[Twenty-ThreeYears Ago]
Still, quiet, and mesmerizingly beautiful – few things on Earth compared to the natural splendor of the Indiana wilderness in late fall. The canopy of trees had turned into a tapestry of color, spanning the whole spectrum from copper and gold to apricot, canary and crimson. Many of the leaves had fallen, blanketing the forest floor below, but the trees had such in abundance that the sky and ground were matched in tone.

Clouds drifted along high above, turning the usual blue sky to shades of silver. Closer to the ground, however, the air was still and static. The trees did not rustle or make much sound, leaving that duty to the babbling creek that carried its waters toward larger tributaries. Even the birds were quiet, singing no songs. It was very peaceful and serene, worlds apart from city life. It was for that very reason, among others, that Naomi enjoyed coming out on her own.

The bike ride took a little over an hour, then another twenty minutes of hiking just to get into the dense part of the woods. It was plenty of time to clear her head and to think about things… although she had plenty of time to think. With no siblings and her father working so hard to get his fledgling company on its feet, the only person she spoke with much was her grandfather. It had been his idea for Naomi to satisfy her curiosity in the natural world, to go out and explore, to see what was really out there… though it could very well have been to give him his own peace of mind as well.

Naomi trudged down the path, reaching up to brush a lock of strawberry blond hair out of her face, tucking it back behind her ear. The momentary distraction was enough for her foot to catch on a root and send her stumbling forward, though she managed to catch herself. A slight huff of annoyance left her lips. Being a preteen was infuriating, her growth spurts made her clumsy and gangly when she wanted to come off with a bit of poise and style. At least at school she pulled it off, even if the other kids kept their distance.

With her journey resumed, Naomi continued along, making her own path. This part of the forest was seldom visited by any mortal man, let alone a preteen girl. It was that solitude that held secrets and Naomi knew she would be the one to discover them. She continued on, taking in the sights and relative lack of sounds until she spotted something that stood out. While the forest was rich with color thanks to the fall leaves, it was a cluster of small red berries that caught her attention. Naomi moved over and crouched down, examining them closer.

"Oval leaves with a slight point and fuzzy texture, red oval berries with a waxy sheen…" Naomi ran the description through her head as she pulled out a small notebook from her back pocket, flipping through the pages until she came to one filled with notes on plants. She ran her finger down until she found her target, a small smile crossing her face. "Lindera melissifolia… pondberry."

The discovery was satisfying. She pulled out her pen and marked off that she had found the endangered species and a vague description of where. Her book held all sorts of discoveries spanning the wilderness of Indiana. She'd found Karner blue butterflies, rusty patched bumblebees, Short's bladderpod and a dozen other threatened and endangered species. She'd even brought a few small samples home to try and cultivate on her own, though the results had been mixed. It seemed she lacked a green thumb, so observation and study would be a more rewarding effort.

Naomi added detail to her notes, but her scrawling slowed as a loud, deep, vast rustling began to spread across the forest. It was like the Earth itself let out a deep, long breath as the leaves shook and fluttered. It didn't take long before the colorful canopy began to come down in droves, raining to the ground before kicking back up again. Naomi winced as she was peppered with leaves. The wet ones stuck to her, the dry ones crumpled and broke apart as they hit her.

The wind continued building, whipping through the trees. The old timber started to creak and groan as it was pushed back, swaying. Naomi even saw the ground starting to lift up around the base of one tree, the moss splitting around it as roots were pried toward the surface. Naomi's heart sank. She'd been so focused on her mission that she'd missed out on the signs. The forest was never that quiet, especially in November… The animals were never that quiet either. They had known, they had known the entire time she'd been out there, and she'd been blind to it.

The young woman tucked her notebook back into her pocket and turned back the way she'd come, traveling at an accelerated pace. The wind buffeted her from behind, aiding her speed but increasing the risk that her gangly limbs would get in her way. Naomi grimaced as she tried to backtrack, to head towards where she had left her bike. Even that plan seemed hazardous, but at least it would give her some sort of control over the situation.

Her feet splashed through water as she crossed the creek, trying to use a few stepping stones to keep herself as dry as possible. Naomi made it to the other bank, pausing only to look upwards at the sky exposed by the lack of trees directly over the creek. The clouds had grown furious, turning from a steely grey to charcoal black. The clouds above were heading in the opposite direction from the wind blasting through the trees. Meteorology was Naomi's weakest subject, but anyone that lived in Indiana knew the recipe for a tornado.

Naomi resumed her trek back towards her bicycle, but with each passing moment the light faded from the forest. The leaves had been ripped from the trees, entire seas of fallen foliage migrated through the stumps like ocean waves. The wind was no longer at her back, now working against her. Naomi's hair whipped about as she pressed on. In all the chaos it was impossible to calculate just how far she was from her destination, let alone keep her bearings.

The wind howled, furious and loud - so loud that it almost drowned out a deep, thundering crackle from nearby. Naomi felt vibrations, brief and subtle, but dangerous all the same. She looked around, trying to figure out where the sound had come from. She turned around just in time to see a very dedicated, moving figure rushing at her along the path, slamming into her at top speed. Naomi was knocked back, skidding on the dry leaves just as the trunk of a tree came crashing down where she had been standing. Branches from the fallen tree whipped at her and her savior, cutting into their skin. Naomi cried out, but so too did the person that had tackled her out of harm's way. Naomi blinked, a bit stunned, raising her head. It had been a boy that had pushed her out of the way, a few years younger than her. She guessed he was still in elementary school. His hair was a light sandy brown, shaggy and unkempt. His eyes were a light sea blue in color, looking back at her with a little bit of wonder.

“What are you doing out here?" Naomi asked. The boy grinned.

“What are YOU doing out here?" he retorted. Naomi grimaced a little.

“We can't stay out here, I think there's going to be a tornado." Naomi said.

“There's a cave near by, it's not too far. I was in the mouth of the cave until I saw you running past." the boy countered. Naomi blushed slightly, realizing that she had neglected to even consider the shelter that the mountain could provide. Naomi nodded at the idea before she moved to get up, sliding the boy off of her a bit unceremoniously. She rose back to her feet and offered him a hand. He took it, springing back up with a bit of vigor. Naomi looked at his clothes, a bit dirty from playing in the woods… not to mention the fact that he was barefoot.

“Which direction?" she asked, still a bit wary. The boy, however, cracked a wide grin that showed off his cheekbones.

