Chapter 28

The alarms were no longer blaring, but Mother White knew the threat wasn’t over. Even though her forces had managed to shut down much of the insurrection, it hadn’t come without a price. Death counts continued to roll in. How the rebels had gotten access to weapons was beyond her, but she did know that the breach in Communications had come from the same women that had caused the problems the other day when the Medical student had been shot for trying to destroy the Bridge. She’d been assured all of the guilty parties had been dealt with, but after this unfathomable offense, it was clear that hadn’t been the case. They’d missed one. An important one.
“Mother White, we’ve uncovered a concrete room in the ground, one where it appears the traitors were keeping supplies. We also found more bodies near that location. Three Military Mothers, shot with rifles at close range.”
White held her info tab up to the other Mother’s device, letting the report transfer. She’d read it in detail later, but for now, she needed to know what had been done with the cellar they’d found. The concept was so foreign, this Mother, a woman by the name of Peach, one she’d worked with for years and knew to be fairly intelligent, didn’t even know what it was called. “What was found inside?”
“A few odd supplies, but it looked as if there had been more kept there. We are continuing to track their progress from that point. We believe this was the group helping the Inseminators escape from the gym.”
“How many of the thirty have we tracked down?” She began to walk toward the command post she’d set up in the office area of IW. It was important for her to stay at the heart of the infiltration, at least until she had more of a grasp of everything that had transpired.
“Fourteen are accounted for, Mother White. Ten dead, four captured, including the one that stayed behind.” Peach walked along beside her, leaving a step to show respect.
“And where are they being held?”
“In the cells with the others who were strapped down when the problem began.”
“How many of the men were actively in session when the rebellion began?” She turned the corner, her boots continuing to echo of the tile floor.
“Sixteen. Only four of them were able to get away, though, Mother White. The other twelve were shot down fleeing, along with eight women.”
White sucked in a deep breath. She hated to think of the women that had died, not because she was upset they’d been killed but because she couldn’t believe anyone would dare to raise arms against the Motherhood. “And the men from the cafeteria?”
“Eleven escaped. We brought down five. Four didn’t make it out of the building. We are tracking them, though. We have a better chance of catching up to the ones who went through the woods, the ones that took shelter in the concrete room. We believe there are Construction workers helping them as well. Mother Tiger shot two down in a house near the room. Six more were rounded up in the woods and are being transported back now. Shall we put them in holding, too?”
“Yes, we will need to question them. Any idea on the number of women that are still missing and unaccounted for?”
“No, Mother White. The buildings are still reporting. We believe the number of dead women is around twenty so far. We have fourteen others in custody with evidence that they were involved in planning and beginning the insurgence, including the woman we think may be the leader.”
“And what is her name?”
“Lightning, Mother White.”
Using her scanner, she opened the door to the main control room of the medical building and walked inside, glad to see some of her most trusted Military Mothers watching monitors and giving directions to the women in the field.
Hearing that the woman who was likely the leader of the rebellion was named Lightning made Mother White’s stomach tighten, though she didn’t let her face reveal her trepidation. “Get me a list of who is missing from Weather House,” she instructed Peach.
“Yes, Mother White.” She hastily punched buttons on her info tab, gathering the most recent data and sending it over to her superior.
Mother White didn’t look at it right away. She’d need a moment alone to examine the information, just to make sure any reaction she had wasn’t noted by the other Military Mothers. Showing any sort of weakness at this moment wouldn’t due.
“President Violet is on her way from Judithtown. She should land in about an hour.”
Drawing in a deep breath through her nose, Mother White nodded. “See that she’s well protected when she lands. Take every precaution. It seems as if all threats have been moved out of the city proper, but if anything happens to President Violet, this town will burn.”
“Yes, Mother White. Anything else, ma’am?”
“Not now.” She brushed the subordinate away and sank down in a chair in the back of the room. Around her, the buzz of orders going out and intel coming in let her know that her troops were continuing to work. Soon enough, they’d hunt down every single last one of the bastards who’d dared to mess with the Motherhood, and the fate that awaited them would be far worse than the measly Bridge.
With a lump in her throat, she looked down at the information Peach had just given her, the list from Weather House. With any luck, she wouldn’t see the name she was looking for, but she only had to drop her eyes a few lines for it to jump out at her.
There it was--staring up at her, a name she’d only learned a few days ago, but one that had stuck in her mind. She’d always known the girl as RWH347891A, a label the girl wouldn’t even know herself since it was part of the information the Mothers kept on each woman in order to track their heritage. She had been surprised when she’d seen her in person the other day. When the attack they’d been expecting had come and been quickly handled, thanks to the team that had been stationed here before she came to investigate, the same one that had also completely missed this bigger threat, Mother White had come face to face with the girl. That’s what she was, after all, merely a child, with shaking knees and a quivering bottom lip. She’d believed her when she’d told the Medical Mother that the Inseminator hadn’t spoken to her. She looked genuinely frightened and innocent.
Now, Mother White knew she’d been fooled as she saw that Rain was currently one of the missing. The chances that she’d just gotten locked out of Weather House or swept up in the conflict against her will were doubtful. No, she’d been fooled by those large green eyes, the same color as her own. She wouldn’t make the mistake twice.
If it was true that RWH347891A was involved in the insurrection, then she would find a way to bring her in and break her. If anyone would tell her the truth about the threat against the Motherhood, it was Rain. And once she’d spilled all of her secrets, then she’d pay for turning her hand against the Motherhood.
No one raised arms against the Motherhood and lived to tell about it. No one.