The Exodus Strategy

by Barbara Winkes

  “I’m on my way,” she promised. “I swear we’ll get to the bottom of this.”

  Vivien had expected that there might be quarrels over the safe zone, but Kerry knew her, and the people she worked with. They cared too much about their cause to foolishly break laws—didn’t they?

  “I take it you already heard about the FPC rally,” Jepsen said. “It’s Fifth Division handling it, but they have asked for assistance. There has been an assault.”

  Kerry felt like her stomach was plummeting. Vivien was in the middle of this. Why hadn’t she called? She forced every worst case scenario out of her mind. In all likelihood, Vivien had been granted one call, and she’d used it to inform Dana, so she could send a lawyer over. This was going to hit her hard.

  “Find officers Graham and McKenzie, make sure you find out what happened, and try to leave politics out of it. People are on edge, we don’t need to add to that.”

  “Will do, sir,” she said automatically, keys and coat already in hand. She’d do her job, but make no mistake, she wasn’t above stirring up a highly political discussion if she couldn’t take Vivien home tonight.

  Sometimes, being friends with the Greenes had its advantages.

  Chapter Seven

  Kerry was still on autopilot when she drove the last miles to the police station, but she felt a bit better after talking to the officers in question who told her that it was the husband of one patient who had filed the charges. The alleged perpetrators planned to counter-sue, claiming they did nothing wrong and there had been no violent confrontation, but a panic in the crowd. Fortunately, it hadn’t led to any serious injuries. The flattened paper cups and scattered lost items, a scarf, a hat, were bad enough. She finished the questioning as soon as humanly possible, well aware that any sloppiness wouldn’t do any favors for Vivien or her colleagues.

  At the police station, she had a quick run-in with an officer who tried to tell her they were well able to do the necessary work without interference from a detective, regardless of the many people, legal representatives, and concerned relatives waiting for their clients and loved ones to be released.

  “Oh, really? You want to check with my captain on that?” Kerry asked, doubtful he’d go to such lengths.

  The young man hesitated.

  “It’s the activists from out of town that created some problems here, not respecting the new law. They tried to intimidate the protesters, there was some pushing and shoving, and we have to sort out the mess. Which we will.”

  “If it wasn’t all that bad, why arrest all these people? The witness said he and his wife were attacked when leaving the FPC.”

  He shrugged. “It’s his word against the others’. Did some folks wait for this to happen? I’m sure. Doesn’t change the facts.”

  “I need to see Vivien Collins. Did her lawyer arrive yet?”

  He frowned. “Look at this. Do you think we managed to even have everyone call their lawyers yet? I tell you something, Detective, I sure wouldn’t mind the FPCs closing altogether. Less trouble that way.”

  Yes, but for whom?

  “Where can I find Ms. Collins?”

  “Forget about it. She and the other ladies won’t talk until the lawyer’s here—which makes me wonder.”

  “Let me worry about that, will you?” On the last words, she’d nearly snarled, prompting him to shrug. “If you must.” He nodded to the other officer at the front desk. “I’ll be right back. Follow me, Detective Rivers.”

  From the looks and muted whispers, Kerry didn’t find it so hard to guess that some of these people had ever seen the inside of a holding cell before. Finally, they came to the place where Vivien was held. Kerry did a double-take at the sight of her lover. The front of her pants was stiff with dried mud, but what was worse, there was a bruise on the side of her face. Vivien looked like she was about to cry, but she held back the impulse as she got up to come to the bars.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for you to have to bail me out.”

  Kerry waited for the officer to open the door and gave him a pointed look.

