Chapter Thirty-Six Noah

It was late. As they approached their target, Noah marvelled that they hadn't run into trouble yet. Many of the streets were quiet: the curfew was still in place, and no one was supposed to be out in public after dark.

But not every Bellator citizen was following orders. The disturbances, which had begun in the hours following the memorial ceremony, had continued. Faith's words had struck a chord with the city's women. For the last two nights, disorder had broken out in various locations around Bellator.

The citizens wanted answers.

Initially, the chancellor had declined to add weight to such vicious rumours by responding to them. When pressed, she had reiterated her claim that Faith had been duped by the underground Resistance. As Blake had predicted, Danforth was quick to add that these deluded women were being manipulated by men.

Claiming that a number of evil males were always lurking on Bellator's outskirts waiting to attack, she had reassured them that they could depend upon the city guard for protection. For some of the city's women, the chancellor's words had been convincing.

Others continued to ask questions.

The disturbances had helped the Resistance to form a coherent plan. The mission was a complicated one, but if all went well, it meant they could tackle all their current issues. Rescue the academy students. Find concrete evidence of Danforth's deception and convey it to the citizens, ridding them of their doubt once and for all. And, after Carol's arrival the previous night, attempt to get Faith away from Danforth.

To begin with, Madeleine had issued a city-wide invitation. The Resistance had organised a protest march, beginning outside the ruins of Matriarch House. Citizens who attended would make their way through the streets of Bellator, finishing outside the gates of the academy at midnight. A candlelit vigil would be held, to let the girls inside know they had the support of the city's women.

The Resistance leader had been right. Danforth's guard forces had been depleted when Ruth had visited the city in disguise more than a month ago. Now, perhaps due to an increased lack of confidence in the chancellor, there were even fewer. Evelyn had been out and about listening to various conversations, and it seemed the show of force at the memorial ceremony had required most of Danforth's army.

Over the past few days, the guards had found the growing number of incidents in the city extremely difficult to deal with. The curfew had been a clever way of reducing the number of patrols needed at night, meaning there were more guards available for duty during daylight hours. But now the curfew was being ignored by so many, they were struggling.

Tonight, in addition to any disturbances, they would have the march to contend with. The Resistance was counting on it distracting the guards from the academy and keeping their attention firmly focused on the other side of the city. Evelyn was leading it. They'd received word from her an hour ago that more than two hundred women had arrived to show their support. There were rumours that many of them were calling for an election. A good portion of the Bellator citizens were doubting Danforth's claims.

The first part of the Resistance mission was going to plan.

Whilst Evelyn's march kept Danforth's forces busy, a smaller team would break into the academy and get the girls out of harm's way.

Back in his drudge costume and hoping it would help him blend in, Noah was part of that team. They were only two streets away from the academy. Beside him, Ella was shaking. Ever since Helen had returned to the academy, she'd been subdued. When Ella had learned of the new threat, she'd been distraught.

"I can't stand it!" She'd been pacing the hub the previous night, long after they'd been told to get some sleep. "Anything could be happening to her, and I'm not there to protect her."

She'd begged Madeleine to assign her to the rescue team. And though her combat experience was non-existent, she had proved herself during her time undercover. There were sufficient Resistance operatives with them who could fight. They also needed people who could keep the girls calm, reassure them they were being taken to safety. Ella was the perfect woman for the job. And it allowed her to help Helen in a time of need.

Noah wished he could be doing the same for Faith. Their mirrored situations meant both he and Ella were separated from the person they wanted to help the most. It was torture, knowing that Faith was stuck at the hospital under Danforth's control and being able to do nothing about it.

But Madeleine had refused to assign him to rescue Faith. She had other plans in that respect.

There were several missions in place, all running alongside one another. Missions they'd been pouring over for the past twenty-four hours. Missions whose objectives were intertwined, each depending on the success of the others to work.

First: the march. Draw the majority of Danforth's forces away from the academy.

Then, remove the Danforth Academy girls from harm. They couldn't possibly get all of them out, but Madeleine had instructed them to rescue the senior girls, those at most immediate risk from the testing, as soon as possible.

Next, make them disappear.

Anna had contacted Paulo, who had agreed that Eremus would shelter the girls, at least temporarily. Once Noah's team had retrieved them, they would be taken to the edge of the forest. There, they would be met by a team from Eremus. It was the second reason that Ella was perfect for this particular job. She would be the bridge between the academy students and their saviours. And, knowing that Helen would be with her, Ella was happy to return home.