“Not far, right this way. But we'll have to be quiet when we get there, okay?" he asked. Naomi was even more perplexed, but she was hardly in a position to argue. The two made it back toward the creek, crossing back over the water. Naomi had nearly made it to the other side when her ears popped. Dread crossed her face as she turned, looking back toward the horizon. It was hard to see in the dim light with the leaves flying around every which way, but it was clear that the black clouds had reached down from above to meet the Earth. The sounds changed and the sound of breaking wood echoed through the forest despite the wind itself.

Naomi turned and sprinted after the boy, closing the gap between them. The boy pointed to a rock outcropping up ahead. Naomi kept pace with him, though the uneven terrain proved to be too much of a challenge. With one bad step, she started to tumble off the path towards a gully. The boy grunted as he reacted in a split second, grabbing onto her arm. While it wasn't enough to keep her from falling, it yanked her back onto solid ground as the two went face first into the dirt.

Leaves blasted over them along with a few dislodged twigs and pieces of bark. Naomi pushed herself back up, looking down into the gully. It was unforgiving, pockmarked by jagged rocks and broken pieces of wood. The boy had saved her again. Once more she rose to her feet, pulling the boy up as well, leaning on him as they finished their journey to the rock face. Naomi wouldn't have even known there was a cave tucked back behind, the outcropping stuck out enough to obscure it, but sure enough there was a gap in the rock that stretched back into the mountain, gradually growing deeper and darker.

The boy moved in first, heading down several feet before he slowed and held out his hand, pointing up toward the ceiling of the cave. Naomi looked up and saw nothing at first, though her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark. As her vision cleared, she saw a clump of something soft, fuzzy and brownish grey. Naomi's jaw dropped in stunned shock, backing up toward the mouth of the cave. The boy shook his head and followed after her, crouching down near the entrance.

“It's okay, they won't hurt you." He whispered. Naomi crouched down as well, putting her back against the wall of the cave.

“It's not that. Those are Indiana bats, Myotis sodalis… They're endangered because of people waking them up during hibernation." she whispered back, “I don't want to hurt them."

The answer seemed to amuse the boy at first, but his amusement evolved into an appreciation. He nodded and settled down fully near the entrance, letting Naomi do the same and get comfortable - at least as comfortable as they could. The wind still whipped into the cave entrance, but the twists and turns of the cave slowed the momentum before it traveled deep enough to disrupt the bats.

The sound outside grew louder and rougher. In minutes the wind had stripped the trees of every last leaf, leaving them bare and naked for the coming winter. It was a tragedy, but it was also nature. Nothing could have stopped the coming tornado. Naomi wrapped her arms around her legs, looking at the boy. There was no telling how long the storm would last, and she hadn't even properly thanked him yet.

“My name's Naomi, Naomi Bennet." she said softly, trying to keep her voice low so they didn't disrupt their cave mates. The boy smiled at that.

“Chad Voss. Nice to meet you." He replied, offering his hand. Naomi smirked a little at how weird the boy was, but offered her hand back, giving it a shake.

“Thank you for saving me out there… twice." Naomi added. Chad shrugged.

“It's what I do, I'm a protector." he smiled. Naomi considered for a long moment, looking at the boy and their surroundings.

“If you want to be more than just a protector, I'm… looking for a friend. We both seem to like the woods. Do you want to learn more about endangered species?" Naomi asked. Chad grinned at that and nodded.

“That sounds so cool. How did you know the name of the bats?" he asked. Naomi smiled warmly at that and reached back, pulling out her notebook from her pocket. She had to hold on to it carefully with the wind coming into the cave, but she opened it up and flipped through the pages, showing off her extensive field notes.

“I wanted to learn about everything I could about what species were at risk around here, so I wrote them down and started trying to learn about them." Naomi smiled, “I also tried to learn about what was threatening them. Predators, pesticides, agriculture." Naomi explained. Chad looked at Naomi as she spoke, taken aback by how smart she was, how focused, how dedicated. He had no idea just what she could accomplish in her life, but after witnessing her nearly die twice in the span of a few short minutes, he knew that he had to do his best to protect her.

[Sixteen Years Ago]
Rich and savory aromas filled the dining room, wafting up from the assortment of food set out on the dinner table. Carved turkey, stuffing, cranberries and green bean casserole. There were fresh baked buns and even sweet potato pie. It was quite the spread, especially for a family that so seldom was able to gather in full. Naomi moved out from the kitchen, carrying the last piece of the puzzle - a hand tossed garden salad with exotic vegetables. She set it down on the table, nestled between the various treats before she settled down in her seat sitting across from her grandfather and next to her father.

Three generations prepared to enjoy their meal, at least as much as they could. There was a certain tension in the air, a pressure that felt like it could crest at any moment. They were all equally bad at hiding the coming storm, each of them sitting with perfect posture and their emotions masked just behind the surface. Naomi's father was the first to take action, reaching out to select a roll for his plate, then a slice of turkey.

Naomi waited patiently, looking at her father. His reddish blond hair was starting to grey in a few places. He had wrinkles on his brow and around his eyes from concentrating. He'd worked so hard the last ten years to build Futurza, to let it grow and prosper. They had been one of the few companies funded by the Department of Energy to work on the Human Genome Project, and their engineers had even had their hands in the 'smart pill' allowing tiny cameras to be swallowed to help with various ailments. The company had grown swiftly, but their family… had been a bit stagnant.

“I spoke with the ethics board today…" Her father began, breaking the silence.

“Ethics board, that sounds important Nicholas." Her grandfather Marshall mused, a slight smile on his lips as he waited for the next crumbs of information to drop.

“I wanted to approach them with an idea I had. Naomi, I would like you to be our assistant territory manager." her father stated. Naomi paused, her fork halfway to her mouth.

“If it was an issue that required a visit to the ethics board, perhaps there is an issue that would be wiser left alone." Naomi commented. Nicholas' eyes narrowed a bit.

“It is a prestigious position, one that brings with it opportunity for advancement." her father countered. Naomi lowered her fork entirely, addressing her father with eyes full of contempt.

“It is nepotism. I did not apply; I did not interview. I did not achieve this on my own merit. Besides, what about the rest of college? What about building a firm foundation, what about-"

“Trust." The single word hung in the air as Marshall looked up at his son and granddaughter, a serious look on his face. He let the pause linger before he continued, “This… is a matter of trust."

