The road to Masha's rescue began hundreds of miles away in the Chicago suburb of Palos Heights.
So I just didn't tell anybody, 'cause I was afraid.' 'He wouldn't tell me what it would be, but he'd just say something bad would happen. 'He'd tell me not to tell anyone, or else something bad would happen,' Masha said. To keep her silent he used rewards - as well as threats. 'But it always came back to me - couldn't stop it.'
'I'd make myself think of other things when it was happening,' she said.
