The Exodus Strategy

by Barbara Winkes

  “You always wanted to be a cop, nothing else,” she recalled. “You told me about some of your colleagues went into security, and you guys often thought it was a compromise they might regret. Will you?”

  “I care about my job,” Kerry said. She leaned closer, drawing Vivien into her arms, letting her hand rest on Vivien’s stomach. “The life we have is more important to me. Today…I realized that we’re going to need a lot of private security, and it’s not just for guarding buildings. Annette might not be a poster child for the project, but she felt safe going back and getting what was hers because we were with her. If we’re serious about helping women, we need enough people to organize and provide that help.”

  “True—and if we could have paid escorts as a rule, we might even be able to hire locals. Boost the economy here, and the women who won’t be scared away from seeing their doctor or leaving an abusive home, will be able to contribute.”

  “It’s not a compromise. It’s a big step forward for both of us, even if we didn’t get the Hate Crime unit.”

  Vivien laid her hand over Kerry’s, finally feeling warm and excited. She had one concern though. “If they could get still the funding, would you regret not being part of it?”

  “They’ll never get that through until Miller is in office.”

  That was not the answer Vivien had hoped to hear. “Would you?”

  “No,” Kerry said with conviction. “I, we, made different choices. When are we going to pick dresses anyway?”

  “We should do it soon, or we’ll be too busy to even think of it. As for Miller, he might not be in office that much longer. Aimee Hendricks came up with an idea for a lovely parting gift.”

  * * * *

  “My husband turned into a complete stranger. He was convinced that Mr. and Mrs. Greene were forcing all employees to leave, and that they would tear families apart,” Clare Michaels recalled. The day had come, no more reprieve It was the four of them in a conversation, Clare, Hilary, Marc and Melodie Timmons. “What is so ironic…I never thought about leaving with Exodus before he made that horrible decision. This is my home, it’s where I grew up. I feel there’s nothing left for me here. I want to do what I can to help. I’m so sorry. Mr. Greene. Mrs. Greene.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Hilary stressed.

  The camera man zoomed in on them shaking hands.

  “Mrs. Michaels,” Melodie addressed the distraught woman, “some have said your husband suffered from delusions for a long time. What can you tell us about it?”

  “He might have had problems, but it didn’t get really bad until he started reading all those things on the internet, on how Exodus was bad for families, how they wanted to take away the rights of men. He was hiding out in the basement, always messaging to others who believed in the same thing. I know that, because he wouldn’t leave me alone, called, showed up at my apartment to tell me about it. One day—he—” She broke off. Everyone in the room was aware what she was talking about, and so were the millions who were supposedly watching. Melodie cleared her throat.

  “I have to thank Mr. and Mrs. Greene for coming here tonight not only to talk to me and Clare, but also to explain to us what Exodus is all about,” she addressed her audience before turning back to her guests.

  “Well, thank you for giving us a chance to explain,” Hilary said. “I know that there’s been a lot of misinformation floating around that has led to some concern. We try to address some of those concerns, and I also want to invite you to an exhibition we’re putting together. This will be permanent, at the Blue Rooms, a venue that we own. You might have seen vernissages or other events there. We will use part of it to demonstrate what Exodus will look like. There’ll be evenings for information, or workshops. Carl Michaels’s actions have given us a wakeup call about how much work still needs to be done.” She realized that both Clare and Melodie were spell-bound, and even the members of the camera crew looked intrigued. Well, she had a lot more to say.

  “First of all, jobs. There will be no jobs lost here, or taken away from locals where we start Exodus. There is no forcing anyone. In fact we are grateful for those who have expressed an interest in supporting our mission here in our home state. Not everyone wants to or can move, and we’re neither forcing nor bribing anyone. It is not our intention to tear families apart. For what has been going wrong, we blame patriarchy, not all men as a whole group. We’re not looking for cheap payback or turning the tables—everyone who understands feminism, knows that. There are many men joining us, construction workers, engineers, nurses, teachers. It’s because they believe in privacy, freedom, and equality. It’s really that simple.”

  It was what Hilary believed though she found it exhausting having to explain time and again. The horror she and her family had gone through—and other families—was always caused by archaic views. When Clare left him, instead of taking responsibility for his actions, Michaels had blamed Exodus. Yes, his main target had been a man, her husband—because Marc didn’t believe in treating women like property.

  “This sounds great,” Melodie admitted. “You haven’t talked much about religion. One of Governor Miller’s criticisms of the project is that it might undermine religious freedom, and I’m sorry to address this, there were other accusations floating around recently, on both sides…”

  “If you’re asking if I cheated on my wife, the answer is no,” Marc said. “In fact, there’s a police investigation underway in order to find the genius with the photo manipulation program and too much time on their hands. This will not go without consequences. When you see the governor, please tell him our morals are fine and very much intact.”

  “Are you suspecting Governor Miller of any involvement in creating this scandal?”

  “Whoa, Melodie, hold on. I wouldn’t do that without any evidence, would I?”