“Dad?" Nicolas asked softly. Naomi, too, waited for the insight Marshall was waiting to cash in on. Marshall loved a captive audience.

“When you wanted to start a pharmaceutical company, I supported you… Not just because I knew you had it in you, but because it was the smart choice. No investment is certain, but if there's anything that's going to be part of our future, it is the health of our species. Staying on the leading edge of that will prepare you for anything, but only if you are surrounded by those you trust. The world is cut-throat. People will betray you. The only thing you can count on is family. That is one legacy that has kept our family line alive."

“Grandfather…" Naomi said softly. Marshall shook his head.

“You are worried about how others will see you taking this job because your father owns the company. I understand. But the opinions of others are not important. Your father is giving you this chance, but it is your own merit that will show if you can keep it and build on it." Marshall said. Naomi looked a little more relaxed at that, nodding softly.

“What exactly does a territory, well, assistant territory manager do?" Naomi asked.

“The goal is to create and improve revenue and sales for a specific market, and where there are sales opportunities, there are opportunities for expansion. We're looking at two markets in particular… Hawaii, and Texas." Nicolas explained.

“And I'd help figure them out?" Naomi asked.

“You've always been bright." Marshall said, “I know you can do it."

“You'll learn from one off our best, but with us looking at two different territories, I need you to learn quickly." Nicolas said. Naomi nodded gently before she looked up.

“Will I have any staff?" She asked. Nicolas looked a little puzzled.

“Yes, account specialists, perhaps an assistant or intern." he replied. A soft, subtle smile crossed her lips.

“Then I will accept on one condition." Naomi said. Her father looked startled at the fact that his daughter was negotiating with him, but Marshall only broke out laughing.

“Hear her out, perhaps her terms are reasonable." Marshall insisted. Nicolas' lips twitched slightly.

“Go on…" he murmured softly. Naomi grinned a bit more.

“Chad will be on my team." She said. Nicolas looked almost dumbfounded.

“I thought you were worried about nepotism just a few moments ago." Nicolas countered.

“I was educated as to how the system works. If we give him the opportunity, it is up to him to show that he can keep it." Naomi said, finally taking a bite of her salad. Nicolas shook his head, but Marshall grinned with pride at how shrewd his granddaughter was. Nicolas sighed and then nodded.

“I'll have the papers drawn up." Nicolas replied before cutting himself a slice of sweet potato pie. Naomi smiled with satisfaction. Even if her life was taking her in a different direction than she had planned, she wouldn't be alone.

[Fourteen Years Ago]
The front door of the house swung open so fast that it bounced off of the wall, shuddering from the impact. Naomi flinched at that, but she was too concerned to pay it more than a moment's mind. Her eyes scanned the living room, then the dining room, a bit of panic in her eyes. The only thing worse than an emergency was knowing something was going on but being unable to figure out the specifics. Still, the evidence had led her back to their home, and she prayed that somehow things were going to work out alright.

“Grandfather?!" Naomi called out, her voice traveling easily through the modest home. While she did not get a direct response, a thump from upstairs was enough of a clue for her to continue. Naomi swung the front door shut and marched up the stairs, coming around the guard rail that protected the drop down to the first floor. Her bluish-green eyes looked strained and tired, but seeing a door cracked open near the front of the house, she seemed to relax a little.

Naomi moved over toward the spare room with trepidation, still uncertain of what she would find. She'd left work immediately upon getting the cryptic call from the hospital, but the breadcrumbs her grandfather had left dug up more questions than answers. Light spilled out of the gap in the door, stretching out lazily over the wood panel floor. Naomi reached up and knocked gently, though the door creaked at the impact and widened just a bit more.

Inside the room, Naomi's grandfather was standing over an old, battered wooden trunk. There were dents and divots, the metal rusted in a few spots. A patina had settled onto it, giving it a feeling of worldly experience, of travels and adventures, of a life lived to the fullest. Naomi tried to think back if she'd seen the trunk before, or really any of the boxes her grandfather had spread out in front of him. The room had always been used for excess storage, or at least that was what she had been told… But the mystery of the trunk paled in comparison to the bandage wrapped around her grandfather's right arm.

“Grandfather… What happened? I got a call from the hospital that you showed up for stitches, but then walked out?" Naomi asked. Marshall grimaced a bit at that.

“I guess I did have you listed as my emergency contact, didn't I? I'm getting sloppy in my old age." he murmured softly. Naomi was a little taken aback. She'd never known her grandfather to be anything other than immaculate and professional. Even with grey hair and wrinkled skin, he was tall, self reliant, capable and in command of his faculties.

“What happened?" Naomi asked, this time her voice a bit softer. Marshall looked down at the trunk, then the other boxes, then the bandage on his arm. He shook his head, biting his bottom lip a little, exhaling.

“That's really the question, isn't it…? What happened? What will happen?" Marshall said softly. Naomi slowly closed her arms over her stomach almost in defense.

“I'm scared, I don't know what's going on. I need you to tell me so I can help you." Naomi replied. Marshall's head turned, looking at his granddaughter. So often he saw her butting heads with her father, fighting tooth and nail. This was a different side of her, a concerned side, but most importantly a curious side.

“If I tell you what happened… it won't just be about my arm." Marshall said softly, “There are things I've never told you, things I've never told your father. I knew he wouldn't understand, that he didn't have what it takes to understand. But you, my dear, you… You've always been so smart, so curious. You wanted to know what was out there, what was in danger. You wanted to do the right thing to protect those that were at the edge of extinction." Marshall said. The preface did not comfort Naomi at all. If anything, she held her arms a bit tighter over her stomach, waiting for him to start making sense.

Marshall made a soft noise with his lips, moving to close the door behind them before he returned to the trunk. Withdrawing a key from his breast pocket on his shirt, he unlocked the trunk, lifted the latch and then hoisted the lid up. Dust and debris lifted up into the sunlight coming through the gauzy curtains, dancing on the beams of light, showing just how much had accumulated. The trunk had a bit of wood shavings inside as packing materials to keep the contents from shifting too much, but Naomi's eyes widened as she started to make out the contents.

