Waking up was agony. Pain hammered through my skull as if it were about to shatter. My vision was useless behind a thick blindfold, and my mouth was muffled by a gag. Ropes dug into my wrists and ankles, binding me tightly like an animal destined for slaughter. A cold chill seeped through my light dress, and my bare feet ached from the icy touch of the air.

The jarring shakes and jolts around me told me I was inside a vehicle, its uneven motion tossing my body like a rag doll. Where it was ...