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“This is still safe. I know where all the property lines are.” Of course she did.
They walked for what felt like forever before Annette finally stopped in the woods.
“The electric fence ends just before you get to the tree line in most places, but here, you can go into the woods for a bit.”
“How do you know how far?”
“I marked the tree.” She pointed at a tree a distance off with white paint on it. In the snow it was barely discernible. They stopped just before the painted tree.
“This is far outside the range of their spying equipment. Sometimes when I need to think and have some peace and freedom, I come out here. You’re the first person I’ve brought here. I thought you might need a place like this, too.”
“Do you ever think of escaping?”
Annette shook her head. “No. I’m happy here. I love Anton. He’s good to me. And who wouldn’t want to live in a place like this? Plus, it’s not like I never get to leave. He takes me to the ballet and the opera. He’s got friends from St. Petersburg in the ballet.”
Perhaps off of Mina’s desolate expression, Annette stopped herself and said, “Uh, but, I mean… I understand why you’d want to leave. If our situations were reversed…” she trailed off. “I’m sorry this happened to you.”
“Help me find a way out. I can’t be here. Not with him.” She braced herself against the tree while she fought to keep her breath. There were no paper bags out here to stop it if she hyperventilated again. She felt unsteady on her feet, the cold woods spinning around her.
“Whoa. You need to sit somewhere,” Annette said.
Mina leaned against the tree and tried not to think.
“Do they know you know about this place? Do they know this is inside the perimeter?”
“I have no idea. Anton’s never said anything.”
“What if I run through the barrier and just kept going? What if I pushed through far enough to get out of range?”
“It wouldn’t work. The range of the fence is far enough that you wouldn’t be able to withstand it. You’d go unconscious and they’d find you, assuming you survived that long.”
“What about a key?”
“It’s a code. They all know it by heart. It’s not written down anywhere, and I’ve never been allowed close enough to see one come off.”
Mina felt the tears begin to freeze on her face. “There has to be a way out. I… I can’t go back.” She recalled the look on Brian’s face when he’d had her alone inside his room before he’d been called away. Something terrible would have happened if the intercom hadn’t come on.
Even if he managed self-control today… what about tomorrow? Or the next day? Or the next? Eventually he’d hurt her. Badly.
Mina tugged on the bracelet as if it would come apart if she pulled on it the right way.
“You should talk to Lindsay.”
“He won’t do anything,” Mina said, defeated.
“Well, you’d better figure out a way to appeal to him. He’s your only shot. He brought you here. He accepted Brian’s bid—at least that’s what Anton said. The others stayed out of it. Lindsay is the only one with the power to set you free. Well, except for Brian, but I doubt that will happen. Just go talk to him.”
Loud beeps went off, causing Mina to jump, convinced it was Brian calling her back, but it wasn’t her bracelet.
“That’s Anton. I have to go. Remember what I said. If you want out, you have to work on Lindsay.”
It was Sunday, so Lindsay was at the house, instead of at his office in the city.
“What is it?” he said when she knocked.
She pushed the door open a crack and popped her head in.
“Mina.” His voice held resignation. “Come in, and close the door.”