“Go on, take a look." Marshall said. Naomi moved closer, peering into the case. The interior of the trunk was stamped with a variety of old stencil lettering. There were smaller wooden boxes stamped with Kooskia, Idaho, others with Dulce, New Mexico. Both had the emblems of the United States Western Defense Command. Those were interesting enough, but it was something else that caught Naomi's focus, something organic that stood out in contrast to the other contents. Resting in the straw, gleaming in the narrow beams of light coming from the window, was a skull.

The bone was long since bleached to an off-white color. It was mostly intact, though a few cracks pockmarked the surface. At first glance it seemed to be an animal skull, but there was something eerie about it… Something that was too familiar, too human. The skull stretched forward into a muzzle, but the orbital bones around the eyes were very human. Naomi looked at it with a puzzled expression.

“What is that? I don't recognize the species. Is it extinct?" Naomi asked. Marshall shook his head, chuckling sadly.

“If only that were the case. No, this is not the endangered species. This is the aggressor, the threat, the invasive element that is crowding out the native organisms." Marshall said, reaching down into the case to pull out a thick leather-bound book. He set it down on the corner of the trunk and started to flip through the pages, revealing a collection of pictures. Naomi looked first in confusion, then surprise, her eyes widening.

The pictures started out mundane, depicting men in military uniforms… but it became apparent just what their mission had been after a few pages. The officers were standing amid crowds of civilians, all of whom appeared to be Japanese. There were snapshots of events, of daily life. All of them were centered around the same buildings surrounded by the same remote rocky terrain. Naomi had done well enough in history to know that the pictures were of an internment camp at the end of World War II.

“Grandfather…" Naomi said. Marshall did not look up from the pictures.

“It was a different time, I was a different man… quite literally." Marshall said softly, “That was before we learned the truth, before everything started to unravel." he mourned the memory, reliving some of it in the corners of his mind. He turned the page and Naomi's eyes scanned the new images until they stopped on one that didn't seem to belong; it showed neither soldiers nor citizens, poorly lit. Two silver orbs peered out from the dark image and only the slight tilt of the photo album showed the outline of a large creature with pointed ears, a muzzle, fur, and… hands with thumbs.

Naomi's shoulders slipped back, her hair rose a bit, her entire posture changing. She looked at the picture, then the bleached skull, then back to the book. Marshall grinned, realizing she'd been hooked by the intrigue. He turned the page, revealing far more horrific images that were not shrouded in darkness. They showed the creature sprawled out on a metal table, motionless, covered in fur.

“This is the hidden enemy, this was the true enemy we faced during that war. These are the enemies from within, the ones that can hide. Wolves in sheeps' clothing… Even their bodies try to blend in. I still don't know why this one didn't revert when he was killed, but for some reason he stayed just like that. It was enough, enough for a few tests at least." Marshall said. Naomi was frozen in place, consumed by confusion, doubt and fear.

“If…" Naomi froze, finding it hard even to summon words, “If something like that really existed, we would have heard something. That was decades ago!" Naomi said, though the incredulity in her voice was rooted more in fear than logic. Marshall looked at his granddaughter, knowing she was on the brink. Her mind was open enough that the fear was setting in. It was a point few had ever been willing to reach, but here she was, teetering on the edge.  

Marshall reached down into the crate, lifting another relic to examine it on his own. Naomi glanced at what her grandfather was holding, but her eyes also scanned across the contents again, settling on a familiar face… a face that was eerily familiar, and yet… Her skin paled as realization hit, as memory kicked into overdrive, as her heart skipped a beat and her jaw nearly dropped. The face in the crate was her mother's.

Naomi reached in and lifted the errant photograph up, trying to process it all at once but it was almost overwhelming. It was her mother, standing in front of her grandfather. They were both so young, but that wasn't even scratching the surface. Her mom was holding a gun, she was standing over some sort of… creature. It was massive, furry, limbs tipped with claws and it had a grizzled, partially torn apart face with glassy eyes. It was like a hunting trophy photo, but out of some twisted dark corner of the universe she had never considered.

“Mom knew?" Naomi asked, looking up at Marshall, desperate for understanding.

“She knew…" Marshall said softly, taking a slow breath, “She was one of my biggest supporters. It's why I introduced her to your father. I thought… I thought they would be able to carry on what I started, to make sure the world knew what threat was out there."

“What happened? Why didn't anyone ever tell me? Why doesn't dad talk about it?" Naomi asked, each question coming faster than the last. Marshall shook his head.

“This is a longer conversation, a delicate one. Let's go back downstairs, I will answer all of your questions. I think it's finally time that you knew the truth about the past, the present, and your legacy." Marshall said, returning the items to the trunk. Naomi held onto the picture of her mother, feeling as if she had just fractured the universe and was peering into another reality.


Sunlight filtered through the gauzy curtains, filling the kitchen with a haze. The coffee shimmered and swirled as Marshall poured it for them both, steam wafting up. Marshall added sugar and stirred, handing the first cup to Naomi. She accepted it but held it with both hands as if it gave her some sort of security. Marshall took his cup black and sat down, taking a sip. It was so much better than the coffee when he was younger, but sometimes in the back of his mind he missed the bitter bite of the java he'd been stuck with.

Naomi toyed with what to ask first, but there were so many questions that she didn't know where to start. It seemed that if she picked any one thing, she would have to wait too long to learn the rest - so instead she asked nothing, sitting there, holding her coffee, smelling the arabica aroma, feeling alienated and safe at the same time. The gears in her mind churned and turned and tried to process, but this would get her nowhere. She'd always approached life logically, methodically. As hard as it would be to wait, she had to get a handle on things.

“I need you to start from the beginning." Naomi said finally. Marshall smiled a bit.

“Are you certain?" he asked. Naomi's brow creased as she almost glared.

“No, but I need you to start from the beginning anyway. You never talk about your time in the military, most of those things were from before you would have met mom." Naomi said. Marshall nodded. He rubbed his fingers together a bit, a self-soothing technique before he produced something he had pulled out of the album upstairs and set it down on the table. It was an old military identification card, a basic cardstock laminated with plastic back when the technology was new. Even with the lamination, the paper had yellowed with age, but it clearly was a photograph of her grandfather… with a different name.

“Your family isn't quite the family you've grown up knowing about. We've had to keep secrets to keep you safe, to let you grow up normally, but… you're an adult now. You're living your life, and you're smart - smarter than your father, smart enough to know that there's more out there." Marshall said. Naomi's eyes narrowed more.