Paulo and Ruth would meet them there, but they were coming into the city. Now that Faith had helped them identify where the drugs were being stored, Madeleine wanted them gone. Without the meds, Danforth's experiments couldn't continue.

After that, they would focus on cutting off the drug supply. Two teams would be heading for the warehouses tonight to get rid of the drugs for good. Olivia was heading up one team. The other would be led by Paulo.

Next to Jacob and Flynn, Paulo was the most experienced raider. He'd worked with explosives before. And he was desperate to be involved with the plot that brought Danforth down. He'd insisted that Ruth come with him. As a woman, she would pass under the Bellator guard radar more easily.

According to Noah's ma, Ruth had become Paulo's right-hand woman. In the absence of Jacob and Flynn, Anna and Paulo had kept things going. Organising the workforce, training the raiders, protecting and feeding the community, and keeping up morale. Ruth had been a huge help, and once Anna had left, she'd become even more valuable to Noah's brother.

It was odd to think of the Eremus community continuing in his absence. What would it be like when he returned? Would it still feel like home, now that he'd experienced life in the city? It was an uncomfortable thought.

Pushing it to the back of his mind, he tried to stay positive. Tonight, he would see his best friend and his brother again. He didn't mind admitting that he'd missed them both. Knowing they'd be around over the next few hours was a huge comfort. As long as the first part of the mission was a success, he would be proud to accompany his brother on the next.

For now, he had to focus on the challenge ahead. The women of the city were already part-way to believing what Danforth had done to the girls in the academy. And Madeleine was determined to discredit the chancellor completely. Noah's role in the mission was to help Kemp with the piece de resistance: forcing Principal Anderson to publicly admit what she and Danforth had done.

The plan was brilliant: set up equipment to broadcast live from the academy. Hide a microphone on Professor Kemp, then send her in to confront the principal. Once the women of the city heard the words from Anderson herself, there could be no more doubt.

But there were so many things which could go wrong. The timing was extremely tight, for one. They weren't sure whether they could gain access to the academy's tech equipment, for another. In addition to keeping the microphone hidden, Kemp would have to goad Anderson into talking. As long as the principal was there, of course. There was no way they could guarantee Anderson's whereabouts at the time of the mission.

But they had to try. If they could pull it off, there wouldn't be a citizen in the city left supporting Danforth.

Noah knew it was vital to stay focused. But it was difficult to keep his mind on the mission when he was terrified for Faith.

She had not been in contact since she'd sent them the message about the pendants and the drug locations. Soon after they'd received it, the camera had gone dark. Repeated attempts to reestablish the link had been unsuccessful. Blake had come to the worrying conclusion that Faith had been spotted sending the messages. Rather than risk outsiders hacking into the camera, hospital security had blocked all access to the feed.

So they had no idea whether Sanders had started Faith on the drug regime.

Their only hope rested with Carol. As a medic at the hospital, she stood a better chance of getting near Faith than any outsider. Armed with a cloned keycard, Madeleine had sent her back to the hospital with the sole task of getting inside the fertility wards and doing what she could to help Faith.

The Resistance was stretched to a breaking point with the mission. They needed the support of ordinary citizens if they were to succeed. The fact that Carol had come to them in the first place suggested she wanted to offer her support. But Noah had his doubts. Would the technician be prepared to risk her life for a girl she barely knew? Would Madeleine, famous for her philosophy of the many mattering more than the few, make Faith a priority?

He shook himself. They had a job to do. Focusing on the mission was the best way to take his mind off Faith. There was no way he was getting back into the hospital now that his cover was blown. He had to trust that Carol would do what she could.

Ahead, Blake held up her hand. The group stopped as one. They were approaching the academy from the side, hoping to skirt the edges of the playing fields and access the building without attracting attention.

Anderson would be absent. Blake had overheard a conversation earlier which implied she was meeting with Danforth, to finalise plans for Phase Three of the testing. The very phrase sent a shudder through Noah. But with the principal out of the way, and minimal security due to the march, Madeleine was hoping that Blake's team would be able to get inside without any trouble.

Their task was to disable any guards, locate the senior girls, and get them out. After that, they would lead them through the city to the woods. By the time the march made its way to the school, the senior students would be long gone.

"It's almost time. Remember your roles." Blake commanded from the front. "And be sure to follow my instructions at all times."

Noah took a deep breath and steeled himself. Time to focus. They had a job to do.