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In the pale moonlight he saw a figure emerge from the main building and dart towards the side building. He was about to get up when he saw torchlight moving around, casting flickering shadows. He couldn’t tell who was holding the torch. He shrank back. The light disappeared from the veranda. Petri waited. After a few minutes the torchlight reappeared and Petri saw Katherine staggering towards the gates. She was carrying a heavy burden, not easily identified in the dark.
‘Are those the children, Katherine?’ he asked quietly.
‘No, just Carolyn. Here. Help me,’ she whispered. Petri took the sleeping girl. During the transfer Carolyn woke and immediately wanted to get down.
Her mother said, ‘Keep quiet. Don’t make a sound. Stay with this man and start walking quickly. We’re going to leave here but you must be very quick and very quiet.’
Petri put the child gently on the ground.
Katherine said, ‘I’m going back to get Isaac. Won’t be long.’
Carolyn, used to obedience, simply stared at Petri. ‘Do you want me to carry you? It might be quicker.’
Carolyn shook her head. She was very nervous of men.
‘Right then, let’s go. Fast as we can, eh?’ Petri hadn’t walked more than a couple of cricket pitch lengths from the gate when he heard Katherine running after him.
‘Come on, quickly. Let’s go as fast as we can,’ Katherine said breathlessly. ‘Carolyn, let the man carry you, it will be much quicker.’
Petri scooped the little girl into his arms and resumed his half jog towards where he’d hidden his vehicle. He counted off the flagging tape markers as they passed each one.
‘What happened to Karl?’ he asked.
‘Later. Let’s just get the hell out of here.’ Katherine’s words came in staccato blasts, her lungs working overtime as she maintained the steady pace along the track.
They reached the Toyota. Katherine wrapped the children in blankets. Isaac had not woken, but Carolyn was wide-eyed.
It was only the third time she had been so far from the compound in her entire life. Katherine climbed into the passenger seat, lifted Isaac on to her knee and put Carolyn’s head on her lap. She was shivering when Petri started the vehicle.
‘Don’t worry, once we get going the heater will kick in and you’ll soon warm up.’
‘I’m not shivering with cold,’ she chattered back. ‘I’m scared. We must go.’
The engine burst into life and the pleasure of hearing the distinctive reverse gear noise as they backed out of the bushes and on to the track was beyond words.
‘So, where’s Karl?’
‘He tried to rape me. I just lost it and managed to knock him out. I hit him so hard. I might have killed him.’ She started to cry. ‘He stank. He was drunk. His fingernails were so filthy.’ Of all the horrors, Katherine knew she would never forget his fingernails.
Petri glanced at her. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘I have to get away from this place, from him, from Benjamin, from this nightmare and get the children away and —’
‘Shh. Don’t talk any more. Let’s just get the hell out of here.’
With the lights on full beam they put as much distance between them and the Factory as they could.
They drove in silence for a while.
Suddenly there was a bang and the vehicle swerved sharply.
Petri fought the wheel, bringing it back on to the track and to a shuddering, bumping stop. ‘Damnation! Burst tyre.’ His put his palm to his forehead. ‘That’s my second flat!’
‘What’s that mean? What do we do?’ Katherine was already looking over her shoulder.
‘No choice. Have to repair it, if we can. Otherwise I can fix the spare. Depends on which is more damaged. Better move it. Can you hold the torch?’
* * *