“You don't have to try flattering me. I just want the truth." Naomi said, a bit of force in her voice. Marshall nodded at that, easing back in his chair a little.

“When I was born, I was named Matthew Hader. I grew up in southern California, but times were tough. The economy was in shambles and my parents were barely hanging on. I couldn't be a weight around their ankles… So, I did what any self-respecting man would do, I lied about my age and joined the Army. They covered room and board, so I sent what I could back to my parents and worked my way up the ranks." Marshall explained. Naomi finally took a sip of her coffee.

“You've always had that… austerity." Naomi said. Marshall nodded, taking another breath before continuing.

“I worked my way up the ranks, but everything accelerated as the second world war built up. Then, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, everything changed. Everyone was joining up, they needed new leadership, and then the idea for the relocation camps came. It was such a massive undertaking. A hundred thousand people needed to be moved from three different states. The Western Defense Command, the War Relocation Authority, the FBI, the Army… Civilians and soldiers all operating in common purpose to defend the west coast, and I was in the thick of it."

Naomi looked at her grandfather, a bit stunned. They had been so close growing up, especially after her mother had died. He had been the one to teach her to ride a bike, he had taught her about science and math, of species and preservation. He'd helped her with her homework, and never before had he said anything about being involved with the internment camps. Naomi didn't know what to say, so instead she just nodded, prompting more of the information overload.

“We were careful with our work, at least I was… I was assigned to oversee the Kooskia Idaho Relocation Camp. It had been a federal prison camp before the war, but it was just what we needed. It was isolated, remote, far away from where anyone could be a risk. They didn't even need barbed wire fences. The land was rough, edged by the Bitterroot Mountains." Marshall said. Naomi looked at her grandfather, shaking her head a little, trying to process it all.

“How many prisoners?" She asked softly. Marshall looked up at that, looking a little less comfortable.

“Two hundred and fifty, all men." Marshall replied, “The president was convinced that there was a hidden enemy, an imminent threat of espionage or worse. He had no idea, no idea at all at just what we were about to uncover. It made the war seem like nothing. What we cracked, the secret we found, it was far older than the Nazi party, maybe even older than all the emperors of Japan. I'll never forget that night, seeing those eyes gleaming in the dark." Marshall murmured.

“A werewolf?" Naomi asked, the words still strange on her lips. Marshall looked up.

“Not just one, several… I don't know how any of them could have hidden it back home, but in the camp? With nowhere to go? At first, we thought it was some sort of outbreak. We'd done our best with conditions; the camp was like a little town. We thought some of them were getting sick. Muscle stiffness, fever, but when one of them broke out, I had to find them, and I did… standing by a moonlit pond, seven feet tall, covered in fur, panting and growling, seething with rage… and wearing pieces of his uniform still, torn apart."

“What did he do?" Naomi asked. Marshall looked up at her, then back at his coffee.

“He… didn't do anything." Marshall replied. Naomi blinked.

“What?" She asked, uncertain. Marshall shook his head.

“Later on, they explained it to me. They never tried to escape because they would have no lives to go back to if they did… No property, no reunion with their families. We took away their ability to hide, but they still-" Marshall paused, shaking his head, finding it hard to go on. Naomi tightened her grip on her coffee cup.

“What happened to them? Why doesn't the world know?" Naomi asked. Marshall shook his head more and then let out a weary, tired, exhausted laugh.

“Because, there is always someone to keep the secret. Those are the ones that are the true danger. The werewolves can kill, but their secret keepers are the most insidious threat. They poison, they assassinate, they'll even kill their own allies if it means protecting the werewolves. When the government learned of the secret we uncovered in Kooskia, they knew we couldn't operate there in the middle of the mountains. The war was winding to a close, there was still so much more to learn. We made a deal with the werewolves that their families would be safe, returned to their original lives if they cooperated with us."

“And they did?" Naomi asked. Marshall shrugged.

“They had to do whatever they could to defend their 'pack' I suppose." The words were nearly spit from his lips as if they were bitter, "They didn't resist when I took them to Dulce in New Mexico. I worked under a man named General Kopland. He had an amazing team, some of the brightest minds. We ran every test we could think of, but our science was nothing back then. You've got more processing power in your calculator than we had. It was frustrating work; every ounce of progress was fought for… No one was surprised when Kopland got sick, but when he died from complications to the flu, it shook us."

“I get the feeling it wasn't the flu." Naomi said, thinking about what her grandfather had said about the secret keepers. Marshall smiled, glad she was following along.

“We had no way of knowing that at the time, but Kopland's successor, General Leeland… He started getting sick not too long after taking over as well. It got so bad that he was relaying orders through his assistant. Officers were shipped out, others brought in. It broke down how well the team worked together, and it slowed everything down because the new officers didn't know anything that had been discovered already..."

“Sabotage… Is that… Is that why you changed your name? You've been in hiding?" Naomi asked. Marshall nodded.

“I should have been smarter; I should have seen it sooner. Eventually Leeland was relieved from command, and General Dallas wasn't ready to take his place. He felt like we were dealing with the occult, tapping into things that should never be interfered with. When one of the prisoners died and stayed in his wolf state, it pushed him over the edge and he… killed himself. That was when I knew I had to get out. Whether by accident or intention, this project wasn't going to continue without killing off everyone trying to see it through."

Naomi was fascinated and horrified at the same time. The injustice of the internment camps had been taught, but to learn that there was this secret group operating beneath it, that it had led to a string of deaths and accidents, that her grandfather had taken on another name… Her hands almost shook from it all. And yet, when she looked up at him, she saw the same familiar face she had grown up with. It had all been so much that she'd almost forgotten the picture that had thrown the floodgates open, the picture of her mother… but that was years later.

“What happened to the project?" She asked softly, knowing she had to fill in all the blanks or the questions would gnaw at her. Marshall took another sip of his coffee.

“Whoever those people were that kept the secret, I knew they wouldn't leave any loose threads if they had the chance. I had to disappear, even from the military. No records, no trace. I went AWOL… It took me years to find out what happened, but there were a series of accidents at the base. Fires destroyed the records, the samples… the prisoners. Someone with intimate knowledge of the operation buried it all, and without anything to go off of, the government chalked it all up as a failure, a deranged black project dismissed as idiocy and paranoia." Marshall whispered. Naomi looked at him, studying his face. It was sincere, pained, and exhausted. He'd lived his life with secrets.

