I want to remind readers that I originally thought the boat left from Texas because they didn't reveal it was Louisiana until the second season aired.

Also, Happy Thanksgiving to those in the United States!

One year ago

Brooklynn's heart pounded as she parked her motorcycle on a concealed trail. This was the night she would get the final bit of information she needed for her story. The excitement she felt was on a different level than anything she felt during her influencer days.

Closing her eyes, she started meditating. The pounding of her heart slowed. Her excitement slowly changed into a sense of serenity.

Taking out her phone, she looked at the message again. Her contact in the DPW had informed her of an illegal drop happening tonight. Once she had proof of the dinosaur smuggling, she could help the police set up a sting using Mr. Kon's illicit funds.

She cautiously hiked down the trail to the drop-off point. An old bus stop that used to drop off visitors to see the redwoods. Settling into the bushes she waited for the drop-off to happen.

Two hours slowly ticked by. So far, the truck hadn't shown up and neither had Darius. He'd promised he would show up.

She heard the sounds of a vehicle coming down the road. Brooklynn returned to her hiding place. She listened as a large truck started getting closer. This was it, the drop!

Only it wasn't. It was a delivery truck for a beverage company. The female driver kept her eyes straight as she drove off into the night.

"Okay, don't get irritated Brooklynn. The drop is going to ensue. Being patient is the key."

She got up and did some stretches, loosening her body up. She observed the area again. No truck, no Darius.

Dammit, she needed a third party to witness the drop to have credibility for her story. One person could always manipulate videos and audio, but two people saying the same thing were taken seriously. She needed to get Darius here asap.

Taking a quick peek at the road Brooklynn settled down and started making a video message. She was almost finished when a flashing notification blocked out the video.

"Get out of there right now! My account was hacked and I didn't send you any information!"

Then she heard a loud thumping behind her. Shaking in fear, she turned her head. A one-eyed Allosaurus was standing there licking its lips.

Brooklynn screamed and took off running. One-Eye was right behind her, snapping his jaws at her. She bobbed and weaved, managing to evade the big dinosaur.

She kept running until the Allosaurus stopped. She believed she got away only to be cut off as two Atrociraptors jumped out of the bushes. They circled her, snapping at her.

Brooklynn started to panic as the predators moved closer. She was fumbling for her necklace when a lady marched out of the woods. Her blank expression made Brooklynn realize how dangerous she was.

The woman lifted a whistle to her lips and blew. Tiger started to jump only to have One-Eye grab his tail. The Allosaurus shook Tiger horizontally as he tried to rip the tail off.

Panthera ignored the whistle and chuffed loudly at One-Eye. When One-Eye refused to drop Tiger, she leaped onto the bigger dinosaur's neck. With the raptors distracted, Brooklynn ran for it.

Behind her, the woman blew her whistle again. A third Atrociraptor stepped into the streetlight. Brooklynn shrieked and tried to back up. Ghost knocked her over with her tail.

Scrambling across the road, Brooklynn tried once again to grab her pendant. But it was already too late. Ghost didn't even wait for the whistle. She lunged at Brooklynn's neck.

The young woman quickly covered her face and neck with her left arm. The pain was unbelievable. She felt bones crushing and blood dripping as her arm was nearly torn off.

Brooklynn suddenly felt light headed. The sounds around her becoming dimmer. She expected more pain but it was noticeably absent. The shock became too much and she fell unconscious.

The world dissolve into a white abyss. Brooklynn felt herself floating in the air before looking down at her own body. Had she just died or was there still some chance that she could be saved?

The abyss vanished as her surroundings changed. She was suddenly inside a cramped trailer. She could feel Kenji's lips on her neck as she sat down.

"Kenji!" Brooklynn clamored as she leaped up from the table. She banged her knee and started hopping around.

"Whoa, chill Brooklynn. I bet I Kon make your knee feel better with a kiss," Kenji laughed as he leaned down to kiss her again.

"NO!" Brooklynn shouted as she shoved him away. Seeing the hurt expression on his face she tried to backtrack. "I mean, it's fine. The pain is already subsiding."

"Yo girl, are you okay? You seem jumpier than a jumping bean," Sammy's voice said.

Spinning around, Brooklynn saw a laptop on the table. All her camp friends were video calling her and Kenji. Why did this moment feel familiar?

"Sorry, I haven't been sleeping the greatest. I'm working on a big story and haven't taken much of a break."

"Well, you better get some rest. I would hate to see you become a fossil because you're not taking care of your health," Darius teased her.

