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CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Where a woman rules, streams run uphill

– ETHIOPIAN PROVERB –

Like Arass to cover th

e footprints of the girls who’d gone on ahead—A her way up the steep, moonlit trail toward the trees, while Remi worked her way back to the truck to speed the process With asbefore they had their tires changed

Reaze over the portion of the trail visible froer so obvious “I think we’re good,” she said

Aht When she looked down at Re back … aren’t you?”

“That’sshe wanted to do was add to Amal’s stress and possibly induce a seizure “But if I don’t, keep going, noshe’s done this before Now hurry”

As Antrail, then the four-inch-thick wooden post The last piece of evidence She cli until she heard a loud crack followed by a thwun fell into the shrubs at the side of the road She got out, threw son from the bushes and hauled it into the back of the truck

Though she wanted to throwvehicle just up the hill told her she was out of ti to drive About a quarter n that indicated Lower Trail Parking just beyond it, she shut off theshe had the tin from the truck and hide it soo area a cursory glance, see it was e the girls enough tiet to safety

The revving engine grew louder, and she waited until the bea the back of the truck Careful not to look into the headlights and ruin her night vision, she did her best to appear shocked at being discovered—reer than prudent to make sure they saw her

The tires skidding across the dirt as they sped up, then braked, gave her hope that her plan had worked

Racing down the trail far enough to draw them in, she doubled back and hid near the road behind soet back up that hill

And if she couldn’t, so be it As long as the girlscoainst the settling dust, evened her breathing, and listened to the sound of thefor her

“This way,” one of the men shouted “She moved off the trail”