On a rainy morning in Reno, Kate McKay sends her assistant, Corrie Anderson, to buy a copy of The West Coast Clarion and tells Corrie to wear Kate’s trademark Borsalino hat. The hat matters because Kate is a famous, polarizing feminist speaker whose public image is instantly recognizable. A brief look back explains how Corrie came to be there: Kate recruited Corrie after a graduate seminar, valuing her competence and devotion, and Corrie joined Kate’s road tour after learning to drive Kate’s truck. Their similar height and Corrie’s new blond hair make them plausible doubles at a glance.

As Corrie walks toward the newsstand, a woman calls out “Hey, Kate!” and pulls Corrie into an alley. The attacker, a taller woman with bright red hair under a rainhat, throws liquid from a Thermos labeled ACID into Corrie’s face, quotes scripture about silencing women, and warns “Kate” to go home while she still can. Corrie believes she has been blinded or disfigured, but at the ER doctors determine the liquid was not acid, probably bleach. Detective Mallory Hughes interviews Corrie and quickly concludes the assailant meant to attack Kate and mistook Corrie because of the hat.

After the police leave, Kate immediately starts turning the assault into part of her message. Kate asks Corrie to appear onstage that night, photographs Corrie while her eyes are still red, and frames the attack as proof that speaking out carries a price. Corrie agrees to stay on the tour, partly out of admiration and partly because Kate treats her as someone tough enough to continue. When Hughes later calls to say police found the attacker’s wig, Corrie confirms it is the same one, and Corrie’s parents react with fear and defiance when she tells them what happened.

Before the Reno event, Kate gives Corrie pepper spray and talks about getting her a gun. At the Pioneer Center, Kate reveals Corrie’s photo to the crowd, describes the assault, and uses Corrie as a living example of bravery and anti-feminist violence. The strategy works: the audience rallies, the booing dies down, and Corrie receives a standing ovation when Kate brings her onstage. But the applause clarifies something for Corrie. Rather than feeling honored, Corrie realizes Kate has used her, and Corrie decides she must protect herself instead of relying on Kate’s rhetoric or on weapons alone.

Acting on that realization, Corrie contacts Spokane police and arranges for an off-duty officer to protect them at the next stop. On the drive to Spokane, Corrie tells Kate the added security is non-negotiable if Kate wants Corrie to stay. Kate resists because protection conflicts with her image and because she hates being told what to do, but a new threat changes the situation. At the hotel, Kate receives an unstamped envelope containing a photo of Kate and Corrie in Portland and a note saying Kate gets only one warning and that next time the attack will be real. The message confirms that the assailant is tracking them from city to city.