“I can't imagine what it would have been like to give up your life, to… live in secret. Did you ever… see your parents again?" She asked softly. Marshall looked up at her, surprised by her question.

“From a distance… Once. It was the only time I let myself. I couldn't put them at risk, I couldn't risk them being used to find me. I made sure they were taken care of though, and I started fresh. I've been honest about my life here in Indiana, at least my day job, and your grandmother… but I couldn't just hide. I kept… trying to peel back the veil, to reveal the hidden enemy. When I met your mother, that's when I knew I wasn't alone. I'd been following a suspected were for months, I'd figured out his patterns. I was going to corner him, to use him to make everyone see, but your mother… she saved me when I got in over my head." Marshall chuckled. Naomi's eyes widened even further.

“What do you mean she saved you?" Naomi asked. Marshall smiled more.

“Your mother was a hunter." Marshall smiled, “A damn fine one. She was inspiring. She took down werewolf after werewolf, but they revert when they die, and even the messy ones… it's hard to keep the evidence when there are so many people trying to keep the secret."

“The picture, though, she… You both, you killed the werewolves?" Naomi asked, putting the picture in the center of the table. Marshall nodded softly.

“We did what had to be done, not just for ourselves, but for everyone. They are the hidden enemy, and when they make more of themselves, it can only go badly. If those monsters bite someone, they could die in minutes from the bite as if it was poison. If they live, they could get ripped apart from the inside as the monster tears out of them. It's unnatural, it's inhumane. They are predators. We are the endangered species. The only reason that the ones in the camp behaved was because we had their families. Even then, they poisoned and murdered us, they destroyed everything. Your mother understood, and when it came down to it, she gave her life to save innocents." Marshall said.

The words hit Naomi like a bullet. Before she had even realized it, her eyes had watered over and a tear was leaking down her cheek. She reached up to wipe at it absently. Naomi looked at her grandfather, stunned once more. She thought she could take anything after hearing so much, but this was one step too far. She looked up at her grandfather hesitantly.

“How did mom really die?" Naomi asked. Marshall rubbed his fingers together, trying to soothe himself as he thought back to that dark day.

“One of the monsters had gone rogue, she was building a pack as fast as she could. We had figured out who it was, but every time we got proof, it would evaporate. Your mother knew she had to find the monster and the one keeping her secret. She put herself in harms way and took them both out. Without the alpha, the pack scattered. No more deaths, no more attacks. She ended the threat." Marshall whispered.

“But mom died in a car accident, it was in the papers. I saw it, I saw the car!" Naomi said. Marshall shook his head.

“The sheriff was in her hunting party. We knew that we owed it to your mother to protect her legacy, and to protect you. No loose ends… Telling you then would have destroyed you. We had to give you a chance to grow up normally, to become your own woman. And you did! You're a woman of science. You've accomplished so much, so much faster than your father, and you're so much more open minded." Marshall smiled. Naomi exhaled, but her eyes drifted back to her grandfather, then the bandage on his arm.

“You went to the hospital because you were investigating werewolves and got hurt, but left because you didn't want to leave evidence? For questions to be asked?" Naomi asked. Marshall nodded in response. Naomi leaned back in her seat, setting her coffee cup down, “If this is my Legacy, I'm going to need to see things with my own eyes." Naomi replied. Marshall's hesitation grew into a very proud, very definite smile.

[Ten Years Ago]
Rain spattered across the cement, gathering in puddles that rippled as new drops were added, only to be broken up by the growing rings of other impacts. The heavens were gilded in silver and gold, the clouds glowing as they released their burden onto the world below. The air smelled fresh, young, new. It was almost sublime, it should have been a time of celebration, but something was missing, or rather, someone…

They had known for weeks that the day was coming. It had been in the papers; Naomi had even had a brief interview… She had worked her way up through the ranks, she'd carved out her niche, she'd learned what it took to do each job before moving up. The day had come, she'd been made the CEO of her father's company on her own merits, but her grandfather hadn't been there. Now Naomi stood in the rain in front of the building that was now hers, at least until construction of their new headquarters was complete in Houston… feeling terribly alone.

The raindrops were soaking into her jacket, shifting the light turquoise into a darker hue. Naomi almost didn't notice at first when the rain stopped falling on her, but the slight shift of the umbrella over her head made her turn, seeing Chad standing there in his suit. His hair was shorn short, his outfit perfectly tailored. Naomi couldn't help but smile.

“When did you get so tall, my friend?" She asked, looking up into his soulful eyes. Chad looked out across the street, watching the rain roll down the windshields of the parked cars.

“I had to get tall, you are always reaching for higher goals and I have to be ready to protect you." Chad said. Naomi smiled at that, though her brow furrowed a little. She looked at Chad again, then down at the ground.

“He wasn't there." Naomi said softly. Chad nodded.

“You said before the meeting that something came up…" Chad replied.

“I know, but he wouldn't have missed this for anything. At least, that's what I thought." Naomi said softly. Chad shook his head.

“He wouldn't have missed it for anything less than life or death." Chad answered. Naomi looked back at her oldest friend, her only friend.

“That's what worries me. I have to find him." She said softly.

“We will." Chad said with reassurement, but Naomi shook her head.

“I can't… I can't drag you into this. I have to find him alone. I'll be back at the house by eight, you still owe me that drink." Naomi said. Chad looked more concerned.

“You're sure? I'd be happy to go with you." Chad urged. Naomi looked at the face she had grown up with, the one person in the world she could trust.

“I know…" She whispered, “But I need you to be somewhere I know you're safe right now, so I can have strength. That's how you can protect me right now." Naomi replied. Chad looked surprised, even a little hurt, but her words made sense. He nodded a bit and extended the umbrella to her. She smiled at the gesture but shook her head. Chad drew it back again. Naomi stood up on her tip toes and kissed Chad's cheek before she turned, stepping out from under the protection of the umbrella and into the rain.

The cold, heavy drops came down across her in a sheet, soaking her jacket and her reddish blond hair. Her shoes normally would have clicked on the cement, but instead the taps were muffled by the water. She moved down the street, pulling out her cell phone. She went back through the last few messages from her grandfather, raindrops landing on the screen, scattering the light like liquid prisms.

Life and death. Naomi walked a bit faster, feeling her anger building up. Of course that was what would have kept her grandfather from being there. Of course it would… No matter how hard she tried, how much of the responsibility she shouldered, he still was hunting his white whale. She'd begged him to stop, even offered to fund his hunting party to keep going in his place, but he couldn't let go.

