, Mr. Ramerez, and reported his decision on the LA Galaxy offer. He asked Hudson if he was sure, and Hudson said yes. He enjoys playing, but has other plans for his future. Mr. Ramerez asked Hudson if he would continue playing for the team, and he said yes unless something drastic changes in his life.

That happened when Mom arrived home, and she said I turned in my resignation today. David said he couldn’t afford to leave the firm without taking a huge financial hit. He begged me to reconsider, but I told him my decision was final. I have four weeks of vacation due, and I’m using that for my 30-day notice. So today was my last day at the law firm of Berch, Martin, and Sanders.

Mom said she’s been thinking of moving since Ben’s death. The only thing holding us here was my job and your activities. The house holds memories, but with resigning from my job, I’d like to make a fresh start somewhere else. Hudson said he isn’t opposed to moving, but what about my customers? Mom said, if necessary, you can return once a month to service them.

Hudson asked where she was thinking of relocating to, and Mom said Arizona or Colorado. He said Arizona is too hot, and they have a severe water shortage. Nevada and Utah are in the same boat. Mom said let’s take a road trip and check out Colorado and see if it’s a place we want to live. They spent a week planning their trip and getting everything they needed. They would go towards Las Vegas, then turn east through Arizona, then north to Colorado.

Hudson asked what vehicle they would take, hoping she didn’t say the Tahoe. Mom said We’re going to use your dad’s F-250 and rent a trailer. That way, we can save on lodging and pull over wherever we want. And we can disconnect the trailer to check out the towns. After notifying Sensi and his cash game customers, they loaded the trailer and took off. Mr. Ramerez was upset he wouldn’t be playing soccer, but understood.

They checked out the small towns in Colorado, and they fell in love with Colorado Springs. They picked up a newspaper and several throwaway rags advertising properties for sale. After finding a trailer park, they went searching the area. Mom didn’t want to live in town, but close enough to go shopping and for entertainment. They found an 80-acre ranch for sale 20 miles outside of town. It had seen better days, but it was priced to sell, and they bought it.

The barn and horse stable (which was empty) were in good shape, but the house needed attention. The old man, Henry Cosgrove, who was selling it, said there was an aquifer under the property and plenty of water. The telecom company ran its main line across my property, so I get free internet. There’s a large propane tank for heating and cooking, along with a backup generator. The power bills are low because I installed two wind turbines that generate electricity 10 months out of the year.

He had a mule and took them on a tour of the property. Old man Cosgrove could sure talk, and Mom whispered to Hudson that he was probably lonely. Mom gave Henry a deposit, and they agreed to meet at the bank in two weeks to close the sale. Henry waited until Mom was looking around the house and slipped Hudson a few pieces of paper. He told Hudson to look at them in private. It’s important no one knows about it but you and me.

Henry said he’d have his things moved out when they returned and was moving to Florida to be with his brother. They shook hands and left excited about their new home. Mom said new paint inside and out was needed, along with new flooring. The appliances need replacing, but overall, the house is in good shape. Hudson asked who would do the work, and Mom said we’ll do most of it and subcontract the flooring and the appliances. He asked why he felt he’d be doing most of the work, and they laughed.

They arrived home three days later, and it was a whirlwind of activity. Mom called a moving company and a realtor to list the house. The moving company would take her Toyota Land Cruiser and tow his Tahoe with Dad’s F250. They spent time choosing what to take and what to donate to Goodwill. Mom said we could make some money by having yard sales, but it would take too much time.

A week later, they were on the road back to Colorado Springs. They drove long hours, switching off driving and staying in motels. When they arrived in Colorado Springs, they had two days before the closing. The first night, Mom booked them in a nice hotel, and they enjoyed a suite. Mom said We’re going to have a rough few days, so enjoy it while you can. The moving truck won’t arrive until two days after closing, and we’ll have to live in the house during the remodel.