  “So your project to collect signatures for a recall doesn’t have anything to do with it?”

  “Some people thought what he did wasn’t all bad, or that he wouldn’t go through with it,” Hilary said. “Bill after bill, he’s proven to which length he’s willing to go to undermine the freedom and privacy of women in this state and put unnecessary burdens on committed couples. If there were elections right now, I’m convinced the result would be a different one.”

  “We’ll see how that goes. Do you think congresswoman LeBlanc will have some helpful insight information for you?”

  “The congresswoman applied through the normal channels. We accepted. That’s all I can tell you. Of course, we respect her privacy too.”

  “Okay. I appreciate you being frank with us.”

  “Thank you,” Marc said. “We have the responsibility to try...and we will succeed. There are too many people on the side of common sense.”

  “Will that include funding transport for women who seek an abortion out of state?”

  “If necessary, yes. See, there’s something about those with extremist views, there’s no arguing with them. They are dangerous, not just to women, but to all humans. If you coddle your pet snake, what makes you think it’s not going to bite you anyway?”

  Hilary liked that imagery though she was certain Miller wouldn’t appreciate it. Hardliners always had trouble with metaphors.

  * * * *

  “I’ll be damned if I let Greene call me a snake on national television.”

  Miller was fuming. Not a pretty sight, but it was at times like this Emily could learn news that would turn out to be useful for her career. It wouldn’t be the first time.

  “You would endorse me for Senator?” she asked mildly.

  “We’re not there yet. Go to that damn exhibition, give me dates, and get the people on the ground moving. We need the biggest statewide protest in our history to show them the majority is behind us and our principles. Recall,” he scoffed. “Let them try. “Our lawyers will crush them before they collected the first box of signatures.”

  Secretly, Emily thought it wouldn’t be that easy. She had made an effort to
stay friendly with party members other than those close to the governor’s office, just in case. She’d bide her time though. Miller’s endorsement was important. He’d probably survive the recall, but it would be a closer call than the election had been.

  “I’m on it,” she promised.

  * * * *

  Celeste wondered what would happen if she called the hotline on the bottom of the TV screen. Her life wasn’t in danger at this moment, she had a pleasant enough job even if it didn’t pay that much—and certainly the Greenes weren’t in need of someone who could arrange flowers?

  She had listened to Hilary Greene talking about meeting an older man when she was a teenager, talking her into having sex. There was no violence involved, according to Greene, but her husband still looked like he would have liked to track him down and give him a piece of his mind, preferably using his fists. Celeste didn’t blame him. Rape culture had many faces, not one of them that wasn’t ugly. Any sane person could deduct that coercion had to have taken place where a fifteen-year-old girl and a thirtysomething-year-old man was involved.

  She was young and insecure. She became pregnant. The man who put her into this situation was long gone, not interested in taking any responsibility. Lucky for Hilary Greene, her parents stepped up, and the rest, as they say…

  Celeste couldn’t sleep, feeling sick at the thought of this episode in the life of a woman she considered a hero, and envied at the same time. Hearing about it brought up memories she tried hard to suppress, every day. There hadn’t been so much “talking into it” in her case, and she had no parents who could have been there for her. She had been the unlucky one. Unable to get the money together for transport and the procedure, she’d had no choice but give birth to a baby she’d never connected to. First, due to the loss of control over her body, then, because the girl had been taken from her right away. Celeste had signed away the rights to ever find out where she was. It was, in her opinion, the best she could do for her.

  She turned off the TV, unable to deal with the assault of images any longer, or the lingering disappointment. She couldn’t join Exodus. She had nothing to offer them, even though she wanted to, so much. The Greenes had said it themselves—teachers, hospital staff, security, and employees to get their offices going were needed, and they were taking most of their own anyway. Out of state applications were at this point reserved for emergencies, like women in acute danger. Celeste wasn’t in danger. She was simply unlucky, once more.

  On her computer, she found the website with the application form, staring at it for long, torturous moments. The famous trauma specialist was part of this project. She had revolutionary successes with PTSD. Celeste, on the other hand, had run out of the hours of counseling that were covered by her insurance. It was too early for the chat room. She didn’t know what she was going to do. Sit. Wait. Hope that one of the other women would show up. Selfishly hope that none of them were packing their bags. Most importantly, not Jessica.

  * * * *

  Hilary sat in the pew for a long time. She knew she had to go back to headquarters. There was so much work to do, for the exhibition, for the first wave, all hands on deck. It had been an all hands on deck for months now. She flinched when somebody cleared their throat to her side.

  “Mrs. Greene,” their pastor said. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re always welcome—but I’m surprised to see you here today.”

  “I’m surprised I’m still here.” She sighed. “I don’t know what I was hoping to achieve. No offense.”

  He smiled. “Sometimes a moment in silence can work wonders. I saw your interview. You’re brave.”

  Hilary looked at him in surprise. “I didn’t expect you to back us up on all of those subjects.”

