No Escape

Chapter 17

For the rest of the day, Ellie Maisie had a weird feeling. Like she was being followed. Like someone was behind her at all times. Of course, every time she turned around, there was no one. Just her friends and some other women walking down the corridors a couple of paces behind her, but she knew it wasn't them. There was someone else sneaking around, trying to reach her, and she

was nervous. She'd never had to deal with someone following her around, but she knew what it was about. Her grandma had told her stories about her mother and grandmother who had to run for their lives. They walked to their cars with their keys between their fingers for defense. They'd avoid walking at night alone. And they'd wonder whether they should ignore a catcall or respond to it because either way they'd be harmed. Now, she was being followed in an environment more dangerous than ever, where no one would help her. Because feminism was dead. And so was humanity.
Finally, as she made it back to her cell, alone, without her friends for protection, and in the dimly lit corridors, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Alright!" she yelled, "Whoever is following me, leave me alone. Don't you dare touch me!"
"It's me," a voice she could only recognize as Dominic spoke nervously.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she yelled.
"I just needed to talk to you"
"About what?"
"I found Laurel Douglas. Is that something you wanted to hear?"
"Actually, yes," Ellie Maisie admitted with difficulty.
"You're welcome"
"Thank you"

"He gave me a number," he said, looking slightly puzzled.
"What, a phone number?"
"Yes, but I think it's different."
"How come?"
"It's not a registered phone number. Keres has a list containing every single phone number. Every single phone line, but I checked and this one is not on the list. He must've had an illegal one installed so that his phone calls couldn't be traced by the government," Dominic explained.
"Is that good or bad news"
"It's actually very good news if you and every other woman involved had a way of accessing the phone line, we could have a whole underground

network of communications and talk freely, completely unnoticed by Keres."
"That sounds great, can you write it down for me, I wanna give it to Cindy," Ellie Maisie said.
Dominic took out his pen and began scribbling down digits on a crumpled piece of paper he found in his left pocket.
"Are you two friends again, or something?" he asked.
"Oh yeah"
"That's great," he smiled, handing her the little bit of paper.
"I think so too!" she said proudly.
"Okay, well I have to leave," Dominic said.

"See you around," she replied
Ellie Maisie looked down at the piece of paper she was holding in her hand. The number was indeed strange, but it had to work. She approached the cell and slammed the door shut. Ariana was lying on her bed, so were Mo and Nanette.
"You'll never believe what I have in my hand!" she exclaimed.
"Try me," Mo said.
"Laurel Douglas's secret phone number, which operates with an untraceable phone line. We can finally get in contact with him!"
"That's great," Ariana sighed. Ellie Maisie knew Laurel was like Ariana's best friend. He'd been there for her, her entire career, and she was glad to have his number.

"So, what now?" Nanette asked, "Wait until next week to give it to Cindy, so she can pass it along."
"Yes," Ellie Maisie said, "But after that, I was also thinking, what if there was like a meeting"
"Meeting?" Mo asked.
"Talk, better yet," Ellie Maisie explained, "To discuss a plan"
"We have a plan. Overthrow Keres"
"That's not a plan, that's hope. This is where my nerdy organizing crap kicks in," Ellie Maisie said, "We need this to work flawlessly, because we only have one chance to rebel, otherwise we'll die and it will be the next generation's problem. Or the next one, or the next one, and society will be just

as screwed up as it was hundreds of years ago. All our work will be shattered and destroyed and misogynism, racism, xenophobia, and religious discrimination will be deeply entangled into our personalities."
"That's deep and sentimental... I hate it" Mo said sarcastically.
"It's a great plan," Nanette intervened, "I think it can work"
"But we need to contact Laurel to set it up first," Ariana added.
"I'm on it," Mo said.
She turned her head to one of the other cells where some women were sitting, trying their best to fall asleep on their uncomfortable mattresses.