  “I’ll be back,” he said, his grumpy tone indicating what he thought of her request to give them some privacy. Kerry waited until he was out of sight, then she stepped into the cell and drew Vivien into her arms. There were so many things she wanted to say, but she was aware that at the moment, they’d all come out wrong. Let’s go to California, because I never want you in that kind of danger again. Why the hell did you get involved, give in to provocation? Only she was certain Vivien never had, she was much too experienced for that. Then again, everyone had a breaking point. From the moment Miller’s gang killed the safe zones, they had known as well as everyone else what the dangers were, and they had counted on them. Incidents like the one today might help their case--it already did as she could tell from the officer’s reaction.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “Dana called me. The lawyer is on his way.”

  “He’ll represent Julia, Lee and the others as well…that might take a while. This was my responsibility. I should make sure they’ll be okay first. Could you check for me?”

  “Of course. Later. I’m not leaving you.”

  Vivien leaned into her embrace, and up close like this, Kerry noticed she was trembling. “They should have let you see a doctor. Did someone hit you?”

  “No. I don’t think so.”

  “You don’t—” Kerry made a conscious effort to lower her voice. “You don’t even know? I saw the place, what it looked like…I’m sorry, I had to go there first. Captain Jepsen sent me.”

  “I understand.” She shook her head with an attempt at a smile that fell flat. “God, I can’t believe things got out of hand like this. They just kept pushing from behind and…we wanted to make sure that couple got to their car safely. I don’t even know what happened to them.”

  “They filed a complaint too,” Kerry told her. “Don’t worry.”

  “Oh, man!” Vivien slapped her hand against her forehead and winced. “Ow. Tasha. Did you get my message?”

  “Yes, I went to see her. She’s okay for now.”

  “Thank God. You know, I remember reading all those feminist works, and I thought I was pretty tough. I thought that I was ready to do whatever it takes, even to go to jail for my beliefs, if necessary. I am the one who organized most of this. I took our people here, I’m the one responsible. When the police came to arrest us for real, I thought Lee might be freaking out, because she got into it earlier with this guy, but she didn’t. Everyone kept a clear head best they could. Today…taught me a lesson. I am not ready. This scared the hell out of me.”

  The tears started to fall, and Kerry held her for a moment longer, trying to get a grip on her own tumultuous thoughts and emotions.

  “I’m so sorry. I’m going to talk to the officer at the front desk and I’ll demand that he’ll let you go to a hospital.” Distantly, she thought of Jepsen’s warning to keep politics out of it, but she didn’t care. Her transfer to Hate Crimes was as good as done. If Fairbanks had any objections after today, well, there was one more alternative. Maybe she and Vivien had both overestimated the extent to which they owed their home state, or how many sacrifices they were supposed to make before they could think of the safety and sanity of their own lives, and the family in the planning.

  “I can understand,” a voice behind them said. “Fortunately, I found a judge who’s been quick and efficient moving events along. We can discuss everything along the way.”

  “I can get out of here?” Vivien asked the lawyer. Kerry was startled at how small her voice sounded.

  “There are some conditions, like you can’t leave town at the moment, but yes.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Kerry said. “I don’t think she’s going to skip town on me.”

  The attorney didn’t laugh. “You better not, Ms. Collins. It’s a delicate situation. You’ll see.”

  * * * *

  The doctor had determined there was no sign of concussio
n or any serious injury, so later that night they stumbled into their house, exhausted and somewhat in shock. The requirements for Vivien to fulfill until the court hearing said everything but house arrest—which they actually meant.

  Vivien had shrugged and retreated to the bathroom where she took a well-deserved hot bath. When Kerry knocked on the door and let herself in, it seemed like Vivien hadn’t moved at all since she’d lain down in the tub.

  “It’s not so bad, right?” she asked. “I guess I’m lucky I live with a police officer. I can’t work, but who cares, it’s not like we need the money.”

  “Viv.”

  “It’s not fair! They twist and turn everything around. You can go work for that Hate Crimes unit, which is an important and right, but what happens if they hijack it too, like they are hijacking everything else, saying what we do means hate against them? Wait, they already do. Miller might not have been around or sent anyone today, but that’s on him. No matter how much better off we might be than many others, sooner or later, they’ll come for us too. Maybe we could wait it out and even get married here, but it will still be legal to fire you for being a lesbian!”