  “I guess I can’t blame you.” He sat next to her. “If I failed to make that clear, I haven’t done a good job.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t you think it’s curious Jesus never said anything about abortion—or gay marriage? However, he was clear about throwing the first stone, quick judgment, and hypocrisy. By telling your story, you will help many others. They might not all come forward, but they know they’re not alone, and that might be enough to lead them back from the ledge. I know you haven’t talked about religion a lot, and I don’t preach about politics for a reason, but I will endorse what you do.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You are welcome, Mrs. Greene, and be assured, I’m not the only one.”

  By noon, she had a list of various faith leaders who endorsed Exodus as a project working towards common sense and kindness. Hilary knew it wasn’t kind, but she couldn’t help gloating a little when she thought about how Miller would react to the news.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Kerry? Please hear me out for a moment?”

  Kerry had no intention to do so. She kept walking. Not only was Susan Wells the last person on earth—or at least, close—she wanted to talk to, but she also suspected running into her on the sidewalk couldn’t be a coincidence.

  “Please! I swear I don’t mean to cause you any trouble.” Susan hurried to keep up with her. “Look, I know you didn’t do anything. Nothing I didn’t want, at least,” she corrected herself. “Damn it, can’t you listen to me?”

  “You have a lot of nerve.” Kerry spun around so rapidly that she and the other woman almost collided. “Do you have any idea what you did? I’m not talking about my career here. I’m aware of the mistakes I made. You of all people know how hard it is for women to come forward. Tell me, who’s filming us right now, one of your new friends? Which TV channel will you go crying to, telling them I was harassing you?”

  The truth was, she had spent a long sleepless night, going over those events in her mind, deeply disturbed by hearing Hilary’s story even though she had known most of it. Susan hadn’t been a minor. The age difference between them wasn’t the same and yet, Kerry knew she had crossed a line she should have never crossed.

  “None,” Susan said, her eyes welling up. “You have to believe me. I need your help…but maybe, I can help you too.”

  “See, we both knew what happened. I was your TO, we should have never—I should have never gone there, and I’m sorry. You lied on TV though.”

  “I want to make it right,” Susan claimed. “Can you even imagine how I felt when right after that stupid interview, the news about the shooting broke?”

  “I can’t do this. If you just leave me alone, we’ll be fine.”

  “I need you to forgive me. I am going to renounce my statement.”

  Kerry stared at her in confusion. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because they screwed me over too,” Susan said darkly. “I know I made a mistake. I’ll make it right.”

  That was an offer Kerry could hardly refuse. It would be helpful to be able to clear her name before she and Vivien left for good mere weeks from now.

  “Tell me more about it,” she said.

  * * * *

  Hilary felt her jaw drop when the next morning, Albert Lemon walked into headquarters like nothing ever happened.

  “I see you’re still busy throwing Adam’s work into the trash,” he commented when he saw the Exodus related papers on her desk.

  “We have a business to run here, Albert,” Hilary said, trying not to show how baffled she was.

  “One that I decided I should still be part of, before you run it into the ground. I might not be able to stop you from what you’re doing, but I hear you want to keep the site here alive. So…I got bored sitting on the beach.”

  “That’s…a surprise,” she said eventually. “Especially after you leaked our idea to the press, and, subsequently, Miller.”

  “Me?” he asked, frowning. “I did no such thing. Besides, it didn’t stop you, did it?”

  Hilary was way too busy to try to determine whether he was telling the truth, but his words gave her pause. One of their employees had become paranoid and wanted to shoot up the place because the thought Exodus would
take his wife away from him. They were experiencing overwhelming support from the majority of people who worked for them, and their business partners…but you never knew. Before she could answer his question, there was a knock on the door, and Marc came into the room, two women with him. One of them was tall, late thirties, early forties maybe, the other one no older than twenty. She had black hair, and piercings in places that made Hilary wince. She was wearing the t-shirt of some obscure band.

  Her companion was dressed more neutral. Her stance was revealing, reminding Hilary of Kerry. She might have worn a uniform as well.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” Marc said. “Albert.” Hilary could tell he was just as dumbfounded by Lemon’s sudden reappearance. “Hilary, I’d like to introduce Sergeant Jessica Alvarez and Ophelia…”

  “Just Ophelia,” the young black-haired said, sounding amused. Hilary tried to gauge if they were going to be helpful, or the opposite. Please, no more problems.

  “Albert here has an offer for us,” she said.

  “Well, we’re really busy at the moment, Albert. Either I can call you back, or you could talk to Ms. Hendricks?”

  “Very well,” Albert muttered and walked out of the office. Clearly, he was not amused.

  “All right. Our visitors have traveled quite a long way, so I think we owe them some time.”

  “You’re recalling the asshole,” Ophelia said. “That’s awesome.”

  Alvarez sent a wry smile in her direction, but Hilary was certain she agreed. Didn’t they all?

  * * * *

  After the little presentation the women had for them, both Marc and Hilary were even more dumbfounded than they had been by Lemon’s arrival.