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right. It would only take a single mistake and she could end up killing the witness or getting herself kidnapped, tortured and maybe even killed. She sighed. “You’ll water my plants?”
    “This isn’t going to be easy, Lexi, especially if they are watching you.”
    She nodded. “I figured that out myself, Jack. Is tomorrow soon enough, or are we going to do this tonight?”
    “It’s gotta be tonight, and then I’ll set up transport for both of you. You’re going to have to go deep with this one, Lexi. You’re going to have to die.”

Chapter Four
    Lexi Hunter carried her briefcase to her car, sliding in and stuffing the key in the ignition. Her mind was racing with so many things that had to be done before she could disappear . She made a mental list. Turning over the key, she felt as if she’d been smashed into a wall. There was a noise―a tha-whump sound that felt as if it would shatter her eardrums―then there was nothing but blackness.
    * * * *
    The van pulled into the downstairs lot leading straight to the County morgue. Two men jumped out, going to the back and tugging out a gurney holding a plain black plastic body bag. They rolled the gurney into the building, signing in at the logs before depositing it back with the medical examiner.
    “What’s this?” the older man asked.
    “Explosion in the parking lot at the federal building; A U.S. Marshal was blown up.”
    The M.E. nodded, pulling his wire-rimmed glasses off his nose, cleaning them on the edge of his scrubs. “I take it that accounts for the smoky smell.”
    “Yes, sir,” one of the two men said. “She was little more than a charred husk.”
    “Do we have a positive identification?”
    “Alexandra Hunter,” one of the men said, glancing down at the paperwork on the clipboard. “She got into her car, and that’s all she wrote.”
    “Okay, thanks, gentlemen. I’ll take her from here.” The M.E., a Doctor Rupert Cabot, pushed the gurney back toward the autopsy room, humming to himself. Locking the gurney wheels next to one of the stainless steel autopsy tables, he readied to move the body from the body bag to the table.
    He tugged on the zipper that held the bag closed, slowly lowering it. The smell of burned pork grew in the room, and Dr. Cabot blinked his eyes, pulling his mask on over his lips and nose to filter out some of the stench. He flipped back the front of the bag, his eyes growing wide as the body stirred and sat up.
    “I’m Lexi Hunter, Doctor. I’m sorry if I startled you.”
    “Well, my bodies usually don’t sit up on me on my autopsy table or talk to me.”
    She held out her hand, letting the doctor help her down. “I’m betting you don’t usually have U.S. Marshals on your table that often either.”
    “You’d win that bet.”
    “Well, I don’t want to put you in any danger, so if anyone asks, I’m a crispy critter.”
    “I can’t falsify official documents, Miss Hunter.”
    “It’s Agent Hunter, Doctor. This is a life and death situation, otherwise I wouldn’t even be asking. My boss will be here soon to fill you in on what is need to know .”
    There was the sound of voices arguing on the other side of the door, and Lexi smiled, pushing her hair back and away from her face. “That would be my boss, Doctor.”
    Jack pushed through the double door, a gurney in front of him. “Doctor...”
    “Rupert Cabot, sir. I’ve been M.E. for Monroe City for a few years now.”
    “Well, Doctor Cabot, I have Lexi Hunter in this bag. She is a U.S. Marshal and deserving of your respect and attention, but not too much of your attention, if you know what I mean.”
    “I’m an officer of the law as much as either of you. I cannot falsify records.”
    “What if it would save a life, Doctor?” Lexi stepped up beside him and touched his hand, which was covered in a latex glove. “What if it would save my life?”
    He stared at her, and she could see the concern as well as the confusion in his face.
    “My life