My father taught me a long time ago not to be a quitter. Mom, too. Between the pair of them? I'd had a formidable (if couched in loving attention for the most part disguising the lessons) education in taking care of myself.

But it had been that most amazing of women, Jill Wagner, who'd taught me not so long ago the very important and, as it turned out in the next few seconds, vital skill of breaking free of various types of bonds and escaping.

"Thing is," she'd ...