Naomi continued to walk in the rain, her mind reaching back to the training she'd learned from her grandfather's associates. She was a bit rusty, not a hunter like her mother, but still she had a few tricks up her sleeve. She understood anonymity came in different flavors, both blending into the crowd and going unnoticed. She kept walking, moving past a shop as she drew out her cell phone. Her fingers flew over the keypad as she unlocked the device, accessing the encrypted storage. It took a moment for the phone to decipher the complex security before it brought up the files locked there.

Shrewd eyes scanned over the information, checking for anything that had been added recently. Her grandfather had been hesitant at first about trusting technology but Futurza had engineered a patented operating system that was unique and thus free from the common exploits. On top of that, it gave them a way to ensure that the evidence they gathered couldn't be destroyed with just one incident. Files rearranged on the phone, piecing together and then fragmenting again until they locked into the right sequence.

Naomi opened up a map, noticing new data points on it. She slowed to a stop, looking at the screen and then at the nearest street sign. Once more her fingers moved with haste, accessing other files. A local digital newspaper article had been bookmarked, heralding the unique athletic prowess of a local athlete. Doah Martin, age 18, had been scouted for eight different prestigious teams after his second undefeated season in a row. The article went on to document how Doah had moved on from a troubled youth, finding security in his team and the tight bond they had built together.

A cold chill ran down Naomi's spine. It was just the sort of thing that would have drawn her grandfather's attention. If he was a wolf, and he was building a pack, it was terribly dangerous. If he wasn't, they were targeting an innocent young man. Naomi weighed her options and how many blocks she had to go before she put her phone away and sped up. She shot past other pedestrians, trying to keep some semblance of control as she headed into the unknown.

Naomi could feel her heart racing, her veins throbbing, every part of her feeling that something was wrong. Just checking up on the kid shouldn't have taken that long, not long enough for Marshall to be late. Checking her location against the map one more time, she looked both ways before crossing the street at a slight angle, trying to hug the crosswalk while still making up ground.

The neighborhood shifted slightly as she headed south. The Futurza building had brought prosperity to the businesses and properties around it, but not all of downtown had been quite as fortunate. There were several buildings up for lease with boarded up windows, and the businesses that were there were struggling a bit. One of the few to hang on was a barbershop, next to it a deli. Naomi looked up at the apartment buildings that sat on top of the businesses, bringing a symbiotic relationship to the area.

Part of Naomi wondered what it was like living in such density, having that many people around. She'd always been able to get out to the countryside, to stretch her legs, to be a part of nature. Now the board room was her domain… But this, this was a different kind of life. She looked around, trying to decide on her next move. The article had mentioned only that Doah lived on 16th street, but not specifically where. There had to be two dozen apartments clustered together.

The hiss of car tires kicking up fallen rain roared from the streets as they passed, one after another, traveling in an endless cavalcade. The street lights changed, gleaming brightly against the backdrop of the rain clouds. Naomi waited for the crosswalk to change and started to walk toward the next block when she heard a crash down a side street, the sort of sound of several trash cans getting knocked over.

The odds of that sound being right were one in a million, but the sinking feeling in Naomi's heart made her feel that she was right. She turned down the side street, moving away from the cars and heading toward the labyrinth of alleyways that ran behind 16th street. The buildings were too close together, leaving barely the width of a garbage truck between them. The brick was rough and weathered, and where there was plaster and paint it was lumpy and battered. Naomi felt out of place, but to someone young enough, to someone eighteen and athletic, this could have been home… this could have been territory.

A scraping sound, metal being pushed out of the way… Then a scrabbling click, something against the cement, something plastic? No, metal. Naomi's stomach wrenched. Marshall's cane… he was trying to get up. Naomi broke into a sprint, heading deeper down the alleyways, looking to the left, the right, then pressing on further. She took twists and turns before she found herself near the end of the maze.

Naomi came around the corner, coming across a scene so much like what she had imagined, and yet so much worse at the same time. She saw the fallen trash cans she had heard; she saw her grandfather desperately relying on his cane to stand upright. He had a gun hoisted in the air, aimed at someone standing a few feet away. That someone was Doah Martin, or at least what Doah had become.

The eighteen-year-old stood with his legs wide and his arms wider, his dark brown skin slicked with rain and sweat. His fingernails had stretched out into wicked claws, his heavy dreads broken free from his ponytail. The tips of pointed ears stuck up through the strands, and his eyes were gleaming with such intensity it was as if the amber light was coming from within them rather than reflecting from without.

The two had been in a standoff, both of them wounded. Doah had blood leaking from several holes in his jacket, and Marshall was bruised and bleeding from the corner of his lip. His hand shook, the gun still held aloft. Naomi looked at them both, facing each other off. It was man versus monster. Naomi looked at the impossible situation. It truly had come down to a situation of life and death.

“I want both of you to listen to me right now…" Nomi announced, causing both the werewolf and her grandfather to turn. Marshall was shocked, but more than that he was startled. He wanted to call out her name, but he knew that could betray her identity. Keeping one's links secret was essential. The werewolf's lips curled, betraying his sharp fangs. Naomi took a step closer into the alleyway, “I don't know what's going on here, but it's time for you both to part ways. No one has to die here." Naomi said.

Doah snarled again, looking back at Marshall, then Naomi. His escape was cut off now, he was trapped with the madman that had been following him around, and now someone else knew… Naomi saw her grandfather start to lower his gun, leaning on his cane, rethinking his position. Her muscles relaxed, just a little, feeling the seeds of hope that would lead to a resolution. If she could diffuse this situation, they could all get out of there, the damage would be minimized.

“Good, good… We'll just go our separate ways…" Naomi said, still moving forward. The werewolf's eyes blinked slowly, regarding the stranger before turning suddenly. It had happened so fast, Naomi wasn't even able to process what the wolf had done at first, but Marshall crumpled suddenly to the ground, a ribbon of crimson blossoming across his stomach. Naomi's eyes widened in horror.

“NO!" She screamed. The werewolf turned and bolted, picking up speed before he lunged, arching upwards, clawed hands grasping at the sound barrier. He kicked and flailed until the claws on his feet dug into the grooves in the cement, giving him enough purchase to pull himself up and over the barrier, disappearing onto the other side. Naomi ran down the alley to her grandfather, dropping onto her knees, moving to look at him closer. She pulled out her phone, trying to dial 911.

