Route 66

26 Dead to Myself

Paul was offering me a way out of almost certain death and I knew in my heart of hearts that he meant every word.

The thought of deceiving my family was unthinkable but I convinced myself that it was the lesser of two evils as I imagined Blake and the children waiting for months, or even years, as molecular biologists feverishly worked to extract the secrets from my body until I couldn't take it anymore. A government official would give them a canned lie about a freak accident or some other fabrication to explain my death.

No, I wasn't going to put them through that. My death would be a quick one and they could get on with their lives.

"Paul, I'm putting my life in your hands. I'm in."

"I wish there was some other way. I truly do. Just so you're aware, there's one other individual who will know your true identity."

"Oh?" I said with a raised brow.

"It's my personal bodyguard, Heng Lee, a former Chinese assassin. He's saved my life so many times I've lost count. I'm absolutely sure that your status won't affect his judgment one iota. His loyalty is indisputable."

"If you trust him, I do too."

He reached into a satchel and pulled out a small instrument that projected a thin beam of light.

"I'll have lenses made that will rest on the sclera of your eyes. They'll change the color."

"The sclera?"

"The whites of your eyes."

"Oh!" I gasped. "Will it hurt?"

"You may have some discomfort at first, but after a couple minutes you won't feel a thing. I'll take measurements using this instrument. All you have to do is focus on the beam without blinking."

When Paul finished, I hurried down to the lobby where Nick was waiting to drive me back to my asylum.

I had just resolved to spend the rest of my life dead to my husband, children and everyone whom I've ever known and loved so I told Blake and the kids that I was going on a trip and that I'd see them in two weeks.

Matt pleaded, "Mommy, why can't I come? I want to play in Hawaii too. Please Mommy? Please??"

I almost changed my mind. Lying to my family was the hardest thing I've ever done. Veronica Preston died that day

*

Paul's plan worked beautifully, although I was sure my life would end right there in the Pacific ocean as I jumped out of a plane with a parachute for the first time. The adrenaline rush was so overwhelming that I nearly passed out.

We landed in a small airport about fifty miles west of San Diego, primarily used by aviator hobbyists and Heng was waiting for us with a Cadillac.

"I'd like to introduce you to Veronica," Paul said.

Heng nodded to me without saying a word. He had a look about him that told you that he'd been through experiences most of us could never fathom in his thirty years on this earth.

"It's nice to meet you," I said warmly.

He nodded again with a polite, yet emotionless gesture.

"Heng takes his charge as my bodyguard very seriously," Paul said. "He's not very talkative, but there's no one else you'd rather have in a crisis situation.

Paul then swung the car door open, motioned to me, and said, "Okay, Veronica, here we go. Scrunch down and I'll camouflage you with this sheet. We'll make our way to a cabin in the woods for your transformation."