Chapter Three

Sacrificed Virgin

The cold night closed in around their womanly bodies, hiding little of their sex from any discerning eye. Their only salvation was the inclement weather; and the likelihood that few would bother with a small band of ragamuffins fleeing the city. They rode in a humble gardener’s truck, which had been stored in Madame’s garage for some years. There was no roof and only a small windshield, so they were subject to the miserable air and winds. They covered themselves in blankets as much as they could to protect against the elements. Renee drove with Katarina at her side, while Isobel and Brigitta rode in the small back seat. The ancient vehicle had two speeds and could attain no more than thirty miles an hour; but it was a better choice than the alternative for the kind of journey they planned. To take the motor car might have meant less time covering the sixty-mile distance, but it was generally known that all automobiles were searched. The dilapidated old truck would not draw the attention that a more expensive late model automobile would.

Deciding to hide their identities as women was another attempt to keep attention away from who they were and the purpose of their trek. If they appeared as commoners or workmen—men specifically—they were less likely to be hassled. Tucking their heads down against blasts of wind, holding their coats and blankets zealously to their chests, they made their way along the road as though they were thieves stealing a prize hen.

They passed two checkpoints without incident, while sleepy guards manning the stations hardly lifted their heads to acknowledge their passing. They had just one more checkpoint to go before they would be outside the reach of the reigning city government. By the time they were beyond the last guard post, they could take to the forests that Renee knew well. Her country home was only a few miles further, yet, untouched by rebels or ransacking officials. Though the house was just sixty miles from the city, it seemed forever in consciousness, a place far outside time and certainly the circumstances of upheaval common now.

Reaching the final checkpoint, the truck moved aside another larger vehicle, making it nearly unseen by the watchmen as it passed through the gate at a snail’s pace. Assuming that