In the days that followed, Giselle's main job was to go from room to room, treating the injured women—tending to their wounds or giving them injections.
Even though she might have been spared from entertaining men, she couldn't escape the daily torment of seeing the women brutalized. Every day, someone would be carried out, limp and lifeless, to be dumped somewhere in the mountains. The sight gnawed at her, leaving her heart heavy and aching.
During that time, she gradually figured out where she was being held. She was in a small, isolated town wedged at the border of three countries, hidden deep among steep, endless mountains.
The place was also a stronghold for an anti-government militia. Most of the men who came here for entertainment were ruthless militants or wealthy businessmen involved in illegal dealings.
Because it was a lawless zone, no authorities ever stepped in. Calling the cops would have been pointless. Here, weapons ruled.
The biggest problem was that there were no phones she could use to contact the outside world. There was no way she could call home for help. Plus, she had no idea how to navigate the surrounding area.
In other words, she was trapped in hell with no way out. Even if she made it out of the building, she wouldn't be able to tell east from west.
However, she forced herself to stay calm. The constant fighting and killings around her no longer shook her; she had learned to watch them with cold detachment. Her previous brushes with death had already hardened her spirit.
Giselle refused to give up. There had to be a way out, and she was determined to find it. Whether she could escape or not, her next goal was obvious—she needed to leave the building and map out the terrain within six miles.
…
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