“Naomi…" Marshall whispered, shaking his head, “No, Naomi…"

“You're hurt, I need to get you help." Naomi said desperately.

“You need to finish… our work." Marshall said, looking up at her, the red staining his pants now as well, dribbling down his worn-out hips to collect in the rainwater on the ground. Naomi's eyes glassed up with more tears.

“We'll work on it together, just like we always planned." Naomi said. Marshall gave a weak smile, his breath getting a bit ragged.

“I know you'll expose them. You'll show the world their second skin. Just be careful… Don't let their… their agents in. Don't let them destroy you… Don't let…" Marshall whispered, his voice getting hoarse. His eyes closed in pain, his face tightening up before it relaxed suddenly. Naomi froze.

“No… We'll show them together. Grandfather… Grandpa…" Naomi whimpered, reaching out to touch his cheek. Even with the slight touch, she knew she had already lost him. The vitality that Marshall had always had was gone. The life had drained away from him already. He had died trying to complete his life's mission, and he had only passed on when he was sure that she was going to continue it in his name.

Naomi's muscles tightened. Her phone fell to the cement as her fingers dug into her hands. She lifted her head skyward and let out a wail of anguish and pain and loss that echoed through the alleys, climbing up higher, reaching out beyond the buildings and heading toward the heavens themselves. The clouds responded with a deep thunderous reply before the rain broke even harder, coming down in buckets. The water began to mix with the blood, turning a pale crimson as it spread outward.

There was no telling quite how long Naomi had been there by the time the sirens started to grow louder, then even more time before the lights from the police cars reflected off of the poorly patched plaster on the side of the buildings. The officers moved down the alley towards them, but another figure closed the distance just a bit faster. Naomi didn't even move as Chad crouched down behind her, bringing his jacket over her shoulders.

“Come on Naomi, we need to get you somewhere safe." Chad said softly. Naomi was still frozen, but she didn't resist as Chad started pulling her up to her feet. He kept her aloft with a hand on the small of her back, though he reached down to collect her rain-soaked phone and slip it into his pocket for safe keeping. One of the officers had returned to his squad car, radioing back to the station.

“We can't leave him here. He deserved better…" Naomi whispered. Chad nodded, rubbing her back softly.

“We won't leave him. We'll make sure he's not alone." Chad said. Naomi nodded at that before turning, resting her face against Chad's chest. She closed her eyes and started to cry again, crumpling against his chest. Chad wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight, trying to give her the strength she needed most. Naomi's eyes stung from the tears, her skin was frozen to the bone, but the heat of her anger and the rage of her loss was radiating warmth out from her core, hot enough to turn sand to glass if she let it out. Now all she needed was a plan, and once she had that, nothing would stop her.

[One Day Ago]
Early morning light stretched across the Houston skyline, creeping up from the horizon little by little. It was still early enough that the sunrise made the fog hugging the lowlands glow rather than burning it away, but that would come in time. The sky had a few scattered clouds drifting along on high air currents, but the forecast was for another warm and muggy November day. It was as if the weather couldn't make up its mind, but Naomi was no stranger to that.

Naomi sat in the chair at her desk, her eyes drawn to the framed photograph she kept there. It was a replica, the real one was tucked away safe at home, but seeing the four generals reminded her of her life's greatest lessons, and there was something comforting about having her grandfather there, even if it was in spirit. If only he knew how close she had gotten to fulfilling his work. In part, it already had. The world knew of werewolves, the secret was out - but it was not broken.

The elevator doors chimed before they rattled open and Chad stepped out, looking into the office with a knowing smile. Naomi looked up, seeing dirt smudges on his cheeks, a button missing from the sleeve of his suit. Naomi couldn't help but smile, leaning back in her chair, taking a good long look at him.

“You were getting your hands dirty? This takes me back. I'm a little surprised you weren't running through the woods barefoot." Naomi smiled. Chad smirked a little, moving over to the bar on the side of the office, setting the kettle to warm up the water for tea.

“Sometimes I feel like outrunning a tornado would be easier than all this." Chad replied. Naomi grimaced a little before she nodded.

“Maybe you're right. How… are the cleanup efforts going?" Naomi asked. Chad waited for the water to get hot enough before he poured it over tea bags resting in the glasses, opening a small container of specially collected honey to add for sweetness. The golden syrup melted away into the amber liquid, swirling around until it was invisible. Chad brought the glasses over to set on her desk, taking up his usual seat across from her.

“The inspectors came and went. The forms all say it was an illegal dumping of industrial waste. They commend our efforts on assisting with the cleanup. The investigation won't dig too deeply into the story, but there's no way we could recover the facility or anything inside. It's beyond flooded, it's completely collapsed. The safest thing to do would be to cap it for now, wait for an opportunity down the line to dig it all out." Chad said. Naomi said nothing at that, lifting her teacup, holding it in both hands as if it was going to give her some sort of strength.

“I was too careless. I brought in too many variables. There had to be an inside agent, someone that tampered with the beta site." Naomi said softly, “What if they do it here?"

“The werewolves here came by choice. They were all volunteers that want answers, that want the truth. It won't turn out the same here." Chad replied, sipping his own tea. Naomi still held on to hers, looking at Chad with concern.

“After all of the accidents and the close calls, the defective devices, the fires, the coolant malfunctions… The science staying just out of reach, what if it's one of those damned Keepers, sabotaging everything from the inside? What if they come for me, like they did for Kopland and Dallas and the others? Chad, I'm… I'm so tired. We're so close to being finished. I just…" Naomi closed her eyes for a long moment, breathing in and out.

“Whatever happens, I will be there to protect you." Chad said without a doubt. Just hearing those words alone helped Naomi to relax a little, to calm her mind. She opened her eyes and looked back at Chad, looking into his eyes and into his soul.

“You're still my friend, right Chad?" Naomi asked softly.

“Of course." Chad replied, “Now drink your tea. You're going to need it. You've got four division head meetings before lunch." he smiled. Naomi smirked, shaking her head.

“You're not tired of all of this are you? Keeping up with me and this ever-changing agenda?" Naomi asked pensively.

“Not quite, at least not yet." Chad smirked, shaking his head as he savored his tea, looking out over the Houston skyline as the sun rose on another brand new day.