She laughed at Darius's joke even if it wasn't that funny. "Don't worry Darius I won't…" She stopped speaking because she wasn't in the camper anymore.

She was outside and in a garden. Kenji's dad was standing in front of her. How did she get here?

"If I'm going to help you, then you need to do something for me, Miss. Lander," Daniel was saying.

"Excuse me, but what are you talking about again?" she asked. She could hear her voice echoing loudly.

Daniel's expression altered to confusion. "Are you trying to play coy? I do admit it is smart to act like you're not paying attention in case someone's watching. Rest assured, dear girl, if you get Kenji over here by the end of the month, then I'll give you what you need."

Suddenly there was a loud screech and the sun became brighter. Shielding her eyes, she saw her location had changed once again. She was in her secret apartment with documents in her hands.

She brought the documents closer to her face. Reports about the unusually high number of dead dinosaurs being found in one region. It had to be related to the trafficking ring she was investigating.

Absentmindedly, Brooklynn got up and headed toward her apartment door. She perceived there was something on the other side of the door. She reached out with her left hand only to discover it was missing!

"WHAT THE HECK? WHERE'S MY HAND?" Brooklynn shrieked as she backed up. She felt her foot slip on something as she tumbled to the floor.

Only she didn't hit the floor. Instead, she found herself on a pile of leaves. Frantically, she looked down at her arms and saw she still had two hands. Taking a deep breath, she started looking around.

There was a cabin a short distance away. She saw two people out on the deck talking. They would know where she was.

Pushing herself up, she approached the cabin. As she got closer to the cabin, she felt a feeling of deja vu. Had she been here before?

She reached the cabin and started climbing the steps. She stopped suddenly when she saw who was on the deck. The two people were her and Darius!

She heard herself telling Darius how she loved Kenji, but he didn't understand that her budding reporting career was her main focus. "Once this story breaks, Kenji will understand why I had to devote all my time to this. At least, I hope so."

"I'm sure he will. How could anyone not love you?"

Past Brooklyn blinked her eyes a few times in confusion. "Love? Darius, what are you trying to say?"

Darius started fretting and ranting about different types of love. A deep blush was moving from his cheeks down to his mouth. Past Brooklynn was trying to interrupt his rant.

A truck appeared and the driver got out. It was Ronnie, Darius's boss. But instead of looking at the two on the deck, she was staring at Brooklynn.

"Wake up, Brooklynn. Please, wake up! I can't let you perish like this," Ronnie spoke in an urgent tone.

"Perish? What do you mean by that?"

Ronnie strode over and placed a wet washcloth on Brooklynn's forehead. "Your fever is getting higher. If you want to live kiddo, you have to start fighting back!"

The world around her transformed again. She was back in her family's apartment. Her dads were crying as they packed a suitcase.

"This can't be happening. I can't mourn her loss a second time," one of them whimpered. "Are we sure she's gone this time? Maybe, she's still alive like last time."

"With how much blood was found at the scene there's no way she could still be alive. We can't hold onto false hope this time We have to accept she's gone," the other man insisted to his partner.

"No, I'm right here! Can't you hear me?" Brooklynn shouted to her dads. She felt herself being dragged away again.

She was suspended in a black abyss this time. Her body felt so heavy she couldn't move. Unseen voices spoke around her.

She couldn't make out what they were saying. Nor could she distinguish one voice from the other. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw a faint light appearing.

No, make that two lights. One was white and the other was pink. Each gave off a warm glow.

She could hear serene music playing inside the white light. As she drifted closer, she felt a sense of calm. If she passed through the light, she knew instinctively that she would never wake up again.

The pink light's music consisted of high notes that plunged into low notes. Looking at it caused Brooklynn's eyes to hurt. This light must lead back to the living world.

Brooklynn recognized she was at a crossroads. She could accept death and find peace, or, go back to a painful life. She hesitated only for a moment before choosing one of the lights.

Brooklynn's eyes fluttered open and she felt an intense pain throughout her body. Letting out a moan, she struggled to sit up.

"NO! You need to stay down!" A female voice shouted. Ronnie rushed into the room and gently pushed Brooklynn back down. It was then that Brooklynn registered she was on a pull-out bed.

Ronnie was grinning with relief as she took Brooklynn's temperature. "Thank goodness, your fever finally broke. I was going to gamble taking you to a hospital if you didn't wake up by tomorrow."

"Risk going to a hospital? How long have I been asleep?" Brooklynn questioned.

"Nearly three days. I was lucky to find you before you bled out. Whoever attacked you must have left you for dead."