  To her chagrin, Kerry hadn’t much to object, even though she didn’t think her job was in any real danger. “It’s like everyone’s going crazy. I bet you a lot of people who voted for him have no idea what they did.”

  “How many people you think Hilary and Marc would take? I don’t think Tasha is looking to work at the moment, but Ethan could work security once he’s home for good. Lee…I think she wants to go back anyway, and today might have convinced her.”

  “What about you?” Kerry asked softly. “I said I’d give my answer to the lieutenant on Monday. We’ll see Marc and Hilary tomorrow. What is it going to be?”

  Vivien pondered her question for a while.

  “It’s not just about me. I want us to be happy and do the right thing, even though I don’t know anymore what that is. It’s not just about trying to even the odds here, it’s about taking a leap of faith and teaching people what works. We could do that.”

  “Yes, I believe we could.”

  “You’re disappointed, aren’t you? It’s an honor that the lieutenant asked you. I didn’t mean to downplay that. I’m sorry for being such a wuss in this.”

  “You’re not.” You had no idea how scared I was. Still am, because as soon as you’re cleared to go back to work, this could happen all over again. “You’re the bravest person I know.”

  “Stop it,” Vivien chided as her eyes were welling up again. “You know I’m not the most stable person today.”

  “You’re doing fine,” Kerry reassured her.

  “I don’t feel fine.” With a sigh, she sat up, pulling her knees up to her chest. “I might be a little better though if you could join me for a moment.”

  Kerry started stripping before she had even finished the sentence. “That, I can do.”

  There had to be at least one thing on this day that was going right.

  * * * *

  “What the hell, Mom? Have you lost your mind?”

  Hilary hadn’t slept well. For a moment, she thought Frances’ call shortly after they’d had breakfast together, was part of a dream. Maybe she’d fallen asleep at her desk here at home, from where she was working today. Over the past few days, she’d been dealing with some of the less friendly reactions to Marc proclaiming his feminist ethics, as expected. He had too, but fortunately, most of their closest business partners around the world weren’t strangers to the philosophy of Greene Industries. The noise would die down as much as Albert Lemon’s dire monologue of I told you so’s.

  “Good morning to you, too, Frances. What’s the matter?”

  “What’s the matter? Please tell me that this is some kind of Sci-Fi movie you’re buying into, some sort of…what was that, Invasion from Mars? Well, I can already see how they’ll be calling this Invasion from Venus. There are reporters outside the gym. What am I supposed to do?”

  “Hang on,” Hilary said, calmly even though her heartbeat had gone into overdrive. She realized the phone was blinking, and a quick look to her cell phone told her she’d missed a hundred and twenty-seven messages already.

  “I’ll send a car, okay? There’s a back door, right?” No. Not yet. It was too early. If Frances’ panicked call meant what she thought it meant, the whole project was in jeopardy, and with it, many promises she’d made.

  “Well, yeah. I’m sure they figured that out too. Mom, you know I can’t go to California, right? If you and Dad absolutely must do this, I could stay with Kaylee during the school year.”

  Hilary suppressed a sigh. She had always tried to teach her daughter to be an ally rather than the competition to other girls, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to learn Frances preferred living with her BFF rather than her parents. Her problems were graver than that though.

  “I’ll make sure we’ll get you home.”

  “Mom,” Frances whined. “I’m in the middle of training!”

  “You can catch up another time. This is more important. Dad and I have been meaning to talk to you about the move, and we we’re doing it.”

  “Why didn’t you? It’s all over the internet, and I look like a dork, because I didn’t have a clue. I know you’re a feminist, and this stuff matters to you, but sometimes you exaggerate.”

  “We’ll talk about that too, I promise. I need to get Dad.”

  “It’s a pretty big crowd out there,” Frances said, the uncertain tone of her voice convincing Hilary.