The closing went fine, and they drove to the ranch. Old man Cosgrove was a man of his word, and everything of his was gone except the mule, which he left for Hudson. There was a note on it with instructions on how to take care of it, and he’d need it to get around the ranch. Mom ordered the new carpet to be installed first and said we’d need to be careful when painting. They made several trips to Walmart for cleaning supplies, sleeping bags, and cots. Even with new flooring, they didn’t want to sleep on the floor.

The moving van arrived before the carpet installers, so everything was unloaded in the barn. Mom got a wild idea: we should paint the bedrooms before the new carpet so that the smell would be gone and we could have sleeping quarters during the remodel. So, they went to Home Depot and bought the supplies and an airless spray rig for the exterior. Hudson pointed out that it had a roller attachment that hooked up to it, making the painting easier.

They completed the bedrooms and the hallway before the carpet layers arrived. Once Mom saw the wood floors under the carpet, she wanted to refinish them, but it was too late. They bought the carpet and would have to eat the cost if they changed their minds. Once the carpet was done, they moved the bedroom furniture in and had a place to sleep. It took another four days to finish painting the interior, and then another day to install the new kitchen appliances.

Mom chose electric appliances over propane, and they would only use propane for heat and hot water. The cost of propane appliances was significantly higher, and they required frequent maintenance. Once the interior was done, they moved the rest of the furniture in. The outside paint was peeling, so they bought a pressure washer and removed all the loose paint. After three days, the exterior was done, and Hudson said he needed a vacation. Mom laughed and said we’ll take a week off before tackling the entryway. Mom wanted pavers going to the driveway, which was gravel.

Hudson said I’ll supervise you using a shovel and they laughed. Of course, Mom wasn’t going to dig out the dirt to lay sand, then the pavers. But with a week’s rest, hopefully it wouldn’t be too bad. The house was a four-bedroom ranch style with two large bedrooms. Mom said the second one was called a mother-in-law suite, and Hudson claimed it. Of course, Mom got the master bedroom with a bath and a shower. He only got a shower, but that was fine with him.

In the extra space in his bedroom, Hudson set up his home office. He tested the internet speed and was shocked at how fast it was. The telecom company must have given Old Man Cosgrove a main line tap, thinking he’d never use its full potential. Hudson said to himself, “ There’s a new sheriff in town, and he’s going to take full advantage of it.” Everything responded so quickly that he was thinking of upgrading his desktop computer.

Chapter 3

During their week off, Mom went to town and returned with the local newspaper. She said the folks in town said there were yard and farm sales most weekends. Hudson said, “What is folks, and what have you done to my Mom?” and they laughed. Mom said folks are the same as people here, and Hudson said Mommy is picking up the local dialect, causing more laughter. She said they recommended picking up the Thursday and Saturday newspapers for the sales, and they are listed in the classifieds.

Mom and Hudson looked at Thursday’s paper and found three yard sales and one farm sale. She said, “ Let’s go Saturday and Hudson agreed, but there will be no projects or anything requiring my labor. Mom promised that they would only get things for the house. Hudson forgot about the papers Old Man Cosgrove had given him, and he took them out of his laptop bag.

They were maps of the property, with locations marked with an X. One showed the house, barn, and stable area. His room had a built-in bookshelf, and that was one of the areas marked. Hudson inspected the bookshelf and found a button under the third shelf. He pushed it, and the bookshelf moved into the wall. There was a stairway down, and he took it to a room below his. He was shocked to see rifles, pistols, bows, and crossbows on one wall. On another wall was shelving with ammo for the firearms and arrows for the bow and crossbow.

There was a desk with a computer, a monitor, and a note on it. Henry said These will do me no good where I’m going, so I’m leaving them for you. This is a ranch with wild animals and an occasional trespasser. So always go armed when exploring the ranch and have a firearm handy if you get unexpected visitors. He wished Hudson good luck, and that ended the note. Hudson grabbed a .357 lever-action rifle and made sure it was loaded.