Suddenly, Brooklynn's body caught up to her mind. She remembered everything, including the dreams. Ignoring, Ronnie's protests, she rolled over to see her left arm.

Just as it was in her dream, her forearm was gone. The Atrociraptor had bitten her so badly, that Ronnie had to amputate it to save her life. She felt a few tears fall down her face.

"Hey, it will be okay. Once you've healed enough, we can get you a prosthetic. It won't be the same, but at least you be able to use two hands again."

A crazy thought entered Brooklynn's mind. It might not work and could put her in more danger. Given her injury, she had to at least try.

"Where's my pendent? Did you grab my pendent?"

The older woman was discombobulated by the ferocity in Brooklynn's voice. "Don't worry, your necklace is in my bedroom. I know how important is it to you. But I don't think now…"

"Bring it to me, now! There's something inside it, that might help me. Please."

Unsure what was going on, Ronnie went to retrieve the necklace. In her mind, Brooklynn was doing some quick math. If she wanted the change to be permanent, she needed to use the right dosage.

Ronnie returned with the necklace. Giving it to Brooklynn, the young lady opened the pendant, revealing the secret pills inside. "What I'm about to share is a secret only my other camp family members know. You need to keep it to yourself as well."

Seeing how serious she was, Ronnie nodded. She followed Brooklynn's instructions to take the pink capsule and cut a very thin sliver off. After she did that, she was to place into her stump.

The woman started to protest because of the dangers of opening the stitches too early. Brooklynn insisted it had to be done that way or else it wouldn't work. She begged Ronnie to trust her.

"If you're that adamant, I'll do it. For the record, I think this is a very bad idea. You're risking getting an infection in the rest of your body."

"I know, but if this works, I won't have to worry about my amputation."

After the procedure was finished, Ronnie told Brooklynn to get some sleep. She would check the wound tomorrow morning. Yawning, the young woman settled back down and fell asleep.

Brooklynn was awakened the next morning by someone shouting, "GOOD LORD, WHAT IS THAT?!"

Opening her eyes, the young woman looked down at her left arm and smiled. Her crazy idea had actually worked! Her forearm and hand were back!

Well, not exactly back. From the elbow down to her hand, was a slender Corythosaurus arm. "It worked. It actually worked!" Brooklynn giggled in delight!

"I hoped it would but I couldn't be a hundred percent sure! No one knows if dinosaurs had the same regenerative abilities as some lizards. Well, I guess we know the answer now!"

Ronnie demanded an explanation. Brooklynn informed her about what happened on the island. It dawned on the older woman that was the reason Darius kept his necklace on all the time, even if it might get caught on something.

"Do your dads' know about this?"

"No. We swore never to tell anyone unless the group decided together it was necessary. I wouldn't have even tried this if I didn't need to protect myself from whoever attacked me."

Ronnie appeared delighted to hear that she was the first person Brooklynn confided in. "Be thankful for small miracles. You're still going to need to rest a few days before you do anything with that arm."

"Oh, come on! I know how to use my arm!" Brooklynn protested. She was waving her dinosaur hand around and it smacked against a lamp. It crashed to the floor as the bulb broke.

Ronnie gave Brooklynn a look. Now feeling ashamed, Brooklynn agreed it would be a good idea to wait a few more days. Smirking, Ronnie got a broom and dustpan to clean up the mess.

The next week passed quickly. Brooklynn quickly adapted to her new limb and only occasionally dropped things. Having four fingers was not easy as a lot of cartoons showed.

What was most depressing was not being able to tell anyone she was alive. Ronnie suggested that she let everyone know as soon as she was ready. But Brooklynn had been obstinate she had to stay dead for now.

Until she found out who that lady with the Atrociraptors was, and, why someone ordered her death, it was safer this way. Instead, she used the time to look into the DPW records to learn what else they were hiding.

Brooklynn was at the counter reading over an expense report that Ronnie had gotten for her. All the directors had to allocate a certain amount of funds to local offices in their region. The investigative reporter noticed a significant amount of difference when it came to Cabrera's region.

"How are you allocating so many funds to your offices in Texas when more incidents are occurring in Louisiana right now?" Brooklynn pondered to herself.

"Wait a minute, where's that list of employees?" Brooklynn searched through a small pile of papers. It was a list of employees in the Texas offices. She compared the list of employees from this month to the previous month.

"The employment rate for the offices in Texas has tripled in the last six months. But that doesn't make sense. If there were that many employees, they would have been assigned to other offices to help in states with lots of dinosaur captures."

