"Don't p—I said don't pani—" Rae's semi-shouts were drowned out in the pandemonium the other mothers were causing. "Stop it!"
Their panic was only making her panic a little bit more, but unlike them, the fact that she'd spent years upon years escaping infected had her able to push panic away temporarily. Standing tall, she looked at Rory just in time to see her take charge and slap at the table. If she could stay this calm with AJ on her hip, Rae had to do the same. Rae had to help her out. "As close to single file as you possibly can," she picked up where Rory left off. "But don't rush each other. Go quickly, but don't rush each other." The last thing they needed was for the rest of them to trip each other up on the way out. "And when you get out of here? Go back to your bedrooms," she commanded. "Don't even think about joining the fighting out there."
All she could do was hope that there wasn't another group coming at the back door; that they weren't sending these women from a bad situation into a worse one. She stood tall and turned around to look out the window when Rory asked how close they were. "They're almost here," she told Rory, a note of panic in her voice. "I locked the door, but that will only buy us so much time."
Especially if, she realized, the woman currently making her way through the door was stopping and turning around. "Keep going! Come on! The locked door won't hold them forever!" she commanded, getting a little bit angry now. But she didn't want to be taken away, just because some nosy moron decided that this was a good time to scope things out.
Just as she'd suspected, she saw the doorknob turning. "Damn it, shit, son of a bitch," she cursed. "Rory, make sure they keep going! I'll try and hold these guys off as long as I can," she sucked in a deep breath, suddenly wishing beyond wishing that she'd brought at least a handgun with her. She had time. They had to unlock the door, right?
Wrong.
Rather than picking the lock, they decided to take the path of least resistance and just smash the knob off. Rae's eyes widened as the door swung open and she was faced with seven large government men. Fighting... was futile. She knew that. But if she could buy Rory time to get the rest of them, and herself, out of there? She'd be satisfied. "G-get out of here!" she seethed at the men in faux-bravery. "You're not taking anyone!"