PROLOGUE
The dog was barking at a relentless pace and annoying the hell out of Amos Garrett. It was nearly ten pm, the dog should not be barking!
His thirty nine year old daughter was pottering about the in the kitchen, making them both a hot chocolate.
" God damn that mongrel!" Carly heard her father shout, " I'll put a stop to this!"
Carly hurried out of the kitchen and into the living room, " Now Dad, stay calm. There's no need to worry yourself over the dog. He will stop barking eventually."
Amos Garrett scowled, his blue eyes flashing, " Where's my drink girl?"
" It's coming…" Carly retreated back into the kitchen, " Do you want those little marshmallows in it?" she called over her shoulder but got no reply. " Dad?" she turned around. Her father was not on the couch-he had left.
Oh no, Carly thought, her heart thumping in panic. He wouldn't go through with it…would he? Amos Garrett might be an impatient, surly, sixty year old man, but he would never hurt a living creature.
It was then that Carly noticed the axe was gone from its place on the wall, above the fireplace.
20 minutes later, the front door blew open and her father stomped back inside, his arms carrying some chopped up wood. Carly let out a sigh of relief.
" It's a bit chilly out there, thought we could use a fire." Amos told her as he dumped the firewood into the hearth.
" That's great, I'll get us the drinks." Carly put two mugs of hot chocolate onto a tray and joined him at the fireplace.
Amos had a nice fire going and it warmed Carly's whole body. She stood there enjoying her drink. Amos downed his glass and went back into the kitchen to fix himself another.
He was boiling the kettle when he started to choke-a marshmallow had gotten caught in his throat and he wheezed, trying to dislodge it…when he realised it was no marshmallow.
His face started turning blue as his daughter hurried over to help,
" Dad?" she whispered, her brown eyes wide with fright, " You okay?"
" I…can't breathe," he choked out and slumped to the floor. He stared up at his daughter,
" Carly, if I won't make it…call Agent Fox Mulder."
Carly knelt down by him, " Fox Mulder? Who's he?"
" I used to be a friend of his father…" When she glanced down at her father she screamed-the skin was peeling away on his face, revealing the white bone structure underneath. When Carly reached for his pulse, a think trickle of black stuff streamed out of his mouth. Carly reeled back, disgusted.
It was then, she knew, he was dead.
Special agent Fox Mulder of the FBI entered Assistant Director Skinner's office. When he arrived at his own office, there had been a note from Skinner, asking to see him.
A woman was sitting opposite the a.d. looking tired and distressed. She was quite attractive with collar-length; wispy brown hair that had red highlights all the way through and hazel eyes.
" Agent Mulder, I'm glad you could join us," Skinner greeted the younger man, " this is Carly Garrett. She's requested your help-she says her father used to be an old friend of your own father."
" Hi Carly," Mulder said, " What can I do for you?"
" Last night my father died a horrible death," Carly began, " and Mr. Skinner tells me you investigate the paranormal."
" That's right, I do. And you think your father's death wasn't…normal?" Mulder asked carefully.
" Well, he didn't die of natural causes. The paramedics said it wasn't a heart attack or anything like that. They couldn't explain it." Carly paused, " he was old I guess, but that wasn't a natural death."
" Describe to me how he died," Mulder suggested, already intrigued. Sounds like this was an X-File.
Carly did so, looking more upset by the minute. It wasn't til after she explained it, the tears began to fall.
" Here," Skinner handed her a box of tissues, " it must have not been very pleasant watching your father die the way he did."
That's a blinding flash of the obvious, Mulder thought, annoyed.
" No, it wasn't. Poor Dad…"
" My partner Agent Scully can do an autopsy on your dad to find out exactly why he died." Mulder told her, " with your permission of course."
Carly nodded, " Thanks Agent Mulder. I can be reached on this number. I'll be moving sometime this week," she handed him a slip of paper with her cell number written on it.
" I'll get in touch. And try not to worry," Mulder assured her as Skinner walked her out of the office.
One Week Later
Carly left Mr. Skinners office after another meeting with Mulder and his partner Scully. There had been some delay in getting her father's body released from the hospital morgue and because of this, Scully wasn't able to perform the autopsy earlier.
Meanwhile, the tall, broad-shouldered man wearing a dark suit was approaching Skinner's office when he caught sight of the pretty brown-haired woman. She looked tired and stressed but she managed a smile at him when they passed.
The CSM lit up a Morley and watched her leave.
He knew all about Carly Garrett-he had been a 'friend' of her father's during her years as an FBI Agent back in the mid-1990s.
Because of the CSM's connections with the FBI, Amos had asked the CSM to keep an eye out for his daughter, to keep her safe and alive.
If he hadn't, Amos would have gone public about the Project they were working on several years ago.
The CSM did his job and he did it well. Carly never even knew she had a bodyguard; it had been all very discreet.
Now that old Amos was dead, the CSM was free to make his move…