Then she heard three loud knocks on the door to the cabin. That was the signal to let Brooklynn know Ronnie had returned. She then heard the door lock click twice indicating she was alone.

Setting down her paperwork on the end table, Brooklynn entered the main room. Ronnie was carrying two big bags of groceries. "I could use some help with these."

"Don't worry, I got it." Brooklynn grabbed one bag with her left arm. The dinosaur arm was physically stronger than her right. That's why it wasn't hard to carry the bag with one hand.

"How was work, today?"

"Incredibly nerve wracking. I don't know how many more rookies they're going to send to me. It would be easier to handle these captures if I could get some competent help."

"Rookies, huh? Are any of them coming from Texas?"

"No, they're all from different offices in this region. Why do you ask?"

Brooklynn informed her about the discrepancies she had uncovered. "It would make sense if the employees on the list were being sent to other offices, but since they're not, I don't think they're real."

Ronnie agreed and it was most likely Cabrera was cooking the books to use the extra money for something. "We need to proceed carefully from here. I can't get you any more paperwork without drawing suspicion to myself."

"Is someone targeting you?"

"Not directly, but people are starting to ask questions about why I need these reports. I did have a legitimate excuse; I was asking for more employees to be transferred here." Ronnie explained.

"That of course meant, I had to look over Cabrea's expense reports to see how the transfer would affect his budget changes."

Brooklynn knew Ronnie's request was something completely normal. Yet, if the dirty agents thought there was another reason Ronnie requested the reports, they might come after her directly. They might even send that strange lady to do the job.

"We should invest in a security system," Brooklynn stated.

"I don't have the money for that. Since I work for the DPW, I am allowed to use the two motion cameras on my property. If I wanted a high-tech one, that's money out of my own pocket."

"But the motion cameras only detect motion in a six hundred yards range. They don't even move so all you get is a good look at the front yard and the backyard. That's hardly any protection."

"It's what I have and it will have to do. So, I will reiterate, that you need to be extremely careful when you're home alone."

The young woman nodded. Perhaps, she should concentrate on her other project for the next few days. It would be useful if something or someone came around looking for trouble.

The next day, Brooklynn was doing her best to get precise measurements of her new arm. Obviously, she couldn't walk around with a dinosaur arm if she wanted to keep a low profile. What she needed was a prosthetic glove to hide it in.

This wasn't going to be an easy engineering project. She didn't have access to the machines and supplies that were used in prosthetic creation. The best she could do was use wood to create a frame around her arm.

The hard part was measuring her fingers. Having only four on her left meant she had to use her right thumb's measurements when creating the fifth finger. "Hmm, I might be able to fasten an internal bracelet to help me move the thumb with my index finger."

She pressed her hand against a wood sample. It was very prickly against her scales. Grabbing some sandpaper, she started to smooth down the edges of the wood.

A few minutes later, she tested the wood again. The wood was still pricking the scales. She sanded it some more yet the wood wouldn't stop pricking her.

Going back into the cabin, she began searching through Ronnie's closet. She was drawn to the winter gear and pulled out some long johns. She slipped the garments around her body.

The thick wool didn't agitate the scales. If she wore this material over her arm then the wooden frame wouldn't be touching her skin. Rummaging through the closet again, came across some plastic pieces from a discarded project.

"Hmm, these might work. I bet I can make some hinges for the frame. Better check to what spare parts are in the shed," Brooklynn muttered to herself.

She worked on the wooden frame all day. Brooklynn was pleased with what she had accomplished. The wooden frame was the right size and she had used a temporary sling to hold it in place.

It was a little heavy to wear. She would have to find a way to make it a little lighter. Perhaps she could trim an inch off the wood?

The frame has to fit comfortably around the arm. I know my left forearm is stronger but my elbow and shoulder are still human. I also need to make sure that it won't come off unexpectedly when I'm wearing it.

It took two days to figure out the weight situation with the frame. She had to trim two inches off so it didn't cause problems with her shoulder and elbow. With Ronnie's help, Brooklynn was able to fasten the long john sleeve inside the frame without it tearing.

"You're quite the engineer, Brooklynn. I've never seen someone with your aptitude making a halfway decent prosthetic before."

"It's only a temporary solution. The wood and plastic isn't going to fool anybody long term," Brooklynn replied. She was tightening the mitten chain to help move the thumb.

Brooklynn groaned when the chain broke when she tested it. "I used too much force again! Ugh, I shouldn't have used Dr. Wu's experiment to get my hand back!"

Ronnie snapped her fingers and told Brooklyn to calm down. "I don't ever want to hear you regret the risk you took. You have two functioning arms which is a godsend in my opinion."

