Ned shivered. He felt the chill as he examined the window. It was nailed shut, but the wood was soft and rotten in places. That could be dealt with, but it was so small, he doubted he or George could get through it. He wrapped the blanket tighter round his body. It wasn’t much of a blanket, but it was better than nothing.
He shuddered again as he recalled his captors’ “inspection” of his person as they forced him to bathe then shaved his head. Finally, they showed him how he would be dressed and what would be required of him in future. They’d also made it very clear that he’d be beaten if he refused, and beaten again until he complied.
The realisation that George was terrified and even less accepting of his situation didn’t help. It was becoming clear that escape would not be easy, and G