  “I’m coming to get you. I’ll call Dad from the car. Don’t go outside, do you hear me?”

  “I won’t. See you later, Mom.”

  Hilary saved the files she’d been working on and locked her office. Coming to her front door, she was startled for a moment to see some members of the press having taken up residence as close to the gate as they’d dared to. Well, she didn’t have a moment to spare for them. She’d take Frances right to headquarters where they’d determine together what had just happened.

  * * * *

  Somebody had leaked the dossier. Hilary thought of the employees’ reactions, ranging from baffled to enthusiastic, none of them seeming to hold a grudge or even have a reason. There was always the lure of money, she thought, shaking herself the next moment, feeling ashamed. The people working for them were hard-working and honest, and even if she didn’t know every little detail about their lives, she was certain none of them would ever betray them like this. Neither would Kerry or Vivien.

  She had an idea who would.

  At this moment, they had to assess and control the amount of damage.

  Frances sat next to her in the backseat, quiet and sulking. She couldn’t reach Marc on his phone, but Hilary assumed that he was extremely busy. Most importantly, she had to find out if he’d talked to Governor King yet. It was important that she of all people didn’t get the wrong message.

  It wasn’t even lunch-time, but the more extreme part of the media was already having a field day.

  “We are learning about shady dealings at Greene Industries. Will they empty out HQ before fleeing the state? What will happen to those jobs? Neither Marc Greene nor his wife could be reached for a statement yet.” She turned off the radio altogether, turning to the internet. It only got worse.

  The Greene Manifesto, read the headline from a far right blogger.

  …Why would we care if the Greenes take their misguided ideology and business strategies with them? Because they won’t stop bothering us. Their idea isn’t just taking their firm with them and rebuilding it somewhere else, it’s a refined version of Big Brother. They will start their colony in California, maybe, but that’s not the ultimate goal. They want to destroy every conservative value, the pro-life movement, and the traditional family. How? In growing and nurturing their cult in a state where they can be not only under the radar, but well within the law. Is someone you know and care about working for Greene Industries? Have they talked about Californ
ia lately? Beware, because what looks like an attractive job offer might be the first step of a sleeper training. Marc Greene inherited an empire from his grandfather, and he’s aspiring to be nothing less than an emperor…

  Only eleven in the morning, and Hilary felt too tired to try and make sense of those ramblings. It was disheartening to think that these words would go around and have an impact. Enough to derail their project? She doubted it, but this was less than ideal.

  They entered headquarters through the parking garage. Hilary took her first deep breath since Frances’ call in the elevator taking them up to the level where Marc’s and her offices were located. They had some friends with the press as well. Time to call every one of them and get that press release out. Phase one of Exodus had officially begun, sooner than expected, but so be it.

  That young—and probably white male—blogger had no idea what they could do. She’d seen that site before, and usually, it was ripe with sexist, homophobic, and anti-poor rhetoric. If what they planned scared him just a little, Hilary didn’t mind.

  She finally found Marc in one of the giant conference rooms that could hold up to two-hundred people. Hilary recognized press and legal staff, all levels of management, some programmers.

  It had seemed so easy in theory, but she realized that they had to be extremely careful on how to get the message across so that those who had already been screened wouldn’t look like teacher’s pet.

  Marc interrupted his talk with Aimee when he saw her, walking towards them with a smile that indicated he didn’t think of the events as catastrophic. Well, maybe he wasn’t aware of The Greene Manifesto yet, a clear play on the accusation that they were going to live a communist fantasy.

  “How did that happen?” she asked, while Frances stood to the side, looking bored.

  “Hey ladies. It’s good you’re both here. I was worried.” He hugged their reluctant daughter, kissed Hilary and then slipped back into business mode. “I have no idea. Well, I have a suspicion, but we can’t ask him at the moment. Lemon put in his resignation letter and jumped on a plane to the Caribbean, apparently.”