"I understand that you're irritated by your circumstances. I would presumably feel the same way if the situation was reversed. Just don't put yourself down, okay?"

Brooklynn nodded her head slowly. She looked outside the window and sighed. Pretending to be dead while hiding was giving her cabin fever.

"Look, I just want to tell you I'll be late getting home tomorrow. I have a meeting at the office with my supervisor. I should be back by ten at the latest. Remember, don't answer the door under any circumstances."

Brooklynn assured her she wouldn't. She added she would also clean up the cabin. With all the work she had been doing on her prototype, the inside of the cabin was extremely dirty.

The next day, Brooklynn started cleaning up right after Ronnie left. The young woman had a better understanding of her left hand's dexterity to avoid destroying things by accident. The first time she tried to help do the dishes, she broke all but one plate.

By mid-afternoon, she had finished with the bedroom and bathroom. The living room was still messy. Brooklynn was in the kitchen wanting to finish cleaning the smaller room first.

She was almost finished wiping down the table when she heard a truck pull up. Instantly, she was on high alert. Ronnie would have called if she was coming back early.

The footsteps reached the porch. The young woman frantically collected the paperwork on the table. She scrambled behind the kitchen island right as someone forced the door open.

In walked a male wearing a DPW uniform. He was scowling as he started walking around. Brooklynn kept very still as the man headed to the table.

She realized that she had left a few papers on the table. The man was heading right towards them. He would see her!

Silently, she crawled out of sight just before the man reached the table. He picked up one of the papers and pulled out a phone. Brooklynn held her breath as she eavesdropped on the call.

"Jensen here, sir. I managed to get into the cabin without any issues. I have the expense report in my hands right now."

Was he holding the one Brooklynn had marked, or was it the original report? Please, let it be the latter.

"Yeah, she's written something on it. No, just some notes about how to get some of Cabrea's rookies to be transferred to her office without breaking his budget. I'm going to have to alter his paperwork again.

Jensen put the paper down on the table and started heading to the bedroom. "I'm going to check her bedroom. There might be something to prove she's onto us."

As he walked away, Brooklynn crawled over to the side door. She gently eased it open and slipped outside. Keeping low she made it down the steps.

She planned to sprint to the shed and hide. That idea was rapidly quashed as a Compy Ronnie was treating started to make a racket. Brooklynn rolled under the wooden steps right as the side door was opening.

"False alarm, it was just an unruly Compy the vet's tending to," Jensen muttered into his phone. "No, the boss wouldn't want this one for the farm. It's missing a foot."

Under the stairs, Brooklynn prayed that Jensen wouldn't look down and see her. "Yeah, I'll make one last sweep. I think Cabrea's barking up the wrong tree. At least his obsession with the Nublar kids means he isn't interfering with the Broker's plans."

The Broker? Who was the Broker and what were their plans? Brooklynn wondered. Jensen laughed at something the person on the phone said. What he said next chilled Brooklynn to her bones.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see you unleash your Atrociraptor pack on Cabrea. I hope I can watch this time as they slaughter that pathetic fool. When it happens; I hope that there's something left of him, unlike that girl."

Even after Brooklynn heard Jensen leave, she didn't move from her hiding spot. She thought about everything she just heard. Whoever sent that pack after her wasn't with the DPW.

This Broker, this person was the true mastermind behind the dinosaur smuggling in DPW. From how Jensen was talking, it indicated that the Broker had multiple operations happening at the same time. Also, what did Jensen mean by farm?

Whatever was going on, she needed to dig deeper. But first, she had to make sure Ronnie was safe. That her friends and family were also safe.

When Ronnie returned to her home that night there was a note waiting for her. It was from Brooklynn. A quick search revealed everything belonging to the young woman was gone.

Turning her attention back to the note, Ronnie started reading it.

Hey Ronnie,

I don't have a lot of time so I'll try to make this quick. Someone named Jesen from the DPW broke into your home earlier. He didn't see me but I heard him talking to someone.

Apparently, there's a mastermind behind the DPW smuggling ring and they're connected to other illegal operations. They call themselves the Broker. They are the ones who ordered my death.

To keep everyone safe, I can't let anyone know that I'm alive or where I am. I have taken the supplies I need and will contact you at a later date. I trust that you can keep my secret.

Take care of yourself. I don't want to find out you're dead because of me.

Sincerely, Crest."

Ronnie looked up and out her window. She had no idea where Brooklynn would go next. She prayed that the young woman would stay safe.